Shavian balled her fists and actually made a run for Jackson. Elliott held out his arm to stop her, but even in her anger facing a line of assault rifles was too much. She halted after a couple steps.
“Why, you back-stabbing-,” she spat at Jackson.
He sneered. “You turned your back on me first!” he yelled back. “Serves you right for just leaving me here!”
“You disappeared as soon as we got into the beer festival! After everything you’ve done you expected us to come looking for you?” Shavian screeched. Several of the soldiers, despite their heavy weaponry, looked uncomfortable at her anger.
The man in charge strode forward and stood in front of Shavian. He blocked her view of Jackson while not invading her personal space nor even appearing threatening. Oh, he’s good, Elliott thought to himself.
“I’m General McNabb,” he announced, “and Portland is under martial law. That means I’m in command, for anyone not clear on the particulars.” Elliott was reminded of his gruff great uncle from the mid-west. “Now if this man has committed some crime against you folks, we’ll handle it. Because right now, we’re handling everything. AWOL is not an option.”
“What are you going to do with us?” Elliott asked. He was expecting his voice to quaver as much as his stomach but it was steady.
“We’ve set up safe areas for civilians. You’ll receive medical care and rations and a place to sleep.”
“And how do you intend to keep us safe?” Shavian demanded. “We’ve done fine on our own without being corralled.”
General McNabb seemed to take no offense to the notion that his “safe area” was a corral, nor did he deny it.
“Yes, I can see that, and I’m not unimpressed,” he said. “But you’re an unknown quantity. I’ve been told you came south from Washington on a quest to save beer during a major life threatening crisis. This doesn’t strike me as-“
“Sane?” Shavian offered.
General McNabb nodded once. “Precisely.”
“At lease we can agree on that!” Shavian said looking at Elliott.
Elliott turned his back on the general and beckoned his friends closer. Gathered in a circle, he could see the worry in their eyes. Roger especially seemed on the verge of panic, his eyes wide.
“I don’t think we have much choice at this point,” Elliott said quietly. “We’re outgunned. We can make our stand but it’ll be short.”
“I think you’re right,” Shavian said.
Behind them the general cleared his throat. “Excuse me, folks, but are you seriously debating your options right now?”
Elliott turned to him and frowned. “We make decisions as a group,” he answered.
General McNabb blinked but showed no other emotion. “Well, you have moxie, I’ll give you that.”
“I think we should go with them for now,” Junie spoke up, surprising everyone. “We can always try to escape later. But Elliott’s right. We won’t survive if we try to take them on.”
“Nay, lass, I won’t go,” Roger said. “I can’t.” He shook his head vigorously.
Aubrey lay a hand on his shoulder and his demeanor softened a bit when he looked down at her. “Rog, it’ll be okay,” she said. “You’ve gotten yourselves out of sticky situations before. You’ll get out of this one. Just… not now.”
Higgins slapped him on the back and said, reassuringly, “Later.”
Roger sighed, and didn’t look convinced, but he nodded.
Elliott turned back to the general. “We’ll go with you, no fight,” he said, and pointed at Jackson. “But keep that back-stabbing ass away from us.”