Sanctuary's Aggression (Book 4): The Trial

by Dawn, Maira

  Wade chuckled. “Just remember what happens to the cat.”

  Jesse looked from one man to the other. “What cat? What happened to it?”

  “This’ll just get someone killed is all it’s gonna do,” Dylan muttered.

  The group looked at Dylan, and Tom said, “It’s this group here that decides things on this mountain. If you think it’s too dangerous to go out looking for them, I’m not going to argue with you. But I don’t see what harm asking about them would do.”

  “I’ll agree with asking around,” Dylan said. Wade nodded.

  The men looked at Trish and Skye. Trish and Skye agreed.

  “Okay,” Tom said. “We have a plan. I’ll let you know what we find out.”

  After Tom and Tricia left, Dylan looked at Skye then slowly put an arm around her. “You’re mad at me.”

  “No. I understand. We both have our own opinions on the matter, but we decided you’re in charge of anything that could put us in danger. So, as hard as it will be for me to step back from this, I’ll honor your decision. All I ask is that when and if we get any more information about this, we have another discussion.”

  He turned toward her and tightened his arms, bringing her closer. “I can do that. I appreciate you—this—”

  “I believe in you and your abilities.” Skye brushed his hair back. “It would be foolish for me to question them.” When Dylan smiled at her, she brought her lips to his.

  Maybe Tom would find out something that would change Dylan’s mind or make a search for these White Coats worth the risk. Or perhaps he would find out they were just one more group to stay away from.

  11

  Big Sister

  Skye, Dylan, Wade, and Jesse sat around the coffee table, studying a Jega tower. Skye and Dylan side by side on the floor, Jesse and Wade on the couch.

  Skye inched her way closer to the woodstove near her. Jesse didn’t blame her. It was a cold night, and he wouldn’t have minded changing places.

  Dylan sent her a glance, then got up and threw a couple more pieces of wood on the fire.

  Jesse smiled as the wood caught fire. The room would heat up soon enough.

  Dylan sat back down and studied the tower as he studied prey. It would take him a while to decide which piece to pull out of there. He never made a move until he was good and ready.

  Jesse leaned forward. If he planned on winning, he better do the same. Soon, the snap of the fire and their breathing were the only sounds that could be heard.

  In the midst of the silence, a sharp knock at the door seemed that much louder, startling them all. Dylan and Wade moved for their weapons, and Jesse put a hand to his own knife until the night watchman called out his name.

  Dylan opened the door, spoke to him, and nodded. Turning to the rest of them, he said, “We’re needed.”

  Jesse pulled on his jacket and shoes. What was going on? He sent Dylan a raised eyebrow.

  “Judge is here. He’s asking for you.”

  “Me?” The word squeaked out. “I ain’t done anything.”

  “He didn’t say that you did.”

  Jesse stepped out into the darkness behind Dylan and shivered. Even with Skye beside him and Wade trailing behind, he found it daunting.

  The moon’s light was thin today, making it harder to see than it should be. He squinted as he scanned the yard for any Infected or Sick. It was unlikely any would’ve made it through the Watch, but it was always one of his fears.

  Jesse's fast, light breaths frosted in the air in front of him as he pushed his hands deep into his coat pockets.

  He flashbacked to a day in town when the Infected had come to call. He’d barely made it out of there, but Mom had done it. Kelsey had been white as a sheet, so he’d made fun of the Sick so she wouldn't be so scared. But his own heart had thumped in his chest like a jackhammer he'd once seen some construction guys use on a sidewalk. He hadn't known a heart could do that, and the person still live.

  Just thinking of that day got his heart going again. Jesse took a few deep breaths to calm himself like his Mom had shown him. He cleared his throat a couple of times as he crunched his way across half-frozen grass. The sound of it against the quiet night startled him.

  Skye glanced at him. "You okay?"

  “Yeah, fine.” He tried his best not to look rattled.

