Linda Andrews - The Meltdown

“I didn’t—”

“You did.” She poked him again. “And you probably meant them, too.”

“What are you talking about?”

A growl rolled up her throat. He was wearing that look—the kind guys wore when the pretended not to know what they did wrong when really they knew exactly the right tone, inflection and word to provoke. She hated that look. “Listen to me, David J Dawson.”

“Mavis—” He released the M-4 and raised his hands. The carbine fell against his hip.

“Nuh-uh. You listen with your mouth closed.”

He folded his arms across his chest.

What a gigantic pain in her heart. If she was any less stubborn, she’d let him win and walk away. Sucks to be him, that she wasn’t the pushover type. “If Trent Powers does come up that road, he will be arrested and tried for murder.”

“Singleton’s?”

“No. His wife and neighbor.”

David picked up his rifle and checked the interstate. “And no one gives a shit that some poor slob in a uniform dies, is that it?”

Mavis stuck her hands in her pockets. It wasn’t a perfect world. Instead of making it so, the Redaction, anthrax attack and impending meltdown had made it unbelievably fragile.

And David threatened to pop the thin skin holding it all together.

But she could give him one thing. Maybe it would be enough. “You can have the live round on the firing squad.”

Instead of answering, he adjusted his scope.

Her stomach cramped and she glanced at the road. Nothing. She saw nothing. “David?”

His finger shifted on the trigger. “I’ll be the bastard’s executioner alright.”

She shoved the barrel up in the air just as he fired.

He hauled the rifle over his shoulder, aiming the butt for her face. “Dammit woman.”

The Marines on the school’s rooftops scrambled to their feet.

She waved them down. “We can’t take him out this way.”

“Give me one good reason why not.”

“Everything we do now, we will pay for later. Everything any man or woman in uniform did in the past, we will be held accountable for.” Didn’t he see? Didn’t he understand?

“That’s nuts. We’re heroes to these people.”

“You’re a hero to the cold, tired and hungry. But what happens when they’re cold, tired and hungry in three months? Six? They’ll see those cookies you saved from your MRE as extra food. The rumors will start. The memories will surface and be twisted.”

He stomped away from her.

She ran after him. Hard-headed baboon. Like she didn’t have anything better than to chase him all afternoon. “That need for justice pumping through your veins is every bit a part of the human psyche as paranoia and envy.”

He paused and took aim.

Taking a deep breath, she planted herself in front of his gun.

Swearing, he looked up. “Get out of the way.”

“If you absolutely have to kill Trent Powers then shoot me first. Because I’m tired of fighting losing battles, of having every thing I do countermanded by stupid politicians, angry soldiers and Murphy’s Law.”

“You don’t think I will?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. He was more than capable. And given his mindset, her odds were fifty-fifty at best. “I honestly don’t know. But I won’t stand by and watch what’s left of humanity rip itself apart over that bastard.”

A hot tear leaked from her eye. Stupid cold. Not only did it cause her nose to run, now her eyes were watering.

“Dammit, Mavis…”

“Please.” She plugged the barrel with her finger. “I’m begging you.”

David’s shoulders slumped and he glanced up at the clouds. “You swear he’ll be convicted.”

Oh, thank God. She’d gotten through to him. “I’ve stacked the jury and I have the judge in my pocket.”

“There’s a judge left alive?”

“Brother Bob is a Justice of the Peace. He’s agreed to preside at a trial.”

“I thought he was a preacher?”

“He had a Bible, married people and presided over their burials during the Redaction, people just assumed he was.” Was that how Trent had slipped on a new skin? He certainly kept his Bible close enough.

The Marines on the rooftop waved and pointed West.

He set the safety on his weapon and slung it over his back. “Then let’s go arrest the bastard. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll fall a couple billion times on his way to the janitor’s closet.”

She’d won. For now. But David wasn’t the only pissed off military man with a weapon and Trent Powers in his cross-hairs. “As long as no one can see his injuries…”

“With luck, the bastard won’t live long enough for a bruise to form.”

“Send up the flare. We wouldn’t want our guest of honor to get lost.”

Mavis stomped her feet to keep the blood flowing. The wind whisked the snow off the drifts piled along the curb and tossed it in the air. She batted it away. “If I wanted to live in a snow globe I’d have shrunk myself and climbed in a plastic ball.”

Standing on her right, David snorted. “I’m beginning to suspect you don’t like the cold, Doc.”

On her left, Lister brushed the snow from his uniform. “This isn’t cold. You’ll know cold once we get to Colorado. That wind chill will freeze the tits off a bear.”

And she would be snug in a nice warm cave, just like a hibernating bear. She crossed her arms over her chest. Given the general’s words, that might not be an association she wanted. “Everyone knows what to do, right?”

“Yes.” Lister turned to the two Military Police officers standing behind them. “We know our parts.”

“You better.” She tucked her nose into her collar. How cold did it have to be before it froze and fell off her face? “Our audience isn’t exactly going to be thrilled by our actions. They think Trent Powers is a reverend.”

Civilians and military alike lined the two lane street. Many crowded the park around the small parking lot. Huddled together for warmth, no doubt. Everyone had turned out for the reunion. Only a handful of officers knew Robertson and the others wouldn’t be joining them for another forty-five minutes.

She glanced up. Lead-colored clouds stretched across the horizon. Too bad it wasn’t real lead. They would be shielded from the radiation. She raised her mic. “Any change?”

“Background radiation is still normal, ma’am.” The tick of the Geiger counter competed with the boredom in the soldier’s voice.

“Thank you.” Mavis forced the words between her teeth. Maybe she was a little hyper-vigilant, but these people were all the eggs in her basket. One drift of fallout and humanity left the building without a ‘thank you very much.’

Brother Bob jostled her elbow and squeezed in the space between her and David. “Did I miss it?”

“No.” She turned to the Justice of the Peace. Holy cow!

He adjusted his red power tie and smoothed the creases in his black suit. Snow ruined the polish on his dress shoes. A gold set of scales was pinned to his lapel. He certainly took his job seriously.

She hoped it didn’t get in the way of justice. “Did you sign the warrant?”

Not that it mattered. Trent Powers would be arrested and tried. She just wanted the appearance of a civilian court, not a military drumhead.

He nodded and pulled a folded paper from his pocket. “I found a copy of a warrant from the JAG database.”

Mavis plucked the paper from his grasp and let the wind unfold it. Skimming over the legalese, she scanned the note for Trent’s name, the two charges of murder and the data. Everything seemed to be in order. But what did she know? Hopefully, Trent’s government-supplied lawyer wouldn’t make a fuss. “Thank you.”

Brother Bob smoothed his salt and pepper hair. “I’ve also reviewed the evidence.” He shoved his fists into his pockets. “I can’t find any irregularities in the collection. All of it should be presented to the jury.”