Kelsey remembered back to the time her girlfriend took her to the Symphony of Fire fireworks over English Bay. The crowds were bad and they blocked off all the West End for pedestrian traffic only. There were people everywhere, including across English Bay in Vanier Park, on hundreds of private boats anchored almost under the display area, small aircraft circling the downtown (running lights winking, buzzing engines drowned out by the choreographed music) in the war summer's night air. There were stories of fights but she'd not seen anything more illegal than open alcohol and the smell of pot from someone's furtive joint.

Ok, Josh. This is good. Kelsey here will draw a basic map of Stanley Park and you will help her to pinpoint the locations and mor or less the amount of people in the area. It is very important to know which areas are occupied by "warriors" as you said and also which ones are purely civilian...families and such. The big question here is where is Cyrus and his bodyguards. We need you to tell us where are his head quarters. And don't forget about the prisoners. Are there any captives? Someone held for ransom or any other reason?

Josh got to scribbling on the map, and they took notes.

It was obvious that some of the details were changinge a little. Perhaps now that he had a chance to think about it and the map was in front of him, the details became clearer. Certainly, he looked more confident.

"Ah, okay, Cyrus and his bodyguards live here. It's where those fuel trucks are parked."

"It's hard to separate, you know, civilians from fighters, Cyrus' "warriors". 'Cause some of them got families, some of the moms could fight (don't know if they would). I've sort of separated them into where the children are and are not."

It was a little different from classical cult lines, where rigid control over reproduction and sexual activity was the norm.

"There are some guys dug into the island here." He indicated the Naval Cadet training station called HMCS Discovery in Coal Harbour. (Also known "Deadman's Island", as it was formerly a pre-European native burial ground.)

"I don't know why Cyrus doesn't attack them, but they've got barbed wire, shitloads of ammunition and guns, some machine guns. Mines, who knows what-all. Food, too lots of it, I think Cyrus gets food from them to leave them alone? We got some bunkers dug-in on the land side to keep watch, but no regular guards. We leave them alone, they leave us alone."

This isolated group had been referenced by Belanger. His friend and contact in the downtown, Sheppard, traded with them on occasion. He somehow thought they were Americans.

"Plus, there's a ship, like, the back half a ship there, by lighthouse point. Cyrus says it's radioactive, not safe. It's washed up, like, on the rocks. I think it's from when the bomb went off."

The MIRVed warheads were targeted around the eastern portion of Burrard Inlet, over the petroleum refining and storage facilities in North Burnaby, Port Moody and Ioco. (Ioco was in fact the largest refinery in the Lower Mainland, where an isolated hamlet/company town had grown up around the "Imperial Oil Co." refinery complex, and this in turn was also the basis of the name "Ioco".)

Perhaps this was the remains of a ship anchored offshore from the massive Port of Vancouver freight terminal in the Inlet, caught by the shockwave of the blasts. Back broken and separated into two pieces some fluke of water-tight compartments and floatation chambers enabled the rear half to drift with the tide out towards the narrows, where it had grounded on the rocks off Brockton Point Lighthouse.

"There's no prisoners I know of being held right now. Any outsiders Cyrus captures he usually kills, hangs from the bridge. If there were any, they would be held here in the cop shop, the police station."
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:55, Sun 22 June 2008.

Kelsey remembered the girlfriend too, how she smelled.. oddly enough, and that loose happy feeling that life had to it before the war, like the future lay out before you.



Kelsey does draw out a map for him, not bad accuracy even.
"I used to love this park, before the war."



"Maybe just a few bad eggs that have seen Mad Max a few too many times?"

In reply to Kelsey Sarah Champlain (msg #58):

Clarke was pleased to see the map take shape.  This would be very helpful in the over all plan.  She wasn't surprised that there were no neat lines drawn between combatant and non-combatant, that mothers could also be warriors.  Her youngest had been five when the war broke out, so she fit that mold herself.

Looking over the shoulder, Shevchenko asked to nobody in particular:

Is getting a little bit late and we are going to get hungry. Can anybody please bring some food? Maybe our dear chef can prepare a delicious sushi platter. Also a good selection of refreshments will be great...

