Editing Getting the Band Together (section)

=== '''Squatting'''===

She found the pipe and knocked on it. She waited only a few moments until Holden peeked his head out.

“We were worried you were followed.”

“I was, but it’s okay. Let’s go inside.”

She followed Holden down a short alley to a pried-open side door of an industrial building. The interior showed a lack of traffic. The path made several turns before ending at a dead end. Above were large pipes passing through. Water pipes, probably. On the west wall was a concert poster in a language Gadget did not know.

Those huddled near each other were Eddie, Tiffy, and Jax. A single candle put out light if not warmth. They shivered under blankets, and their breath came out in fog.

They looked up as Gadget entered. Eddie said, “Glad you made it. We were worried.” They looked at the pizza boxes in anticipation.

Eddie went on, “Cali is usually between Jax and Holden, if you don’t mind.”

Gadget moved close to Holden, between him and Jax. She couldn’t tell herself yet, but her pack nature was already forming, even after so little contact. Holden might be the lucky one.

Gadget nodded, taking the top pizza box with the missing pieces, slipping the other three to the group. She pulled out a large bottle of Tabasco that she liberally put on her pizza. The others eagerly grabbed the other boxes. They relished the pizza, a good meal for them. Jax reached for the Tabasco, looking to Gadget for permission. She smiled and handed it to him.

Looking around, the dead end had much to recommend it. Defensible but without an escape route. Out of the elements, sort of. Frigidly cold. Too cold, as she thought about it. It was winter, but the weather outside was hardly cold enough to warrant the cold inside.

“What’s on the other side of the building?”

“Meatpacking plant. It’s why it’s so cold in here. But the squat is too good. Out of the elements and deep enough not to be easy for takers to find unless led here. Holden used to squat here before.”

She reached into her pack and pulled out a small backpacking ring of stainless steel to curious eyes. Popping the lid, she pulled a lighter out and a bit of newspaper. She wrapped coal with the paper and lit it, starting the stove’s fire. The flickering fire caught and warmed the area slowly.

They turned to huddle around the fire in gratitude and surprise. “I’ve been camping a lot,” she explained.

The small area began to heat as they returned to eating. Silence filled the room as they ate. She looked around the space. A bright poster on the wall was in Russian, she thought. Rafe might know what it said. Being a music aficionado, he might know the band anyway. Maybe someone else in the huge Adventure’s Society would know. Time would tell.

While they huddled under blankets that had seen better days, their overcoats were neatly hung for drying. The candle put out light but little heat. Looking up, the ceiling must have had vents somewhere. It was why the space had so little heat. This place wouldn’t do. Not for seven or eight people, as her plans for the group developed.

Gadget stood after they finished eating. “Eddie? Can I speak to you for a moment?”

The two walked out to turn down the hall, out of sight of the others.

“I spoke to Waldo. He tried to tax me, and we came to an understanding. He says Cali is at someplace called the Station.  Strung out and in trouble.”

Eddie cursed, “Damn... damn. The Station? Shit... SHIT!... That’s an abandoned gas station at the edge of the industrial area. There’s a huge dog pack that lives there. Used to be security dogs that went wild when the plants closed. Abandoned warehouses mostly. No one squats there because the dogs are vicious. Probably a hundred of them. The city gave up on that whole part of town. South of the railroad and the freeway. Shit... this sucks.”

“Dogs, you say? Vicious ex-guard dogs and their get, I imagine. Good to know. How many people would he have there, this Wart guy?”

“Five maybe, a couple more. Depends where they are in their raiding.”

“How do they handle the dogs? Will you show me where this is?”

“Carefully, I imagine. Sure, I can show it, but why? Do you have an idea? If we could get them to come out chasing me, you might be able to get her out.”

“Do any of you people fight?”

“Holden can land a punch. Jax can fall down and take them for a while. Tiffy, not so much.”

“How tough are these guys? How long have they been around?”

“Tiffy and I have been here about a year.  Holden a couple of years. Not sure about Jax and Cali, but longer then Tiffy and I. Wart and his guys have been terrorizing people since grade school, I hear. He’s beat us up several times. Beat Tiffy and I pretty bad when we first got here 'cause she wouldn’t put out. Holden hates them. I think he had run-ins with them before. I know some of the businesses in the plaza lock their doors when they wander in. One of their parents is a cop.”

“Okay, show me this station.”

“Ah... okay... if you’re sure.”

She nodded and followed him as they crossed town.

 
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