“We can escape, Dad!” David whispered urgently. “I’ll get my gun; we can get away.”
“No, David,” Kyle said shaking his head. “Don’t do that. No one else needs to get hurt. It’s better to die innocent than kill to be free. Please, son.” He waited until David looked him in the eyes. “You’ve got to be there for your mother. You understand? She needs you more than ever.”
Tears streamed down David’s defiant face, but he nodded his understanding. The guards began walking him towards the door, and Spencer started screaming hysterically. Carol held him in her arms to keep him from running after his father. Emma lay in a heap on the floor, her head cradled in Jennifer’s lap, her eyes swollen and red. “David,” Jennifer said, her voice faltering. “Hold your sister. I have to go with your father.”
“No, Jennifer!” Kyle called out. “I don’t want you to see this. I don’t want you to have that memory.”
Jennifer stumbled down the aisle between the rows of empty chairs, drying her eyes to be able to see. “I’ll close my eyes or look away when the time comes, but I have to be there. I won’t be able to forgive myself if I’m not there for you.”
She numbly followed the group through town, back to the militia building where a short meeting was held, then to a small plateau part way up the mountain that had been scouted out and designated for this purpose, initially for the execution of the man from the raid. It was a private area shielded by trees and only a short distance from the community.
Jennifer was shocked by the number of people who had followed along, intent on seeing the process through to the end. Leah’s father was there, as well as Gabe Vance, Don Anderson, Ty Lewis, and three-dozen onlookers, only a few of whom she knew. She wanted to rant and scream at them and demand that they give her privacy, but it took all the strength she had just to stand there.
Two men zip-tied Kyle’s ankles together, then looped straps through each elbow and to trees on both sides of him, so he couldn’t attempt to flee. Kyle stared at Jennifer, tears running steadily down his cheeks. Once Kyle was adequately secured, a guard stepped forward, his hands visibly shaking, and slid a thick pillowcase over Kyle’s head.
Kyle called out to his wife. “Jenn, I love you, and the kids! Always remember that!”
“I love you too, Kyle!” Jennifer answered back. She felt her legs go weak, and she started to sink to the snowy ground. Ty Lewis, fighting tears of his own, caught her as she fell and supported her.
“I’m sorry, Jennifer,” Ty said. “He’s a good man. This isn’t right.”
Sean Reider slowly walked to a position in front of Kyle, stopping fifteen yards away. He took a wide stance and inhaled deeply. His hands shook, and all color had drained from his face. Despite the cold temperature, a bead of sweat ran down his forehead.
Kyle’s guards moved to a position between Jennifer and Kyle. Kyle stood straight and tall, his head erect, dignified, and strong.
“Why is Sean doing this?” Jennifer asked, her voice a whisper. “
Ty leaned close to her ear. “He has no choice. No one else would, not even the men from Clinton. Sean doesn’t want to do it either, but Gabe and Don insisted that someone had to carry out the sentence. They argued about it for a long time while the jury was out.” He shook his head. “I don’t envy Sean at all. This whole thing is screwed up.”
Sean raised his rifle, lowered his eye to the scope, hit the safety and slid a shaking finger onto the trigger. The only sound Jennifer could hear was her heartbeat. The spectators, the wind, the river were all silent, waiting for the crack of the rifle, the sound that would signify the extinguishing of a life.
Frozen, unable to breath, and with everything around her paused, Jennifer watched Sean’s hands, waiting for his one finger to move. She glanced at Ty. His eyes were closed, and he had turned away, tears staining his cheeks. Gabe knelt in prayer to the side of the group, his head bowed, shoulders heaving.
“I can’t do this!”
Jennifer’s eyes flashed back to Sean. His gun was lowered, and he faced the group, shaking his head.
“This isn’t part of my job. You can shoot me, run me out of town, replace me, whatever you need to do, but I will not execute this man.”
Jennifer shrieked. Ty’s grip on her loosened, and she dashed past the startled guards towards Kyle. A roar of voices erupted behind her, and from the corner of her eye, she saw someone break from the crowd. She threw herself against Kyle, slamming into him, nearly forcing the air from his lungs. “Kyle!” she screamed as she pulled the pillowcase off his head and kissed his cheek.
A gunshot rang out. The bullet exploded at head level in the tree to her left, pelting Kyle and Jennifer with chunks of wood.
“Get off him right now! I’ll kill the son-of-a-bitch myself if no one else will.”
Jennifer turned her head to see the barrel of Mitch Smith’s gun aimed at her. His eyes were blazing, and his mouth quivered, but his hand was steady, with his finger glued to the trigger of the gun.
“I should have known you people wouldn’t serve justice.”
“I’m not moving,” Jennifer cried, turning to face him. “You want to shoot him, you put the bullet through me.”
“Jennifer, get away!” Kyle urged, desperation in his voice. “He’ll do it.”
“Move!” Mitch bellowed. He shifted the gun slightly and shot again, the bullet slamming into the tree on the opposite side of her. “Next one’s going through both of you. I’m not telling you again.”
“Move Jennifer! Now!” Kyle insisted. “Don’t do this.”
“Mitch, put the gun down,” Don Anderson pled. “This isn’t the way.”
“Then what is? I patiently sat through the trial and heard the verdict. You tell me what the right way is.”
“I’m not moving!” Jennifer cried. “He’s innocent. Please understand that.”
“That’s not what the jury said!” Mitch spat back. “They said he should die.”
“They were wrong! He would never do what he was accused of.”
“Mr. Smith,” Sean said, turning his weapon towards Mitch. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to shoot anyone. Let’s just put the guns down and see what we can work out.”
“What about Leah? What about justice for my daughter?”
“I’m not moving away, sir.” Jennifer eyed the man. “I know you don’t want to kill anyone. Please.”
“You don’t know what I want! I want him to pay! I want my daughter back! Don’t try telling me what I want!” He re-aimed his gun at Kyle, right through the middle of Jennifer’s chest. “I’ll count to three, and then you’re both dead. It’s your choice.”
Kyle’s arms were still secured to the trees and his feet bound, so he pushed frantically at Jennifer with his head. “Move!” he screamed.
“One!” Mitch yelled. He stood five yards from Sean, a few feet from the group he’d come with, and directly in line with Kyle. Several people had drawn their guns, but they didn’t know where to point them. At Mitch? At Kyle? At Security?
Don Anderson pleaded, “Mitch, don’t do this!”
“You don’t have the authority to shoot him,” Sean threatened as he raised his rifle to his shoulder.
“Two!” Mitch continued, oblivious to the urgings of those around him.
“I’m not moving!” Jennifer said, taking a step forward. “You’ll have to kill us both.”
“Jennifer, don’t!” Kyle screamed, frantic and desperate.
“Mitch!” Don urged.
“Three!” Mitch yelled just as Ty Lewis tackled him, hitting him at shoulder level and knocking the rifle upwards as the trigger was pulled. The bullet sailed over Jennifer’s head, snapping nearby branches and bouncing off the mountainside behind them. The rifle fell to the ground as both men rolled to a stop. Mitch lashed out with a fist, catching Ty in the face and knocking him backward, then reached for his gun but was wrestled down by Sean and one of the men who had secured Kyle to the trees.
Jennifer turned back to Kyle, smiled wearily and fell into him, out of breath.