Barry ‘Bardog’'s Arc

Chapter 2 of 13

Barry finished boarding up the last window frame when he heard engines outside. Three bikes and a truck, all marked with the same symbol painted on their doors and fuel tanks. The Ruthless Raven gang had found him faster than he'd expected. Five men walked through the door without knocking. The one in front wore a handgun with scrollwork along the barrel, the kind of piece you kept for showing off. He looked around the half-finished bar, at the bottles Sherrie had left, at the plywood counter where Barry stood. Then he smiled and said the place looked good, that his people would take real good care of it. Barry watched his hands, the way they stayed loose and ready. This wasn't a negotiation. They'd come to claim what they wanted, and they'd done it before. Barry reached under the counter and pulled out the engraved handgun, setting it on the plywood where everyone could see it. Not pointing it. Just placing it there between them. The leader stopped smiling. Barry said the bar wasn't open yet, and when it was, everyone paid the same. No special arrangements. No protection deals. The room went quiet. One of the men behind the leader moved his hand toward his belt, but the leader raised his palm and shook his head. He looked at Barry for a long moment, then at the gun, then back at Barry's face. The leader turned and walked out. His men followed. Through the window, Barry watched them spray-paint a rusted car across the street, bright colors marking it with their tag. They wanted him to see it, to know they'd be back. But they'd left without taking anything, and that mattered. Barry picked up the handgun and put it back under the counter. The gang knew he'd stand his ground now, and he knew they wouldn't forget the refusal. The bar would open, but the Ruthless Ravens would be watching.