Atlantic Island (10 page)

The morning of Bill's trial, they all went to the hospital to visit Mark. Mark's condition had not changed, but he looked significantly more wasted and shrunken than when they had first discovered his whereabouts. Bill held his friend's hand and spoke so softly that to Theo it appeared his lips were moving soundlessly. Perhaps Bill was hoping Mark could lend him some of his confidence. The thought made Theo's eyes well up and he quickly lowered his head.
 

The walk to the courthouse from the hospital took a long time. Theo had never been so far into the city. He wondered where Atlantic Island ended on this side. The courthouse was next to a large park that was filled with people waiting to hear what would come from this, the first high profile trial in the short history of the new country.
 

Bill said goodbye to his friends at the first security checkpoint behind the courthouse doors. Theo whispered, "Just do what the judge says. Be polite. Be respectful. This isn't the place to make a big statement."
 

"Relax," said Bill. "I've got this."

An armed officer escorted him down the hall. They turned left and disappeared from view. Theo and the rest of his friends followed signs down a series of hallways to an elevator. As the teens waited their turn outside the elevator's bronze doors, Ryan said what Theo had been thinking: "Bill's not gonna keep it together."
 

"Give him a chance," said Kylee, "He knows how serious this is."

"Right," said Jamie, "Plus, he was only trying to break up the fight. He's not even one of the real protestors."

"Well it would help if he doesn't try to argue the protestor's case for them," said Theo. "Bill doesn't like to keep quiet."

The elevator took them to the third floor where the doors opened on another long hallway. The floor was covered in marble and the walls appeared to be adorned in some kind of wood. Mahogany, Theo assumed, not that he knew anything about that kind of thing. They passed several doors on either side, but it was clear that they were headed to the giant double doors directly at the end of the hall. Security guards posted on either side held assault rifles across their chests. "Do you see that?" Ryan asked Theo. "They mean business."

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."

It took the better part of a week for Kylee to have a chance to speak to Officer Menendez. When she returned home that night, Theo saw that she looked happy. "Well?" he asked, "What happened?"
 

"So, he definitely knew what was going on, and he wasn't happy about it at all. Most of the people in the Security Force think Tiberius was out of line with his ruling. Of course, most everybody is afraid to say anything. Menendez knows the mayor pretty well and he said he would definitely talk to him about meeting with you. No promises but he's going to try. I should know something soon."

It was another week before Theo got the answer that he was waiting for: the mayor would see him that Friday. The day of the appointment, Theo and Kylee walked to Caesar's Palace, where the self-proclaimed "leadership" had established offices. Theo had not been able to figure out why the government wasn't operating out of City Hall, but he assumed it had something to do with the opulence of the casino. It truly did resemble a palace, and no casinos were allowed to do business anyway.
 

"Good luck!" Kylee said as she hugged Theo goodbye. They looked at each other and then kissed for a few seconds before Theo reluctantly broke away. It was time to save his friend.
 

The level of security at the casino made that of the courthouse seem like a few mall rent-a-cops. Theo passed through five different checkpoints, some more invasive than others, on his way to the mayor's new office in the largest suite in the casino. Among the many government employees hurrying from place to place was an alarming amount of heavily armed Security Forces.
 

Theo checked in with the mayor's assistant and sat in a plush, golden chair. The waiting area had been the living room of the suite and was in the middle of what had been two bedrooms. Now those served as the offices of Mayor Lucas and Deputy Mayor Tiberius. Theo turned and looked out the massive windows that showed a broad expanse of the beach and the ocean beyond. Theo had often sat on the balcony of the penthouse condo, or on the roof of the building and had the same thought that occurred to him now: the water was too clean. Theo had seen water like that on cruises his family had taken to the Caribbean when he was younger.

The assistant startled him out of his contemplation. "Mr. Essex, the mayor will see you now."

Theo rose from the comfortable chair and followed the assistant as she led him to the dark wooden doors that separated the waiting area from the office. She opened one of the doors and gestured inside. Theo stepped across the threshold. The large bedroom had been transformed into a functional and inviting office space. A heavy oak desk was positioned along the wall directly opposite the doors. Theo was sure that beneath the thick rug underneath the desk the carpet contained the indentations of the king size bed that had once been the centerpiece of this room and had seen its share of high profile visitors and inappropriate behavior.

Across from the desk were two chairs as plush as the ones in the waiting room. It was to one of these that the assistant led Theo.
 
He breathed slowly as he tried to keep his nerves at bay. Seated behind the large desk was Mayor Lucas. He smiled his famous warm smile at Theo and said, "Please, sit down Mr. Essex. Make yourself at home."

Theo did as he was told. The mayor folded his hands on the sheet of glass that protected the dark leather inlay of the desk. "Mr. Essex, Carlos Menendez said that it was absolutely urgent that you see me. Now I've known Carlos a long time, and he is not a man prone to exaggeration and hyperbole. You must have something quite important to say and, by the way, Carlos must like you very much. He wouldn't do something like this for just anyone. Now then, what can I do for you?"

"Mr. Mayor, sir, I want to talk to you about the ruling the deputy mayor came up with the other day in the trial of the protestors."

"Ah. Yes." Lucas rubbed his chin. "I take it you have some connection to the protestors?"

"Not exactly, sir. My friend Bill Mansfield was arrested with the protestors, but he wasn't one of them. He got involved when the fighting started. He was trying to protect people."