Delicate Rain

by Mitch Goth

  It was just past three as everyone sat solemnly in Vin's office. Vin sat behind the desk, once again listening to the loud voices. But this time he was sure to listen. Ben and Joe were sitting in their usual place across the desk. Rain took a place a distance away on a couch against the wall. She was quiet, too emotionally overwhelmed to speak. She only watched, and listened.

  "This can't just go untouched," Joe sneered. "Those fuckers can't get away with this, fuck no. They gotta go. I ain't gonna stand for this!"

  "Yeah," Ben nodded in equal frustration, and odd moment of agreement with Joe, "these Devil fuckers gotta go. They killed Dando, that means we gotta slaughter them! There's gotta be a Goddamn war in the streets!"

  "Gentlemen," Vin sighed calmly, "what do you suggest? I mean that in terms of real, useful suggestions when it comes to retaliation."

  "We gotta take 'em out," Joe replied simply. "They gotta get got. That's all that's gotta happen. We gotta show everyone that we ain't to be fucked with. That if you cap one of ours, we'll put you in the fuckin' ground."

  "And we gotta act fast," Ben added. "Any hesitation is gonna show weakness. We can't afford that now. We gotta take revenge right now. Dando would've done it for us, we all know that."

  "I understand that," Vin assured. "Revenge needs to be taken, that much is abundantly clear at this point, it was from the beginning. I'm wondering if you have any suggestions as to how to go about that revenge. I get it needs to be done, and needs to be done soon. But I'll take thoughts as to how. At the very least, could you explain to me what you feel the first move should be?"

  "Why? Don't you always have a plan for that shit?" Ben wondered.

  "Of course I do," Vin answered, "I just need to ensure we're all on the beginning of the same page. This needs to be surgical and collected. We all need to be on the same level, in the same mind."

  "You want my suggestion?" Joe asked.

  "Sure," Vin shrugged.

  "First move, she's gotta go," he aimed a thin finger to Rain.

  "Me?" she spoke up. "Why?"

  "Don't bullshit, you know why," Joe growled. "You're just some nobody bystander in all this. You ain't gonna be anythin' but a damn problem, that's what you've been from the beginnin'. And you're the one who caused all this shit anyway. You killed Dando, you've done enough already."

  "Excuse me?" Rain shot from her seat. "You're not pinning his death on me, you couldn't possibly be doing that. What the fuck did I do to kill him? Did I pull the trigger? No I didn't. So why don't you take a step back and think about your fucking words you unbelievable asshole."

  "Nah," Joe shook his head, "you ran over those two fuckers that night after the club. You started this. You started a war now, you happy?"

  "Shut the fuck up, Joe!" Ben exploded. "Get it in your mind that we would be dead if she hadn't done that! Dando's murder wouldn't be happening right now, it would've already happened, along with yours, mine, and even Rain's. So just stop making what she did out to be a terrible thing. She saved your fuckin' ass, appreciate it!"

  A sharp bang shook the room. Vin had once again fired a gun into the air to cease the arguments. He set his smoking forty-five back on his desk and gestured for everyone to sit, which they all did swiftly.

  "Civil war is no way to fix this," he explained. "That's what they want to happen. We cannot, and will not let them win this. I won't let them, and I will put a Goddamn bullet in anyone who gets in the way, understand?" Everyone nodded. Nobody dared to speak. "Please, someone continue this very fruitful conversation."

  "Look," Ben spoke slowly, "we shouldn't be looking for faults here. If anything, its a collective fault between us for gettin' in that situation and not expecting large retaliation. But we shouldn't blame each other either. The only place where all the blame lies is with those damn KC Devils. They put the bullets in Dando, its their fuckin' fault, and they need to pay. Not any of us, them. And only them."

  "That don't change one fact," Joe continued his objection, "and that's that Rain is still just a stranger in all this, a bystander."

  "Bullshit," Rain snarled, still being careful to keep in her seat, not wanting to escalate things to the point of putting more bullets in the ceiling. "That's bullshit and you know it. I am in this just as much as you guys are. I killed those guys in the alley, there's fresh blood on my hands just like there's dried blood on yours. Besides, I'm going to guess that they know who I am by now, right?"

  "I'd most certainly believe that, yeah," Vin nodded.

  "I'd be surprised if they didn't know," Ben added.

  "So?" Joe asked harshly.

