Found (Book 1 of the Haven's Army Trilogy) [COMPLETED]

Chapter 24

Everyone was in shock the next day, especially the people who had slept through it.

James was put back on probation and was left in his cell downstairs.

I was still in charge of bringing him food. When I went in, he was against the wall, clutching his knees. When he saw me, he looked hopeful.

"Charlotte, I..."

"Shut up," I growled. "You don't deserve to talk to me."

"I didn't kill him," he said pleadingly.

"Likely story," I spat.

"Please..." he begged.

"Who was holding the knife, James?" I asked. "Who had blood all over their hands?"

"I swear I didn't do it!" he cried.

"I trusted you," I said. I left.

The day went on. No one visited James. His cell was cleaned out. He wasn't allowed utensils to eat with. He couldn't have any means of weapons. The cell was kept locked and the key in Naomi's cabin, where she was all day long.

Many people wanted James dead but others knew we couldn't do that. We needed him for whatever reason.

"Charlotte!" I turned to see Emma jogging up, a slight smile on her face. "I know you were really close to James and I'm sure the incident last night really hurt you."

"Yeah so what?" I snapped. She cringed. "Sorry," I said.

She shook her head. "I was just wondering if you wanted me to start taking him his meals so you don't have to see him."

I relaxed. "If you want to. You don't have to."

She shrugged. "It's okay. I'll do it. I'm not afraid of him."

I smiled. "Thanks."

For lunch and dinner, she brought him his food. They moved the lamp further away from his cell so he couldn't light the ship on fire.

That night, I had first watch with Peter, Andrew, and Katie again. Peter and Andrew tended the fire while Katie and I talked.

"I knew it," she said. "I knew he would turn on us." She sighed. "It was my fault the boy died though. I didn't wake up when he shouted so I couldn't heal him. I should be prepared for things like this. No one else is as skilled at healing."

"It's okay," I said. "I should have learned healing earlier on so I could have healed him but I'm not good enough."

"You look deep in thought," Andrew commented as they walked up.

I nodded. "He tried to say something before he died. He said 'It wasn't...' and then 'He...' but he didn't get to finish before he died."

"I wonder what he was trying to say," Peter said. "There's not much to go off of."

I nodded. "That's the thing."

Andrew shrugged. "I guess we'll never know."

When it was time to switch watches, I offered to stay up and help with second watch. I couldn't sleep again.

As the night began to fade into day, people started waking up. Some people from the group began cooking breakfast. I saw Emma take some food on a tray back to the ship as I bit into a stale bread roll.

Suddenly, a shriek rang across the beach. I stood and began jogging to the ship. My jog turned into a sprint. Most of the group stayed back but a few came with me. Laura was ahead of me, already getting on the ship. I followed her down the stairs to James' cell.

Laura was clutching Emma in her arms. I looked to James, who dropped a knife to the floor.

"Charlotte, I..."

"How did you get a knife?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "I don't know!"

I looked at the knife. It was steel, unlike the one from the night before. Neither were made the way ours were. A name, "Jean", was etched into the blade.

Katie was trying hard to heal Emma. But when I looked at the knife, I knew it was impossible.

I put a hand on her shoulder. "It's poisoned."

The room went silent.

"No," Laura whispered. "Emma can't die. This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Charlotte," Emma croaked. I looked her in the eyes. "It wasn't him."

"What?" I asked. Laura began to cry.

"James didn't attack me," she said. "I don't know who it was but I promise it wasn't him." She looked surprisingly calm for someone who was dying.

Laura was a mess. "You're not going to die Emma. You can't."

Emma smiled. "I'll be fine." Her eyes were beginning to cloud over. "You take care of yourself, okay? When it comes down to it, do what you think is right." Her eyes closed and she took her last breath.

"No," Laura whispered under her breath, her voice trembling. "No, no, no..." She repeated the word over and over again. She didn't fight as they took Emma from the room.

Everyone slowly filed out of the room but she stayed in, crying in the corner. When she couldn't cry any more, she sat in the corner staring blankly at the wall. She refused meals.

I was put in charge of bringing James his meals again. I could tell Laura was making him feel guilty. Whether he did it or not, he felt responsible. I hadn't been able to talk to him about anything because whenever I brought up Emma, Laura started crying again.