“Still out, just keeping eye on the house,” Shane answered.
“Where is she?”
“Kershaw will attend her rally at nine o’clock, which is in less than fifteen. She’s five blocks away right now, but that could change any second.”
Lilith led Shane to the garage. “Have a precise location?”
“Yes, we do. Same house as last time.”
Eyeing her hostages, she said, “Good. No time to lose, then.”
–––––––
Pulling up, Lilith saw a multitude of armed citizens protecting the property, expecting as much. She commented, “I wonder… Does Kershaw hire these guys, or do they just volunteer?” Michael’s car stopped directly in front of the crowd, all of whom were pointing their weapons at them. First, as planned, Lilith’s soldiers stepped out, and though they were armed, they raised their hands. She waited a moment, and there was no gunfire. “Hm. Good so far…”
Lilith was the last one out. On cue, Rosalind Kershaw also emerged from her house. “I don’t have time for this,” she said, walking through the crowd that shielded her, stepping directly before Lilith. “The next time you come anywhere near me, I’ll–”
“Spare me your threats, Kershaw. Frankly, not only do I find your hostility a waste of time, but it’s become annoying at this point.” She noticed the lingering aim of Kershaw’s guard directly upon her, and the same with her men at Kershaw. To both sides, she ordered, “Lower your fucking weapons. All of you!” Her men obeyed, but Kershaw’s hadn’t until she waved them down.
Then, Lilith resumed…
“I asked your people to get out of the way, and you didn’t listen. I asked for friendship, you ignored me. So, forget my simple requests. You hate me, and you hate the troops. Hate me all you want, but you need me.” She laughed while saying, “Of course, by ‘you,’ I actually mean ‘your people.’”
“Get to the point, Krohn.” Lilith read that Kershaw seemed a little unnerved.
“Let me lead Portland out of this mess. I think you know your people need me. I think … you’ve known all along. Your people worship you; they’ll follow you to the grave. But they have no organization, and more damningly, no experience. You know I have the numbers, the organization, and certainly the experience. You need me to help you protect your people, but you refuse to trust me.”
“You’re a thug. A power-hungry cunt. Nothing more,” replied Kershaw. Ethan raised his rifle, and the rest of Lilith’s men followed. Then, Kershaw’s people raised their weapons again as well.
Angrily, Lilith shouted, “DOWN!” Her men lowered their weapons immediately, Ethan being the last.
“I can admit things,” said Kershaw. “You’re right, Krohn. We could always use more people, and we don’t have the experience, or really even the spine, to oppose a tyrannical government. You may be right, but that doesn’t mean I’m any more likely to change my mind.”
One of Kershaw’s bodyguards stepped closer to the women. “You say the word and we’ll drop them all, right here and now.”
“And get yourself killed? Get me killed?” said his leader.
Lilith replied to Kershaw, asking, “What will change your mind? Perhaps when half your followers are locked up, and the other half are killed? The troops are cracking down on all rebels. They don’t treat the defiant types very well.”
Rosalind Kershaw stared angrily at Lilith, saying nothing. Internally, Lilith was certain the reason was fear, and once again knowing she was right.
“The neighborhoods in which your followers reside… They’re a mess. They’re slums. Your people live in feculent conditions. Everyone seems to hate their oppressors, but like you said, they don’t have the spine to resist. Now, you’re one of the last, maybe the last civil leader the troops don’t have by the balls – figuratively speaking, of course – and I’ll control the underworld once Carrie Marsden is taken care of.”
Kershaw walked away. “I have a rally to tend to,” she said plainly.
“If I wanted you dead, Kershaw, you’d have been dead already. You know I didn’t need to come here. Food for thought.”
–––––––
“Everyone! Thank you so much for coming!” said Kershaw, waving to her admirers. Lilith was already disgusted by the sight. People cheered like Kershaw was their messiah. “We still have a great struggle ahead of us, but we will not give in! Nobody controls us. We are Americans. We will have our freedom, and nothing less!”
