PROTEST ACTION
A short story of 3000 words
© David Lowe, October 1992
'Harrison knows what he's doing I'm telling you. This guy's fucking hard-core. Christ, he's been in prison twice!'
'Look Ben, I just don't know,' said Veronica.
Marcie put her hand on the woman's arm and spoke earnestly. 'Ronny - sorry - Veronica, you've got to come. Harrison's the realest guy on the planet. At least meet him. The guy'll blow you away.'
There were three at the table in the coffee shop.
Ben and Marcie were lovers, Arts students, activists. They believed in pretty much everything, apart from shoes and haircuts. Their clothes were colourful and ragged, but clean.
Veronica was something else. Holding her handbag carefully on her lap, she wore the uniform of a cinema usher and kept an eye on her watch. Her hair was in a neat pony-tail. Waitresses looked curiously at the three of them as they edged past.
At school they had been a close group. Since then, rich parents had helped Ben and Marcie move in together and go to university.
Veronica went to work instead. Her mother had died when she was a child, and now her income helped support her and her invalid father.
Although their lives had gone in different directions, Veronica kept in touch with her schoolfriends. Every so often they shared coffee, laughs about old times, and their fears about the future.
This time Ben and Marcie had rung her. A chance to do something, they'd said. An opportunity to really make a difference.
'So how 'bout it Ronny?' said Ben, patting his pockets for change.
Veronica scowled at the old nickname. 'Okay,' she said. 'I'll meet him, but no promises. All right?'
Ben and Marcie nodded and grinned at each other.
Late next afternoon, Ben's old Renault nosed around the corner to reveal another row of shiny new office blocks pushing into the suburbs.
'Supergreenie lives here?' asked Veronica in surprise.
'It's a squat,' explained Marcie. 'There. See?'
Nestled between glass and concrete walls was a jungle of paspalum and aging fruit trees. The old house was barely visible at the back of the block.
They stopped the car and got out. Broken windows. Graffiti spraypainted on the walls. There didn't seem to be anyone around.
Tentatively, Veronica followed her friends up the overgrown path. The screen door was hanging off its hinges. Ben didn't bother knocking. 'Harrison lives out the back,' he said over his shoulder.
Inside the house it was dark. The carpets had been ripped up. Mould grew in the corners of the rooms. Bare pipes jutted out of the walls of what had been the kitchen.
'Harrison?' shouted Ben.
'In here,' came the muffled reply.
Nervously, Veronica followed the others into a bedroom. The room was windowless. Candles and incense burned. The walls were covered with a leafy mural of a deep green forest, extending over the roof and across the door.
Instinctively, Veronica flinched at a painted spider by her hand.
The floor was covered with topographic maps, a tapestry of green and brown. In the midst sat Harrison.
'Good to see you buddy!' said Ben.
Gracefully, without disturbing the maps, Harrison stood up. With one hand he swept dreadlocks from his eyes, which were deep black. The man's clothes were a mishmash of army disposals gear and kaleidoscopic rags. Harrison's forearms were brown and well-muscled. His bearded face could have been 29 or 39. Harrison nodded cursorily to Ben and Marcie, before staring at the girl by the door.
'Who's this?' he asked quietly.
'That's Veronica,' explained Ben. 'She's interested in the action.'
Harrison wheeled to face the younger man. 'Who else have you told?'
Marcie cut in. 'We haven't told anyone. You can trust Veronica. We've known her for years.'
For long seconds Harrison looked into Veronica's eyes. Her apprehension left her. Surprised at herself, she began to feel pleasurably dizzy. At last she broke away from his gaze. Harrison held out his hand. Veronica looked at it, confused.
'Shake his hand, silly!' said Marcie.
Veronica shook. Harrison's hand was warm and strangely comforting. Words seemed unnecessary.
At last the moment was broken.
'Come back after sunset,' Harrison said. 'I need to meditate now.'
Ben and Marcie explained the 'action' as they walked past deserted offices.
'The plan's brilliant. Can't fail. No dozers, and they're powerless.'
'Who?' asked Veronica.
