The Gallant South- Part Two

Chapter VI- February 26-March 16, 1913

        Eveline sat handcuffed to the table in the interrogation room, but she wasn't grinning and annoying Nielsen. She was angry. For the first time in her life, she dropped her "I-don't-give-a-damn" attitude in front of Nielsen. She was angry, and he could tell. Everyone in the building could. She was so angry she felt she was going to burst into flames at any moment.
        "Yer not pokin' fun at me today," Nielsen observed. "Finally run outta things to say?"
        "I've nothing to say to you," she replied. "Frankly, I don't know how someone as horrible as you ever wanted to be a police officer."
        "Y'all was protesting. I was doin' my job. Simple as that," he explained.
        Eveline stood up as much as she could and pounded her fist on the table. "Protesting?" she nearly shouted. "We were having a vigil for someone who was murdered by your friend! And don't give me the suicide bullshit, because you and I and everyone else with half a brain knows that's not what happened!"
        Nielsen only shrugged. "I can't approve of what Colby did, but I will say that if he hadn't killed her, someone else would've. It was only a matter of time."
        Eveline didn't say anything for a while, just looked him dead in the eyes. "I would punch you right now if I wasn't in handcuffs," she seethed.
        Nielsen laughed. "But you are. And I'm keepin' ya here for two days. After that, one a' yer little friends can pay bail and you're free to go. For now." he said, and got up to leave. "An' you can stay in here the whole time, too," he said, and slammed the door behind him. Eveline sat handcuffed to the table and wondered what would happen if someone murdered him.

        That night, Eveline's legs had both fallen asleep from sitting in the same position for hours. She wanted to find some way to lay down, but didn't know how exactly that was going to happen. Then, thinking childishly, she thought of something.
        She stood up and did a forward-roll over the table, hoping that would land her in a lying position. However, she rolled too quickly and took the table with her, landing on the floor with her arms stuck above her head.
        It was at that exact moment that someone opened the door. She thought it'd be Nielsen and she panicked for a moment, but it was only Ambrose. He slipped into the room, shut the door, saw what Eveline was doing, and sighed. Eveline grinned ruefully at him.
        "What exactly were you trying to accomplish?" he asked. Eveline kept grinning. "Lying down. Didn't exactly work out."
         "I can tell," Ambrose said, and with another sigh, took off her handcuffs and the two of them set the table upright.
        "You could let me go, ya know," Eveline suggested as she stretched her legs. Ambrose shook his head sadly. "I can't, though. Trust me, right now, you don't wanna piss Nielsen off any more. Just stay here until he lets you go and try not to burn the place down," he said.
        Eveline grinned and sat back down, putting her wrists back on the table so Ambrose could handcuff her. He looked uneasy. "No promises," she said ruefully.
        Ambrose sighed and looked at her. "At least not on purpose. I heard Kit say a few years back that when you start being violent, you become just as bad as them," he said.
        "Hey, wait a minute!" Eveline protested. "Protesting and playing pranks on KKK members isn't nearly the same as killing people and committing arson!"
        "I know, I know. I'm just saying, there's a fine line," he replied. "He burns buildings down to get rid of innocent people's power, you'd burn a building down to get rid of Colby's power. Your motivations are very different, but either way, it's still arson. Violence has never solved anything."
        "Aside from most worldly conflicts," Eveline murmured. Ambrose sighed. "I hate that you're right. But please, for everyone's sake, listen to Alice Whitbaker for once in your life. She's right about a lot of things, you know."
        "Alice? Why her?" Eveline asked, genuinely confused.
        "You remember what she said about not going out and trying to find trouble? Because you do that. You've got to stop throwing yourself into situations with very short fuses and letting yourself take all the blows because you think you're saving everyone else. They'd be fine either way, it's only you that's getting hurt. And I don't want to see that, and I know none of your friends do," he said, grasping her hands.
        Eveline didn't say anything. She just looked down at her wrists.
        Ambrose stood up, kissed her, and made his way to the door. "If you're gonna do anything in here, at least think about what I said. Please?" he pleaded. Eveline nodded slightly, and Ambrose left.