Silent Interruption (Book 4): Of Tragedy and Triumph

by Russell, Trent

  Tara and Shyanne backed up farther into the woods. Preston hurried to help the rest of the children who were trying to get away from the rising smoke.

  Before Tara could lead Shyanne to Preston, the sound of approaching weeping drew her to look behind her. Chip was stumbling toward her, sobbing.

  “Chip! My God, what happened?” Tara knelt down next to him.

  “He killed him!” Chip fell to his knees and then pounded the grass with his fists. “He killed Harold! He slaughtered that boy’s father!”

  “Harold!” Tara clutched her side. “No, no, it can’t be. What happened?”

  Chip looked up, tears streaming down his face. “He shot him in cold blood. He’s back there!”

  Tara clenched her fists. “I’ve got to find him. Maybe we still can save him if he’s alive.” She stood up, shouting, “Michael! Get Doctor Wales! Hurry!”

  Michael heard Tara and ran into the crowd to find the doctor. Meanwhile, Chip turned to Shyanne. “I should take you back inside.”

  Shyanne nodded. Tara said to Chip, “Guard her with your life.”

  Chip rose to his feet. “Oh, I will.”

  Tara turned her back, but then she heard a voice that curdled her blood. “She’s more valuable to me than gold.”

  She spun around. Chip had grabbed Shyanne with his left arm while he brandished an Uzi with his right, holding it to her forehead.

  Tara trembled. “My God.”

  “Good to see you again, redhead,” spoke the voice of Ben through Chip’s lips. “Thanks for providing me with this insurance policy.” He pulled Shyanne close to his chest.

  “Tara, help!” the girl cried.

  “Make one move and she gets to join Harold,” Ben said through a sneer.

  “Damn you,” Tara said.

  Ben started backing up. “Give Soldier Boy my regards. Too bad I couldn’t plant that little shit ten feet under with the old man, but I guess I’ll live to fight another day.”

  Tara shook. She couldn’t let Ben get away with Shyanne!

  At that moment, Carl charged in. Ben turned and fired one shot in his direction. Carl dove for the grass. The shot gave Ben the chance to hoist Shyanne into his arms and hobble off into the trees.

  “Carl!” Tara ran up to him just as Michael and Doctor Wales arrived.

  Carl quickly climbed to his knees. “I’m fine. Chip, he had Shyanne?”

  “He’s not Chip. He’s Ben.” Tara took Carl by the arm and helped him up. “Don’t ask me how. He says he killed Harold!”

  Carl spun around in Ben’s direction. “Shit!” He didn’t waste a second taking off into the trees after Ben.

  Chip was Ben? What did Tara mean? There was no question Chip was hauling Shyanne off. So, did that mean Ben was really Chip and Carl never knew it?

  You never actually saw his face, Carl thought. And if none of his friends recognized him, they must have never spotted his face in the small ranch house either.

  If Chip really was Ben, then certain things began to make sense. There was no second man. Seth didn’t help to kill Jed. Seth was in all likelihood never there at all. Ben never rejoined him. Ben had killed Jed all on his own and then lied about being assaulted. “Chip’s” wounds probably came from Jed in the struggle.

  As Carl crossed a large tree, he came face to face with Ben, or Chip, whoever the hell he was, still clutching Shyanne, with the gun to her face. “Well, hello, Soldier. What a pleasure it is to see you again.”

  Shyanne whimpered. “Mr. Carl…”

  “Give her back to me, Ben. This is just between us.”

  “Hey now.” Ben squeezed his hold on Shyanne for a moment. The girl squealed. “Little Miss here isn’t going anywhere. Oh no, this is just too perfect. Everything’s going even better than I had hoped.” Ben kept a smile on his face as he held Shyanne. “So, what do you think?”

  “Of what?” Carl asked.

  “My performance? You must have been so shocked to see that mild-mannered Chip actually was your worst enemy. Kind of like if Batman met up with a poor bum on the street but he turned out to be the Joker all along.” Ben chuckled. “Although I’m a little surprised you didn’t make the connection with my leg injury. A man who’s hurt in the same spot as your worst enemy. But you must have been knocked out by then, right? Naah, you wouldn’t have remembered.”

