From No Tomorrow

Johannes

"Have you heard about the speech tomorrow?" asked Elzbieta, having learned to forgo pleasantries.

"Yes," replied the tall, leggy, clean-shaven man in dark clothes. "Do you know much about it?"

"A little bit," Elzbieta claimed. "Thirty people will be there."

"Do you think someone ought to stop Stofflen and his goons?"

"I think we'd be better off without him," Elzbieta played coy.

"Well, there are people who think Stofflen is bad news. There's a group that's out to stop him from taking power and bringing all his hate into the government. Are you in?"

"Let's go someplace quiet," Elzbieta suggested.

In a shadowy bar, the man sat Elzbieta down in a dark corner and, just like Akyta at the bakery, hunched over the table and began whispering.

"So..." began the man, "How much do you hate Stofflen?"

"I would very much like to be rid of him," Elzbieta prevaricated.

"Would do anything necessary to get rid of him?" the man pursued.

"Probably," Elzbieta continued to waffle.

"Well," continued the man, leaning in even closer. "I need your help in taking him down. Are you in?"

Quickly Elzbieta looked around and asked, "Are you sure we're safe here?"

"Yes," the man asserted. "Now answer me."

Elzbieta took a deep breath, feigning moral conflict.

"Yes," she finally answered.

"Alright," the man accepted, extending his hand. "My name is Johannes. A pleasure to meet you."

"Elzbieta," answered the other, accepting the gesture. "So, where do we start?"

"There's an old man just down the road who fought in one of the colonial wars," Johannes explained. "He has his old marksman's rifle on his mantelpiece."

"That would work," Elzbieta approved. "What do you need me for?"

"That man has quite a home," Johannes attested, "and he can fight like a devil with or without his weapon. We need more than one person to steal it from him."

"I have two friends who would be willing to help," Elzbieta offered.

"Excellent," Johannes approved. "Find them, and I'll take you to the house."

"Where will I meet you?" asked Elzbieta, getting up.

"I'll be right here."

With a nod, Elzbieta got up and hurried back to the territory around the inn, keeping her eyes open for Akyta. After just under half an hour's worth of searching- and, more fruitfully, asking around- she found Akyta, plying her new trade and exchanging whispered comments with customers.

"Akyta," Elzbieta addressed, approaching her. "Akyta, I've found someone who can help us. He wants to meet you."

"Is it worth losing my job for?" asked Akyta.

Elzbieta nodded.

Slipping of her newspaper bag, Akyta tossed it over her shoulder and invited, "Lead the way."

"We need Klaus, too," Elzbieta decided.

"For what?" questioned Akyta. "He's off getting his own work done. Is this more important?"

"No."

"Come on, then," Akyta decided, taking off, "we'll fill him in later."

"Okay," Elzbieta acquiesced.