coast, is dead. Now, all that might not be as big a problem as it sounds, because as you’ve probably noticed, there aren’t that many of us left alive. There’s no way of knowing exactly how many, but our best estimations are a million at most, maybe only half that number. So what I’m trying to do is unify the remaining population and bring it together.”
“Good luck with that.” I laugh, not even bothering to try to hide my skepticism. “You’d be the first person in history to manage it.”
He ignores me and continues. “The radiation makes travel difficult at best, and getting cross-country is next to impossible. You either need to fly, go the long way around, or choose one of the less polluted regions and move through it damn fast. Sahota’s actually over on the west coast as we speak, negotiating with the Welsh.”
“Negotiating with the Welsh! Christ, it all sounds a bit tribal.”
“Yes, that’s exactly how things will be if we don’t do something about it. Someone needs to make a stand and try to bring some order to what’s left before we completely lose control, and that’s why I’m here. London and the southeast is dead, but where we are now, from the outermost edge of the East Midlands across to the east coast, and from Hull right down to Cambridge, is one of the largest inhabitable areas remaining. We’re in control of most of it now.”
“Try telling that to Hinchcliffe.”
“Exactly, and that’s my problem. We’ve known about him for a while and we’ve been happy to let him get on with what he’s been doing. He’s managed to build up quite a little empire for himself.”
“He has, and he’s not about to let anyone come in and take it over. You do realize that, don’t you?”
“Of course I do, and I wouldn’t expect any different. A man in his position is naturally going to want to protect his investment and not give up power. Which is why I didn’t actually say anything about taking over. The best option for all concerned would be to get him on our side.”
“I can tell you now, that’s never going to happen. Hinchcliffe’s not much of a team player.”
“I get that impression, and ultimately it’ll be his decision. People who’ve taken charge of places like he has don’t usually tend to give a damn about anyone or anything else. I’m not that naive, Danny. I know what I’m dealing with here.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve done this before. We used to call them dictators. Anyway, my focus is the people, not Hinchcliffe. From what I’ve heard, there are a lot of people in and around Lowestoft who need help. We are thousands strong, with more firepower than—”
“I know you used to be in government, but that doesn’t mean anything now. I know exactly how Hinchcliffe will react when you turn up. He won’t ever recognize any authority but his own. He’s only out for himself. You turn up and you’ll just be walking into a fight to the death, no matter how many soldiers or guns you’ve got.”
“You’re probably right,” Ankin says nonchalantly. “Like I said, though, situations like this have been successfully dealt with before. Hinchcliffe isn’t the only person trying to carve out a place in the history books for himself. We have to start somewhere, and we have to make a stand.”
History books—now there’s a quaint, old-fashioned notion. People don’t bother with any books these days, much less those that are concerned with our irrelevant lives before the war. Ankin just told me he wasn’t naive, but I can’t help wondering if he really does appreciate how deep-rooted the damage inflicted on the population as a whole has been. I look at him across the table. His face is frustratingly difficult to read.
“Was that your plane that flew over Lowestoft?”
“Yes.”
“What exactly was the point of that?”
“Threefold, I suppose. First, it was a signal for Llewellyn, and his excuse if you like, to come to Norwich and rendezvous with us. We’ve had to carefully coordinate our arrival here.”
“Coordinate with who?”
“Llewellyn for a start, and various other people, too. The plane was the easiest way of letting him know it was time. Second, I wanted to stir up the people of Lowestoft and get them thinking. I thought a flyover by a small, unarmed plane would be enough of a distraction to make them ask questions, but not enough for them to misconstrue it as a threat. I didn’t want to bring out the big guns just yet.”
“And the third reason?”
“To get Hinchcliffe thinking, too.”
“You certainly managed that. Fucker was livid.”
“That really wasn’t my intention. I just wanted him to realize he’s not the only one left with any influence around here.”
“He’s the only one with any influence in Lowestoft.”
“At the moment, yes, and we can both say what we like about him, but the fact remains, he’s managed to turn the town into the largest and most established community we’ve yet come across.”
“It’s hardly a community. It’s just several thousand people who happen to be in the same place, nothing more.”
“Okay, wrong choice of word perhaps. Settlement, then. Whatever you want to call it, he’s managed to keep a lot of people in order.”
“The fighters are scared of him, and everyone else is scared of the fighters, that’s all.”
“What about you?”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared of what Hinchcliffe might do. I’ve seen him in action. He genuinely doesn’t give a shit about anyone else, and he’ll do whatever he thinks he needs to do to make his point. He says everything boils down to the two f’s—food and fear.”
“I don’t necessarily agree with that, but I know where he’s coming from.”
“So how come you know so much about Lowestoft?”
“We’ve had people in and around the place for a while. Llewellyn risked a hell of a lot for us, and there were several others. Do you know Neil Casey?”
“I thought he was dead,” I tell him, remembering the day I spent gravedigging, desperately trying to see if one of the bodies I was helping to bury was Hinchcliffe’s missing foot soldier.
“He wasn’t this morning.” Ankin chuckles to himself. “Last time I spoke to him he was still very much alive.”
“Hinchcliffe sent me to look for him in Southwold. Was that place your doing, too?”
“What had been happening in Southwold was initially because of John Warner, nothing to do with us. I’d been talking to John for some time. He shared a lot of our ideals, and we were doing what we could to help. He was definitely on the right track.”
“I assume you know what happened there?”
“What Hinchcliffe did to Southwold was unforgivable. We were hoping to use the place as a staging post instead of here. It was a difficult one to call, and I got it wrong. I didn’t intend for John and his people to get dragged in like that. Hinchcliffe was obviously under the impression that Southwold was a threat.”
“He saw it as a threat to his authority, nothing more than that.”
I keep my mouth shut about the part I played in Warner’s downfall. Even though Hinchcliffe maneuvered me into that position, I still feel partially responsible for what happened.
“The thing is, Danny,” he continues, the tone of his voice suddenly changing, “what Hinchcliffe’s doing won’t last. He’s going to run out of supplies and ideas eventually. Then he’s screwed.”
“I know. I’ve tried talking to him about it.”
“When people like Hinchcliffe realize their number’s up, they never go quietly. What happens next in Lowestoft is crucial, and we can’t afford to fail. We’re in danger of losing so much of what we used to have, you know? All that knowledge, technology, and experience … it’s too important just to throw it all away. We’ll end up living in caves again.”
“So what exactly are you planning, and why are you talking to me?”
“I honestly didn’t know anything about you until we arrived here. You’re an unexpected bonus, Danny. You’re someone who’s had unprecedented access to Hinchcliffe. You know how he thinks and how he works. Long and short of it, I want your help. Because, in answer to your first question, as soon as all my people are in position, we’re heading for Lowestoft. There are thousands of people there who are suffering, and I’ve got a duty to try to help them.”
