Page 55 of Uprising

Though maybe after today he will. Maybe he’ll realise we’re not all empty words and no action.

The rain is coming down like a constant spitting of water. I can feel it on my skin, I can feel it soaking into my bones. It’s a standard autumn day here, all the oppressive heat of summer is forgotten about in the sopping wet dullness of autumn.

When I shut my eyes I still see it, those images, of Rose, of Lara, of my nightmares about what Darius is doing to them. It’s harder not to react, to stand here, acting like every moment I’m asleep I’m not reliving it over and over.

I’m torturing myself. I know that. And yet part of me needs to. I need to feel this pain, to understand it, to in some ways share the horror of what they are experiencing, what I let happen.

The engines rumble loudly as they approach. Around me the others shift. Do they think this is an ambush? Do they think I would cross them?

I look across at Koen, meet his black eyes and then step out, step towards the headlights as they get nearer.

The door of the closest one opens. Boots hit the ground and then I see that same old gap toothed grin.

“Fuck me.” Terry says. “You’re actually alive?”

“Can’t get rid of me that easily.” I reply.

Terry smirks running his eyes over me. “Nah, but you look like shit mate.”

Of course I look like shit. I’ve spent months in a coma completely out of it, while my body has started to waste away and then I’ve woken to find everything I hold dear, everything worth something in this life has been taken from me. Again.

“So do you but I guess somethings don’t change.”

He narrows his eyes before he’s embracing me with a laugh.

“Fucking prick.” He says slapping my back.

“Terry this is Koen. Koen Diaz.”

His eyes widen as he looks across at the MC President then they shoot back to me.

“Fucking hell Roman, I see you’ve changed your friends then…”

“I’ve been forced to.” I say. But that seems hardly fair. “We’re working together now.” I state. “We have shared aims.”

Terry gives Koen another look but shrugs it off. “I take it these are for them then?” He mutters.

“They’re for us.” I reply nodding my head, following over to where the trucks are.

The backs are dropped, Koen is quick to inspect them, to open up the crates to see exactly what we’re dealing with.

“Very nice.” He murmurs holding an assault rifle that glints even in the dull light.

Terry stiffens a little. “Roman, they’re fucking gangbangers.” He mutters.

I narrow my eyes. “Maybe they are.” I say. “But I’d much rather they have these than Darius.”

He tilts his head like he’s weighing it up. “Fine.” He says, like he’s gifting them and we’re not paying him thousands to buy them. “Let me know when you need more.”

“What else can you get?” Koen asks.

Terry hesitates like he doesn’t want to answer that. “You mean beyond guns?”

Koen smirks. “Come on, we’re not idiots, these are military grade weapons. If you can get your hands on these you can get other things…”

“Such as?”

“Drones, tanks, the good stuff.” Koen grins.

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