Everyone had an opinion, even Theia’s fellow eleven-year-olds. Everyone blamed someone else. Virtually the entire class claimed to be the child of someone belonging to the opposite side of the conflict. The history teacher, who was older, and seemed wise, struggled keeping the students under control. He lost his cool once or twice. Theia chose to remain silent, not contributing either way. The more aggressive kids were blaming others for deaths in their families. Some kids even believed there were kids in the school who committed the killings themselves, which re-triggered her fears of encountering former underlings of Marcus Solomon.
Despite the teacher’s best efforts, he couldn’t stop the madness. It only escalated. Eventually, he had to leave to bring help.
She heard the screams and the shouts echo throughout her mind. “I killed someone, and I don’t even feel bad about it!” someone shouted. “I had to kill three people, but only because they forced me to!” another kid shouted back.
Her guilt and shame returned full-force.
Chase…
Theia got out quickly. Running into the hallway, head down, ears plugged, and screaming stridently, she didn’t stop until reaching the cafeteria. There, she saw dozens of kids working on schoolwork, quietly and civilly. Though embarrassed, she was equally confused.
She ultimately resorted to the hallway, catching her breath and concentrating hard.
Positive thoughts, positive thoughts, positive thoughts…
When a few teachers from the hall and nearby classrooms started pouring in to the history classroom, most of the kids fled the room aggressively. Teachers and security guards rushed to contain them, but within moments, the kids were scattered all across the school. More students from other classrooms began to join them. Somehow, those in the cafeteria remained tame. Theia’s heart raced uncontrollably now. She frailly stood, and stumbled in the opposite direction, toward the gymnasium.
When she stepped up to the doors, she saw a small, rather frail boy standing between a tall girl and a large boy. They were pushing the smaller boy, calling him names. It upset Theia, but she walked around them, looking for a space on the gym floor to isolate herself.
“I don’t trust you, faggot!” the taller boy. “What if I fall asleep in class and I wake up to find you trying to suck my dick!”
Theia faced them.
“Kick his ass!” said the tall girl, grabbing the smaller boy and wrapping her arm around his neck. “Kick his ass!”
Enraged, Theia leapt up and charged at them…
LILITH
Twelve armed men approached from down the empty road, two of them dragging a beaten half-naked man. At the lead was her brother, carrying a machete instead of a firearm. He looked good, fronting their approach like that. She wished she had seen the mission, witnessing Ethan in all his strength and wit. The results sufficed perfectly, though.
Lilith stepped onto the front lawn, Michael and Dwight beside her, meeting Ethan in the middle of Halsey. Ethan stopped and bowed his head. She smiled then kissed his cheek. “You did well. Who’s that?” When the men brought the prisoner forward, she recognized the face, despite the bruises and blood. “Oh… Pike’s right-hand man. Nice to see you again. We just keep running into each other, don’t we?” She looked to Ethan.
He informed her, “Sager’s coming tonight, full force.”
Lilith rolled her eyes. She turned, pulled a pistol from the hand of one of her men, then turned again. She swung several blows to the man’s head, saying, “I… Fucking… Hate… Snitches,” calmly, despite the force she exerted. She beat the man until exhaustion stopped her. He was either unconscious or dead by the time she was done; whichever it was, she gestured he be disposed of. While most of her men did their jobs of keeping eyes on their surroundings, Ethan looked at her with half-shut eyes. “What?” she asked. He didn’t answer. “Well, good thing I have a meeting to attend in ten minutes. Any others to concern myself with?”
“Not that we know of,” said Ethan.
“Good.” She turned about to walk back to the house.
–––––––
When she entered the living room, the eight conversing men seated at the table went silent – their manner of respectfully rising. Shane entered right behind her, and Ethan behind Shane, closing the door.
“I feel outnumbered,” said Lilith as she seated herself at the head. The table was uneven, chipped in places, and cheap, but served its purpose. Her company looked at her patiently. “Bad things happen to women who find themselves alone with a group of men.”
