Original Work The Unwelcome Sign

“You knew, didn't you?”
Johns didn't answer me.
“Yes. See? You did know. You knew that Carol told people that she would give a month's food to anyone that killed me. Isn't that right?”
It took a moment before he'd look at me. “Yes, I heard that she said that.”
“Yet you did nothing? If nothing else, warning me?”
“I didn't think it was a serious threat.”
“Didn't think I'd want to make that decision myself? It was, after all, my life that was being threatened.”

The pounding on the door startled me. I shook it off, and grabbed my rifle and headed for the front door. Sadie followed. Getting near enough to the door to be able to talk through it, I stood in a doorway for cover. Sadie was across the hall, where she could cover me, but also watch our backs.

I waited for a pause in the pounding. “Who's there?”
“Detective Johns. What's going on in there? Is that you Zed?”
“Yes, it's me. Are you alone?”
“Yes, it's just me.”
“I'm going to let you in. Holster your weapon please.”
I went to the front door, Sadie covering me, and opened it, revealing Detective Johns standing there, pistol holstered, but with his hand on it. I looked past him into the yard and didn't see anyone else.
Looking one more time, I saw Jacob move from behind the tree he had been using as cover. I waved him over and he jogged up to the door. I let both of them in and we went to the living room and sat down.
I knew I had to keep control of the conversation, to steer it the way I wanted. So I went on the offensive, asking Johns about his knowledge of the death threats.
I needed to put him off balance and make sure he stayed there.

“So you knew that one person had publicly threatened another, yet did nothing? That's unbelievable!” I didn't want him to ask any questions, but before I could continue, Sadie jumped in.

“You wouldn't do anything, so I did. When someone makes clear their intentions to harm someone you love, someone you've sworn your life to, you don't wait. You don't give them a chance to actually hurt your family. So I came over here and took care of it. She won't be threatening anyone else. What would you do if someone threatened your wife, or your children? Would you give them a chance to do so?”

Johns still wasn't saying anything. He'd probably been asleep when he was awoken by the gunshots, and now stunned by Sadie's admision. No time to let up now.
“This shouldn't come as a surprise. It's been a long time coming. Carol has been misusing her authority and abusing her control over the food distribution. The death threat against me was just the last of a string of abuses. Were you aware she was making people work for her in exchange for food? Doing housework and that sort of thing?
“Well, yes, but your making people work for food too. I think that's where she got the idea.”
“I'm having them do work that benefits the neighborhood, not myself directly.”
“And what about the spying?” Surprisingly, Jacob, who is usually quiet spoke up. “Carol made Widmore spy on Zed. She told him to look for a way to kill him!”

Johns sat up, startled as much that Jacob spoke as by the information he conveyed.
“Widmore told you this?” Jacob nodded.
“She was a bad person. She was friends with my mom. I've listened to her since I was a kid, she was always nasty, talking down about people, doing things behind their backs, cutting them down. I know of a couple of business deals that she sabotaged that way.”

Jacob's words had a profound effect on Johns and I could see him pondering what he'd just been told. I gave him just a moment and then moved on. Johns had been in the house for a few minutes now, knew Sadie had killed Carol, and yet hadn't talked about doing anything about it. Sadie admitting to the shooting didn't give him the chance to accuse her, nor talk about consequences.

So far, so good.

“Do you know how much food Carol had on hand?”
“No, but it she must have been running out, because she was cutting down on what she was handing out.”
I stood and told him to follow me. I led him to the locked room and opened it and let him step inside. He stood, slowly taking it all in.

“There's months and months of food here.” he said quietly. He turned to me.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why was she being so miserly with it?”
“You know why. You don't need me to tell you.”

I locked the room back up. I was putting the key back in my pocket when I paused, thinking about it, and then handed it to Johns.
He looked at the key in his hand, and then at me.
I answered his unasked question. “It's not my food. It was given to the community, it belongs to them. You're the closest thing to a government representative that we have here.
He looked at me aghast.
“I don't want it!”
“All the more reason for you to have it.”
“What am I going to do with it?”
“If you want my advice, I'd give it all away. Then you don't have to worry about it.”
We were back in the living room now.
Sadie wasn't happy. “You want to just give all of the food away? What about what you were saying about it devaluing food?”
“Yeah, Carol was like DeBeers with diamonds, by tightly controlling the flow of food she kept the value high. Which worked in our favor. But we didn't know that it was artificial. We thought she didn't have much on hand.”
“So you're going to let Johns control it?”
“We'll if he hands it all out, he won't have anything to control, will he?”
Sadie wasn't happy with the answer, but I knew she'd come around once she'd had a chance to think about it. Meanwhile, we weren't talking about the dead body upstairs.

