*THIS CHAPTER IS CURRENTLY BEING EDITED, PLEASE DO NOT READ FROM THIS POINT ON AS OF 10/5/2020. IT WILL BE EDITED IN A DAY OR TWO. THANK YOU.*

Russell briefly exchanged a silent nod with Kate as the last of the citizens took their seats.

Everyone's accounted for, minus the arrested and the guards placed at their doors, or in the jail. Even the newest arrival, the taxidermist, had made his way here. Nick Miles: one of their newest members that showed promise, but now aligned himself in the saving of Hannah and guarding of Hannah. A new threat, one that resembled that of Doyle and the young man in Nick's company, Dalton—the boy with the silver tongue.

Though he had his suspicions that they hid the Louviere girl with both of them here, Russell sent two after her anyway. Now, that they were here, Russell took every opportunity he could to snoop around that farmhouse with everyone distracted.

Having trouble holding back his own glare, Russell keeps the smile on his face that reads of anything other than his insidious agendas. The jury would be rigged for Hannah and the others, as it always was. Now, more than ever, he had to be careful. In the eyes of his people, he saw the distrust, the suspicion in his every movement and word, if their protests and overcrowded jails weren't enough to convince him.

Russell speaks when they've settled well enough, "Thank you all for your attendance and your concerns for our neighbors charged with offenses that have forever changed the face of our colony. For nearly three years now, all of us have dealt with the terrors, the evil that lurks outside our walls. However, it's in human nature that evil has reared it's ugly head again. I want to take this moment now, to thank all of you for your patience with me and your understanding for the decisions I've made as the leader of our little colony. I know I haven't been perfect, but I want you all to know I've tried my best, with the considerations for all of our safety, our future, always on the forefront of my mind. I continue to do so, and hope to do so in the future. This trial coming at noon tomorrow, is against not only a girl I consider to be like a daughter to me, but a friend to us all. Though she is undoubtedly guilty of shooting our Sheriff, it'll be up to a jury to decide if it was by cause of temporary madness, or if our poor Hannah is beyond saving,"

In the corner of Russell's eye opposing Kate's, Ana Maria sits. Injured, her shoulder bandaged, her fist clenching, shaking with the mentioning of Hannah. Informed and lectured fully to keep her cool, Russell continues on when his pause is the silent cue for her to control her image.

"I'd also like to release now, the information in regard to my nephew, Ethan, having been killed by the dead in an attempt to help her escape persecution. My nephew paid the price for trying to help her escape this crime, but justice will find this girl. It won't be easy and I don't envy those of you who will be chosen. I ask you keep it fair, but most importantly, remember that the safety of our people, our children, our future must prioritize above all. Anarchy, is what exists outside these walls and our mission here is to protect the old way of life. Without laws, without justice, there is only anarchy, only chaos."

Russell's aching eyes scanned the crowd of mixed faces. He finds softening under his words, a spell he had the ability to cast to blind others to his treacherous heart. They saw his point, which wasn't meant to be manipulative, but spoke his truth. Only, his own truth that fueled it perpetuated in his need for revenge, for control of this place he worked too damn hard to lose now.

He adds, "I will be excluding myself from this jury so to prove to you all that justice will prevail in this case concerning Hannah and so to save time and to get us back to work, we will be pushing forward the greater offenses into the same trial. Sergeant Doyle and the nurse, Sophie Grey, are awaiting trial as well. Their own offenses minor in comparison to Hannah's, but grievous nonetheless. Their crimes will be made public knowledge upon noon tomorrow. I will prove myself as overseer of this case to move it along, a lawyer of sorts for the prosecution. Though we are picking a jury, we will also pick for the defense. Before we pick the jury, I'd like to suggest a lawyer for the defense. One, who is new to us, but spoke publicly before a majority of you with a notable passion out against me and for the defense of Hannah in front of the hospital the other day..."

His eye lands with precision on Dalton and as he points his way, both Nick and his ally under the spotlight find trouble avoiding their own surprise.

