“Can’t afford slow and steady,” I said.

“Why?  You were telling me earlier, but we got interrupted.”

I’d been glad for the interruption, and I was profoundly disappointed the subject had come up again.

Why, though. Is it that you don’t want to tell Grue your answer, or that you don’t have an answer?

I folded my arms and looked away, down the road to where it gradually sloped to the shattered Boardwalk and the ocean beyond.

Here was the leap of faith.  The test of my trust in him.  “Because if I don’t amaze Coil, if I don’t force his hand and give him absolutely no reason to say I failed… he’s going to keep Dinah.  If he does, the only way to free her is going to be if Tattletale and I take Coil down.  And I don’t think we’d succeed.”

Taylor.

It’s not going to work. He’ll find a way, and if he doesn’t, well… he’s an “honorable” man who’s been true to his word so far, but I still think he’d go back on the deal if he had to.

“Seems like you started something,” Grue said, when the last of them were out of earshot.

I shook my head.  “I don’t even understand how.”

Sierra seems to get it, at least.

“Still think you’re moving too fast.  Like I said earlier, there’s no good reason for it.”

“Dinah’s a good enough reason for me.”

I’m mostly with Grue, thinking Taylor is focusing too hard on Dinah, but I get where she’s coming from. She feels responsible for the whole thing, so she feels she has to correct it at any cost to her own well-being.

“Maybe.  But you’ve got to find time to relax, get some sleep, maybe have some fun.  Or you’re going to make mistakes, and you’ll set yourself back days or weeks in your plan.  Slow and steady wins this race.”

Yes.

It took the one in the lead a bit of courage before he could approach me.

Hello!

“Yes?” I asked, when he didn’t speak.

“We were remembering how some girl was saying you were recruiting, the other day.”

Nice, looks like we’ve got more people who want to join after what just happened.

“I was and I am.”  My heart was pounding.  Why was this happening now, when it had met with only resistance earlier?

I mean, Sierra basically spelled it out just about a dozen paragraphs ago.

“Don’t want to do anything illegal.”

“Not asking you to.  You okay with starting with some clean-up?”

That’s reasonable. Not all her employees are going to be okay with the more legally dubious parts.

He looked at his buddies -or were they brothers?- and nodded.

“Sierra here will tell you what needs to be done.  Put in a good effort and I’ll pay you at the end of the day.”  My thoughts were on the small safe that I was using as a bedside table.

The swarm is expanding rapidly now!

His eyes widened slightly at that.  “Mind if I go and get my cousin?  He’ll be interested too.”

Oh wow, it seems like he didn’t realize he’d get paid. I suppose she didn’t say anything explicitly about monetary payment back at the announcement of her takeover.

“Go.”  I ordered, and Sierra led two of them inside while the leader of the newest group ran off at a half-jog.

Excellent.

I instructed my new employees to stack the crates of trash outside the door.  I stayed outside with Sierra and Grue when they went back in to get more.

Talking time?

“You’re going to have to watch those ones,” Grue said.

“I know.  Listen, I want to send Sierra down to meet the boss, pass on word about stuff I need.  Can you escort her part of the way?”

Any particular reason for that?

Honestly, I’d like to see the conversation they might end up having on the way.

“Sure,” he said.

“If you’re willing, Sierra?  I know it’s somewhat dangerous to cross the city, and our groups don’t control all of the territory between here and there.  I could send one of those guys with you.  Bit of a walk, though.  Maybe forty-five minutes both ways.”

Ah, I guess that would be why she’s sending Grue with her.

“No, I can go alone, if it’s not too bad.”

“Good,”  I said.  I turned my head to see a trio of young men who were approaching us.

I think if I were in Sierra’s shoes, I’d probably prefer going alone too, over going with these former ABB members I just met.

I couldn’t think of a response to that, and nobody volunteered anything further.  Instead, I said, “Come on, let’s get to work.”

It wasn’t the nicest of jobs, but my new employees worked without complaint.  Or, to be more specific, the girl and shaggy-hair complained often but they didn’t direct those complaints at me or the job, specifically.

More at things like the conditions of the garage, maybe?

Since the usual means of communication were out, and it might be some time before cell phone towers were out, I’d have to use messengers to pass word on to Coil.  I began explaining what I planned to do with the space to Sierra, outlining the need for bunk beds, a cafeteria or kitchen and an area for people to sit.

This is going to be pretty nice when they’re done.

The area wasn’t a quarter of the size of Lisa’s shelter, but it was a refuge, maybe.  A place where people could congregate and get some peace.  And, ideally, it could be a barracks for my soldiers.

I like this plan.