Joshua (Book 2): Traveler (24 page)

Judge Stewart confirmed the sentence, telling Rob that “you are to be hanged by the neck until dead” as soon as the gallows could be built.

Rob didn’t have a thing to say.

Later that afternoon, Hannah came out to the barn; two armed guards escorted her there. When she came inside, Rob was sitting in an old horse stall, his only arm threaded between the planks in the gate. He had a few guards of his own.

They could all hear men hammering away at something outside.

He lifted his eyes to her and stood up, a wide smile came to his face. “James! Glad to see you!”

The girl approached him and was stopped short by one of his guards. “My name is Hannah. Would you please call me Hannah. Could you do just that one thing for me, Rob?”

For the first time since she met him, Rob looked like he was ashamed of himself, “All right, Hannah.” Then that smile returned to his face. “I’ve got to tell you, though, I still like James better. So why did you come out to see me, to gloat?”

“No Rob, not to gloat, you know you have very little time left, don’t you?”

“Yeah ...” Rob stopped to scratch his back with his only remaining digit, “The judge said they were going to hang me as soon as the scaffold was finished. From the sound of it I’d say it won’t be too much longer.”

They both stood there for a moment listening to the enthusiastic hammering coming from outside.

“They say it will done by morning,” Hannah replied.

“I don’t know why they waited until the end of the trial to start building it. Everyone knew what the verdict would be before it started. Hell, I don’t know why we even had a trial at all.”

Hannah sat down across from him. “Judge Stewart said it might prejudice the jury if they started building it before the verdict ... and we’re having a trial because we’re civilized.”

Rob smiled again, “We’re civilized?”

“I don’t mean you, Rob, I meant these people. We’re building a real community here, it’s going to be just like in the before times.”

Rob’s smile grew wide.

“What’s so funny?”

“Kid, I think you’re only going to end up being disappointed in your new friends. The wheels are about to come completely off of your ‘civilization,’ it won’t be too much longer before we’re swinging from the trees again.”

“‘Civilization’ is going to be just fine, Rob. We’re going to rebuild it.”

Robert nodded as he grinned, “Uh-huh.”

“Stop smiling, Rob; not everyone is like you. There are lots of decent people still out there and we’re going to make this world a better place. It will be as good as before, maybe better.”

Rob’s smile was suddenly gone. “Okay, kid, I won’t destroy your delusions. I don’t guess I could talk you out of them anyway. But it’s obvious to anyone paying attention that we’re on the down side of the slope. Resources are getting scarcer every year ... people are getting more desperate ... more vicious. It doesn’t take a fortune teller to see which way this world is really going.”

Hannah didn’t bother arguing, she was sure he was wrong.

“As for the gallows influencing the jury, no, I don’t think that would have mattered at all. Besides, what are they going to do about you? Won’t it prejudice your trial?”

She stood up again, “So you’ve heard?”

“Yeah ... I’m sorry, I know you won’t believe this but I didn’t have anything to do with it. I didn’t want to get you involved.”

“I believe you, Rob. I know you wouldn’t tell.”

“Thanks, I’m glad you can admit I’m not a complete monster. So, what are you going to do?”

Hannah thought about it moment, “Nothing, I’m not going to do anything, Rob. I’m as guilty as you. I’ll let the jury decide what my punishment will be ... I can live with that.”

“You’re going to plead guilty?”

“No ... I’ll have a trial, I’ll go through the whole thing. I don’t deserve to get off with a plea ... and the victims deserve to have it, to hear about every awful thing I’ve done.”

“So why did you come out here?”

“To talk to you about God, you only have a few hours to live. Rob, don’t you want to be saved?”

Robert was growing a little angry now. “No, I don’t want to be saved. I’m not ashamed of what I’ve done, I did what was required to survive. If your God didn’t want me going around robbing and killing people, he shouldn’t have made this whole world go to shit!”

“Don’t try to blame what you’ve done on God, Rob.”

Rob paused, and that honest smile he had returned to his face, “I’m sorry I snapped at you, kid. You need to understand, I’ve been fed that church crap all of my life. I didn’t believe it then and I don’t believe it now. This leopard is not going to suddenly change its spots.”

