City of Books by Nicole Meier

Author:Nicole Meier
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SparkPress

Twenty-One

“Jade, look how far we’ve come!” Jo patted a tower of books ready for pickup with pride. “I’d say that’s progress. Wouldn’t you?”

“Yes, totally.” Jade was equally pleased. The two women had been working tirelessly for the past two days, sorting, labeling, and packing up inventory as fast as their muscles allowed them. Never mind that every fiber of Jo’s being screamed with exhaustion or that her brain was still going a hundred miles an hour, ticking over all the things yet to be done.

Because while Jo had been given the green light to keep working, the deputy mayor also hinted there’d been complaints. Community members were starting to take sides. Not everyone, it seemed, shared the sentiments of the Times article. Jo couldn’t imagine why anyone would care if six employees volunteered to remain in the building. What harm were they causing anyone? Yet there’d been backlash all the same. Local business owners didn’t appreciate the growing crowds of protesters, the trash they left behind, or the chaos created at nearby storefronts. There’d been reports of vandalism.

As a result, two separate groups of campaigners had now formed on the streets outside: one in support of the Bruebaker Movement, and one against it. It was as if the two camps had appeared out of nowhere. But both were visible and vocal. Both were determined. The only thing they had in common was their focus. Whether they liked it or not, Jo and her team were at the center.

This development filled Jo with a new sense of dread.

“It’s political now,” Sam stated during a recent phone call. “Small-business owners are starting to bare their teeth. With this movement of yours nearing two weeks, people are getting restless. They want to get back to normalcy. They need to earn a living. And the fact that Mayor Fink is allowing Bruebaker’s to continue like this isn’t making anyone happy.”

Jo hung up the phone, stunned.

The tide was turning.

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