The Plan

Following the game of catch, I had a flash of inspiration, and called Benji and Jeseka together in the inn while Zac played upstairs. Once I’d gathered Benji and Jeseka, Elora decided she’d sit in on the meeting, uninvited as she was. I considered telling her this was a private conversation, but ultimately decided it should involve her as well.

Benji sat across two stools and leaned back against the bar. “So, what’s all this about a genius idea now?”

I grinned triumphantly. “You’ll love this. It all started with…” A stomping sound upstairs caught my attention, and I paused long enough to assess that Zac was merely making a lot of noise while playing and not in any sort of danger. “Outside, earlier…” I continued, “One of the soldiers played ball with Zac and I.”

“I saw that,” said Jeseka, folding her bulky arms. “Makin’ friends with the enemy already, are we, hun?”

I rolled my eyes. “Like it or not, Jeseka, those soldiers are our neighbors right now. Yes, they’re also an occupying force, but individually they are our neighbors, not our enemies. I suggest we befriend them.”

Jeseka grunted and stood from the table. “I ain’t not listening to this treason!”

Benji pointed at her, then to her chair. “Sit down, Jess. Ahv’s been a good friend to us many years now. Don’t we at least owe it ta him to listen ta what he hasta say?”

Jeseka looked at the door, at me, at Benji, and finally slumped back down in her chair. “Fine! Go on, speak your treacherous plan and have done with it!” Her sharp lower teeth protruded over her upper lip as she pouted.

“I’m not saying we join them,” I continued, “Or that we help their war efforts in any way. I’m saying we… well, maybe we charge them less for drinks, invite them to play games with us, carry on conversations with them. You know, act neighborly.”

“Why?” Jeseka snapped.

“Yes, why?” asked Elora, her face giving a hint that she had already guessed what I was up to.

“Because it’s possible that they’re never leaving,” I said.

“Hmm…” said Benji with an agreeable bob of his head.

“So, imagine that they stay here long-term. Imagine a few years with Tagrosi soldiers living in our midst.” Jeseka grew more and more agitated with every word I spoke. She sunk deeper into a slouch in her chair. “If we’re stuck with these well-armed, well-trained killers anyway, wouldn’t we much rather they liked us than hated us? I Eon Maganti gives them orders to… say... place us under martial law, enforce a curfew, maybe even cull a few of our numbers as punishment for defying him… wouldn’t you much rather they hesitated because they actually liked some of the people in town?”

“Ha!” Benji snapped his fingers. A sound which was like a wooden board being broken in half. “Make them fellers feel like they belong here, in Oakbridge, so they’ll do right by the community… Brilliant!”

Elora grinned and clasped her hands together. “I’m impressed, Ahv.”

Jeseka shook her head. “I’m not! These are trained soldiers, men and women who’ve been taught to kill anyone their superiors tell them to on a simple command. You really think they’re going to disobey their superiors’ orders because of sentiment?”

I shrugged. “You may have a point, Jeseka. Eon Maganti may very well give the order for them to wipe out everyone in this town. When that happens, maybe even the closest of friendships won’t give them pause. These people might be ready to execute their own mothers under Maganti’s orders.” I raised an index finger. “But, I’ll tell you something. I much prefer our chances of survival if they like us than if they hate us.”

“Pah!” Jeseka spat. “All that’s gonna happen is that when the time comes to fight against these bastards you’re going to be the one who hesitates because of your friendship, and that brief moment of pause will cost you everything.” She bolted up from her chair, knocking it over in the process. “Do what you want, but I’ll have no part of this!”

“Jess!” Benji called out to her as she stormed out the front door. He shook his head and sighed. “I reckon that’s a great plan, Ahv. We should tell everybody.”

“Everybody we can trust to keep a secret,” I said. “Because if the soldiers know we’re befriending them specifically so they won’t hurt us, the plan won’t work. And if...” I paused part-way through my statement and strained my ears for any sound from above.

Benji leaned in closer. “If what?”

“Shhh…” I hushed him and looked up at the ceiling. Zac had been stomping around up there before, but now it was completely silent. I’d learned long ago to be suspicious of what sort of trouble Zac might be getting into whenever I heard utter silence. “Pardon me,” I said, before standing from the table and hurrying up the stairs.

Maybe he’s just taking a nap.

It was an odd lie I tried to use to comfort myself. Zac was seven years old now, and not likely to take or even need naps, and when he was younger he’d fight tooth and nail to avoid taking naps. Quite literally, in fact, as the scars on my forearm could attest to. It was impossible to think he’d go to sleep in the middle of the day without putting up a fuss.

At the top of the stairs, I crossed the hall to our room and found it empty.

“Zac?” I called, growing ever more nervous by the moment. I searched the closet, under both beds, and even in his toybox. No sign of the boy anywhere. “Zac?” I called out again, this time a little louder.

When I returned to the bottom of the stairs, Benji and Elora both stood there with concerned faces. “He’s missing?” Benji asked.

“Yeah…” I glanced about frantically. “Benji, can you search the rest of the inn for him? I’m going to look outside.”

While Benji walked off toward the kitchen, likely to check the cellar, Elora stepped closer to me and asked, “What can I do?”

I stammered for a moment, not sure if I yet trusted Elora alone with Zac. There was, after all, that small chance that she had figured out who he really was and intended to do him harm. “You… uh… search the rooms upstairs.” Without waiting for her response, I rushed out the door and cried out, “Zac?”

The streets were mostly empty, except for Eon’s soldiers milling about. With no one else to question, I turned to the nearest man in a white uniform and asked, “Have you seen a little boy with dark hair?”

He shrugged and shook his head.

I continued on, asking other soldiers my desperate question. Some seemed genuinely lost at the question. Others scoffed and turned up their noses at me. The longer I searched for Zac, the more I wanted to punch those who’d elected to be unhelpful.

Finally, when I asked the question, one soldier pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, then returned to his conversation with two other soldiers about whether the Impartiality Party or the Traditional Solidarity Party better embodied Tagrosi ideals. I ran off in the direction he pointed, crying out Zac’s name.

Ahead of me, I saw a gathering of soldiers in a circle. Mocking laughter drifted over to my ears, followed by the sound of Piers’ voice, “Stop this! I’ll report you to the captain!”

“Screw off, Vinter!” Came a cruel response.

Followed by Zac’s cry, “Ow! Help!”

“Maybe next time you’ll think twice before stealing from me, you little shit!”

Without thinking, I drew my sword and ran my thumb over the lac stone on the hilt, causing the fuller to flicker with silver light. “Let the boy go!” I bellowed as I marched up, my blood boiling with rage.

The pot of fury bubbled over when most of the soldiers in the circle stepped aside to let me pass and I saw what three of them were doing to Zac. Two held Zac by his arms, slightly suspended above the ground as he struggled and kicked. The third held his iron-edge in hand, not yet ignited, and pointed it at Zac’s face.

A red line rested on Zac’s cheek, from which drops of blood trickled down.

I roared and lunged at the soldier who’d dared harm my son.