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Taken several days to pull the plan together. Addison and I met with our local community members currently living at the top of the hill along the north side of the roadway. Opposite the new site. This vacant site currently covered with weeds, a few trees, cacti, well protected to the east and north, and on the west a crumbling apartment building. The south, an unknown. The residence doing their best to, like everyone, survive. While looking formidable, in-truth wimpish. From the sounds overnight, fights with the occasional gunshot. Not sure where they bury the bodies.
In the past, because of the building’s height and the occupants’ ability to shoot down from the apartment’s fourth floor onto our rooftop, we engaged in scuffles and loss of life. We aggressively confronted these actions, making their fourth floor unusable, thus establishing a truce. We offered minimal protection on their northern flank if they cover all windows on the top floor. If not, we would shoot out those windows and at anyone appearing in those voids and occasionally, for the hell of it, unannounced, in the middle of the night. Those windows were now covered.
We began visiting this ‘new’ location to scope out the area to determine what kind of resistance we might meet. For now, observed but never confronted. Next, we wandered across the roadway and chatted in the open, in the shade of a Palo Verde tree, leaning against a few boulders. Again, no one approached us. Observed. This all seemed straightforward.
Yesterday, a crudely printed sign appeared: NO TRESSPASSING!!! Misspelled, but close enough.
Ignoring the sign, a small group of us stepped across the warning and walked about the lot as if surveying the area. Checking out all four sides, and eventually, once again, sat below the tree as if engaging in a conversation, occasionally pointing, here and there.
Today, the side door of the apartment opened slowly, and two well-armed men exited. One was tall and slender, the other short and stocky. Both wearing worn jeans, unshaven, and dare I say, on the grimy-side. Heading our way while several others appeared in windows of the second floor. Wish Brett and Cord were back, anyway. We’ll do our best to deal with whatever may happen. We borrowed two Scout Team 1 members. Invited Mr. Maddox and Diana to join us. With Addison, we waited, ignoring their arrival. Acting startled upon their approach.
Stopping a few feet away from us, I looked up and shouted, “Hey I know you.” They appeared caught off guard and the taller of the two demanded, “you all need to leave. This is private property.”
Standing, I approach slowly, “You the owners?” They clearly had not thought this through.
Hesitating, awkwardly replied together, “yes.”
They both appeared antsy. Relax… looking up at the windows and pointing, “You’re more likely to be shot in the back by your friends, so I’ll move a bit to my right to give them a clear shot at me and take you out of the line of fire.”
Their backup-band, startled, responded by taking aim at me. Also took my folks out of the line of fire.
Still looking uncomfortable, “You need to leave, now,” the second visitor repeated after clearing his throat.
“We will, but here’s the deal. We need this area and…
“Screw you!”
Ignoring this demand continued, “…have a proposal, a win, win for all. First, let me introduce Diana, our medical staff supervisor, Addison, a colleague, and my name is Jesse. And across the roadway, you’ll notice a wagon and a dozen of our… friends. When you wave them over, they will bring materials to build a medical center, some food, meat from a recently butchered steer, vegetables, and they’re offering protection to your site, your homes, and your property.”
The second guy quickly steps forward, weapon now drawn, screams, “WTF, get the hell off our property… this is your final warning?”
“Okay, easy,” Diana stepping closer smiling, “I noticed you appear to have a skin lesion on your nose. Hum appears asymmetrical, edges ragged, black. I can remove that before it gets worse.”
Shifting his attention, “Is that bad? Anyway, been there awhile, not a big deal.”
“Treated, you could survive years… untreated… predict, you’ll be dead in six weeks.”
“You’re a liar.”
Diana smiling, making eye contact with the other, “Noticed a limp, you seem to favor your right foot…and a shortness of breath… Jesse made you all an offer. Protection, a medical facility, wagon of supplies, friendly neighbors,… we annex the land, build a lean-to or two, shed, we mind our own business and you, yours. Win, win.”
“Again, we don’t need no protect,” stepping closer now, weapon now aimed at my head.
Addison, not smiling, moved gingerly between us. “You know your safety is still engaged.”
He looks, giving Addison in a single movement, the time to redirect his weapon toward his buddy, while placing the barrel of her weapon inches from his neck, “Bang, you’re dead.”
“Whoa, stand down Mike!” the apparent ‘boss’ shouts.
They look at each other, “give us a minute to talk this out.”
“Fine, first Mikey holster… the… gun.”
He protests as she presses hers harder into his neck.
Contemplating the situation, grudgingly, follows the directive.
“Good plan.” They turn and return to the apartment, stop and engage with several others, body language worrisome, keep looking our way, eventually the still nameless ‘boss’ now returning without Mike.
“FYI I’m nobody, just pulled the short straw. Truce, doable, but you all stay out of our building. Stay on this side of the fence. Anyone wandering beyond will not make it out, capiche?”
“Deal… but, need to introduce you to one other individual, Mr. Maddox. He’s the detail man, our Security Director.”
Looking back, “Your name, again?”
“Les.”
“Okay Les, Mr. Maddox will keep our folks out of your way, promise, and will direct his security team to monitor your people while in this area receiving medical support, etc., etc. If we cooperate-can secure the area, the roadway, and help each other... And if an issue arises, please let me know, just ask for Jesse. This is all good. And… maybe Mike needs to be a bit more diplomatic in the future. Wouldn’t want Diana snipping off his nose.”
Separating ways returned to our respective corners. Reviewed the ground rules and with a final prediction, “take care, and beware.”
Waving the wagon in, Mr. Maddox and the remaining staff prepare to occupy the area. We prepare to exit, hoping this all ends well. In the second-story window, I still see watchers. Barrels resting on the windowsills. From here, Mr. Maddox knew the plans.
Watching, for now placed myself between the wagon and the building. A few others have slowly exited the building, now standing along the chain-link fence. As promised, Mr. Maddox and selected workers moved supplies and food to the chain-link fence. Here, our new ‘friends’ collected supplies and quickly disappeared into the building. Les watched as the previously scouted-out area cleared, two large military tents quickly set up, and materials/supplies unloaded, as rehearsed.
Meanwhile, Mike gathered a few mischief-makers, clearly stirring the pot, occasionally pointing this way.
Trouble.
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