by Connor Mccoy
She paced the length of the room.
“You dishonor the Court, and you dishonor me.” She looked up to see Judge Brown standing in the doorway.
“I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “I didn’t think I should wait in the Court with the accused.”
“Go wait in my chamber,” Chantal said. “This is a private matter.”
He left, and she turned back to Xander. “The Court must not seem divided. So, we will sentence Melvin Foles, and we will sentence your enforcer. They will suffer death. The woman, however, will work in the kitchens for a month. And that is mostly so she and her children will be fed. Do you understand, Xander?”
“I do not think the enforcer should die,” Xander said. “He was carrying out orders. If we kill our men for performing their duties, we won’t find many people willing to take on the duty. Give him some other punishment.”
“No. He killed an officer of this Court. He will die. Xander. You should be thankful I haven’t ordered your execution. Keep that in mind.” The words came spitting out of her mouth. She would have loved to order his death. But that was his role. Hers was to bring justice to this godforsaken city.
She went to get Judge Brown, wishing he had the presence of mind that Arthur had had. Tears pricked in her eyes. She could not break down. There was Court business to conduct, and she had to get through it. But tonight, back at her condo, she would plot her revenge on Xander. He would know that the partnership had been damaged. He’d be lucky to live.
She summoned Judge Brown and collected Xander from the judges’ room. They walked back onto the dais and Chantal moved with all the power and grace she could muster. She needed the room back under her control. She needed Xander back under her control, but mostly she needed not to think about Arthur. Excellent and kind Arthur, whose view for the world was a vibrant society, not the brutal fiefdom that Xander envisioned.
Chapter Twelve
Melvin watched with trepidation as the Judges retook the stage. He had a feeling things were not going well up there, and that would translate to the accused on the floor below the Judges. Of that he was sure.
They barely were seated when Xander jumped to his feet. “The ruling of this Court is that you all will die today. You are charged with acting against the ideals of the Court and the punishment is death.”
There was a buzzing in the room as everyone started talking. Some whispered to each other, like Mia and Sally, and some yelled, like the woman accused of thievery. The level of anxiety just had skyrocketed, and Melvin’s heart beat hard and fast. They had to escape.
Then Chantal rose. “Sit down, Xander,” she said while glaring at him. “You are not the Chief Justice on this Court, and I think it’s time I reminded you of that fact.”
He looked as though he was about to protest.
“Sit down, or be made to sit down.” She thundered at him in a commanding voice.
He sat.
“I am happy to say that I now know who Melvin Foles is. He is there,” She pointed directly at him, and his heart leaped into his throat. How did she know? “Unfortunately for you Melvin, no good deed goes unpunished. There is an old woman in the darker side of the city whom you often have helped. She was only too happy to point out who you were, thinking we were going to reward you for your service to the city. And perhaps we should, but instead today we will execute you for crimes against the Court. It seems unjust, perhaps, certainly Arthur believed it so, but your crimes must be paid for, and you must die.”
Xander sat back in his chair and gloated.
“And what about the man who killed Judge Davis?” Melvin was just able to keep the quaver from his voice. “What will his fate be?”
“He too shall die,” Chantal said, “for heinous crimes against the person of a Judge.”
Xander’s smile grew wider, no doubt thinking he would be spared the chore of eliminating the evidence himself. Melvin’s mouth compressed.
Suddenly, the enforcer surged forward, ripping himself from Melvin’s hand. The enforcer’s hands pulled free of the belt that bound them. He headed straight for Xander, causing the man to jump up and send his chair flying backward, thudding into the stone wall behind it.
Melvin watched Chantal flee the dais, skirting the main entrance for a hidden door. She disappeared through it. An enforcer from the back of the room must have noticed Glen’s team moving toward the door because he ran forward and grabbed Christian.
Melvin yelled to the girls to run and went to assist Christian. He snaked his arm around the enforcer's neck from behind. Glen appeared and pried the enforcer off Christian a finger at a time, then punched him in the face for good measure.
“Let’s get out of here,” Glen said.
Melvin hurried to follow, making sure Christian was able to keep up. They got up the stairs and ran, the three women already making the turn onto the street from the alley. When they caught up to the women, who had slowed to a walk after a few blocks, the mother who just was trying to feed her children had disappeared.
When the enforcer who killed Arthur broke free, Mia grabbed Sally and headed for the woman on her knees in the sawdust. The fact that the Court was willing to kill her for brandishing an unloaded gun at a man appalled her. She pulled the woman to her feet and steadied her while Sally cut her free with the knife she’d kept on her ankle since Arthur had been kicked nearly to death. Mia had to admit it did come in handy, maybe she should strap a knife to her ankle too.
When Glen yelled “Run!,” the three of them were almost already at the door. They sprinted up the stairs and down the alley as fast as they could, pulling the woman between them. When she begged them to stop, they ran another block before slowing to a walk. They stood for a moment, blowing and huffing like racehorses until they could breathe normally again.
“What’s your name?” Mia asked. “I’m Mia, and this is Sally.”
“I’m Ruth,” she said, still panting.
“You robbed a man with an empty gun,” Sally said, “that’s pretty ballsy.”
