Councillor Okada had stopped the militia shooting us while trying to disarm the bomb. However, once Militia Command found out there was a nuclear bomb involved, we foragers were whisked away to be questioned, or rather 'interrogated,' in Militia Headquarters' bleak interrogation rooms.
Paramedics had treated my wound at the Town Trade Centre. They washed it, covered it with a sterile gauze pad and wrapped my head in bandages. After that, they gave me painkillers and declared me fit for questioning. The bullet had apparently glanced off my skull, causing a rather painful flesh wound, a thumping headache, and blood loss, but that was all. And my chest was in so much pain from King’s brutal treatment that it hurt to breathe.
The room I was taken to was small, having two chairs, a flimsy wooden table between them, and a large one-way observation window. My interrogator was a stocky, middle-aged Militia major. To lend him some muscle should I become violent, an extremely well built private stood behind me.
The major thumped his fists on the flimsy wooden table that separated us. "Let's go back to the beginning – why were you trying to destroy Hamamachi, Ethan Jones?"
"As I’ve told you many times, Major, I didn't know about the bomb."
"That answer doesn't work for me. You see, I suggest it was you and your foragers who loaded it onto the trailer, knowing full well what it was and its intended purpose."
I looked into his scowling, darkly tanned face, and wished he would drop these pointless questions and let me lie down somewhere – even on the floor in here. "The Custodians loaded the trailer, Major. The G-Wagon and trailer are Custodian vehicles. We had nothing to do with them apart from driving them here."
"So you say. Okay, next question. Let us reconsider your claim that you didn't know about the bomb, yet expect us to believe you suddenly realised it was in the refrigeration unit because it seemed too heavy to you?"
"It's the truth. I’m a forager and therefore have a pretty good head for judging how much things weigh. That refrigeration unit clearly weighed over two-hundred kilos."
"Very well, let’s assume for a moment that you did realise the unit was heavier than it should have been. However, that could not have tipped you off that there was a thermonuclear device in it. So this in itself is proof that you knew the bomb was in the unit, and that you had a sudden change of heart when the enormity of what you Newhomers were about to do hit you."
"If I'd known the bomb was there beforehand, Major, I would have done everything I could have done to stop the Custodians bringing it here. And the proof of that is that my foraging team and my wife took down three of the Custodians and David and I disarmed the bomb," I said wearily. The mention of my foraging team instantly brought back the painful memories of Michal’s loss and Leigh's fearful injuries. I wanted to go somewhere quiet and mourn in peace, not sit here while they interrogated me for something I didn’t do.
"I find it interesting that you and David knew exactly how to disarm that bomb. I put it to you, Ethan Jones, that you knew how to disarm it because you were Lieutenant King's backup plan in case something went wrong – except your conscience got in the way, didn't it?"
"To be honest, we didn't actually disarm it. We had to dismantle the detonator to stop it going off. If I had been in cahoots with King I would have known the activation/deactivation codes, don't you think?" I shot back at him.
"You honestly expect me to believe a couple of middle-school dropouts knew how to dismantle a thermonuclear device?"
The throbbing pain in my head was becoming steadily worse. "Firstly, David and I deliberately dropped out of school because we didn't want our futures mapped out for us by pompous North End officials. Secondly, I have a gift for finding out how things are put together, and David is a genius when it comes to pulling them apart."
"You've been in Hamamachi before, haven't you, Ethan?" the major asked, suddenly changing tack.
"Yes."
"And you joined the Militia and then the Rangers, correct?"
"Yeah, so?"
"And during your last mission, your fellow Rangers were all mysteriously killed and you were badly injured. From that you apparently developed epilepsy and amnesia, and were consequently taken back to Newhome by your wife to be treated in their hospital," he continued.
"What are you trying to say?" I demanded irritably.