"Dalton. Would you come to the stage please?" Russell calls to him and with one eventual hobble of a leg and a crutch, Dalton finds his way.

"All in favor?" Russell asks the crowd and through an overwhelming response of "Yay", Russell moves to the cardboard box that's seen better days. Handing it over to Kate, her painted red nails grip the sides as she pulls out a loose clump of paper in her hands.

Russell says, "This box is filled with the names of every adult member of this colony that is mentally fit by our doctor's standards to be on a jury. As you can see, there are quite a few names, so it's not just the officers under my command that will make the cut."

Unlikely, Nick thinks to himself in the crowd, as he watches the faces around him for the doctor he knew well. The odd woman with the thick glasses, that couldn't be seen in his immediate surroundings.

Eying the redhead picking the names on stage, Nick imagined this was the vampiric woman Hannah described earlier. When she fit the bill of her image, Nick's already suspicious as the first name is drawn. Obediently, she hands it over to Russell, which leaves little to be desired for the crowd in the reveal.

"Fisher!"

With his colony mentor and new friend called up, Nick searches reverently through the faces till he finds the apprehensive approach of the older male. The man was supposed to hide Hannah in one of the barns till they returned and him being back so quickly, gave Nick cause for concern.

Fisher's snakeskin cowboy hat pulled low, the older male looks anything but pleased to be up on that stage. His boots echo out on the high platform, the town hall rattles with the whispers of Fisher's place on this jury. The man who kept to himself, who scared children away from his gardens and didn't have a single friend but Nick among the people he'd lived alongside since before the arrival of Russell. Back when, the military still ran this colony, till they too, met Russell's merciless tactics.

Nick, thinking they had this show in the bag, gulps down in knowing of Fisher's wanting to stay out of all this. Guilty, that he somehow got his friend here at the colony in trouble. And although Fisher was anything but weak, Nick knew the man would do anything to stay within the colony and on the good side of Russell. They'd already discussed Nick taking the full blame should he get caught.

If it weren't for the betrayal of Ana Maria, Nick would have stayed out of this drama too. Hell, he damn near opposed Isaac on every suggestion he made for them to come to this place. Yet, there was a girl pregnant, waiting on death's doorstep if they didn't get her somewhere safe for her to deliver and to find rest.

The siren earlier, a mystery to everyone but him, as a note read a thousand times over folded in his trench coat pocket from CiCi. They were in their own, perilous situation. The clock, was ticking. ***

The rest of the jurors left to be pulled, the empty two seats of Hannah's trial ebbed with a horrific energy. Everyone left, dreading to be chosen. Afraid, to be under Russell's watchful eye and his next target.

The next paper is drawn by Kate's impeccable fingers, leading the crowd to believe it's at random. Most would trust their eyes, but Nick sees through it, exchanging worried glances with both Fisher and Dalton in the thick waiting.

The name being called are under Russell's command, as he reads out the next paper handed to him.

"Well, I can't believe it. It's the doc herself. Dr. Martin, where are you?" Russell nearly slaps his knee in his delight, but the doctor looks anything but amused when she finds her way to the stage next to Fisher. The awkward woman does her best to stay behind Fisher, her head held down low in all avoidance of the eyes planted her way.

To Dalton, Nick then stares, trying to catch his gaze. He can see the younger male struggling to find out what's happening. That, he too, was buying that this was going to be a fair trial. And, when Nick finally catches those hopeful, brown eyes, he gives one shake of his head to just one side. Not completing the disagreeing gesture, when he sees Dalton's comprehension that something's off with these choices.

"Though it's a bit of a conflict, our last juror is someone close to this case. The victim, Ana Maria, our Sheriff. Where are you Ana?" Russell asks, his voice heavy, as if he's sorry for the woman that beat Hannah in her own disturbed search for justice.

Chatter begins with the colonists. Speculation, finally rears.

As Ana goes to the stage, having been just a step away from the stairs, Dalton takes his step forward.

