“You’re not taking about a cleanse. You’re talking about extinction.”
“Exactly! Well done! A true cleanse removes the filth and prevents all future poison from entering the body. Adam brings a change of chemical makeup. The darkness offers a solution to totally free us from the bondage of this tainted life. He’s going to fix people.”
“And you believe him?”
“I believe Lucy, yes. And I would rather live in a dark world than one filled with lies.”
“Where does she fit in with this?”
“Doesn’t concern you. You’ll be dead,” Ben replied.
“Sorry. I still care.”
“She doesn’t care about you. Not anymore.”
“She did.”
“She’s free of those cares now. Freed by Adam. She’s no longer tied to the lies shared between her and her husband’s brother. No longer a cheating wife. The house of cards you built came tumbling down, and she’s better off because of it. She’s so beautiful now. So real. It’s not like before when I knew she was lying to me and hated herself for it. Now, she’s free. She’s happy. She’s excited to live her new life with me. Adam has a plan for us. Lucy and I are going to save the world from all the other white knights. And it starts today. On this hill. You. Mona. And all those sheep pretending to be hunters.”
“Did she tell you this?”
“Of course! Are you having a hard time understanding?”
“No. I just don’t figure how a person like Lucy would be okay with this. If she really plans on helping Adam, then it’s not Lucy anymore. But I get it, I really do. I hope you understand I respect all of what you’re saying. A world without pain and lies sounds perfect. Too good to be true. But Ben, we’ve spent the last few days killing beasts because they’re evil. They’re not some liberation team. They’re committing acts worse than a cheating wife.”
“Says the home wrecker to the heartbroken husband.”
“Ben.”
“Are you done justifying yourself? I’m not the best person to offer a listening ear. You should have talked to a therapist about this. Maybe even confessed early on and then ditched town. Let’s not pretend you feel guilty because of your actions. You feel bad because you got caught.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yes it is.”
“Fine. Yes. I’m sorry I got caught. I’m sorry it was your wife that I fell in love with. I’m sorry she loved me back. I’m sorry you knew about it and never had the courage to come to me. I’m sorry you’re insane enough to want to kill a group of uninvolved, good people in response for your hatred of your brother. I’m sorry you were a terrible husband too wrapped up in this horrible world you speak about to actually love your wife. She adored you, but you loved the world. You did not deserve what I did to you, but you didn’t deserve her either. And neither did I. But brother, most of all, I’m so so so sorry for hurting you. I’ve hated myself for this but was too big of a coward to quit.” Asher closed the gap between he and his brother. “But please, I’m begging you; take me, kill me, do whatever you please. But don’t become a wolf because of my mistakes.”
Ben nodded his head, “That was really nice to say. Really, really nice, and it means a lot.” He reached out and put his hand on Asher’s shoulder. Asher was uncomfortable under his grip but held hope of this being a genuine response. Brutal honesty never worked before, but something had to give. “You’re right. I was a bad husband. I failed my wife, and you were the scum of the universe who capitalized on her weakness. It would be wrong to kill the sheep because of you. So yeah, you’re right, they don’t deserve this. But I don’t care. I don’t care how you feel or what they deserve. I care about making you suffer.”
“I can’t let you do this.”
Ben took his hand off Asher’s shoulder and picked up the hammer. “You’re wrong about two things though,” he said as he tightened his grip. “First, Lucy might not be the same Lucy as before, but she’s still my wife. A better version of herself. Second, I’m not going to become a wolf. Lucy’s not a wolf either.”
Asher realized his brother was not going to accept his plea and his mind raced for a different strategy. His only hope was to lure Ben away from Capitol Hill and open the path for the others. Mona would know how to make the timing work. All he had to do was create a window of opportunity. In order to do that, it meant defending himself.
“I’m not a wolf, I’m a lion.” Ben said, swinging his hammer around towards at Asher’s left rib cage. Asher jumped backwards as the head of the hammer ripped through his shift.
