OOC: Sorry about the double post. 

[u][b]Inquisitor's Offices - Duluth Docks[/b][/u]

Walton, too angry to notice the smoke starting to curl in through the open door into the office, began to shake with rage as he read the paper that he had picked up from the desk the late Inquisitor Morton's corpse was still seated behind, the still smoking 10mm that Morton had used to paint the wall behind him with his brains lying in his lap. It was a letter from the head doctor of Camp III....which probably wasn't a coincidence as that camp is where the non-political human prisoners were kept, so neither he or his MLA "comrades" had any real intel. It pretty much explained why things had gone wrong. 

[i]Inquisitor,

The blood sample you sent via courier was tested by me alone, IAW Security Protocol C-8, as you requested. The toxicology report shows measurable amounts of undecane, 2,9-diacetoxyundecane, and 1-methyldecyl acetate. This indicates recent exposure to what is informally known as "Ant Queen Pheremones", an ilicit substance collected from mutated Black Ants whose uses you are no doubt quite familiar with. The levels of this substance in the subject blood indicates exposure was within the last 72 hours, As none of the signs of heavy use of this substance were found in the lab results, my professional opinion is that the subject was exposed unwittingly by a third party....most likely for purposes of seduction. I have forwarded the results to Superintendent Parker here at the camp as required by regulations as this is potentially a Level III Security Breach. Any further communications regarding this matter must be routed through his Office.  

Ad Victoriam!

Leslie Hennig, MD
Chief of Medical Department, Labor Camp 14 (MN-III)

[b]APPROVED FOR RELEASE AFTER REVIEW

Charles Parker, Superintendant
Warden, Labor Camp 14 (MN-III)[/b][/i]

"That....[i]that[/i] BITCH!!", Walton finally barked, "What was she thinking?!?"

"What are you bitching about now, Tom?", Simone asked irritably as she pushed the ghoul, wearing a guard's uniform, out of her way as she squirmed around him to enter the office, "Jimmy and his Mutants stormed the DECC, Duluth is ours now!"

"You want to know why I'm pissed?', Walton said as he whirled around, then pushed the letter at her heatedly. "Read this!" he hissed, "learn how close you came to ending up on the business end of a rope!"

Simone took the letter, a slightly hurt expression on her face, and began to read it, her jaw setting in anger as the meaning sunk in. She then looked up at him. "Does this mean what I think it does?"

"If you thought it means that stupid, lazy whore Anita disobeyed her instructions and seduced Morton with Ant Queen Pheromones to get the order for the radios," Walton replied, seething with fury, "Yes, that's exactly what it means."

"Fuck", Simone said, rolling her eyes. "I'll get the rest of the Central Committee together, this is the last straw and has to be dealt with now. But what about Susan? You know she probably did it to impress that viper, if she didn't tell her to do it. She cannot be trusted, and we may as well get this over with here while we hold all the cards."

"I'm glad we see eye to eye on this matter", Walton said, with not a little relief. He had been apprehensive over what she might do when he approached her for support in this. "Anita needs to be made an example of, but putting down Susan would likely have political repercussions with her friends in Pittsburgh. I've got a better idea for dealing with her....have we heard from Buster's people yet?"

"He was right behind me", Simone said, "They just pulled in. He wants to talk to you."

Out in the hall, he heard a Canadian accented voice. 

"What is this foo-kin' smoke, eh? Check the doors and see which ones are warm.....no, don't open that!" Buster yelled. Unfortunately the man he was addressing, a prisoner, didn't listen and opened the door to file room at the end of the hall to look inside. The back-draft as the fire received a fresh supply of oxygen set him on fire for his trouble, and he ran screeching in pain down the hall. Someone deployed a fire extinguisher. "I told you not to open the door, fucktard" Buster said between blasts. A moment later, a burly man with a ragged beard poked his head through the door. "we need to get the fook out of here, now!"

[u][b]
Several minutes later[/b][/u]

As the Administration Building burned merrily nearby, as Simone headed into Duluth to assemble the rest of the MLA's Central Committee, and find Anita and Susan, Walton began preliminary negotiations with Buster, Warboss of Thunder Bay, the largest Independent power on Lake Superior. Dealing with Calypso and her gang had been problem enough for them...the increasingly strong grip the Brotherhood was exercising on the Upper Lakes spelled doom for their ambitions to rule the shores of Lake Superior and possibly beyond. Kranz had used that to his advantage. As arranged with the Warmaster weeks before, they had come to deliver weapons to the now freed prisoners. Not enough to arm the entire horde, but enough to arm their best fighters...the problem, and no doubt a test for Walton, was that Kranz had only paid half the fee and told him Walton would pay the rest in kind upon delivery. Walton needed every weapon he had, and didn't have time to collect enough salvage to buy Buster off....but one thing he had in abundance was warm bodies. The Camps he controlled had nearly 15,000 inmates...not all of whom were ghouls and Mutants. The prisoners they netted in Duluth and the surrounding settlements would provide at least a few hundred, maybe more. The captives...and those prisoners who either refused to cooperate and were deemed untrustworthy...were the currency he had to barter with. The lists had already been drawn up and a quick call would have the first lots loaded on trains and delivered to the railhead here. It would be the biggest slave auction held in Thunder Bay since the Green Bay Confederation fell to a coalition of over a dozen Raider gangs eighty years ago. Buster would drive a hard bargain, to be sure, but he would deal or face a revolt from his own Crew for messing up the biggest score any of them had seen. 

As they bargained, an enormous Supermutant loped towards them, a sledgehammer casually leaning over it's shoulder. It snorted contemptuously at Buster's men as several of the more fearful ones started to raise their weapons before Buster ordered them to stop. 

"Jimmy", Walton said, "Meet "Buster" Brown, Warboss of the Thunder Bay Republic. Buster, meet Jimmy Carlotti, Chairman of the MLA's Central Committee."

After some short greetings, Walton spoke again. 

"About that matter Simone asked you about....", Walton asked. 

"Agreed to unanimously", Jimmy rumbled in reply, handing a folded letter to Walton. "Guilty as charged."

Walton opened and read it in the light of the burning building, chuckling mirthlessly as he read Anita's Death Warrant. He had to admit, he was looking forward to carrying this order out.....she'd been a burr under his saddle for two years now. No mention of Susan though....

"What about the other matter?", Walton asked. 

"Already within the scope of your authority, Tom". Jimmy said, "We're fine with it, but it's your decision and your responsibility."

"So be it", Walton said as he put the warrant in a coat pocket, "Kranz will just have to deal with it. Where is Simone?"

"Back at the DECC making sure the captives are secure", Jimmy answered, "Anita and Susan are there so I thought it best."

"Right, lets get over there", Walton said. He then looked at Buster, "You ought to come along, you can inspect the first lot of merchandise once we attend to some business there."