Ducie by Chris Freeman

  Chapter 45. Protection

  As she approached the cluster of 4 Eucalyptus trees that Lucas had picked as their middle-of-the-night meeting spot, Jennifer Martinez felt guilt and indecision forcefully tearing apart her heart. It was 3am on the morning of her husband’s execution and instead of being in bed, curled around his warm body, riding the calm waves of his steady breathing for one final time, she found herself creeping around Ducie on her way to meet Lucas Medina. The dark calm that cloaked the island at this ungodly hour seemed to suck the life out of the place, leaving just vague outlines and murky shadows of trees and buildings that she would recognise again when the sun rose.

  A rogue, cruel thought sneaked into Jennifer’s head. A thought of Lionel dying, drowning, screaming for help under the water, as he slipped away from her into the afterlife, his eyes slowly closing as he drifted. She batted away the tormenting premonition and tried to focus on the woods ahead, her eyes sifting through deceiving shadows of leaves and branches, trying to pull out a human silhouette; trying to see Lucas waiting for her. She was here instead of with her husband on his final night, because Lucas assured her there was hope. Hope of stopping this injustice, hope of saving her sweetheart Lionel. She hadn’t believed him when he told her, but that didn’t exactly matter, as if there was even the smallest chance he was right, which there was, then she couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t at least try. She was doing it for her sweetheart husband. Even if by doing it, she was sacrificing their last night together. The thought suddenly struck Jennifer, that there was a chance that if something went wrong; if they were captured or even killed, then she may never see Lionel again. Was she being stupid? Lucas’s hushed voice springing from somewhere in the trees stopped her answering her own question.

  - Ay. Jennifer! Over here.

  Lucas had a sharpened stick in his hand, which he clutched and wielded in an offensive way that left little doubt that he intended it as a weapon.

  - What the hell’s that for?

  Jennifer gestured towards the makeshift spear.

  - Protection!

  - Against what? You haven’t even told me what we’re doing out here yet. I don’t think I like this, Lucas.

  - Eduardo’s going to tie weights to Lionel and drop him in the ocean in the morning, isn’t he?

  Jennifer had heard the rumour that drowning was the execution method they’d use, but she had refused to entertain the idea. She shrugged coyly.

  - Well, I can tell you now that they will Jennifer. So do you want to do something about it or not?

  An urge to defend her husband swamped Jennifer.

  - I guess so. I mean…yes! Of course I do. But killing Eduardo? Lucas! It’s crazy!

  - Who said anything about killing Eduardo? And even if I did, how is that any more crazy than Eduardo killing Lionel.

  - So you’re not going to kill him?

  - Not if I don’t have to.

  - So what then? Why did you bring me out here? What was it that you said I needed to see?

  Lucas gestured towards the Estate, about 100 metres the other side of the thick, fragrant vegetation that surrounded them.

  - In there… There’s stuff you wouldn’t believe in there Jennifer.

  - In the Estate?

  Lucas nodded with childish enthusiasm that he was clearly struggling to contain.

  - And how do you know all of this?

  - Haven’t you ever wondered about any of this Jennifer?

  - What? Eduardo’s Estate?

  - Not just the Estate. The island. The stupid rules. 61 this, and 61 that. Must be 61 on the island or some poor soul dies…Your husband dies….Lionel dies Jennifer. Lionel dies tomorrow. Why? For what? Because Eduardo said so?

  Jennifer looked upset and bewildered. She knew it was wrong, but the law of 61 was right. It was life. It was the law. She didn’t know why it made sense, but it did. She couldn’t justify it. Even when the thing she couldn’t justify was about to take her husband’s life for no reason. It still seemed right. There was no other way to live.

  - See! You have no answer. And you want to know why you have no answer?

  Jennifer said nothing.

  - Because you’re programmed!

  Jennifer frowned, but didn’t dispute.

  - Programmed for what?

  - To accept this crap! Not to question it. To live the Ducie life like you’re supposed to…. Or at least, like you think you’re supposed to.

  - How would they program us Lucas. You’re being stupid.

  - When did you last take your tablet Jennifer?

  Lucas cocked his eye up to one side in a way that indicated that something smart and intuitive was about to follow.

  - This morning of course. We have to….

  - And why do we have to?

  Lucas’s questions were fast and interrogating now, as he pushed to prove a point that Jennifer still couldn’t see.

  - We have to take them, because….

  - Because what?

  - Because….

  - Because what? Because we’d die?

  - Well….yeah I guess.

  - Man! You really believe that shit?

  - Well why then Lucas?

  - You take them because you’re programmed. The tablet keeps you programmed to comply. And the tablet keeps you programmed to keep taking the next tablet. To keep believing there’s a reason you should keep taking it.

  - So why aren’t you complying then Lucas? If we’re all so programmed? Why are you out here in the middle of the night with a big stick about to take down Eduardo?

  Lucas lowered his eyes to Jennifer in a way that implied that she already knew the answer.

  - You stopped taking your tablets?

  Lucas felt a sharp, sour pain that he could almost taste the flavour of, erupt around his torso. Then a dull thud inside his head that he heard more than he actually felt, before a peaceful darkness came and consumed him into a heavy sleep.