Barry ‘Bardog’'s Arc

Chapter 6 of 13

Barry woke before first light and went downstairs to check the bar. The woman was already behind the counter, wiping down glasses from the night before. Nothing looked disturbed. He walked to the window and saw fresh boot prints in the dirt outside, recent enough that the edges hadn't settled yet. He stepped outside and followed the prints around the side of the building. They led to an old watchtower one block over, rust bleeding down its metal frame. A bird's nest sat crooked on top, but through the railings he caught the glint of brass. Someone had been watching. Barry studied the angle from the platform back to his entrance and saw exactly what they'd seen: Sherrie arriving last night with a man whose face stayed hidden under a hood, both of them going upstairs for two hours before leaving separately. The Ravens knew he was running more than a bar now. He walked back inside and told the woman to keep the shotgun loaded. She nodded and checked the chamber without asking why. The sun was barely up when a Raven knocked on the door, alone this time, no gang behind him. Barry let him in and the man set a dented spyglass on the counter between them. He said they'd seen interesting traffic for a place that just opened, and maybe Barry wanted to reconsider that protection arrangement. Barry looked at the spyglass and understood the cost of last night's business. He told the Raven the same thing he'd told them before: everyone pays the same, no special deals. The man picked up the spyglass and left without another word. Barry knew they'd be back with more than questions next time, but he'd bought himself another day to figure out how to run Sherrie's safehouse without the Ravens burning it down. The woman poured him a drink and he took it, the weight of the shotgun under the bar feeling lighter than the choice he'd just made.