Lilith wore her hair in a bun, and covered it with a hat. Apart from that, she was dressed no differently. She was standing with only Ethan beside her, who was also wearing a hat. She didn’t want Kershaw, nor anyone else, to easily recognize them, but if the leader and none others noticed them, there would be no reason for alarm.
“The government wants us under their thumb, and even after all this time, they’re still fighting to control us!” The crowd roared profanities, waving their anti-government, anti-military signs as if trying to cause a hurricane. “After all this struggle, all this fighting, we thought the lines were drawn. We thought they’d stay where we put them, but it seems that’s changed. They’re coming for us all once again, seizing neighborhood after neighborhood.” Then, Kershaw’s tone shifted. “What are we going to do about this?” she asked her audience, not rhetorically, like a rallying cry, but more as a genuine question, with uncertainty in her voice.
“We fight!” the first shouted from the crowd exclaimed.
“Is it worth that, though? How many innocent people have perished already? You know the government approached me, asking me to surrender and hand my people over?” The crowd didn’t like the sound of that. “I’ve even been approached by the mob, asking me to get all of you to stand against the troops on their behalf! You know what I said to both of them?” Kershaw spat at her feet, and the crowd erupted in cheers and laughter.
Lilith looked to her brother. “She can sure put on an eccentric performance.” Ethan had no comment. She looked to Kershaw again, listening to a few more words of her speech, which continued to fan the flames of hatred but neglected to insight action. Then, she put an arm over Ethan and ordered: “Tell the boys I want our hostages released. All of them. Also, we’re gonna need a new base of operations.” Ethan appeared uneasy, but obeyed.
She patiently waited through the remainder of the speech. Not once did the leader imply she would accept Lilith’s counsel, nor mention Lilith by name. She was idle and silent, observing Kershaw and her followers until several minutes after Kershaw had finished speaking, when her followers started playing music and making even more protest signs from scrap. More of a convention than a rally, she thought. Everyone seemed to genuinely want nothing to do with those who destroyed the country, but lacked a leader who would lead them to war. Every so often, Lilith looked within the crowd filling the intersection, and outside, to make sure her men remained present and alert.
Finally, she saw that her opportunity had arrived. At the far end of every street past the intersection, military and police vehicles pulled up to the crowd. Men and women in various uniforms – Army, police and SWAT, and even business suits – surrounded them everyone. Their attire made them easier to distinguish amidst the chaos if things go awry, she figured. Easier for us, too, she thought.
“Everybody stand down!” she heard from every end. Lilith still had time… She could make her move before it’s too late.
Kershaw was motionless, with a terrified expression. Lilith stepped forward, depleted of patience for the leader. Her men within the crowd migrated toward her.
She passed through the crowd, headed for the left side of Kershaw’s tent. The moment one of Kershaw’s guard spotted Lilith, he stepped up to her with his rifle raised, but two of Lilith’s men quickly stood in his line of sight, then subdued him.
Kershaw screamed, “You! I told you: Never show your face to me again!” All those who were armed prepared, aiming their weapons at each other.
“Yadda-fucking-yadda,”
said Lilith. She approached Kershaw as if the guards weren’t there. “Let me show you something.” Lilith simply waved a hand up high, and her men swarmed into the bulk of Kershaw’s guard and beat each of them down before they could shoot. Lilith took her opportunity and struck Kershaw in the temple with her pistol. Pressing the barrel against Kershaw’s cheek, pointing up, Lilith said, “You see? Spine!” She eyed the bodyguards, and all the civilians who were gesturing they were going to help her, but had refrained. Some were shouting, but most were shocked silent.
She had the crowd’s attention now. She addressed them. “Ms. Rosalind Kershaw wishes to defame me and paint me as a monster. Oh, she’s right, but that doesn’t make me a threat to you. I want no harm to come to your leader. I’m on your side! Let me lead you out of this!” She forced Kershaw to look at her. “We’re on the same damn side!”
