by M C Rooney
He wondered what Grant and Brad had been talking about. They both looked on the edge of violence, and then suddenly, Brad gave way, which was very unlike him. Oh well, he would have to just ask him when they returned. It was going to be a very long two days, though, as his sons tried to secure their future as leaders of this tribe.
All the warriors had gone, he now realised, and for the first time in his life, he felt a bit insecure with his surroundings. He would be fine, he was sure. The simpletons in his tribe were too scared of him to try anything, and besides, most of them had given up the warrior life.
He was fine, he thought again, as he gazed out of the window of his empty house, but his hand kept stroking the knife at his hip.
Brad ran alongside his brother in a daze. His brother was Jonas, wasn’t he? Surely, they shared the same father. But Grant had mentioned their mother only.
He wasn’t thinking straight and shook his head and tried to focus, but Grant Hamill’s face kept appearing in his mind. They looked so similar! Why had he not noticed this before?
“Fuck him,” Brad grunted and fell into step with the warriors. But he stumbled a bit as he thought about the Hamills. Three brothers he had, to go along with the five he had from his father. He almost giggled at the thought of having so many half-brothers and half of them were dead.
“Are you all right?” Jonas asked from beside him.
“Yeah, sure,” Brad mumbled in reply.
But Jonas wasn’t beside him, he suddenly realised; he was behind him, and that’s when he felt the knife enter his back. Brad hit the ground with a thud but still managed to notice that the warriors had stopped running.
“Help me!” he screamed. But nobody moved to his side, nobody came to his aid, nobody said anything.
“They won’t help you, you piece of shit,” Jonas growled. “They despise you as much as I do.”
“You can’t do this!” he screamed.
“Oh, I’m sure your brothers care.” Jonas laughed. “But not on this side of the family.”
Brad felt his hair being pulled back, the hair that he shared with all the Hamill boys.
“And then there was one,” Jonas growled.
The last delirious thought Brad had as Jonas cut his throat was that he believed he looked a lot more like Gregor than he did Grant.
Hopetown, West Coast
“So we just sit here and wait,” Kate said as she sat underneath the mini-tower, looking up at the moon.
It was three in the morning, and his scouts had told him that thirty or so of the Martin men were up in the nearby hills, waiting for the dead of night. Buzz and the three Carter brothers were all sitting under the small towers, waiting for the trap to close. One hundred or so of his newly named rangers were waiting inside their homes should they be needed. Hopefully they wouldn’t be.
“Yes, but you shouldn’t be here,” Buzz replied. But he loved that she was sitting next to him, and so closely. They had spent most of the day in each other’s arms, when they found the time to be alone that is.
She had made the first move, as she said he was so shy that she would be waiting for the end of time before he kissed her. All of his friends were grinning at him, but fortunately, they had made no jokes at his expense. Maybe with him being chief it did keep the stirring to a minimum somehow. Or mayor, he thought. The name and structure change was only a few hours away from being made.
“I know how to defend myself,” she replied.
“Oh, I know that,” Buzz assured her. “I have heard about the way you Southerners fight on horseback.”
“And up close?” she whispered in his ear.
Bloody hell, I should be focusing on the pending attack, not this pretty girl sitting next to me. He was wondering whether she knew what a ‘flat’ was when he saw some shadows moving along the street.
“They’re here,” Kate murmured.
“Yep,” Buzz replied. But would they attempt to steal one of the mini-towers or all of them? It looked like all of them as Buzz saw about nine warriors run up towards his buzzing mini-tower and a number of others disappear around the corner.
“Fuck. There is a man sitting underneath one of them,” one of the warriors said.
“And a chick,” another replied.
“She’s not bad either,” a third one replied.
“Why, thank you very much,” Kate said.
“Buzz, is that you?” one of the warriors said.
Buzz looked at the half-dressed man who had named him and noticed it was one of Brett’s sons. “Jonas Martin.”
“Yes, it is.”
“One of the two surviving sons,” Buzz said.
“The only surviving son now,” Jonas replied. “Brad had an accident on the way here.”
“Slipped and fell, did he?”
“Something like that.” Jonas grinned.
Such a tight, loving family.
“So what is with the clothes?” Jonas asked.
“We have changed,” Buzz replied. “We have given up the warrior ways.”
“So have a lot of people in my clan,” Jonas replied thoughtfully.
“I know,” Buzz stated in a matter-of-fact way.
“Hockey wouldn’t approve,” Jonas said.
“Oh, my father does approve,” Buzz replied. “He said so last month.”
Jonas went silent. Buzz couldn’t tell if he went pale or not, but judging by his silence he thought Jonas may have been a bit shocked.
“You lie,” he said eventually.
“Oh no,” Buzz replied. “Who do you think arrived in time to save my mother from Ozzie?”
It must have looked very strange to other onlookers as nine well-armed and dangerous warriors were looking fearfully at a young man and woman sitting like lovers underneath a very bright and colourful tower.
“So I am guessing that you knew we were coming as well,” Jonas said breathlessly as he looked around the street, watching for Hockey to suddenly appear. “Unless, of course, you like to sit under the tower at three in the morning.”
