Warm Bodies: The Answer

The Power Play

"I don't care who you say you are," the man in front of John growled, stabbing a blunt-nailed finger in his chest, "I don't care where you say you're from. You can't walk on up to my door and demand any damn thing from me or my people."

The Colonel kept his gaze steady, his breathing even, and his arms at a moderate height. Just enough to seem cooperative, but not enough to give the man what he was looking for.

A reaction of fear.

He also knew the man wasn't finished with his little speech, so he waited. No need to antagonize someone who very clearly needed to show his men he was powerful. The reaction would be excessive and violent and John couldn't afford that in the middle of this situation. He was desperate to know where his daughter was, that was his focus, and it helped keep him watchful and steady.

"There are consequences," the man added, speaking louder, walking in front of the Colonel, practically strutting in front of his men. The guy hadn't even introduced himself yet, and John's eye wandered to the tag on his jacket as the man passed.

Riggs.

Crappy name.

He focused back on the man as Riggs finished speaking, stopping in front of him again. "for coming into our territory, and threatening my town."

John sighed inwardly.

"We are in no way threatening you, your people, or your town," he said calmly, keeping his voice low and even. "You shot down one of my men, who was on a search mission for a plane we found buried on the ridge above you. We just want to take our survivors home. There will be no retribution."

As soon as the word left his mouth, and he saw the shift in the man's eyes, he knew it'd been a poor choice. While it made sense from his perspective, because he was sitting on one of the largest organized armies left in the United States, Riggs did not know that. Riggs was king here, in this little town that apparently kept its women well hidden and liked to hang bodies up for all to see, and the man had an over-inflated sense of his own power.

John had just threatened that.

Riggs' mouth curled in a mean smile, and the stocky man leaned in close. "No.. retribution?" he echoed incredulously, then his eyes danced around his men, who seemed to follow his lead on the smile, all save the man to his left. A bearded man with intense eyes whose name tag read Morrissey.

The Colonel had been quietly sizing the soldier up and found him interesting. Not a clear cut bully like Riggs, but willing to support the man in power, in order to wield a little of that power himself. A very smart individual.

Which was probably why the man wasn't smiling.

John looked back at Riggs and let out a slow sigh. Should he turn this into a dick sizing match? Had he already blown his chance for peaceful extraction?

As soon as Riggs turned back to him, he knew he had. The man's smile had turned truly nasty. This was the power play, coming up now. Before Riggs could do what the Colonel knew he would do, John tried his hand.

"Yes, retribution," he said with the same evenness he knew infuriated people. "You don't see fit to release the survivors, or their bodies to my charge now, I bring the combined army of over twenty settlements to your door," he held the man's eye with a hard gaze, "And we come in and we take them by force."

Riggs stared right back, his mouth twisting in anger as John spoke.

"Morrissey!" he barked.

Here it comes.