Lilith released her, walked a few steps away, then put two fingers in her mouth and whistled as loudly as she could muster. Everything that transpired the rest of the night relied entirely on this one moment. She hoped with all her soul that her people heard her signal.
They had.
Out of the woodwork, the troops, agents and volunteers attempting to round up the crowd were now the ones surrounded. Lilith’s entire army had emerged, from homes, abandoned vehicles, and everywhere else they had concealed themselves. Every gang she controlled, and every civilian family on her side, they all proved their worth. Now, her forces were ordering the oppressors on their knees. Kershaw’s crowd turned on them as well. The swarm from both directions overwhelmed the enemy within moments. Some gunshots were fired, but not many, and Lilith didn’t concern herself about it.
One final time, she looked at Kershaw, who was still on her back, terrified, but being comforted by members of the crowd. The woman shot Lilith a look of regret, then nodded.
It was enough. Lilith knew: the people of Portland belonged to her now. Now, it was her against the troops.
–––––––
The fighting had escalated in time to excessive brutality and ruthlessness on both sides. Everyone had dispersed, but the people had the troops locked in. Kershaw ordered her loyal protectors to now shield Lilith, and Lilith was thus able to send all her mobsters to take out every soldier present. By very early morning, only those who surrendered remained. Lilith controlled the neighborhood, and the troops had no escape. She had even ordered her people to raid homes one by one until they extracted every last enemy. Finally, the battle was over. Lilith gathered her enemies before her in the middle of the street, which about one in ten of had included traitors and deserters.
At least five dozen, each kneeling and facing her.
Ethan watched from the sidewalk with the rest of their clan. One by one, Lilith examined her prisoners, walking between them silently. A plethora of guards pointed their weapons at the hostages in case they rose up and swarmed her. Then, finally, she located the one she was searching for.
“Colonel Sager…” she said, grinning. “You get to watch this.” She grabbed the Colonel by the hair and dragged her to the front of the group. Lilith kicked her knees and faced her toward her brethren. Then, Lilith looked to Shane and other captains. “Half.” When she stepped back, the Krohn soldiers moved half the prisoners away, leaving the rest as they were. Then, several of her squads opened fire on the kneeled ones. It was over within a minute. Sager looked away, crying loudly.
Afterward, they walked among the bodies, shooting those they missed or weren’t dead yet.
Lilith returned to Sager, pulling her head back. “I hear another Colonel will be moving against Carrie Marsden shortly. Is that true?” Sager reluctantly nodded. “What’s his name?”
“Corwin.” It pleased Lilith to receive an honest answer without trouble.
“Good. Now, get on the radio and put Mr. Corwin on. We have a short message for him.”
–––––––
Come late afternoon, after getting in at least a few hours of sleep, Michael drove them both to their destination. Lilith instructed him to park right on the outskirts of Marsden turf. She and Ethan stepped out of the car, and Michael drove off. Only the three of them knew Lilith would be there at that time. Now, for the time being, it was only Ethan and she. Lilith had no specific location to settle in for the remainder of the day, but she expected that finding a place wouldn’t be difficult.
Ethan was sluggish, dragging behind as they walked through the neighborhood. Lilith intended to speak to him about it once they settled. For now, she was eyeing a certain vantage point more than any individual house. It was the side of the neighborhood touching Glisan St., which was also overlooking a strip mall on the opposite side. Any house will do, she thought after deciding that was the area in which she wanted to position herself.
Breaking into homes was routine by then. After examining the outside, it was easy to determine the house was lightly defended, and apparently had been broken into before. Ethan broke a bedroom window and they swiftly climbed in. They had checked every room, the basement, and the attic, but to their surprise, nobody was home. Judging from Ethan’s expression, he was relieved at that. “Let’s stay up here,” said Lilith, noticing that the sole window in the attic had a clear view of Glisan Street. “This will make a sufficient base, unless I get the white house back.” She smiled at the idea, but when she looked at Ethan, as he stood near the door motionless, she saw his grim expression and felt concerned. “What’s wrong with you?”
