Sous-lieutenant Ali crossed the central courtyard of the Rathelot barracks and briskly walked past her men. There wasn't the slightest hint of hesitation. Everyone was silent and still as statues, as if waiting for something.
She headed straight to the captain's office, which was plunged into darkness despite it not being that late. Thick gray clouds covered the sky. It had rained almost all day, so the courtyard was dotted with puddles as gray as the apocalyptic landscape.
When she knocked on the office door, she noticed that Captain Ollivier was deep in conversation with the lieutenant. Their faces were grim, especially in the candlelight. The faint yellow glow gave them the appearance of conspirators, plotting a sinister scheme in the utmost secrecy.
As soon as they saw her enter, dressed in her gendarmerie officer's uniform, without her bulletproof vest and helmet since they weren't necessary at the moment, they fell silent immediately. Everyone present wore a ceremonial or traditional uniform.
It was in this uniform that she had received her new rank. She had been promoted a week earlier for preventing a large group of criminals from Paris from crossing the Seine to loot Nanterre and likely commit other crimes.
Despite being outnumbered, she had held her ground on one of the many bridges over the Seine and defended access to their community. Miraculously, they had only a few injuries to report. Their opponents couldn't say the same, having lost eight men in the confrontation.
This act of valor wasn't the sole reason for her promotion, but it certainly contributed. She was quite proud of it.
Karima looked quite striking in her magnificent uniform. Unlike her trousers, her tunic was almost black. This color was also present on her kepi adorned with numerous elements, the most notable being the plume. Fine golden cords called "aiguillettes" extended from her chest to her left shoulder. On her shoulders majestically sat a golden-fringed epaulet and a counter-epaulet. Finally, a long saber with a golden guard hung from her black-and-gold belt.
Very heavy, mainly due to its thick blade, this weapon wasn't meant for combat. It was a ceremonial saber designed to be beautiful. Even the handle, the hilt to use the technical term, wasn't practical. It could even cause injury. Her right hand attested to this reality. She had been wearing a bandage and a thick glove every time she had to go on patrol.
"Is everything ready?" the captain asked simply in a low voice.
"Yes, Captain," replied the young woman, equally quietly and solemnly, her face expressionless.
If she was feeling strong emotions at the moment, she didn't show it.
The captain and the lieutenant stood up simultaneously and walked past the sous-lieutenant. She left the office after them, but not without stopping in front of a small mirror hanging on the door. Her gaze immediately went to the horrible scar marking her left cheek.
It was as pink and ugly as on the first day. The pain had passed, but sometimes she could feel her cheek burning. Without warning, this memory could resurface, sometimes in the middle of the night. Often, it was accompanied by a powerful smell of gasoline and burning flesh. She could also hear her own screams and those of her colleague who had died, burned alive in Paris.
A grimace formed on her scarred face. She finally looked away and left.
Her colleagues and the residents looked at her strangely, but gradually she was getting used to it. Rather than a mark of shame, she tried to convince herself it was a mark of her courage.
In the courtyard, everyone was gathered, not just the men under Karima Ali's command. The entire regiment, all the volunteers. And all displayed the same serious expression. Three men equipped with drums waited near a large wooden platform built for such sad occasions. Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time it had been used.
It formed a rectangle and was supported by six pillars firmly driven into the ground. Two of the wooden pillars rose higher than the others and were connected by a very large and sturdy beam. Three nooses were in place at regular intervals, and below them were wooden chairs.
The sous-lieutenant climbed onto the platform and stopped, positioning herself directly to the left of the lieutenant and Captain Lejeune, facing the aligned soldiers.
The captain then spoke.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered at this late hour because something serious happened last night. A wolf has crept into the fold, and as a shepherd, it is my duty to chase it away. Unfortunately, its crime could not be prevented, and a simple punishment will not suffice to make up for the harm caused. Bring in the accused."
He didn't need to shout to be heard, as silence reigned over the place. Three men with tied hands were dragged to the platform and forced to climb onto it. From up there, they could see everyone, and everyone could see them.