The air shrieked as the hammer came back around in a second swing. Again the hammer tied itself into his shirt. The tearing fabric tugged against Asher as he jumped backwards
Ben swung again. The air whistled under the force of the hammer. Ben’s grunt of effort could barely be heard through the cry of the air. Asher backpedaled away from his brother, raising his hands again in surrender. The spear and spade were less than twenty feet away, but Asher diverted his eyes away from them before Ben noticed. If this were against a wolf, Asher would have already drove the spear into the hard flesh of his opponent. However, Ben was not a wolf, he was Asher’s family. The only family Asher had left. The thought of fighting back was crippling. Asher would rather die.
The fourth swing came around unlike the rest as Ben released the hammer from his hands. Asher couldn't avoid the flying hammer and felt the force of his brother’s weapon explode into his hip. Pain shot downwards and came back up to his collarbone in a quick boomerang. The left side of his hip crackled as it had been chipped or broken. Asher stammered backwards. When he regained his balance, Ben’s fist smashed into his chin. Each knuckle penetrated the edge of his jaw leaving a small indentation. The force of the punch lifted Asher off his feet. He went from seeing his brother’s attack to the cold, grey sky overhead. His body went limp in the air as he lost control.
He landed squarely on his tailbone making his hip shoot out another expression of pain.
Asher attempted to rush to his feet but his arms gave way as they were kicked out from under him. Ben laughed, “Come on, Ash. You’re embarrassing the family name here. I know you’re better than this.” Another punch landed into the back of Asher’s head. His face drove into the soft grass hard enough to break his nose. Another punch. And another. His cheekbones packed down the loose dirt.
Ben’s hand grabbed Asher’s ankle and yanked him off the ground, hurling Asher several feet away onto the hard steps. He looked up and saw concrete ceiling of the capitol. Another bone had broken somewhere, but the pain of his entire body blinded his ability to know where. He didn’t have time to differentiate before Ben’s next attack. Asher moved to his belly and tried to push himself up. Again, Ben kicked his arms away.
Asher heard the hammer dragging against the concrete. As it silenced, Asher knew Ben was raising it, preparing for another attack. Asher rolled over. The movement distracted Ben enough to give Asher time to kick himself across the concrete and dodge the incoming blow. Pieces of concrete flew in the air between a now-standing Asher and his brother. Asher was left with no choice other than to fight back, but he no longer held his spade or spear. Ben aimed his next swing at Asher’s left ankle. It would have maimed him. Asher’s hip hurt, and the inability to raise his left arm indicated his collarbone was shattered.
“Give me a challenge at least,” Ben said.
The calm washed over Asher. It was the same feeling as when he was trapped under the behemoth. This hyper awareness slowed time and heightened Asher’s senses. Blood pulsed through the veins in Ben’s neck leading up to the one, large vein on the side of his forehead. Asher heard the blood pumping through it at a fervent pace. Ben’s arrogant demeanor could not hide his internal turmoil. Asher saw the urgency; a high strung heartbeat mixed with short, choppy breathing. Ben swung the hammer again, but Asher moved away carefully.
Asher’s awareness made avoiding each onslaught easier as he anticipated attacks based off c
hanges in Ben’s posture, breathing, and how he held his hammer. Asher’s dodging was minimized to the slightest tilted head and sidestep. It became easy.
Ben became frustrated and used the strategy of throwing his hammer.
Asher knew before as he pulled into a swing. His hand placement, the twitch of his lip, and the loosened grip made it obvious.
They were melded together. Two brothers, far different in gifts and intentions, Asher became the eye inside Ben’s storm. Asher was the faster brother. Ben flailed his arms in wild attempts to strike him.
Asher dodged and guided them across the courtyard. Ben continued to swing with all of his force, unable to land any blow but unrelenting in his ferocious pursuit. Neither man grew tired. Neither swing nor dodge slowed or tapered in any way. The bruises and breaks in Asher’s body were isolated into the remote areas from which they came. This gave him full comfort in movement.
Every miss of Ben’s attack gave Asher the opportunity to strike back, but he refused to hit his brother. Instead, Asher was going to maneuver his brother out of Mona’s path without having to lay a hand on him.
