PDX 2021 Winter by L.J. Breedlove

Author:L.J. Breedlove
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: campus newsroom, university, college, Portland, Black Lives Matter, LGBT, new adult suspense, multicultural
Publisher: L.J. Breedlove
Published: 2021-10-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

9:30 A.M. SATURDAY, Jan. 9, 2021, Portland Old Church — Quite frankly Cage wasn’t sure how many people would be at the Old Church. Staff made deadlines by seconds. Being asked to show up 15 minutes early? He rolled his eyes. Getting Ryan and Emily across the overpass to the church on time was hard enough.

“Damn it,” he said.

“What?” Emily asked anxiously.

“Ear bug,” Cage said morosely. “I just thought I’ve got to get you two to the church on time, and now I can’t get it out of my mind. What the hell song is from?”

Ryan cracked up. “It’s from My Fair Lady,” he answered. “The singer pleads with his buddies the night before his wedding to not let him drink and carouse too much – and to get him to the church on time.”

“Un-huh,” Cage protested. “What would I be doing with My Fair Lady in my head?” Not to mention wedding bells. Didn’t that make him want to gulp?

Ryan considered that, he pulled out his phone and googled it. “Frank Sinatra covered it. So did Nat King Cole.”

“OK,” Cage said, feeling better. If Nat could sing it, it wasn’t quite so bad.

“Just get me to the church on time,” Ryan sang.

They laughed.

“Actually, I feel more like it’s ‘We’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz,” Emily said, singing the words, and linking her arms with the two of them.

“Do I want to know which I am?” Ryan asked. “Cowardly lion? Brainless tin-man or the Scarecrow without a heart?”

“You’ve got it wrong,” she protested. “It’s the tin-man without the heart. Scarecrow has no brain.”

“Obviously, you’re the brainless one, bro,” Cage observed. “Imagine getting the Wizard of Oz wrong.”

They turned walked down Clay Street laughing and came to a stop when they could see the parking lot besides the Old Church.

“Who are all these people?” Emily whispered.

“I don’t know, babe,” Cage said. “But they look peaceful enough.”

“They’d better be,” said a sardonic voice to their left.

Only Ryan didn’t jump. It was a voice he’d heard often enough. “President McShane?” he said. “You know who they are?”

“Made a few calls last night,” he said as he fell into step with the three editors. “The Media Board. To the Faculty Senate leadership. The AAUP, AUW, Black professors of PSU, a few others. Looks like your crew may have made a few other calls.”

He nodded at them. “Your lead,” he said, and he left them standing at the corner.

Emily took a deep breath. “Act as if,” she muttered under her breath. Ryan laughed.

“Cage?” she said. “We’re up.”

He smiled at her, and they held hands as they walked toward the group. Faculty. Alumni. Students. “Talk to them, Cage,” Ryan ordered.

“Thank you for coming out this morning,” Cage said, responding to Ryan’s command. Wasn’t that interesting? “As you may have heard, we had some trouble here last night. And we — the staff of Eyewitness News — realized we have something worth fighting for, too. If someone can close us down because they disagree with what is said then we all lose.

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