“He deserved it,” Ruth said. “Do you know what he wanted in payment for his rotten food? Sex. Right there on the street. Men like that should be neutered.”
“Why not tell them that at the Court?” Mia asked.
“It wouldn’t have mattered,” Ruth said. “They still would have killed me, and they’d likely have killed him too. Or cut off his hands. Even if it would have set me free, I’ll not buy my life with another’s. If we don’t have humanity, we don’t have anything. I refuse to give up my humanity.”
“But I’ll tell you what,” Mia said. “When all this Court stuff has settled down, I think Sally and I should go visit this vegetable seller and set him straight. Don’t you think, Sally?”
“Oh, I’d happily show him the edge of my knife,” Sally said. “I am so sick of the strong abusing the weak. Yes, I’ll help kick his ass.”
Ruth laughed. “You both are wonderful,” she said. “You aren’t afraid of anything.”
“We were,” Sally said. “Before we met Glen, and we did things I regret. But Glen taught us how to be self-reliant, so we didn’t have to prey on others to survive. I’m trying to make up for those things I did now.”
“Ruth, we’re running a medical center toward the south, it’s in that old private museum. If you ever need anything -- food, medical care, someone to talk to -- come around the back. You’ll be able to tell which door is the entrance. You and your family are always welcome there. And if you need to hide, we can do that too.”
“She’s right,” Sally said. “We’re there to help, not just medical stuff.” She turned to Mia. “I think maybe we should be running a soup kitchen too. Things like what Ruth went through just shouldn’t be happening.”
“I think you’re right,” Mia said. “But I’m afraid we’ll have trouble just feeding ourselves in the winter.”
“You could plant an indoor garden,” Ruth said. “You’d just have to be able to keep it warm enough to thrive. I
’ve worked in greenhouses, you know, before this all happened,” she spread her arms to take in the whole city. “I could help.”
“We’ll need more help if we’re going to be growing food and feeding people,” Mia said. “I think it’s a great idea, but we’re so busy just keeping the clinic running. Or we would be if the stupid Cut Court would keep its nose out of it. They killed a really excellent man today, Ruth. A really wonderful, empathetic, honorable man.” She noticed Sally turn away and felt angry at herself for bringing it up again.
“That’s what they do,” Ruth said. “So many honorable people slaughtered because they are threatened by anyone who is willing to do good in the city. The quickest way to get yourself singled out is to do something nice for someone else. They are afraid that people will begin to flock to people who have courage enough to do the right thing. And they want all the power. So they find some trumped up charge and execute them. Just like they are trying to do to your friend. What did he do? Save someone’s life?”
“That’s exactly what he did,” Sally said. “He saved the life of a man the Court had deemed unworthy of saving. The man who was killed today, Arthur, was a Justice on the Court, and he saw the value in what we are doing and tried saving Melvin. They had him assassinated for that. He died right in front of us.” Her voice caught. “A Justice on their own Court.”
“It’s just not right,” Ruth said, putting her hand on Sally's shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”
Sally dashed her tears away and turned to Mia. “Shouldn’t we be going?” she said. “We’re meant to meet back at your apartment.”
“I was hoping the guys would catch up to us and we would go together,” Mia said. “I don’t feel safe wandering the streets alone. Not with what happened two weeks ago.”
“I should get back to my kids,” Ruth said. “I’m sure they are worried out of their minds. I don’t know how to thank you for helping me escape, but I’d love to help at the clinic if you’d let me.”
“You know where it is?” Mia asked.
“I think so, and I always can ask around. News like this travels. I’ll just go south a few blocks and start asking. People will direct me. We might be unwilling to talk to the self-made authorities, but even now, people are willing to help each other. Families helping families.” Ruth grabbed a surprised Sally in a hug, and when it came to her turn, Mia hugged her back.
“Take care,” Mia whispered in her ear. “Come to us, and we’ll hide you.”
Ruth broke away and jogged home, away from the river, fading quickly into the darkness.
Mia and Sally sank back into a door recess until they heard the three men jogging up the street. They were talking as they ran, so the women were able to identify them immediately and ran out into the street to join them.
“There you are,” Glen said. “I was starting to worry. Where is the produce, thief?”
“Ruth. She wanted to get back to her family,” Mia said. “But I think we’ll be seeing her at the clinic. If we stay, that is.”
“Let’s not talk about that until we are back at the apartment,” Glen said. “It’s difficult to tell who is listening out here.”
“I offered her sanctuary,” Sally said. “I shouldn’t have.”
“Don’t worry,” Mia whispered, “If we’re not going to be there, we’ll leave her a note.”
Sally grabbed Mia’s hand and squeezed. “Thanks.”
“Do you know what?” Sally said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “That vegetable man was going to make Ruth have sex with him. For rotten pumpkins. Mia and I are going to go see him. Vigilante justice, Baby.”
“Don’t get carried away, Sally,” Melvin said. “I’d hate to see you hurt.”
“He’s the one who’s going to be hurting,” Sally said. “That kind of behavior can’t be allowed to stand.”
“I agree that it’s despicable,” Melvin said. “But you don’t have to solve all the ills in this city. You’re doing enough already.”
