Pure - The Broken Society

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The court is tense as all gathered bodies sit and wait in anticipation. Few people whisper with those around them, others sit and wait quietly. Everywhere my eyes landed, I saw legs bouncing uncontrollably, people biting at their lips or fidgeting with their helix piercings.

I sit beside Quinn, Becca sitting on the other side of him, resting her head on his side as she too quietly waits for the meeting to begin.

We glance at each other at the same time, that same fear that was in our eyes thirty minutes ago still there, even more so now. I take hold of his hand, squeezing it tightly as I look down the row at everyone else, that same fear residing with all of them as they sit uncomfortably tense on the bleachers.

At that moment, everyone's attention is conducted forward.

"Attention," Ezra appears at the lectern stand, her face worn and her eyes baggy, she holds her hands up gesturing for silence, "Attention everyone, please take your seats and quiet down."

She clears her throat, her hands intertwined together as they rest peacefully on the lip of the lectern stand. Sorrow and hurt radiating from her stance.

"These things are never easy to discuss," she begins to say, "Especially when talking to friends, family, and new faces," she points around, her lips pointed downward in a sorrowful frown. "I-I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for helping others get to safety, and thank you to our guard force and Sargent Patel for protecting many of us from attacks from the Patrolmen...we've lost a few brave and dauntless men today," she states, her head hanging low, and I find mine doing the same.

Tears come to my eyes, immense guilt pressuring at the bottom of my stomach, my insides threatening to let loose on the person sitting in front of me. It was bad knowing we caused this, but even worse knowing that we are the reason some men aren't alive anymore. That bloodcurdling thought makes me wince.

"This being the first attack from the Patrolmen in years since relocating, we must address the cause. It has been brought to my attention that trackers were the reason that led them to us," at that, the crowd erupts into a fit of hushed whispers and gasps of fear.

"Now, quiet down, please, let me explain," she begins to say, but is cut off from saying anything else.

"It's their fault! The defectors are the ones that lead them here!" A man stands on his bleacher and shouts directly pointing to the six of us, and my stomach drops.

More follow behind the man, this time a middle aged woman with umber hair stands, "Yeah! None of this would've happened if they didn't come here!" Her tone seeping with poisonous venom.

"I wouldn't have lost my brother today!" Another says.

"Or my husband!" Another chimes in.

And within seconds, the entire court rises in a disturbed fit of shouting and screaming, each person pointing grimy fingers at us. The look of disgrace clear on everyone's faces as they stare daggers at us from across the court.

"SILENCE!" Ezra bellows, to which everyone immediately calms down and takes a seat, the tension even stronger than before. I find it hard to breathe suddenly, my lungs hitching in my chest as I try to inhale.

"I understand your outrage on this topic, but we must remain calm-"

"Calm?" A man no older than forty stands from directly behind us, taking a harsh hold of Sam from the back of his shirt collar, forcing him to stand and walk down to the center of the court where everyone watches. The man makes it to the bottom, pushing Sam in front of him as he struggles to break free, beads of sweat running down his neck as his eyes pop out of his skull in fear of what this stranger plans on doing next...in front of everyone.

The man begins to speak again, "How can we be calm when they have these inside them?" With that, the man takes out a knife from his back pocket and slices Sam's skin open swiftly, to which he lets out a howl of agony as the rest of the court gasps in surprise at the sudden action. The man pulls out the same looking bead from Sam's arm as Tate did from mine. He hoists the device up into the light, people slowly standing from their seats to get a better look.

"You see? This is what brought those bastards down here! They would've never found us if it weren't for these damn kids!" He screams in Sam's face, spit landing on the side of his cheek as Mia rushes down to her brother involuntarily seconds later. Worry and anger flow from her pores as she races down the steps, some heads turning in her direction.

"Her too!" The deranged man points the knife at Mia as she glides off the last step, grabbing hold of her right arm as he's about to plunge the knife into her skin, but Sam slams his body into him, knocking the knife from his hand as the man stumbles slightly, losing his balance.

"Someone grab this man!" Ezra seizes her hand on him, and two bulky men appear on either side of the man.

"You will thank me later for this!" He shouts as he's escorted from the court.

"Mia, take him to the hospital ward," Ezra calmly directs, Mia leading Sam away from all peering eyes. My heart beats rapidly in my chest as Quinn and Logan watch intensely at their friends walking away from the fight that has just begun.

The court remains in traumatic silence, everyone still processing what had just happened, disbelief written on the expressions of everyone around.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see someone stand from the first bleacher, and pick up the knife dripping in fresh blood, "You see, this is the problem," I immediately recognize the voice as he begins to speak. He walks hauntingly to the middle of the court, twisting the handle of the ranger knife in between his two palms. "Every time we welcome their kind into our place and something happens, we try to point out the facts to you, but you don't want to listen! You shut us up and say that you will deal with it in a calmly fashion," Tate's voice drops high and low to emphasize his point. An occasional hoot or cheer or whistle sounding from the bleachers above.

"We warn you over and over again of the danger you put all of us in by letting them stay here with us. How many people is it going to take to sacrifice their lives protecting us to make you realize that they don't belong here with us!" Another round of loud "yeah"'s erupt from the crowd, people standing and pounding their fists in the air in rally.

"What are you proposing, Mr. Torres?" Ezra questions, her eyes ablaze with fury at his sudden question of authority.

"That we fight back, that we all fight back! We've dealt with this oppression for way too long, and we don't even know what separates us from them!" Tate angrily gestures to the north, where far beyond rolling hills and luscious meadows the city stands tall with all imperial glory.

"I don't know what authority you think you have over this society, Mr. Torres, but revenge is not the answer we are looking for."

"I'm not suggesting revenge..." he pauses, then in a booming tone, shouts, "I'm suggesting rebellion!" At that, the whole crowd stands and cheers, sounding like a flock of screeching birds in song.

Ezra doesn't even try to calm down the rabid crowd, instead just speaking over them, "And who exactly are you looking to overthrow?"

"The man upstairs," He points in the same direction again, everyone immediately knowing who that man is.

"The Governor?" Ezra questions, "With what army?"

A bashful smile takes hold of Tate's lips, as he pivots on his heels to face the court, his eyes scanning over thousands of excited faces.

"This army."