When they arrived at the western fence, Ben dropped his hammer and said, “Okay. I get it. You proved your point. You’re too fast. It’s like you’re in my head, big brother. Did the little girl teach you that?”
The exhaustion from bobbing and weaving his way through swings of fury had taken its toll, not to mention his throbbing bones. Ben exhaled too. His hammer dropped to the ground at his feet, Asher looked at it and felt like he could see individual particles of blood from each of its victims. Etched into the steel head was a small fragment of bone, possibly Harry’s kneecap. The handle bounced against the ground. Asher heard the sound of the grass bending under its weight.
Ben tackled into Asher driving them over the fence. They landed onto the dirt and immediately began tumbling down the hill. Ben elbowed and kneed Asher as they rolled down the steep decline over hard rocks and dead grass.
Finally, Asher crashed into the steel fence at the bottom of the hill. Ben stood over him and pulled Asher’s hair to make him stand. “You’re not too fast when you’re on the ground,” he said, hurling Asher over the fence into the park area.
“Stop, Ben. Let it go.” Asher said. The calm was gone. Asher no longer could sense anything other than his pain. Ben pulled him up again by his hair.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, enough of that, I’m not stopping. You’re boring me.” Ben said and threw him into the air. Asher’s body twirled in the air slowly, flashes of green, gray, and blue came into vision. This time Asher splashed across water like a skipping rock. The back of his head gently banged onto the bottom of the fountain but it was shallow enough for his mouth and nose to stay above water.
Asher looked up to the cavalry statue above him. The bronze soldier holding his mighty sword riding his powerful horse to victory. Asher wanted the pain to stop. His brother could win. Asher deserved his death and all the pain that could go with it. Ben had won. Asher couldn’t fight his brother, couldn’t keep him from making the decisions in which led him here. Ben was out of control of himself, but in control of the fight. It was over. Asher hoped to be drowned in the pool and the debt to be paid.
And as for Mona’s group…
Mona would know Asher failed to protect them, and she would find another way. She would lead them to safety elsewhere or overpower Ben on her own. Mona was not like Asher. No one, not even Ben, could overpower her. She was too special to be defeated by an angry man and too wise to not have a back-up plan. She would know. She had to know. It was who she was. Everything about her was prepared and smart and deep and capable. Not just saving the group but the world. She could. She would, even without Asher’s help.
“You’re a coward. What a waste of talent you are, big brother. Here I am, beating you into the ground, telling you I’m going to kill your friends, and you still won’t put up a fight. What’s your deal? A real man would have tried to shut me up already. A real man would have done more than dodged a few lazy swings. You’re not even worth the trouble.” Ben said, pacing around the pool.
The waves slowed. Asher’s body temperature felt connected to the disgusting water. Ben’s voice was distant as he said, “Their death is on your hands, you quitter. Just for this, I’m going to kill every one of them in front of Mona, and then I’m going to bury her up to her neck with your shovel. She’s going to watch the city burn. And her last thoughts will be about you. And how you were the reason this happened. How you gave up on her, even though she believed in you. Just like me.”
Ben’s footsteps over loose rocks sounded in the distance as he walked up the steep hill, ready to wait for Mona and the group. Asher knew his brother, the only reason Ben left Asher alive was because he really wanted to kill the others while he was still breathing. Ben wanted Asher to suffer. Right here. Right now. The best way for this to happen was guilt and fear. Asher felt both with all of his heart.
Mona professed Asher’s need to fight against his brother. Asher didn’t want to agree, but he understood a little better now. It wasn’t that Ben hated any of them, only Asher was hated, but instead Ben wanted to use them against Asher. Ben was no longer held to the same human emotions as before, now he was willing to jeopardize anything to have his way. If Lucy changed, so did Ben. Asher agreed with it too, if Lucy would have come back for Asher, he may have joined her. The allure of peace and patience and a fresh start was beautiful. It was just wasn’t real.
