Chapter 20 – Ignorance is Bliss
Lieutenant David Grey arrived on the lower level of the Athletic complex just after dawn. Dressed in civilian clothes, he looked more like an instructor than a cop. He found Kaz and his entourage on their way to breakfast.
Kaz recognized him and stepped forward. The three badges pinned to his chest reflected the early morning sunlight. The handgun tucked into the back of his pants pulled his waistline tight.
"I thought I told you not to come back here, citizen," Kaz said.
"I'm willing to help you, but I need you to trust me," Grey replied.
The kids nearby turned to watch, some laughed, Kaz remained quiet. Hambone, Jones, Rudy, Taylor and Oddball stood behind him.
"How's that work?" Kaz's hand found the butt of the weapon.
"A small group of people can change the world,” Grey said.
Now Kaz laughed.
"You don't like the way things are? Do something about it. You have to. Because no one else can do it for you.”
"What are you doing here?” Kaz asked.
"Everyone needs help,” Grey offered.
Hambone stepped forward, "You just said we have to do it ourselves.”
"I just can't do it for you.”
"Do what? You can't do What for us?" Kaz asked.
"Lead your revolution. You have to do that for yourselves, but I can help from the outside.”
The kids stood silent.
Kaz shuffled his feet. "Who said anything about a revolution?”
"It's not, until you win, that is. If you don't win, they call it a riot.”
"We just want them to stop fucking with us," Kaz said.
"It's never going to happen. You need a real victory, a perfectly executed coup.”
“What’s a Koo?” Oddball asked.
“He means a Mutiny, you ox.” Big Chris smiled.
“You have to take over,” Grey explained. “And you have to do it without killing anyone. If you start killing people; they will blow you out of the sky, kids or not. You have to take hostages, so you have something to bargain with. Is this making sense? Even prisoners are taken seriously when they take hostages.”
Kaz and the orphans stood quietly, blinking in the early morning sunlight.
"I can help you. I can talk to the Mayor, the Governor, whoever. But first, you have to give me back my weapon and my badge.”
"Now I know you’re crazy,” Kaz laughed.
"I can take them from you, if you prefer.”
"If I prefer?” Kaz said over his shoulder, fearlessly mocking the adult.
Several of the kids laughed.
"I don't mind shooting unarmed children," Grey said. "I could have shot you, but Hodges and Fleming had it coming. Soon, they'll send State Troopers, then the National Guard and maybe even a few Marines.”
The kids stood silently.
"Have you shot anyone yet?" Grey asked.
"What?”
"With the gun, have you shot anyone?" Grey asked.
"Just you." Kaz pulled the weapon out and held it at his side.
Hambone and the other kids stepped back.
Grey cocked his head. "I bet you can't even hit me from there.”
Kaz raised the weapon, but he never even came close.
Grey moved like the wind, covering three steps and catching the boy's wrist before the barrel ever found him. Grey twisted Kazimov’s wrist.
The youth tried to step away but the lieutenant trapped his heel and elbow. Grey took half a step to the side. Kaz teetered; off balance, his body knotted in opposing directions, he stifled a cry.
Grey held the boy in check and removed the weapon from his hand. He then moved his heel and shoved Kaz, who spun loose and crashed to the ground several meters away.
"I'm sorry, but this has sentimental value." Grey tucked the weapon into an empty holster on the back of his belt.
Kaz got to his feet and charged the lieutenant.
Grey evaded him and flipped the teen onto his back. Pinning the student to the ground with a knee, he plucked his badge from Kaz's shirt.
"I could have killed you last night," Grey said. "But I was glad you attacked them. I wanted to shoot them myself.”
Grey rapped his fist against Kaz's forehead. "You do whatever you have to do, but one piece of advice, try to kill as few people as possible. Believe me.”
The officer stepped away.
Kaz stood up. They glared at each other for a moment.
Finally Grey turned and walked from the level. This time no one attempted to obstruct him.
That same morning, kids mobbed the administration building. The main hall was quiet, despite the throng of children. Metal posts, firmly anchored to the floor, broke up the lobby. Chains connecting the posts created an orderly pathway for occasions when the orphanage found itself crowded with new residents.
Andrews, Geoffrey and Sky stood at the main counter. Hambone and Kaz stood behind them.
The secretary, Miss Mifton, stood behind the counter. She held the telephone like a shield between herself and the silent crowd of children filling her lobby.
Miss Mifton reached whoever she'd called and turned her back on the students in an attempt at increased privacy.
Kaz triggered the spring-loaded links and removed a section of chain from its rightful place. He quietly wrapped the chain around his fists.
Behind him, Rudy and Taylor and others get the idea and quickly stripped all the chains from their posts and handed them out to their comrades.
Hambone shook his head. "Here we fucking go," he muttered.
"Shh!" Kaz grinned with excitement.
Miss Mifton turned back to face Drews.
"You say you're his Attorney?" she asked, pointing to Geoff.