'The loggers, of course. What do you think this is about? Sitting around waving placards at fucking politicians? Harrison thinks bigger than that. Much bigger. He's offering us the chance of a lifetime, the chance to really do something.'
Veronica looked at Ben blankly.
Marcie spoke. 'With our help, he's going to sabotage every bulldozer working in Booradoola forest.'
'But that's illegal!'
'Of course it's fucking illegal,' said Ben. 'That's the whole point.'
'But they've got police down there! I saw it on the news.'
Ben began to lose his temper. 'I told you, we're not gonna get caught. Harrison's got his shit together!'
'All right then, if this Harrison's such a big expert and never gets caught, what was he doing in jail?'
Marcie cut in. 'Listen Veronica, he used to work for the bad guys, right? He knows a way for us to get in and out without anyone knowing. If you don't want to be in on it, that's fine. We'll make history without you.'
They walked the rest of the way back to the squat in silence.
Harrison was in the kitchen. 'Beans?' he offered, holding a cigarette lighter under the tin.
Veronica stared at him in fascination. Now she knew what the magazines meant when they talked about animal magnetism.
Harrison didn't wait for a reply. 'Just as well,' he grinned. 'Not enough to go round anyway.'
He began opening the tin with a knife as he continued. 'I've got it all worked out. We drive down Wednesday afternoon, camp out that night. Hit them early AM Thursday. Come home and wait for the shit to hit the fan Friday morning.'
'Look, Harrison-'
'I've got the magic juice, stickers, tools, tent, the lot. All I need from you two is the car and fuel. Oh, and maybe someone could bring some food. Veronica?'
Ben spoke. 'It's just gonna be me and Marcie, man. Ronny's not interested.'
Harrison shrugged. 'Fair enough,' he chuckled as he ate. 'Only trees, aren't they?'
Marcie and Ben laughed uneasily.
Suddenly Veronica spoke. 'I'd like to come...' Her friends stared at her in surprise. 'If I could, that is.'
She shivered deliciously as Harrison smiled at her, his sensuous eyebrows raised.
That night Veronica's head whirled as she stood up the back of the cinema. She had already seen the film fourteen times, and cried every time. Tonight it all seemed irrelevant. For once, reality was more real.
It was all arranged.
Why had she agreed? She scarcely understood it herself. Sure, she'd always had the right stickers on the fridge, mouthed the right words at parties, but it wasn't the cause that had made her say yes, that much she knew.
The boys she'd known in the past had been just that - boys. Harrison was like a different species. Veronica could feel something new taking control of her; an exciting, unpredictable force. Deep inside, she was afraid of where it might lead. She dared not give the force a name.
It was midday on Wednesday when Marcie and Ben picked her up from home. Veronica had told her father they were going to the coast.
'Look after yourself, eh?' he said from the sofa. 'Don't let your hippie friends tie-dye all your T-shirts this time!'
She kissed him on the cheek.
'Don't worry. I'll be back Thursday night.'
The old man looked through the blinds as his daughter drove away, wondering what was wrong.
Harrison was waiting at the kerb outside the squat. In the daylight he looked smaller, more ordinary. Ben helped him heave an enormous clunking bag into the boot.
'What've you got in there man?'
Harrison tapped the side of his nose and slammed the boot.
'Boys, girls - welcome to the war!' he proclaimed, handing a pencilled-over map to Veronica. 'Did you remember some sensible shoes?' he asked her with a wink.
She blushed as Ben started up the engine of the Renault.
'Wake me in two hours,' said Harrison, and promptly fell asleep.
When it was time to wake him up, the sky was overcast and threatening to rain. They had left the dry plains and the mountains behind them. Tall trees met over the highway.
'Mmm, smell that fresh country air,' said Harrison wryly as a logging truck ahead of them swamped the car with exhaust. Sleeping, Harrison had looked innocent and harmless, like a baby lion. Now he was a coiled spring.
Veronica tore her eyes away from the back of Harrison's head and looked out the window. She hadn't been to this part of the country before. In fact she'd barely been out of the city in her life. The landmarks were unfamiliar. The air smelled different.
Protest graffiti on billboards and road signs became more common as they drew closer to the woodchip mills, reminding Veronica why they were there.
