Page 37 of The Pacifist
“No.” Cole frowned. “What drone?”
“It was a community drone with one passenger. Maybe it just passed over your area.”
“It must have, because no one has come or gone since before dinner.”
“Excuse me, but is it safe for us to go back inside the house now?” my mother asked from behind.
“Yes. We’ll go through everything and make sure there’s no chance of the fire re-igniting. It was a good thing you called us or we might have been too late to save anything.”
“Uh-huh.” Cole’s smile was forced and I knew that like me, my brother would have preferred the building burning to ashes to their finding our hidden brewery.
“Feel free to go back inside and warm up. As soon as we’re done securing the premises, I’ll let you know.”
When the fire marshal walked away, we returned to the house and everyone was talking over each other.
“We’ll lose everything because of those stupid laws. I told you it was too risky.” Gunnar, one of our three dads, was pacing the floor.
Emanuela sighed. “When the media finds out, they’re going to be all over me and Jonah.”
Cole crossed his arms. “I’m sorry that your celebrity status is at risk, but it’s not just about you, sis. If the public finds out about this, they’ll boycott the park and we’ll lose our family business.”
Hunter held up a hand. “What if I tell them the brewery belongs to me?”
Everyone went quiet.
“I’m serious. It’s no secret that we Nmen like to drink and I don’t mind taking the blame. Worst they can do to me is kick me back to the Northlands, which would suit me fine.”
“It’s worth a try,” Cole agreed. “I mean I doubt they’ll buy that we didn’t know about it, but maybe we can give it an angle that makes it sound like I was the only one who knew and that you pressured me into doing it. Who wouldn’t be afraid of a big strong Nman like you?”
Emanuela crossed her arms again. “You’re not going to make it sound like Hunter physically threatened you to break the law. He had nothing to do with it.”
“But he volunteered to take the blame,” Cole argued. “I’ll just let them know the threat was implied. You don’t mind, Hunter, do you?”
Hunter raised his brow. “Will I mind that you’ll make it sound like you’re scared of me? Not really. A lot of people are.”
Our mother, Lilly, was standing with two of the other mothers in the family. “Are we all staying up or can people go back to bed?”
I answered, “It’s three in the morning. Cole and I will stay up, the rest of you can go back to bed.”
Mila had stayed close to me the whole time. “I’ll stay up with you and Cole.”
“There’s no need, Milove. I’ll wake you if something happens.”
“You sure?” Her large blue eyes were full of concern.
Kissing her on the top of her hair, I nodded. “Yes. Get some sleep.”
Slowly the open kitchen and living room emptied and only Cole and I were left.
“Leave the talking to me,” Cole instructed. “I’ll make it sound like you weren’t part of it in any way.”
“Don’t lie for me.”
“Why not? I’m not a Councilman bound by an oath. I have no moral problem telling white lies to save my family.”
Tapping my fingers on the table, I looked out the window at the destroyed building. “I wish this hadn’t happened.”
“Me too.”