"Yes, that's correct. I'm the family counsel, including his sister, Miss Fox. Please tell the Governor...”
Miss Mifton held up a hand and turned away from Andrews. She intently listened to the party on the other end. Finally, she concluded her call, hung up and turned back to the kids.
"The Governor will be happy to see you," she answered. "How's next Thursday?”
"You mean this Thursday?" Drews asked.
"No. I mean next Thursday. Oh, and I can accept any documents or motions you would like to submit to the court.”
"I would like to see my client," Drews demanded.
"I'm afraid that's not possible.”
"On what grounds?”
"The District Attorney is afraid someone will attempt to kill Miss Fox. She's being held in isolation for her own safety.”
"The District Attorney?" Drews asked.
"Yes, that's right. Would you like so see him?" she offered.
"I would, produce him at once," Drews commanded.
"Well, he's not here... Listen, young man... " The secretary leaned over the counter toward Drews.
Drews got in her face. "I'm Ms. Fox's legal council... “
Kaz stepped forward and roughly shoved the smaller Andrews to the side and dropped his chain wrapped fists on the counter.
"We know our rights. You can't with hold visitation or access to counsel.”
Miss Mifton ignored the implied threat. "Does this look like a jail to you? Have you all lost your minds? If you want jail, I can call security.”
The guard on duty, Ted, stepped up behind her. "No need, Misty. I'm right here," he said.
"Wait a fucking second," Kaz said, looking at something on her desk.
Ted and Misty paused.
"Your little plaque here," he gestured the triangular bar on the desk. "It reads M Mifton. I was wondering about that. Your name is Misty Mifton? Did your parents hate you or what?"
The packed hall giggled and snickered.
"Aren't you lucky little rabbits supposed to be in school?" Ted asked.
"We're taking a few days off, Ted. You got a problem with that?”
Ted came out from behind the counter. "Guess you're not one of the lucky ones, huh?”
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Ted came down the few steps of the elevated secretaries platform. Instead of being taller than Kaz, like he was behind the counter, he was now half a foot shorter.
Kaz burst into laughter. "Come on, man. I wasn't going to hurt Madame Molly. Can't we just let it go?" Kaz smiled as he backed up, tactically making more room for his showdown with Ted.
"What's the matter, you scared, zero?”
"Scared of hurting you." Kaz laughed.
"Hurt this!" Ted clumsily attacked with his shock baton.
Kaz avoided him and snapped a chain-wrapped fist into his face.
Ted stumbled and coughed splintered teeth and tissue into the air.
Kaz swung again, knocking him to the hard tiled floor. He unwrapped the chain and hung it over his shoulder. He relieved Ted of his baton, his badge and gestured to the nearby kids.
"Get his gear.”
Several kids stooped to strip the unconscious Ted of his forearm bracers, shoulder bucklers, boots and equipment belt.
Kaz affixed the badge to his shirt as another kid put on the guard's cap.
Kaz looked over to Misty and pointed the baton at her. "Tell the Governor to release Ashley Fox, or I'll beat down every guard in this District.”
He pointed to the badge, held up four fingers and winked at Misty.
Kaz kicked Ted, lying unconscious on the floor, "Who's lucky now, dumb shit?”
He turned toward the door just in time to see a three-man patrol burst into the room.
Kaz walked directly toward them. "Get on your knees!" he shouted.
The guards saw Kaz, their fallen comrade, and a dozen kids all swinging six-foot chains.
The kids behind the guards stepped forward and drove them to their knees. Chains were wrapped and locked around their chests and necks, holding them in place.
Kaz stepped up to the center guard, the officer, and pulled his sidearm from his holster. He cocked it and held it to the side of the citizen's face.
The kids holding the guards hostage tore their gear and uniforms from them.
Kaz tucked the handgun into his belt. "Leave this district and never come back. Understand?"
The guards nodded. Kaz gestured for the kids to release the chains, and the humiliated soldiers ran from the building.
The entire incident, from the time he struck Ted, until the stripped patrol had burst from the lobby, had taken less than a minute.
Kaz turned back to Miss Mifton, "Call the Warden, the Governor, the Mayor, call God, and tell him that if they don't let her go, I'm going to beat them stupid. Just like Ted here.”
Kaz turned and exited the hall. The kids followed them out into the morning sunlight. The bright light shined on the chains and newly acquired gear. They immediately burst into mock fights. They loudly attacked each other with the chains, batons, bracers and bucklers.
Drews waited until the hall was empty and he had Misty's full attention. He handed her some documents. He pointedly looked over at the beaten and unconscious Ted, then back to her. "I'd appreciate it if you'd pass these on, but if I were you, I'd leave right now and never come back.”
Drews turned and followed his friends into the sunlight.
As soon as the door closed, Misty grabbed her purse and fled the reception counter. She took the stairwell to the parking garage below. In less than a minute, she was homeward bound. In what she would later come to regard as the clearest and most astute decision of her life, Misty vowed never to return to District Thirteen.