by E. E. Borton
“A preacher did all that?” asked Crazy.
“Yep.”
“Not much different when you think about it,” said Braun. “Only this time it’s a general and his devout followers.”
“A preacher and a general,” said Crazy. “You’d think those would be the people that help, not hurt.”
“They’re no better than the robbers and looters,” said Braun.
“They’re worse,” I said. “They’re intelligent, careful, and master manipulators. They show kindness, mercy, and offer security to one group to gain power. Once they have it, they brutalize and terrorize all the others. No, they’re a lot worse.”
“This time it’s up to us,” said Braun. “There won’t be a town coming to our rescue.”
“We don’t need a town,” I said. “We have a JD and a Crazy.”
I may have seemed calm on the outside, but it was a different story on the inside. With every step bringing us closer to the inevitable end of our long journey, my stomach tightened. Kelly would not be happy with this plan.
I tried to keep my thoughts of her at bay. It didn’t seem appropriate to have her beautiful face in the same head that was mentally preparing to kill other human beings. I would have plenty of time to think of her on my way home. If we made it that far.
As Crazy instructed, I focused on Castle. I conjured the images of him cutting my uncle’s throat in front of me. I thought of his evil heart beating in his chest while my uncle’s heart lay six feet underground. It didn’t take long for the rage to return to my heart.
I could see a clearing in front of us as we walked along a path through the trees. Crazy let me know that we were coming up on the farm. It was the last day it was going to be occupied. Castle had told his men they would be home by the end of the day.
When we walked onto the property, it was as if we had walked into a postcard. Doug had told us it was a popular venue for weddings and ceremonies. I understood why as the buildings came into view.
The farmhouse was large and appeared to have been renovated a short time before the power died. It had a spacious wraparound porch with more rocking chairs on it than a Cracker Barrel. The doors were open on a barn, and I could see the carts and wagons the militia used to haul their supplies. They were sitting on top of polished hardwood floors with decorative lanterns strung along lines overhead. Tom told us they still used the barn for gatherings and the occasional dance to keep the town’s spirit high.
A large stable next to the barn housed the owner’s horses as well as the militia’s. It looked as if all of the stalls were occupied. I was surprised by how many horses had survived the recent ice and snow storms. If all went well, my men and I would be riding home instead of walking. I pushed that thought out of my head as well when we approached the front steps of the farmhouse. There was nothing left to tighten in my stomach.
Even though I didn’t see any of Castle’s men outside, I knew they were there. These weren’t poorly trained militiamen. These were professional soldiers who knew how and where to conceal themselves. I wasn’t concerned with the men outside. I knew JD would find them if he hadn’t already.
I was concerned with the two heavily armed men in full battle gear that stepped onto the porch to meet us. Angie had told me we looked like serious men. So did they.
“Where’s Joe and Alex, Captain?” asked gun one.
“We ran into a little trouble,” said Braun, returning the limp to his walk. “They didn’t make it.”
“What kind of trouble?” asked gun two.
“This kind,” said Braun, shoving the barrel of his gun into my back. “They freed themselves and were waiting for us inside the house. Crazy took care of the other one.”
“How did this asshole survive?” asked gun one.
“The general wanted him alive,” said Braun.
“He won’t be for long,” said gun two, taking a step closer to me and narrowing his eyes. “Those were good men you killed. They were my friends.”
“Not anymore,” I said, smiling.
I turned my head to the side to avoid the butt of his gun swinging up at me. It was still enough of a blow to knock me into the snow. Staying in character was going to hurt. Nobody helped me to my feet. They had to stay in character as well.
“They were my friends too,” said Crazy, towering over me. “The general wants you alive. He didn’t say anything about intact. You open your mouth again, and I’ll stomp your fucking head in.”
I was hoping Crazy was just being a good actor. Everyone around him – including me – believed him. He shouldered his rifle and pulled his pistol. He put it to the back of my head and ordered me inside.
“Who’s this guy?” asked gun one, pointing his chin at Tom.
“He’s the father of those kids,” said Braun. “He’s here to take them home after the switch.”
“He can stay here,” said gun one. “We’ll bring them out when we’re done.”
“No, I don’t stay here,” said Tom, taking a step forward. “I capture two guys trying to kill your general and you take my kids from me? No. I’m delivering this piece of shit right to him, and then I’ll be the one taking my kids out of here.”
“He’s been a pain in my ass,” said Braun. “I’m ready to get rid of him. I’ll make sure he behaves.”
“Yes, sir,” said gun one, stepping aside. “The general’s in the study.”
Castle’s men fell in line behind Braun as we entered the house. Remembering the layout from the map, I knew the study was on the other side. The sound of our boots echoed off the walls of the long hallway. I didn’t need a map to figure out where Castle was waiting. Another one of his men was standing outside of a closed door. He opened it as we approached.
On the other side of the door was a large room with tall bookshelves along the walls. At the far end was an impressive oak desk. Sitting behind it was the man I had come a long way to find.
As our eyes locked, Ashley and Bear jumped out of their seats across from Castle. He didn’t object to the children running into their father’s arms. He was fixated on me.