'Ronny?! Veronica!' Marcie's voice broke through her thoughts. 'Hallo?'
'What is it Marcie?' said Veronica, irritated.
'The map. We need to look at the map again.'
'Don't worry about it,' interjected Harrison. 'That map's no good to us any more.' He pulled a sheaf of detailed topographic maps from his pocket and unfolded one. 'We're on to this one now.'
'Left in four and a half k,' he told Ben.
'Yes sir!' Ben snapped one hand in a mock salute. Harrison did not smile, his eyes intent on the map.
The first turn took them down a fire trail. After half an hour they stopped at a gate on the right marked 'Private Property'. Using bolt-cutters, Harrison cut the chain and beckoned the car through. 'Did you see that!?' said Veronica.
'No,' replied Marcie, 'And neither did you.'
Ben shook his head in wonderment as Harrison replaced the chain with an identical one from his bag. 'What a fucking dude!'
Carefully, Ben navigated the little car down the overgrown bush track. At the gate on the other side of the property Harrison repeated the process. They were on a narrow logging road.
'Left,' said Harrison.
'What if a truck comes?' asked Marcie.
'It won't. Not this afternoon.'
It began to rain as the shadows grew. Turn after turn they took, until they were deep in the forest. Veronica crossed her arms against the cold. When it grew too dark to drive, Harrison refused to have the lights turned on.
'Follow me,' he said, getting out and walking a few feet ahead of the car. They inched forward.
Through gaps in the trees, a fingernail moon rose. At last the car came to a clearing.
'Stop here,' said Harrison.
Ben slammed the door as he got out. Harrison glared.
'Quiet!' he whispered. 'We're in an illegal area now. There are police on the other side of the valley. We've got to be quiet. No fires. No music. No shouting. Okay?'
They all nodded.
When she got out of the car, Veronica realised she hadn't brought enough clothes. The cold bit through her thin jacket. Suddenly she realised Marcie and Ben were laughing and pointing at her.
'What?'
'Where did you get those boots?'
Veronica looked down. She was wearing oversized Wellington boots, borrowed from her father.
Harrison noticed she was shivering. 'Here, put this on,' he said, offering her a shiny metallic looking sheet. Something tingled inside her as he helped wrap it round her shoulders. 'It's a space blanket,' he smiled. 'It'll keep you warm.'
Harrison had brought two tents.
'We'll have this one,' said Ben and Marcie.
'Hope you don't mind sharing?' asked Harrison.
'No. That'll be fine,' Veronica heard herself say.
Dinner was cold beans and spaghetti, packets of crisps, chocolate bars and flat beer. Harrison spoke softly as they ate, sitting on tarpaulins in the dark. 'The thing is, see, they're expecting us from the other side. This way they're completely laid open. One hour and I'll be in and out again. They'll never know what hit them.'
There was something incredibly attractive about his mouth, Veronica decided. And his eyes. And...
Without warning he reached out and touched her neck. Heart racing, she wondered what would happen next.
'Hold still,' said Harrison. Between his fingers Harrison held a squirming leech, striped with orange and black, engorged with blood. Veronica stared at it, horrified. Harrison grinned as he flicked it away. 'Doesn't it feel good to be contributing something to an ecosystem for a change?' he said.
'I think I'm going to be sick.'
'Come off it Ronny,' scoffed Ben. 'It's only a leech.' Veronica noticed him checking his own arms surreptitiously.
'Isn't it wonderful out here,' gushed Marcie. 'So real.'
'Yeah. Wild.' said Ben.
'The trees are so... big.'
'Right. Wild.' said Ben. Suddenly there was a shriek nearby. Veronica jumped.
Marcie spoke first. 'What was that?!'
'Bird,' said Harrison, unconcerned, round a mouthful of chocolate.
'Oh.'
'So Harrison, what were you in jail for exactly?' asked Ben.
'Drink driving,' said Harrison.
'Not...?'
'I ran over a cop's foot once when I was pissed.'
'Radical!'
Veronica broke in, 'Um... How do we go to the toilet?'