“Hey, why are we here?” asked Gauge. He was the husky boss who headed the small-time black gang that enforced Krohn rule in the Northeast neighborhood of Parkrose Heights.
If Lilith were a monarch, these were eight of her lords. The men and their predecessors were loyal to Phoebe, and temporarily subservient to Scarlet. Lilith could only hope they would remain with the Krohns with her at the head.
“How about a history lesson? For decades, the Matriarchs purged clans that weren’t native to Portland like Cosa Nostra, Crips and Bloods, the Aryan Brotherhood, et cetera. Not to mention the Solomon Empire; the ones who commenced the purge campaign before the Matriarchs succeeded them.
Curiously, the men were very attentive. She continued. “Tell me, gentlemen, what is the first step to accomplishing such difficult feats as ridding a city of rival gangs?” She paused, receiving no reply. “It’s not a trick question. The answer is: choice. You choose to. The only thing that separated mankind from things like planes, ships, and computers for tens of thousands of years was not the inability to create such wonders, but the simple will to. First comes will, and through will, you acquire the means. The means come in their own time, but it all starts with choice.”
She was already making more progress than she expected to with the entire meeting.
Lilith resumed. “Tonight I want to make a recommendation to you gentlemen. Make a choice. Purge the city of the soldiers who brought the Collapse and whose campaign is only to remain in power. This is our home, and we need to take it back. At any other time, this would have been impossible, but no longer. We have our chance.”
“What chance?” spoke Stephen Rodriguez, called ‘the Spike’ on the street. “I lost nearly half my men to some of the people in this room… They chiseled at my turf until I had to move shop.”
“Allegiances change,” said Lilith, “but our collective numbers remain the same. The troops are strong, but they are still the few.”
The Spike responded. “And so are we.”
“Our numbers will soon grow tremendously. Besides, numbers aren’t everything. Don’t ask how; just leave it to me.”
Gauge looked to some of the others before saying, “Bro, this will never work. If we could this, you know with this side-by-side, holdin’ hands shit, we would’a done it a long time ago. Nobody wants that.”
Lilith smiled. She slowly rose from her seat, stepping toward Gauge. “Of course by ‘nobody’, you mean yourself.”
His hands curled slightly. “No, ma’am. I … I was just sayin’. I didn’t mean no…”
Lilith kicked down at his chair, causing him to fall backward. She laughed. Gauge angrily stood after finding his footing. “The fuck!” he shouted. Lilith sensed him about to throw a punch, but he refrained.
“Oh! Please forgive me. I’m just exceptionally pissed off.” She intended to use the moment to perhaps hear a confession from Gauge, if he had one to provide. “I heard the nastiest rumor about you. Anything you want to tell me?”
Gauge raised his arms. Fear and submission, thought Lilith. She had him by the balls, and since no one came to the man’s aid, she had the others as well. Months of hard work a success. And the cherry on top the situation was the fact that Gauge had nothing to tell her. He had his arms raised and kept quiet, but wasn’t struggling to find the right words to say. Taking a quick glance around the room, none had any expressions of fear, except the one man she already had plans for.
> Lilith sidestepped Gauge and lifted his chair. With one swift motion, she turned around and struck Pike with the wooden seat across his forehead. He was flat on his stomach by the time he seemed to know what had happened. He may have said something when he did realize it, but his words were stifled when Lilith struck him a second time, third, then fourth. An angry fifth blow later, and Pike was completely motionless, a puddle of blood pouring from his head.
The others in the room, except her own, appeared unnerved. “Does anyone here object to my intentions?” She was answered with shaking heads. She tapped a leg of the chair on the table. “Last chance to speak up. You won’t get another.”
No response.
“Alright. Here’s what I have in mind…”
–––––––
Ethan parked the car then got out and opened the trunk.
Lilith swung her feet over and pushed herself out. “Not as hard to breathe in there as I expected,” she commented, slamming the trunk shut. “Are we at the edge of the Slum?” Ethan nodded. “Let’s get started, then. You should be familiar with this next part.”