"I put it to you, Ethan Jones, that you are a Custodian spy and were sent here to infiltrate our military, learn everything you could, and then feigned the epilepsy and amnesia so you could be taken back to Newhome without suspicion. And today you came back, bringing with you a weapon with which to destroy us."
The pain was unbearable, so I put my right elbow on the table and rested my head in my hand. "Are you gonna claim I faked the gunshot wound too? And the operation?"
"Sit up, Ethan," the Major snapped.
"Have you forgotten I was shot in the head today trying to stop King detonate the nuke?" My voice came out as a whisper.
The major nodded to the private behind me, who reached forward and slammed me back against the chair. I bit my tongue to keep from crying out in pain as black spots danced in front of my eyes.
"Let me break it down for you, Ethan. Your entire defence is built upon your claim that you determined there was a nuclear bomb in the refrigeration-maturation unit when it was unloaded from the trailer, and immediately asked your wife to warn the Militia on duty. However, as what you claim is impossible, I accuse you of being a Custodian agent who knew the bomb was there. It is on these grounds that you and your foragers will be charged with acts of terrorism and be executed."
I considered telling him that I detected the hydrogen bomb using echolocation. If it came down to my mates and me facing execution or revealing my bio-engineered abilities to save them, then I would reveal them. I hoped I wouldn't have to. I still had no idea who in Hamamachi had shot me or why. Could it be because of my abilities? Had I overheard something I shouldn't have? Was I considered a threat?
The fact was Councillor Okada knew we were innocent, and I was hoping he could sway the Militia to stop this charade and let us go.
I sighed deeply and glanced at the one-way observation window. I wondered who was in there listening to this pointless interrogation. I turned back to the major. "Look Major, you can ask me questions and throw your ridiculous accusations at me all night, but I really, really need to lie down, or I'm gonna pass-out. Some more painkillers wouldn't go astray either."
Before the major could respond, he paused and listened to his earpiece. He nodded, and then turned back to me, scowling. "Looks like you get your wish. Private, escort Mr. Jones to his cell and have a doctor see to him."
I wondered if Councillor Okada was in the observation room and if this reprieve was thanks to him.
The private nodded and pulled me roughly from my chair, sending pain shooting through my chest. I was too sore and tired to walk, but the promise of a bed was so appealing that I somehow found the strength to put one foot in front of the other.
I woke in the middle of the night from a fitful, nightmare-plagued sleep. The clicking sound of the metal bolt sliding back was the culprit. My first thought was that it was the assassin, come to finish what he started two years ago, but those fears evaporated when I saw Councillor Okada and another man standing there. Before either of them could speak, however, Nanako pushed her way between them and darted to my side.
“You’re so pale, Ethan, are you okay? I can’t believe they haven’t given you proper medical treatment, considering what you did for them today,” she said angrily.
I pushed myself to a sitting position and regretted it instantly as pain stabbed through my head. I took her small hands in mine, simply relieved that she was unharmed. “That’s not the way they see it, apparently,” I replied.
“You two will have ample opportunities to talk later, but right now you have to go,” the councillor said as he stepped back from the cell door.
“Where are we going?” I asked as I left the small concrete-walled cell with one arm around my wife’s shoulders to steady myself. Out in the corridor, I was glad to see Shorty and David waiting for us. They nodded in greeting, but appeared as bewildered as I was.
“My nephew, Ken, will drop you off a couple of kilometres from Newhome,” Councillor Okada explained as we hurried down the prison block’s corridor towards the entrance.
“Why are you doing this, Councillor? Won’t you get in trouble?” I asked.
“All video surveillance has been disabled, and there has been an error with the prison staff shift change. None of this will be traced to me,” he replied. “As to why am I doing this? It’s because I know you are innocent of complicity in the Custodian’s plan, because I owe you my life two times over, and because you’re my friend.”
We left the prison and stepped into the brisk night air. An old, weathered 4WD was parked at the curb with its engine idling.
“But what of Leigh? We can’t leave without him,” I protested.
