Chapter 4
The next day around noon we stopped at the gates leading into Haven. Only one guard was on duty. His name was Ray Gleason. I knew that he was close to Ted and a couple other more militant members of the council. "Report to the community center for bite inspection and a debriefing" Ray said stiffly.
I looked over at Fred and asked "Debriefing? Do you think something's up, Fred? I thought the gate was supposed to have two guards at all times. And I've never seen Ray on gate guard duty before. And I've never had a debriefing after a trip."
"I don't know, probably nothing just Committee nonsense. You're just suspicious or maybe a little paranoid." said Fred.
As we approached a curve in the road leading to the community center I spotted my buddy Jack waving wildly from the side of the road. Rob and I stopped and climbed out to talk to Jack. "Ralph, Rob, watch out. The security subcommittee has arrested Jenny, Betty, Luther and Veronica they're calling it protective custody." said Jack.
"Where are they being held?" I asked.
"Over in the shed behind the community center". Jack replied.
"All of them?" I asked
"I'm pretty sure." Jack said.
"Do you have any idea who is behind this action?" asks Fred.
"The arrest was directed by John Masters and the Security Subcommittee. They were all big supporters of Ted Winters. But the General Committee voted them authority to take whatever steps they saw fit. The first decisions they made suspended your Haven Guards and put their Security Police in their place. At the same meeting they disbanded the General Committee and assumed full control of Haven." said Jack.
"Security Police! What the hell are Security Police?" asked Fred.
"They have formed a group of about ten or twenty armed Security Police that work under Ray Gleason, who reports directly to the Security Committee. They have been interviewing your old guards for recruitment into the Security Police as well." said Jack.
"OK, hop into Rob's APC. You and Fred can drive Robs APC over to the community center. Rob, Bobby, and I will go over on foot. Wally, you and the Power Plant guys stay in the APCs too. There's no need for you to get involved in this. It's our fight. You just stay in the APC, and don't get out. Once you are locked down, you are safe inside from anything they can throw against you." I told them.
"Bobby, grab three or four extra MP5s and a box of 9mm ammo. Rob and I will carry the extra guns. You carry the box of ammo. Then let's move out." I said.
"What's the plan?" asked Rob.
"First, we break out Betty, Jenny and the others. When we have them safe, we kill the council members behind this bull shit." I said.
"Sounds like a good plan to me. I couldn't have planned it better myself." said Rob.
At the community center building where the prisoners were being held, we spotted four of the new security police standing outside the shed. We worked our way to a position within 15 feet of the guards. The three of us opened up with the suppressed mp5's.
Rob reached for the door knob. The door was locked from the inside. "Open this damn door!" shouted Rob.
"I have my orders. No one is to enter without authorization from councilman Masters." Came the reply.
"There are four dead guards out here, and you will be too, if you don't open this damn door right now. I am ordering you to open the door before I break it down and you have to die too!" Rob yelled.
"OK, OK... just a minute." the voice from inside said.
The door was opened and Rob, Bobby and I filed inside. Betty, Veronica and Jenny were sitting at a table but jumped up and ran to us as soon as we entered the room. Bobby took the guards pistol and had him sit down where he could watch him. "Where is Luther? I ask. "He was here too, but about an hour ago two guards came and got him." Veronica said between sobs. "Councilman Masters has him in the council room for questioning." said the guard. "What the hell is wrong with these people? Do they have a death wish or something? Why do they keep doing crap like this to us? Are they just trying, to piss me off?" said Rob.
"OK, Bobby you stay here with these guys. We passed out the extra mp5's we had brought with us to Betty, Jenny and Veronica. Shoot anyone other than Rob or I that comes through the door." I said. "Come on Rob, let's go in and see the councilmen." I said.
Rob and I burst into the council room and shot two armed security police that were standing beside a bleeding Luther, who was tied to a chair. The five councilmen who had come to my house the night Rob had shot Ted Winters were sitting at the council table. One of them, John Masters, jumped to his feet and screamed "Who do you think you are? You can't just come bursting into these chambers." I walked over to where he stood and with a cross slash to his face with my MP5, knocked him back into his chair. "Sure I can. I'm the damn King of Haven. I can do anything I like, and let me assure you, today, I'm going to do things that you aren't going to like." I told him. I walked over to Luther and cut the ropes holding him to the chair. "Are you OK, man?" "Yeah, I'm fine. These clowns didn't have the guts to do much but slap me around a little." I handed him an MP5. "You can kill anyone but Masters there. I have special plans for him." I said. Without saying anything, Luther handed the MP5 back to me and kicked the body of one of the dead guards. "Those two were the only ones who actually touched me." Luther said. Then nodding his head toward the subcommittee members he said, "Those bastards still didn't even have the guts to touch me when I was tied up."
I walked out to the shed and called for Bobby to bring everyone into the council chambers. Next I walked out front and yelled to Jack, who was driving my APC, "Jack, shoot anybody you see out there that is carrying a gun, if their armed kill them, No prisoners." I heard rifles hitting the pavement. I guess they didn't want to face the 50 calibers.
When Betty and Jenny entered the chambers I ask," Were any of these guys the ones who arrested you?"
Jenny pointed at John Masters and said, "He came to the door with six men armed with M4's and said we were being placed under arrest as accomplices to the murder of Ted Winters. And that we would be dealt with when you and Rob returned."
Rob raised his MP5 to shoot Masters but I said, "Wait Rob... I have a punishment you'll love planned for that one."
"OK, but it had better be a good one." Rob said lowering his rifle.
