|
Post by Jordanna on May 21, 2006 0:05:37 GMT -5
Sid folded his arms and shrugged. "You already got my answer. I don't trust this guy Vance, but I've had enough of sittin' around tryin' to come up with a better idea."
"Like you said," Miriam put in, "if he plans to do it anyway, we might as well make sure it's done the right way, if we can."
Henry shook his head slowly. "For my part, I can't say I approve. This fellow Vance is going to start a war."
"Maybe that's all the more reason to be there and try to keep a lid on him," Alex suggested. He glanced at Daws. "But what do you think?"
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 21, 2006 0:13:23 GMT -5
Daws sighed. "I'm not crazy about Vance's methods. He's high-profile, and he doesn't care who he drags into his little war against Tiernan -- or what he destroys. But I agree with you and Miriam, Alex -- if we can't stop him, we might as well try and keep him under some sorta control."
She shrugged. "My vote is for agreeing to work with Vance on this one."
Padre nodded solemnly and glanced at the rest of the room. "All in favor?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 21, 2006 0:25:41 GMT -5
Sid, Miriam, Alex, and even Grace raised their hands, with varying degrees of reluctance. Henry merely scowled and shifted on his chair.
Joey, who was sitting in a corner and still feeling like an outsider, gave an uneasy shrug. Technically still employed by Tiernan, he was nowhere near ready to take any part in the resistance's decision-making processes.
Throughout the room, many attendees' hands went up, while others murmured their quiet dissention. Ultimately, a quick count was enough to indicate that the "ayes" outweighed the "nays".
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 21, 2006 0:32:11 GMT -5
Padre sighed and ran a hand over his bald head. "Very well. I'll contact Vance's man McCarty and have him tell Vance our decision. We should know more about the shape of our involvement in a day or so. And Vance mentioned this coming Tuesday night as the date of our planned attack, so I would suggest that everyone keep that night free."
The priest cleared his throat. "This movement is not a brute-strength democracy; those of you who do not feel comfortable being involved in this operation are under no obligation to participate." He chuckled wryly. "If you don't want to be involved actively, I might suggest that you keep Tuesday evening free anyway -- and spend it praying for our safety."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 21, 2006 15:25:31 GMT -5
Henry frowned and sighed. "I may be against the idea, but if the rest of you are going through with it, I for one am going with you."
Miriam almost physically flinched. "But Henry, you can't. You're not a fighter. You're not even a--"
"A mutant?" the undertaker cut her off, and tilted his head toward Alex. "Perhaps not, but do you think I could be any less useful than Mister Malone, here?"
Alex bristled slightly, but Sid gave him a discreet tap on the arm, and he said nothing.
"We're gonna die," Grace murmured very faintly, putting her face in her hands.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 21, 2006 17:23:48 GMT -5
Daws raised an eyebrow. "Not if we stick together."
Father Rick nodded in agreement. "All right, everyone. Meeting's adjourned. Go home and get some rest."
As the rest of the resistance filed out of the basement, muttering among themselves, Daws turned to the others. "Alex and Henry are both right about one thing," She said casually, "Most of you haven't got much in the way of fighting skills." Unless you count verbal sparring, she didn't add.
"I'm not suggesting you try and turn yourselves into war machines -- that only works in the comic books -- but it might not be a bad idea if Sid and I," She nodded at the club owner, "Gave the rest of you some schooling in how to handle a firearm -- for self-defense purposes," She added quickly, catching Henry Casselton's dismayed look.
"And we all of us should remember," Padre added, joining the group, "That there are many ways to fight a war -- military operations like this one being only one of them."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 21, 2006 17:57:33 GMT -5
Joey cleared his throat and spoke up timorously, looking at Daws.
"I, uh... I can shoot. I had to learn 'cause... you know. I mean, I'm no crackerjack shot or anything, but I can handle guns good enough to show somebody else how they work."
"Out of the mouths of babes," Henry muttered acerbically.
This time it was Sid who rounded on the undertaker, his arms folded belligerently. "Just what is your problem, Casselton? Not everybody gets ta grow up rich, ya know. Some of us havta figure out life by ourselves--an' I bet this kid's seen a lot more of it than you ever have."