  "Come here," she said, waving him up between her and Dylan. Jesse took a couple of quick jumps to catch up with them, and when he did, she laid her arm across his back. Her other hand laid on the knife at her belt.

  He looked up at Dylan, who carried his rifle, his gaze alert and searching, as always, for any signs of trouble. Gun in hand, Wade came up on the other side of Skye, scanning in front, then behind the group.

  Jesse put his hand on the hilt of his own knife as he trailed his gaze across the four of them and scoffed at himself. How many times had there been trouble? And how many times had they taken care of it?

  What was he worried about? It was like he lived with a group of apocalypse superheroes.

  After a few minutes, they reached a large cabin snuggled against a rock face with a few tall pines growing around it. The house had been empty until recently, when the group decided to use it for the trial. A room in the back had been cleaned up for the judge to use as a bedroom.

  They climbed the few stairs and stomped their shoes on the weathered wood porch to kick off any dirt before going in.

  The screen door creaked as it passed from one of them to the other. Stepping into the massive front room, Jesse saw the central area of the cabin had been cleared of any furniture. Only two chairs and a desk were left. He assumed that would be the front of the court.

  An older man sat at the desk, his mostly grey head bent over some papers. A lantern made a circle of light around him just large enough to read by.

  When the judge looked up, his gaze swept the group and landed on Jesse, locking eyes with him. Even from where he stood, the boy could tell he was the right man for the job. The older man’s sharp blue eyes seemed to pierce the younger’s soul.

  "I'm going assume you’re Jesse Bailey," the judge said, his southern accent low and cultured.

  Jesse looked up at Skye, who nodded at him. Dylan put a hand on his shoulder. Jesse straightened and said, "I am, sir."

  "Very good. Well, then, I have something for you."

  As he spoke, he waved someone out of the back. "Come on out now," the judge said softly.

  A young teenaged girl nervously stepped out. Jesse’s eyebrows knitted together. Could it be?

  It’d been years since he’d seen her. Then somehow, he just knew—was absolutely certain.

  Had it been the way her round blue eyes flickered just a little bit when she peeked around the corner? Those eyes so like their momma’s?

  Or maybe it was the tumble of messy, blonde curls that no one was likely to forget. But something, something told Jesse exactly who she was. His breath caught as he thought her name before he said it.

  "Sue Ellen."

  12

  Sue Ellen

  The look of pure joy on Jesse’s face as he flew to his sister’s arms was not one Skye would ever forget.

  As the two clung to each other, he’d offered Sue Ellen his yet to be completed room.

  “So, Mr. Cole, I’m assuming daily updates won’t be needed anymore?” the judge asked.

  Dylan chuckled. “No. I think that’s done.”

  Pride warmed Skye. He was such a good man. “You arranged this?”

  Jesse rushed to Dylan and wrapped his arms around him so tight, his dad gasped. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

  Dylan put an arm around the boy’s back. “I said she was family, and we take care of our own. I just didn’t wanna say anything ‘til it was done.”

  Jesse nodded, his head still tight against Dylan.

  Tentatively, Sue Ellen stepped closer to where Jesse stood with Dylan and Skye. Her eyes looked larger when she looked up at them. One of her hands moved to her
hair and twisted a curl, making it even tighter. “Thank you, sir. It means a lot to me to be back with Jesse ‘n all.”

  Skye smiled. The girl was cute as a button.

  Wade whispered that his heart was nearly ripping from his chest.

  Dylan took her small hand. “It’s my pleasure to be bring the two of you back together.”

  The judge cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to interrupt this family reunion, but we have some other things that need to be discussed.”

  Skye nodded as the three adults turned their attention back to him.

  Word had arrived before the magistrate in the form of a letter. It said Judge Anthony Munson was a fair and honorable man, but his way of judging had changed after the near collapse of the justice system. Gone was the tangled web that used to be called justice. Instead, he offered a quick, clean trial with judgment served the same day. If you didn’t like it, you were free to find someone else.

