Guilty

“Guilty as charged, under the Uniform Code of Military Justice I here by sentence the four defendants to death to be carried out Sunrise tomorrow.” And with a bang of the gavel, the major had sealed the fate of the Quickie-Mart Four. The room burst with chatter as the members of the official press corps started talking into their microphones, cell phones and recorders. The young Lieutenant shrugged and told them she would try and file an appeal but it didn’t look good.

Allen was dumbfounded. How could this have happened? They had not done anything wrong. The guards nudged them up and herded them out of a side door into a small passageway that lead to a loading doc in the back. They climbed into their woodland patterned camouflaged Hummer. The press was around the front of the building along with a large crowd of protestors. The engine caught and roared to life. The driver slipped it into drive and pulled out of the loading dock slowly, easing onto the street.

“Well” Gregg offered. “At least today can’t get any worse.” He was wrong.

BDU's and New M-8 Cabines

Allen’s fears mounted as he walked into the chambers that were to serve as the court house. The back of the room and the gallery areas were full of cameras and reporters, most in the grey uniform of the official government Press Corps. There were ten guards all in BDU’s and armed with their new issue M-8 Carbine rifles. It figures the rear guards get the new equipment Allen thought. The Major was sitting at the center of the large curved desk that was the Mayor’s spot at counsel meetings. He looked unhappy.
Allen and his squad were escorted to the defense table, a young lady in a new dress uniform, looked both scared and frazzled.
“Ma’am” Allen said
“Ok, look your charged with the murder of two civilians and burning their business down. If you plead guilty I can ask for a lesser sentence, but you have to allocate to your crimes”
“Wa…”
“The court will come to order.” The Major announced.
“We are here to find out the facts of the events that resulted in the death of two American Citizens in the rebellion zone. Lieutenant Kessler, read the charges”
Kessler stood up and approached the microphone and read the charges as they were written. Allen and his squad were accused of cold blooded murder of two civilians who did nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were charged with trying to cover up the crime by shooting one of their own and calling it an ambush. The reasons that they would have done such a thing were not given in the indictment.
“Counselor do your clients understand the charges”
“Yes, Sir.”
John started to stand up but was blocked by the guard behind him.
“Counselor, please remind your clients of proper decorum during this proceeding” the major advised her.
She looked at John and leaned over to Allen “Look, you guys are in a lot of trouble don’t make it worse. Ok?” Before they could answer she stood up and turned to face the major. “Yes Sir, the defendants understand the charges.”
“And how do they plead?
“Guilty, you honor, with mitigating circumstances.” The butter bar announced.
John Shot out of his seat, much to the surprise of his guard. “Bullsh…” was as far as he got before the polycarbonate stock of the carbine impacted with the back of his head. The force opened the previous wound and blood started flowing as he fell across the table.
2nd Lt. Jessica King stood there shocked. The major coughed into his hand to hide the smile he felt forming. That idiot is making this too easy he thought to himself.

Allen Started to get up to help John, but the guard behind him placed a hand on his shoulder. A break was called for, John was taken away by medics while the other three were led into a small office that would act as their cell during the trial. The Major cleared the court room and asked to see the plaintiff and the defense.

Allen sat in the wheeled chair and leaned back. The chair squealed in protest. “Greg” he said, “you were pre-law, what do you think they are up to?” Greg fished out a cigarette and lit it before answering. “Well, we are going to be found guilty and then shipped off somewhere to do out time. Most likely up north where the fighting is heavy. They need to pin the deaths on someone to make nice with the locals. There is no real combat going on here, so they have to do the hearts-n-minds things here. We will get the blame be sentenced to confinement for a while, meaning combat and if we life we will be paroled afterwards.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah, it’s the only thing that makes since. We didn’t do anything wrong, but they have to appease the local population.”
“I hope your right”

5 AM Wake Up Call

The Guards came at 5 AM. They were none too polite as they roused the four prisoners out of their cots by turning them over. Allen tumbled out of the narrow uncomfortable and landed on the tile. He looked up as the Sergeant in charge started yelling and berating them. “Don’t be an ass.” he told him. The sergeant looked at him and then reached out and swung the baton he was holding at Allen’s head. It connected across Allen’s face, just below the right eye. He could feel the swelling almost instantly. John leaped across the room to tackle the man, but Allen blocked him. “Not here man, no here, we gotta fight his in the tribunal.” John struggled, as Allen Held him back. Gregg stood up, ready to fight, but waited on Allen’s word. “John, we are not the enemy, they are not either. Lets get over this shit and then we can get back out on point, like we belong, ok man?”

John thought about it and decided that Allen was right, it was not the right time to fight, but he could see where this was going. The Brass was setting them up for the Major torching that gas station, when it was the Major that ordered it. Fucking politics. Why couldn’t they just be allowed to do their jobs and smoke out the rebels and kill them. Why did it matter that those two goobers got themselves waxed?

After a tense moment John relaxed and Allen let him go, but stayed between the two. “You Criminals have five minutes to get ready for court.” The sergeant muttered as he walked out of the impromptu cell. The Four got dressed and ready for the day, rather disturbed that they were denied clean uniforms and even the ability to shave. They loaded into the unarmored Hummers and drove over to the city hall building where there were scores of the locals outside protesting, some started throwing garbage at the four as the exited the vehicle. The guards, having orders, made no move to stop the protestors. The walk up the rain soaked steps seemed like a long one to Gregg. Finally they entered the building, but there was to be no relief, as several dozen flashbulbs went off, over and over. The press corps was out in force, even a few local reporters, not officially sanctioned but the DHS Journalism Branch, were there to cover the trial of the “Quickie Mart Four” as they had been dubbed.

The press member shouted questions at them as the MP’s pushed them towards the city counsel chambers that were to serve as the court room.

Damn Allen thought. It’s going to be a zoo.