Ben and Marcie sniggered. Harrison got up and dragged something out of the back of the car. 'You'll need these,' he said, handing her the spade and paper. 'Mind your way in the dark.'
Carefully, she picked her way over fallen branches in the faint moonlight. The voices were soon left behind. Something grabbed her around the face.
It was a spiderweb.
Veronica suppressed a cry. Trying not to panic, she stepped back. The web grabbed her tighter. Scrabbling at it with both hands, she finally got free. She forced her breathing to return to normal.
Which way back to the car?
Trees stretched menacingly above. There were strange crashings and thumpings in the bush nearby. Veronica dropped the spade and began to run.
Vines whipped her face. Sharp thorny plants ripped at her legs and arms.
Stop. Think.
It was hopeless. She was lost. Veronica began to cry. Suddenly, the sound of laughter. Wiping away her tears, she walked towards the source of the sound.
When she reached the clearing, the others looked at her strangely. 'Any problems?' asked Marcie.
'No, I'm fine.' Veronica attempted a smile.
'Where's the spade?' asked Harrison.
'I... I don't know.'
He searched her face. 'It's okay. Don't worry about it.'
From the other side of the shallow valley, voices.
'Sssh!' whispered Harrison. 'Get down.'
A spotlight swung round and then past them. All four held their breath. At last the voices moved off and the light disappeared.
'Fuck that was close!' said Ben. He went to light up a joint.
Harrison grabbed the lighter roughly. 'No lights. No noise.'
'All right man. All right. I get the message.'
Harrison's eyes darted around the darkness.
'What are we gonna do then?' Ben whispered. Marcie giggled and pulled him off to their tent.
Much later, Veronica lay awake, swaddled in blankets. There was no sound from the other tent anymore. She wondered what time it was. Harrison had said he would be in later, after he had finished his 'preparations' for the early morning assault on the bulldozers.
The roof was wet with condensation. All around were the sounds of things feeding on one another. Alone with her fear and anticipation, Veronica's head amplified the sounds until they were a raucous symphony of cackles and wails, thumps and moans.
'Harrison?' she whispered. And then again, louder. There was no response. Wind blew through the trees around the clearing. Branches creaked like unoiled hinges.
At last she fell asleep.
Veronica dreamed of a forest of butterflies and birdsong. She was running, naked, in the sun. Suddenly the sun went behind a jagged cloud. The trees leaned towards her and sniffed like dogs.
She was being pursued.
She saw the thing coming over the ridge. A great black cat, rippling with muscle, twice the size of a man. For a moment she was paralysed with fear. Then she ran and ran. She could almost smell the breath of the animal as she ran. He was almost upon her...
Veronica half-woke. Something cold was on her belly. She froze. The thing moved towards her breast. A hand. Harrison's hand? She dared not move. For a long moment the hand stopped.
Then it edged down.
Down.
Down.
Run. With a shriek, Veronica struggled out of the tent, leaving the frog in her sheets. Harrison blearily rubbed his eyes as she ran for the car, tripping over the cans from dinner with a clatter. 'Here! Over here!' she shouted across the valley. 'This way!'
Veronica grabbed the door of the car and wrenched it open. Marcie and Ben were blinded as she flashed the headlights on highbeam. With all her might, she leaned on the horn and yelled.
Dogs barking. Sounds of men, running. Police torches flashing crazily through the trees like Klieg lights as they ran.
'What the fuck's going on?!' said Ben, struggling out into the dew in his underpants.
'Stay where you are,' came a voice through a megaphone. 'Don't move. You are all under arrest.'
Two paddy wagons bumped down the rough bush track towards the town, women in one, men in the other.
Cuffed to the wall, Marcie stared at Veronica in disbelief as the policemen complained about missing their TV football replay.
'Why? Just tell me why?' she pleaded. Veronica said nothing.
When they reached the station the womens' handcuffs were removed. They were to be taken to separate cells.
'You crazy bitch!' shouted Harrison from down the corridor. 'What did you think you were doing?' Veronica smiled as a yawning policewoman led her away.
The steel door closed behind her with a clang.
Blissful silence. Four strong concrete walls. A sturdy roof. Artificial light.
Safe at last.© David Lowe, October 1992