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“It’s good to have friends in high places, Noah. Remember that. It’s more important now than ever. This is from Mattias Sutter. My cousin. You’ll meet him later. I told him about our needs, and he managed to find a nearby town with a pharmacy that
had it in stock and bartered for it. He brought it to me as a gesture of goodwill.” “Goodwill for what?” “You’ll see soon enough. And there’s more where that came from.”
She's buying you, my dear. All in hopes of keeping you as a pet.
Another month’s worth.
“You don’t know how worried I was. Just frantic for you. For all of you.” Her gaze flitted to the end of the island where Milo sat, then to Julian and back to Noah. “I said this to my son already, but I’m so very, very sorry. What happened last night . . . to think, it was almost Milo. I just . . .”
“I thought I was doing the best I could to protect us, and then this happens. On my watch. Maybe I should step down. Maybe I’m not the right person to keep us safe.”
“Thank you, Noah. You always know what to say. That’s why you’re so important to me. You’re all I have left.”
Julian stiffened. A shadow passed across his face.
Gavin’s always been the dependable one.”
“You’re going to have to step up now.”
Julian’s expression flattened. “I...
This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
A stranger sat on the stool in front of the island beside the superintendent. A big white guy wearing green camo fatigues with SUTTER emblazoned across the patch over the left side of his chest, a US MILITIA patch over his right, an AK-47 slung over one shoulder. He looked to be about six-foot-three and two hundred and fifty pounds, a brute of a man, all bulging thighs and arms. He had a barrel chest, a thick neck, a bald shiny head, and pale blue eyes sunken into his fleshy face.
Mattias Sutter of the Volunteer Militia Brigade of Southwest Michigan sat still and silent, unmoving, his eyes slowly sweeping the room, taking everything in.
Everyone knew a victim.
Mike Duncan’s neighbor. Jose Reynoso’s sister-in-law. A half-dozen of Annette King’s students and former students. Two of Dave Farris’s employees.
“I took the liberty of inviting Mattias Sutter here to speak with you. He has agreed to marshal the fifty-three men under his command to join the Fall Creek Police Department in a raid on the Carter compound tomorrow at dawn. They will help us bring Ray Shultz and the Carter brothers to justice. For we demand justice. And we will not rest until we get it.”
Noah did the math in his head, his gut a block of ice. That was two or three militia families or several single men per house. How would the rest of the townspeople take this? Strangers warm and cozy while they went hungry and shivered in the dark.
“Rosamond was right all along,” Wiggins said darkly. “We should have voted her way last time, and we sure as hell better do it now.”
“I agree.”
Stop ignoring your gut. You keep second guessing yourself. You're beyond naive and I see why Hannah wanted to get away.
“For me, I’m willing to do anything for my son. Anything. I think we’d all do the same. If that
means welcoming the Volunteer Militia Brigade as a support to local law enforcement, then that’s what I’m prepared to do.”
“We do what we have to do,” Wiggins said imperiously. “Whatever it takes.” “We have to protect the town,” Annette said, her voice hoarse.
She broke everyone down now. No one can see it.
Only Chief Briggs kept his hands in his lap, his expression tense.
Noah squelched his own anxiety. The militia would keep Fall Creek safe. They would keep Milo safe.
In the end, wasn’t that what mattered?
NO! If it means everyone elses lives? And narcissist Rosamond’s agenda... Ugh! Noah wake up! There won't be a town left once she's done with it.
She smiled that warm, grandmotherly smile, tears still shimmering in her eyes.
Tears of sickening joy. She's practically boiling over, she's so happy it's all going her way and relishing in their pain. What a psycho.
“We have thirty empty homes in Winter Haven. We cannot let such a valuable resource go to waste. And each of you—the leaders of this community, right here in this room—those homes are for you and your families. For all that you’ve sacrificed and will sacrifice to keep this town safe and united, you deserve it.”
They deserve it?????? How? Can no one see how asinine this all looks/sounds?! I know this is a story and the reason the author is taking this route but ugh it makes me itch.
From the back of the room, Chief Briggs got up silently and moved to the front door. He pulled his coat off the hook, tugged on his boots, and left without saying a word.
Oooh, he know something.
Rosamond barely glanced at Briggs as the door shut behind him. The corner of her mouth twitched. Noah knew her well enough to know what she was thinking. She had the council. They were with her all the way. She didn’t need the police chief’s support, not this time.
Naw, Noah... There's got to be more to it then that.
Still, he couldn’t erase the unease tangling in his belly. He couldn’t get Bishop’s words out of his head.
LISTEN TO IT, NOAH! If it were a snake, it would've bit you lol. Somebody help him!
This feeling, deep in his gut. One he loathed but couldn’t escape. That whatever this was, it wouldn’t end with the death of Ray Shultz and the Carter brothers. This was far from over.
