Suspects
Syria was making a rally into a preacher's service, making sound like Direct was the devil and it was a holy rebellion. Some people were actually buying the speech, including Jeremy. The meeting had only been going a half-hour, and already the crowd was with the speaker. The entire meeting's running time was unscheduled.
"...They are the very monarchy of the factions and the rest are too blind to see it." Syria continued and there was a roar of agreement. "Together we shall unite against a common foe, the Dictator of the factions. Today shall mark the beginning of the end."
The welcome speech had ended. Syria turned and strode into the back room only to reappear with an officer, not of any faction known of. The man was lean, with medium build and long hair with a feather stuck in it. He walked to the center podium and surveyed the scene, then walked back to Syria and murmured something in her ear. Syria walked to the left podium and announced the man. "Please welcome our rally leader, Cinder."
There was a loud roar of welcome as he stepped up. Syria was gone from the room. No one noticed when armed guards entered the back of the room.
* * * * * * * * * *
"I've always respected you Trevor, but what are you talking about? What second rally?" Leon was sitting in the recliner, Trevor opposite him on the couch.
"Another rally was planned, a big one, top secret, against Direct. How could he have not told you, I thought you guys were close, you are brothers." Trevor stated.
"It would seem that way," Leon took a big sigh, then went back to the original subject. "How would you know about it if it's against you?"
"Its not."
"Okay, now you have me confused." Leon had a bewildered look on his face.
"It's a method, like an elimination technique, used to lure opponents into a concentrated area, then terminate them." Trevor explained.
"This rally..." Is it Direct?
"They all were Direct based." Trevor read his thoughts.
"Why?" Leon wondered aloud, suddenly passive, it was a lot to take in.
"They had to find out who their enemies were. They used the same method, even after we vowed not to use it again, to stop the gang wars."
"But, what you said about the elimination thing, you said this was a big rally. The gangs had one huge rally, there was an accident, an explosion of some kind and..." Leon had friends in the gangs, the painful memory was resurfacing. He used the wall for support as he regained his control over the tears. "They were in a concentrated area."
Trevor only returned his penetrating gaze. Then said the resolution of the idea, "We have to destroy the opposition, our enemies must be terminated."
"Jeremy." Leon stared at Trevor, the gaze that meant Why are you telling me this?
"So we can charge out that door and try to stop it before there's any more bloodshed. We're not too late, there's still time." The two paused for a minute, then the next the door was slamming behind them.
* * * * * * * * * *
Cinder had been walking around shaking hands while others conversed with him and the other rallymen. After he had shaken just about everyone's hand, he walked back to the stage and asked everyone to take their seats. Cinder began discussing plans of "attack" against Direct, stating it was better to hit them hard with politics. His speech was reaching its climax after an hour, "We have discovered our enemies."
Leon was halfway down the road before he realized Trevor wasn't with him and turned around. Trevor yelled back that he would take another route not to cause suspicion. Leon nodded and resumed his original course.
"We shall crush them both mentally and physically when we are through."
Leon recalled the directions given to him and never broke pace, only sped up.
"We shall destroy the opposition,"
Leon skidded to a stop in front of the old theater, the rusted movie title letters falling apart but still readable. The front doors were boarded shut. He searched the surroundings for something heavy, when there wasn't anything; he began ramming against old wood.
"What do you think you're doing?" Kane was leaning on the lamppost across the street.
"We are the rebellion,"
"Trevor sent me." Leon replied.
Kane was alerted even more and asked, "What do you need?"
"A little help would be good."
"It has now become our duty to win. We must destroy the opposition; the factions will pay for their sins. Our enemies must be Terminated." The guards along the back wall cocked their guns.