''Four hundred and ninety-six,'' Gassy said.
Kris whistled. ''A third. That must have been some party.''
Ron scowled. ''We've got three Beergartens wrecked, one burned, along with several houses and our university's admin building. And we never did get a positive ID on the rapists.''
''We'll be a long time forgetting last night,'' Gassy said.
''Let's hope you're not trying to forget this afternoon as well,'' Kris said. They bent over the map again and divided up the heavy weapons they had among the four sides of the square in front of the jail. ''Who gets the tower?'' Ernie asked.
''I'd love to have firepower on the first couple of levels of that tower,'' Kris said. ''Some very accurate snipers higher up, but the tower is likely to be the first place they take down.''
''I'll put some of my people up there,'' Ernie said. ''That will be my post.''
Kris glanced at the short fellow. Just because he didn't like Longknifes didn't mean he was a coward. Come to think of it, it took guts to go up against her family.
Five minutes later they were done. The four left to organize their force. Jack stayed to shake his head. ''What do we do if Hank doesn't follow our plan? Can we turn this bunch around?''
''Not a chance,'' Kris said. ''It takes real troops to maneuver under fire. Real leaders. If Hank isn't kind enough to follow our Plan A, we're toast. Plan B is going to be bloody.''
''You're betting everything on your knowing how Hank will act,'' Ron said. ''How well do you know this ex-boyfriend?''
''He's no ex-boyfriend of mine,'' Kris snapped. ''I spent the longest week of my life cooped up with him on his yacht trying to get him to at least consider that his dad wasn't a god, wasn't perfect, and all he'd heard about my family might not be correct.''
''Did it take?'' Ron asked, but his phone rang. He listened for a moment, then said, ''I'll be as careful as I can, Mom,'' and hung up. ''Twenty launches are headed down.''
''Your mom say anything about the light assault craft?''
''Aren't those hard to spot on radar?'' Ron said.
''You've been reading up.''
''Started as soon as Hank jumped in system.''
''Yeah, they're stealthy. I'd like to know if he's bringing the Marines or dropping them all over the place.'' Kris paused for a second, then her face lit up in a smile. ''And, if Hank has really left the ships empty, now might be a great time for Steve to waltz in and take them.''
''And who was, just a second ago, telling my best friends that we don't want to start this shoot-out,'' Ron growled.
''Oops, sometimes I forget myself.''
''Only sometimes?'' Jack said.
''Do we have any cameras along the highway?'' Kris asked.
''Some traffic monitors,'' Ron said.
''Have someone watch and tell me if they see Marines forming up,'' Kris said. ''Just now, I have another part of my puzzle to put in place for Hank.''
''And I'll be checking fire lanes,'' Jack said. ''Making sure these folks know to keep their rears covered just in case Hank does indeed have enough competent Marines to maneuver around even as he marches the swabbies up the center.''
Chapter 16
''What are you doing?'' Ron asked as they walked to the jail.
''Do you have a list of who's locked up here?'' They passed from bright sunlight to shadow; open air to the stink of vomit and sweat.
''An should.'' Ron turned into an office off the foyer.
''Only a partial list. Who you want?'' a blond fellow said.
''A Chief Meindl, I believe.''
''I think I have all the chiefs listed. Yeah, Meindl, third floor, cell 3A7, Boss. You want to have him hauled down here?''
''No,'' Kris said. ''I'd rather go up for him.''
''Suit yourself, Spade, Rori. We're releasing a Chief Meindl from 3A7. You want to take the mayor up there and see that only one of them gets out and the rest don't cause much trouble.''
Two men with corporal strips on their green uniforms came out of chairs in the break room across the way and led Kris up two flights of stairs to a cell on the top floor. Iron bars closed off the front, concrete formed its walls. Sized for two prisoners, today, six or eight sat on the lower bed, lay on the floor, stood at the bars. The eyes that watched Kris looked feral and angry. This place only needed an excuse to explode.
''Hope those bars are set in there solid,'' Ron said.
''After last night, I'm real sure they are,'' Rori told his mayor. They paused in front of a cell with 3A7 over its door.
''Chief Meindl, are you in there?'' Kris asked.
''Yo,'' came defiantly from the top bunk where one man lay.
''Prisoner, front and center,'' Rori called. ''Someone's here to see you.'' The chief rolled lithely from the top bunk to land in the small space not occupied by one of his juniors. His glower for the guards ended with a sharp intake of breath as he spotted Kris. He came to attention. ''Sir.''
''I would like to have this man released to me,'' Kris said.
''He's all yours,'' the guard answered.
The chief reached back onto the bunk for his tie, jacket, and hat. Kris got her first look at his uniform. His hash marks and crow were gold; the fruit salad on his chest showed three good conducts to support that. He also sported the long cruise ribbon with four stars; hopefully earned on the same cruise as Slovo. It would be helpful if they knew each other. His sharpshooter badge also had four white lines on it. Maybe Jack was overly optimistic about the swabbies being out of their element in a land bound shoot-out. Now was not the time to worry about that.
The chief returned himself to proper dress and marched smartly to the door. Rori eyed the other prisoners, and several suddenly felt the urge to press themselves up against the back wall, well clear of the opening door. The chief squared his corners as he presented himself, hat under his left arm. ''Senior Chief Meindl reporting as requested, sir.''
''Please walk with me, Chief.''
''As you wish, sir,'' came with full formality. But then, he was in the hands of his enemy and under the eyes of his sailors.
Kris said nothing as they retraced their steps. Chief Meindl spotted a full-length mirror and took a moment to correct the lay of his collar and hang of his coat. He donned his cover, as they exited the jail. He breathed easier in the sunlight. Then he turned to Kris, ignoring Ron. ''Do you just want me to walk with you, or do you want to tell me something, sir?''
Kris took a few more steps toward the Fire Training Center, then called. ''Ernie, things going fine with those machine guns?'' The tower was an obvious target. When the shooting started the race would be on to do as much slaughter as possible before Hank's crew brought it down.
The short man stood in a fourth floor window and waved. ''It's in, and I got the snipers in place. Bring'em on.''
''Oh, I wish he hadn't said that,'' Ron muttered.
Kris said nothing, just eyed the chief, as he swept his gaze slowly over the edge of the parking lot. His nostrils flared and his eyes took on a squint that had nothing to do with the sun.
''Follow me,'' Kris said, and turned for the row of businesses that would be behind Hank. If the fire from the Municipal Center grew too heavy, this would be their obvious rallying point. Kris caught one glance from Ron. ''Are you crazy?'' pretty much summed it up. But he didn't say a word. Good man.
''It's good to see you,'' Wee Willy said from the shaded walkway that covered the entire front of the shops. Kris spotted short jerks of the chief's head as he took in an automatic weapon sandbagged behind a window; a woman with a rocket launcher in a door. Men and women stacked more sandbags behind more windows.
''Step carefully,'' Kris said to the chief as they entered a shop. ''That's a claymore.''
''Kris, I've got this area pretty much done. I'm gonna start working on…''
''As you were, Lieutenant,'' Kris said to cut Jack off. ''I've got Chief Meindl with me, and while I want him to know something about what his commodore faces, I do want a few surprises.''