Cruel World (The Tribe Book 1)

1. Less Power, More Chaos (Pt II)

The group of four end up on a wild goose chase throughout the city streets with the Locos close behind them when they turn into an alleyway between buildings and reach a cage fence separating the street. The boys help Zandra over the fence, then Ryan climbs over. Lex follows but kicks the crates they were standing on preventing Glenn from following them.

"Lex what are you doing?!" Glenn shouts looking worriedly behind him as the Locos turn the corner. "Just another one of my brilliant plans. Good luck, friend," Lex sneers through the wire, watching as the Locos grab at Glenn as he tries to climb the fence and gets pulled down. He jogs over to where Ryan and Zandra are waiting for him.

"Where's Glenn?" Zandra enquires trying to look back to the fence.

"They've got him," he replies, faking sadness. She tries to run back. "There's nothing we can do Zandra, we have to save ourselves. Glenn would have wanted us to. Come on," he grabs her arm roughly to pull her along as they run away looking for somewhere safe to hide and spend the night as nightfall quickly draws closer.

They find an old car and climb in, hiding out while the Locos go back to their headquarters at the old hotel. Ryan attempts to start the car, but is unable to.

"Did you see that guy? What was his problem?" Lex rants, but doesn't wait for an answer as he continues. "Just trying to wig us. They get too much power. I'll show 'em, I'll get even with them, and that's a promise," He is cut off by Zandra's crying. "What's the matter with you?"

He tries to grab her shoulder but she shrugs him off. "Don't touch me!" she snarls through her tears. "For the last time Zan, I'm sorry about Glenn, it couldn't be helped" he attempts to comfort her but lacks any form of empathy or sympathy. "You got a thing about the guy? Is that it?" "No!"

"Then stop your sniffling. He wanted to be a Loco, now he's got his wish," he exclaims, getting frustrated by Zandra. He then realises a way to get in her good books and attempt to have her fall for him instead. "You know what?" She looks to him. "I think he sacrificed himself deliberately to save us. I can't even think about it," he fakes getting choked up with emotion, and Zandra begins to try to comfort him.

Ryan gives up trying to start the car and looks to the backseat where his companions sit.

"What are you looking at?" Lex snaps. "Is this thing gonna start or what?"

"It's outta gas. I did find something though...gum!" He tells Lex. Lex snatches it out of Ryan's hand and puts a piece in his mouth. He shoves Zandra away from him and begins exiting the car. "Let's get out of here."

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Cloe ends up leading both Amber and Dal towards her friends, and on the way there Dal rambles on about his dream life living in the countryside, growing his own food. Amber interrupts him.

"You really think it's gonna be different, living in the countryside?" she asks. "Can't be any worse can it?" he says rhetorically. "Well, fewer places to hide," she comments, not realising he didn't want an answer.

"There'll be no one to hide from. Look, all I wanna do is find a little place of my own which I can call home, a little piece of land where I can grow my own food, not scratching for leftovers like some kind of .. animal." "It's a nice dream," "It's more than a dream Amber! Look around you! There's no future here, the tribe's have got the city, let them live off tinned food."

"And what happens when the tinned food runs out? Do you think they're gonna leave you alone on your country estate?" Dal listens in disbelief.

"I don't believe this," he comments. "You've changed your mind. You're not coming with me" "No Dal, I haven't changed my mind, it's just that... I don't know, it feels like running away. I know there's nothing we can do, we can't stop the tribes from taking over. I just hate to see them get away with it," she says, turning another corner in the concrete jungle as Cloe lead them. The two friends pause and turn to each other.

"This is where I grew up. It's where you grew up Dal. You might be able to walk away, but I can't. It's not that simple" she finishes, then looks around worriedly. "Wait where's Cloe? Oh no, we've lost her already," she sighs, hands slapping her thighs in frustration until Dal points behind her.

"No we haven't, look." She turns to see that they've arrived to the little playground. They can see two other young kids playing on the swing set and a golden retriever watching on from his spot at the feet of a girl with bright red dyed hair, about 15 years old. They walk over to her. She spots them and jumps up.

"Who are you with? What tribe?" she asks, scared.

"We're not with any tribe. We found Cloe a couple of streets away, and you obviously know her. I'm Amber by the way, this is Dal." Amber informs the other girl.

"Salene." She introduces herself shortly.

"Did you know that Cloe wandered off?" Amber enquires.

"I can't stop her." She sighs. "What difference does it make? We can't run anymore. I was gonna give us up, then we found this place and I thought they could have a play, one more time, before..." she trails off.

Dal pipes up from Ambers side, "I'll scout around, see if I can find some shelter for the night." he informs the two girls.

"Okay, I'll share the food out" Ambers says.

"Yeah, you'd better, friend" another voice chimes as footsteps grow closer. The group look to the alleyway to see Lex, Zandra and Ryan walking up, Lex leading them with a sneer on his face. "You just better. See, I own this sector, and you're trespassing. But I'll tell you what, I'm feeling generous today. Why don't you just give me the bag and I'll say no more about it? Oh, and don't try running. You might get away," he says, gesturing to the three teenagers, before looking at the young children, "But they won't."

Amber pauses before deciding to respond, "Who are you? I don't recognise your tribe," she smirks slightly, knowing fully that they weren't from any tribe and that the sector is run by the Locos.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of - what?!" Lex is cut off by Ryan's hand on his shoulder. "Locos!"

"Let's get out of here," Dal signals to the rest of the group, and everyone runs out from another side alley other than the one they came through, the two groups then separating as they're the ones the Locos are looking for. All of a sudden, the smaller group gets stuck as they see another tribe approaching.

"Demon Dogs."

The trio quickly duck behind some old bins and crates, watching as a fight erupts between the two rival tribes and taking their chance to escape. Lex leads his companions the way Amber and her group went, deciding to continue his terrorisation of the group.

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Amber and her group walk through an empty car park. " I wonder where this car park leads to?" she questions as they walk up a few levels to the stairs into the rest of the building.

"It must be a shopping mall or something, there should be a way out up ahead." Dal responds. "I hope you're right." Dal is right, they are in the old Phoenix shopping mall, which is seemingly deserted.

"I hope its safe," Salene comments nervously, not used to the eerie quiet of the mall. "I'm sure its fine," Amber replies, looking around and seeing no sign of any threat to the group.

"Maybe there's some food here," Patsy suggests, speaking up for the first time. "I'll go have a look around, it looks like the place has been looted but you never know," Dal goes off to have a scout around the lower level of the mall, while everyone else sits on the edge of the empty fountain in the foyer.

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The small group come across the parking structure and decide to look inside for somewhere to stay for the night, having lost track of the larger group. "Come on, in here. What's up there?" Lex asks, thinking he sees something.

"Nothing," Ryan responds shaking his head, looking around them incase they were being followed. "We'd better get back to Sector 12 while it's still light, come on." Lex tells the other two, beginning to walk back the way they came, before stepping on something. He looks down to see a small teddy bear, the one Cloe happened to be holding before, and he realises the other group is inside the mall.