The Judge by Jamie Sedgwick

Author:Jamie Sedgwick [Sedgwick, Jamie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: short stories, Science Fiction, justice, Speculative Fiction, space, sci-fi
Publisher: Timber Hill Press
Published: 2012-11-25T00:00:00+00:00

The ships started touching down a few minutes later. “B” himself was nowhere to be seen, but at least two dozen of his gangsters came walking down the hill towards the cabin. “He’s not with them,” Charlie said.

“He’ll be here,” said the judge. “He’ll want to see this personally.” The judge cocked his rifle and took a shot into the advancing group. It came up short, throwing up a cloud of dust in front of their feet. The gangsters parted, diving for the nearest cover or lying flat on the ground. “There, that’ll slow ‘em down.”

Charlie walked to the far wall, and took a look out behind the cabin. “They’re starting to surround us.”

“Give ‘em a shot,” said the judge. “Let ‘em know we’re watching them.” Charlie did, and then he laughed as the gangsters went scurrying into the trees.

Twenty minutes later, three more ships landed, and after that came the big one. It was the size of a freighter, custom painted with silver and gold trim. The mural on the side was a jungle theme, with a nude woman resting on her knee next to a lion. “That would be him,” said the judge.

It took the gang a few minutes to get organized, and then they rushed the cabin. Charlie and the judge fired into the crowd just as fast as they could pull their triggers. The bodies started piling up. A few minutes later there was a crash of glass overhead, and Charlie danced back into the center of the room.

“There’s two of ‘em,” he whispered. “They got inside.”

The judge drew a revolver and peered through the floorboards. He gestured for Charlie to move into the corner, and then started firing up through the floor. Charlie’s hands went to his ears as the revolver flashed, and the concussion of gunfire reverberated through the basement. The sound was still ringing in the judge’s ears when the bodies hit the floor. Blood started running down through the floorboards.

“Check the back again,” the judge said.

Charlie glanced out the window. “Looks clear.” He moved to the front of the room, and looked up the hill where the gangster had congregated. “I think they might be getting ready to nuke us. It might be time for your surprise.”

“A few more minutes,” said the judge. “I want to be sure they’re all here.”

B finally came out of his ship and joined the group of men at the top of the hill. He started screaming at them, but the judge couldn’t hear his words. Angrily, B grabbed a rocket launcher and aimed it at the house.

“Take cover!” the judge shouted, diving for the metal chamber in the corner.

Charlie jumped in behind him and closed the door just as the rocket slammed into the house. The basement shook as the house crumbled overhead, but the timber beams in the ceiling held the weight. For the moment, they were safe.

As they stumbled out of the box, smoke started filling the basement. The judge snatched up a gas mask off the floor and put it over his head.

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