Tom made the first phase of our plan easy. After brief hugs, he scooped up Ashley and walked out of the room with Bear by his side. The knot in my stomach loosened, but not by much.
The study was spacious enough to hold all of us. I was glad to see Braun position himself next to the door. The numbers were in our favor as Crazy pushed me down into a chair across from Castle. It would be four against four after Braun found a way to leave the room and run like a little girl.
“That was quite a show you put on at the dam,” said Castle, leaning back into his oversized leather chair. “I have to admit I didn’t see that coming.”
“Glad you enjoyed it,” I said, leaning back into my much smaller chair.
“Oh, that’s right,” said Castle. “You’re the one with the mouth.”
“And you’re the coward who murdered an unarmed man while your men held him down,” I said, waiting for the blow to the back of my head.
“I didn’t murder an unarmed man,” said Castle, holding up his hand to stop the incoming blow. “Obviously, he was the leader of a sizable, well-armed, and well-trained force. We’d all be dead if I didn’t kill my adversary. It was a tactical decision. This is war, son. Shit happens.”
“War?” I said. “That’s exactly what Perry was trying to avoid, dumbass.”
“You call me anything other than general or sir, and I won’t hold back the very large man standing behind you.”
“My apologies, General Dumbass.”
I couldn’t see him, but I took a gamble that it was Crazy standing behind me. The blow was coming. That, I couldn’t stop and neither could he. I was hoping it wouldn’t be as damaging as it would be for anyone else. I saw stars after he delivered it, but I was still conscious.
“The next one will be worse,” said Crazy, leaning down as I slumped in my chair.
“I have no reason to doubt that,” I said, shaking o
ff the pain.
“You called him Perry,” said Castle, pleased with Crazy’s work. “I now know that he was your uncle. That wouldn’t have changed the outcome, but you would’ve died next to him. That makes you smart. I don’t like smart. I like obedient.”
“Trust me,” I said, “I’m neither.”
“I know,” said Castle. “That’s why you’re back in front of me and soon will be begging for your life. Being as smart as you are, you know I’ll be coming back with a larger force. This time there will be no talking. I’m going to burn your town to the ground and everyone and everything you care about along with it. You do realize that, right?”
“I do,” I said. “It’s why I’m here to kill you.”
“How’s that working out for you?” asked Castle, laughing. “Defiant to the end. I like that.”
“Looks like you earned my name, little man,” said Crazy.
It was the phrase I was waiting for. It was one of three coded messages he could have used to alert me that Braun had just left the room. Phase two was complete.
Chapter 51
Final Phase
Phase three was all about time. I had to buy enough of it to get Braun out of any lines of fire and clear of the farm. I had to buy a little more for Tom. He may have already reunited his children with Angie, but it would take more of it for him to get into a concealed position. Having another gun on our side was worth a few more slaps to the head. All I had to do was keep a narcissist madman talking.
“You got your ass handed to you at the dam,” I said. “My guys suffered a few minor injuries, and the only casualty was you murdering my uncle. What makes you so sure you can beat us? Your track record kinda sucks, General, sir.”
“Those were my scrubs, kid,” said Castle. “I wasn’t going to risk my best men on your sorry little town. It was time to thin the herd anyway. You did me a favor at the dam.”
“How’s that, your majesty?” I asked, bracing for an impact that didn’t come.
“My people aren’t going to care what I do to you now,” said Castle, brushing his shoulder. “You’re a threat to their existence and slaughtered innocent men who were coming to offer you help. You welcomed them with a cowardly ambush and even killed the defenseless wounded. You’re all a bunch of barbarians that need to be eradicated.”
“You can certainly spin a yarn,” I said. “You should write books.”
“I won’t have to,” said Castle. “Other people will write them about me.”
“You think highly of yourself,” I said. “I wouldn’t be so confident your people are going to give you a hero’s welcome. A lot of people are going to be pissed you sacrificed an entire army to thin the herd. You got humiliated out there. They’re going to know that.”
“You’re not as smart as I thought you were,” said Castle, grinning. “I give them something few have. Security, peace of mind, and a safe place to raise their families. They all sleep well at night because of my militia. They love me. They’ll do anything for me. That includes hating you and your people if I tell them to hate you and your people.”
“Let me get this straight,” I said. “In your twisted mind, you think your people are going to rally around you because you got your ass kicked and lost all of your men. That doesn’t sound a bit insane to you?”
“Crazy,” said Castle, looking over my shoulder. “What would you do to this man if I gave him to you?”
“I’d tear his heart out with my bare hands and shove it down his throat while it’s still beating,” said Crazy. “Then I’d really start to hurt him.”
“And his men that ambushed us?” asked Castle. “Would you face them again?”
“Nothing would give me more pleasure, sir,” said Crazy. “You’re right. Those men up front were scrubs. We’re not. We won’t be that easy to kill. I’ll be showing them that soon.”
“There you have it,” said Castle, holding his grin. “He’s just one. There are hundreds more like him that feel the same way.”
