by Ryan King
“What business?” asked Joshua.
Nathan turned to Luke. “Go ahead and prepare the prisoners. I’ll be along shortly.” Luke nodded and moved away. “Everyone, give us a minute,” Nathan said, and the small group of officers moved away from them.
Joshua nodded at Conrad who followed Luke. “I heard there was a mutiny?”
Nathan sighed heavily. “An entire regiment tried to desert in the middle of everything. We couldn’t let that happen. Fortunately, General Carter was able to get them to surrender with minimal casualties.”
Looking out over the McCraken Regiment, Joshua saw men with looks that ranged from shock, to fear, to defiance.
“Surely you’re not going to hang them all,” said Joshua, pointing at the gallows.
“No. Just the officers. Ultimately, this is their fault and their responsibility.”
General Carter walked to the center of the compound and stood at attention. He bellowed, “Army. Atten-tion!”
Each unit in unison came to attention with a loud echo of boots. The condemned regiment remained slouched in its current position.
“Bring forward the condemned!” Luke ordered, and a small door was opened to a shack off to the side. A line of shackled men in uniforms without rank were marched out and lined up before the gallows.
Joshua gasped. The line kept going on and on. “Surely not all of them,” he said to his father. “There has to be fifty men there.”
“Sixty-two to be exact, and five women,” answered Nathan.
“You’re going to hang sixty-seven JP citizens?”
Nathan turned to him with an angry stare. “You think I want to do this? Everything is on a razor’s edge right now. I’m holding this army together by sheer force of will. It would take nothing for it to collapse, and then everything could be lost.”
“I understand, but couldn’t you just lock them up?”
“Where?” asked Nathan. “And for how long? I think I’ve been more than generous.” He pointed his finger at the mass of dejected soldiers standing before the gallows. “Every one of them rightly deserves to be hanged for their mutiny, but I’ve ordered them pardoned. There has to be some consequence for this action, or others might take the same course in the future.”
Joshua looked back at the men standing before the gallows. “It just doesn’t seem right.”
Nathan snorted. “Nothing about this is right.” He saw Luke looking at him and nodded. Luke Carter in turn pointed to an officer standing near the gallows.
The officer stepped forward and read from a piece of paper. “Officers of the McCraken Regiment. You have been found guilty of mutiny and sedition during a time of war in a trial by a court-martial. You have been sentenced to death by hanging.” He then turned to several soldiers standing near the prisoners. “Guard Detail. Bring forward the first line.”
Ten men were marched forward and up the steps of the gallows to the ten nooses waiting for them. Once they were standing in front of the nooses, they were turned to face the crowd. The first man in the line yelled out, “This isn’t right! Someone stop this!”
Carter nodded, and a guard behind each prisoner placed a hood over their heads.
“Don’t do it,” pleaded Joshua. “There has to be another way.”
“I wish there were,” said Nathan.
A chaplain stepped up onto the center of the gallows holding a large Bible.
There was a murmur to their rear and cries of pain. Despite being at attention, soldiers started to turn and look at what was going on.
“Stop right now, or I’ll shoot,” came a voice.
Joshua looked and saw a huge black man. He carried a large cudgel with a fresh smear of blood on one end. He was dusty and walked with slumped shoulders and led a mule that looked just as tired.
“Don’t shoot!” Joshua yelled out. “Hold your fire.”
Looking up at the voice, Trailer adjusted his advance and approached Nathan and Joshua. When he was in front of them, he dropped the reins of his mule and leaned forward with both hands on his cudgel. “I have news,” he said.
“It can wait,” said Nathan, turning back to the gallows.
Trailer’s big hand reached out and grasped Nathan’s shoulder and forcefully turned him back around. There were several gasps of surprise from the vast formation of soldiers. “No, it can’t.”
Nathan stared hard and him. “What is it?”
Trailer gazed around and then leaned forward and in a soft voice said, “Reggie Phillips is dead. He was assassinated four days ago.”
Nathan shook his head. “You’re mistaken. I’ve talked to people who heard the radio broadcast. He was just wounded.”
“No,” said Trailer. “I was there with him. He’s definitely dead. Missus Phillips sent me to tell you. Said you would know what to do.”
Looking back at the gallows, Nathan saw that everything had stopped and all eyes were on them, wondering what this is about.
“Whatever you decide to do,” Trailer said, leaning back up, “I suggest you do it quickly. I get the feeling things are about to come apart.”
“Dead?” asked Joshua in a whisper. “Are you sure?”
Trailer just nodded.
Nathan stood staring at the ground for a second, and then shook his head. He walked up to the front of the gallows and stood in front of the prisoners. “Colonel Bowers. As commander of your unit, you are invested with trust and authority to do the will of your nation. You have violated that trust and put your nation in peril. For that, you are sentenced to die.” Nathan paused and looked the other prisoners. “Officers of the McCraken Regiment, you have proven yourselves unworthy of leadership. I hereby commute your sentence of death, but strip you of all rank. From this point forward, you are privates.”
