The apartment was enveloped in a heavy silence. A soft golden light filtered through the thin curtains of the living room, illuminating the main room, which was furnished with great care.
Sitting in a plush armchair, Karima attentively observed the owners of this apartment. They seemed like an ordinary couple, but the young guard knew better than anyone that appearances could be deceiving. A suspicious-looking individual could be innocent, just as a smiling woman could be a cold and calculating killer. This reality had not changed after the blackout.
The couple consisted of a man and a woman between forty and fifty years old. Both were not very tall and appeared tired. For them, too, this past year had evidently been difficult. Like most residents, their hands were rough and dirty, even though they had washed them. Their clothes seemed to hang off them, indicating they had lost a lot of weight.
She herself had lost over ten kilos, but it would have been much worse if she hadn't received more generous rations as a gendarme and later as a guard. Her mother had also benefited from this same preferential treatment. Although she still seemed round, Karima had seen that she had slimmed down. She had first lost muscle, making her very weak, then over thirty kilos of fat.
Seeing her only occasionally, this transformation seemed more shocking than if she had seen her every day. This was why, since the elections, she had been giving part of her rations to her mother. Of course, she had carefully avoided revealing that by doing so, she was depriving herself.
Karima knew how stubborn her mother was and how much she loved her daughter. If she found out that this food was meant to feed Karima, she would firmly refuse it, and nothing could change her mind.
"Sorry for the wait," said the woman in a trembling voice, carrying a small tray on which rested a steaming, fragrant navy blue teapot.
Karima watched her place the teapot in front of her before sitting down next to her husband on a deep sofa similar to the armchair Karima occupied. Both were made nervous by the presence of these gendarmes, or rather Civil Defense guards.
"As I told you, madam, you didn't have to use your resources for me. Tea is precious; you should keep it for yourselves."
Despite these words, she was very grateful, as it had been a long time since she had drunk tea. It was not impossible that this was the last time. The taste of this woman was not bad: it was a red fruit tea whose powerful aroma filled the room.
"As I explained, I only have a few questions for you concerning an ongoing investigation, and I hope you can help. It concerns an illegal gathering in a bar across from your building. They are considered extremely dangerous and must be apprehended quickly before any damage is caused to our community.
"We understand the situation, but I assure you we haven't seen anything like that. When did it happen?"
"Last night, it seems. There were about thirty of them."
"Last night… Unfortunately, as my wife said, we didn't see anything. We can't help you."
They seem honest, but… they haven't mentioned their son. They only mentioned him when we arrived. It's as if they are hiding his existence. Besides, where is he?
"I see. You said you have a son, didn't you? Maybe he saw something?"
The expression on the faces of the two parents quickly changed. Karima noted a change in behavior.
"He... I don't think he can help you, madam. He, um... isn't very good at noticing things."
"I would still like to make sure. Where can I find him at this hour?"
The parents seemed more embarrassed than anything else. It was the father who spoke, indicating the back of the living room.
"He is still sleeping in his room. I... I'll go get him."
Karima could understand why they were embarrassed. A young man should be working hard to survive in this new world. Most of the residents of Nanterre and neighboring communities managed by the Council woke up at dawn and only stopped working when it was too dark. At this hour, the last place this young man should be was in his bed.
The son of this charming couple did not present himself well. He was certainly tall and thin with good shoulders, but his expression did not seem right to her. She even thought she saw hostility in his eyes, even though they had never met. He had long brown hair and an unkempt beard, making him look like a beggar.
"I just want to ask you a few questions. This shouldn't take long. As I explained to your parents, we are investigating an extremely dangerous group that gathered last night in the bar across from your building. We want to know if you saw anything unusual."
"Extremely dangerous, huh?"
What is this reaction?
Karima scrutinized the young man's every movement but did not forget to keep an eye on the parents. However, she saw no trace of surprise or fear in the boy, who must have been seventeen or eighteen years old.
Did I dream, or did he smile?
"No, I didn't see anything. And I didn't hear anything either. Sorry."
Karima intensely observed the boy without saying a word. The parents and the boy himself could only imagine what the young woman was thinking at that moment.
He has bags under his eyes but doesn't seem to work. No particular reason to be this tired. Unless he hardly slept. Let's try something.