"That's enough," Miriam snapped at both of them. "Neither of you are helping the situation. We've made the decision of what we're going to do--and now we've got to prepare for it." She turned to Daws and Joey. "I'm ready to learn."
"I, uh... I guess I am too," Alex put in. Grace nodded mutely, her hands fidgeting with the strap of her purse.
Henry heaved an exasperated sigh. "All right. I'll go along with this too. And for your information, I did have a bit of experience with a rifle when I was a boy--but I'm obviously rusty."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 21, 2006 18:08:51 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "That's a start -- you'll be surprised how quick it comes back to ya."
She dug in the pocket of her trenchcoat and produced a scrap of paper, on which she scribbled an address and a few brief directions. "This is a firing range run by a friend of mine -- I've got a key, and there shouldn't be anybody there tomorrow in the midmorning."
She handed the scrap of paper to Miriam. "If you all want to meet me there, say ten-thirty or so, we can show you the basics."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 21, 2006 18:15:17 GMT -5
"We'll be there," Miriam replied firmly. She was speaking for all of them, and her tone made it clear to the others that the outing in question was not optional.
"I'll bring a coupla my guns," Sid volunteered. "I got a stash left over from my old job. Figured we might need 'em Tuesday night, so these kids might as well get personally acquainted with 'em."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 21, 2006 18:20:57 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "I hope we won't need 'em, Sid -- but I'd rather have a gun and not use it than need a gun and not have it."
She put her fedora on and looked around at the others. "All right, then. I'll see you all tomorrow morning."
"I'll get in touch with Vance and let you all know what I find out." Padre said. "You'll hear from me."
Daws nodded and glanced at Joey. "You comin', kid?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 21, 2006 18:25:32 GMT -5
Joey blinked in surprise. In the tidal wave of events that he was being swept along by, he kept forgetting that he now worked for Daws.
"Yeah, I'm coming." He grinned wanly at the other resistance members, who either paid no attention or stared back with worried frowns.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 21, 2006 18:35:12 GMT -5
Daws chuckled as she led the way up the basement stairs. "Well, now you've met everyone. We ain't the most highly-trained team of crack resistance members in the world, but hey," She shrugged. "We're what there is."
She glanced back at Joey. "I'm not gonna tell any of them about you workin' for Tiernan -- I figure that's your own business. But I think I know all of them well enough to say that none of 'em will hold it against ya."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 21, 2006 18:39:20 GMT -5
Joey shifted his shoulders uneasily. "I don't know about that. Some of 'em don't even seem like they like each other all that much."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 21, 2006 18:47:55 GMT -5
Daws half-laughed. "Yeah, well, looks can be deceivin'. Henry's known Doc Van Linden longer'n all of us, and . . . well, he's protective. But the Doc's got a mind of her own; she ain't about to sit by and stay safe, as I think you probably noticed. That accounts for a lot of those little half-arguments." She gestured back over her shoulder, then shrugged.
"But sqabbles or not, in a pinch you can trust all of 'em to do what needs doin' for one another. I'd trust any one of them with my life -- I already have." She regarded the boy silently for a moment, and added quietly "Just like I'd trust you."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 21, 2006 19:00:43 GMT -5
Joey paled slightly and ducked his head, both flattered by and uneasy with the amount of trust Daws had placed in him. "I'll do my best, Daws."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 21, 2006 19:05:38 GMT -5
"An' that's all anyone's got the right to ask." Daws replied.
They emerged from Our Lady and walked in silence down to the street. Then Daws pushed her fedora back and glanced at Joey. "I'm headin' home for the night. You still stayin' at your room in the Bunker?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 21, 2006 21:23:48 GMT -5
Joey nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it'd look kinda weird if I all of a sudden moved out someplace." He shrugged. "Anyway, we're allowed to live where we want, but the rooms down there are free."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 21, 2006 23:34:22 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "All right then. Guess I'll see ya tomorrow morning. Take care of yourself, Joey."
She fished a cigarette and a match out of her pocket, lit the cigarette, and headed off down the street, blowing smoke rings into the evening air.
|
|