“What’s that mean?” asked Ethan, sounding offended.
After walking two blocks into the area, Lilith targeted a house that felt right. She led her bodyguards as they crept into the back yard. Everyone needed to climb over the fence first, which made noise and likely alerted the inhabitants. “Quick!” she ordered her men. They swept around to the back porch, and the expendables opened fire on the sliding glass door, rushing inside. Lilith was right behind them, and Ethan and Shane were behind her.
The men had apprehended two boys, who had been armed with hunting rifles. Lilith, Ethan, and Michael remained with the one who kept the boys pinned flat on their stomachs while the others searched the rest of the house. Minutes later, they returned, reporting, “They have a father upstairs, but he’s paralyzed. Says it’s from the war.”
“Was he armed?” asked Lilith.
“He was, until we told ’im we have his sons.”
“Shoot him. He’ll try to pull something later.”
Ethan stopped Lilith with the back of his hand. “Belay that. Strap him to his bed or something. I’m sure there’s duct tape in the garage.” The men paused, looking to Lilith, who nodded, then they headed to the garage. “You don’t need to slaughter the family,” said Ethan.
Lilith held the hand that was pressed against her belly. “Slaughter? What a strong word. Am I a savage in your eyes, Ethan? Besides, you don’t need to fret. I need civilians.” She looked at the sons. “They would have sufficed… You know, you’re a good person at heart, little brother, and it’s going to get you killed someday.” Then, she walked away from him. Calling to the two who were opening the door to the garage, she said, “Oh, and boys… Grab a ladder.” The rest of the henchmen gathered in the living room, where Lilith proceeded to. They all rose at once, each nodding respectfully. “I want to know where I can find Kershaw before she attends her rally. Guesses?”
The others shook their heads, glancing at one another expectedly. Shane, however, stepped forward. “I might be able to find out soon, boss.”
“Do it,” said Lilith. Shane bowed slightly, then proceeded outside. “Arty, Cameron, go with him.”
“Three teams?” asked Cameron. He warned, “People will notice.”
“Perhaps. This is crucial, though.”
“Whatever you say, boss.” And they followed Shane through the front door.
–––––––
They set up the ladder from the back yard. First to climb was Lilith. As the others came up, she crept to the peak, which was parallel to the street. Exposed only down to her eyes, she watched the activity on the street. Thus far, there was nothing. Ethan positioned himself to her right, Michael to her left, and the rest of her men had remained on ground level.
“Are you certain it’s tonight?” Lilith asked Michael.
“Last I heard, ma’am.”
“Alright, then. Why don’t you stay below? I’d like to have a talk with my brother.” Michael obeyed, nodding. Once he was back at ground level, Lilith rolled onto her back, then turned her head toward Ethan. “Anybody else, and I’d have put a bullet in their head for defying me. You don’t give the commands, Ethan.”
“Then shoot me. I’d consider it a favor.”
“…I’d rather forgive it. Just don’t make this habitual. We’re all in a delicate situation; myself especially. If things go south, we all die.”
“Wouldn’t it have been safer to remain neutral, as you yourself suggested to the other bosses?” remarked Ethan, a hint of aggression in his tone.
“You’re insisting, aren’t you? You think my campaign is unnecessary?”
“You never told me what your campaign is. It doesn’t take a genius, though. You clearly want total mob rule, with the troops out of the way. But last I checked, they overran our home, and now we’re hiding out in the homes of others. That is, until those are overrun too. You’re losing, Lily. And what would crushing the military possibly accomplish, anyway?”
She heard commotion, finally. Rolling back on to her belly, she peered over the peak, and saw a small band of people walking down the street with a banner that read, “Rally For Peace.” There was a young boy among them, calling out to people in their homes to come with them to their rally.
“Peace,” said Lilith to Ethan, answering his question. Ethan looked at her with his eyes purposefully half-shut. He nearly spoke, but Lilith said, “Don’t bother. Climb down, move the family into the garage. I’ll keep watch here myself.”