"Bobby, would you to please tie the councilmen's hands behind their backs. Then I want you and Jack to run up to the gate and bring the guard back here. Shoot him if he gives you any trouble at all. Tell Jack I would like for him to take over as gate guard for now." I said.
I walked over to my APC and asked Fred if he would drive to each house and ask everyone in Haven to come up here at 4:00 pm for a meeting of all residents in the council chambers.
Fred said that he would assemble the other council members to assist him.
"OK, whatever you want, except for these five, they are under arrest and if they live until 4:00 pm they will be sentenced at the meeting in front of all of the residents of Haven." I told him.
At the meeting, Fred took the floor and addressed the assembled crowd. Gesturing to the three individuals from the Power Plant, he said, "I want to introduce these three gentlemen, they are from the Power Plant in Sacramento. Tomorrow, they will be supervising the installation of the new generators that Rob and his team were able to obtain. When the new generators are on line, they will be returning to the Power Plant. But on their return trip they are going to survey the existing power lines in order to explore the possibility of supplying Haven power from the Power Plant. The Power Plant is now under Haven's control and protection. Neil and young Mike Hanson both of whom most of you are familiar with are there now. In exchange for power, I have agreed to trade goods and supplies to the power plant. Some of the security measures being used at the power plant would be an excellent supplement to our existing security. I want you to welcome and assist these men in their efforts to aid us."
Fred cleared his throat and said, "At this time I will turn the floor ov
er to Ralph Mason, I'm sure almost everyone here is acquainted with Ralph. Ralph is the current elected guard commander and one of the founders of Haven. Due to his foraging trips Ralph is also one of the main contributors to our successful survival."
I walked over to where Fred stood and stated, "I'm sure some of you are aware of the faction that has been trying to wrest control of Haven from the elected council." Bring out the prisoners Rob." I said.
The five members of the security subcommittee and Ray Gleason bound hand and foot stumbled up behind me. They stood there guarded by Rob and Bobby.
"Due to the recent acts of hostility culminating with the arrest of Rob's wife, Luther and his family and my family, by these men, I am declaring a state of martial law and suspending the duties of the governing council. I have also dissolved the Security subcommittee. If this is something you don't think you can tolerate and feel inclined to protest or resist, I recommend that you wait until I'm finished with my announcements before you state your intentions." I said.
There was a stirring and mumbling from the crowd. I held up my hand and said, "Wait, wait. Fred will gather the council and over the next few days. Fred, Rob, and I will question them as to their part in this attack on our families. We will exile any that we determine to have openly participated in this attack and return the councilmen who we decide are innocent of wrong doing to full authority by the end of the month. At which time, elections can be held to replace any that we deem sufficiently culpable to remove from office and exile.
But first, I will be administering a sentence on these five ex-councilmen and Ray here. Ray will be escorted to the gate, his weapon will be returned when he leaves Haven. Ray is not to try and return to Haven under threat of death. Now, for the subcommittee members, four of the remaining five will be taken south to the outskirts of Sacramento and released unarmed. John here, I'm giving special attention. He will be taken to downtown Sacramento and released unarmed. They are all sentenced to exile and are never to return to Haven. Their immediate families are free to accompany them or they may choose to leave with Ray. But unfortunately they are under the same exile sentence."
"The reason for this harsh punishment is because when Rob and I go out there among the Zombies and hostile survivors to resupply the community, we leave our families in your care. I expect them to be protected, not threatened, abused, or endangered in anyway. Since you have through action or inaction allowed a group of small petty men to jeopardize that trust, I now need to weigh if I have put my trust in the wrong hands." I concluded, then I turned and taking Betty's hand I led her from the council chambers.
In the days that followed, Rob and I discovered that Ted Winters, John Masters and the other four councilmen had been formulating a power grab that involved the overthrow of the governing committee of Haven. Their plan to neutralize Rob and myself was to hold our families hostage in order to force us do as they ordered. What they failed to understand was that we deal with situations as they arise. We reacted the same way we do when we're out there with the Zombies. We observed the situation and solved the problem it created. Our families were imprisoned and endangered and needing to be freed. And not being the type to wring our hands and wait for the other shoe to drop. We used the same process to deal with this threat as any other. We saw to the safety of our families then eliminated the threat itself.
After questioning the prisoners and remaining councilmen we removed one of the two remaining councilmen, but didn't exile him. His crime was that of cowardice and not malice, so we removed him from office but didn't exile him. Only Fred and one other of the existing councilmen were cleared to our satisfaction of guilt.
Five days after our return and the ensuing arrest of the subcommittee, John Masters's wife and one other councilman's wife plus three of their children had accompanied Ray Gleason into exile. Rob, Bobby, and I drove my APC out the gates of Haven with the five councilmen bound and seated in the passenger compartment and headed for Sacramento. Jack followed in the second APC with two of the councilmen's wives as passengers.
The first four councilmen and the two wives were released on the outskirts of Sacramento. Before we drove away, I told them not to return to Haven. That I would kill them the next time I saw them.
John Masters was ordered to remove his shoes and strip. I released him downtown shoeless, naked and unarmed. "You can't do this, it's worse than a death sentence!" he cried. I charged my M4 and fired a burst into the air, "You better get moving. That noise will probably draw a lot of Zombies. By the way John, fuck you very much and have a nice day." I said, and then I put the APC into gear and drove away.
I looked over at Rob. With a smile he said, "You were right Ralph, I did like that punishment. It's too bad about the wives and kids though."
"If I hadn't included them in the exiles we would have been looking at possible vendettas" I said.
That was six months ago. Neither Ray nor the security councilmen have tried to return since we sent them into exile.