“You know damn well.”
Lilith removed her rifle from around her shoulders, then sat at the window sill. “I know damn well? No, I’m afraid I don’t.” Silence fell between them. “Talk to me. Be honest.”
“What are you doing, sis? I mean, wh-what is this?”
His question sounded broader in scope than just the mission at hand. “What’s my end goal?” Ethan did not respond verbally nor in gesture. His solemn was answer enough. “I want peace. You know this.”
“At what cost?”
“Forcing it. Eliminating all bad blood.”
“Then, why oppose the military instead of working with them?”
She leaned against the wall. “Did you forget who started this war? Would you trust them?”
“Political upheaval started this war. The people and government were equally responsible. Now, there’s a power vacuum and dozens of groups are vying to take control. Don’t even try to deny that’s what you’re doing.”
“Ethan… After I’m finished, I…”
“After what? After you’ve killed every threat to your rule? Think this over, Lily. When does this end?”
She felt herself getting worked up. “This ends when the war ends. Someone has to win, Ethan. Every war ever fought ends with someone standing atop the mountain. Delegation failed, negotiation failed, diplomacy failed. What else would you have had me do? What else aside from brute force?”
“I never thought you were capable of genocide.” As he spoke those words, she could hear heartbreak in his voice. The way he was now looking at her, it was like he didn’t recognize her face.
She scowled. “That’s war, Ethan!” she emphasized, but didn’t shout.
Ethan rubbed and pulled his hair. “You’re going to breach your peace agreement with Colonel Corwin. You won’t even give him a chance… What’s your end game, sis? You still haven’t answered my question.”
Lilith stood, then slowly walked toward him. When her face was less than a foot away from his, she said, “You’re right … about killing them all. Every threat. Civilian, military, syndicate… All of them. Everyone who doesn’t back down.” Ethan glared back, and it hurt. “I… I can’t give Colonel Corwin a chance. Tonight, yes… We’ll move against him with everyone we’ve got. The time for agreements has passed. It’s dishonorable to breach an agreement, but Ethan… Don’t you, of all people, understand that sometimes we have to do everything, literally everything, we can to do what’s necessary?”
His eyes displayed the w
orst of her fears. She knew, he had already made a devastating decision…
Ethan, after a long pause, plainly said, “This isn’t necessary. You’re ending more lives than you’re saving.”
“Remember what I told you, when you were in that barge? I told you we’re helping our people thrive, not just survive.”
“A lie.”
Lilith scowled. “No… No, Ethan. The truth. When the war’s over, we’ll rebuild. We’ll belong to ourselves, not overlords. Kershaw, Ethan, is my end goal. I will remove all the bad blood – everyone who stands in the way of progress – and I’ll surrender all my power to her. I want Kershaw to rule, not myself…” Those words of admittance stung, much to her surprise.
“I wish I could believe you,” said Ethan. His voice was weak, like the day they had been reunited. He removed his trench coat, and then his machete and pistol. All that remained was a shirt and jeans. “Goodbye, sis.”
He turned, and left.
TYSON
“How are you, honey?” he asked when Fallon answered. The couple spoke to each other from their personal cell phones, from different sections of city. “I’m sure you know what’s about to happen,” Tyson added.
“How could I? You never talk about work. You come home, you play with the kids, we eat, we talk, and we go to bed. Then, the cycle repeats. That being said, yes, I do know what’s about to happen. Where you’re about to go…”
“Oh, that’s not true. We don’t always go straight to sleep after climbing in bed.”
He heard his wife’s laugh on the other end. “Let’s be serious, love. You sure about this mission? You can call it off, you know.”
“It’s always ugly, but it must be done.” Tyson paused. “Carrie Marsden is ill-intended, she’s stirred civil unrest …, and she’s tenacious. She’s been coaxing a move out of us since Ritter’s execution. She has the numbers, and she has the resources. We have to do something.”
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