A/N: Shout outs to my anonymous reviewer and James Birdsong! Glad you liked the previous chapter. As for Elphaba, she's about to find out that the other side is playing dirty. ;)

Chapter 6

Interrogations went on into the night. Those that helped the Wizard were unapologetic and freely admitted their involvement. It was odd given the punishment for treason, but then again they'd had a bunch of former Gale Force basically committed suicide. Sergeant Zeki had warned them and they did not listen. Speaking of the Sergeant, Fiyero had found out that Elphaba had managed to save his life and Private Roth and others had whisked him away to the medical tent. However, the Sergeant was very weak and the medical staff was keeping him in a quiet place to rest. That was all they could do for him now. The Sergeant was going to have to fight the blood loss on his own.

The most interesting interrogations came from those that had actually surrendered. They all seemed to be regular town folk who had been threatened in one form or another. When asked, they honestly said that no matter who they politically affiliated themselves with, they never had the thought to storm the Emerald Palace. Groups of men showed up at their front doors, made threats, and kidnapped all men that were old enough to enlist in the armed services. It was soon discovered that a good number of them had attended meetings at the hall that had blown up.

"What did you discuss at the hall?" Elphaba asked one of the men. He had given his name as Thaddeus.

"Well that depended on the day. Sometimes it was just a time to complain about our lives. You know the usual stuff – work, taxes, Ozian policy - nothing that ever rose to the level of requiring violence. Sure people had opinions and tried to be louder than others, but that was about it," he explained.

"You seem awfully comfortable with talking to me," the green woman said. They'd been actually having a nice conversation which had not been the case for most. A good number were afraid of Elphaba and others just wanted to spit on her.

"I honestly have so much going on in my head, I'm surprised I'm still able to sit still or haven't passed out," he said.

"Worried about your family? We're trying to figure out a way to reach everyone to see if the threats were real or if they just made you think they were," she explained.

"I don't have any family in the Emerald City but they wouldn't have known that. I played dumb, afraid they'd shoot me if I told them I lived alone. Little did I know that would result in me getting shot at by the current Gale Force," Thaddeus told her.

"Yes that would be something difficult to come to grips with. What do you do for a living?" Elphaba wanted to know.

"I'm a tailor. I've never held a gun before in my life. They basically shoved a rifle into my hands and told me to do what they wanted me to or else," he explained.

"Why you? Did you rail for the Wizard or make your opinions know in some way that they thought you would fight for them?" She was very curious as to why these former Gale Force soldiers would be scooping up civilians. There was a thought that kept popping into her head but she didn't want to go there yet.

"Maybe because they saw me around the meeting hall? Otherwise I have no idea," Thaddeus said honestly. Elphaba nodded, she had her answer. The former Gale Force were looking for innocent civilians to get killed by the current Gale Force. Then they could preach to others how those who kicked out the beloved Wizard was busy killing civilians. She had to talk to Glinda and the Council. An announcement had to be made immediately.

To Be Continued…