Streets of Fire

Ben glanced back toward the avenue. The dark-gray pavement seemed to bake sullenly under the morning sun. At the far end of the street, up a slight incline, he could see eight or ten motorcycle patrolmen take up their positions several yards beyond the barricades.

Breedlove glanced at his watch. ‘They should be coming over the hill anytime. Harry radioed in that they left the church about fifteen minutes ago.’ He winked gaily. ‘Singing their little song, you know.’ He spat onto the street. ‘But it could be a little different today. Today they just might get themselves “overcome” a little.’

A few yards away, the Chief darted back into the street, his short, fat legs pumping fiercely across the steaming pavement.

‘You know what I think about the Chief?’ Breedlove said as he watched him. ‘I think he’s loving every minute of this.’ He laughed. ‘You know, one of those New York-type reporters came up to him this morning at City Hall, says he wants to ask the Chief a question or two about the situation here.’ He laughed lightly. ‘And you know what the Chief said? He said, “First, I don’t talk to no New York reporters, but I’ll tell you one thing. They’s three things wrong with this country: Communism, Socialism and Journalism.”’ He shook his head happily, relishing the tale. ‘And he was loving it, loving every minute of it.’

Harry Daniels stepped up beside Breedlove, his eyes fixed on the wide gray boulevard.

‘Well, you made it over here pretty fast,’ Breedlove said to him.

Daniels peered down toward the end of the avenue. ‘They’re just over the hill,’ he said. ‘It’s all kids, nothing but kids.’

Breedlove looked at him wonderingly. ‘Nothing but kids?’

‘That’s right,’ Daniels said. He pulled a small pamphlet from his coat pocket. ‘They were handing these things out in all the nigger schools yesterday.’

Breedlove took it from his hands and glared at it. It was a call for the schoolchildren to join the march to City Hall.

‘Don’t that beat all,’ Breedlove said as he handed the pamphlet to Ben.

Ben glanced at it casually, then handed it back.

‘These people,’ Daniels said disgustedly. ‘I tell you, Charlie, they don’t care what they do. They figured we were ready for them this time, and so they decided that they’d just send the kids after us.’ He leaned forward slightly and looked at Ben. ‘I bet you there’s not one of them over eighteen years old, and most of them are a lot younger than that. I’m talking about school kids, fourth- and fifth- and sixth-graders, and such as that.’

Breedlove’s mouth curled downward. ‘Shit.’

Daniels shook his head. ‘King’s one smart nigger. They wouldn’t have a brain without him.’

‘Yeah,’ Breedlove said grimly, ‘they wouldn’t have a thing without him.’ He tossed his cigarette angrily into the street. ‘But I’ll tell you one goddamn thing, Harry. Kid or no kid, I’m going to handle them the same.’ He curled his hand into a fist. ‘I going to give back double whatever I get.’ He glanced at Ben. ‘What about you, Ben?’

‘I’ll do what the Chief said,’ Ben told him. ‘I’ll protect myself.’

Breedlove’s eyes squeezed together slowly. ‘That’s what we all have to do,’ he said, ‘protect ourselves.’ He glanced toward Daniels and smiled. ‘Right, Harry?’

Daniels nodded determinedly. ‘Absolutely.’

For a moment the three of them stood silently together, staring up the avenue and along the small grocery stores, poolhalls and flophouses that lined it on either side. The Chief was now moving toward them with Luther and Teddy Langley racing breathlessly beside him.

He stopped only a few feet away and motioned for a group of troopers to form themselves into a line across the avenue.

‘We’re going to stop them right here,’ he shouted. ‘Now line up! Line up! I want you all to stand shoulder to shoulder!’

The troopers moved out into the street and formed a straight gray line across it. When they had formed their ranks, the Chief paced back and forth in front of them.