After the first round of answers, Shevchenko felt that they were going the right way. The idea of asking for food was twofold. Firstly, the prisoner would be surprised not only with the prospect of having dinner but a real good one. A treat in such harsh times. Secondly, Taras was looking to clear up the room of many witnesses and keep the room ambient more relaxed and intimate. The amount of information was detailed and apparently legit and even transpired veracity. On the downside it was taking time to go through details like the map and so. Taras quickly return to the task. He would wait the precious second where the face of Josh would be illuminated by the expentancy of the japanese culinary feast and then he will move to the next question:

Josh, what are the shortcomings being experienced by the stickmen in their violent campaign?.

*Kelsey looks up at the mention of sushi, scowls a little*
"Just have him do me up a good burger, can't beat his and a nice break from field rats... though those wings we had at the pub last night were awful tasty, especially with the beer!"
*Adding herself to the idea that it was back more to business as usual, and that normal people weren't hiding in the park, but instead hanging out in pubs*

Josh's mouth watered at the anticipation of having something better to eat than whatever fare the Stickmen offered for nutrition.

He continued his information, prompted by Tara's questions.

"Some of the people (in the Park), they get off on the violence. I think most others just want to live in peace, are even afraid of him. They don't want to say anything. Cyrus has everyone afraid that the army and the police are going to come in an' kill everyone."

"I think people outside, they're scared of Cyrus. He's built up a pretty bad-ass rep. Most of the Undergrounders downtown don't really want to get involved, but don't really love the government either. There are a few of them that even say he's crazy but no one has stood up to him."

He moved on to Taras' other questions, prompted as necessary.

"Uh, I don't really know what Cyrus' big lans are. He wants all the gangs to join forces and resist the government. Talks about it all the time. He talks about holding a meeting in the summer some time, like a rally. He's mentioned the Bridge Trolls, the Hells Angels and the Los Diablos."

"But, ah, the trucks came from the Airport, and I don't know if he has any real contact with the Los Diablos, so maybe it's just blowing smoke?"

They'd heard about the Bridge Trolls, living on Sea Island and YVR (Vancouver International Airport). The possible link to the Hells Angels (aka "Hells Angels Motorcycle Club", "HAMC", "HAs", "Angels", "Hells") was no big surprise, they were an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang and a major criminal narcotics syndicate in BC and throughout Canada from before the war. They were well-organised, well-funded and well-armed. They had survived with little problem in the lawless atmosphere after the collapse of civil order. Mention of the Los Diablos were a little surprising; they were a street gang and low-level dealers from before the war, located mostly in suburban Burnaby and comprising many Hispanic immigrants from Central and South America.

He went over the Stickmen's numbers, weapons, training and organisation again. It was essentially the same as before: 60 adults, 20 children (give or take). About 2/3rds of the adults were male. Maybe 50 effectives, trained to use the weapons they had, mainly bows, crossbows, machetes, knives, Molotov cocktails.

Training daily was with weapons, some loose small-unit tactics (based on ad hoc sections of 5-10 warriors), and a lot of physical training. This high level of activity required more and better food than they could get themselves, necessitating trade with the outside.

Operationally they mostly were trained to react defensively to attacks on the park, via ambush and counter-attack, "but we have a few scouts (Cyrus' bodyguards) and we do go out of the park to take revenge on people. Plus lots of people know the city, how to get around. We know every inch of the park, and we are pretty quiet in the woods or the city when we need to be. When people come into the park it's usually via the Causeway. Once we get warning we get into our groups (which are designated ahead of time but change and are not permanent), man the bunkers and spider holes,  let them get a ways in and then stop them and take 'em out."

Relations with other communities were varied.

"Most Undergrounders are afraid of Cyrus. Some trade with him every month, he gets food and other supplies. He says they're not the enemny, but it's hard to tell if he will change his mind at some point!"

"You know... there are other people in the downtown. Some Hells Angels run a club called "Brandi's". Used to be a strip joint, now I think it's a whorehouse. They got armed guys outside all the time, Harleys, the whole deal."

"They say you can get anything there. It's because, well, people say he likes 'am young. So he goes there to get his rocks off when they got someone in because he doesn't want to mess around with "his people". Guess that would be too much for people."

Josh looked disgusted and grossed out by this admission.

"So, ah, he meets with the Angels there, at Brandi's. I guess."

Kelsey remembered the club, it was in the upper stories of a well-built office block downtown, at the NW corner of Dunsmuir and Hornby. Above the Keg Ceasar's steak house restaurant, it had a private elevator from the street and an elaborate security system. Before the war it was rumoured that the HA's owned it, now it was pretty certain.

"So far, there isn't any kind of cooperation with outside groups against UBC. Also against West Van. Things like that, Cyrus goes it alone. Helps build our rep, he says."

