Salt Pillars

Chapter 22

Adriana waited down the street from the jail on the second floor of a vacant office building, from where she could see the front outside of the jail. She watched the commotion in the street grow increasingly unruly. The crowd yelled curses and threw stones, which in turn attracted a separate crowd of onlookers. But it was those inside the jail that she waited and watched for, not the boys locked in the cell that the others had come to sneer, but the boys who were guarding them.

Perched like a military sniper, she was concealed in her vantage point. Even though nobody was aware of her existence or concerned about her in any way, she remained concealed. The sun had begun to set and it was under that cover of night that she would make her final move against Preston and Brett. Those defilers of innocence would soon suffer her vengeance. Adriana held a long-blade machete across her lap that she had taken from her parents' garage moments earlier. The blade's edge had been honed to near razor precision. It was a good tool for chopping and she intended to put it to use.

It had been awhile since she noticed any activity from within the prison. As the sun faded over the horizon, a heavy fog poured into the streets from the surrounding hills, which greatly reduced the visibility necessary to keep watch from a distance, so Adriana decided to move in closer toward the crowd where she would blend in until the right moment presented itself. She put on a heavy jacket to conceal her blade within it, then made her way to the street.

The crowd seemed louder and more contentious up close. Emboldened by the encroaching darkness and fog, they began to start fires and smash at the windows with blunt objects. Many of the onlookers who were initially drawn to the spectacle, also began to join in, sympathizing with the cause. Outrage spread like a contagious disease, infecting those within proximity to it — anger turned into hatred, and cries for justice turned into violence. Somebody toppled a trashcan filled with burning tinder onto the building followed by a burst of bright embers with a cheer.

Adriana stood amongst them, chanting with them in unison to blend in. From this perspective, she could see the guards gathered inside, cowering behind the safety of the shatter proof glass, and in the middle of the group, she saw the unmistakable face of Preston with his blonde shaggy hair and bright red lips like those in a childhood Christmas book.

A horse-faced girl shrieked to her right, nearly blowing out her eardrum. "Kill THEM!" She yelled, practically foaming at the mouth. Then from some faded distance, a boy's voice began yell above the crowd. It was a familiar voice with some sense of authority to it. "Stop this!" He said as he moved into the center of the mob, which parted for his presence. "Stop all this." It was Travis with his arms raised up calling for submission.

"I am the elected leader here," he said.

"They didn't elect you to protect a murdering rapist!" Somebody yelled followed by cries of agreement.

"I told you before, we're are not protecting him, but there has to be a fair trial to determine his guilt before we decide on a punishment, otherwise... I don't know, I think that we'll become something ugly as a society — something monstrous."

"What the hell are you talking about?" She yelled back, "He is the monster here. The only judgment that matters is justice. Who are you to stop justice? KILL THE RAPIST! KILL THE RAPIST!" As she chanted the rest of the crowd joined in once more, and Travis could feel his grip on his leadership slipping away.

Rachel, who was standing next to him, pulled him by the arm off to the side. It was reminiscent of the time his father had pulled him aside. "Travis... just let them have him for Christ sake. If you continue to go against the crowd on this you'll lose their respect. He's not worth it. You said so yourself that he was guilty, so screw the trial. You have to be the one to demonstrate authority by showing strength right now."