Don't Catch Me!

Chapter 16 - Consequences

Chapter  16 – Consequences

The bell.  It was the bell, the same one from the square.  The depressing low toll drifted through the trees.

“What’s that?  What’s wrong?’  Joel was searching my expression.

“The bell calls them to assembly.  Why are they ringing it now?  It doesn’t make sense.  They read the jobs for the day, they wouldn’t be calling everyone back to the square, unless... something is wrong.”  I looked at him, a hundred different possibilities flashing through my mind as I made a quick list of possible reasons.  “Someone might have seen us.”  Yes, that one was top of the list.

“That is possible but I doubt it.  There was too much happening, too many distractions.  And there is usually a lot of yelling and running if we are spotted.”

“Usually?”

Joel just shrugged.  “We need to check this out.   We need to know what’s going on if we are going to pull off this plan of yours.”

“You still want to do it?  My plan?  Really?”

“No, not really, but you were right, it gives us the best chance of getting what I need.  So, I really have no choice.  At least I look the part now!” he chuckled softly then he noticed my expression, “Are you alright?  Can you do this?”

I just nodded and I hoped that I wasn’t lying to him.  

He smiled at me and then turned and headed off towards the bell, “Tell me, what did you learn this morning?”  He laughed at my expression of surprise, “Cissy, I’m not a total idiot.  I do know you.  I figured that you would use your ‘hiding time’ to feed your insatiable curiosity.”

 I really didn’t know what to say to that, so I told him what happened at the square this morning, including what I had overheard Mr Sleaze saying. 

“Commissioner Gavin Mackenzie,” Joel corrected me.

“What?”

Joel shrugged as he ran, “The furnace workers, they were quite the gossips.”

I stopped as a flood of guilt hit me.  “I killed them, didn’t I?”

Joel looked at me sympathetically, “You did what you had to do Cissy.  But, I don’t think they would have survived that.”

“I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t let you die.  I couldn’t watch you die.”

Joel pulled me into his arms, “I know Cissy, I know.  I didn’t even thank you did I?” He lifted my face to his so that he could look into my eyes, “Doing this we have to make hard decisions and there are always harsh consequences.  I am sorry Cissy this is difficult for you and I haven’t made it any easier.  Just know that if our roles were reversed, if you had been the one trapped, I would have done the same thing.  It was the only thing you could have done.  Thank you for saving me.”  His lips brushed mine. 

“We better get going,” he whispered yet it felt like that was the last thing on his mind.

I tried to smile at him but the screams of the men still echoed in my mind.  More fodder for my nightmares then. 

 We left the trees and moved into the buildings.  Carefully we approached the square, this time from the far side.  The men and the women were lined up on separate sides facing the stage.  I followed Joel to a wooden fence, off to the side where we could see through the cracks in the boards.

“... As proscribed by article 4.1.123 of the Environmental Conservation Act and 6.15.3 of the Environmental Felon Act...”   On the structure stood a man, he was much younger than I expected.  His tunic as simple as the workers but lined with blue instead of brown.  His hair was long and was the shade of sand, not blonde but yellow and golden, and pulled back into a messy low bunch at the back.   As I watched he struggled with a curly tuff that persisted in finding his face.  He was attractive.  No, he was Mr Sleaze and he was hot.  Wow.