Editing Getting the Band Together (section)

=='''Necessities'''==

The squat was cramped with the six people in it, but warmer as they kept the little stove burning. Cali slept hard the first day, but Gadget wasn’t sure she was recovering. Jax never left her side and worried constantly. Gadget went and got pizza again, though only two pies, suggesting that her money was drying up.

The group fervently refused to take her to the hospital. Eddie explained, “Cali’s home life was little better than the way Wart’s people treated her. Her mother and a stepsister beat her regularly enough that she let her stepfather, two stepbrothers, and a couple of their friends treat her like a sex toy so they would defend her. If she turns up at an ER, the best she can hope for is to go into foster care. The worst is being sent home. That happened once before.”

Jax, who Gadget had heard speak in single words till now, said, “She and I ran off together the first time. I had to go back and get her that time. Her idiot brothers kept her in one of their beds every night. Hard to sneak her out.”

Gadget asked, "How did you manage it?"

Looks around the room showed it was a sore subject. Jax returned to Cali and his silence. Tiffy put her head down. Eddie looked at Gadget as if to convey that it was none of her business. Holden smiled, and with a nod from Jax, he told the tale.

“Jax lit the house on fire, then called 911. In the confusion of police, firefighters, and ambulances, Jax stole an ambulance they put Cali in. Drove it for an hour, then stole a car so he could ditch the ambulance. He stripped the thing of meds and supplies. Blankets and stuff. He drove a couple of days, swapped cars, and drove here. Dropped off Cali and the swag, then drove the car another day to ditch it. Good chance that the police are looking for them.”

Jax looked embarrassed but kept next to Cali.

Gadget commented, “Resourceful. Decisive. I respect that.” Jax looked up with a hint of a smile.

Gadget stood, “I’m going to stretch my legs.”

Walking out to the front, she was confronted by a large, beefy cat with a mouse in its sights.

Gadget froze momentarily, her eyes widening at the sight of the large, beefy cat perched atop the windowsill, its amber eyes fixed intently on the tiny mouse scurrying across the ledge. The cat’s fur was a patchy mix of brown and black, giving it a rugged, almost untamed appearance that contrasted sharply with the orderly chaos inside the squat.

“Hey there, big fella,” Gadget whispered softly, taking a cautious step forward. The cat didn’t seem threatened; instead, it watched her with an air of quiet curiosity, perhaps fear at Gadget's canine nature. The mouse, sensing the tension, darted toward the edge of the window, where it paused, twitching its nose before making a desperate leap for the safety of a nearby drainpipe.

As Gadget reached the window, she noticed a small tag hanging from the cat’s collar: “Shadow – Rescued.” A surge of empathy washed over her. Despite the rough exterior, Shadow clearly had a story of his own.

“Looks like Shadow’s been with you for a while,” Gadget remarked, hoping to break the ice.

Eddie stepped forward, his expression softening. “He’s a survivor, just like Cali. Came into our lives a few months back. Helps keep the rat population down around here.”

Tiffy glanced up from her corner. “Shadow’s more than just a cat. He’s a bit of a guardian for us.”

Holden nodded in agreement. “Yeah, he senses when things are off. Last week, he kept me awake all night when we had that break-in attempt.”

Gadget smiled, feeling a connection not just with the people but with their silent protector. “He’s a good cat. Reminds me that even in the darkest places, there’s still something worth protecting.”

Before anyone could respond, Shadow leapt gracefully down from the windowsill, landing softly on the floor. He approached Cali cautiously, circling her before settling beside her side. Cali reached out a tentative hand, and Shadow rubbed his head against her palm, purring softly.

Jax watched the interaction with a mix of relief and lingering worry. “Shadow’s got a good heart. Just like Cali.”

Gadget felt a pang of admiration for Jax. Despite his rough methods, his intentions were clear. “You all are handling things better than I expected.”

Eddie shook his head. “We’re just trying to keep Cali safe and give her a chance to heal. She deserves a second chance.”

As Gadget turned to leave the room, a sense of camaraderie filled the space. The squat, though cramped and imperfect, was a haven for those who had nowhere else to go. She felt a renewed sense of purpose, understanding that their struggles were intertwined, each supporting the other in their own ways.

Stepping out into the chilly evening air, Gadget took a deep breath, the scent of rain lingering in the air. She glanced back at the squat.

Walking away, she considered her options. She didn’t want to involve her police contact in this, but he was her first call anyway.

Calling, "Gadget. Wants and warrants. Names. Photos coming. Out."

