If Ellie had been thinking more clearly she would've headed for Bruce's car and had him drive her there, since all this rushing wasn't speeding things up at all. But Stanberry wasn't a particularly large town, and the camp was right outside it, so at a fast jog it would only take a few minutes.
She noticed Borden and the people with him had elected to tag along, which was good; the more people they had asking questions, the more pressure Gorstrom would feel to take them seriously and not just brush them off. On the way through the town they picked up a few more people as well, concerned citizens who'd gotten wind of what was going on and also wanted answers.
Before long Ellie was past the barricade and striding briskly towards the relief workers' camp. Thankfully it was fairly small, so it didn't take long to find the town and camp leaders. Especially since they were all in the open, sitting in a huddle around a table beneath a canopy drinking cans of soda under the bored supervision of a couple of soldiers.
They were talking in low, worried voices, expressions tense, as Ellie and Borden arrived with their group. She'd heard Starr was one of the ones taken, but she didn't see him; was he still with Gorstrom, being interviewed or whatever? Or maybe he'd already been allowed to leave, although that seemed optimistic under the circumstances.
She expected to have to talk her way past the soldiers guarding Darby and Starr and the others, but the men just nodded politely as they approached. Probably they were just there to make sure their “guests” didn't leave.
“Here comes the cavalry,” Darby said with weary sarcasm as they all crowded around the pavilion. “Hope you're ready to bust out the pitchforks, because Gorstrom isn't in the mood to be reasoned with.”
The soldiers shot the mayor dirty looks at that, and one muttered something into his headset; calling for backup? “What's going on?” Ellie asked before things got out of hand. “Have they told you?”
“Sure,” Johnny said with a snort. He looked more angry than Ellie had ever seen him, even during the fight against Jay. “We're all under arrest for stuff we did to defend our loved ones when the government left us to fend for ourselves.”
There was an angry murmur from the crowd, and Ellie noticed a few more soldiers hurrying towards the pavilion, holding crowd control equipment; forget out of hand, violence could actually break out here if cooler heads didn't prevail.
To her relief, before that could happen a commotion near Gorstrom's tent heralded Starr emerging, led by Lieutenant Morris, who Ellie had worked with while helping out with the vaccinations. Starr looked more resigned than angry at the situation, and he followed the officer meekly as Morris walked him over to the pavilion.
The lieutenant had to notice the tension in the air, but if so he showed no sign of it as he waved towards the other leaders. “Time to pack it up, folks,” he said amiably. “You're free to go, for now. Just don't try to run off . . . you'll only get more charges piled up against you.”
That went a long way towards calming the crowd, although Ellie was keenly aware of that “for now”. And she still didn't know what was going on, or whether Nick was in trouble too.
The town and camp leaders gratefully stirred to their feet, following Morris towards the edge of camp closest to the town. The rest of the crowd trailed behind, the tension in the air dissipating with every step towards the reassuring bulk of the barricade.
Ellie doubted Darby or the others would be so quick to agree to leave the safety of the town or quarantine camp at the relief workers' insistence after this. Although they probably wouldn't have much choice in the matter.
Morris stopped at the edge of camp, leaving them to continue on towards town unescorted. “By the way, Mayor,” he called after them as they headed for the roadblock, “your tip about the arsonists was bunk. I just hope you're clueless and weren't deliberately lying . . . you're already in enough trouble.”
Ellie was appalled at what she was hearing. “You ratted out Chet and Ben?” she demanded when they were out of earshot of the camp. She couldn't believe that just a few days ago she'd extended an olive branch to this weasel.
Darby hunched his shoulders defensively, looking even more exhausted and sickly. “Morris asked where they were, and I saw no reason not to cooperate.”
“No reason-” Bruce spluttered, looking equally outraged. “They're our friends! They fought to defend our families and the town. And you'd sell them out to save your own hide?”
