Complete Fiction (Jerry eBooks) by J Francis McComas

Author:J Francis McComas [McComas, J Francis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-06T04:00:00+00:00

The four-man procession clumped stolidly across the floor of the warehouse, reached the big door that led to the loading yard, and stopped.

“Open the door, Vanni,” Brandt Cardozo ordered.

Tasker’s cell had been a small room in the warehouse, the one permanent structure they had completed. Vanni, a stocky machinist’s mate, stepped from where he stood by the bound Tasker, swung a clumsy lockbar out of its slot, and pushed the heavy door open.

The four men moved out into the loading yard. Their pace faltered.

“What’s the matter?” Cardozo growled. “Keep it moving. Fast!”

“Uh . . . that it?” mumbled the other guard, McCann, a one-time video scenesetter. His narrow shoulders shook a little.

“That’s it. And the sooner we get there, the sooner it will be over.”

At the far end of the yard stood a bark-covered, newly sawed post about eight feet high. Ten feet from it stood five men, four with flame rifles. The fifth, medical bag in hand, was Dr. Malory. Several yards be; hind them, in four ragged rows, stood some fifty-odd members of the community.

As they marched to the post, Brandt Cardozo checked the silent witnesses. Hrdlicka stood calm—, by Cardozo’s request in the first row—the sandy-haired jury foreman beside him. Arrayed on either side of those two were members of the jury and at the extreme end of the line, away from the post, stood Lisa Giovannetti.

At that moment an unidentified man slipped furtively into the first row and stood, eager eyes flickering from Tasker to the post and back again. Brandt Cardozo sighed. There was always at least one of those . . . Always a twisted sadist, savoring another human being’s terror and death.

He shrugged. Perhaps even that would help. Make it even worse for the others.

For this was his shock treatment . . . a public execution.

After the Council had revoked the law forbidding the death penalty and instituted capital punishment, it had hurriedly decreed that all details of an execution be left to the discretion of the penologist.

So Brandt Cardozo had ordered that all officials of the sentencing court should be present at any execution . . . as well as no less than 35 members of the public. He further stipulated that any other adult resident of the community could attend if he or she so desired.

Cardozo checked them off in his mind . . . no women . . . a good sign. He scowled suddenly.

“Halt!” he barked.

Tasker’s escort stopped. They were very near the post. Cardozo strode over and ranged himself in front of .the witnesses. “Where’s Citizens’ Counsel Blair?” he snapped.

Heads turned. There were a few whispers. Feet shuffled. The whispering grew into an audible murmur.

“I requested all court officers to be assembled at least twenty minutes before the time for execution.”

“Um. Blair doesn’t seem to be present,” Hrdlicka murmured.

Cardozo forced all expression from his voice. “The Citizens’ Counsel cannot evade the responsibilities of his office. Nor will this execution proceed without him.”

He turned toward the firing squad.

“Grover!” he called.

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