Lighting a cigarette, she wandered off a block, looking around. She pondered. She couldn’t involve her police contact more than absolutely necessary. But she needed to know if anyone was looking for those in the squat. They didn’t want to take Cali to the hospital. She couldn’t call home without getting a ton of judgment and, in the end, only getting medical help with strings attached. There was another option, though.

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=== '''Gateway and Allies'''===

She pulled out a couple of decks of cards, tarot cards by their size and shape, looking through them. A Trump card was more than a picture—it was a door. Hold it in your hand, focus, and the image became real. Like calling someone on the phone, except you didn’t just hear their voice—you could step into their world. She remembered her introduction to the cards with Lord David. The card grew cold in her hands, the painted image shimmering like water. Slowly, the air around her twisted, colors bleeding together until she could have stepped through—no longer in the Hub of Mandalay, but in a sunlit courtyard of the Dramaturge.

Shadow was vast, infinite in its possibilities, with worlds ranging from medieval kingdoms to high-tech dystopias. Mandalay was just one of them, a central one of balance—her home, a place of green fields and shimmering towers, where wolves roamed as kin.

She looked over her King Random's deck. That would mean calling Dalt directly. She looked over her Green Deck, the deck of her homeland, Mandalay. David would help her, but that was a nuclear option. She considered the wolves of her pack. Dwarf would come if she asked. That was a lot of trouble, but she might need someone to oversee this massive dog problem. There were hundreds of wild dogs in the area. Generations of wild dogs, hungry and hunting. Capturing a dozen was just a start. Dwarf and the triplets could herd them easily.

"Maybe later...." Putting away her Green deck and her King Random's deck.

She thought carefully. Dalt was a nuclear option. David was a nuclear option. Dwarf was a blitzkrieg on his own, and if he brought the triplets, the humans of this world were likely to freak out at the sudden organization of the dog packs in this part of the state.

Raphael, she thought, would probably come himself if it sounded adventurous, but then this would be his show and not hers. She didn’t need the whole guild. But maybe just a couple. Yes, Wrecker and Reggy. Tough, dangerous, creative, and probably willing to listen to her. Doc Len would be too noticeable. Colette, though, would fit in perfectly. Call Rafe and ask.

She concentrated on her magical inscription for the realm of Pocai and opened a contact with Raphael.

"Who?" came the response to her call. "Gadget," she answered.

The voice at the other side of the mystical barrier seemed surprised, "Hey, Gadget! Great to hear from you. Didn’t know you had a Trump for me. So where’ve you been? Whatcha up to?"

She responded. "I don’t have a trump, Rafe. I have an imprint of Pocai. I am.... I have a situation. I have someone who is hurt. I’m in a world that I can’t use magic openly. I need a doctor and maybe some muscle. I was hoping I could borrow Colette and Wrecker and Reggy. The time ratio is favorable to Ang Ri."

"Yeah, Gadget, no problem. Whatever you need. You know you just have to ask. Give me a sec; they’re actually right here with me." Rafe turned to his companions at the Ludus on the world of Ang Ri. "Colette, Wrecker, Reggy; Gadget needs your help, now. Colette; someone’s hurt, get what you need. Wrecker, Reggy; you’re the muscle. She said she can’t use magic openly, so I suggest human forms for the both of you."

He focused back on Gadget. "Can you transport with this Pocai connection? Or do I need to bring them to you?"

"I’m in the King Random Trump Deck and on I’m in an earth world."

Rafe said, "Right. Hang on a sec."

He looked over to Dalt. "Dalt, can I borrow Gadget’s Trump from your KRD? I’ll give it right back."

He was looking over at the trio as they prepared. "She says it’s an earth world; dress and equip accordingly."

Dalt asked, "Can you use Amber trumps?"

"I’m pretty sure I can...? If not, could you contact her and pass these three through? Please and thanks."

He nodded, "Ah... Sure...I suppose."

"Thank you, Dalt. It’s appreciated."

"Is there anything else you need, Gadget? How serious is the situation?"

"It’s a complicated and musical. We all have our favorites. Shadow is filled with them...I’m here to rescue one set of them...and bring them to the Dramaturge eventually."

"Wooow... sounds like a great adventure. Hope it turns
 out well. I look forward to hearing the tale one day. Safe Travels, my Friend. Adventure Abounds. You ready for your support team?"

He looked over to Dalt and the trio to see if they were ready.

Wrecker said, "Were we traded to Cleveland?" As he was putting on his earth boots.

