The guards gave cursory inspections of the people entering the courtroom. Theo figured the guards didn’t have to worry much as the visitors had already been subjected to two checkpoints.
Kylee seemed to have a passing acquaintance with the guard on the right. This relaxed Theo a little but made him just the littlest bit jealous. They were allowed to pass into the courtroom, which was bigger than Theo had anticipated. The high ceiling gave a cavernous feel to the room, and Theo felt a chill as he looked at the stand where the fate of his best friend would be decided.
The seats filled quickly. Theo didn’t like the looks of eagerness he saw on many faces. He thought of history class in school where he had learned about the Roman gladiators fighting as people cheered for blood. The sound of a door being unlatched echoed in the chamber and Theo looked up to see the defendants being led to their seats. Bill was in the middle of the line and looked deadly serious. Good, Theo thought.
The defendants were seated. A hush fell over the waiting crowd. Theo looked at Kylee. She was nibbling her lower lip and looked very uncomfortable. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Why aren’t there any lawyers?” she asked.
“That’s a very good question.”
A voice boomed. “All rise for the honorable Deputy Mayor Tiberius.”
Theo stood with everyone else. Paul Tiberius entered from a door in the corner. He wore a judge’s robes. Tiberius took his seat in the center of the proceedings and banged a gavel. The loud, disembodied voice called out. “Be seated!”
“Citizens of Atlantic Island,” Tiberius began, “we stand today on the brink of a promising new future for our young country. There are those, however, who would stand in the way of what must be done. There are those among us who would fight against the forces of right, the forces of reason, and the forces that must be allowed to succeed if all of us are not only to survive but also to thrive on our island. Some of those who would deny you the lives to which you are entitled are the defendants seated before you.”
So much for a fair trial, thought Theo. He looked around the room. There were many who shifted uncomfortably in their seats as a result of Tiberius’s opening remarks. Still, others seemed to be caught up in the Deputy Mayor’s words.
“Is there anyone among the defendants who wishes to speak in defense of your group’s actions?” Tiberius said. Theo held his breath, willing with all his might that Bill’s hand not be raised. Fortunately, the angry homeowner who had organized the protest volunteered to speak.
“State your name,” said Tiberius, as the man sat in a chair on the witness stand.
“Tom Callahan.”
Tiberius sneered. “When you address me, it will be as ‘sir,’ or ‘your honor.’ Do I make myself clear?”
Tom clenched his jaw. “Yes…your honor.”
“Very well,” said Tiberius, “Mr. Callahan, explain to the court your actions of the past weeks that have led you and your cohorts to be seated here today.”
“I have been a full-time resident of Margate for two decades,” said Tom. “My wife and my kids…” He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly before continuing. “They died in the Event. They were visiting a neighbor whose house got crushed by trees. They… it was… horrible.”
Theo expected Tiberius to offer his condolences, but the Deputy Mayor remained quiet, his cold stare fixed on Tom who was trembling as he recalled losing his family.
“Our home, well it was all I had left of my memories. When I saw the construction crew getting ready to demolish it, throwing my belongings into the street I had to try to stop them. And when that failed I found others who felt the way I did and they joined me. We just tried to stop anyone else’s home from being unfairly seized.”
“You attacked an officer of the Atlantic Island Security Force.”
“I…overreacted. Sure. I was telling him that my home belonged to me. I paid it off long ago. He said that I paid for it with money that doesn’t matter anymore.”
“The officer was correct,” said Tiberius. “Your purchases, your belongings, your claims of ownership have no value in Atlantic Island. You get what the leadership determines you get. If it were not for the leadership you would have all starved after the Event! You have us to thank for your very lives, but you, Mr. Callahan, and the rest of your troublemaking lot would rather see everything reduced to ruin.”
“That’s not true!” said Tom. “I just wanted to keep what was mine.”
“Enough!” yelled Tiberius. “Return to your seat immediately.”
Tom sat back down. His face was a tangle of emotions and his balled fists told Theo what Tom would like to be doing right now rather than sitting down.
“Defendants, rise,” said Tiberius.
“You have all attacked officers of the Security Force of Atlantic Island, direct representatives of the leadership in this country. We have accomplished much in the short life of our nation, but we have much more to do. Interlopers and troublemakers shall not be tolerated. By the authority invested in me as the duly elected Deputy Mayor of Atlantic Island, I hereby sentence all of you to twenty years in prison.”
What? Theo was sure he’d heard incorrectly. The words “prison” and “twenty years” spun in his mind as he struggled to make sense of them.
Tiberius was smiling. “Dismissed.” He banged the gavel three times with emphasis on the final strike. Each strike of the gavel echoed. To Theo they were just small, barely audible sounds in the fog that had surrounded his brain. He thought of Bill and all that he would miss sitting in a cell somewhere while the best years of life passed by.
The room filled with whispers. People were shocked, outraged, even confused, but all were afraid to speak loudly enough to be heard by Tiberius. The message, it seemed, had been received. Jamie wept quietly and Kylee and Michelle had their heads down. Theo knew that they too were crying. The shock of the injustice they had witnessed was overwhelming. Theo’s chest was so tight he could barely breath. Crying was out of the question. Ryan looked angrier than Theo had ever seen him. His fists were clenched so tight that his nails were cutting little half moon shapes into his palms.
The defendants were led out the same door through which they had arrived. Theo wished he could see Bill’s face but he could not. He quickly decided it didn’t matter.
The teens regrouped outside the courthouse. Theo was the first to speak. “I’m going to talk to Mayor Lucas.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” said Ryan, “only people with a certain level of government clearance have been allowed to see the mayor. I’ve seen some of the software that works all the stuff out.”
“Can it be hacked?” asked Theo.
“In theory, sure,” said Ryan, “but I don’t have access to that kind of thing, and besides, let’s say you got the appointment through my messing around with the system. You walk in to the mayor’s office and they’ll know right away you don’t belong. Then we’ve got much worse problems.”
“What about Menendez?” asked Michelle, “Kylee, can’t you talk to him and see what he can do?”
“I guess I could try,” said Kylee. “I see him pretty often. I can’t guarantee he can get Theo a meeting with the mayor but, I don’t know, maybe he can do something.”
“We have to try whatever we can,” said Theo. “What happened to Bill and the others is beyond unfair. Lucas is a good guy. He will see that this is all wrong and he’ll make it right. I know it.”