The Mayor's expression darkened, although he glanced warily at the people around them. “I didn't do anything of the sort. Those two are guilty of a serious crime, one which I shouldn't have to remind you kept the war against Wensbrook going when all Jay's people were ready to call it quits. Not to mention they're guilty of assault and battery, too, against Tony Dryden. I only cooperated with the legal authorities.”
He looked around the group meaningfully. “And considering how much Gorstrom knew before she even talked to me, I'm not the only one who was forthcoming with information.”
Some of Ellie's outrage morphed into chagrin at that, since she herself hadn't hesitated to tell the relief administrator what had happened during the fight with Wensbrook when asked. In fact, if Nick was in trouble now then he might largely be there because of Ellie's own testimony.
That stoked her fury again, although not so much at Darby anymore. “Since when does a relief agency or the military have the right to arrest and pass judgment on American citizens?” she snapped.
“The President gave them that authority,” Darby shot back. “Are you saying you're on the side of criminals?”
Ellie shook her head bitterly and split off from the group; she didn't want to waste any more time talking to Darby. Gen and Hal stuck with her, and after a brief hesitation Bruce joined them as well, muttering darkly and shooting angry looks back at the mayor.
Ellie's steps took her back towards the camp she'd just left, to try to find Nick and make sure he'd been released too. And if not, she'd have to find some way to convince the town, the camp, or Gorstrom herself to help him.
Because none of this was right.
✽✽✽
Nick straightened as Corporal Preston tilted his head, listening in his headset.
About time.
The corporal murmured a reply, then motioned curtly. “All right, Statton let's go.”
Trying to hide his trepidation, Nick stood and followed the soldier to Gorstrom's tent. He was feeling less and less confident about his ability to convince the administrator to let his friends go, but he was determined to try.
Gorstrom was waiting for him in the doorway. When he'd seen her previously at a distance she'd seemed cool, composed, and absolutely in control. Now, up close, he saw the obvious tension in her features, a weight of responsibility nearly visibly bowing her shoulders.
He could empathize; he'd only led a relative few people at a time, but he understood the extra burden that came with it. And she was in charge of coordinating dozens of soldiers and relief workers, which had to be far more stressful.
Speaking of the responsibility of leadership, that was probably a good thing to lead with. “I'd like to speak on behalf of Chet and Ben McCleese,” he said as she stepped aside and ushered him to a folding chair in front of her portable desk.
Gorstrom looked a bit taken aback as she settled into her own chair. “You, ah, understand I had my people bring you in because I wanted to speak about you, right?”
Well, that sounded a bit ominous. “Maybe. But I want to talk about them. They're good men, and they don't deserve to be arrested. Ever since I've met them they've done nothing but help others, even at the risk of their own safety. They fought to defend us all against Jay . . . in fact we'd probably still be dealing with his attacks without them, since they're the ones who chased him down and got him to give up.”
She sighed. “Yes, I'm well aware of the nuances of your conflict with Wensbrook. I've spent the last three days taking testimony from everyone involved to get a clear picture of
what happened. That's part of why you're here, in fact . . . to get your own testimony.”
The administrator leaned forward, eyes narrowed. “I understand that Jay was the aggressor. I even know that Chester and Benjamin McCleese's house was vandalized by Wensbrook, and they'd also just learned of the Zolos outbreak in the camp, so they believed they had justification.”
“Believed?” Nick demanded incredulously. “It was a war, and everything we were doing to try to defend ourselves wasn't working. They did what they did to protect their loved ones.” He leaned forward intently. “Did you know Chet has a fiancee? They're planning their wedding.”
Gorstrom looked equal parts amused and irritated. “Most criminals have some reason for us to sympathize with them, Mr. Statton.” He opened his mouth, but she spoke over him. “But it doesn't matter. Our nation has been engulfed in chaos for the last few months, and if we're to have any hope of getting past this crisis then law and order must be restored. And the law is clear that just because you've been the victim of a crime, that doesn't give you the right to commit a crime yourself.”