Hannah was deeply saddened, her whole manner said so, “Okay, but you understand, I just had to ask.”

“All right, I understand. I hope you understand me too.”

“What do you mean?”

“I hope you didn’t believe all that rhetoric the prosecutor was spewing out. Like when she said I was as ‘bad as Hitler in his own way.’ Come on, I’m not even close,” Rob said as smiled. “Okay, I’ve done some things that in the old world would have been considered ‘bad’ but I’m not so bad.”

“They were bad things, Rob. Killing, stealing, selling people into slavery, it was wrong in the ‘Old World’ and it’s wrong in this one too.”

Rob had to laugh, “Well, obviously we’re going to have to disagree on that. But at least you can admit I was always loyal to you guys. I always looked out for my men.”

“I don’t remember it that way at all.”

“What?” Rob was truly surprised.

“You killed John. You put Nicky’s life in danger many times.”

“I killed Alton because he tried to break up the group. I told you we wouldn’t have survived this winter if we separated.”

“Yeah ... that’s what you said; what about Nicky?”

“I never used Nicky unless it was absolutely necessary. He knew that, he didn’t mind. He was a good little soldier.” For a split second it appeared Rob might cry.

“He looked up to you, Rob, he would have done anything for you. In the end it got him killed.”

“We were at the end of our rope, we needed to take that church and using him was our best chance of success. I’m sorry you can’t see that the group was always my first concern. Maybe I haven’t given you a good enough example. I’ll give you a better one, Peavey. I loved that guy. He was like a kid brother to me. I died a little inside when I had to kill him.”

“You killed Peavey?!” Hannah rushed at Rob in his pen but a guard held her back.

“Sure, you don’t think he just died, do you? I suffocated him in his sleep that night. Like I said, I died a little too. But it had to be done, for the group.”

“Why, Rob?! Why would you do that?!”

“Don’t you remember how he was? He wouldn’t have wanted to live like that. Besides, the whole group was being jeopardized by trying to keep him alive. He was slowing us down, eating up resources we didn’t have. It was the best thing for all of us he died.”

“How could you, Rob?! You don’t know he wanted to die!”

“Sure I know. Just like me he lived for the group. He wouldn’t want to be a burden on his friends. He wouldn’t want to go on suffering. It’s like with Mary, I didn’t want to kill her either, she was a nice girl. But I had to. It’s the only way the group could survive.”

“Mary? Wasn’t that the girl sleeping with all of your men? You said she killed herself.”

“Well, actually, no,” Rob awkwardly told her. “I crawled up to her bed that night. Shot her through the roof of her mouth with a twenty-five Beretta, made it look like a suicide. But I had to do it! She was a nice girl but she was going to get us all killed!”

Hannah rushed him again but couldn’t get past the guard, so she finally backed off. “Rob, you’re a killer. You are evil, you might even be insane.”

“All right, I’m a killer, that goes without saying. But I’m not evil or insane. If anything I think I’m too soft-hearted.”

She was stunned, “Did you just say you were too soft-hearted?”

“That’s what I said. I’ve thought a lot since Nicky was killed. I can’t believe all those times we robbed people and let them live. I was so stupid. I don’t know what I was thinking, anyone of them could have come back and killed us. It was just dumb luck that it never came back to bite me on the ass. I guess it took Nicky dying to make me come to my senses. McCain was right all along, the best thing to do is kill them all before they have a chance to take one shot at you. You never want to leave any enemy alive, that’s just asking for trouble. You know what my problem was?” Rob didn’t wait for an answer, “I was just too nice.”

Hannah stood there without a word in her gaping mouth.

Rob went on, “Well, I can’t complain. I’ve lived like I wanted to and I’ll die like I want to. I never bowed my head to anyone, not even God. I won’t beg for my life either. I won’t give the scum that come to watch me die the satisfaction. But enough about me, what are you going to do after all of this?”

At last Hannah found her voice again, “My trial starts in the morning, Rob. I’ll probably only live a few days longer than you.”

