Out After Curfew

Chapter 28

As Melissa McBride wanders through the busy town centre at the heart of Dale City, she passes a looming billboard, stating in large bold text a reminder of the need to abide by the curfew – the words, "Stay Safe. Stay Inside."

Elevated aloft above the heads of all the citizens of the city, the message provides the same kind of unsubtle and unnecessary reminder eclipsing iron-grey clouds with loud rumbles of thunder would of impending rain to anyone who might glance upwards at the sky.

There are council messages – which Melissa also finds herself unable to avoid – stuck on lamp posts and pinned up in various other available areas of space around the city, reminding people that the Iron Guard Security patrol forces are here to help people should they ever need them, and that they must be treated with the same respect and obedience as any civil servant.

Spotting one of these notices draws Melissa's attention to the fact that, as yet, she has not seen any police officers on the beat, in spite of the fact that it is the middle of the day. It used to be extremely common to see a number of officers wandering along the pavements in pairs, or one officer with one community support officer. Now there are none at all and putting aside the council notice that made Melissa consider this, she feels she probably would not have noticed the police absence had it not been for the new contrast – for the fact that now, as she continues down the pavement, she notices their replacement.

She descries on the other side of the road four patrolling IGS members; three men and a woman. Feeling a mild visceral twitch of dejection, Melissa begins to think about how others would be feeling when seeing this same sight, in noticing the contrast between the status quo and the new regime, a transition which has been made without any consultation of the public.

Observing other members of the public in the orbit of these security personnel, Melissa wonders if she may be reading too much into their body language, or if they do in fact seem to be mildly uneasy at the sight of this patrol team. She wonders how many of the people share her disconcertion regarding the forces which feel evermore present, how many people are in fact reassured by them taking control and welcoming of their help, and how many people are simply oblivious or ambivalent to the change.

As she crosses the road Melissa trips on an uneven paving slab once reaching the other side and drops her handbag, half the contents spilling out onto the ground.

"Damn." she says to herself as she bends down to collect the items.

"Here," she hears a voice to the side of her say. "let me help you with that."

She looks up to see an IGS man bending down to help her gather her items.

"Thanks." she says.

She stands up, putting her bag back on her shoulder and can't help but regard the man's uniform as she does so. He is dressed down from the full armour she saw Gerard and his team in. He wears black with a stab-proof vest – similar to that which a police officer would wear – over a polo shirt. He also wears a heavy-looking utility belt, weighed down by the various connected items: pouches containing things unknown, a personal radio, and handcuffs, should he need to apprehend someone.

He seems to be kitted out just like a police officer and Melissa wonders what the point of any of these forces patrolling during the day is. Why muscle in and take over in an area that is already covered by established and more accountable civil servants?

Melissa smiles politely."Thank you." she says as the man smiles back and she moves past him to continue on her way.