• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Looking pleadingly at his friend, Dave says, “I had nothing to do with her death. You’ve got to believe me.”

“You were with her then?” he asks.

Nodding, he says, “For a short time. She was nice and we talked, but that was all. I left her alive!” Glancing at the others standing around him, he sees they don’t believe him. “You all are just trying to turn him against me!”

“Is that what you were planning on doing to Tersa?” asks Jiron enraged.

“Everyone settle down!” yells James. “Jiron, back off.”

Jiron flashes him a look but holds his ground.

“Now, did anyone see him kill anybody?” he asks. Looking around at them, he sees them all shake their heads negatively. To Uther he asks, “What makes you believe this?”

“Girls have ended up dead wherever we go,” he explains. “I think it more than coincidence that he was seen in the company of one before she turns up dead.”

“James,” Dave whispers, “you’ve got to believe me.”

“He’s also been acting odd ever since he’s joined us,” adds Fifer. “Moody, easily angered.”

“What he’s been through could explain that easily enough,” James replies. He looks to his friend and sees a look of abject pleading. Could it be? The thought goes against what he knows of his friend and he refuses to even give it credence by considering it more.

He gazes from one to the other, in everyone’s eyes he can see they believe him to be guilty. At last his eyes settle on his friend, his life long friend. So many times Dave’s been there for him. He knows what kind of person he is and it isn’t a killer. Years of shared experiences, fun, is he to throw all of it away?

The others are waiting for him to make a decision but it’s one which can only go one way. “Since no one witnessed the act, I can’t bring myself to believe it could happen,” he finally says. “Where I come from we believe in the credo ‘Innocent until proven guilty’. As no one saw the crime, I cannot simply assume his guilt.”

“Then you believe me?” asks Dave. His lower lip trembles as he awaits James’ answer.

“Yes Dave,” he says, “I believe you.”

“Well I don’t,” Jiron says as he moves toward Dave.

“Jiron!” cries James but he pays no attention.

Before anyone can react, Jiron strikes out with a first and connects with Dave’s jaw, sending him flying backward. He stumbles into Fifer who pushes him forward only to be greeted by another roundhouse which lifts him off the ground a foot.

Oof!

His breath is knocked out of him as his back slams to the ground.

“Jiron stop it!” cries James and rushes to protect his friend but Jorry and Uther grab his arms, preventing him from interfering.

Walking toward Dave lying on the ground, Jiron says, “This has needed doing for far too long.” Dave tries to scramble backward out of his reach but Jiron reaches him and kicks him hard in the side.

Crying out, Dave rolls over and continues rolling to avoid the next kick which barely misses him.

“You’ll kill him!” James yells but Jiron doesn’t even flinch.

Dave suddenly rolls right to the side of the outcropping and runs out of space as he rolls against the rock. “You’re out of room,” Jiron says as he nears.

“No!” cries out James as Jiron pulls back his foot to kick him in the head. Suddenly, a wave of force ripples through the air toward Jiron and throws him through the air where he strikes the outcropping. Falling to the ground, he gets to his feet quickly and turns a face full of rage toward James.

“Let me go!” he yells to Jorry and Uther who promptly let go. He rushes over to his friend lying on the ground, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth where he bit his lip when Jiron struck him.

“Dave!” he cries out and Dave looks up at him just before passing out. Making sure he’s okay first, he then turns to the others. Jiron is getting up off the ground and James says, “No one will hurt him. Do you understand?”

Jiron glares at him.

“You are my friend,” he says to him. Then to the others he adds, “You all are but this witch hunt will end here,” he says. “Dave will not be mistreated in any way. If you have proof, lay it before me otherwise