are,” said the mountain in a voice so low with menace the guard, still on the floor trying to dress himself with shaking hands, seemed to pale. The half-naked woman threw up noisily and no one paid her any mind.
“Come, Brother, I want to take you to our command center…” Samir said, adjusting his glasses. His brow was covered in a sheen of sweat. “Such as it is.”
Malcolm followed his friend up the first flight of stairs. He tried to ignore the sound of Yossef as he slugged the negligent guard. The smaller man’s muffled cry of pain had no effect on Malcolm.
“What is the current situation?” he asked Samir.
“Get that woman covered up…” echoed Yossef’s voice as Malcolm and Samir passed the first level and continued to climb. Another faint thud and then the only sound Malcolm heard was his own footsteps and Samir’s explanation.
“The Man has been sending in scouts all throughout the city. We have found more than two dozen soldiers sneaking about. Sadly, most have escaped.”
Malcolm nodded serenely—more so for Samir’s nerves than his own. “I expected as much. Now that Chicago has fallen, New York is our last major city in the North. I have been out of communication with our Brothers and Sisters in the West and South—”
“Malcolm,” said Samir, pausing on the third floor landing. “Before we go any further, let me express my sincere condolences on the loss of…on your loss. Your brother will be missed. He was a true hero of the faith.”
The flash of anger that flared to life in Malcolm’s soul was quenched just as quickly as it was born. The genuine pain and sympathy in Samir’s eyes soothed Malcolm’s spirit. He nodded and put a hand on Samir’s thin shoulder.
“Thank you Brother. It means a great deal to me. Tahru is with Allah now, enjoying his eternal reward.”
“ Allah hu Akbar ,” intoned Samir with bowed head.
“ Allah akbar ,” replied Malcolm solemnly. He looked up and sniffed away a tear. “Now,” he said with a worried glance up the stairwell. “How many floors…?”
“Seven more, Brother. Our engineers have been working on the elevators using ropes, pulleys and muscles. We have no power and our fuel reserves are long since depleted. We have candles at night and nothing more.”
Malcolm sighed. How sad that the once mighty New York City could be reduced to such a…Medieval…state. “Come,” he said with a friendly slap on Samir’s shoulder. “Let us continue. Please,” he said and gestured for Samir to lead on. “What have you heard from our Brothers and Sisters elsewhere?”
Samir spoke over his shoulder in the darkened stairwell as they climbed, his voice struggling against the echoes of their shoes on the concrete steps. “From the West, we have heard almost nothing—we are hopeful that means our forces are holding their own. But the last news we had through the HAM network was that Los Angeles and much of Southern California has been reduced to ashes.”
“The fires,” nodded Malcolm. “Yes, tragic.”
“Some say it was the hand of our Brown Brothers that started the fires.”
Malcolm frowned. “Yes, I have heard.” How much was true he did not know, but he was sure that Hakim and his friends had been trying to use the Brotherhood all along.
“From the south we receive hourly reports about the Russians. They are intent on conquering Florida it seems. Perhaps even the whole of the south. Our Brothers still hold Tampa and parts of Orlando. Jacksonville is in ruins now and the Man is in retreat.”
“Well,” Malcolm said around a puff of breath. He winced as he stumbled into the next landing in the dark. “At least that is some good news.”
“About the only, I fear,” said Samir.
“Why do you say that?”
Samir sighed as he reached the sixth floor landing. “Our scouts on the mainland report the Man is beginning to grow his presence
“Come, Brother, I want to take you to our command center…” Samir said, adjusting his glasses. His brow was covered in a sheen of sweat. “Such as it is.”
Malcolm followed his friend up the first flight of stairs. He tried to ignore the sound of Yossef as he slugged the negligent guard. The smaller man’s muffled cry of pain had no effect on Malcolm.
“What is the current situation?” he asked Samir.
“Get that woman covered up…” echoed Yossef’s voice as Malcolm and Samir passed the first level and continued to climb. Another faint thud and then the only sound Malcolm heard was his own footsteps and Samir’s explanation.
“The Man has been sending in scouts all throughout the city. We have found more than two dozen soldiers sneaking about. Sadly, most have escaped.”
Malcolm nodded serenely—more so for Samir’s nerves than his own. “I expected as much. Now that Chicago has fallen, New York is our last major city in the North. I have been out of communication with our Brothers and Sisters in the West and South—”
“Malcolm,” said Samir, pausing on the third floor landing. “Before we go any further, let me express my sincere condolences on the loss of…on your loss. Your brother will be missed. He was a true hero of the faith.”
The flash of anger that flared to life in Malcolm’s soul was quenched just as quickly as it was born. The genuine pain and sympathy in Samir’s eyes soothed Malcolm’s spirit. He nodded and put a hand on Samir’s thin shoulder.
“Thank you Brother. It means a great deal to me. Tahru is with Allah now, enjoying his eternal reward.”
“ Allah hu Akbar ,” intoned Samir with bowed head.
“ Allah akbar ,” replied Malcolm solemnly. He looked up and sniffed away a tear. “Now,” he said with a worried glance up the stairwell. “How many floors…?”
“Seven more, Brother. Our engineers have been working on the elevators using ropes, pulleys and muscles. We have no power and our fuel reserves are long since depleted. We have candles at night and nothing more.”
Malcolm sighed. How sad that the once mighty New York City could be reduced to such a…Medieval…state. “Come,” he said with a friendly slap on Samir’s shoulder. “Let us continue. Please,” he said and gestured for Samir to lead on. “What have you heard from our Brothers and Sisters elsewhere?”
Samir spoke over his shoulder in the darkened stairwell as they climbed, his voice struggling against the echoes of their shoes on the concrete steps. “From the West, we have heard almost nothing—we are hopeful that means our forces are holding their own. But the last news we had through the HAM network was that Los Angeles and much of Southern California has been reduced to ashes.”
“The fires,” nodded Malcolm. “Yes, tragic.”
“Some say it was the hand of our Brown Brothers that started the fires.”
Malcolm frowned. “Yes, I have heard.” How much was true he did not know, but he was sure that Hakim and his friends had been trying to use the Brotherhood all along.
“From the south we receive hourly reports about the Russians. They are intent on conquering Florida it seems. Perhaps even the whole of the south. Our Brothers still hold Tampa and parts of Orlando. Jacksonville is in ruins now and the Man is in retreat.”
“Well,” Malcolm said around a puff of breath. He winced as he stumbled into the next landing in the dark. “At least that is some good news.”
“About the only, I fear,” said Samir.
“Why do you say that?”
Samir sighed as he reached the sixth floor landing. “Our scouts on the mainland report the Man is beginning to grow his presence
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