Unforeseen Dives – 36b – Trials

<< 36a – Trials

The prosecutor played her cards in an elegant and decisive manner. Her hopes for an easy trial showed signs of realization in the first hours and stayed on course throughout the day. I appreciated the relative swiftness because the number of facts and evidences to present was overwhelming. Even if each pointed in the same direction, justice required everything to be laid out for the jury.
My wounds kindled my exhaustion faster than I anticipated. I gulped a few pain killers to deaden my physical annoyance. However, once coupled with the mental boredom of long speeches, my pain depleted my patience at an alarming rate. Perceiving my inner turmoil, Rebecca grabbed my forearm and forced some calm into my system.
She didn’t fool me. She hated this. She wanted to run off to find Sean but she had to sit through the ordeal. Every ounce of meekness she breathed in my mind was fake. At least, she was trying, which was more than I could say for myself. That fact quashed my restlessness. I straightened my spine, winced when the scabs complained and swore to patiently await the end.
Good intentions were a good start but mastering my brain required effort. About halfway into the morning, I accidentally prompt dived. Rebecca reeled be out in a flash.
“One day, you’re going to get stuck in these whirlpools.” She mentally scolded. I blinked, realizing that my short confusing dive indeed landed me in one.
“Wait,” I thought. My mind raced in the middle of topsy-turvy memories until something emerged from the chaos. “This whirlpool isn’t on the map.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I would have remembered if I was about to step in the eye of a psychic blind spot. It wasn’t here. It’s new.” Our eyes locked and we blanched. Strategically, messing with a trial that was meant to reinstate the value of readers was an impeccable tactic to ruin the intended effect.
“He can’t just blow up the courthouse. That would cause victims from both sides.” Rebecca broadcasted. In the corner of my eyes, the telepath responsible to ensure witnesses told the truth lost her composure. She must have caught a whiff of my thoughts. Rebecca strengthened her wall around my mind.
The first boom resounded in the distance. Most people couldn’t identify what it was because of its faintness. Law enforcement agents recognized the explosion. In a rush, policemen and FBI agents headed out. Becky and I followed. Like clockwork, a handful of us organized the room, requesting for everyone to remain calm and let the professional deal with the situation. Civilians didn’t hinder our movement toward the origin of the blast. A column of smoke rose in the horizon maybe ten blocks away.
“They’re making a show out of it.” Rebecca informed me. Her face tightened under the concentration. “There are cops perimeters around each bomber. Three of them total.” Another detonation pierced our ear. That one was closer. We heard the screaming, muffled but perceptible. “One left.”
“Where is he?” Agent Jackson asked. Half our group of first response people was already out, desperate to lend a hand.
“Wait!” Rebecca yelled. She turned towards Jackson and grabbed his arm. “Get these people back in.”
“Danger?” I asked. I cursed my blindness. Without the Ocean, I felt like just another panicked non-reader.
“Not yet. But the mob will be funneled our way.”
“What?” Agent Jackson didn’t want to move without all the information but his partner Ryan was already out exerting the policemen and FBI agents to come back in. Some obeyed. Others, like Jackson, wanted to know more. Rebecca filled her lungs with air.
“Listen up!” She yelled. Her voice carried her message throughout the lobby. Ryan convinced the people with questions to hear Becky out. “The bombers yell that they are readers. They say that readers can manipulate trials to sentence an innocent woman to death and we will soon move on to bigger artillery.” Some chatter arose but the crowd calmed itself. “They’re convincing people to save the humans and kill the readers in this courthouse.”
The third deflagration went off only a few blocks away. We smelled the fire and burnt flesh. A few agents vomited. The ones closer to the door saw frenzied people running aimlessly. Behind these panicked souls though, a harder line appeared. Grief and fear powered the mob and they headed toward us at top speed. Our law enforcement group jolted with adrenaline.
“Close the doors!” Ryan yelled. He looked like he was about to faint.
Rebecca leaned against me. Her action surprised me. I yelped under the pain her weight shot through my back. She never weakened like this.
 “They’ve already killed readers.” She whispered. “Their minds. They’re crazy. They don’t care if the bombers lied or not. They blame us. ‘I always knew they were evil.’”
“Rebecca, you need to burn the bridge. Let go of their thoughts. I need you strong.” I pleaded. I pinched her when she thought her link would help us react to the mob’s actions. She finally listened to me. Colors returned to her face and she straightened.
The doors to the courthouse closed before the mob reached them. Our group spread out to secure the rest of the building as well. The pounding against the front door violently imprinted in us the conviction that no amount of logic would reason with the attackers. Even the non-readers in this building were considered traitors.
The panic in the courtrooms menaced to overflow into the lobby. Some policemen joined the groups managing the bigger ruckus to convince the civilians to calm down. We had to hold the fort until reinforcement arrived. Depending on various factors, we could be stuck here for a while. Panic couldn’t go unmonitored.
We were under siege.

37a – Confined >>