“Well, now I know why you call him Crazy,” I said, looking over my shoulder.
“What did you do before the power died?” I asked, turning to face Castle. “Stock shelves or bag groceries? I know you’re not a professional soldier. If you were, I wouldn’t be sitting here and you’d still have an army. Did you get beat up a lot as a kid? Not enough hugs from your mother?”
It was a little harder than the first, but still not enough to knock me out. Crazy even threw in a grunt to make it seem like there was more force behind it. I played along and held a grimace as I shook off the pain again.
“You’re starting to bore me,” said Castle, losing his grin.
“I was actually being serious,” I said, wincing and stretching my neck from side to side. “I know I’m not leaving this room alive. Humor me, General. I just want to know how a man like you commands so much loyalty from your men. How did you get your power?”
“Because I know people and how to manage them,” said Castle, taking the bait. “I know how to get the best from them. Before the power went out, I ran a warehouse for a large distribution company, and I am a professional soldier. I am a general in the Tennessee National Guard. Some men are born to lead. I’m one of those men.”
“You’re an opportunist,” I said. “You’re a carpet bagger, a snake oil salesman. You’re no leader. People follow you because they’re afraid of you, not because they respect you.
“All you did was recognize an opportunity to seize power, not earn it like my uncle did. He was a born leader. You’re nothing like him.”
“Where is he now?” asked Castle. “Your leader. Where is he? Oh, that’s right. He’s rotting in a dumpster. The only thing he’s leading now are the flies to his rotting corpse. I’m nothing like him because I’m not dead.”
“Not yet,” I said.
“You’re alive because I’m allowing you to be alive,” said Castle. “Tell your jokes and be the tough guy in front of me, but I own you. Your life isn’t yours anymore; it’s mine. My men behind you know that. They see through your crap just like I do. They know you’re the man shackled in that chair, and you’re shitting in your pants right now. And once again, you’re wrong. I’m not going to kill you.”
“Sure you are,” I said. “You have to. I’m your biggest embarrassment. I handed you your greatest defeat. I faced the all-powerful General Castle, and I put you on your fucking knees. I sent you running home with your tail between your legs.
“I was coming for you for what you did to my uncle and what you plan on doing to my family and my friends. I was hunting you and then made the mistake of trusting that family. They caught me; you didn’t. I can go to my grave knowing I beat you. Do whatever you want; you’ll never take that from me.”
“Oh, you’re going to die,” said Castle. “Of course you are, but it won’t be by my hands. I’m going to parade you through town. I’m going to show my people the face of the man who took their husbands, fathers, and brothers. I’m going to show them what evil looks like. Then I’m going to give you to them as a gift. They’ll take out their anger and revenge on you, not me. Then they’ll do the same to the people you love.
“So when you’re in that grave, filled with pleasure that you beat me, think about what I’ll be doing to them because of you. I’ll find out who they are, and they’ll be getting my personal attention. Know that too.”
“Excuse me, General, sir,” said Crazy.
“What?”
“Did Captain Braun deliver the message to you?” asked Crazy.
I slid my hands underneath my coat and wrapped them around the handles of my pistols. After a slight twist of my wrists, I could feel the restraints ease their grip. Phase three was coming to a close. We had bought Tom and Braun the time they needed.
Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, and I could feel my muscles tense. My heart was beating so hard I could hear it. I waited for his answer.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Castle
. “What message?”
“The one Henry gave the captain to pass along to you,” said Crazy. “The day you killed his uncle.”
“I don’t remember any – ah, yes,” said Castle. “Something about killing the wrong man, right?”
“Yes, sir,” said Crazy. “That’s the one.”
“Well, I’ll be taking care of that shortly,” said Castle. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I have a message for you now,” said Crazy. “You did kill the wrong man.”
General Castle didn’t understand what was happening until he looked back at me. I had a wide smile. The final phase had begun.
I didn’t need to turn around when I heard the first shot behind me. I’m glad I didn’t. I would’ve taken the full blast of the shotgun to my chest.
When the ruckus started, I saw Castle’s arm reach under his impressive desk. My smile disappeared when I realized what was under it. I only had enough time to turn away from it as the front of the desk exploded into me. I was peppered with shards of wood and buckshot from the first blast.
Adrenaline muted the pain, but couldn’t keep me on my feet. The solid oak desk took away some of the energy, but my body absorbed what was left. The bigger problem was that I couldn’t see.
Still gripping my pistols, I fired in the direction I knew Castle was sitting, but was unable to aim. I heard a second blast and expected to die. I then heard screams of pain, but it wasn’t coming from me.
I tried clearing my eyes by blinking and rubbing them, but only managed to see blurs. That’s when I realized I couldn’t bring my left hand up to my face. I crawled on the floor until the wall of the study stopped me. I held my gun in the direction of the fighting and yelling, but still couldn’t identify targets.
My hand was starting to shake from the muscles holding back my trigger finger. My instincts were screaming at me to pull it and shoot every moving blob that was near me until the gun was empty. I had no idea if my men were winning or losing the fight. Preserving my life at that moment would mean taking all of theirs.