"Morale? Like, how happy are people? People are afraid, but Cyrus takes good care of people and things are better in many ways than outside. No disease or starvation. Some people are a little afraid, yeah, but things aren't bad enough to make people want to leave. In fact, as he goes along, wins fights and does more stuff and gets away with it, people are starting to think maybe he's right, that we don't need anyone to come in and run our lives."

As for intelligence network, Cyrus had a few sympathisers in the Undergrounders that he trades with.

"They give him information, sometimes they come to the park to tip him off or tell him when he's in the downtown, which is, like, every week. Also, the HAs give him info when he visits them, too. I don't know if he as a radio or something."

In reply to helbent4 (msg #62):

Clarke was outside of the room, but listening.  The camera was linked to a closed curcuit TV courtesy of Kelsey so that observers could watch the interview without disturbing it.  When Taras mentioned food, she took out some cash and asked Chirs and Andy if they would mind making a run for some grub.

At the mention of Cyrus' visits to the whorehouse, Clarke suddenly thought, "Gotcha.  We've been looking for a way to catch him outside the compound where we can capture him.  This is just about perfect."  They would need to find out how frequently Cyrus made his jaunts, when the last time he went, get an idea of when he would go again.

A pedophile, but smart enough not to hunt in his own backyard.  Clarke thought of her own children and her stomache turned.  She wanted that guy bad.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:40, Tue 24 June 2008.

"I can see the benefits of capturing the enemy leader, Ma'am, but I'd be wary of risking anyone's life on it." Andy spoke softly, "Whilst I'll support and give 100% to any attempt to capture him, I'd suggest we don't rule out killing the guy if it looks as if the take down might get tricky. I know it's not ideal, and I'll volunteer for the point on any arrest missions but I'd prefer him out of the way one way or the other as soon as we decide to move."

Clarke nodded in agreement.  "Take down or shake down, getting that piece of garbage out of the way will make it easier to dismantle the rest of the organization.  It might be easier to get the others to surrender if we take him alive.  It shows we hold life in high regard.  But if it's his life or one of my people, as far as I'm concerned it's a no-brainer."

She looked directly at McRae.  If we can catch him like this, consider yourself in charge of the team.  You'll be Master Sniper for the detail.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:40, Thu 26 June 2008.

Meanwhile, at the interrogation room:

Thank you for all the information, Josh. Now you are mentioning other elements like the "Hell's Angels", "The Bridget rolls", "Los Diablos" and "Undergrounders". This adds more numbers to the equation. I am aware that you may not have the same level of information on this people as with the stickmen but we certainly need to know what you know...

He made a pause. The prisoner needed some time to stop thinking about his previous answers and its consequences and focus on the next inquiries. This would need a better rumorology filter. Taras would pay special attention at the physical gestures and tone of voice. Feelings would be revealed but he didn't want to fall for an exaggerated view or any prejudice from the captive side.

Ok, then. This is the decalog that you just answered regarding the stickmen.

The notebook sheet was turned 180 degrees and put facing Josh. An index finger landed over the paper and approached the questions towards the other side of the table. Josh took it, looked at it and frowned his forehead while trying to make sense of the unorthodox calligraphy of the orthodox writer.

I want you to go over this question regarding the Hell's Angels and we will continue with the rest. I don't want any bullshit about legends and such. I want facts. Try to remember as much as you can. I'm sure in the mean time the food will arrive. We will take a quick break then. We will finish the questions and after a few instructions and advices you'll be free to go.

Here he was Shevchenko. A stranger man in a stranger land. Appalling circumstances to deal with. He was confronted with an unsuspected enemy and certainly supported by an even more eclectic array of new allies. Police work was unknown to him. Many things had prompted him to abandon a totalitarian regime but he would never could imagine how different the criminal aspect was here compared to the Motherland . As an RCMP Officer he could be good at some parts of this demanding job description: basics about security and safety, use of weapons, recce, discipline...all of this was there. But to try to play cop in a world of mafias and organized crime... this was something unexpected and superior to him in many ways.

He remembered for a moment the story of a father with an stubborn young son asking for a piece of cake. The poor little bugger would not leave him alone so he gave him a quite large Atlas puzzle, a map of the world. He thought: Well, this will keep you occupied for a while. When you finish you'll have your cake. An amazing feat for such a tender age: To complete the mapamundi . But not even one hour passed by when the excited, happy kid yelled "I got it! I got it!". The father was "puzzled" as well. How could it be possible? The child came with the answer: This puzzle was double sided. I couldn't do the map, it was too difficult for me but behind the World was the figure of a man. I made the man and I fixed the World!".

