Packs of fresh printed news letters were ready to go out first thing in the morning and Logan and Ellie decided to walk home. Gasoline was a rare thing these days so they saved it for their investigations and far places where they had to go to make a reportage.
But one more reason why they wanted to take a walk was that there was a huge crowd of people on a river walk. It seemed like the whole Zone three came to see what was happening on the other side of a river. To Logan's surprise the opposite bank of the river now was full of people.
-There are a lot of people! Are they about to camp there over night? - asked Ellie going through the crowd to the edge of a river walk.
Suddenly the police sirens came behind the crowd and everyone turned from people watching to a couple of police cars.
Zone three had left with ten police officers when the rest of police stuff run over the river. Ten people who were the only one born in the zone and joined police force no matter the hate they could get from citizens. Now they were sort of heroes who stood their ground and fought for the Zone. Compare with Zone one these ten people could consider themselves a government of some sort. They worked everyday in shifts and were exhausted but kept working. Zone one didn't have any police presence left so one big gang took governing of people in its hands. Fair enough they did a good job and provided people with food and other supplies of course their measures to keep order were ruthless. Zone two had a police force of seven people and they cooperated with some criminals and struck a deal to help regular people to survive.
Logan saw four policemen exited from each vehicle and one of them climbed on a street flower pot which was covered with snow.
He raised hand and started to talk as loud as he could.
-Citizens of the Zone Three I encourage you to leave a river walk. Evening is approaching and we need you to get to your homes safe especially if you have relatives whom you left in a house alone especially if it is a female! We have a serial killer and gang activities infesting our streets.
-What about those people!? Are they about to cross the bridge! - somebody shout from the crowd.
-We do not know that! We do not receive any signs from the other side of a river!
Suddenly shots were fired into the air and people got down to the ground screaming.
-This is your sign officer Tillman! - shout a strong voice with heavy Eastern-European accent.
Logan covered his sister and looked above peoples heads. In the middle of a crowd ten people were standing all with guns.
-This is all the gangs leaders. - whispered Logan when Ellie asked him about the shooters. - Got to stay quiet.
Policemen pulled out their guns and it made gangs leaders laugh.
-Tillman, tell your people to put down guns and don't be a fool we came to talk.
-Lower the guns! - commanded officer who was still standing on the pot. - What do you want to discuss Yuri?
-Look over there officer! - tall man with heavy accent pointed towards the other side of a river. -They will cross and come here if not today then tomorrow! What are you going to do then?
-We will accept them and provide with all they may need! - answered screaming Tillman.
-Provide them with what! You don't have anything, there is not enough food for your own people and when the next shipment from Mr.Wayne comes you don't know! Where are they going to stay? You don't have houses for them, abandoned houses got pulled apart for fires and your people already live in shit holes! I am asking you what will you do when they cross? - Yuri was a leader of Russian gang and well known in Gotham way before even zones were created.
-What are you suggesting Yuri! Let them die?! They are citizens of Gotham!
-They are but people of Zones no! They separated themselves from us because we were not good enough for them. They put immigrants in zones to work hardest jobs imaginable. They didn't allow as to cross the bridge without a work permit and now they seek asylum on our land! I will say fuck them and let them die! - he roared and put his fist up.
Many people arose from the ground and put their fists up as well. They all shouted positively for what Yuri said.
-Nobody helped us!
-They locked us in the zones like rats!
-Our children had no education!
People were screaming at policemen and Tillman tried to calm them down when shots were fired again. All people got back to the ground.
-We taking over Tillman! - roared a guy who stood next to Yuri.
-Who is it? - asked Ellie.
-I think it's Riko, Ricardo Aguilar. He is the leader of Mexican clan. He is a huge authority for regular Latin-American immigrants in our Zone. They listen to him.
-Get down from the pot, Tillman and crawl to the shit hole you call police department! - Riko roared. - We won't let them cross! We got more guns then ever and we got people coming from Zone one and two!
-Hold on! - Tillman screamed rising his hands. - We listened to you, let us say what we have to say!
-Do you even have anything to say? - asked Riko. -So, say it, boy!
-All ten of us who left at our police precinct, we were born here in the zone! My mother from Czech Republic and my father from Egypt all my colleagues are sons and daughters of immigrants from all over the world! I know we've been wronged by Gotham City Government! Now is a chance for them to see that we are part of this city and not it's appendix! When they come, and I assure you they will, when they want to negotiate because they won't cross without a warning to us, I am asking you people of the Zone Three let us, the police go and talk to them. We will let them know all your fears and worries and come back with the information which we intend to share with you. And then we will all decide as a civilized people what we do to keep Gotham City alive!
People were silent and almost all of them rose up from the ground listening to the police officer.
-This is for pussies Tillman! They won't cross I can promise you that weather they want to give us warning or no! - screamed Yuri.
-Hold your horses, Yuri. - said somebody next to him. A guy was looking like a walking tattoo exhibition.
-Chi Lao! Chi Lao! - the whispers run over the crowd.
- I say let them go and talk to who ever represents that side and we will listed what they have to say.
-Oh! Here we go again! We just going to listen and waist our time! - roared Yuri.
-No, we will listen because we got no time Yuri. Look around you we live without a clock for almost six months now. We know when day it's bright, when night it's dark. We got no time, so we will listen.
-Agree! - said Riko and many men from a gangs leaders group.
-Ahhgh! Hell with you! We will listen! - agreed Yuri.
People in the crowd positively nodded their heads but not all of them. Some people started to leave disappointed but some were in a good spirit. Tillman and his men stayed to talk to gangs leaders on the far side of the river walk.
Logan was questioning himself what they could probably talk about.
-When do you think that side will send somebody to talk to us? And who could it be? - asked Ellie while they were walking home.
-They must do it first thing in the morning because there are a lot of people in the open, they could be attacked easily by that psycho Evan and his men. If James Gordon is still in charge so he will be a representative.
-We should be here before the sunrise to take some picks maybe or just to see for ourselves their meeting. We could write a good story about it! - Ellie were encouraged.
-We definitely should…. - Logan agreed.