Rafe chuckled. "Don’t think so. Probably just temporary....? But time will tell."

He gave Wrecker a few moments to wonder, then chuckled and said, "She said she’s only going to need you for about a month."

Wreck said, "It’ll be a letdown after the Buffet at the Hall of Water..." He stepped through.

"Everything’s going to be a letdown after that buffet," Rafe said as the portal closed.

Stepping through the portal, the three looked around.

Colette said, "We are not really dressed for it here."

Gadget said, "It’s morning. There is a Walmart about four blocks from here. Here’s about a thousand dollars. Get clothes. Doc, come back here, knock on that blue pipe, and I’ll come to get you. They need stuff. Get some blankets, six sleeping bags. Cheap folding chairs. Medical supplies. Food—bread, peanut butter, jam. Lunch meat for today. Fruit. An ice chest. A bag of cat kibble. These people have been living like wild animals. When they ask, we’ll tell them you’re a friend from home. Leave where vague. I don’t know if they’ll believe me, but they will be grateful for the supplies."

She said, "Runaways? I know the streets. Was on them myself in Chicago as a kid. The charity angle won’t work. Tell them I’m a family friend. I brought this stuff because you called and asked for help. I’ll talk shit about your 'Parents.' I’ll leave off giving you some money. If there is any change."

She nodded and pulled out another thousand. Then decided to give Wrecker and Reggy each a thousand dollars of the money from Wart’s stash.

"Wrecker, Reggy, there is a heavy crime problem here. Take a few days looking the place over and get a sense of things. I have a police contact that can help. When you have a sense of things, let me know, and we’ll decide how to handle it."

She sighed, "Sorry.... It’s good to see you all." She exchanged hugs. Then the three headed off to Walmart, and she went back into the squat.

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Certainly! Below is the continuation of the story, revised to maintain consistent past tense. I'll continue from where we left off, ensuring all tenses are corrected and the narrative flows smoothly.

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==='''Call a Friend'''===

Gadget sat in the squat for a bit, treating Cali. The blankets under her were threadbare and dirty. "I called a friend for some help. She’s a doctor. She doesn’t hate my parents as much as I do, but it’s close."

"You gave her where we are?" Jax asked, looking wildly.

"I told her to hit the pipe. Leave her car a ways away. Bring some supplies."

Eddie said, with a look of fear in his eyes, "Gadget.... You really shouldn’t do stuff like that without asking us. We vote as a group."

Tiffy held the cat close. "You say she’s a doctor? Can she help Cali?"

"That’s why I called her. She treated me after one of my father’s parties. She was kind to me. After that, she was there when I needed her."

A couple of hours later, the silence was broken by the banging on the pipe. Holden stood and looked to Eddie, who nodded. He followed Gadget out to the pipe.

Colette was there with three shopping carts filled with supplies. Gadget caught the sense of Wrecker and Reggy a ways away. She hugged Colette.

"Holden, this is Colette. Let’s get off the street." They pushed the carts into the corridors and turned through the labyrinth. Holden said, "What is all this.. There’s food in here." He looked at the basket in front of him with naked longing.

Getting to the tight squat, Gadget started unloading the carts as Colette knelt over Cali.

"Guys, this is Colette, a friend of mine. She’s a doctor. She treated me years ago for....family stuff. We’ve been friends ever since."

"Hiya, glad to see Gladys has made friends." Gadget growled, "Gadget!!" Colette nodded. Eddie looked at Gadget and silently mouthed "Gladys?"

Eddie then came over to look over the carts. "What’s all this?"

Colette looked over the devices she set out next to Cali. "Gadget told me you guys were living tight. This won’t solve everything, but it can’t hurt. I figured I owe her this. Gadget, get me a couple of those chicken broths. Bring some of the chicken chunks. Get a pot on that burner going. There’s a pot in there somewhere. Heat the broth. There is a cot on there too. Set it up there. Get a sleeping bag open."

"You, m’lady," looking to Tiffy, "ah, come here. We have to undress her and clean her. She has no broken bones. But there are cuts.. and.. she’s been doped up."

Holden and Eddie set up the cot and spread a sleeping bag out open, laying a towel down in the bag. Colette directed them to put Cali in the cot.

After a few minutes, Colette stood, "Ok, I need the room. Gadget, why don’t you sort out the stuff I brought."

The guys and Gadget went and looked over the supplies. While they were concerned about Cali, the sudden riches gave them all wide eyes. Gadget took a loaf of bread, slathered mayonnaise and mustard on them, with meat and cheese, slipping each sandwich into a zip-lock bag. Despite their hunger, Holden and Eddie helped while Jax stood by the makeshift curtain for Colette and Cali.