Maybe it was time to try to fix the man, the men, the people,...Before trying to conquest the World, the country, the province, the city...There were many good men out there but there were also the tyranny of the bad men. The same kind he had ran away from. This was the time to fight them. But he was no longer a soldier. He would try to put the pieces together, bites of information, like pieces of a sushi boat or a mosaic of tiles. He would try to get a picture, a map. This was his only hope to find a possible solution.

a) Where are the Hell Angels located? Have they any prisoners with them?
b) What are the shortcomings being experienced by the HA in their violent campaign?
c) What is the HA operational and political planning?
d) What are the HA numbers, organisation, deployments, training, weapons and communications means?
e) How are the relations with the undergrounders and other communities?
f) What is the magnitude of involvement of the HA against other communities including plans against UBC?
g) What is the HA morale like? How are the conditions in their bases?
h) What are the HA's intelligence network details and priorities for operations against other citizens?

Indeed, this was a new experience for Taras. Criminals at home were both more vulnerable because the authorities cared less for individual freedoms and the due process of the law. Yet the authorities also worked unofficially in a way with criminal syndicates because corrupt officials both could be relied on to look the other way and allow goods to enter the extensive underground economy.

a) Where are the Hell Angels located? Have they any prisoners with them?
b) What are the shortcomings being experienced by the HA in their violent campaign?
c) What is the HA operational and political planning?
d) What are the HA numbers, organisation, deployments, training, weapons and communications means?
e) How are the relations with the undergrounders and other communities?
f) What is the magnitude of involvement of the HA against other communities including plans against UBC?
g) What is the HA morale like? How are the conditions in their bases?
h) What are the HA's intelligence network details and priorities for operations against other citizens?

"I think the HAs are located in the club downtown, and the clubhouses out Coquitlam. Maybe a couple in Surrey, too, and down in White Rock (which was also technically Surrey). They run the "free market" on Annacis Island, you can get anything there you want, anything. People say they got connections to the US Army down in Washington."

"So far they're not violent towards the Undergrounders or the Stickmen. I hear they pretty much could take what they want throughout the rest of the city, but they usually don't unless you piss them off. There's people in New West, cops and such, that keep them out. They're pissed about that."

"I don't know what the Angels want, really. They don't like cops, I think they want to take over? Lots of people say they feel safer with them, they're better than nothing. They took care of business after the government left. People commit crimes or cause trouble, they form a posse and go after them."

An outright military or political takeover didn't sound too likely for an organisation that sought to exist on the outskirts of society, although a callow 19 year-old might not know this. It was more likely they would seek to influence local politicians in some manner from the shadows, if it were. This might happen if they helped influence an election, or disrupt the introduction of a fragile civil order in order to force some kind of compromise favourable to their interests.

"There's about 20-30 downtown to run the club. I seen them carrying shotguns, M16s, even machine-guns on the building. A Brinks truck is parked there."

"Same at the free market, at least 30 there, heavily armed. They also got a couple more Brinks trucks parked there, some technicals with machineguns on them too."

"I ain't been to their other clubhouses but I seen maybe a couple hundred bikers or more, one time on a "ride". They are all strapped on a rise, plus they had a couple vans and technicals along as support behind."

Lee would explain later that OMGs were organised into "chapters" of 5-30 members or more, each with a clubhouse. Interested prospective members were "hang-arounds", actual recruits were "prospects" and were allowed to wear colours on a probationary basis and their first tatoos. These formed the bulk of the support personnel. Full members were "Full Patch" and allowed to wear the gang's full colours and get even more elaborate tatoos. Club officers like Sergeant-at-Arms, President and Treasurer/Quartermaster were all elected and ran the club as a triumvirate. They held weekly meetings called "Church", and the local chapter leaders met at a "Council" with probably an elected "Director" for the city or region.

"The Undergrounders trade with the survivalists on Deadman's Island, Cyrus and the Stickmen, and the other people living in Vancouver. The Undergrounders also go to trade at the Free Market and in New Westminster."

The food arrived, and they took a break. After, the questions continued.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:15, Fri 27 June 2008.

The numbers of what sounded to be full-patch HAs in Vancouver was if anything larger than before the war. That was assuming that all or most of the riders Josh said he saw were actual full-patch members and not "hang-arounds" with ride-along privileges.

