Shankel, Belle and the guarding gypsies looked concerned until Shankel turned to Belle and spoke in a language Bill didn't understand. This went on for a bit until both looked back and agreed on the plan.
"we have only two conditions, firstly we're adding to the plan and secondly you'll do something for kin after this" Both Shankel and Belle had a grin on they're faces, which worried Bill.
"deal, what are you adding?" bill asked.
"we weren't negotiating, if your not making this a war we'll have to bury they're beds too. And we know some ladies happy to help" Belle stepped forward two steps.
"so what are you adding?" Bill had to ask again.
"Moscow night witches, best and prettiest bomber battalion you'll ever meet. I should know" Shankel spoke with pride on knowing them.
"Do what you must, but the lads need to get in via the river. You Belle need to sell some whiskey and it'll all burn by dawn" Bill made his voice more assertive.
The gypsies went away and Bill got the officers to set the lads up for a conflict. It was a quick, violent offensive on they're back foot. He knew the slum kids used the river and therefore had runs with the gypsies, for both good and bad results. The lads had to look gypsy via the river and all passages out of the slums had to be cut off. The proper guns were taken out of the cellar barracks, courtesy of the pub's name. Old German rifles, machine guns and mortars were once again called in for action.
Lads were sent out to scout the perimeter and doubled patrols in lad areas were issued. Also any confrontations were not chased down, to save man power and the injury count. Come to the night of action, Bill and the lads had help looking gypsy and boarded the boats. Some lads were unfamiliar with the style of dressing as a gypsy and so found it funny. This was shut down pretty quickly and quietly by the officers, as per Bill's orders. The boats passed through river system and further into the industrial area, the slum kids shared some parts of it with the lads army but never mingled for obvious reasons.
Each man was given a small or moderately sized barrel or crate by the quarter master, and were told specifically "heads down and shut up until its time to chop"
Some crates had rifles and melee weapons, others had food, alcohol and other assorted items. In truth the gypsies were good at acquiring goods whether it were moral or not or hard or not. The boat finally stopped, many lads were looking over to Bill for courage but Bill was too focussed on the covert part of the job. He gave a whisper before getting into character, "no clean hands when the whistle blows lads, until then your gypsies"
The draw bridge went down and ten slum kids with blunt weapons and cargo wagons were waiting on the other end. The quarter master took over and spoke with them pointing at the cargo on board and then pointing out to a factory. The slum kids understood and told them to load the cargo onto the wagons, quickly. Both the lads and gypsies were hop to it and kept their heads down.
Once all of it was loaded up Bill saw that the slum kids were surrounded by both lads and gypsies, he signalled a quiet take down. In a split moment the kids were pulled to the ground with mouths gagged, they were being punched in the throat and face relentlessly. Once all the kids were down but not out a weapon crate was opened and melee weapons were issued. Bill wasted no time and cut the throat of the closest and ordered the rest be done with the same way. Before they could bleed on the ground they were tossed in river.
Going to Belle, shed sent a friendly looking man to send the message of the sale offer. It was accepted and she'd made her way to the factories by the slums. She was escorted by six slum kids and six of her own family. She could feel the slum kids looking her over, she still felt safe with her family. Once they'd all gotten to a big factory door she saw four more men with another sitting on a big box that seemed to be moving. This made her feel uneasy.
"so your the young lady I hear has the best whiskey amongst other things" The top kid was trying to get a reaction from his audience,"the name is John banks and I see the boys weren't lying, but what about the whiskey"
Enter John banks aka the top kid. He fought in the trenches, lived a hard labour working life. Got back from the war and found himself in a mess of drugs called Tokyo blues. He'd not only quit his job, but killed his boss and started a gang where the needy and drug desperate followed him like lost puppies. He'd been used to the pure form of Tokyo blues but wanted to reinvent it by adding other chemicals without causing an explosion or two. This made it lethal, not just addictive. John needed the substance to keep his head from telling him to cut his heart out and force feed it to the man who introduced him to the drug. He hated the drug and couldn't live without the hit, but loved money.
Belle knew she had to choose her words carefully, the slum kids cared very little for anyone but they're own. Women even less.
"First you try it, if you like it you buy it. My time is not free" She stood her ground firmly on that policy.
She took a bottle from a crate and gave it to John, he ripped the cork out with his teeth and sculled the bottle til it was too much. She could not tell if he liked the whiskey or burnt his tongue. He let the whiskey's effect pass and then looked her right in the eye.