Part Fourteen

‘…riding shotgun in the sky…’

An eerie silence descended as slowly but with purpose the march made it’s way down Van Ness Avenue towards City Hall.

To Daniel’s mind it was too silent. Although the protest was currently a peaceful one the atmosphere was charged with an underlying tension that made him uneasy.

It was well known that the Mayor had called out both the Police and the National Guard to met the protestors when they reached their destination, the peace protests had been getting steadily more militant as they garnered more and more support and as the public had become more aware of what was going on so many miles away.

As they walked their numbers swelled until Daniel couldn’t see the head of the march. How many people were there was impossible to tell, five thousand, ten, twenty? All walking along in complete silence.

Many of the protestors carried signs, some inscribed with the names of loved ones either already dead or still overseas.

One of Darren’s hands gripped Daniel’s firmly, the other clutched tightly onto a bunch of white carnations, his intention, he had informed Daniel, was to place them in the barrels of the guns that the Guardsman would be holding. Personally Daniel had no intention what-so-ever of letting Darren getting that near to the front of the action. He wanted to be here but he also wanted them both to be in one piece at the end of it.

Darren face was set as determinably as those of his friends that walked with them though Daniel knew that the expression on his face, the grim line of his normally so relaxed mouth owed as much to his impending departure as to the gravity of the day.

When they had all met up earlier that afternoon Matt, Lisa and the others had still been trying to come up with ways of getting Dan out of his draft notice. A committed pacifist, Sarah had continued with her gentle persuasion that he should register as a Consciousness Objector, Matt was all for out-and-out rebellion, ignoring the call up and risking prison if need be. Daniel knew that Darren’s preferred favourite was still that Daniel use his sexuality as a means of refusing to go. There was no way the Army would touch him with a barge pole if he told them that he was gay. But to Daniel his sexual orientation was not something to be manipulated, used simply as a means of convenience.

He squeezed Darren’s hand, more to reassure himself than his lover, and was rewarded with a brief smile. Although his friends now knew and accepted his relationship with Daniel, Daniel knew that he had neglected to tell them about his decision. For some reason Daniel had picked up the foreboding envelope on his way out and it now sat in his back pocket, an ever present reminder, as if he needed one, of the cause of all their unhappiness.

Looking around him his eyes fell on a man dressed in a tattered set of battle fatigues being pushed along in a wheelchair, as his gaze travelled downwards Daniel saw that he had both legs of his trousers tucked up under him. Turning away in shock he suddenly felt sick. What was going on with his country? What were they doing to his generation?

After that he kept his eyes firmly fixed in another direction, occasionally glancing at Darren as the imposing edifice of City Hall drew ever nearer.

Gradually people began to fan out, taking up positions in the plaza and grass verges that surrounded it. Daniel, Darren and the others found themselves sitting on the verge, far enough to, Daniel hoped, to be out of harm’s way should any violence erupt but still close enough to just about see the small group of figures that were standing as far up the steps of the building as those guarding it would let them.

For the moment the police and guards stood there passively but a general feeling of unease was growing in the air and Daniel knew that they would not hesitate to move in and break up the proceedings if they felt at all threatened.

 A sharp burst of feedback drew the crowd’s attention forward as a middle-aged man stepped up and began to address those assembled.

‘Brothers and sisters,’ he started, ‘you all know why we are here this afternoon,’ the up until now silent crowd cheered at his words, the man he held up his hands for quiet, ‘and I ask that you all remain peaceful.’

‘Yeah right,’ Daniel heard somebody nearby mutter, ‘if you want peaceful then what are those fuckers doing here?’

‘But you have all heard my words many times before so allow me to introduce someone who can speak of the horrors of the war far better than I can. John McLeery was a Sergeant in the 54^th infantry, he completed two tours and was awarded a purple heart for bravery and he is here today to tell you first hand of the atrocities he has witnessed.

To wild applause a slight figure moved forward, dressed like the man in the wheelchair in battle fatigues, he had hair that just brushed his collar, in complete opposition to the way he must have worn it whilst he was serving in the Army.