The sound of Rob’s hearty laugh filled the whole barn, that honest smile he had returned to his face too. “Kid, you still don’t know a thing about human nature. If all of your jurors thought like me you might be executed. But these people here, they’re still living in that old world. They don’t have the balls to hang a teenage girl. Oh ... you’ll be punished, of course, but they won’t kill you. Like I said, they’re still living in that old world. Either they’re too afraid to jump into this new one, or, even sadder, they think the old one will be coming back.”

The girl honestly asked, “So you don’t think that old world will ever come back?”

“Nope ...” Rob stood up, straight and tall, then patted his chest with his mangled hand. “Look at me, Hannah, I’m the future. All of your ‘nice’ friends out there, they’re the past. A few years from now they’ll be extinct, they’ll all be as dead as the dodo, but people like me will still be here.”

Hannah turned for the door. “I think you’re wrong, but thank you for calling me Hannah anyway.”

“You’re welcome. Are you coming to my execution?”

The girl stopped and looked back at him, “No, I don’t think so. A month ago I would have come, might have even took some satisfaction in it. Now, I don’t think I would.”

“Well, I guess we won’t see each other again.”

“I wouldn’t think so.”

“Then I’ll just say good-bye, Hannah ... and wish you luck in whatever you do.”

Hannah turned for the door again and kept walking. Even though Rob didn’t deserve it, she felt like crying for him.

The workers finished constructing the gallows at 11:25 that night; Judge Stewart ordered Rob’s execution for midnight. She said they wouldn’t wait for sunrise because he wasn’t worth one more meal.

Rob was brought up on the platform, his one arm tied behind him. He was offered some last words but he kept his promise; he didn’t beg but only politely declined. A preacher also offered to pray with him but he refused that too.

At last he was walked out over the trapdoor and the rope was put around his neck. It was time, justice would finally be done. The door suddenly dropped and so did Rob. When he came to the end of the rope, his head was ripped off. His headless body lay below the scaffold. They say his heart kept pumping for over a minute, the blood saturating the snowy ground.

They all stood there watching, half the mob in horror and the other half in delight.

Afterwards, an investigation showed that the hangman was all new to this and had made the rope too long. He wouldn’t make that mistake the next time.

Hannah lay in her bed with a guard just outside. She could tell by the sound of the crowd the exact moment Robert died. The girl said a prayer for his soul although she knew he didn’t want her to. She spent the rest of the night tossing around in the bed, wondering if her fate would be the same.

The girl’s trial started promptly at 9:00 that morning. Judge Stewart told all of them there were only a few witnesses and she hoped it would be over in no more than a day or two. The same jury was sworn in for this new trial and made to promise they wouldn’t hold any testimony, evidence, or the outcome of the previous one against the girl.

Both sides gave their opening arguments and the prosecution proceeded with its side of the story. Then they started swearing witnesses in.

Several people identified the girl as the same one that was with the gang that had robbed or harassed them. The most damming witness was Sarah Whitman. While on the stand talking about her husband, she began weeping, telling the jury how he was dead and it was all Hannah’s fault.

Several members of the jury and Hannah were brought to tears.

After lunch, it was time for the defense to make its case. They brought several witnesses, including Vira, Nancy Kurtzman, and Carol, all of them testified to how the girl had changed her life and deserved a second chance. Carol made the best impression on the jury, telling them how Hannah had worked for the welfare of the group and about the good works she did for refugees and other people she barely knew.

Late in the day, her attorney asked Hannah to get on the stand but the girl refused. Carol tried to talk her into it too but Hannah wouldn’t budge. At that point her attorney asked for another short recess so they could talk to the girl.

The three went into the laundry room of the old house but Carol stopped the girl’s attorney at the door. “Do you mind if I speak to her alone?”

“No, if you think it will help.”

Carol shut the door, only the two of them in the room. “Hannah, what’s going on? Don’t you know how serious this is? Sarah Whitman’s testimony was damning. You could be convicted of murder if you don’t testify. You have to get on that stand.”

The girl was resolute, “No, no I don’t. I don’t want to and I don’t have to.”

“What do you mean you don’t want to? Do you want to be convicted?”

“Did it ever occur to you, Carol, that I am guilty?”

“No, you’re not guilty, Hannah.”

“Did it ever occur to you that Sarah Whitman is right, her husband is dead and it’s all my fault.”