Up From the Slums: Genesis

Rendezvous

I was stuck. He was right there. Like a shadow of doom approaching the prey it has no idea is there. The robot suits they wore had StatVis like nothing else, so I already knew my fate. It was only a matter of time till he found me. But I wasn't going down without a fight. I couldn't face the Faculty. Not again. I was bracing myself so hard, I nearly jumped out of my damn skin when a small hand casually reached out and tapped my knee. I looked down to see two small, brown eyes looking at me from the wall. My eyes then spied a hole in the wall. The message in those eyes was clear. Seconds later, I was on the other side of the yard.
"There's nothing here, y' moron!" number 2 called from the alley.
"I'm tellin' y', I smelt one!"
 "Ah, shut up y' maggot. We've wasted enough of our bloody time, so let's git outta here and back on patrol. We'll be in enough shit as it is fer bein' late!" The voices started to fade. I turned to thank the kid, but he wasn't there. I was so confused. But I didn't have any more time to waste. The boys were waiting for me. With a quick check to make sure the goods were okay, I was off. I leapt onto the roof and start moving south. Travel by rooftop was the quickest way to get anywhere in Genesis; all the rooves were flat, square, and evenly spaced. And they'd stopped the sky patrols years ago. After not even two minutes, I had caught up to the Sentinals. We were at an intersection. They turn right, I needed to go straight ahead. It was amain road, so a bigger jump than most, but still doable. A quick run-up, and I was on the move again.
"Hey, moron. Wanna check this one? I thought I saw the bogeyman down here last week." guard number 4 teased. His voice was so familiar.
"Alright, come off it, dickhead." guard number 1 grumbled. These guys clearly didn't have a life. Without realising what I was doing, I followed them for another five minutes. My comm-link lit up dozens of times. The boys were waiting, but I ignored them. Guard number 3 tripped. And that was about it. When nothing else happened, I turned around and was about to start moving when the wind changed. I paid it no heed. I was too busy listening to the Moronic Quartet down the street, who had suddenly gone quiet. I turned and looked. They were staring right back. I bolted, jumping over gaps, and moving as fast as I could. The Sentinals split up. They were trying to head me off. So instead, I stopped and dropped through a gap, then ran back up the way they came. By the time they regrouped, I was long gone. The Boundary quickly came into view. Massive 60-meter walls that encompass the entirety of the Citadel; it's a nightmare to climb. Which was why we never climbed. A big city with big walls meant big drains. A trip through the slums was all it takes before I was standing at the cross-bared entrance to the outside world. Seconds later, I was through. Slow and steady wins the race there. Speed meant noise. It took me five minutes to get through.
"Ivy!" an annoyed voice hissed from the darkness.
"Hello, James." I reply with a chuckled. Three more boys drop from the trees. "Zak, Ronan." I nod. "Jacob."
"Ivy..." Jacob began with a warning tone. I braced myself for his rant, but James beat him to it. "Where were you?! We've been waiting for ages! We were supposed to be back two hours ago! Carmen is not going to be pleased!" he raged. I wasn't paying attention, of course. My ears, being more sensitive than his, were picking up sounds from inside the Citadel.
"This way!"
"She went through the drains!"
"This one! Down here!" the familiar voice rang in my ears. By now, the other boys had caught on. I looked up into three very concerned faces. And James was still ranting. I hate James.
"Ivy, are you even listening?!" he snapped.
"We have to go. Now."
"Why do we... oh shit." his eyes widened with fear. "The Shack! Go!"
I ran. The boys followed. We sprinted along, all the while hearing the Sentinals emerge from the drain behind us. I reached the Shack first. I wrenched open the door and let the others dive in first. Sentinal lights hit me. Then I was pulled in. James opened the hatch, and we all jumped in. There was a massive crash, light shining through the cracks, breaths being held. Then darkness. Five minutes, then ten.
"Someone's gotta look." James whispered.
"But who?" Jacob asked.
"Draw straws." Zak suggested, producing five pieces of straw from his pocket. We all took turns taking a piece, and of course, I pulled the short one. Steeling my nerves, I gently pushed the hatch roof open.
"They're gone." I sighed with relief and clambered out.
"Thank God Carmen had that bunker built." Jacob laughed as he climbed out. "Jesus Christ, it was rank though."
"Tell me about it." I replied. I peered out through the cracks in the wall. "They're gone. Grab the loot and let's move".
We all started heaving sacks of supplies onto the wagon hidden in the trees.
"Hey, Ivy. Where's the medicine?" Jacob asks. I handed him the bag. "That should be all of it." I said as he climbed into the driver's seat.
"Ronan, Zak? You ready, lads?" he calls. Zak and Ronan nodded their replies and took the positions usually reserved for horses. James and I ran ahead to our scouting positions, ready for any Border Patrols we could come across.
"Got your sword?" I ask.
"Yep."
"Good."
"Here's your bow." He called, throwing me a bow and quiver.
"Cheers."
And so, we began the long journey home.