Nick felt his heart sink at her implacable tone. “What's going to happen to them, then?”
“They'll serve a sentence,” she said firmly. Then she paused. “But it won't be prison. Because the rebuilding effort is our highest priority, the President has authorized us to offer leniency to criminals. If they agree to join the rebuilding, they'll receive reduced sentences and enjoy far more comfort and autonomy than most prisoners.”
“But they'll still serve sentences,” Nick stated. “Chet will have to leave his fiancee, they'll both have to leave their aging and Zolos-weakened father. Because they fought to defend Stanberry when a maniac was attacking us.”
“Yes, I'm afraid so.” Gorstrom paused, staring at him keenly. “But right now you should be more worried about yourself.”
He blinked, thoughts juddering to a halt and struggling to switch gears. “Me? Like I told your corporal, I didn't order them to burn down those houses. I didn't even know about it. In fact, I still don't know for sure it was them.”
“Yes, I believe you're telling the truth.” She leaned back in her chair again, appraising him. “Maybe you could answer some questions about what happened during this fight with Jay. Help me understand your perspective.”
Nick hesitated, then nodded warily.
For a few seconds of uncomfortable silence Gorstrom seemed to be gathering her thoughts. “All the witnesses I've spoken to agree on one point,” she began in a careful voice. “After Jay spent weeks prosecuting this war against you with ever increasing brutality, and the one thing you'd been certain of the entire time was that he was never going to stop unless he was stopped, at the last second he conveniently decided to off himself. Is that what happened?”
He tensed. “It is. What are you suggesting, that we killed him and lied about it?”
Gorstrom stared at him keenly. “It seems to make more sense that way.”
He could admit he lost his temper a bit, her sitting behind her desk in this tent, judging him and his friends. “And what if we had killed him?” he snapped. “Jay caused massive death and suffering. He murdered the leader of our town's defenses in cold blood, and nearly killed our mayor. He tried to burn down the town, twice, and deliberately spread Zolos to hundreds of people.”
She opened her mouth, but he kept going firmly. “He'd just shot his own best friend three feet from me while I was holding my daughter. He kept shooting at me and my friends as we pursued him. Why would we lie about how he died, when nobody would bat an eye at us shooting him in the middle of a fight?”
The relief administrator subsided and settled back in her chair, waiting patiently for him to continue. Although it was anyone's guess whether his words were having any impact.
Nick took a deep breath, forcing calm. “I think shooting his friend jostled some sanity back into his skull. Then when he tripped and fell in that clearing, he must've realized he was caught at that point. He chose to go out like a coward instead of facing justice for what he'd done.”
“Perhaps you're telling the truth,” Gorstrom said. “But that was just one event in what sounds like a brutal protracted conflict, and everyone responsible for that tragedy must face justice . . . like I said, law and order will be upheld.”
Nick lost his temper again. “So that's it? We spent weeks under siege, asking for help from anyone out there. Not a peep from you during all that time. But after we acted to protect ourselves and finally found peace, you waltz in and suddenly decide that law and order matters?”
He waved towards the wall of the tent. “Are you out scouring the countryside for Jay's people, who repeatedly attacked us and killed innocent people? Or do you just want to lock away the people who've cooperated with you ever since you arrived, because we defended themselves when law and order were nowhere to be found? You weren't here, you have no idea what happened.”
Gorstrom stared at him with eyes like granite. “No idea,” she repeated quietly. “Mr. Statton, I've personally witnessed conflict like this half a dozen times. I've seen the aftermath so many times I can't count. There are close to a thousand towns and cities in Missouri and I've been through dozens of them, even before we got the vaccine and began actively trying to pick up the pieces. You think you're the only ones who've seen turmoil?”
She fell silent, waiting for a response to her rhetorical question, and held that silence for what seemed like an uncomfortable eternity. Then she leaned forward, steepling her fingers on the desk. “We've seen unimaginable violence during the Zolos pandemic. Part of putting it behind us is making sure that those who took advantage of the chaos to harm innocents are publicly brought to justice.”