“Whatever you say,” said Ethan, obeying her order.
The parade continued for another fifteen minutes. It didn’t end after that time – Lilith witnessed dozens of citizens leave their homes to join the walk – but rather, they stopped and started to disperse. Down the road, from the south, multiple Crown Victorias and SWAT armored trucks approached. Military personnel, dressed in their usual, predictable, and contextually inexplicable camouflage walked beside the vehicles, ordering everyone return to their homes. Must be past curfew, thought Lilith. So the troops would rather there not be a rally tonight…
Hastily, Lilith climbed down from the roof. Once at ground level, she entered the house, headed straight for the garage. “Boys!” she called. Inside the garage, two cars were still parked; one of them being hoisted by a jack, likely having been there for months. Despite insufficient room, enough space was available to hold hostages. The two boys and their father were behaving; remaining seated and completely silent, even despite their muffles. “Three of you. Perfect.” When everyone else came, awkwardly stuffing themselves in the allotted space, Lilith knelt in front of the youngest boy. “Your dad is hurt. He needs medical attention. Are you willing to get him some help?”
The boy, no older than eight, began to cry as he nodded in response.
“Good. I’m going to let you find him some help. There’s a team of soldiers in the neighborhood right now. I’m gonna to let you get some of them, so they can help your dad. But there’s one thing you have to keep in mind. Have a guess as to what that is?”
The boy shook his head.
“If you tell them anything, and I mean anything, about me or my men, I’m going to kill your brother and make your dad watch. Then, I’m going to shoot your dad, and then I’m going to shoot you. Understand?” The boy was undoubtedly frightened now, trembling dramatically. “Just tell the troops your dad needs some help, and have them stop by the house. Okay?” Again, the boy agreed, the terror in his eyes growing.
Lilith untied the boy, then guided him to the dining room. She held his shirt while looking through the curtains at the passing troops. Once the convoy had completely passed, and was about five houses away, she dragged the boy to the front door. “Now,” she said to him, “are you going to help your family, or are you going to get them killed?”
“…Help them?” whimpered the child.
“Good. Now go.”
&nbs
p; The boy sprinted, putting not only his back into it, but his heart and soul. Lilith was thoroughly impressed at his speed. Some minutes later, the boy returned with four troops behind him. They were still exposed, and had not prepared to use weapons thus far. Behind her stood all her men, including Ethan. “I want them alive,” she said. Then, she proceeded to the back yard, saying while passing Ethan.
She could hear the soldiers asking the boy questions about how his father became injured, and the boy wisely answered with innocent-sounding lies. She climbed the ladder again, this time knocking it onto the lawn after reaching the top. She heard the front door open.
Silence.
Footsteps.
Then, there was shouting, and struggling. No gunfire, though. The boy was cried. It was all over within thirty seconds. “We got ‘em, boss,” said a lackey.
Lilith jumped down, returning inside. Some of her men, excluding Ethan, were a little beat up and exhausted, but there weren’t any corpses on the floor. The troops looked at her and said things, but Lilith paid no attention, whether it was curses or pleas.
“You know…” she began. “Marcus Solomon controlled an army of children. Used them to get away with all kinds of things, including, and most notably, seizing downtown all for himself. All I’m saying is, I’m surprised your side still hasn’t learned that children can’t be blindly trusted. It’s an advantage we have that your side may never have.” She stood, went to the boy, and dragged him to the living room by his hair. “Speaking of which… You have ten seconds to report to your superiors that everything is fine here, and you’ll meet up later. Say it however you must.” Extending her hand to Michael, he handed her his pistol, and she fixed it on the boy’s right temple.
One of them was released from all restraint, and he frantically called it in as Lilith demanded. She was impressed, but said nothing in response. Then, she ordered all hostages to remain in the garage.
Nearly thirty minutes later, Shane returned, entering through the back. “Where’s Arty and Gabe?” asked the boss.
Resurrection Page 24