  "So I'm in as much danger as any of you are if I go out wandering the streets now," she went on. "I'm not a bystander, I'm a damn target now. I've probably got a hit out on me just like all of you. If I go out there, if I try to leave now, I'm dead. I won't make it out of the city alive. Now, I saved all your lives already, will you save mine?"

  "When you say it like that I feel rather obligated," Vin nodded. "But you do have a damn good point. If you walked out that door, you wouldn't make it to the city limits, no way. The three of us would maybe make it a mile."

  "What the hell are we gonna do?" Joe wondered. "We can't build an army from this damn hotel."

  "We're gonna have to go back home soon enough," Ben agreed. "We can't just stay here and wait to die."

  "I'll post our guys at everyone's house," Vin said. "I'll give them automatic weapons, the stuff you see in the army. And I'll get everyone escorts everywhere you go. We've got firepower and the manpower to use it all. Rain," he turned to her, "I would suggest staying in this building if you can help it. But, if you want to get out of dodge while you can, I could get you out of here safely. We could get you out of the city safe tonight if you want out."

  "No," she immediately rejected the idea, "I'm part of this, I'm staying."

  "That's what I like to hear," Vin smiled. "We need all the help we can get at this point anyway. Welcome to the war."

  "You can't be serious," Ben looked to Rain. "You need to get outta here as soon as you can. You could die out there."

  "I can't just abandon you guys," Rain stayed strong.

  "I'm giving you permission to abandon us," Ben retorted. "For your own safety, get outta here while you can."

  "I'm sorry," she shrugged apologetically, "I can't. Dando would understand, I'm sure. He'd probably think it was God's will."

  "That crazy son of a bitch," Joe groaned, knowing she was right. "Rain or no Rain, how the hell are we gonna do this. We need a strategy or some shit."

  "Relax," Vin spoke soothingly, "I've got it figured out already."

  "Damn right you do," Ben couldn't help but smile. It was amazing how many times his boss came through.

  "It's quite simple really, nothing we haven't done before," Vin began explaining the plan. "It won't be without its share of bloodshed, but we'll get 'em all. We'll exterminate every last one. We'll pull the treaty card. We call for a sit down, to talk for peace."

  "The Devils ain't gonna want peace," Joe pointed out. "They want all of us dead, simple as that."

  "Indeed they do, Joe," Vin went on, "but they'll accept it on the idea that they can hit all of us at that sit down and erase us. We just need to prepare for it. We'll say no guns, they'll get guns that are easily hidden, small pistols or a stubby shotgun at best. We've dealt with nobodies like them to know well enough that's what they always do. All we need to do is pack bigger heat and have more guys. We have both of those things at the ready. Everyone who was under Dando is blood thirsty, rabid dogs. Like I said, it won't be bloodless, but its a sure thing nonetheless."

  "So we go in lookin' to stop the bloodshed," Joe started.

  "But we're just starting it," Ben finished it with a grin.

  "Ain't nothin' we haven't done before," Joe shrugged. "You sure it'll work?"

  "No matter how much bigger the Devils got, we got bigger too," Vin pointed out. "They were tiny to begin with. They're heads are just far too
swelled. Time to let all that air out."

  "Sounds straightforward enough for me," Rain spoke her opinion.

  "Hell no," Ben shook his head, "you can't be in on this. No way."

  "What? Of course I will be," Rain objected furiously.

  "Do you have any idea how dangerous it'll be?" Ben wondered. "If you get yourself shot and killed, or even wounded, I'll never forgive myself."

  Rain instantly recalled their conversation at the coffee shop. The moment you kill someone with a family is the moment you can't come back. He wouldn't pull the trigger, but Ben would feel responsible anyway. She could see in his face that there was nothing she could say to sway his head. Her gaze turned to Vin instead.

  "Like I said," Vin spoke to Ben, "we need all the help we can get."

  "If she wants to help, let her," Joe suggested.

  "She'll die out there!" Ben said in a rage.

  "You don't know that, Ben," Vin replied. "She could end up saving your life for all you know."

  "I can't take this," Ben stormed out of the office.

  "He really cares for you, you know that?" Vin turned to Rain. "It's quite the thing to see really."

  "I don't really see why," Joe added. "We barely know ya."

  "He saved my life when we first met," Rain said. "Maybe he doesn't want to do it again."

  "Maybe he sees a bit of himself in you," Vin figured. "He was a runaway long ago, you know that?"

  "Yeah," Rain nodded, realizing just how much sense Vin made, "I do."

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