He turned around to the McCraken Regiment. “You soldiers will be subject to hard labor and duty until you have proven yourself worthy of trust. Officers will be appointed over you from outside of your unit. Any further instances of rebellion or desertion will be dealt with most harshly,” Nathan said then nodded at Luke.
Carter looked up at the gallows. “Guard detail, remove all the prisoners from the platform with the exception of Colonel Bowers.”
“You can’t do this!” yelled out Bowers. “You don’t have that authority!”
The chaplain moved to the condemned man and spoke to him for several minutes and prayed before exiting the platform himself.
Carter pointed at Bowers, and a noose and a hood were placed over the man’s head and tightened into place. To the man’s credit, he stood up straight and kept quiet. Nathan then nodded when Carter and the guard detail looked at him.
A man pulled on a lever and ten trapdoors opened, with only one body falling to a jerk and a swing.
“Commanders, take charge of your units and return to duty!” yelled out Carter. He then marched over to stand with Nathan, Joshua, and Trailer. “That was unexpected, but not unwise,” Carter said.
“President Phillips is dead,” Nathan told him. “I must return immediately. I’m relinquishing command to you.”
If Luke Carter was surprised, he didn’t show it. “What are your orders, sir?”
“Destroy Lacert and his forces,” Nathan said.
“What about them?” Carter asked, tilting his head towards the regiment and the line of prisoners.
Nathan looked around and saw Conrad. He motioned him forward. When the big man was standing before him, Nathan reached out a hand, and Conrad took it. “Congratulations, Colonel.”
“Congratulations? Colonel?”
“You’re now the acting commander of the McCraken Regiment.”
“What?” said Conrad and Joshua in unison.
“Effective immediately,” said Nathan. “You are to take your orders from General Carter.”
“You mean I’m supposed to assume command of a unit where the commander has just been executed and all the officers stripped of their rank? A unit that has already tried to desert? A county r
egiment made up of volunteers from a county I’m not even a part of? Hell, I’m not even from the JP!”
“I admit the position is not without its challenges,” said Nathan.
“Challenges,” said Conrad. “Every soldier in that unit is going to hate me.”
“What, you’re worried they won’t like you?” asked Carter.
Conrad looked flustered. “Well, yeah,” he finally said.
“If it makes you feel any better,” said Joshua, “nobody likes you anyway. Besides, I’ll be there to help you.”
“No, you won’t,” said Nathan. “You’re going back to the JP with me, and don’t waste time arguing with me.”
“What am I supposed to do for new officers?” asked Conrad.
“I’d pick people you can trust,” answered Nathan.
“Our people,” said Joshua. “The detachment we brought with us. It’s going to be tough, but they’re loyal to you.”
“Damn,” said Conrad. “I did not see this coming.”
“No one did,” answered Joshua, shaking the man’s hand. “Take care of the troops.” He looked over at the dejected soldiers of the McCraken Regiment. “All of them.”
“We better go,” said Trailer.
“Our vehicles will make better time,” said Joshua and then looked at Wildcat, “although you might have to leave your mule.”
Trailer looked at the mule and then at Conrad. “Mind taking care of her for me?”
“Not at all,” said Conrad. “Might make her the new unit mascot. And she’s not a she by the way.”
“To me, she is,” answered Trailer.
“Take a company of soldiers with you,” said Luke. “You might need them on the way.”
“Or when you get there,” quipped Trailer.
Nathan nodded. “We’ll do that, and thanks.”
“Anything else before you go?” Carter asked.
Staring at the gallows, Nathan said, “Yeah, bury Bowers, but don’t let anyone touch that. Leave it up as a reminder.”
Chapter 8 – Committee Meeting
Joshua fought coming with him, but Nathan wanted his son to have nothing to do with what was coming. He sent him instead on a meaningless mission to try to assess the damage to Kentucky Dam. Nathan already had a very good idea of the damage.
Nathan was on his way to see Janice when he heard of an emergency meeting of the JP Executive Council and knew that was where he needed to be. A veteran of numerous meetings of the like, he knew what would be happening there. Even in the best of times, they were gatherings of difficult men trying to push self-serving agendas at each other in return for future favors.
When Nathan arrived at the USECO plant in Paducah where the meetings were typically held, he saw a small group of citizens held away from the main bunker complex by a squad of local police. Both groups parted without a word as he and his men strode into the facility.
It was evident they were running the generator. The facility would have been as dark as a cave without them. Nathan wondered if the vast underground complex would get much use when the fuel finally all went bad. Maybe it might be useful as storage as long as folks had an ample supply of torches or lanterns run on rendered animal fat oil.
Before he even reached the meeting council room, he could hear angry voices. There was plenty to be angry about, Nathan admitted. Fuel reserves going bad, the hydroelectric dam destroyed, an unpopular and costly war in the south, malaria ravaging the population, and now the only clear leader assassinated with no line of succession in place. He was about to make their problems worse…or better, depending on how they chose to look at it.
“We must hold immediate elections,” one voice was yelling. “That is the only way to resolve this situation.”
“Elections now?” asked another voice. “Are you crazy? With the people’s mood the way it is? They would go for some radical that could doom everything.”