Wow, the mere mention of my father’s name scares the hell out of the most hardened warrior, Buzz thought. Jonas now sounded terrified. “Yes, we knew you were coming,” Buzz replied. “We have been watching you for a while.”
“We have been watching this tower for a while too,” Jonas now said in anger.
“We know,” Buzz replied.
“No, you fucking didn’t,” he spat back.
“Yes, we did,” Buzz said calmly, “and if you had the brains God had given a sheep, you would have noticed that these things are dug deep into the ground.”
Jonas looked at the tower and saw that it was true. All he had done when he had been observing the towers before was to stare at the lightning. He never considered for a moment that the towers would be so hard to move. He wondered if his eldest brother Glen would have made such a glaring mistake. He didn’t think he would have.
“I could kill you right now, Buzz,” Jonas growled “You’re weaponless.”
“Am I?” Buzz replied.
“Jonas, let’s get out of here,” one of the warriors said worriedly.
“We have wasted our time,” another said impatiently.
“I want the power,” Jonas said to Buzz.
“You don’t know how to use the power,” Buzz replied.
“Are we talking about electricity now, Buzz?” Kate said. “Or are you two being metaphorical with all this power talk?”
“What the fuck is that stupid bitch talking about?” Jonas snapped.
“See, that is what I hate about you Martins,” Buzz said with a sigh. “Kate here made a valid question concerning our references to power, and you abused her because, one, she is a woman, and, two, because her level of intelligent conversation was beyond your comprehension and you got embarrassed.”
“What!” said Jonas in complete confusion.
“Oh, Buzz,” Kate said breathlessly, “you are so going to get it tonight.”
“
Really?” Buzz replied, smiling. “You do mean what I think you mean, right?” he finished with a frown.
“Oh, yes. Start conserving your energy, Edwin; you are in for a rough ride,” Kate replied, grinning.
Buzz was now having real trouble focusing on what he should be focusing on right now.
“Are you blushing again?” Kate chuckled. “It’s so hard to tell in the dark.”
“Let’s go, Jonas,” one of the warriors called out.
“We can’t go back empty-handed,” Jonas grated out.
“Then kill Buzz and let’s go,” another replied.
Buzz had his focus back.
“Good idea,” Jonas said nastily as he raised his spear. “Well, goodbye, Buzz.”
“Yes, goodbye, Jonas,” Buzz replied calmly as he hit the special button the Professor used to kill many a nighttime zombie. It fried Jonas and his men on the spot.
“And then there were no brothers,” Buzz said quietly as the dead body of Jonas Martin fell to the ground with a thud.
Suddenly, a flash of lightning could be seen coming from one of the distant streets and then another, then another; all were followed by a scream of pain and then silence.
“Now it’s over to you, Grant,” Buzz murmured.
The rangers were now coming out of the houses, now that the Martin men were dead. He saw his sister Danni in the distance, running towards where Flynn was stationed.
Buzz sat and looked at the dead bodies lining the street in front of him. I really should get someone to clean it up, he thought.
“About this ‘flat’ of yours,” Kate murmured in his ear.
The bodies can wait.
The Martin Mansion
“Fits you well.” Alex grinned as he observed Grant Hamill putting his green jacket on.
“You look smart, Grant,” Kirstin said as she smiled at the young man.
“That you do,” Hussein agreed with a nod.
“You look the business.” Sam nodded. Another term from his father that he didn’t actually understand.
“And you all do too,” Grant replied with a curious look at Sam’s face, “and in fact, all of you here,” he announced with a smile to the large number of green-jacketed men and women who surrounded him.
Grant was glad that some of the new rangers of Hopetown had come over as their community representatives. The horses and dogs they had brought had caused quite a stir amongst his people as well. Though Sam and Alex looked like the novice horse riders that they were, it was still an impressive display like none his people had ever seen before.
“I’m not sure about these black robes, though,” a grey-haired elder by the name of Emily Coleman said as she looked at her new clothes. “I look like a crow.”
“It’s official looking,” Eddie Cornwell replied. “If we are to start a new world with the rule of law, then we do need to look the part.”
“Yes, I guess so,” Emily replied. “And I do love the rule of law. The ideas you have provided me and the council with have helped us a great deal over the years, Eddie,” she added.
“You are most welcome,” Eddie replied with a nod of his head.
It had taken them two years, but finally, the day had arrived.
“It’s time, then,” Eddie announced to the hundred rangers they had gathered. He then adjusted the sword on his hip, his hat, and his green jacket and led the new world towards the mansion to replace the old.
Brett Martin sat despondently on his living room couch with his head bowed in his hands. Three days and his sons had not returned; three days and not one warrior had returned. They were dead. All of his sons were now dead, and he was alone. ‘Violence, that is the only thing you are leaving for them’ were the last words Rebecca Roberts had spoken to him.
And she was right; that old bitch was right.
“Fucking hell!” Brett now screamed to his empty house. Nobody was here. His servants had not even shown up this morning. “Why, why, why have I been betrayed like this?” he moaned to the heavens. “Have I not led them well?” he said “Have I not seen that they were all fed and housed?”