"The curfew is still in effect, you know that, right? But the offense is not as serious as what these people are accused of. I need to know where you were when you went out last night."
"I was hanging out with friends in another neighborhood. I have nothing to do with these people, and I saw nothing."
Karima held back a smile and nodded slowly before finishing her cup of tea.
"I see. Thank you for the tea and sorry for the disturbance. Don't hang out at night after curfew, young man. If you run into a patrol, you'll be arrested and punished."
The officer signaled to her men, and together they left the apartment. As soon as they were outside, a guard turned to Karima.
"The son is suspicious."
"Very suspicious... and not very smart. He admitted to being outside despite the curfew without us showing any proof."
"He certainly knows something. Or he is part of the group we are looking for."
"Hmm, if that's the case, it will make our job easier. Let's head back to the barracks to report to the captain."
The sun had passed to the other side of the apartment blocks west of Nanterre and was about to disappear over the horizon. Soon, it would be pitch dark.
However, it was not yet that time, and most of the residents continued to work outside. Everyone was covered in sweat, and their hands were black from working the soil. Despite the situation, Karima saw no sign of despair.
It's amazing how quickly we adapt to a changing environment. I suppose that's why we've been able to rebuild civilizations so quickly after the collapse of the previous one. This time will be no exception. We may have taken a big step back, but as long as we don't give up, we will rise again!
"Fucking tyrant's dogs! Get out of here! We don't want you here!"
A loud voice echoed in the street, attracting everyone's attention. They thought they had misheard, but because the voice continued to spew its hatred towards Karima's group, they were sure they weren't suffering from a collective hallucination.
"Fascist! Nazi! We aren't stupid! We know what your damn general wants! We won't let it happen!"
"Hey, you there! How dare you talk like that about General Giraud?!" exclaimed Karima, scandalized.
"The general? Fuck him! And you too!"
The witnesses blanched, some with fear and others with anger. The general was very popular in this neighborhood and everywhere else in the city, with a few exceptions. The announcement of his appointment as a Council member had been celebrated by many people, including at the Rathelot barracks.
"Bastard! How dare you?!"
Unsurprisingly, the Civil Defense guards rushed towards the unknown young man who dared to say such horrors. The witnesses of the scene, although on the guards' side, felt a tinge of fear and pity for this young man.
Picking a fight with the authorities, especially since the blackout, could only lead to serious consequences. Some had lost their lives.
"Yes, I dare! I'm not a fucking coward! You won't take away my freedom to think and express myself! Your general is a fucking dictator! Everyone knows he's the one making the decisions! The Council is a fucking scam!"
"Asshole!"
Karima took out a long wooden baton and struck the young man's leg to make him fall, which he did with a loud cry of pain. She struck again on his shoulder, arm, and back, aided by her comrades armed in the same way.
The young man protected his head with his hands and naturally curled up into a ball to reduce exposed areas.
While he was being beaten, the witnesses were divided on how to react. Most chose to look away, and some pretended they had seen and heard nothing.
After several minutes of beating, the guards, covered in sweat, released their victim and left him in the middle of the street.
Even when they disappeared, no one dared approach the boy, who was moaning on the sun-heated pavement.
Finally, a tall, slim man dressed in tight black jeans tightened by a red belt, heavy black combat boots, and a black faux leather jacket approached and extended a hand. The man on the ground initially saw only an outstretched hand and a wrist adorned with a dozen bracelets.
Painfully, he looked up at the owner of the hand.
He looked like a beggar with his long dirty hair and beard that probably had never been trimmed.
"Well said, man. You've got courage, unlike those old farts."
The man grabbed his hand, and painfully he was back on his feet. Purple marks were already starting to appear on his face and hands.
"Next time, do it with comrades. Not only will you avoid getting beaten up, but they'll be the ones in trouble."
"Yeah... But I'm alone. So, too bad. I'll get beaten up, but I won't be silenced."
"You're not alone, man. Believe me. Come on, I'll introduce you to some friends."
"Thanks, man. My name is Clément."
"Léo. Come on. Can you walk?"
"Yeah."
From a distance, Karima watched the entire scene with her binoculars. Unfortunately, she couldn't hear them. A smirk formed on her lips.
"It worked. He took the bait."
Now, it's all up to you, kid.