  “Fine. You put one over on me. Give yourself a hand. Now release her. We’ll settle this once and for all. You’ll get nothing from hurting her.”

  “Oh, I imagine I’d get a lot of satisfaction from hurting her. You see, it’ll tear you up inside to watch this little one die, and that thought very much appeals to me. She’s like family to you, right?” Ben’s eyes narrowed. “You think I forgot about Harper? Yeah, we weren’t super close, but he was one of the few members of my family who I could give a shit about. I found his corpse out in the woods after I fled the house. So, one way or the other, I owe you some payback.”

  Carl’s mind raced. How could he get Shyanne away from Ben? He had to stall. “How the hell did you trick us?”

  Ben giggled. “Well, I guess I did impress you after all. Alright, I’ll spill the beans, Soldier Boy. You see, Chip is my real name. Chip Jones. But my old man never stuck around. My stepfather adopted me and called me Benny. I always hated that name, so I shortened it to Ben. You see, Ben’s like my alter ego. He’s strong, doesn’t take any shit from anybody. He’s cool, lethal, like Clint Eastwood. Maybe add a bit of Jason Statham in the mix. You know, that British guy who kinda looks like Bruce Willis.”

  Ben then frowned. “Chip was the guy I had to be in regular life. He put his head down, nodded, smiled, laughed at everyone’s shitty jokes, took all the complaints at work, said “yes sir” even when he wanted to tell the boss to kiss his ass. When the world decided to go into the crapper, I didn’t think there was any use for good old Chip anymore. So, I decided to become “Ben” full-time. Well, until I fled that little ranch house. I figured maybe people would sympathize with meek little Chip, at least until I slipped my knife across their throat.” Ben grinned. “But then I met you. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. So, I played Chip until it was time to start making my move. I’d have liked to off your buddy’s two brats, but one thing at a time, I guess.”

  As Ben talked, Carl tried coming up with a plan, although it was hard not to focus on Ben’s repulsive tale. This guy sounded like he had psychological issues. Carl didn’t want to speculate, not only because he had to think of a way to free Shyanne, but he had no wish to delve any further into this man’s psyche than he had to.

  “You know, the really sick part is that Chip, well, I think he actually liked Harold, thought he was a friend, a mentor, big brother.” Ben’s expression hardened. “Yeah, well, I didn’t need him. I just used him, used all of you to start picking off the bastards I really hated, starting with that brat who nailed my leg. I got him good in the arm. I bet he’s bleeding to death as we speak. It’s too bad I killed Harold before the boy could bite it.”

  Carl wondered if Ben was just playing Chip or if Chip was an actual separate personality. Could he use that to his advantage?

  “I guess Chip wouldn’t let you,” Carl said calmly.

  “What? You dumbass, I am Chip! Chip doesn’t tell me what to do! He was just an act I put on.” Ben then laughed.

  “Really? I wonder about that. Maybe it’s Ben who’s the fake. Maybe Ben’s the guy Chip has to be to get through life, get through all the humiliations. Can you really shoot any of us if you weren’t playing Ben?”

  “What? You’re completely nuts! Ben is who I am! I don’t play Ben. I am Ben!”

  “Really? You sounded sincere when you talked about Harold, about being his friend. How much of that was really an act?”

  Ben’s face turned red. “You really are playing with fire, Soldier. I will splatter this little girl’s brains all over my arm!”

  “You don’t even know how to use a gun. You don’t know how to survive in the outd
oors. Fighting, killing, that’s just not you.”

  Ben’s eyes widened. He seemed on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Carl studied Ben’s arm carefully. If it loosened just enough, Shyanne could slip out and escape. Then Carl would tackle Ben and stop him before he could harm anyone else.

  “It’s not you,” Carl said, “You’re not a strong man, but you can be. All you have to do is reject Ben and be yourself again.”

  Ben trembled. A wheezing noise erupted from his throat.

  At the same time, his arm shifted. Shyanne took the opportunity and pushed herself under Ben’s arm, then ducking and rolling across the ground. Ben screamed and pointed the gun at her.

