novelraw Chapter 133: Massacring Our People on Our Own Land?
Chapter 133: Massacring Our People on Our Own Land?
The people arriving here were naturally not just those enforcers. In fact, as the news spread, the local Indigenous Americans had also arrived!
The leader was an elderly Indigenous woman. Dressed in standard tribal attire, she turned to the people behind her and spoke.
"Brothers and sisters! My grandmother and her siblings were subjected to immense darkness right here!"
"There were five of them in total, but only two survived, and my grandmother even lost an arm in this very place!"
"We have been searching for evidence all this time, but those despicable white men used the excuse of private property to keep us out!"
"Now, we have proof! The skeletal remains lying inside this school are the evidence!"
The woman shouted at the top of her lungs. Behind her stood a crowd of people dressed in mismatched clothing, all appearing severely emaciated.
These were residents from the Indigenous reservation. None of them looked to be in good health, and every single one seemed to radiate a deep, festering resentment toward this era.
They banded together and marched up to the school, but they were not greeted by reporters or government officials. Instead, they faced a squad of police officers who had received orders and arrived with riot shields!
"Your actions are in violation of state law! Step back now, and we can pretend this never happened!"The leading police officer bellowed through a megaphone.
Accompanying his words, the officers took a collective step forward, brandishing their riot shields and batons!
The woman showed no fear. Having fought for so many years, they knew the nature of these people all too well. Retreating would never yield any benefits; it would only invite worse humiliation and abuse!
"The law again? Where was the law when our tribe's people were being bullied?"
"Where was the law when our land was stolen from us?"
"Now that the bones of our children are here and we want to take them back, suddenly you want to talk about the law?!"
Behind her, more people began to shout and curse, demanding that these gray-skinned dogs get the hell out of their way!
"Do not step any closer, or we will open fire!"
"The Federation allocates so much funding to you every year and provides you with such excellent policy support! Instead of being grateful, you come out here to cause trouble?" the local county sheriff roared in sheer dissatisfaction.
'Isn't this just making trouble for me? My vacation is going to get delayed again!'
Hearing these words, the Indigenous Americans grew even more furious.
"You occupied our land, you stole our resources, you opened casinos on our territory, trafficked drugs, and drove out our residents! And you have the nerve to ask us to be grateful?"
"Funding? We haven't seen a single dime in three years! Is that money really meant for us?"
"Policy? Are you talking about the staggering eighty percent unemployment rate across the entire reservation? People starve to death every year, and people go missing every year! Is that your policy?"
It would have been better if he hadn't spoken at all; his words only inflamed the crowd further. These Indigenous people aired their grievances and suffering, all of which stemmed from the suppression and hostility of this very nation!
Faced with such tragic circumstances, the police officers exchanged uncertain glances.
Many of them were just ordinary people who had only ever heard rumors that Indigenous Americans were lazy and gluttonous. When had they ever heard of such things?
Now they were stuck in an awkward position. Especially because of the live broadcast, some nearby residents had also come over to watch the commotion, holding up their cell phones to record the scene.
Under these circumstances, the sheriff found himself in a tight spot and had no choice but to call the people behind the scenes.
"Mr. Johnson, I'm afraid we can't keep doing this..."
The voice on the phone was highly displeased. "Sheriff, this is a very serious land invasion. They are attempting to trespass on our territory illegally. According to the Homestead Act, we have the right to exercise unlimited defense!"
"But if it comes to that point, Sheriff, what exactly are we paying you for?"
Hearing this, the sheriff understood. "We will do our best to stop them. If we can't stop them, we will at least stop the people filming!"
Since the mastermind behind the scenes was ready to draw blood, he naturally had to clear the stage. As long as he kept the unnecessary bystanders out, whatever happened inside was none of his business.
As long as they weren't caught on camera committing direct violence, even if all these Indigenous people died inside, the police would have a reason to shirk responsibility.
In this country, anyone could cause a ruckus, except for the original owners of this land. They had absolutely no room to make a fuss!
Thus, the officers quickly dispersed, approaching the onlookers in pairs and trios. With just a few sharp words, they forced the crowd to stay back.
As for those who tried to force their way through to get a better look, they were naturally treated to the blunt force of a police baton.
Watching the police disperse, the elderly woman cracked a smile. "We have won again! Charge in! Find those remains, we must bring them back to the tribe!"
In their culture, a burial wasn't necessarily the ultimate peace, but bringing the remains back to hand over for sacrifice was definitely the right thing to do.
These skeletal remains would also serve as their best leverage to continue negotiating with the Federation for compensation. That way, the children in the tribe could eat their fill, and some people could find jobs to support their families...