He seemed slightly overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of people he faced but quickly got into his stride.

Darren inched his way imperceptibly closer to Daniel as McLeery continued with his speech.

‘Be in no doubt my friends that what this government is asking of their young men is wrong. I have seen whole villages wiped out in a single airstrike, I have held the dying bodies of the men under my command, written letters back to their folks telling them how their husbands, sons, brothers dies bravely and I am here to tell you that it is all bullshit. Those men died through the stupidity of their superiors, forced to take ground that the very next day would be re-taken by the enemy. Good men every one, killed by their government, the country that they loved, by men like those who sit in this very building…’ and he gestured expansively behind him.

Several people booed and down the front a scuffle broke out, someone managed to break through the protective cordon and ran up the steps trailing an American flag behind them. Moments later the flag was ablaze, police rushing to haul the protestor away and stamp out the remnants of the burning fabric.

A gentle touch on his arm brought Daniel round to face Lisa. ‘I think you and the guys should get out of here. None of you can afford to get arrested if this turns ugly.’

‘What do you mean if?’ Daniel growled.

Lisa nodded sadly. ‘I know. But there is talk of taking away deferments from repeated offenders and they are all well on their way to accumulating quite a rap sheet. At least get Darren to leave yeah?’

This was news to Daniel he didn’t know that Darren had been arrested more than once. He nodded back. ‘Good idea.’

Tugging on Darren he rose to his feet. ‘Come on we’re leaving. You too,’ he motioned to Brad and Matt.

‘Hell no!’ Darren said trying to pull Daniel’s arm away.

‘Hell yes.’ Daniel replied firmly, practically dragging Darren to standing.

‘Please?’ Sarah pleaded.

Brad looked towards the steps of City Hall where several more protestors were now jostling with police. ‘Darren we can’t risk staying you know that.’

Matt just sneered at them. ‘Go if you want you pansies but I’m staying.’ and so saying he began to push his way through the crowd, determined to get closer forward.

The others watched him go.

‘Ladies and Gentlemen,’ A new figure, one wearing a police uniform had snatched the microphone from McLeery’s hands. ‘this is an unlawful gathering and you are hereby requested to disperse. There will be no more speeches here today.’

Angry voices arose, chants and cat calls began to ring out.

‘Go. Now.’ Lisa hissed as the crowd started surging forward and warning shots were fired over their heads.

‘You’re coming with us.’ Daniel said, still holding onto a struggling Darren. The flowers he once held getting trampled underfoot.

‘No, I’m going to find Matt, I must make sure he is ok. We’ll find you later.’ She stroked Daniel’s arm in empathy and then she too was gone, lost in the now decidedly hostile crowd.

‘Will you let GO of me?’

‘No. We’re leaving.’ Glancing around to make sure that Brad and Sarah were following Daniel scrambled up the side of the grassy bank, hauling Darren after him, never once loosening his grip until they were safely a few blocks away.

‘What the FUCK was that in aid of?’ Darren demanded angrily the minute Daniel let go of him.

‘That was me saving your scrawny arse.’ Daniel replied trying to keep his voice even.

‘Well it didn’t need saving thank you very much.’ Darren shook free the hand that Daniel placed on his shoulder in an effort to placate him.

‘I beg to differ.’ Daniel retorted as two army trucks came hurtling round the corner and speed off in the direction from which they had just come.

‘He’s right man.’ Brad told Darren, ‘we can’t get arrested again.’

Darren stormed off a little way then stopped and lashed out madly at a nearby brick wall. ‘FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!’ His feet and fists repeatedly made contact with the unyielding concrete.

Daniel rushed over to him and wrapped both arms tightly round him, not caring that they were in a semi-public place. ‘It’s ok Doze, you’ve done what you could.’

Gradually Darren calmed down, turning a tear stained face to look at Daniel who tentatively loosened his hold.

‘It’s ok.’ He murmured, stroking Darren’s hair, ‘it’s ok.’

‘It’s never going to be ok ever again.’ Darren replied before burying his head in Daniel’s neck and letting all his pent up anger release itself as tears.