  “Stop!” he shouted.

  “Shyanne!” Carl called.

  The girl froze in place. Ben pointed his weapon’s barrel right at her.

  “C’mon, Chip,” Carl said. “For God’s sake, you know you can’t shoot a little girl.”

  Ben did not move. Shyanne’s eyes widened. Carl’s heart pounded. What was going to happen?

  Ben then let out a loud cry and turned the gun onto his head. “No!” His voice sounded like Chip’s again. “Chip” had regained control.

  But it didn’t last long. “Ben” reasserted himself and swung the firearm away from his head. However, Carl already was charging at Ben. He would not let this opportunity slip away. He tackled Ben in the stomach and sent the two of them tumbling down the ravine behind them.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The two men rolled down the ravine until they plunged into the stream. The force of the fall plus the water separated the two men. Carl quickly swam to the nearby shore. Ben was not far behind. Carl wondered which man was predominant, Ben or Chip.

  The gun! Did Ben still have it? Carl checked the surrounding water, but under the darkening sky it was hard to spot. As Ben raised his hands, it was clear even under the cloudy sky that they were empty.

  “It’s over,” Carl said. “Forget about this. Forget about revenge, all of it.” He straightened up to his full height to make his point. This wasn’t like the last time he and Ben had fought. He wasn’t in a burning house choked with smoke and Ben wasn’t sporting an oxygen mask to keep his lungs filled with healthy air. Carl ached from the fall, but Ben had also taken a hard spill, plus his right leg remained on the mend. One good punch from Carl would render this guy unconscious.

  Ben backed away. “Revenge?” he asked. “Revenge ain’t bad. It’s the only thing I got now, isn’t it? Everything went to hell when I met you. You’re the reason I lost my men. You’re why I got shot, lost my guns, my weapons, everything I got from Camp Jefferson.”

  “We’re all the product of our decisions. You decided to become a murderer and now you’re paying for it. If there’s any good sense left in you, it’s time to listen to it.”

  “Oh really? What are you saying? You’re going to let me go?”

  “After what you’ve done, no way. You have to pay for what you’ve done, but it doesn’t have to cost you your life tonight.”

  Ben laughed. “What, you’re going to send me to prison? You’re going to waste food and resources to house me until I’m old enough to piss in my pants?”

  Carl took a big step forward, his boot kicking up water on the shore. Ben flinched. There was real fear there. “Maybe. Maybe not. But one way or the other, you’re not harming anyone else after tonight. Whether that’s in a jail cell or not, it’s your choice.”

  “Go to Hell, Soldier. I’m going to survive.” Ben took another step backward but nearly tripped on his wounded leg. “I’m not going to let you or anyone take me. I’m going to live and live free! No one’s telling me what to do!”

  Carl started jogging through the water. He took big but careful steps. He didn’t want to trip in the water or get caught in any small pit that he couldn’t see through the water’s surface. Ben, letting out a yelp, turned and fled through the stream. He waded as hard as he could to get away.

  However, a small squad of men led by Noah emerged from the nearby trees all along the shoreline. The men carried rifles with them. Ben stopped so suddenly that he fell to his knees.

  “End of the road,” Noah said.

  Ben looked from Noah’s men to Carl just behind him. Carl had come to a halt.

  “So, this is the killer?” Noah asked.

  “Yes. This is Ben, but he’s been disguising himself as Chip. Or maybe Chip’s the real person and Ben is some kind of psychotic personality. Either way, this is the guy,” Carl replied before turning to Ben. “You see? There’s no escape.”

  “Well, if he is the killer, it’s time to put him down right now,” Noah said.

  “Wait!” Carl raised his right hand. “He’s defenseless. We should at least bind him up and give him a trial.”

  “A trial?” one of Noah’s men asked.

  Carl waded in a half circle around Ben. “We’ve lost so much. Our society, everything we had has crumbled. It’s now in our hands. We’re going to have to rebuild it all ourselves, and if it’s up to us, then we need to preserve our morals, our laws, everything we got. Because if we don’t, we’ll turn into despots or anarchists or worse. If this man can’t fight anymore, then we should take him into custody.”

