Screams and shouting filled the courtroom. The shooter ran down the seat rows, angling for a better shot, while the hostages all dropped to the floor of the dock in a frightened mass.

"Intruder!" The guard yelled, loosing off another burst. More of the guards joined in, and Leslie was frantically wriggling backwards, seats breaking apart from the gunfire.

She felt a hand on her ankle, and was dragged roughly back through the doorway.

"They're in the stairway." More gunfire stippled the wooden door frame as the guards closed in.

Brian wrestled their prisoner guard toward the doorway. "I've got one of your men here." He shouted over the din. "You keep shooting, he's a dead man."

"It's true!" The man cried out. "It's Thomas McCready! Don't shoot!"

"Show yourself, McCready."

"Don't shoot, please." Brian pushed the pleading man forward, his gun poking through under the man's arm.

The guards hesitated as their comrade stood stiffly in the doorway, his face white with fear.

"What are you waiting for, you fools? Shoot!" The Inquisitor demanded from the safety of the judge's bench. "They're criminals, all of them. Shoot!"

Uncertainly, the men looked at one another, and then a couple raised their weapons.

"No! Please – don't—" McCready cringed.

Brian bit his tongue and fired, reaping a sporadic return as the men dove for cover. He pulled McCready back and ducked down, closing his eyes as bullets seemed to come at him like rain. A long burst came from behind him, and from a corner eye squint, he saw Cassidy charge into the room and dive behind chairs a few rows away.

Immediately after Cassidy, Leslie dashed out in the opposite direction, heading for the prisoner's dock. Bullets pitted the wall behind her, closing in just as she dove over the rail and landed on the group huddling there. Brian and Cassidy both laid down covering fire, catching a couple of the guards fatally.

"What the hell is she doing?" Brian hissed at Cassidy.

"Dividing their attention." He peered over a chair back. "They've withdrawn back down to the floor of the courtroom. Looks like they're planning on getting cover from the hostages."

"Where are our other two team members?"

"Harris is watching McCready and—"

"And I'm right behind you, Hayes." Came another determined voice.

Brian was about to speak when more shooting started. Leslie was defending the prisoner dock all alone. The three men jumped up and ran hard through the chair rows, weapons blazing. Of the ten remaining guards, four had positioned themselves with the Circle members behind the judge's bench, the others were scattered about the courtroom using whatever they could for cover.

Leslie was pinned down by fire from the bench, getting only a few shots in return. Brian hurdled the last row of seats and hit the floor with a thud, scrambling behind a long table. He tried to tip it over, shocked to see blood soaking through a sleeve.

I've been shot!

A moment later, Cassidy crashed down beside him, putting his shoulder to the table and tipping over as a shield.

"I've been shot!"

"Bad?"

"Of course it's bad. I'm bleeding."

"You're better off than John." He nodded his head behind them. John's body was twisted over a chair back, one hand reaching in futile desperation.

"Shit. What have we done, Reagan?"

"Something we have to finish right now." Bullets slammed into the table as if to underline the risk in his declaration. "When I say now, you cover me, I'm going for the witness stand."

"You'll never make it!"

"If you cover me I have a good chance. Don't quit on me now, Kilroy."

"That wasn't fair." Brian gave him a wry smile. "Ready when you are."

Cassidy checked his gun, took a deep breath and yelled, "Now."

The roar of weapons was deafening in the large room. Bits of wood and glass flew like shrapnel, and the panicked yells from all sides intensified the din. After what seemed an eternity, the noise stopped and the sudden silence almost hurt.

Three of the six guards on the floor were dead, and one wounded. Brian sat against the upturned table, his gun trained on them. Two behind the bench were shot by Leslie, and Cassidy's position was such that the remaining two had no choice but to surrender.

"Now we'll see how a real court of justice works," Cassidy said, herding the Circle members down onto the floor of the room.

Leslie led the hostages to the exit, hugging each as they left, shaking and crying. She turned and hurried back to Brian, who was staring in disbelief at his arm.

"You were shot!"

"I know, bitch isn't it? I never even felt it."

"A little help here?" Cassidy called, nudging the group toward the door.

Harris came down to join them, a depleted McCready in tow. His face showed the hurt of the loss of his friend as he paused to untangle the body from the chairs. After getting the prisoners into an organized line, they headed out of the courtroom.

Helen and the other nurses, along with a number of volunteers, had a system running, exporting wounded to the clinic, and identifying and accounting for the dead. The hostages were taken aside and treated as needed, a few interns comforting and calming the few that had broken down.

"Is it over?" Helen leaned on a post at the bottom of the steps.

"The bad part – at least I hope so." He directed his attention to the people grieving over the dead rebels. "The Circle and the remaining guards are in the cells. They can sit there until we're ready to deal with them."

"That group over there have been waiting to get inside for an inventory."

Cassidy smiled. "No doubting Thomases among them." He gave them a beckoning wave and told them it was safe to go in. "Please get in touch with your findings."

******

"This is beyond unbelievable." The small compliment of rebels and several important members of the town stood in the underground below the Precinct, gaping at the size and variety of items previously declared forbidden.

"And this is just one room. There are three more just as big and just as full."

"Look at this stuff," The man picked up a copy of a Charles Dickens story, Nicholas Nickleby. "There must be hundreds of books here – and paintings. I saw some upstairs. If that was a sample, this truly is unbelievable."

"Over here," a woman called. "A film library. Dozens and dozens of 16mm and CDs." She gave a happy gasp, "There's even a projector!"

"This is going to take some time to catalogue and recirculate to the community."

"We can set up a committee to manage that. We sure won't be short of volunteers." The group finished their inspection and left to discuss plans going forward.

******

A crew was assembled to repair all the damage in the courtroom prior to holding a trial for The Circle. The town wanted it ready to allow the people to bear witness to the justice they themselves were denied in so many ways. Reagan Cassidy would present the prosecution's case and Simon Charles, although a member of the accused, would be allowed to offer for the defence.

In the interim, the Circle members were held in individual cells, a bitter taste of their own medicine. The guards that were on the gates and not involved in the insurrection were offered amnesty, and to a man accepted, even agreeing to join the new regime.

Brian, sporting a black sling on his arm, thanked Nurse Browne for giving him an okay, and took some time visiting Jason and a few other members of the rebels. Leslie was waiting in reception when he came out, and she immediately took his good arm.

"Well?"

"Apparently I'll live."

"Good, because Veronica Cassidy wishes to speak with you."

"Veronica? Why?"

"Let's get to her house and see."

Veronica welcomed Brian with a hug and showed them both in to her living room. "You were wounded? Oh, dear, are you alright?"

"He'll live," Leslie butt in.

"I'm so glad you came out of that terrible place safely, Brian."

"Me too – but it wasn't all bad." He snaked an arm about Leslie's waist before they sat.

"And Helen gave you a good check?"

"She did." He frowned slightly. "Les said you wanted to talk to me."

"Yes . . ." She glanced down at her hands. "Reagan, he- I'm not quite sure how to say this."

"The only way to be heard is if you speak, Veronica."

She smiled embarrassedly. "It's my husband and something about an oil painting you saw – a sailing ship."

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Total to this point - 18,310