Chapter 12: Front Page News

Chapter 11 Voting Results:

77% of readers voted for Option A: Luke and his growing crew of fugitives should head to the McMurchys’ mountain hide-out where they can lay low and figure out what to do next.

23% of readers voted for Option B: Luke and the others should head back to Port Murkish and track down Jack Holley and his outfit of Gravehounds.

***

Luke stepped outside the decrepit wood cabin and breathed deeply. After two years in prison he had a newfound appreciation for fresh air. Annie and Mickey sat on the front step playing a game of checkers. Luke could hear Andreas and Julian chopping wood behind the house. The mountain air was brisk but the sun shone brightly that time of year and no one wanted to stay cooped up inside.

As anxious as he was to track down Jack Holley and toss him off a bridge, Luke had to admit that the escape to the McMurchy Brothers’ mountain hideout was a good idea. Not only did it give him and the others a chance to recover from their injuries, but it also gave his mind a much-needed rest. Since the minute things went sour aboard the Haver Express, Luke had been on the lam with his only thoughts being “run” or “run over Jack Holley with a truck”.

The mountain air seemed to clear his head and he began to think more about the woman he had been accused of kidnapping. Luke knew very little about Governor Baines’ daughter, Gwendle, and all the others could tell him was that she was a bit of a rabble-rouser, and a bit of an embarrassment for her daddy.

“Dalton’s back,” shouted Julian from the back. Moments later Luke heard the truck rumble toward the cabin. Dalton threw Luke a wave as the truck came into view and slowed to stop in front of them. Mickey had done a great job making it look nothing like the old military vehicle they had hijacked three weeks earlier. Mickey and Annie abandoned their game of checkers and began unloading the supplies from the back of the truck.

The remote village was a solid two hour drive down the precarious mountainside and Luke felt it best that Dalton be the one to go whenever they needed fresh supplies. It appeared for the time being that Dalton Lane was the only one of the bunch who didn’t have his face plastered in wanted posters on every street corner.

Before Luke could move to help the others unload, Dalton tossed him a rolled up copy of the Port Murkish Post.

“You made the front page again,” Dalton said.

Luke unrolled the paper and once again saw his and Mickey’s face staring back. What really caught his attention however, was the article that accompanied the photos. Luke sat on the front step and began to read.


CONTRAVERSIAL “BAINES BILL” LIKELY TO PASS IN PARLIAMENT
Experts point to Gwendle Baines kidnapping as ‘blessing in disguise’ for Governor

The Capital, Haver Country – Governor Jonathan Baines is expected to receive the support he needs in Parliament today to pass the Safeguard Act, more commonly referred to as “the Baines Bill”. The controversial Bill is designed to limit the rights of individuals perceived as threats to public safety. The sweeping Bill would empower the Government to detain “high-risk” suspects without trial or legal representation.

Touted as a necessity in order to preserve public security, many analysts see the Act as nothing more than a way to suppress the growing militant unrest happening in the North and legalizing excessive force. Critics of the Bill fear the Safeguard Act would essentially give the Government the right to arrest, question and imprison anyone without due process.

Much to the political chagrin of Governor Baines, no critic has been as outspoken on this issue as his own daughter, Gwendle. An influential activist, Gwendle Baines had raised significant popular disapproval for her father’s Bill and was believed to have swayed several key Parliamentarians to oppose the Bill’s introduction into law.

Gwendle Baines’ recent kidnapping seems to have changed the mood in Parliament drastically however. With her whereabouts and wellbeing still unknown, supporters of the Governor’s Bill are pointing to the kidnapping as a wake-up call to everybody who still does not acknowledge that public safety is a real concern.

The outcries seem to be working. Although there is a small chance the Baines Bill will not pass today in Parliament, the kidnapping appears to have garnered the sympathy swing votes Jonathan Baines needs to push the new laws through.

Gwendle Rogue was kidnapped by recently-released from prison, Luke Haggert, former leader of the little-known, Pocket-change Gang, who remains at large. (continued, page 7)

**

Luke looked up from the paper, his mind spinning. What kind of political fiasco did he get himself mixed up with? All he wanted to do was rob a train. Why did things always have to be so complicated?

Chapter of Chance:
Will the Baines Bill get the support it needs in Parliament? Chances are it will, but you never know how the winds may blow!

Possibility A: If, according to http://www.theweathernetwork.ca/, the wind is blowing from the North, West or South on December 17th at 12 noon in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, then the Baines Bill will pass.

Possibility B: If the wind is blowing from the East in Ottawa, however, at 12 noon on December 17th, then the Bill will be rejected and Luke won’t have to worry as much about a lifetime in prison without a trial or possibility of parole.

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