To quickly increase their numbers, Motorcycle gangs frequently merged, or in the case of the HAs, absorbed smaller independent or affiliated gangs en masse in a process called "patching over". In fact, BC's first chapter of the HAMC was a small but vicious local gang known as the "Satan's Angels". The HA's decided it was less effort to co-opt an existing gang than establish their own, and so in the early 80's they patched over the smaller gang, even making an exception to their unwritten "no blacks or asians" policy by allowing a single black Angel into their ranks, although it was made clear he was dead meat if he stepped foot south of the border.

"I don't think the Hells have really fought anyone, like in a stand-up fight. I heard they got thrown outta New West, but it wasn't a gunfight or nothing. The cops just told 'em to leave and not come back, and they did. Lots of other places around. That's not to say that people that cross them don't, you know, disappear or wind up dead. Sometimes bombs go off, car-bombs. Rockets as well, I guess. "Takin' care of business" is what they call it.

It was established that he was referring to assassination-type attacks. If someone ripped off the Angels or defied them, their houses tended to get blown up or shot up by machinguns, their vehicles taken out with LAW rockets, trip over land mines or geta facefull from a Claymore mine. And so on. The hits weren't too discriminating and it was common for friends and even family (women and children) to die in the crossfire, or sometimes be targeted for death as well.

"Morale? I dunno. I guess they live pretty well, they're pretty rich. The lower guys don't seem to get outta line much, and when they do the Chapter's Sergeant-at-Arms straightens them out, smooths things over. Some girls who were with the Undergrounders who turn tricks say they party with the Angels sometimes. They say they pay well, their club houses got everything you want. Food, liquor, lots of drugs, lots of guns."

He looked troubled.

"You know, the Angels also have a place out in Surry where they like to party. They call it the "Pigpen". It's, like, a farm, got barns, I guess. Sometimes... they say sometimes the girls don't come back from the Pigpen."

"I got no idea how their intelligence works. They got lots of supporters. Not just other bikers, but people that deal for them, work with them. They run hookers, the clubs around town that are still open are under their protection. I guess they want to make money? I don't really know what their plans are for citizens."

Taras lacked the patience and grace to handle the...chopsticks. Instead he would use his fingers or, in the event of a larger than a mouthful piece, he would bayonet the victim with the always faithful folding knife. Once the prize was stabbed he would lift and parade it in front of his eyes with a twist of the wrist.

This so called cucumber roll actually is a rip-off. Nothing but a tiny piece of cucumber surrounded by rice!. This heroes of Tsushima sure know how to trick a subdit of the Rodina!!!.

Everybody was in a better mood after the appetite was addressed. Generous rounds of rice tea helped to digest the japanese hors d'oeuvres.

Around a mouthful of sashimi Josh added, "there are also people living in the West End. Not a lot of them, but it's not completely empty either. I don't think they're a real group like the Stickmen or the Undergrounders. West Enders? I dunno."

In reply to helbent4 (msg #67):

"Sounds like these Hells Angels are the current local authority to me, and not to e strictly discounted as what they were before the war.  They stepped up and did for the people what needed to be done.  I think we should try dealing with them as if they are the local police, give them a level of respectability"

In reply to Kelsey Sarah Champlain (msg #71):

Clarke wasn't in the room with Kelsey, so she couldn't respond to the comment.  It would have to be like any group they encountered.  The reaction would need to be dictated by what they discovered about the individuals.  Josh seemed to be implying that someone there was killing prostitutes.  They also provided girls for a man known to "like them young."  Neither of those were things Clarke was prepared to tolerate.

But if they had kept order for people, there might be some among them that could be trusted.  They would just have to wait and see.

"Sure, I was thinkin' of maybe joinin' the Angels some day. They say that no one who lives near a clubhouse gets robbed!" He bobbed his head in agreement.

In reply to Andrea Clarke-Sullivan (msg #72):

Looking at the monitor, Lee snorted in derision.

"Treat the Angels like local authorities or cops? That's rather naive. The Angels break-in their working girls by raping them and getting them hooked on smack."

"Of course no one robs people who live near a clubhouse. It's easy to make sure of that if you are controlling the thieves and muggers."

"The kid just said how they kill people who cross them, murder women and children, run drugs and hookers. Make them cops? Never gonna happen."

She shook her head and laughed.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:02, Mon 30 June 2008.

