After the Apocalypse: A Young Adult Coming of Age Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller: The Kim and Kaya Chronicles by Scott W Kimak

Author:Scott W Kimak [Kimak, Scott W]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-25T16:00:00+00:00

The Trial

“Attention!” Sergeant Lawson bellowed, as the Colonel and Captain Gonzalez entered the room.

The two men made their way toward a long, mahogany desk on top of a stage in the Commons area. Kimberly kept her eye on the Colonel as she stood in the first row directly behind her parents. She hoped to discern some odd or unusual movement as she had previously noticed, but nothing appeared out of the ordinary as the man covered the distance and found his seat behind the desk. Then she shot a quick glance at the captain and noticed the man had fixated his gaze on her. The man’s eyebrows bounced as a devious smile crossed his face. Kim’s stomach started twisting into knots as she averted her eyes from the man’s stare.

Once the Colonel and Captain were seated, Sergeant Lawson yelled, “You may be seated!”

Kim sat down but kept her eyes glued on the Colonel. The man turned slightly toward the captain and stared at him for several uncomfortable seconds. Captain Gonzalez paid his superior officer no heed and continued to fixate his gaze on Kim. What the hell is he doing? Finally, the man looked back at the Colonel, and Kim could swear she saw a slight nod, almost a look of permission. Who’s in charge around here?

“Major and Captain Wessek, rise,” the Colonel said in a raspy voice. The man tried to clear his throat, the phlegm rattling and causing him to cough.

Captain Gonzalez interjected, “As you can see, the Colonel has come down with a slight cold. I will speak on his behalf.”

Kim felt her stomach tighten again as she noticed the Colonel’s face go blank, eyes unblinking. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought the man turned into a zombie from one of those old horror movies her dad had on DVD.

“Will the accused be representing themselves?” Captain Gonzalez asked.

“No, I will represent them,” Lieutenant Moradel shouted as he rose from the crowd and approached the table.

Kim breathed a sigh of relief. One of the older officers had a law degree when she was young, but unfortunately, the man had died of a heart attack. Lieutenant Moradel was a young, bright-eyed private with no formal law experience at that time, but he was known to be an accomplished debater. He was tasked with replacing the man and had been studying his books ever since, but this would be the first time he would apply that knowledge in an actual trial. Kim crossed her fingers and prayed that the Lieutenant’s studies had been worth his time.

Once Lieutenant Moradel reached his spot, he said, “Colonel and Captain, I ask that the accused be tried separately.”

Without hesitation, Captain Gonzalez responded, “Permission denied.”

“But, sirs, this isn’t normal, and there is precedent against it.”

“You’re mistaken, Lieutenant. There is no constitutional rule governing joint trials. Judges have broad discretion to decide whether to join trials, especially under the circumstances. There have been several examples of this throughout history, including the Enron

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