“Leigh is still in critical condition and cannot be moved. Do not worry. I will keep a watch over him.”
“But…”
“Ethan, the council is understandably in an uproar over this. All they can see is that the people from Newhome tried to destroy the town with an atomic bomb. They cannot differentiate between the Custodians and foragers, not even after I tried to explain it to them. Even the fact that you foragers took out the Custodians and disarmed the bomb does not allay their suspicions.”
“Ethan,” Nanako said with a sense of urgency bordering on panic, “Some of the councillors are convinced the foragers are Custodian spies and are demanding you be tortured and, whether you confess or not, executed. So please! Get in the car, we have to go.”
Ken was already behind the steering wheel, so Shorty, David and Nanako quickly clambered into the vehicle. Shorty in the front and the other two in the back. I held back for a moment and reached out to shake Councillor Okada's hand. “Thank you, Sir, I won’t forget this."
"Take good care of Nanako, young Ethan," he said softly so that only I could hear him. "She is not as tough as she seems."
The councillor cared for Nanako like a daughter, and obviously knew something from her past I didn’t. The information did not come as a surprise to me though. I had already seen that side of her – and loved her all the more for it.
"You can count on me, Sir," I assured him as I climbed into the vehicle and sat next to my wife in the back seat.
The councillor’s nephew took off as soon as I closed the door, accelerating to 80-klicks in an instant. I glanced out the rear window as we set off and saw the councillor hurrying towards his black 4WD.
"Someone wanna tell me why we’re going back to Newhome?” Shorty asked, as he twisted around in his chair to meet my gaze.
"Somewhere else you’d rather go?" I asked.
"Anywhere but there."
"I wanna go back," David added, earning an evil look from Shorty.
"Our families are there," I reminded him.
"Exactly," David agreed.
"They’ll do just fine without me. No, they’ll be thrilled to bits if I don’t come back," Shorty said. "Why are you so keen to return, Jones?"
"As I said, my family’s there. More specifically, my little sister needs me. As I told you before, until she returns to full health, leaving Newhome ain’t on my list of things to do. However, there is another reason – one that affects us all."
"And that is?" Shorty demanded.
"What do you think the Custodians will do when they find out their attempt to nuke Hamamachi failed?"
"They’ll try again," Nanako said, joining the conversion.
"Exactly," I agreed.
“What’s that got to do with us?" Shorty asked.
"Excuse me?" Nanako blustered. "That’s my home, my family, my people – possibly the last Japanese on earth."
"Shorty, don’t you care if the Custodians succeed in nuking Hamamachi – in murdering a whole town of innocent people?" I asked, meeting his gaze.
"Of course I do, but what can we do about it?"
"I say we go back to our jobs but keep our eyes and ears open to what’s going on in the town. Besides, as foragers, we should be the first to know if the Custodians are going to mount another attack on Hamamachi. And if they are, we can work out then how to stop it."
"Still rather we’d go somewhere else," Shorty mumbled.
"Fine! But tell me this, though – what are we gonna tell the Custodians when we get back?" Shorty asked.
"We’ll tell them that we got ambushed by Skel on the way back," I replied. "We’ll work out the details later to make sure our stories match."
"And if they don’t buy it?"
"They will, don’t worry."
As darkened houses, buildings, and sheds flashed past in the night, I put my arm around Nanako and she rested her head against my shoulder. I looked down into her lovely round face and at the mixture of determination and concern etched there.
"We’re gonna get through this, okay? And one day we're gonna live our lives without the worry of our two towns trying to wipe each other out – or of people trying to kill me," I assured her.
She searched my face for a long moment and said, “I’m going to hold you to that.”
We sat there in the darkened interior of the 4WD as the councillor’s nephew drove over the weed overgrown freeway through an eerie, nighttime landscape. As we went, I wondered what was in Newhome that was such a threat to the Skel and whoever was backing them – a faction in Hamamachi perhaps? – that they wanted to destroy it.