Re: Chapter 2: When the Levee Breaks
Pendleton
Dripping with sweat, coming down from the adrenaline rush of her near-crushing, buoyed by the success of her second effort, Murray ascends to the bridge, confers with Zo. A plan to transfer the barge cargo to the parking lot under the bridge root is worked out. It will require Ace Hardware. This task Murray assigns to Kabua, with Watkins providing security. The Marshallese-American cook has built up some goodwill with the locals through his generous wild pork distribution. A few locals volunteer to help with the heavy lifting.
Murray and Zo, along with the latter's minder, take Serena up to the Riceland Foods distribution center for a little shopping. Together, they find the parts to construct a heavy-duty A-frame and crude pulley system. It takes an hour to find the pieces, another hour to assemble them. By this time, Ace Hardware is emptied and its cargo tarped under the shade of the bridge root. The investment of time and energy pays off. Murray returns to the barge. Zo lifts its cargo with Serena's crane, then transfers it to Ace Hardware's empty bed; Watkins then ferries the cargo to the lot where Kabua and his gang unloads it with the A-frame/pulley system. It's a simple system, a bit clunky even, but it proves surprisingly effective.
Back Gate
Carissa scampers back to the trees, relieved not to have taken a bullet in her back on the way. She can cover the entire rear of the trailer from here. Simon's not going anywhere on his bike, leastways.
On the other side, Maggie walks towards the trailer, is admitted. Guillory spots a pistol in Mrs. Cleve's hand, lowered. Five minutes under the midday sun feel like at least 20. When the teenager exits, Saul and Guillory can read Simon's answer on her face. Head down, she walks back to deliver her report.
"They didn't believe me. You, rather. I mean, they don't believe that you just wanna talk. Said it don't make sense you come all the way out here for a little chat. I told 'em that you're good people, been helpin' out in town, ain't working with the Mississippi boys but they ain't buyin'."
Saul and Guillory are on the verge of concluding, separately, that it's time to go back to the drawing board, but Maggie's not quite finished.
"Mrs. Cleve said she'll talk to you, but Carissa's gotta come out font here. And just you, Mr. Noble, inside, and you gotta be unarmed. That's their conditions."
Razorback
Skillins chauffeurs Cao, Anderson, and Carswell back to Pendleton, where Watkins briefs them on Murray's construction project (Ace Hardware is being unloaded and the wrecker is on its way to the Riceland Foods depot). From there it's east to Red Fork, on an elevated road that rides a levee along a series of oxbow lakesides. Razorback passes a few tiny, rundown homesteads on the way, including a shabby double-wide with a sign reading Little Zion Church fronting the road. Red Fork turns out to be an intersection. There's not a soul or structure to be seen. Skillins laughs, turns up the radio. A man is singing,
"We're on a road to nowhere
We're on a road to nowhere
We're on a road to nowhere"
"Heh. How 'bout that?"
Your Turn.
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This message was last edited by the GM at 23:20, Sat 15 Dec 2018.