Tides of Humanity by Kip Nelson

Author:Kip Nelson [Nelson, Kip]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Post-Apocalyptic | EMP | Survival
Published: 2018-12-09T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Tillman raised his hands to try calming everyone.

“People, please, let us not fall into this chaos,” he cried. He looked toward the other councilmembers to come to his aid. One by one, they stepped forward to stand with him. The people of the neighborhood quietened down.

“But what are you going to do about Khan? Why are you not punishing him for killing one of our own?” a voice cried out.

Tillman wanted to tell them because Ben deserved it, but suddenly that didn't seem a good enough reason. Not if he wanted to build this neighborhood on strong values. Without an answer, Tillman offered them nothing but silence, and this only exacerbated their concerns.

“You said that if he broke the rules again, he would be punished. Surely murder has to be a rule? This is just showing his true colors,” another voice cried out.

Tillman glanced anxiously at the people beside him, and he looked at Khan, who was seething. He knew what he had to do, and he knew that Khan wouldn't like it. He looked back at the cell he had built and realized it wasn't going to be enough for two men. The result of his efforts seemed pitiful, and totally inadequate. He thought he had been making a cell for just one person. They needed to keep Khan around.

“Okay,” Tillman said, “believe me, the issue is more complicated than it appears, but everyone will get a chance to hear the truth. I suppose that is the right way to go about things. But please, there are other things we need to discuss.”

He didn't get to discuss those other things because a woman broke through the crowd, crying for her husband. It was Jeff's wife, Kelly. Her eyes were ringed red with tears and dark bags hung underneath them. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the pitiful sight of her husband sitting in the cell.

“What the hell is going on?” she yelled. She had a small child in tow. Tillman groaned inwardly. This was the last thing he needed. Kelly marched up to the cell and spoke to Jeff tersely, but Jeff only met her with a morose grin. Then she turned to Tillman. “Why is my husband sitting there?”

“Because he was the one who destroyed the water distribution system, along with his friend Ben,” Tillman said.

“Who Khan killed,” Simon said. Tillman glared at him. He didn't need anyone on the council to start inciting a riot.

“Jeff, how could you?” Kelly asked, choking, putting her hands against the wooden bars.

“And what were you thinking?” she added, turning toward Tillman, “putting him on display like this? Doesn't he get a trial? Shouldn't we get to decide what happens to the people who wrong us?”

Tillman breathed in heavily. The last thing this community needed was to be divided when there was the threat of a military invasion, but he knew they never would settle down unless something was done about this first. Tillman pushed his way through the crowd toward Khan.

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