  Noah exchanged glances with his men. Afterward, he turned to Carl with a small grin. “You really are a soldier, aren’t you? All right, it’s your call. But you will take some of the responsibility for guarding him. He makes one move toward our town and we take him down for good. Got it?”

  Carl nodded. Noah then turned to Ben, whose head was bowed. “Alright you, start walking.”

  Ben raised his head, turning it to Carl. The man’s eyes were full of fear, but they also lacked the bloodlust Carl had seen in them earlier. The eyes of the killer had disappeared.

  “You could have killed me,” he said in the same low-key voice that belonged to Chip. “Why?”

  Carl sucked in a deep breath. “Like I said, I don’t kill people who are defenseless, even if they deserve it. I fought for many things when I was overseas, including for our way of life. I’m not perfect, but I’ll do what I can to uphold what I believe in until the very end.”

  Chip nodded. “That’s better than just surviving, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah,” Carl replied.

  And then Chip smiled. But it wasn’t the nervous smile Chip had shown them before. He seemed happy with what Carl had said. Carl then realized that Ben, in a final act of cowardice, had disappeared, leaving Chip to deal with his many crimes.

  Chip turned to Noah. He sucked in a long breath. Then he yelled loudly and started charging the men.

  It all was over in moments. Noah and his men cut Chip down with their rifles. The man landed on the shore, his hand flopping down on the grass inches from Noah’s boot.

  “What the hell was that?” Byron asked.

  “Looked like a suicide run,” a short man beside Byron answered.

  Carl shook his head. “Yes. He knew what he was doing. It was his way of destroying Ben once and for all.”

  “I don’t get it,” Noah said. “He was Ben, wasn’t he?”

  “Part of him was.” Carl walked up to Chip’s corpse. “He was probably a lonely, frustrated man who indulged his fantasies so hard that he created an evil personality within him, to be everything that he couldn’t. Once the world fell apart, “Ben” felt free to do whatever he wanted. And many people paid the price for it.”

  “It’s one hell of a tale,” Noah said. “Our people are going to want to hear it for a long time.” He looked into Carl’s eyes. “You want to be with us to tell it?”

  Carl almost fell backward into the stream. “You mean we’re accepted?”

  “We’ve had our eyes on you. You can tell a lot about people by not just what they say, but what they do, how they do it, and why. In all, you act like people of principle and courage. You would make a fine addition to our community.”

  Noah extended his hand. “I welcome you and your people to East Creek.”
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br />   Carl let out a laugh. Was he hearing Noah correctly? It sounded almost too good to be true! He was so stunned that it took him a moment to take Noah’s hand and shake it.

  “Thank you,” Carl said with great exhaustion but also great joy.

  Carl and his traveling party had been accepted into East Creek. They would have regular, permanent homes and a community that they could participate in, to give to and to receive back from. The town had its own defense force. It would not be taken over so easily.

  However, one member of their party would not be able to share in their good fortune. East Creek had accepted Carl and the Adam’s Point survivors, but it came at a terrible cost, Carl silently admitted as he looked at Harold’s body stretched out on the wooden bench inside the small church. It was one of East Creek’s two Catholic churches. Carl made sure Harold was brought here.

  In the background, Alicia wept in the embrace of Lorenzo. Thomas still was recovering from his wound and could not be here to see. Matthew had managed to come here to see him. Carl felt as if his insides were grabbed and ripped through his throat. It was painful to watch the twelve-year-old gaze upon his dead father and try to be brave, although in the end he broke down and cried. Carl held him the entire time and did his best to console him.

  “He was one of the bravest and wisest men I ever knew,” Carl said. Matt swore he would not forget those words.

  Matt finally separated from Carl and sought sympathy from Alicia and Lorenzo. Tara approached from a side entrance. “Hey,” she whispered. She had been by earlier to see Harold and had returned with some news. “They’re starting to give out assignments. Housing assignments. There are some unfinished houses. Michael and I, we want to pick one. We want to build one for ourselves. We’ll have our parents live there with us.” She averted her eyes from Harold. “Sorry if I’m talking too fast. I just need to focus on something.”