A Powerless World | Book 3 | Defend The Homestead Hunt, Jack (read my book TXT) 📖

the circumstances, but it was only as he learned more about the generational feud between the Stricklands and the Rikers, the recent string of deaths, then Nina’s pregnancy, did a clear picture emerge.

Jessie Riker was the baby daddy of Nina. She’d told them straight out. That’s why Derek was eager to turn over Jessie. He wasn’t a fool. He could see how things worked.

Now that he’d dealt with Jessie, he figured that would make it clear to the Rikers what the outcome would be if they tried to step over the line.

Next, he’d turn his attention to the Stricklands.

It would set an example for the rest of the town.

It would be a mild form of punishment, but a punishment nonetheless.

It was the message that people heard that was more important to him. It would strengthen the new rules, help people to know their place, and garner the respect of those who already believed the worst about the two families.

Worst case scenario, if that didn’t work, he might be able to at least extract more information on the whereabouts of the weapons and gold.

“You know it makes sense,” Benjamin said to Dan. He’d gone into his office that afternoon to discuss arresting Derek Strickland under the charge of making a false report.

Dan shook his head, looking exasperated. “At a time like this, nothing makes sense.”

“Nonetheless. It’s a crime.”

“Or perhaps he was misinformed.”

“Possibly, but that kind of behavior wasn’t allowed before this nor should it be allowed now. There is a penal code in place for these kinds of things, is there not?” He knew there was. Penal Code 148.5 PC, a California statute that made it illegal to make a false report of a crime.

“I think that’s taking things a little extreme here, captain. Besides, you said you found a weapon on Jessie. So Derek was correct.”

“Regarding one.”

“Whether it’s one or several, it doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it does.”

Dan leaned back. “Tell me, captain, how did you punish Jessie?”

“I let him off with a warning.”

He looked at him skeptically.

Benjamin knew that eventually Dan would learn the truth, but he would deny it. With so much animosity between the Rikers and the Stricklands, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to believe that a Strickland had given Jessie an ass whopping.

It wouldn’t be true but Dan didn’t know that and couldn’t prove it.

Dan tapped a pen against the table and leaned forward in his seat. “Well, since you gave him a warning, I think it’s only fair that we give Derek the benefit of the doubt.”

Benjamin smiled. Dan was starting to piss him off. He was getting in the way of how he wanted to see this town run. He was acting like he was in charge and it was far from it. He had a good mind to draw his pistol and shoot him in the head but the timing was wrong. He needed him, at least for now. He was still the bridge between militia and the people. Providing supplies for the town of Eureka had certainly earned favor in the eyes of the community but it would take more than that, it would take a demonstration of real leadership — something that would undermine Dan, a way to prove that he was unfit to hold his position. Something that no one could disagree with.

“If I’m not mistaken, sheriff, I would think you are trying to protect the Stricklands. Now, why might that be?”

Dan swallowed hard. “As I told you before. This is not Iraq. We might be more than a month into this event but we are not breaking the law.”

“And yet you are allowing someone to do exactly that.”

“Come on, captain, you are reaching. We have discretion in these matters and as you said, Jessie was given a warning, his gun was confiscated. That partially verified what Derek said. I think that is punishment enough.”

“Is it?” He sniffed hard. “For Jessie, maybe, but not for Derek. Let me remind you of a few things. Starting with 148.5 PC.”

Dan stabbed a bony finger at him. “No, let me stop you right there. Don’t quote the law to me. I am the law. And that statute is about making a false report to a peace officer. Let me remind you, captain, you are not a peace officer. You are a civilian. Militia. But still a civilian.”

“The report he gave was false, at the least, he is guilty of a misdemeanor. You can’t deny that.”

“You are overstepping the line.”

Benjamin laughed, standing up and crossing the room to pour more coffee into his cup. He wanted to dump it all over that prick’s face and watch it burn his eyes out, but he had to hold fast his anger. This was a man who could read between the lines. A man that was used to being at the helm and certainly not one for being told what to do even if it was law. With his back turned, and pouring coffee, he continued. “If you say your ex was a prostitute, if you say someone assaulted someone, or you say that your neighbor trespassed when they didn’t. These are all forms of false reports. Are they not?”

“They are, however all of these would need to be proven in court, any good defense lawyer would attack a charge like the one you wish to bring against someone who helped you.”

He wasn’t making any headway.

Before he could finish, Benjamin continued. “You put me in charge of bringing in supplies and protecting this community. Now we can split hairs all day long but at the end of the day, my men out there are preserving the peace, protecting life and property, and ensuring the prosecution of those who try to disrupt peace, law, and order.” He turned. “You can cherry coat and label all day long but we are doing your job. So what, now you wish to decide what we can and can’t do? Is that what you’re saying? Because I’m pretty sure that I’m not