Asher’s collarbone and hip were broken. He couldn’t lift his left arm, and as he turned and push himself off the fountain floor, the entire left side of his body felt numb. The water made his clothes heavy and stuck against his body. He didn’t want to admit to why he was getting out as he sloshed his feet through the fountain and hit dry ground. The allure of Adam’s promise was enough for Ben to kill innocent people. Asher was not deciding to fight back against Ben, but save Mona and the others. It wasn't about him. It wasn't about Ben. It was about right and wrong, and life and death. It was about Mona. It was about Adam. The allure Adam offered, or Lucy offered destroyed Ben’s potential. Ben may never have been considered a good man, or a friend, but there was goodness inside of him. He was capable of doing great things. He could have changed and been regarded as warrior. The survivors would have looked at him like a hero. They would have embraced him as a guardian.
Until now.
Asher would not fight Ben like he fought the wolves. This would be different in every way. Especially since he was Asher’s baby brother. Asher was always the one making excuses for his brother, and now he was being forced to stand up against him. Not because Mona said he had to, but because Ben needed to be stopped.
Asher carefully walked up the rocky hillside; one fall and this all could end. He limped and dug his feet into the ground, trying to keep his balance. It would be difficult to fight wolves in this condition, but fighting against Ben with a broken body was suicide. He had to try though. Asher would make his stand.
Rest would soon come, one way or the other.
Ben was sitting on the concrete steps fifty yards away, “You’re back” he shouted, jumping to his feet and heading towards Asher, dragging his hammer along the way. “I thought you quit on me!” he said and swung the hammer.
As the hammer closed in towards Asher’s left jawline, he saw the missing person behind his eyes. Ben was no longer Ben. This was hatred. This was evil. This was the end of excuses Asher could make for his brother. No longer was it about the regrets and mistakes of the past. Someone had to remove Ben from this hill. As the hammer moved centimeters from his face, Asher saw his little brother had disappeared. All that was left was a man possessed by anger and hatred. Ben was in the darkness.
Asher arched his neck back allowing the hammer to miss its intended target. Just as the hammer passed his face, Asher threw his first punch into Ben’s throat. His fist cracked into the hard tissue of his Adam’s apple and the dry clicking noise at its reaction to the dama
ge. Ben dropped his hammer and held his throat coughing. The look of anger turned to a look of shock. Asher was surprised as well.
“You hit me,” Ben coughed out, “I can’t believe you hit me. Did you come up here to actually fight me? Why are you here?” He walked over to his hammer and bent down to pick it up. Asher stepped forward. “You’re serious? I can’t believe you would do this, Asher. And now you’re going to try to stop me from using my hammer?”
“This can still end, Ben. We don’t have to do this.”
“Do you think I want to share Lucy again?”
“Ben.”
“Do you think she wants to juggle a husband and a boyfriend again?”
“Lucy is gone.”
“No! She’s not gone! Once you and these pathetic sheep are dead, Lucy and I will be together again. You’re not going to take her from me.”
“I don’t want her, brother. That’s not Lucy. Not anymore.”
“You don’t know.” Ben said and threw the hammer at Asher. Instead of spinning side to side, it was flipping end over end. Behind the hammer, Ben squatted down and dove at Asher. He moved fast.
Asher was faster. He sidestepped the hammer and spun away Ben’s diving body. Ben’s feet dug into the grass and he quickly burst off the ground again at Asher.
This time Asher slid under his body in and punched Ben in the stomach. The air leaving his lungs made him say, “ohh,” and this time he was unable to keep his balance as he landed.
“I’m going to kill them brother. I’m going to kill them and make you watch. I am going to torture the little black sheep with your shovel and your spear.” Ben said, looking down at his hammer. Asher looked down too, seeing it was close enough to reach. He would have tried to beat his brother to grabbing it, but it was on his left and Asher didn’t know if he lift its heavy weight in his left hand.
The diversion worked for Ben, Asher looked back to his brother’s fist closing in.
Dark Genesis (Shadow and Shine Book 1) Page 32
