Read Scavengers: August for Free Online Page B

proper
street.
    The bright
moonlight didn’t really help much with all the mist in the streets.
It was an eerie place, where one could rarely see an actual face,
as so many people wore gas masks, for some protection against the
filthy air. Ira forgot his own and already regretted it, as he felt
thick smoke teasing the inside of his nose and throat. He followed
the path that seemed the most probable. There were mostly men
living in this district, prostitutes being the only women visible
in the streets.
    He walked
around the buildings for a good quarter of an hour, before he heard
some screams and the clash of metal against metal from a few alleys
away. With no hesitation, he grabbed his favorite serrated dagger
and ran in the direction he heard the noises from. He almost
tripped two times frantically searching for James. This was no
place for him!
    He ran out to a
street just by the river and what he saw there was a swordfight.
Encased in the thick fog, two men were ruthlessly exchanging
attacks. He understood there was someone else from moans he heard
further down the pavement. The man in the elegant coat, James as he
supposed, made a series of swift blows with his saber, forcing his
opponent to back away, closer to the river. He definitely didn’t
look like a damsel in distress. Ira sighed, surprised, but did not
stop running along the almost empty street. Apparently, passers-by
preferred to stay uninvolved and hid as soon as they saw the fight.
“You’re fuckin’ dead!” he shouted with rage.
    James’
opponent, dressed in some rags, looked at him, distracted enough to
give James a chance for a hit. He screamed, as the blade pierced
through his arm. He lost balance and took a step back, falling into
the river with a loud splash. At the same time, they heard the
well-known sound of police bells, as two officers came running down
the street.
    “Oh ‘ell!” Ira
looked around, seeking a way out. Meeting the police was never a
good thing for him, especially since London became a fortress. It
happened to him before and usually, once the officers turned their
attention on someone, it was assumed they were guilty. The elegant
man finally turned his head towards Ira, but his face was hidden
behind the mask. Screams emanated from the injured man in the
water, but the policemen approached Ira and James cautiously,
ignoring the calls for help.
    “What is all
this commotion!?” asked one of them as the other one kneeled down
beside the unconscious man on the pavement, checking if he was
alive.
    “I came to
‘elp!” said Ira, straightening his back to look taller. He felt
nervous as he watched both uniformed policemen in light masks with
large goggles. Whey wore mid-length leather coats with brown
breeches stuck into knee-high boots, along with a waistcoat and a
tie, all mostly brown and grey.
    “You?” said the
first officer, while the other one looked at James’ bloodied saber.
“I know you,” he added sharply, “You always cause trouble, never
‘help’.”
    James took off
his mask, to show a flushed face, clearly visible in the moonlight.
It was obvious to Ira, that because of his elegant clothing, they
regarded him differently. “Gentlemen!” James said quickly. “I’m
sorry for what had happened here. My name is James Hurst and these
men tried to kill me.” He pointed to the ground and to the river.
“I was walking along peacefully and joined a heated discussion on
the upcoming Johners Walk, only to be attacked for my opinions soon
after!” James gave Ira a suspicious look.
    “Do you have
any identification?” The police officer asked politely, as if
trying to stay on the safe side, worried that James might be
someone important.
    “Yes, kind
sir,” he said and opened his coat to reach some documents from an
inside pocket. Since the Plague, government was a lot stricter
about knowing exactly who resides in the city.
    Ira made a
discrete move towards the nearest alley, but the other