Joshua Gayou - Commune - The Complete Series - A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Box Set (Books 1-4)

Jake leaned down to speak quietly into her ear, hand rested feather-light on her shoulder. She nodded and threw her arms around his waist in a fierce hug, which he slowly returned after appearing to recover from some amount of shock. She released him and ran into her father’s arms.

“Take her home, Oscar,” said Jake in a hollow, far away voice.

“What abou—”

“Let me worry about it for now,” Jake interrupted. “No decision will be made without you but, for right now, she needs you more than you need this.”

Holding onto his daughter, running his hands through her hair and kneading her back anxiously, Oscar swallowed hard before nodding silently. Tears had begun to roll down his cheeks unchecked. He looked down and said, “Come on, Mija. Let’s go,” before gently leading her away.

None of the rest of us said anything at all. The others watched them as they departed towards the container home; all of them watched except me. I watched Jake. He also kept his eyes on Oscar’s retreating back, waiting patiently immobile, until father and daughter disappeared around the corner of the building. As Oscar got further away, the worried concern melted slowly from Jake’s face to be replaced by… nothing at all. Not anger nor rage, disgust, dismay, or sadness. There was only the void; the Jake Persona I first met all those months ago in Utah, when he’d handed me a knife and told me he’d understand. It had been a while since he wore this face. Knowing what it meant, I wondered if our community would survive what would likely follow.

Without removing his eyes from Oscar’s little home, Jake said, “Bring me Jeff.”

Jake sat across from Jeff in the library of the cabin, both of them occupying the low-backed armchairs in the center of the floor. To Jake’s left was the large executive desk and, to his right, the leather couch on which I sat to serve as a witness to the discussion at Jake’s request. Jeff had his back to the door, which was closed. He held a wet washcloth against his swollen eye to soothe the pain.

Jake winced in sympathy as Jeff recoiled from the cloth’s touch and said, “I’m sorry, that looks bad. Is there anything I can get you?”

Jeff shook his head, unwilling to look up to meet Jake’s gaze. Instead of accepting the lack of an answer, Jake snapped his fingers and pointed. “Tylenol at least!” He jumped up from his chair, calling out to us as he exited, “Just a moment, please. I know I have a bottle in the medicine cabinet…” The rapid creak-bang of a wall cabinet reached us from the hallway shortly before Jake bustled back into the room. Sitting back down in his chair, he opened the little container and shook a couple of capsules into his hand. He then glanced up at Jeff, who only looked on suspiciously with darting eyes; Jake shrugged and shook out two more pills. He put the bottle aside and reached out across the floor to offer the Tylenol to Jeff.

Jeff reached out timidly but pulled his hand back, now finally looking up to meet Jake’s eyes. Jake extended his hand further still and said, “Please. You must be in a lot of pain.”

The change that came over Jeff was sudden and would have been heartbreaking if not for the situation. His shoulders sagged as he reached out to take the offered medicine, all tension releasing from his body. Here, at least, was a friend, he must have thought.

Jake twisted in his chair to reach behind himself to a table that held an assortment of bottled waters. Grabbing one, he turned back and held it out to the other man.

“Here,” he said softly.

“Thank you,” Jeff murmured through a swollen lip and used it to swallow his pills. He cringed silently as the rim of the bottle touched his mouth.

Jake waited patiently for Jeff to get the pills down, sitting in his chair with his legs crossed and hands folded over his knees as if he were conducting an interview, before continuing.

“Okay?” Jake asked. Jeff heaved a deep sigh and nodded. Jake continued: “This is such a horrible situation. I don’t even know what to say. I’m hoping you’ll be patient with me in providing your side of the story. I really want to put all of this behind us as quickly as possible, but we have to make sure we proceed carefully. There can be no doubts once this is all settled, wouldn’t you agree?”

Jeff nodded, appearing more at ease in his situation the longer Jake talked.

“Excellent,” Jake said while leaning back and smiling. “Now, if you please…”

Jeff raised his eyebrows. “I’m sorry?”

Spreading his hands, Jake said, “Please share your side of the story, Jeff.”

“Oh, right.” He shifted in his chair and took another painful sip of water. “Honestly, there isn’t all that much to say. Maria and I had become close friends over the last few weeks, and she had begun to confide in me over the loss of her mother… I don’t think you know the details behind that, do you?”

“I don’t,” agreed Jake, “but let’s not discuss that now, if she told you in confidence. I’m content with this part of your explanation. Please go on.” He leaned his elbow on the armrest and cupped his chin, expression intent. His eyes were understanding and kind.

“Okay, that probably is best,” Jeff continued. “Well… I mean… that’s really all there is. She had some stuff she needed to get off her chest, and I happened to be there for her.”

Jake nodded. His eyes flickered to me for an instant, so fast I don’t even think Jeff noticed. “Why do you think Rose would have told her mother that you were behaving inappropriately with Maria, Jeff?”

Jeff spread his arms wide and shook his head, face animated, and said, “I have no frigging idea, Jake. Honest to God. You’d have to ask her.”

“I may, I may… if it comes to that. I don’t think it will, though, really.”

Jeff laughed softly, showing clear relief. He took another sip from a shaking hand.

“Had you had any problems with Rose in the past?”

Jeff’s head shook side to side.

“Was she having any trouble absorbing the material you were trying to teach her? Did you perhaps chastise her at some point for inattentiveness?”

“Hell no,” Jeff insisted.

“Your relationship with her was fine, then? There was no indication at all that she had any sort of problem with you?”

Jeff dropped his gaze towards the floor as his eyes narrowed, which I’m sure he intended to be a thoughtful expression but only looked sly and calculating to me.

“No, there was never any such indication… but…”

“Yes?”

He looked back up and glanced between us both. “Well, Rose enjoys attention. She’s easier to work with one on one than in groups because she ends up competing less with the other kids for face time. If she thinks she’s being ignored, she’s shown a tendency to act out.”

“I see,” said Jake. “And you suppose this could just be her acting out of a desire to bring attention to herself?”

“I can’t say for sure,” Jeff said, getting into the discussion (he leaned forward in his chair). “But things around here are always so hectic, with all the gathering and stuff. I think it’s fair to say that all the kids may be feeling ignored.”

Jake nodded again, expression thoughtful, and said, “This is a very good point.” He tapped a cheek with his index finger and looked at me. “This is just a lousy situation. The accusation has been leveled and cannot now be retracted. We have to discover some way to get beyond reasonable doubt or this little group of ours will remain fractured.”