Eddie asked, "No ketchup?" Gadget chuckled. "Colette knows I hate ketchup!"

Colette looked out at Jax as he hovered, "You are?" He said, "Jax. How is she?" "She’s asking for you. You can help me."

She looked to Gadget and whispered mentally to her, "She has a lot of bruises. Signs of repeated rapes. A lot of scratches and cuts. Can you get them to play some while I use the Total Warrior Medical stuff?"

Gadget, Eddie, and Holden fixed 20 sandwiches and tucked them into the ice chest. They set up chairs and sat, and Tiffy, Eddie, Holden, and Gadget sat after Gadget slipped a sandwich to Jax. They ate in silence.

Gadget got her guitar out and started strumming. After a few moments, Eddie and Holden picked up theirs. Tiffy picked up her violin and leaned it against her chair as the cat resettled in her lap. She opened the bag of cat food and brought a handful of kibble for the cat to eat.

Behind the curtain, Cali was cleaned and settled in the sleeping bag. Colette gave her an injection from a Total Warrior device with a broad-range antibiotic as well as pain medication. Secretly, she cast her High Order Healing Spell and the Clean cantrips. Jax brought over broth and spoon-fed her. Colette told him to cover her up when he was done and to eat his sandwich. He smiled at her gratefully. She then left to join the others.

She opened a chair and sat, listening to the jam session.

Eddie finally asked, "How is she?"

Colette said, "She’ll heal. She mostly had bruises and a few cuts. It’s pretty clear she was beaten with a belt, but probably as part of the rapes. She was starved for several days to be sure. Dehydrated. The physical stuff will heal. She will have psychological damage to be sure. That will take a long time to get over, and she’ll need help. Did you call the police?"

Eddie lowered his head. Holden said, "Wouldn’t do any good. They always get away with shit. Police connections."

Gadget signaled to Colette to change the topic by using the hand sign language. "How long can you stay, Colette?"

"I’ll leave in a few days. I want to watch her."

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=== '''Finding Their Sound'''===

Several days passed as the band remained in hiding. The band spent the time playing music, getting to know each other’s playing rather than the singular sounds the busking they had been doing taught them. They ate well, finishing off what Colette had brought. She stepped out to make another food run on her last day before she left.

Cali sat beside Jax, silently, her hurts mended as best as medications could, but the memories went deeper. Those scars might never heal.

During that week, the group played for each other as they never had before. They shared the squat but had never shared their music. Now they did. The hallways echoed as they developed rhythms, harmonies, and solos. They sang all the songs they knew and shared the ones they wrote. Gadget sat back a lot, playing her bass guitar and lamenting that the only thing she missed from home was her piano. She let Eddie take the lead on guitar, playing his beloved surfpunk renditions. Holden played rhythm. Tiffy was a virtuoso on the violin, weaving her sound among the others, playing counterpoint and solos. Gadget nearly cried.

Gadget would go out at night alone. She met with groups of dogs that had heard about her, and she bound them to her, as her father and mother had taught her. Her skill at the bonding grew quickly.

The streets were eerily quiet, the distant hum of a generator the only sound as she walked through the deserted industrial areas near the Station. Gadget’s boots scraped against cracked pavement, her mind drifting to Mandalay. In her world, shadows whispered secrets; here they only swallowed sound. She tightened her grip on the Trump card in her pocket. No magic here to guide her—only instinct.

Jax was pretty good on the bongos. He told them about the music store at home that let him play their drums. The school he and Cali had gone to had shut their music departments. Eddie talked about the private school he and Tiffy had attended. It was wonderful to them, but their homes were hells.

The group opened up to each other, sharing their lives. Something they had never done before.

Gadget told a tale that paled to the others, but hers was fiction. They were not ready to learn her truth. Mandalay, Fleece, Snack, the Dramaturge, her pack—the Hounds of Mandalay, Raphael, Ang Ri, Fort Garland.

After four days, Cali was walking, Jax supporting her arm. She carried her bass guitar but didn’t play it. The closest she came was quietly tapping out the beats Jax played.

Jax told a story, "This one time, we played for an audience of zero. Just me and the drums, Cali and her bass in some crummy bar in Wisconsin. Felt like a rehearsal—until the bartender started crying."

Gadget smiled faintly, "Why cry over a song?"

Jax said, "Said it reminded him of his son. Music’s like that—it hits people in ways you don’t expect."