Nick opened his mouth, but she held up a hand and continued sharply. “That said, I'm not blind to the extenuating circumstances. If we arrested everyone who defended themselves in the chaos, we'd have prisons full to bursting with good people and we'd never be able to rebuild this country.”
That eased his worry somewhat, although he was still angry at her after the fact judgment of him and his friends.
Gorstrom must've seen him relax, because she nodded in satisfaction. “That is our priority, Mr. Statton. Rebuilding our country. Criminals like your two arsonist friends, and many others we've confirmed have committed crimes in Stanberry and the quarantine camp since this crisis started, will be working to repair the damage they caused, with their crimes pardoned after they've served their time.”
“And I'm one of those criminals too? Because I defended my family and the town?”
She blew out her breath irritably, some of her stress and weariness briefly breaking through her professional exterior. “Like I said, we can't go after everyone who defended themselves, nor would it be just. But you're not exactly blameless in this war. In fact, you're probably the most guilty of creating the circumstances that caused this conflict.”
Nick's heart sank as he suddenly realized where this was going. And that he couldn't exactly argue it.
The administrator continued relentlessly. “Which is why I've got my eye on you, your scavengers, and all the town leaders who authorized your scavenging. Whatever altruism motivated your actions, you still robbed hundreds of houses and caused a great deal of suffering for dozens of people.”
Even guessing what she was going to say, he still felt a surge of outrage. “Wensbrook was abandoned, and with that food we kept an entire town and a quarantine camp fed while we couldn't get you guys to answer us on the radio.”
“Even so,” Gorstrom said placidly. “A lot of grief was caused by your actions.”
Nick closed his eyes. Part of him couldn't feel resentment for her blaming him for his part in things, since he'd certainly blamed himself plenty. He could even admit that he should probably face consequences for what he'd done, assuming Jay's insane war wasn't consequence enough.
But at the same time, he didn't want to be taken away from his kids, from Gen and the life the
y were rebuilding here. If Gorstrom was going on a justice rampage and he was square in her sights, he might lose it all.
“You really did bring me in to arrest me, then?” he asked. “While I was trying to speak on my friends' behalf, you were sitting there laughing behind your hand that I was in the same boat and you didn't have the decency to tell me.”
“Not . . . exactly.” She sighed. “Just like if we tried to arrest everyone who defended themselves, if we arrested everyone who broke the law while trying to avoid starving to death, we'd end up arresting half the country and our dreams of rebuilding would be over. And from everything I've heard, you at least attempted to minimize the damage done by your scavenging, and only took things the town absolutely needed. That puts you in the vast minority among those who resorted to scavenging, and often indulged in some senseless destruction at the same time.”
Nick thought of Chase and his hoard of stolen valuables, but now seemed like a bad time to bring that up.
Gorstrom's lips twisted wryly, as if she'd noticed his sudden uneasiness. But she didn't press the issue, continuing briskly. “Besides, mercenary as it seems, we can't exactly go around arresting people with useful skillsets and putting them to work doing manual labor like clearing debris if we're to have any hope of restoring the infrastructure.”
Nick blinked. “Useful skills? I'm a programmer.”
Before Zolos his abilities had certainly been useful and valued, even if he'd been going through a recent spate of financial issues. But now? What use was programming in rebuilding the country after a pandemic?
“Yes, and there's a surprising lack of those around,” Gorstrom said. She shook her head with a sigh. “Skilled professionals tended to live in cities, and got hit hard by Zolos. We need people with technical expertise to help restore infrastructure that in many cases few people know how to operate or maintain anymore, since all those who did died to the virus. Especially since one of our big goals is getting the phone and internet services back online nationwide to aid with coordinating the rebuilding process. Not to mention to benefit the surviving population.”
Isolation | Book 4 | Holding On Page 28
