ALIVE: The Aftermath Chronicles (Book 1)

Chapter 19 - DELIBERATIONS

Nick interjects, "And the Districts are alright' with how Russell does things? What does the District have to do with this colony anymore?"

"Nothin' really," Hannah replies, "They send supplies occasionally. Kate's one of Connor's staff. An engineer or something. Originally sent here to fix some generators and electric issues, but when she arrived there were a lot of people that went missing. Some think Russell killed them like he killed a lot of others, some think she had them taken back to the District. A lot of women. Children. Gone. So, I guess that's your answer. They don't care what Russell does here. In the end, they still control this place and do what they want...even from states away..."

Dalton and Nick share a moment of passing, weighty silence that draws Hannah's attention. Though she presumes it's from fear of the districts, much like the rest of them who stuck to colonies over the feared rumors of Connor and his regime. Instead, the two men dwell on the safety here even after Russell is gone. Especially, when the claws of a spy more threatening than their own agenda are within the fibers of this colony.

"What about Abby? Do you know what they did with her?" Hannah asks.

"I don't know who Abby is and didn't 'ere nothin'..." Nick replies.

Before Hannah can respond, Dalton answers for her, "It's the little girl that lives with Sophie. She used to talk about her when she'd stop by."

"Is that her daughter?" Nick asks.

"No," Hannah says, "It's a kid they rescued with them when they escaped district one up north."

Not sure why Nick really asked that question, Hannah starts to suspect Nick took a lot of noticing to Sophie with the connections he was trying to make with all the nurse's relationships.

"Hopefully, they keep the kid out of it." Dalton mumbles, but Hannah's quick to reply.

"Nobody stays out of anything anymore. Lines are being drawn. Sides, more than before, are being chosen. Now that they arrested the sniper and the nurse, the colony is going to be more on its back than ever."

"It starts with you. Your trial. Town's already twisted with what the Sheriff did to ya." Nick says, and it's not lost on Dalton that his comrade chose her given title here and not her name. Ana Maria and Nick were thick as thieves back at the camp. The best scouts, their best protection. Isaac favored them and put the most value into them. They'd gotten along great, but Nick didn't take kindly to Ana's failure to return to them, to join forces here when there were others suffering outside these walls. Betrayal; they all felt it.

"If he puts her on the jury, I'm definitely screwed." Hannah says.

"Sounds like yer screwed no matter what. If they're under Russell, you got death or exile waiting for ya." Nick replied.

"Yeah, but if she's on that jury I'm definitely dead. I'll take exile over being killed, but something tells me I'll be dead no matter what they decide," It's here where Hannah fails to breathe in the moment, as the secret she's kept in protecting her former leader spills out to condemn her further, "He killed my brother. My brother was a scientist, a doctor, like that Dr. Martin that came in with Doyle and Sophie. Russell asked him to do some experiments and my brother couldn't find it in him to do it. I don't know the details, but it's something to do with the upper levels in the medical center. Like where the sheriff took me. There's the floor that bitch tortured me on, then there's the third floor. It's locked up, forbidden..."

Dalton takes the moment that Hannah takes in a brief pause to say, "Maybe if we find out what he's hiding up there we can get the upper hand once and for all."

"No," Nick replies faster than Dalton had ever heard from the slow-paced male, "We focus on gettin' through this trial first. I'm thinkin' we force ourselves on that jury. Get a neutral part in too. I think I know just the man for the job..."

Though Nick's brain constantly turned in the opposite direction, it turned quickly all the same.

"And maybe that's the perfect opportunity to go poking around. With the entire colony distracted with the trial, someone can get to the third floor and find out what he's hiding." Dalton adds and though both men thought of different plans, Dalton found a way to merge them.

"He's not going to let you on the jury." Hannah says, letting out a gusty laugh of opposition.

"Won't be up to him," Nick replies, "The rest of the colony's already callin' for a random jury. His power's only as good as the people under him give him and that power's gettin' sent to the grave quicker than he can dig a hole."

"I'll make sure of it, Hannah. Don't worry about that." Dalton assures her, but Hannah doesn't buy the rainbows and unicorns.

"No, no. You guys are being stupid. Russell might seem like he's the understanding guy who will back down when challenged, but he's not. He's not stable. Someone questions his authority and he'll have no problem shooting down anyone who's against him. You saw him the other day, he shot off his gun when you were talking all that crap! The guy is a dictator. Democracy has never been his thing. Trust me on this...he will find a way to get the outcome he wants, even if he fools the shit out of all of you."

"Well, Miss Hannah, if he shoots then we're just gonna have ta shoot back on 'im. They're picking' the jury in an hour's time. Dalton and me will head-on-down to the town hall and work on getting on that jury—random, or not." Nick replies matter-of-factly and Hannah's continuing to stare at them both like they're way in over their heads. They aren't listening.

"None of us have guns. Remember? Colony laws!" She replies.

"Don't ya worry about tha'. I've got an in. I'll be concealing during yer trial. I'll git Dalton a gun too." Nick tells her and Hannah, with eyes of fire, finds ice quickly in the deadest stare he'd ever met in his life.

"What about me? Don't I get a gun?" She asks.

Meeting her levelly, Nick replies, "No. If they search ya, we'll all be outed. Yer just gonna have ta trust us."

A thick hush fills the room. One, that causes Dalton to awkwardly shift, but the two at odds couldn't have been stiller.

"Alright." She says, relaxing at last when her spine take a different curve. "But if the shit hits the fan, you get me the fuck out of there."

"It's a promise." Nick tells her, crossing the distance and holding his hand out for her to shake in agreement.

She takes it with half the firmness that she might normally, not really giving a shit for this formality that clearly meant something binding to the man who had saved her life already. And, if it weren't for that fact, she wouldn't have trusted him at all.