After some tense negotiations and agreements to set aside any issues between them for the moment, the group begins planning their next step. Upon entering the bar, they are surprised at the drastic changes they find. “What the frag happened to my bar!?!” are Mike’s first words. Words he begins to eat as the women begin admonishing him for such language, give stern looks all around and begin serving a meal. It isn’t much, but considering the materials on hand, it’s pretty good. The dim bar lamps have been replaced with brighter bulbs, the tables have been carried away except for a few set up to make one large table extending out from a booth. “All right people, where do we start?” Mike began. “I want your ideas no matter how crazy they might sound to you. I’ll start with this. I don’t know how long this thing is going to last but with the way things are going it won’t be long before the crazies and the power hungry start carving out territory for themselves. Unfortunately that means it has become a race. I suggest we reach out to the surrounding community and set up some kind of collective. That means some sort of governing body, militia which will need to be trained, food rationing etcetera. I think a four block radius around the bar is sufficient for our purposes.”

At the last comment Eric raised his hand and asked “I think you are on to something Mike, but I think something larger would be more appropriate. We are going to have to provide for ourselves unless and until the government starts making food drops which, for the size you are proposing wouldn’t be likely to get a drop of it’s own. That means fighting for it. We have a natural barrier, the Chicago river, to the north and west. We have Lake Michigan to the east. That leaves the south open. If we erect a wall down East Roosevelt Road from the Chicago river to Lake Michigan we will effectively seal off the area. That gives us less than four and a half square kilometers to defend. I know it sounds like a lot but consider that, if we demolish all the bridges except for Lake Shore Drive north and south, Congress parkway to the west, we limit access to three points unless they come by water.” Eric stopped as he glanced around at the incredulous looks he was getting. “You don’t think small do you?” Locke asked. “While were at it why don’t we borrow a couple helos and just take our families out of here?” Nervous laughter rippled around the room. Eric chuckled as well but continued. “It’s really just a matter of numbers. If we can organize this plot of land, may be we can get to the bottom of what’s really going on here.”

He waited for some kind of response from the group. After a silence he took for consideration Mike asked “I don’t know. It IS a large area to defend. I was thinking something more… modest. I see your point and it has merits, but we still need to defend OUR territory if push comes to shove. How about we compromise and make two fortifications? One outer, covering the areas you spoke of and the other around the bar plus some breathing room. But that still leaves the ‘barricade’; do we blow some buildings, board ‘em up, and put our defenses on top?” The nods all around spoke to the wisdom in the dwarf’s words. The next words they heard nearly floored them. Eric, straight-faced, said “We build a wall.”

“You want to make a what?” Mike said, the look on his face clearly displaying his doubts Several others looked askance at Eric as well but held their tongues. Eric, seeing the doubt on the faces before him, held up a hand and said “A wall, ten meters high, twenty meters deep, and as wide as the street, that follows a path around our territory; And another one surrounding the bar and a small piece of property around it. I know it seems like a lot of territory to defend but I think we need to be bold. It’ll be easier to defend what we have than to take the territory later if we need to.” Mike waved his hand to stop Eric[/b]. “And just how do you propose to build such a monstrosity?” he said. There were a few nodding heads in the group. “Earth elementals.” Eric replied. “I can summon them to make the wall. The inner wall will need some refinements but I know of a spell or two that will allow me to do it. My wife is..” Eric checked himself and continued” was a civil engineer for the city. She can direct them in the construction.” Joe shot Eric an incredulous look. “Where do you propose to get the material for the wall, knock down a couple of buildings with explosives we don't have? You have to be talking about millions of metric tons of whatever for a wall that big!” Eric patiently waited until Joe finished and said “The elementals will dredge up stone from the earth to build the wall with. It will take a while for them to finish but it’s a fire and forget job. They’ll work tirelessly until the job is done.” Not everyone was sold on the idea but they agreed to sleep on it.

From the end of the table Ana took the opportunity to speak up. “All those things are well and good but some of us still have family out THERE!” she pointed to the front door. “I for one have no intention of sitting here while a wall is being built. I intend, alone or not, to go and get my family!” Mike responded with unusual poise “You are absolutely right Ana. So here’s what we are going to do. Eric, make whatever plans you need to get your little project going. Locke, Ana, and Mishka; You take one of those limos and get your families. Take what gear you need.” He stressed that last. "We are on a shoestring for the moment and if something happens, heavens forbid, we need to limit our losses. I know it sounds hard but that’s how life is in a war zone. And don’t kid yourselves people, that’s exactly what we are in.