“Besides, how could we organize an election without a means to inform people?”
“We should govern by Executive Council until elections can be held,” said someone else. “We can meet once a week or maybe twice a month to address any issues.”
“That’ll be really efficient. With all that’s going on we’re going to govern by committee through bi-monthly meetings?”
“Well, what do you suggest?” someone asked.
“We select someone in this room as the interim president,” another suggested. Other voices seemed to agree to this idea until another squabble broke out about which of them would assume the position.
Nathan strode into the room along with a half dozen soldiers. It took several seconds for members of the committee to notice him. When they did, the room slowly grew still.
“There will be no interim president,” said Nathan. “President Phillips declared martial law, which is still in effect. As the Chief of Defense and senior member of his cabinet, I will govern in his stead until the election can be held.”
“And when will that be?” asked Wayne Lotts of Marshal County.
Nathan turned to him. “To be honest, I don’t know. The sooner the better, as I want this position about as much as you want me to have it, but it’s not real high on my priorities right now.”
“The Chief of Defense is not in the line of succession,” said Brad William of McCraken County.
“There was no clear line of succession established,” Nathan answered. “Everyone assumed having a vice president would be enough, but that position has been vacant since Ethan Schweitzer took over as president. In the absence of clear procedures, and the existence of martial law, I’m assuming authority.”
“You’re declaring yourself president?” asked Lotts incredulously.
Nathan shook his head. “I mean to have little authority as I need to keep the peace and win the war. After that, I’ll step aside.”
“How do we know we can trust you?” asked the Paducah Mayor Leslie Mitchell.
Nathan smiled. “Because if I really wanted to seize power in a coup d’état, I would have come in here and killed all of you.”
They looked at the soldiers nervously.
“But I don’t want to be in charge. I never have. My intention as much as possible is to govern through you people. The Executive Council meetings are a good idea, and let’s plan on meeting once a week. Anything I can hold off making a decision on until that meeting I will try to do so.”
“And if you say a decision can’t wait?” asked Williams.
“Then I’ll do what I believe is best and inform you afterwards,” Nathan answered. “Winning the war is the top priority right now.”
Mitchell moved up to the front of the room. “Maybe we need to reconsider our priorities in light of recent events.”
“How would you suggest doing that?” asked Nathan.
“The war is obviously not going well,” continued Mitchell. “They have shown with the rocket attack that they have weapons we do not. What is to prevent them from raining bombs down on all of our towns and cities?”
“Nothing,” answered Nathan, “except our soldiers destroying their capability to do such a thing.”
“Perhaps we should be courting them as an ally rather than an enemy,” said Mitchell, turning to the rest of the room for support. “War might not be the answer.”
Nathan fought to control his anger. Mitchell had run like a coward when Paducah had needed him on several occasions, yet he appeared to lack the basic ability to feel shame. Any other man would have resigned.
“Under any other adversary, I might agree with you,” said Nathan, “but we are dealing with a bloodthirsty madman named Vincent Lacert. Maybe some of you remember him?”
People in the room looked around at each other nervously. Several had actually had the unfortunate experience of meeting the man.
Nathan continued on. “The security of the JP, I would say even the continued existence of the JP, depends on removing Lacert from power. Once that happens, maybe we can reassess relations with Hunts
ville.”
“And we’re just supposed to follow your lead in the meanwhile?” asked Mitchell.
“No. You’re supposed to do everything within your power to keep people calm and productive. Enforce the curfew and rationing. No riots, no demonstrations, no large gatherings of more than ten persons except for family events, funerals, education, or religious events.”
“Does that include us?” asked Lotts, looking around at the two dozen people in the room.
Nathan stared at them silently for a moment. “It does indeed. Like I said, we will meet once a week, but you are not to meet without my permission or presence.”
“And if we do?” asked Williams.
“Then I’ll have you arrested and your position filled with someone of my choosing.”
Mitchell sucked in his breath. “You wouldn’t dare, not even you.”
“You would give me no choice,” explained Nathan. “This is martial law, which means extraordinary measures for unusual circumstances.”
“I hope you realize that you’ll have to answer for everything when this is all over,” said Williams.
Nathan nodded. “That is my hope. It will mean we will have survived long enough for there to be a reckoning.”
A soldier walked in from outside and whispered in Nathan’s ear. “I’m sorry, gentlemen. I have urgent business elsewhere. Please gather your belongings before you leave.”
“You’re kicking us out?” asked Mitchell.
“This meeting is over,” answered Nathan. “We will meet again at noon on Monday. Until then, these facilities will be secured and guarded. Now please leave and remember what I said about your duties.”
“Like we could forget,” quipped someone as they filed out of the room. Some glared at him while others refused to acknowledge his existence.
When the room was empty, Nathan was about to turn off the lights when he glanced to where Reggie normally sat. In the chaos of the meeting, the president’s chair had been overturn and was lying on its side.
Nathan walked over slowly and carefully picked the chair back up and slid it under the table. He patted the leather of the headrest and missed his friend.
