Paterson, December 24th
Working lunch, oat gruel with little bits of meat. I give George a questioning look.
"Pigeon. Two of our new arrivals have been busy."
"Better than Rat on a Stick," rumbles Leonid.
Doc and Alphabit grunt acknowledgement. Root just tucks in. Rex twines beneath the table looking for handouts. I slip him a sliver.
"Alright," I start around a mouthful of oats. Swallow. "We got two pressing matters. The killings and our new guest."
"We need to see the OP. Learn what we can," Leo says.
"Not much there," George answers, "We tramped all over it when they missed their radio contact. I think we'd have killed any chances of finding tracks. That and the snow."
Leo shrugs, "Still do it. We go, spiral out. Maybe find something farther away. Maybe not. Won't know till we do so."
"I concur with Leo." I tell the group, "We'll take a hike after this meeting. The bridge isn't more than a mile away. Doc, Leo, and I. 'bit, I need you and Root here to keep an eye on things." Acknowledgements all around.
"Now, our new friend. Leo and I had a talk with him after wake-up. Leo?"
"Tom Harisson, former biker turned watchdog for Hizzoner. Came to New York with his friends after the nuclear strikes. He'd heard form relocatees that the city was being evacuated and loot was ripe for the taking. He was eager to answer. Didn't even punch him." Leo smirks.
"Their strongholds are CUNY, and Central Park with Met Art and the History Museum. They have completely walled them off with rubble constructs like we've seen. He knows there are other outposts in Fordham University, but doesn't know the size or fortifications."
"There are hundreds under arms in these enclaves and thousands of workers housed outside the walls. I couldn't get any numbers more accurate than that, but given the size of areas controlled we're outnumbered many to one. I don't hold much hope for their quality given what we saw in Central Park."
"Weapons include civilian long arms, military small arms, and a number of M-60s. They 'inherited' a number of heavy weapons form the 78th. Description sounds like Mk-19s and M2HB. Ammo is scarce all around. They have a number of 2 and 1/2 ton trucks and a few Hummers. No armor that he's aware of.
"Hizzoner lives in CUNY proper, in the old library building, with his personal guard. Baddest of the bad. They're picked on fighting ability and can be appointed or challenge for entry. Very, Darwinian."
"Hizzoner also enjoys bloody spectacle. He keeps a dozen or so of the 'demented' on hand. Punishments include fighting one barehanded or being thrown to a group depending on what you did. Says these 'dements' can't talk at all and are completely savage. Yes, Major?"
"I don't like the prevalence of 'dements'. People don't completely lose language skills this quickly. I'm speculating, but could this be the work of our demon or someone like Jones? Root, did you observe anything like this in Warsaw?"
"No Major, but who knows what happen after it wins."
"Sorry Leo, please continue."
"The workers, it seems, are housed just outside the parks. They're not walled in and have minimal guards. Hizzoner works them to the bone and uses their corpses for fertilizer. I expressed surprise that they didn't just leave. Our prisoner informed me there are small detachments kept in the building. The workers slave all the daylight hours and the streets aren't secure at night. Guards rarely even patrol. The workers are more afraid of what's outside than dieing in the fields."
"Harisson blames raiders for the south and dements living and hunting from the underground. They don't go outside secured areas. From his answers it was a hard learned lesson. Something to think about."
"Now, power structures. Hizzoner runs the day-to-day public face of the 'government'. Harisson insists that nothing important happens without Snyder's input. Snyder's described as a hard-ass, ex-army. Without him, Hizzoner wouldn't have got as far as he did."
"What the man has isn't enough. He wants the whole island, but he's having trouble holding what he has. Harisson is particularly afraid of the Harlem Mau-Maus and the Duke's coalition to the south. There's been raids and skirmishes both ways."
"Things may change soon. Seems he's been in contact with a delegation from the 'real' government. Some soldier-boys were taken in about two weeks ago and the rumor mill says that they want to make Hizzoner the official head of NYC. Supposedly they've been promised official support in return for a consolidated Manhattan."
George clears his throat. Leo pauses in his lecture. "I'm sure they aren't with us. This is probably a team from the civilian government. I doubt they have the means to back up their promises, but it would put a veneer of authenticity to Hizzoner."
"Words won't replace food or guns," Leo counters.
"Yes," George replies, "but having the 'real' government supporting this asshole will make our own job harder. Perception defines reality. Did he have anything to say about our objectives?"
"I was saving it for last," Leo tells him with a frown. "He laughed at me. By the time his boys got to town all the jewelry and coin shops had been hit. They get a chain or coin in trade or by scavenging, but there's no easy money in NYC anymore."
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