"Objection, she's too close to this case. Her interpretation of Hannah's motives is clearly tainted." Dalton voices out and in the crowd, the comments of colonists turn toward Russell in agreement for Dalton's motion.

Russell responds, "Had I been the survivor on an attack for my life, I'd sure as hell want to be on that jury. I know in the old world, something like this wouldn't stand, but to me, justice speaks loudest when the victim's have a voice."

It's here where Nick sees Dalton turn a shade of red he'd never seen before. Anger, in its rawest form, finds his expression.

"Don't get emotional, kid." Nick voices in his head.

Dalton replies steadily enough, "I think Ana Maria had her own brand of sick justice when she went against the laws of the colony and tortured Hannah with her own intent to kill her. Yet, I don't see the Sheriff under arrest, or standing trial for her own crimes."

As the crowd begins to join in agreement with Dalton, on the same accusations they too, had shared in the discovery of Hannah's torment, Russell's trademark hand wave presents to quiet the crowd for him to speak.

"Our Sheriff made a mistake, but she will certainly be held on a trial of her own on a later date. As will any betrayers of the colony, or our rules..." He trails off, giving Dalton a pointed look. One, not missed by Nick.

So, Ana Maria had told them. Or, so it would seem by glances exchanged. A look, that travels pointedly to Nick's steady stare from the colony's controversial leader.

Russell continues, "If the colony wills her to stand down from her position on the jury, I will honor it." Russell replies and as the colony refuses to assert Ana's seat on the jury, the Sheriff takes her backward, painful steps off the stage in her own flush of ruby red.

"I volunteer for jury!" Kate stood gracefully. Gently smoothing her hand over her cream dress, impeccably tidy and demure like always. Few steps carried her to stand alongside the other jurors. Ever-mindful of maintaining her personal space around the lot of them, a noticeable gap is between herself and the chosen.

It's the first time anyone but a select few members of the guard had heard the woman speak. Russell, himself, is stirred by her offer and the crowd ready to objects to it, but Kate finds her voice first.

Reassuringly, she speaks over the prattling, "As a contributing member of this little colony I've come to love, I'm capable of looking at every problem from every angle possible. With this mentality, I have restored the electricity to this town, helped turn over a greater harvest from the farms this year, and hope to do so going into the future. I know not many of you know me, or know much of me, but I promise to keep the colony moving in a favorable direction across the board. Hannah will be judged fairly in my eyes, and if there is even another solution to her execution, or the sure execution that comes to being exiled into the cruel state around us, I promise to find it for you. I promise to remain impartial, fair, and as forgiving as our changing justice system will allow!"

It's enough to even convince Russell. So much so, that his paranoia begins to arise on Kate's intentions. What tricks did she have up her sleeve? Though she'd done nothing to betray him, yet, he saw plenty in suspecting she'd betrayed the district that sent her...so what was to keep her from turning on him, should the power stray from her comfy seat in his mansion atop the hill?

Dalton, suspicious himself, is powerless. Unlike Russell, the crowd gives way to the pretty woman in the clean clothes. Shades of white—she wore it when no one else could pull it off in these times.

"Very well," Russell says, turning abruptly from her to face the colonists that motion in her favor. He shouts out, "You have your jury! The trial will take place in the courtyard, as always, outside of the school at noon! I remind you all to keep civil in these uncertain times, but the day will come to an end and the sun will rise again as it does every other day! Enjoy the rest of your evening and please remember, the laws are still in effect to remain in your homes after dark! Thank you."

Dismissing them, Russell waits as the crowd disperses. When the others vacate the stage, Russell is quick to block Kate, to stand in her path when she too, tries to leave.

"What are you doing?" He asks her, whispering into her ear just as he did last night when she wriggled wildly beneath him.

Those eyes, sultry and all-knowing find his, till her painted red lips leave the slightest mark of crimson on his ear lobes with, "Trust me when I tell you I can win you the world at your side, Russell Wolfe."

When she leaves the stage, the sound of her heels draws in the attention of anyone that has grown forgetful of the noises of luxury.