Gadget stared into the camp stove flames, silent. Music and magic weren’t so different. Both were bridges.

Gadget reveled in the experience. Eddie Black and the Stone Bench Group, here, before the fame, before the glory. And in this shadow, Cali lived and didn’t become the inspiration for Jax’s sad ballads and his descent into alcoholism and self-destruction as happened in so many shadows. She knew shadow was vast, and there were places this group never suffered their tragedies. Those shadows sometimes had weaker groups, without the passion. Bands that played at State Fairs, not the Coliseum or Madison Square Gardens. It was a gentle process, but Gadget coaxed them into sharing their tragedies and building on them. After all, they all had horrors in their pasts. Things that brought them together.

She knew one day she would leave them. Leave them to their glory. But till then, she became a member of the Stone Bench Group. She wished she could stay. She also knew that if at all possible, her goal was to guide them past a few roadblocks and eventually bring them to the Dramaturge in Mandalay. If, if...

Eventually, the claustrophobia began to grow on them, and a time came when they returned to the plaza and reclaimed their stone bench. This time, when they took turns leading, singing, solos, the rest of the band played to back them up.

Now the strollers stopped more often. They bought pizza and ate while listening. Some started taking their regular lunch breaks from offices and businesses nearby to come and listen. They might even be the seeds of the fandom that would one day follow them online as well as from city to city.

After a week on the plaza, Waldo showed up. He was apologetic, but Cali couldn’t stand the sight of him. She admitted that Waldo had never touched her, but he had
 been part of Wart’s group. He was a shadow of his former swaggering self. Gadget knew Wrecker and Reggy had taken to correcting his attitude while getting all the information out of him they could. It showed. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. In time, Waldo started helping carry things and set things up. Pignoses, a few cables. A mic-stand. Gadget’s eyes nearly popped one day when Waldo brought chalk and drew a half-circle around the front for whoever was doing their lead. The famous singing circle. The cover of their epic first album before her eyes.

Somewhere in there, he and Cali made peace, but Gadget knew that in most of the shadows, Cali was known to hate the chief roadie. She guessed in this shadow that would be Waldo. She never saw Holden exchange more than a few words at a time to Waldo, and he always managed his own amp.

Eddie started to develop the stage presence that would make him famous. Tiffy, on her rock and roll violin, matched his every note, making his voice sound musical. His fingers danced on the strings, while she held the back line steady and soulful. Gadget closed her eyes as the melody washed over her. Each note was a heartbeat, a reminder of what they were fighting for—a world where music didn’t fade into static, where hope lingered in the chords. She could see Cali’s fingers matching her own. It wouldn’t be long till the two of them developed the dual bass sound the group would be famous for. Then Gadget would be replacing stray bassists the band would pick up for a gig or two at a time. Maybe, just maybe, she could stay.

A few days into their second month, Gadget saw Wrecker and Reggy stroll through the plaza. They listened and threw a wad of bills in the guitar case.

Gadget slipped away and met them behind Little Caesar’s.

Wreck lit a cigar as she approached, half offering it to Gadget, who declined. "What’s up?"

Wrecker, the brains of the two such as they were, said, "We have a target. Your contact helped sort it out. The Blind Reapers. A motorcycle gang. They have deep pockets and deep protection. They have a bunch of cops on the payroll."

Reggy said, "Hey! That doesn’t make them bad cops, just realists."

Wrecker looked at him incredulously, "Really, Officer Clifton?" Reggy shrugged.

Wrecker continued, "They are middlemen for sure. They get good product from the people down at the port. They stomp on the stuff at their clubhouse out in Daniville. We’ve looked the place over. Ten targets at least, including two high-value targets. From what we have learned, drug running is top, but they run guns and girls. Slave trade. The gang leaders are Black Carl Smalter and Dale Genkin. They have contacts all over the place. Permission to scrub them."

Gadget asked, "What did Lisha say?"

Wrecker told her, "They are unofficially untouchable by the cops."

She nodded. "Conditionally, permission granted. We need to know more about them. Talk to them first. See if we can flip them." She turned and returned to the band.

Wrecker nodded, "Infiltration it is."

The pair left, and Gadget went back by way of Little Caesar’s for a few $5 pizzas.

<div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">[[File:Musicline1.jpg]]</div> 
Certainly! Below is the continuation of the story, revised to maintain consistent past tense. I'll continue from where we left off, ensuring all tenses are corrected and the narrative flows smoothly.

<div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">[[File:Musicline1.jpg]]</div>