A Powerless World | Book 4 | Outlive The Darkness Hunt, Jack (feel good novels .txt) 📖

Even after he was gone, they could hear him cursing. Colby was just glad Jessie didn’t take another swipe at him.

Johnson sighed, placing his head in his hands as they entered.

He lifted his eyes. “Oh God, no. I’ve already been through the ringer with Asher. You think we could do this another time?”

“I’m afraid we don’t have time,” Colby said. “This is important.”

“If it involves the town then we can address it at the next meeting.”

“That’s not for another week.”

“Actually, it’s this evening because of today’s events.” He got up with a cup of coffee in hand and grabbed a sheet of paper off the nearby table and handed it to him. “This is Asher’s statement in a report against Jessie for what he did to his face.”

Jessie took it and scanned it while Zeke dropped into a seat behind them, chomping on some dried meat. “I guess he missed out the part where his actions caused the death of Nina,” Jessie said.

“Yes. I’m sorry for your loss, Jessie.”

Jessie tossed the report on the table.

“Listen,” Colby said. “Discussing all of this at a meeting is fine if meetings went well, but you saw how the last one went. The people of this town care very little about anything except their safety. Whoever is pushing that narrative will get their support, whoever doesn’t is crucified no matter what happened outside.”

In the first few months after the grid went down, meetings had some order to them. People raised their concerns but there was never a mob mentality. That had changed with the introduction of the wards. Instead of bringing the community together as one city, it had caused a divide. Everyone was given a chance to voice their opinions using a megaphone that was passed around, but that soon got out of hand as many saw it as an opportunity to accuse, point the finger and bully other wards.

“I hear you. I really do but since Dan stepped down, people are calling for more transparency. They also don’t want to agree to anything without careful consideration.”

“Like the careful consideration that was given to us being sent out today?” Colby asked.

“No, that shouldn’t have happened.”

“And yet it did.”

“I didn’t know,” Johnson said. “Why do you think Asher left here so angry? I tore a strip off him for going above my head. A decision like that needed to be brought to the attention of the entire council. Instead, Asher took matters into his own hands.”

“Eleven people died today, Johnson.”

“I know. You don’t need to remind me.” He lifted a hand to his head and ran it over his tired face. He was beginning to resemble Dan before he quit. It was concerning. A sheriff’s duties before this were stressful but manageable. Now he was juggling more than he could handle.

“So what will be done about it?”

“We’ll have to wait until this evening to see. Asher wants me removed from my position.”

“As sheriff?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. He doesn’t think I can handle the responsibility of leadership, and now they’ve decided on Rachel being the new mayor, he wants me gone.”

“But you only took the reins a few months ago.”

He nodded. “Look, without knowing more about his background, it’s hard to know if Asher was removed from his position in Mendocino. All I know is that this isn’t anything new. There have always been people vying for power and control. We’ve been focused on those outside the city so long that we’ve neglected those within.”

“But he can’t remove you, right?” Jessie asked.

“If the council rules. Yes. Before this, maybe I might have stood a chance, but you have to remember. I’m not the sheriff that was elected. Dan was. So holding this position is much like a designated survivor who takes over if the president dies, resigns or is removed. It’s temporary and only exists until someone else can be elected.” He sat back down in his chair looking despondent. There was a lot that was outside of his control. Chess pieces were being moved on a board without him knowing. “And one thing is for sure, if Asher takes the reins, I won’t be able to protect you all.”

Jessie stepped forward and placed both hands on the desk. “No offense, Johnson, but I don’t give a rat’s ass who is in charge. What I care about is making sure that someone pays for what was done to Nina, and the others.”

“And they will pay.”

“By your hand or Asher’s?”

“I can’t tell you that right now or how they will pay. It’s also not solely a decision we can make as leaders. The people will be informed tonight.”

Jessie squinted at him. “Then I’m sure we’ll be fine because many of those people who died were someone’s family.”

“Well it’s not so cut and dry,” Johnson replied before taking another sip of his coffee. “It’s come to my attention that Asher has been speaking with the community behind my back.”

“It doesn’t matter. When they hear that he was responsible for today, they’ll turn on him.”

“I wish that was true. Except he’s managed to obtain clearance paperwork that would point to me having made that call.”

“What?” Colby asked.

“How do I put this? When it comes to taking action outside of the city, it requires everyone’s signature from the council. It’s a means of ensuring that people can’t just accuse one person. We implemented it not long after the situation with Dan and Evans. It was meant to act as proof so that if anyone stepped over the line, they could show paperwork to the people that we all agreed.”

“But you said you didn’t know about it?”

“I didn’t.”

“Then why would he have paperwork that has you signing off on pursuing these men?”

“I didn’t sign off on it. That’s what I’m trying to say,” he said, setting his coffee down.

“Then how would they get your signature?”

He sighed and lowered his head, and tapped against his chin. “If Asher produces what he says he has, then I don’t have a leg