“If that Court was worth anything,” Mia said, “they’d be the ones taking care of these problems. They don’t care about justice. Just power.”
“Let’s not talk about them out here,” Christian said. “I don’t want to see you hurt either.”
“None of us want to see any of us hurt,” Glen said. “We need to change the subject.”
“What do you think about using the ballroom to grow vegetables in the winter?” Mia asked. “Ruth said she’d help us.”
“And I want to start a soup kitchen,” Sally said. “To help feed some of the starving people. We would have to grow our own food to do that.”
“Those sound like reasonable ideas if we can get some extra help. We’re all pretty busy as it stands,” Glen said.
“And I want to offer shelter to women and children who need protection,” Mia said.
“Those all are interesting ideas,” Melvin said.
“But?” asked Sally.
“We’ll talk about the buts when we’re off the streets,” Glen said, cutting them short.
The sound of footsteps echoed on the street. They were moving fast in their direction.
“Hide!” Glen said, under his breath.
They scattered. Mia pulled Sally into a darkened doorway, and they hunkered down as far back in the shadows as they could get. There were five of them, all with headlamps on their heads. Why do the bad guys always have access to light? Mia thought. There was no equity. The group, Mia could not tell if they were men or women, swung their heads back and forth along the sidewalk, apparently looking for something.
But they weren’t looking carefully, and they missed the four places where they would have found the Melvins hiding. The Melvins stayed still long after the footsteps faded, as the five people jogged along toward the river. Mia starting counting as soon as the sound of the steps receded and didn’t move until she’d counted to sixty five times. She kept track on her fingers.
She just was standing up when Glen called out quietly.
“I think we can move on now,” he said.
“I hope there aren’t many more of those patrols,” Christian said. “Or it will be dawn before we get where we’re going.”
“We aren’t many blocks away,” Glen said. “Don’t lose focus now. And try sticking together. I don’t want to misplace anybody.”
“We’re not possessions to be misplaced,” Sally said.
Mia put a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t think that’s what he meant, Sal.”
“Seemed like it to me.” Sally sounded sullen now.
She’s tired, Mia thought. It’s been an awful day, and she’s tired, and it’s all coming to a head out here on the dark and dangerous streets. “We’re almost there now,” Mia said. “Let’s save the arguing for after we’re safe.”
“I don’t want…” Sally started.
Mia said, “This way, and dodged down an alley, effectively ending the impending argument. A minute later they were squeezing past the chain link fence and moving through the parking lot of her old building. Was it really just a few days ago that they had arrived here to find all her belongings gone?
They moved up the stairwell quietly and stealthily down the hall to the apartment. They stood at the door, listening for a solid five minutes until Mia’s hands were twitchy with impatience. Glen tapped lightly on the door, and they all held their breath. The bolt slid back, and Robbie cracked open the door. He had a candle in his hand.
Mia made a mental note to find him some glow lights. Candles and young boys made her twitch. She followed Glen into the main room. It had been transformed by blackout curtains on the windows and makeshift beds on the floor.
“I thought you had inflatable beds,” Mia said.
“We do,” Robbie said, “They’re in use at the moment.”
“That’s fine, Robbie,” Sally said. “We’re not going to be sleeping for a while anyway.”
“Speak for yourself,” Christian said. “I’m out as soon as we make our decision.”
And then, seeing the dismay on Robbie’s face, he added, “but I don’t need a bed, Rob. The floor is perfect for me.” He smiled at the boy, “But you should be asleep. We’re going to work you like a dog tomorrow.”
Chapter Thirteen
Chantal stood in the doorway of the secret passage to her chamber in the Court and watched the riot unfold in front of her. When the assassin had broken free from the Melvins, the other enforcers had run forward, ignoring the other prisoners – or would-be prisoners – in the room. That allowed the women from the medical clinic to free the woman who’d robbed a man of his rotten vegetables. They disappeared quickly out the doorway, and, she assumed, up the stairs and out onto the street to freedom. Good for them. No parent should have to watch their children starve.
One of the enforcers, having taken a moment to look around, saw the men planning to escape as well and grabbed the youngest man, Melvin. The two others jumped on the enforcer, one holding him as the other smashed his face and pulled him away. Once they’d freed Melvin, they too ran for the door. A few of the other enforcers went out after them as if they were in pursuit, but Chantal wondered if they were just using them as an excuse to flee themselves. She had been shaken to her core by the news of Arthur’s death. They also must be questioning the Court’s leadership.
Xander had tried escaping through to the Justices’ rooms, but the enforcer dived, caught Xander around the legs and brought him down. They were thrashing around on the floor, throwing punches. The remaining enforcers looked on, some with weapons in their hands. But how could they intervene? The risk was high that they would injure the wrong man.
Some of the Court's retainers, who often stood at the back of the Court to witness the trials, began slipping away, and she thought she saw at least one group of kitchen workers move past the door. Rats fleeing a sinking ship, she thought. They could see the writing on the wall. Many of them had liked Arthur, she knew. They looked up to him, and he, in turn, was kind to them. Bringing them thoughtful items, and helping them with their problems when he could.