While they couldn’t arrest anyone, that hadn’t stopped them from bundling suspects into armoured transports for enhanced interrogation at undisclosed locations. Faulkner had called twice, demanding to speak to Sarah. So far, Hannah had managed to put him off, but she couldn’t do so forever. Eventually, he was just going to show up. She was certain he suspected that Sarah had something to do with the theft.
In some ways, that was good. The longer Sarah and Faulkner were focused on one another, the more it pushed Sarah to kick against Albion. While most of her peers in DedSec were more concerned with graffiti and digital redistribution, Hannah had long thought the key to the Resistance was in the halls of power.
It wasn’t the man on the street you needed to convince – it was the man in Parliament. The one with their hand on the lever of government. Get them thinking the right way, and you could do anything. Or so she hoped.
Not everyone believed the way she did. Some thought the only way to make things right was to start over – crash the system and reboot. Rebuild society from the ground up. But Hannah wasn’t willing to pay the inevitable cost for such an extreme solution. How many would die, not in riots or upheaval, but from simple starvation or sickness?
She shook her head. No, the only way was to work within the existing system. To change it one part at a time, until it was running the way it was meant to run.
She shook her head. Time to worry about that sort of thing later. She pulled out her Optik. “Bagley,” she murmured.
Greetings, Hannah Shah. I trust you are well today?
“I would be better if I knew whether Albion were going to be kicking in my door today. I don’t suppose you can shed any light on that?”
Have no fear. Nothing I have heard implicates you or your employer. Though she is making quite a few enemies…
“The right ones, I hope. Liz and Olly?”
Safe as houses. You played your part well.
“Happy to be of service. Now you can help me. Have you found him yet?”
The mysterious Mr Holden, you mean?
“That would be him, yes. Stop prevaricating, Bagley. Has anyone found him?”
Not as yet. Though we have noticed an increased amount of chatter surrounding the subject of Holden on Albion’s internal communications network. He seems to have been a very bad boy indeed.
“What do you mean?”
Whatever Holden is up to Albion hasn’t sanctioned it. And they aren’t happy about it.
Hannah sat back, thinking about it. “It must have something to do with the shootings. He knows something. Or thinks he does.” She paused. “I think it might be in our best interests to find him, if we can. And not just to satisfy my curiosity.”
That was the thinking in the DedSec canteen as well.
Hannah stifled a laugh. “I’m sure.”
We are – ah. Hang on. You’ve got an incoming call. I think you should take it.
Hannah frowned. Before she could speak, a call alert flashed on her display. She answered. “Hello?”
“Is this the woman I spoke to before?”
She recognised the voice instantly. “Mr. Holden… I didn’t expect to hear from you again. Especially after I found your bug.”
A moment of silence. Then a rueful chuckle. “Is that what happened to it?”
“Technically, my employer happened to it. She does not look kindly on would-be spies, Mr Holden. I would suggest you remember that. What can I do for you today?”
“It’s your employer I need to speak to. Today.”
“I’m sorry, but today–”
“Today,” he repeated. “It’s a matter of life and death.”
Hannah paused. “Is it about Albion?” she asked, softly. She heard an intake of breath.
“Yeah, you might say that.”
“Then it might be in our best interests not to meet with you.” She heard a knock on her door and looked up. Sarah stood in the doorway. She mouthed a question and Hannah pointed to her Optik, and scrawled Holden’s name on her pad. Sarah’s eyes widened and gestured furiously. Hannah put the call on speaker.
“That’d be a mistake,” he said. “Your boss wants dirt on Albion, doesn’t she? I can give it to her.”
“In return for what?”
“Protection.”
“From Albion?” She looked up as Sarah snapped her fingers. She gestured, but Hannah motioned for her to be patient.
There was a noticeable hesitation before he answered. “Yes.”
“Done,” Sarah said, before Hannah could speak. “I’ll clear my schedule. Where do you wish to meet?”
18: Masks
Liz leaned forward, watching the TV screens. The screens were tuned to different stations, one of which was a pirate broadcast out of Charlton. All of them were talking about the same thing – Albion. On the streets, in businesses and homes. No official word had come down regarding an increase in Albion’s remit, but most of the talking heads were taking the government’s silence as tacit approval.
On one screen, Nigel Cass was talking breezily about the need for an Albion presence at the TOAN conference. On another, MP Sarah Lincoln was making the most out of Albion patchy record regarding human rights. Three stations, including GBB, were still on what was being officially called “The Bethnal Green Incident”, and how it might be the work of DedSec, which GBB at least were calling a terrorist cell.
“Not good,” Krish murmured, from where he sat nearby. He wasn’t the only one. At least a dozen people sat or stood in the cellar’s central room, watching the news reports. “Really not good.”
“We’ve been called worse,” Liz said, without looking at him. Someone laughed. Krish didn’t. He’d started to pace.
“They’re already cracking down. Drones in the air, APVs on the streets. What are we going to do?”
“Well, not panicking is a start.” Liz stood and stretched. She’d slept on a camp bed the night before,
