The air in the shop seemed to thin. The two figures behind Darnell shifted, their hands drifting casually toward their waistbands. It was the oldest story in the book: the local business owner against the local power, the immovable object meeting the unstoppable force. It was a crucial conflict, swelling up like the clouds outside, threatening to burst the seams of the neighborhood.
An old mechanic named Korr slammed his fist. “We send a delegation. We’ve always sent delegations. We trade our silence for bread. That’s the contract.”