  Judge Munson had his own set of rules when it came to testimony, all of which seemed fair and reasonable. Only one worried Skye, posing a problem Tom had brought to her attention.

  “I’ve had a sit down with Sheriff Tom Jackson,” Judge Munson said. “He and I went over his report. The men in custody, Calvin, Tony, and Pete, can rightfully be charged with assault of both you and Jesse, as well as attempted murder of you, Ms. Jackson. However, much as Sheriff Jackson wants to add on this long list of other crimes, there is no proof for them.”

  He picked up a paper, scanning it. “Sheriff Jackson would like capital punishment to be on the table, and that will not happen for attempted murder. He suggested I talk to you about this.”

  This caught Jesse’s attention. “He killed my dad!”

  “Yes. Calvin committed murder with plenty of witnesses. He can be charged with murder. However, the others didn’t have a hand in that, did they?”

  It took all Skye could do not to outright lie. But Tony and Pete had seemed as surprised as everyone else when Calvin pulled the trigger.

  Stiffly, she nodded. “But when they pursued us through the woods, they detailed other crimes they committed. They were very explicit. I could write it down if it would help.”

  “I see,” Judge Munson said. “I’m afraid that isn’t good enough.”

  “My mom ain’t lying," Jesse shot back. “I was there too.”

  “Yes, I understand, son,” the judge said. “What I meant was the confession of the men wasn’t good enough. There is no evidence those crimes were ever committed. I need two witnesses or for them to officially confess them to a law officer.”

  “They confessed them to her.” Dylan waved a hand at Skye. “Wade and I were deputized, and we weren’t more than a few yards away.”

  Judge Munson’s calm demeanor prevailed. “I know this is frustrating. But they are alleging they made up the crimes to scare Ms. Jackson and Jesse into doing what they wanted.”

  The brothers exchanged a glance. Dylan shook his head and scoffed.

  “We should’ve killed them when we had the chance,” Wade said.

  “And then you would’ve been sitting in jail,” Judge Munson countered.

  “Would’ve been worth it to see the scum gone.”

  The judge raised and lowered his hands as he tried to calm the room. “They can still get life in prison. We have plenty of witnesses for that.”

  Before being attacked by these men, Skye had been unsure of the death penalty. But face to face with the violence the men were capable of, she now firmly believed it was the right thing to do in this circumstance.

  “How is life in prison practical now?” Skye asked.

  “Well, ma’am,” Judge Munson replied, “that really isn’t up to me. I’m called in to make a judgment, and that’s what I do. Since there's not much formal government right now, what your town does with my decision is up to you. Obviously, a smaller crime with a smaller sentence is easier to handle. This one would be tricky.”

  Skye looked at the planks in the wood floor. Tom would hold to the letter of the law, even when that law was as shaky as it was now. Tension rolled off Dylan and Wade. If this is how the case was left, it could erupt into a fight between them and Tom. The judge had practically told them his judgment wasn’t much more than words.

  Skye laid a hand on Dylan’s arm, hoping to calm him, but instead, the jumping of his arm muscle put her more on edge. The man was doing everything he could to hold himself in check.

  She looked to the judge, hoping he had a solution. “What can I do?”

  “Well, Ms. Jackson,” he said, “I’m glad you asked that. Seems Calvin has a giant-sized bee in his bonnet over you. Against my advice, he’s representing the group, so he will be questioning the witnesses, and that includes you. You could try riling him up a bit as he does so. Try to get him to confess to something in open court.”

  Skye glanced at Dylan, who looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She knew what he was asking. Could she handle being questioned by Calvin after everything he had put her through? Could she then turn it around on him and use his questioning against him?

  Dylan had every right to question her ability to do that, especially after her reaction at the jail. But she would do what she needed to do to keep those men away from Jesse.

  Skye turned back to the judge. “I absolutely can do that.”

  “Good. Then we have no problem.”

  Skye nodded, but her stomach tensed when she realized everything now depended on her.

