The Chay Ong Casefiles, Volume One: Always Chasing Rainbows.

Chapter 10: Strategy Meeting

"So if you're gonna do this, then the first thing you're gonna need to do is reconnaissance."

Crol was standing on a chair near his dinner table, a bottle of whiskey gripped between his tiny hands. Chay and Husk were seated across from him, with Chay sipping on a warm bowl of miso soup, and Husk 'sipping' on a bottle of rotgut. Vaggie had since left for the Hotel (with Shakie in tow).

"No shit, Sergeant Slaughter.", replied Husk. "The question is how? We can't just ask around for their HQ, and I'm gonna take a wild fuckin' guess that they wouldn't just let us bum a ride."

Crol slammed his bottle down on the table (somehow miraculously not shattering either table or bottle). "Obviously. These guys have a pretty tight operation. But look at what just happened: They seemed to talk a pretty big game, but they were fucking terrified of Cherri. What does that signal to you?"

"That they're cowards?", asked Chay.

"No, that they're about spectacle. It's true that they like to put on the image of an indestructible force, and I know from experience that they aren't afraid of charging into a hail of bullets. But they didn't do that this time. As soon as they saw Cherri's bomb, they tucked their tails between their legs and fucked off."

"Huh.", Chay said. "They're willing to charge headfirst into a hail of bullets with just knives, but as soon as they saw one little bomb they retreated."

"Wait a minute...". Husk scratched his nose in thought. "When was the last time you saw these guys actually fighting?"

"A couple of weeks ago", Crol said. "It was a gang of Eggbois who I think were working with Pentious. They were all outfitted with machine guns and rocket launchers. But these guys came charging out of that fucking bucket they ride around in and turned them into omelets."

"With just knives?", Chay asked.

"Yep, and clubs."

"Hmmm. When was the last time Cherri was out in the streets?"

"I'll answer that one", Husk answered gruffly. "I've seen Cherri in action before. Everyone in Pentagram City has. Our first patron is pretty tight with her."

Chay sighed. "And again, I find out how much of a fucking luddite I've been."

"Look, you're from Imp City. They tend to keep to their own thing when they can. But the rest of Hell was watching TV after the last Extermination. That was the day Charlie announced the opening of the Hotel. It was also the same day that a new turf war started in the West Side."

Crol nodded. "Yeah, I had just moved into my new digs before the war started. I basically spent the whole day hiding in a trashcan."

"I always assumed you just lived in them.", Husk replied. "Anyway, that was the day Sir Pentious decided to take over the West Side with his Eggboi army. Cherri was the one who stopped him in his tracks."

"She had an army as well?"

"No, just her.....Well, her and Angel Dust." Husk took a swig of liquor and belched. "But Angel didn't show up until the end."

Chay's eyes widened. "Wait...I think I get it now. They didn't run away from Cherri because they were afraid of her. They ran because it was a battle they knew they couldn't win ."

"Exactly.", said Husk. "One of the major rules of guerrilla warfare: you only attack if you're sure you can accomplish the mission. If it's a superior enemy, then at best you harass them as long as they're stationary. Otherwise? You retreat."