{"id":52395,"date":"2015-04-10T12:00:15","date_gmt":"2015-04-10T17:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/?p=52395"},"modified":"2015-04-10T13:18:35","modified_gmt":"2015-04-10T18:18:35","slug":"trulbert-part-xxxvi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/?p=52395","title":{"rendered":"Trulbert! Part XXXVI – The Fat Lady Dons Her Helmet"},"content":{"rendered":"

– 2:45 PM,\u00a0November 7, 2015 \u2013 Outside Forever 21 Stadium, Downtown Minneapolis, MN<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

The column of 40 socials came off the freeway exit from South Minneapolis, and rendesvouzed with Ilktost’s force in the parking lot of the new Viking stadium.<\/p>\n

Close to 80 socials were now lined up and ready to press the offensive into downtown, along with a few hundred infantry that would support the trucks up close.<\/p>\n

Ilktost stood as tall as he could in the back of the lead truck.<\/p>\n

“Methodists! \u00a0There is no turning back! \u00a0If we lose, we lose everything! \u00a0So advance to victory – or death!”<\/p>\n

The Methodists cheered, as Ilktost’s truck started moving up Chicago Avenue the other trucks falling into line behind, the whole column turning left on to Washington to begin the final push downtown.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

– 2:55 PM,\u00a0November 7, 2015 \u2013 Outside the Federal Reserve, Downtown Minneapolis, MN<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Fleen spoke into a bullhorn.<\/p>\n

“OK – everyone with military experience, please come up here and talk to my assistant”, he said, pointing to a waving Marcus Broadman, who was wearing his old Air Force BDU jacket – snug, but it still fit.<\/p>\n

“Everyone with firearms, but no military experience, please gather at the north end of the plaza”, he said, pointing to Trajan Codriciu, who also waved. \u00a0People started moving among the small crowd – which had grown from a few dozen to over hundred in recent minutes.<\/p>\n

“OK – all DC-milieu superheroes\u00a0without\u00a0<\/em>firearms, please assemble by the ‘No Loading’ sign.” \u00a0 A group of twenty-somethings, dressed in capes, masks and costumes, started walking toward the street. \u00a0“All Marvel-milieu superheroes, over by the big planters”. \u00a0More people in masks and costumes – some in their thirties and forties – began moving. \u00a0“Superheroes from other mileus…” Fleen rolled his eyes, “take your pick”. \u00a0A few more costumed citizens, shaking their heads in frustration, slowly picked their groups and began to move.<\/p>\n

“Finally, everyone who has no military or law-enforcement background, who’s not a superhero, please meet me here on the steps”.<\/p>\n

The crowd began picking its destinations.<\/p>\n

“OK”, Fleen muttered to himself. \u00a0“Time to make this into an actual resistance”.<\/p>\n

Up until half an hour ago, maybe twenty people had filtered over to the plaza in front of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank. And then, over the last fifteen minutes, the trickle grew into a rivulet, and then at least a babbling brook; dozens arrived, many of them armed. \u00a0And over the past few minutes, it’d picked up still more. And now, perhaps 300 people stood milling about in front of the Fed. \u00a0About a dozen, men and women who moved with a purpose, gathered by Broadman. \u00a0150 or so more, armed with everything from assault rifles and World War 2-vintage rifles to hunting weapons, shotguns and handguns, gathered to his left. \u00a0About 100 others, some with crossbows, samurai swords, and even track-and-field javelins and slingshots, rocks, and just sharp words for all Fleen coudl tell, milled their way toward the steps. \u00a0An even dozen superheroes gathered around the signs by the street, contemptuously eyeing the other milieus.<\/p>\n

It’ll have to do<\/em>, Fleen thought, as he saw a suvney pull up, and Hendrickson and the Codricius climbed out, paying the driver another five cud.<\/p>\n

“How’s it working?”<\/p>\n

“It’s OK. \u00a0But it’ll never be enough. \u00a0It’s all right turnout, I guess – but there’s just…”<\/p>\n

Fleen scanned the mob on the plaza with dismay.<\/p>\n

“There’s just no way it’ll be enough, in time.”<\/p>\n

Hendrickson eyed the crowd. \u00a0“It’s gonna have to be”.<\/p>\n

They conferred, fast; the plan they had wasn’t much, and it was going to have to stretch a little.<\/p>\n

\u00a0– 3:45 PM,\u00a0November 7, 2015 \u2013 Washington Avenue at Nicollet, Downtown Minneapolis, MN<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Wesley Six, This Is Wesley Scout”, the radio crackled.<\/p>\n

Dave Oswaldson, his six-drink buzz from the President’s Suite dispelling fast, keyed the mic. \u00a0“This is Wesley Six – Go ahead, over”.<\/p>\n

“We’re approaching Hennepin. \u00a0We’re seeing people…”, the voice paused, sounding confused “dressed a superheroes”.<\/p>\n

“Any gunfire?”<\/p>\n

“Negative, Six”.<\/p>\n

“Take up a blocking position at Second Avenue North. \u00a0We’re coming up behind. \u00a0Six out”.<\/p>\n

Oswaldson gave the microphone back to the radio operator, a teenage Methodist who looked barely old enough to shave.<\/p>\n

Good lord. \u00a0I hope we can end this thing soon. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Behind Oswaldson, holding onto the pedestal of the machine gun mount, Ilktost stood, surveying the streets. \u00a0A few civilians, awed by the display of firepower, watched mutely. \u00a0In the distance, up several side streets, he saw several people in superhero costumes, flitting into alleys and storefronts, many of them talking on cell phones.<\/p>\n

Fat lot of good it’ll do them<\/em>, he thought. \u00a0He reached for the radio microphone; Oswaldson handed it to him.<\/p>\n

“This is Wesley Six Actual. \u00a0First Brigade, continue up Washington, and approach the Fed from the west. \u00a0Second Brigade, move to the right, and cut of Hennepin from the river. \u00a0Third Brigade, follow me up Hennepin. \u00a0Fourth Brigade”, he said to a separate group proceeding south from Northeast Minneapolis, “Cross the river at Hennepin. \u00a0We’ll attack the Federal Reserve from all four directions. \u00a0Remember – no quarter. \u00a0No prisoners. \u00a0Wesley Six Actual Out”.<\/p>\n

This will be done soon<\/em>, Ilktost nodded with satisfaction.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

– 2:45 PM,\u00a0November 7, 2015 \u2013 Outside Forever 21 Stadium, Downtown Minneapolis, MN The column of 40 socials came off the freeway exit from South Minneapolis, and rendesvouzed with Ilktost’s force in the parking lot of the new Viking stadium. Close to 80 socials were now lined up and ready to press the offensive into […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[302],"class_list":["post-52395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-liberty","tag-trulbert"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=52395"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52395\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52406,"href":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52395\/revisions\/52406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=52395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=52395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=52395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}