Troubling times

Gods, she was bored. Any minute her brains would come leaking out her ears just for something interesting to do. She wasn't sure why Blaze had invited her to this meeting in the first place. She wasn't affiliated with any of the gangs present although she had dealt with a lot of them. Trade was always good with the area gangs and they learned quick enough not to mess with her or her people.

She listen to Blaze with half an ear, her mind wandering to thoughts of a grey eyed man who seemed to have the smoothest skin she'd ever had the pleasure of caressing. Shifting in the chair, she crossed her leather encased legs doing her best to look as though she were paying close attention.

Prophet sat off to the side of her not even trying to pretend he was listening. His onyx eyes on Bliss. His anchor to sanity even if she refused to accept it or him. A friend was as close as she would allow him. His gaze traveled up her legs, the leathers she wore were just a shade darker then the dust that swirled through the air. They hugged her legs like a second skin except where they flared out to cover her boots. The three quarter length jacket she wore was of the same color leather. It had an almost golden sheen to it. He wondered if the gold 'glow' was a trick of the light or something that came from within the woman.

Three words Blaze spoke woke Bliss from her thoughts. "Fight the nukes." She missed what came before but he now had her full attention.

Blaze walked back and forth in front of the chairs Bliss, Prophet and several other's sat upon. In front of him were the members of several gangs from the areas surrounding his gang's turf. "I'm telling you right now, if we don't work together they are going to come in and wipe us all out."

"They just want the Freebies! Once they have those do-gooders they'll split town and things will go back to normal" It was Stanzz of the Skulls. "All we gotta do is hand over all the Freebies we can catch."

"If you believe that, Stanzz then you truly are as stupid as you look." Bliss voice was soft but it still carried to the back of the large warehouse. She gracefully rose from the chair like a big cat uncoiling, readying to spring. "The Freemen are the only thing standing between you and Church rule. Use your brains, I know some of you got 'em." Now she knew why Blaze had called her to this meeting. "Look at it from your own perspective, gentleman and ladies, that of a gang." Her voice never rose from the soft melodic tone she'd started out with. "The Nukes are a really big gang looking to take the Freebie's turf. Sure, there are a lot of smaller gangs around the Freebies, but let's say they have the biggest chunk. Once the Nukes got the Freebies chunk of turf, do you really think they are going to stop? Or will they have to come after your bit of the city?" She motioned at the group at large with her hands. "In their place what would you do?"

It wasn't hard to see what was on the minds of those assembled. Gang life was all about turf, hanging on to yours and trying to get the other guys. Bliss heard the murmurs of assent from several high ranking gang members. "You really have to think this through. Right now, the Nukes are concentrating on catching the Freemen in this area so they haven't had time to think of anyone else. Once the Freemen are gone there will be nothing to prevent the Nukes from taking the city. Do you really believe if this city becomes over run by church soldiers that they will allow the rampant gang activity to continue?" She shook her head slowly from side to side, hands on her hips. "Come now, only a fool would believe that the Nukes will just pack up and leave once they have what they say they want." A slow smile spread across her face. "I can see it now, those of you who don't end up dead will end up volunteered for service in the army of the Church of the Nuclear Messiah. Now won't that be grand."

"It's the Freebies they are after now." Prophet unfolded himself from his chair. "That'll leave the Cult and the Fellowship between the inhabitants of New Rydynn and the Nukes. Being as I am a member of the cult, I can tell you straight out, protecting you from the Nukes is not our interest." His smile was as cold as ice. "If ya ain't a part of the us or useful to us, you're just meat. Hell, a lot of our own people see each other as targets instead of comrades." He took a languid step forward. "Cult ain't got no love for the Freebies but we hate the Nukes. Gonna be a real nasty dance going on if they try to take over and if you ain't with us on it, then you are against us. Those against us are dead."

"No need to get threatening, Prophet." The soft purr of Bliss voice carried over the rumblings let out by several gang members. "They know how simple this situation is in truth. They can either be ratts, handing over the Freebies and hence the city to the Nukes or they can be men and woman willing to fight to keep what is theirs." She ran a hand through her pale locks. "Personally, if I were Boyle once I had the Freemen situation under control, I'd sweep through the city removing anyone or anything that could possibly pose any threat. I make sure the Abyss, Grotto, Oasis were either shut down or under control of people who were under my control. I'd put people such as myself out of business. No more free trade. Check points through out the city. Church law, church order." Each word spoken clearly. "Once the military is firmly entrenched the reverends will follow spewing church doctrine and rounding up any heretics. Sounds like a real fun time, now don't it."

"Smarten up, you losers." Blaze shook his fist at those assembled. "And listen up cause I'm tired of arguing with ya. Here are the plain facts; Freebies don't hassle us any. They do their thing and we do ours and unless we are stupid enough to bug them, we don't have no trouble. Most of us got Freemen in the family, alive or dead. The Firemen are gonna take a stand, right here, right now and we are going to stand with the Freemen. The nukes think we are nothing more then dirt beneath their boots."

Bliss stepped back to let Blaze and Prophet do the talking.  She was known as a square dealer and while in the short run, fighting the nukes could net her quite a profit, anyone with a brain knew she was in things for the long haul. That profit was not her main goal, unlike her former employer and she had a family to protect.  And Blaze felt she had a way of speaking that made even the dumbest gang banger sit up and listen. He'd been right, they were all listening now. He'd have the confederation of non-aligned gangs he'd been working for most of his adult life. She settled back into her chair, legs crossing at the knees and let her mind wander back to thoughts of the gentle smile belonging to a certain man with eyes of gunmetal grey.

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