“So, does that make sense to you?” I looked at Johns. “We can help with inventorying and distribution if you like. You'll have to figure out the best way to divide it so everyone gets their share.”
Johns nodded distractedly. I could tell where his thoughts were going, what he was trying to work out.
“I'll take care of Carol. I'll bury her out back. Should we have a service?”
He shrugged, obviously out of his depth. “I don't know. Who would go?”
Now it was my turn to shrug. “I don't know either, I figured you'd have a better idea.”
“She wasn't particularly well liked. Once people get the food, I don't think Carol will matter to them, one way or the other.”
“Well, I'll set it up. If anyone's interested, I'll make sure they have a chance.”
Johns nodded again and made to get up.
“What are you going to tell people?” I figured it was time to bring it out in the open. It was clear Johns just wanted to go home and go back to bed. He wasn't happy about everything that had been thrust at him.
He started for the door but stopped and turned back to me. “Carol made no secret that she hated you and wanted you dead. She told plenty of people that she would pay to have it done.” He gave another of his shrugs. “No one liked her. They're not going to care, why should I?” He turned and walked out the house.

“Jake, would you make sure Johns gets home OK? Then come on back here.”
“Sure Zed.” He slung his AK and picked up his bow and padded quietly out the door.

 

“Why did you give Johns control of the food?”
“I didn't see any choice. I had to deflect the situation from you shooting Carol to Carol's bad control of the food for her benefit. By handing it over to Johns I effectively neutralized him. We needed that. People are going to listen to what he says.”
“So it's my fault?” the anger was creeping back. “I was protecting you!”
“Sweetie, no, it's not your fault. Carol brought this on herself. You know I love you and it means the world to me that you did what you did.”
“But.”
“I'm not going to second guess you Sweetie. But now I'm doing what I think I have to deal with the aftermath. What should I have done?”
“It's a hell of a resource to just give away. I know it's not ours, but if we control it, we'll handle it better.”
“Probably, but we need to do it this way.”
“What about how this will effect the value of our food?”
“You know what it will do. But I don't think it will matter. Not much anyway. There are other motivations to do the work we need, and in a way this takes a lot of pressure off of our limited supplies.”

“I still think people are just going to squander the food if we just give it to them.”
“Yup. Some of them will. Some of them will figure out they can use it like money. Some will eat it faster than they should and be right back where they were.
But this will have to have been a wake up call for some people and those people will be more careful.”

I got up and sat down next to Sadie and put my arms around her. “We'll figure it out. Just like we always do. As long as we're together, we can get through anything.” I gave her squeeze which she returned.

“I'm going to deal with Carol's body, I could probably use a hand.” I got up and Sadie followed me upstairs to the bedroom. In what was becoming all too familiar a technique, we used a sheet off the bed to wrap the body. Sadie helped my carry it downstairs where we left it until a grave could be dug.

 

Well done.

 

Ding dong the witch is dead.... righteous.
(Whew, now I can go to bed...

 

Glad carrol is outa the picture...Good on Sadie!!

 

Agreed that I'm glad Carol is done...and it didn't take as long as The Walking Dead did to get rid of Shane.

 

Nicely done love the way the story is evolving

 

Now that Carol has gone, new players seem to be entering the environment to create further challenges for plot and character development. Carol has outlived her usefulness in more ways than one.

Keep the story rolling.

Cheers from chello

 

Outstanding disposition of Carol. I've known people like her that ooze evil from their pores.
GB

 

So, how am I doing?

 

Excellent! Enjoying it very much. Went back and liked all the previous posts.

 

Will saying 'ditto' get me banned?

 

You doing great!! Ready for more...

 

How are you doing????? I am apoplectic awaiting each installment. BTW, thanks for including the Brass Islands. I hadn't thought of them since the late 80s- mid-90s when we cruised the Caribbean.
GB

 

I know I should be commenting on the story, but the big guy in my avatar took a spill yesterday and I took him to the Vet's because he was limping to day. After my wallet got $300+ lighter the Doc. said he needed surgery for a torn ACL and that he did not work on large dog's " Hamlet is 195 lb's" Great Dame Mastiff mix that we raised from a puppy. Right now I'll continue reading because I have some tough dissensions I have to make and I need a little escape from reality.

 

OH! Sorry about your pup! I hope they heal up OK. I've gone through some episodes with Coco the Adventure Dog...

 

I'm reading!!!

 

More please.

 

It was scary yesterday getting Hamlet home from the Vet's he staggered like a drunk, getting him in the SUV, it took 3 of us and when I got him home, I could not get him up. I backed the car up to the front door leaving tail window open so we could see him if he got up. He stayed there for 3 hours with his mouth open in an unnatural position. He finely sat up and my adult son helped me get him in the house and on to the couch. What really bothered me was I could not get him up to go to the bathroom out side. It was like the lights were on but no one was there. Thank heaven this morning he was back to his old self. - A little prayer seamed to work miracles!!!

 

Your doing great, by killing Carol you won't have a two front war and the undecided's of Carol's old group will have a clear choice. Now let's hope she has no Kin that will try some sort of revenge. The clan's on the islands are a close knit community. I'de like to see a little Naval warfare maybe with a Cuban gunboat or a highjack sail boat used for nefarious purposes. Great Story Line.