Kelsey looks back a moment to the camera/two way glass and smirks a little, winking quickly, then looking back to the kid.

"That's right, and sometimes just a few bad apples can spoil the barrel, get them out and it's all fine, right?"

OOC-I'm a bit confused about who id talking to whom and where at the moment. If what Andy has to say has any chance of being hear outside of the unit, he won't say it.

Andy listened to the discussions and stroked the side of his chin rather uncomfortable, "Ma'am, I apologise for what I am about to say, it's potentially out of order, and it's certainly distasteful, but I want to float it as an option, one I'd rather not contemplate, but I feel it's my duty to at least air it. We have to strike a balance between being legal and on the side of the angels, not the Angels, and facing the fact that we are against several groups of hardened killers who hide behind the protection that a civilised society would give them whilst flouting its rules with impunity. Sure we should try to be diplomatic, but we need to be prepared for that to fail. I'd suggest that we consider adopting a British Army Black Ops technique. We set up a "vigilante" or counter-gang unit that can operate below the radar. That way if diplomacy fails we can eliminate some of the blocks to that diplomacy whilst maintaining plausible deniability." Andy sighed, "I know it's not the right way to do it but we may have to do bad things for the better good of the people."

Taras has suggested something of the sort already, though not exactly in those terms.  The idea that we may have to get a little dirty to get things done.  I'm concerned about crossing that line.  Once you go there, it's hard to come back.  It's also hard to distinguish what is right from wrong any longer.  What you are doing that is heavy handed because it needs to be and what is just convenient.  She looked at McRae.  She looked pretty grim, as if there was quite a bit of anger boiling just below the surface.

"Look at that guy, Andy.  Before the war he was just some ordinary kid.  He may have done some unsavory things or been controlled by bad people, but I believe that give a chance he can turn his life around.  We need to give people who were something else before all Hell broke loose a chance to get back to normal.

Her eyes narrowed.  "The Hell's Angels are a totally different breed.  They were bad before the war and they haven't gotten any better.  They sell the bodies of youngsters to people like Cyrus.  They kill those who oppose them and don't care if the catch inocents in the crossfire.  It sounds like someone out there is killing women who go to this 'Pigpen'."

"Right now I don't know what the 'Right' way to deal with the Angels will be.  Let's start with this and work our way up.  What do I know is that how we treat Cyrus' people will make or break us in gaining other people's trust.  I also feel that how we deal with the Angels may be very different.  Let's start with this and go from there."

She looked at Andy and smiled.  "I'm open to suggestions right now and I appreciate hearing your thoughts.  You'll be in charge of going after Cyrus, so start thinking about what you're going to do.  Shake down over take down, but don't loose any people.  That sound good to you?"

"Yeah, you know it!"

He looked at Taras.

"Um, I guess you gotta put the bad ones away, you know. Not all of them are bad, eh?"

"Still, you know, they got cool bikes!"

Josh seemed to still be in awe of Taras as most young men would be of a stern Mountie. He seemed to be transferring his trust and desire for friendship and acceptance to Kelsey.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:55, Tue 01 July 2008.

In reply to Kelsey Sarah Champlain (msg #75):

In the next room observing the interrogation with Clarke and Andy, Lee convulsed in laughter, covering her mouth with her hand lest the kid in the other room heard her.

"Fuck, Kelsey got me. I'm going to kick her ass. Ha!"

At Andy's suggestion she commented neutrally, "I think Khandola and the RCMP would be against any extra-legal killings. I'd love to bust these scumbags. Still, it's a dangerous place out there, a condition they themselves help perpetuate."

The dinner was coming to an end. Everybody seemed to be more comfortable and relaxed. Shevchenko even tilted the chair back in a swinging movement while clasping hands and rolling thumbs:

All right, then. My good Josh, your information is much appreciated. You are almost about to leave now. I would like to ask you a last question before I say goodbye to you:

Taras leaned over the table while staring at Josh:

What do you think that will happen if we go to Stanley Park, lets say tomorrow, and we try to convince the people to join the new government?

It was a moment to figure out possible reactions for a soft approach. A chance of having a first hand account like that, felt Taras, was well worth a try.

The kid looked relieved that the somewhat stern Taras was favouring him with a friendly tone and he looked eager to please. He frowned, thinking.

"If Cyrus is there? Everyone jumps to defend the park. They think, sorry, they react, then think. We get it drilled into us, middle of the night, daytime. Any time. The last attack got people feeling even more confident."