The morning was off to a bad start.
George the Barber
George the Barber, accompanied by the DiStefano brothers, were in the office VGRF and I used as our bedroom. We were half-asleep on an old cot when they barged in, shouting and pointing their guns at us.
“Get your ass up, traitor,” George said.
“Excuse me?”
“Now!” the old man said as he slapped me across the face.
We got up and our captors marched us across the gym floor. Every survivor stopped what they were doing to observe the commotion.
“Want to tell me what this is all about?”
“NO TALKING!” Billy shouted as he mashed the butt of his rifle against my back.
“F&*K!” I cried. “Is that any way to treat your Deputy Mayor?”
“Oh, I have a hankerin’ all your rights and privileges have been revoked, boy,” George said.
The trio lead us out into the parking lot where Doug, Mario, and a few armed goons were standing around the Compensator, the SUV my friends and I had driven over from the mall.
“Bookshelf Q. Battler,” Hauser said.
“Doug, I’m not supposed to be outside, remember? Morganstern’s been itching to get me away from the rec center so he can blow me to smithereens.”
“You think I care after your betrayal?”
“What?” I asked.
Doug nodded at Mario, who in turn, opened the back door of the Compensator. It was overflowing with pilfered stuff. Food. Boxes. Cans. Packages. Much needed supplies.
“I trusted you with a position of authority and you robbed us blind!” Doug shouted.
Mayor Hauser
I didn’t know what to say.
“That’s not…I didn’t do that!”
“A likely story,” Doug said. “The three hoodlums you came in with are already in custody. We’ll give you some time to rot and think of what you’ve done until we can organize a trial. May God have mercy on your soul, Bookshelf Q. Battler.”
Carl grabbed me and Billy grabbed VGRF. We struggled as they dragged us back to the rec center.
“Wait,” VGRF said. “BQB didn’t do this!”
“That’s noble of you to protect your beau, girly,” Doug said. “But you need to start thinking about yourself. If he forced you to help out with this, now’s the time to come clean.”
Bookshelf Battle 