In every sense of the word, their intentions were extremely pragmatic—one could even describe them as humble.
It was only natural. Most people didn't know that in America, where the average unemployment rate was less than ten percent, the unemployment rate on these Indigenous reservations reached a staggering forty to eighty percent!
It was hard to imagine how they even managed to survive under such brutal conditions. And even if they were alive, how much spirit could they possibly have left?
Just staying alive had already drained every ounce of their strength.
The group climbed the small hill and saw the school hidden in the darkness, breathing a collective sigh of relief. "Hahaha! We won!"
"Yes, we won! We are going to take back what belongs to us!"
"This school must be destroyed! When we get back, we'll file a lawsuit in court, we'll push for proper legislation..."
They discussed their victorious future, completely oblivious to the group of mercenaries emerging beneath the pitch-black walls.
"Tsk, these Old Money families are truly ruthless, pulling this kind of stunt right here on domestic soil!" the mercenaries chatted casually as they watched the approaching crowd.
"It's not their first time. They're Indigenous Americans, after all. In a place like this, they don't even count as human!"
"Cut the chatter and open fire! The payout for this job will keep us living large for a long time!"
And so, the very second these Indigenous Americans stepped into the area, gunfire erupted!
Bang! Bang! Bang! The 7.62mm bullets tore through the night sky, but the sharp cracks were muffled by the blaring sirens of the police cars below, keeping the sound from traveling far.
Yet these people, who had mustered the courage to come here and fight for the rights of their tribe, were already falling dead at the barrel of a gun!
There was little mercy, and certainly no miracles. These resilient members of the tribe died a seemingly meaningless death, just like their ancestors before them... or did they?
...
California, San Diego, Apache Tribe, the Chief's tent.
High Priest Carl knelt on the ground, conducting his routine prayers.
"K'ak' Tiliw! The Spear-Wielder with the burning crest of feathers..."
"Eagle! The King of the Sky soaring through the heavens..."
These two deities, who had both revealed divine miracles, were the primary focus of his prayers. Hoping that Evan's mission would proceed smoothly this time, he dedicated this specific prayer to them.
Right at that moment, he felt a peculiar power emanating from the flames before him. Instantly, Carl's vision was enveloped by a veil of smoke.
Through the mist, his consciousness crossed thousands of miles, arriving before the very boarding school he had seen in the live broadcast, allowing him to witness the situation firsthand!
He saw his fellow brethren fighting desperately for their rights, even though he didn't believe such actions would bear fruit.
But in an age where the vast majority had grown numb, this group could be considered incredibly brave!
And then, he witnessed the massacre unfold. This targeted, cold-blooded slaughter made Carl's eyes widen until they nearly split from rage!
"How... how dare they? On our own land, on the land shaped by God, even after God has returned, they continue to massacre our people?" Carl's anger transcended all limits. He stared at the flames, glanced at the obsidian blade resting by his hand, and then looked at the feather hanging on the wall. Without another second of hesitation, he made his move!
His heart boiled with fury, and his reason dictated that since this had already happened, if he did not retaliate ruthlessly, the racial revival he had worked so painstakingly to ignite would be crushed by even deeper, darker forces!
It was absolutely intolerable. It was a reality he simply could not accept!
And so, the revered High Priest brought the blade down, slicing deeply into his own arm, letting his blood pour out and sizzle into the blazing fire before him!
At the same time, his voice carried like clouds drifting through the high atmosphere, echoing clearly in the ears of every single person across the entire tribe.
"Eagle God, who tears through the veil of hurricanes!
The golden dust shaken from your talons is molten stardust,
The night sky slashed by your wingtips bleeds the bile of our enemies!
—At this moment, I offer the names and sacrifices of our foes!"
He retrieved the Eagle Feather from above, tossing the feather belonging to the Eagle God straight into the fire, before roaring out loud,
"You dive from the thirteenth celestial tier,
Igniting the weeds in their fields with the tip of your beak,
Shattering their kidney stones with your piercing screech!
Let the spines of traitors serve as the altar for your roost,
Make the eyeballs of oathbreakers the marbles for your nestlings!"
Carl's blood burned fiercely in the fire, leaving dark, scorched trails of deeper flames!
"Until all the insolent are reduced to bones beneath the feet of the divine warriors,
Until the rain of sulfur extinguishes the very last wail,
This blood debt shall finally be crushed flat between the spokes of the sun chariot!"
Finally, facing the raging inferno, his expression twisted in ferocious zeal as he chanted that final phrase:
"Takin! Takin! Takin! (Takin: Classic Mayan for the Day of Vengeance and Reckoning)"
The flames surged forward, engulfing both the feather and his body completely!
Only like this was the sacrifice truly complete!