Chapter 14: Which One Gets the Honour?
The wound was not fatal. No, it was clean and the bullet had gone right through him. Rock had just lost some blood. But Mister Fox did a good job of bandaging him up.
"After I killed Mister Moustache, there, a second man came inside," Fox explained to them. "Took a shot. Hit our Rock right in the gut. I managed to get him in the shoulder before he took off. Wasn't expecting Rock to have backup, I take it."
"Jesus," Dutch mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "They're getting braver. Lucille will be sending the others after us, trying to take us out. We need to get this show on the road. I'll call Balalaika." He went outside in search of a payphone.
"We should not all be here," Roberta piped up. "If we are all in the same place, it will make us easier targets."
"That's smart," Fox told her.
"I've got an apartment," Wolf said, reaching for his keys. "Half of us can operate there. Make it harder for her to pin us down." That wasn't a bad plan. Lucille knew where Rock's apartment was, but seeing as how the rest of them were alive and well, she had no idea where they slept at night. It would give them the advantage to split up and operate from two different locations. That way, it would divide her forces as they searched for their targets, making both her and her people more vulnerable. Dutch came back inside.
"Balalaika says she's got some information for us," he informed the room. "Sounds big. We should head over there as soon as we can. What's this I hear about splitting up?"
"I'm going to take a couple of people to my place," Wolf reiterated. "Make it harder for us to be discovered."
"Clever." Rock, Roberta and Revy decided they would go to the assassin's apartment while Dutch would remain with Benny, Caxton, Ulysses and the kids.
"You understand I'll have to accompany you," Fox told the assassin. "Mister Okajima's safety is my responsibility, after all."
"Yeah, fine," Wolf said. "Frankly, I'll feel a lot safer with you fuckers around."
"Good. I'll call for two more bodyguards. Those poor bastards outside didn't know what hit them." Once everybody got settled in, Revy accompanied Dutch to meet with Hotel Moscow. They were growing restless and wanted to get the inevitable showdown out of the way. They entered Balalaika's office and took their seats.
"Glad you could make it on such short notice, Dutch," she began. "I have a lead. It's not concrete, but it's the best we've got. My reports tell me Lucille is staying in a warehouse outside of town. Apparently, it's been abandoned for some time. Imagine my shock when lights were seen flickering there just the other night."
"We'll check it out," Dutch told her. "I assume you'll want to be there?"
"Want to be there?" Balalaika asked, almost offended. "Oh, I'll be there alright, fear not. We're bringing the cavalry, Dutch. Mister Chang will accompany us. We will make sure this woman never sees the light of day again. She cannot escape."
"Fucking A!" Revy exclaimed. She was desperate to get a shot at killing Lucille. The two had not met face to face yet, but this former S.A.S. operative sounded like one hell of a challenge in combat. "Just give us the word and we'll pump this bitch full of so many holes she'll be pissing from her head!"
"Eloquent, as ever," Balalaika mocked light-heartedly. "I have my people watching for any sign of trouble. So far, nothing much has happened, though a car did enter the warehouse a few hours ago. We intend to lead the assault by midday tomorrow. Catch an early night, won't you?" They left then to make their preparations. They could not afford any half measures. Tomorrow was truly the day of reckoning. As dangerous as Roanapur's past enemies had been, as close as the city had come to being burned to ash, tomorrow would truly decide its fate. As would Rock, little did he know. Revy and Dutch parted ways, bound for different apartments. As it happened, Fox followed through on his promise. He was standing there by Rock's side in Wolf's apartment.
"Doomsday is on the horizon and you're all sitting around fiddling with your thumbs?" the eccentric asked. Indeed, Roberta sat in a chair by the window, a sniper rifle in her hand. Despite the lack of a left arm, the former assassin was strong enough to wield the weapon with one hand. Rock was watching the news, his associate behind him. Wolf, more amusing than ever, was currently feasting on a bag of potato chips.
"Food," the assassin blurted out in response.
"No preparations?" Fox insisted. "Really?"
"The fuck do you expect?" Wolf asked. "We got the fucking Bloodhound, Two-Hands and myself. If anyone should be preparing, it's you, my annoying little friend." The two women couldn't help but chuckle at that mixture of compliment and insult. That seemed to shut Fox up.
"You sure about his tomorrow?" Caxton asked, loading and assembling an array of assault rifles, pistols and grenade launchers that belonged to both Lagoon Company and the American soldier himself. It was strange that Caxton was here, ready to defend Roanapur. He had no interest in doing so, nor did he live here. But there were many who had been dragged into this conflict against their will. The soldier considered himself a friend of Garcia. If the Lovelace boy wanted him here, he saw fit to oblige.
"As sure as ever," Dutch answered, lighting up a cigarette.
"My people will be ready," Ulysses claimed.
"What did Chang tell you?"
"Said he'd have his own Triad on standby," Ulysses went on, referencing a phone call from earlier. The Triad's leader and Ulysses were collaborating, oddly enough. Their combined forces would be practically unstoppable. "Should we run into trouble, he'll give the call. Men and women will flood the area. Kill any unknowns."
"Let's hope we don't run into trouble, then," Caxton said. "I'd rather not kill this woman if it can be avoided." Though Dutch and Benny did not agree, Ulysses was not so sure.
"I understand," he said. "I share history with Lucille. Hope to talk to her, if I can. Explain myself. Explain the situation. She might surrender if she knows what she's up against."
"Or she might put a bullet in your face," Benny suggested.
"Let's hope she doesn't," Ulysses told him optimistically. "But I see your point. Will only talk if it is…safe. I'll see. For now, we should rest."