They were dressed very simply and looked like ordinary people. One of them wore a navy blue armband, indicating he was a volunteer. His face was tense, like the other two, for each of them was aware of what they had done and what was about to happen.
"For over five months now, we have been doing our best to help the population, not hesitating to put our lives on the line. We have done everything in our power to maintain order and bring safety back to this city. Much remains to be done, it's true, but much has been accomplished. Thanks to the efforts of everyone, especially the volunteers, we have achieved so much. But don't be mistaken, the balance is fragile, as fragile as our society was on the eve of the blackout."
The officer paused briefly to observe the faces of his soldiers. He wanted each of them to feel that this speech was meant for them. He also wanted to gauge their reactions, if there were any. He continued, ignoring the light rain that had started again.
"It takes just one step, one grain of sand, for everything to fall apart and for us to sink back into chaos, as the general reminded us during his visit to our barracks. We are what stands between our city and the abyss, preventing people from dying of hunger and disease."
What he saw reassured him, for in their eyes he saw no doubt, but a certain pride. Despite the temptations, they had not abandoned their uniforms.
"Reserves have been established, but they are not considerable. Only with the utmost rigor will we make it through the winter. But these people," he said, pointing to the accused, "have shown the greatest cowardice by thinking of themselves rather than the community. Look closely at these faces. They are the faces of thieves, liars, and murderers. For they did not merely steal our supplies, meant to feed all those in Nanterre who have placed themselves under our protection; they also spilled blood to cover up their heinous crime. They spilled the blood of one of our comrades."
Karima could hear throats tightening in the crowd. Their expressions had changed. Now, more than contempt, one could see hatred in their eyes.
Few knew what had happened before coming to this place.
They now wants to see blood spilled.
This was why the captain had spoken. They needed to justify the crime they were about to commit while making it desired by the masses. If the soldiers wanted their death, they would support the captain when it came time to deliver the final blow.
Though disgusted by what was happening, a part of her approved of the sentence that was about to be pronounced. No weakness could be shown, not in front of the men, not in front of the civilians who depended on them, and not in front of their enemies. Their survival depended on it, as did their unity.
"Sergeant Gilles Cordier started with us as a volunteer and rose to this rank through his exemplary work. He had a wife and three children, one of whom was very young and required special attention due to a disability. Because he witnessed the crime of these wretches, because he wanted to do his duty, he was killed. Because he thought of the community before himself or his family, he left behind everything he held dear. We lost more than a comrade; we lost a friend, a member of our great family. This nameless crime must be punished."
They must die.
"As painful as it is, I condemn all three of you to death by hanging."
With that, Captain Lejeune turned to the volunteer who had betrayed his own and tore off his armband.
Three gendarmes stepped forward and made the condemned climb onto their chairs. Meanwhile, the drums began to sound. The noise they made was slow and heavy. The nooses were placed around the necks of the three culprits, which signaled the drums to quicken their pace. The three gendarmes positioned themselves behind the chairs and awaited the captain's order.
Karima did not watch, as she was facing the rest of the regiment, but she listened attentively to the drums, which rolled like distant thunder.
"Proceed."
The order was given, and the chairs fell. The drop was not brutal enough to kill the condemned instantly. They struggled for about a minute before they stopped moving.
The men were released, but the condemned would remain there all night and likely for part of the morning.
Karima returned to her quarters and calmly removed her uniform. With respect, she stored each piece in one of her bedroom wardrobes. She closed the wardrobe doors and placed her saber in a long plastic bag designed for the saber's dimensions, then placed it on top of the wardrobe.
She put on pajamas consisting of simple striped pants and a matching jacket before slipping into her cold bed. With the thick duvet pulled up to her chin, she lay still and stared at the white ceiling. Her thoughts were indecipherable. She herself didn't know what to make of all this.
There will be more cases like this, and more and more if we don't quickly find a sustainable source of food. The general bought us valuable time during his visit. But the supplies he brought us are nearly exhausted. We must produce our own food.
Finally, fatigue overcame her. The young woman blew out her small candle and fell asleep almost immediately. Curled up, she let herself be lulled by the soft sound of the rain tapping against her bedroom windows and drifted into a deep sleep.