  Skye pulled her coat tighter as they stepped back into the chilly night. The two children clattered down the stairs, holding onto each other. She smiled as she warned them, “Don’t get ahead of us.”

  Jesse’s automatic, “Yes, ma’am”, was followed by Sue Ellen’s as she cast a scared look back over her shoulder. Sue Ellen had looked frightened from the moment she’d peeked around the corner. Was that because everything the girl had been through, or were her eyes just very round naturally? Either way Skye’s heart went out to the child. Jesse's sister had just lost her grandmother, whom she'd lived with for years, and who knows what else she'd gone through. Hopefully, Sue Ellen would settle into the family as easily as Jesse had.

  As they walked back home, Skye racked her brain for some fool-proof way to get Calvin to confess to what he and the others had done, but she couldn’t think of anything. A twig snapped under her boot and brought her back to the present. She blew out a long breath, creating a small white cloud she walked through.

  “Don’t worry, darlin’,” Dylan said. “You’ll figure it out. I’ll help you however I can.”

  She threw her arm around his waist and hugged him as they walked. “You’re the best guy I know. Always there for me and look at those two. Look what you did!” She pointed to Jesse and Sue Ellen. The girl hung onto her brother’s arm as they walked and talked.

  Dylan's face reddened just a little bit before he cleared his throat. “Yeah, well—” he said.

  She hopped up to kiss his cheek. “Yeah, well,” she repeated and smiled.

  When they got home, Jesse pulled Sue Ellen into the house and showed her around as the adults watched from the door.

  “That little girl is the sweetest thing I ever saw,” Wade said as the other's nodded. "Looks like we have ourselves another little addition to our family.”

  13

  Tension

  Jesse looked over the railing into the cabin below. Nervous energy had filled the cabin from the moment he’d woke up. The trial began today, and everyone was on edge.

  Skye rushed around the kitchen, preparing breakfast before they left. It wasn't her day to make the morning meal, but Dylan and Wade needed to check the traps before they went to court.

  He and Sue Ellen sat in the loft. The last time Jesse had spent this much time up here was when Dylan and Wade had gone to battle. Skye had been with him, and the two had spent the entire day worrying about the brothers.

  Last night, Dylan had helped pushed things around to make some room for a real bed. S
ince Jesse had promised Sue Ellen his room, he needed somewhere better than the couch.

  The crack of eggshells and eggs sizzling made its way up to the loft.

  "Mom!" Jesse said as he hung over the rough wood banister, "Remember not to cook mine too long."

  "Yes, dear." Skye's tone was overly patient. It was his regular request even though she'd only overcooked his eggs once. However, in Jesse’s opinion, even once was too much.

  Sue Ellen pursed her lips. In a hissing whisper, she said, "You call her Mom? She ain't our momma."

  Jesse shrugged, then straightened some of his model cars he’d brought up, not wanting to upset his sister. But Sue Ellen did not let it go.

  She wagged her finger at him, her voice becoming fierce as she added, "Our momma wouldn't like that."

  "Well, she ain't here." He could see from her expression that it wasn't going to be enough. "I don't hardly remember our momma. And from what I do, she wasn't all that good to us."

  "Still, she was our momma." She stabbed her finger toward the kitchen below. "That one ain't."

  "She's mine." Jesse was insistent. This was something his sister would need to accept.

  With fingers like iron, Sue Ellen grabbed Jesse's shoulder and shook it. "She ain't."

  Jesse looked at her hand as it squeezed tighter and tighter. He slowly removed it and placed her hand on her knee. Sue Ellen didn't know how things were supposed to go. "We don't do that here, Sue Ellen."

  Her eyes narrowed.

  "Your my big sister, but there are some things you don't know, so I want you to listen." Jesse sighed when she made an exaggerated eye roll, then continued. "Mom—Skye—has saved my life more'n once. Even got herself almost killed saving me. That is what a parent does for their kid. That's how much she loves me. She earned the right to be my mom. Nobody else ever did that."