He had, in fact, done neither of those things. The people fed and housed themselves, but reality never stopped a tyrant from having a good whine about how ungrateful people were when their empire fell.
He looked out of the window and saw a large number of people walking towards his house. It seemed that everybody in the tribe was coming towards him. Strangely, at the front of the crowd, he saw a number of men and women wearing green jackets, and some were leading a huge beast that must have been one of those things called horses. There also were four black hairy things with tongues hanging out of their mouths being patted and hugged by every kid in the tribe. One of the women leading the horses seemed to be laughing at the children’s happiness, but nearly all of the green-jacketed people were looking very grim as they walked onwards towards the mansion.
Brett cursed and walked to the front door. He wasn’t going to go out without a fight. He opened his front door with a crash and stalked out to his verandah.
“Who dares to come to my house?” he screamed. “Which one of you cunts wants to die first?” He raised his sword above his head.
“We dare,” a tall man said calmly.
“Who are you, then?” Brett growled.
“Eddie Cornwell,” he replied, “Captain of the Newtown Rangers.”
“Newtown?” Sam whispered to Alex, who just shrugged his shoulders in return.
“What?” Brett replied in shock. “What are you talking about?”
Brett recognised the tall man. He used to be a warrior just like my sons, he thought in despair.
“A new beginning,” Eddie replied.
“Oh,” Sam whispered to Alex.
“I rule here!” Brett screamed.
“No, you don’t,” an old lady in a black robe replied.
“Who are you then, bitch?” Brett spat.
“I am Emily Coleman,” the lady replied sternly, “and I am the Mayor of Newtown for the moment, until a proper election can be held.”
“And someone you will need to speak to with respect from now on,” Eddie said firmly.
“What the fuck is going on?” Brett shouted in despair. “Have you all gone mad!”
“No, the madness ends with you,” Mayor Coleman replied, pointing directly at Brett.
“Me?” Brett tried to laugh, but all that came out of his mouth was a mad giggle.
“So why did you shave your beard off?” Sam whispered to Alex. It was a bit of a shock for him to see his brother look so clean and, it must be said, younger than him.
“Oh, no reason,” Alex whispered back, but he seemed to find something extremely funny with Sam this morning.
“We have had enough, Brett Martin,” Emily Coleman continued, then gestured to the large gathering behind her. “We all have had enough of being ruled by thugs.”
This is insane, Brett thought in bewilderment. Have I died and entered some sort of madhouse?
“She is just a woman!” Brett wailed to the crowd. Surely they could see that; the black robe did not hide that she was only one of the inferior sex.
“I am a woman, yes,” Emily replied in a steady voice, “but there is no ‘just’ about it. I am your equal, Brett Martin, and you had better get used to it.”
“What do you mean ‘get used to it’?” Brett laughed. “I am a dead man, and you all know it.”
“No,” the mayor replied firmly, “you are to be taken into custody and tried in court for your crimes.”
“What the fuck is a court?” he said in shock. “And what crimes have I committed?”
The Mayor of Newtown nodded to the captain of the rangers, who in turn nodded to Grant Hamill.
Sam looked at Alex’s clean face, then glanced down at his own beard and gave a start. It seemed that somehow he had dog poo on his long beard, and due to the pace of riding the horse, the wind would constantly whip his beard up into his face. Gee, I wonder who put t
hat there, he thought as he wiped his face and looked sharply at his brother, who was now openly smiling at him.
“Son of a—” Sam muttered as he wiped the dried poo off of his face. But he couldn’t complete the sentence as Alex was his brother and Sam loved his mother.
Grant Hamill strode forward and removed Brett Martin’s sword who was too dazed to fight back. Grant had waited so long for this. He had dreamt of this moment for so many nights.
“Brett Martin,” Grant announced in a loud and clear voice as he grabbed Brett’s arm, “you are hereby charged with the murder of Arnie Hamill and four other elders in the past year.”
Brett looked at Grant in pure amazement.
“You are also charged with the rape of Marina Hamill and numerous other women over the past twenty-five years—”
“No, you fucking leave me alone!” Brett screamed as he began to struggle. Soon a number of rangers came forward to restrain him.
Grant wanted to punch him so badly. But he was a ranger now, and he had to act accordingly. “What you say now can and will be used against you in the court of law...” Grant continued.
Brett Martin was still fighting and screaming as they dragged him off towards a new building he had never seen before; a big building with bars on the windows. Why hadn’t I noticed this building before? he wondered in a state of bewilderment It was so close to the mansion after all.
A big sign on the building said ‘Welcome to Ice Land’, and underneath, in small writing, it said: ‘where the will of the people controls even the most powerful’.
“I’m not powerful anymore,” Brett muttered to himself.
They entered the building, and Brett saw there were at least a dozen small barred rooms inside the whole building. One of the rangers threw him into one of the rooms and locked the bar doors behind him.
He was to spend the next forty years of his life inside this building for multiple murders and numerous rapes, but also as an example that justice of the law applied equally to all members of the community, which included the powerful.