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Here's another, Your Majesty....
I got back to the rest of the reprobates. I still hadn't seen VR. Well, there was one way to get his attention.
"BACON! Come and get it VR, BACON!"
A voice in the far end of the room, "What are you caterwauling about, Red?"
"Just tryin' to get the doggie's attention. I didn't haul this bacon over just to stare at it."
I heard the pattering of little paws joggin in my direction.
VR stopped at my feet, giving me a hard look.
I got down one knee. "Shake, boy, shake."
VR looked like he was going to have a hissy fit.
I said quietly, "Shake, or I'll have to make you beg."
VR gave me a good growl, but stuck out a paw. I shook it and then handed him the bacon. "After you get done," I whispered "come sit in my lap. We have things to talk about."
I wandered over to Micah.
I said, "Well, since I was dumb enough to let a newsie slip by me, I guess I don't really have a beef about your interviews. But soon or later we're gonna have to figure a way out of this mess. Any ideas on your end?"
"Why should I worry? God has granted me an even better forum for my message that I had ever hoped for. More and more sinner are being brought to the Light."
"Yes, but don't you have a duty to be around to show the light to those babies not yet born?"
"Not necessarily. Christ built an organization and let it go. I'm just expanding on the idea. Our ministry will march on, no matter what."
I didn't know who was tougher to deal with, Micah or Kaitempi Kate. All I wanted to do was to go back fishin'.
I knew whatever argument I came up with, he'd have a ready counter. Jui jitsu doesn't work on a rock. 'Course I was probably insulting the rock...
Still...
"Micah, I kinda looked over you setup, you got a problem."
That got some fur up. "What do you mean by that crack, Red?"
"Well, if you goal is to convert some of these ambassadors you got captured here, where's the immersion pool? Y'all are dunkers, not sprinklers. I don't see how you can send 'em out to Witness, unbaptized."
That caught Micah short. "Hmmm..."
"You can't used the brewery stuff. I mean, it just wouldn't look right to be baptized in a used beer vat. Absolutely goes against the Baptist message."
He had the dignity to look sheepish. "I guess I hadn't thought that through."
"You know, you and your acolytes need to huddle up and figure this one out. You can never tell when one of those ambassadors will step up and see the light. You wouldn't want to let that chance slip by because you weren't prepared."
"You know Red, for an unwashed scoundrel, you're pretty smart."
"Now don't be boosting my ego, Micah. I'm just tryin' to find a peaceable solution. Tell you what, let me go back over with the ambassadors while y'all sort this out."
"OK, Red." And they sorta huddled up and started talking noisy.
I figured this would give me a half hour do check with VR and start setting things up.
I sat down and motioned VR over here. He sauntered over to me and sat down. I decided to lie down on the floor where we could talk quieter.
"Have you cased the joint yet, VR?"
"Yes."
"Are the mines real?"
"Yes."
"Have you spotted 'em all?"
"Yes."
"Do any of them require climbing to get to them?"
"No."
"What kind of explosive?"
"C4 or something similar."
"Did them seem to be boobytrapped?"
"No, and none of these hotshots said anything about booby traps among themselves."
"Exits?"
"Three are ground level. All of them guarded."
"How many guards?"
"One for each entrance, and one on the roof as a lookout for any charge by the Feds. They rotate them every 8 hours."
"That makes 13, with Micah. three guard changes and a boss. How are they armed?"
"Automatic pistols, with extra clips. The long arms are over at Micah's corner."
"Yep, I spotted those when I came in. Do the guards have a line of site to any of the explosives?"
VR mulled that one over. "Don't think so."
"Well, they're used to you being a pain the backside. They haven't shot you yet. So here's the plan...." and I started whispering in VR's ear...
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