Only the Strongest Survive

by Ian Fox

  “Get in!” Ronald ordered him, noticing the restraints in John’s right pocket. “In the front.”

  John obeyed. It seemed pointless to resist now that his brother had a gun aimed at him.

  Ronald took the restraint and told John to fasten his left hand to the steering wheel. Then he opened the back door and untied Emely’s legs so that she was able to move to the front and sit next to John. He himself went in the back.

  “Drive!”

  “But he’s wounded, he can’t drive,” Emely said.

  “Shut up, I didn’t ask you anything. It’s time to fix the damage. We’re going to the old place. John, get the engine going and drive off. You know where we buried her the first time.”

  Whimpering, the frightened dog watched them leave.

  *

  They drove slowly through the tall trees, along dirt roads, not talking. Emely kept crying and looking at John. She was comforted by the fact that he was with her, but at the same time it would be difficult for him to help her since his wound was so bad that she wondered how he could be alive. Besides, his left hand was fastened to the steering wheel.

  John drove, looking up ahead, suffering without a sound. The physical pain was not the worst; the thought of having allowed Ronald to come there was much worse. He looked at Emely, put his hand briefly on her leg, nodding to her encouragingly.

  “No touching,” Ronald said sharply.

  John thought that he had made a big mistake, not killing Ronald when he had visited the last time.

  Emely was trembling with fear. The thought of seeing that place again terrified her. She kept looking at John, relying on his help. He drove with his eyes on the road. At that moment she wanted so much to hug him, whatever happened afterward. Ronald would kill them both anyway. At least this way they would leave this world hand in hand and stay together forever. All their earthly troubles would be over and they would go to a place where they would be safe from any threats, where love ruled, and where there was no hatred.

  Soon, fear drove these calming thoughts away. She looked around. They were in a dense pine forest, where hardly any light got through. Only a few broad-leaved trees had survived with the pines.

  In our world, too, bad people rule. Perhaps it’s better if I’m gone. I’ll be alright.

  The tension in her was growing. When they had first brought her there, her eyes were covered and she hadn’t seen anything but the final destination.

  She imagined the coffin again, made from ordinary planks of wood and she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. And then the shovels with which they dug the hole. She could barely breathe again as she looked out the window, observing the road leading to her grave.

  Now it’ll be John’s as well.

  They started climbing. She remembered that back then they had also spent some time driving uphill. She had the shivers. The first time now seemed so close, as if it had happened a week ago. Although she had not seen anything and her arms and legs were tied, she could remember that hill very well. If her memory was not deceiving her, they would spend at least ten minutes climbing and then they would descend again.

  Yes, she was right. Soon the sky appeared ahead—earlier they couldn’t see it. The treetops were now getting lower and lower. It was clear that the dirt road led across a small hill and then continued into the woods. Here she was surprised to see that broad-leaved trees prevailed, as if this was the only place where they managed to keep their territory. She looked at John again, but he didn’t return the look, just stared ahead and drove.

  The road was very rough. As they drove uphill John at one moment turned the wheel so awkwardly that he nearly drove into the ditch on the left.

  “No silly business,” Ronald said, waving the gun at them. “If we fall into a ditch, I’ll shoot the both of you.”

  He took a deep breath. His body was tingling all over. What he was feeling now could not compare to what he had experienced before. Two lives depended on him. He kept thinking of how he would get rid of them. These thoughts filled him both with fear and with sensations of intoxication, as if on drugs. The thought of being able to kill two people at once made his blood rush through his veins with such force that he felt as if it would boil. It was too wonderful for words. When he was finally done with them, he would have the best orgasm ever and he could barely wait.

  “It’s not only revenge,” Emely said.

  “What?” Ronald said, jolted from his dream.

  John also gave her a surprised look.

  Emily repeated, “I think it’s not just an old grudge.”

  “What are you talking about?” Ronald said.

  “I think it’s more a desire to kill.”

  “Of course, because you deserve it. You took something of ours, something that wasn’t yours. Simple.”

  Emely continued speaking calmly. “No, it’s not just that. It occurred to me a while ago. I’m almost certain that you actually enjoy killing.”

  He admitted to himself that she was not stupid. His eyes sparkled. “And what led you to this conclusion?”

  “Every time you attacked me, I noticed a little smile on your face. It wasn’t just anger, it was something else.”

  “Stop talking such nonsense.”

  Her calmness and confidence got on his nerves. Instead of screaming and begging, she was analyzing him.

  “You’re a murderer. You kill because you enjoy it. You’re sick!”

  His arousal turned to rage. He figured he’d let her talk, and when she saw her grave, she’d start squealing again. He shuffled awkwardly in his seat.

  John clenched his teeth as the anger in him grew. He resolved not to let it happen again.

  “I think you even enjoyed shooting John.”

  “I don’t have to listen to this,” Ronald said. Yet he asked, “What are you talking about?”

  “Your mouth is always slightly open when you’re about to kill. Your eyes get a twinkle in them and your face looks somehow neutral. I noticed all that when you shot at him.”

  *

  Ronald was losing control over himself, squeezing the gun with incredible force. He felt like hitting her hard on the head. He denied to himself that he enjoyed the thought, convinced that it was simply inevitable.

  Ronald said, “If you don’t shut up this minute, I’ll break your neck.”

  Emely realized that making him angry was not the best idea, and stopped talking.

  While transferring the gun to his other hand, Ronald thought about her words. Without being aware of it, he relived the moment when John had attacked him. He saw his brother’s strong body and furious eyes full of danger. Ronald had to defend himself. That was not John, it was someone else. John had lost his mind by falling in love with her. He had to be stopped.

  Ronald now had his finger on the trigger, wondering if he really had to or did he simply want to. He remembered the incredible desire that had led him to nearly kill his brother, a desire that was out of his control. But it was not John, it was someone else. A stranger. And then there had been that odd silence.

  John, while driving as ordered, was furious, and repeated to himself that he would not let it happen.

  Emely looked out of the car window. At least she would be able to tell the world where they had buried her if she happened to save herself. And so she stared at the surroundings, trying to remember every detail. They were midway up the slope, around six hundred feet high, and she was able to see clearly the forest far around. Everything was dark green. She had never before seen such a vast area of woodland. As if they were surrounded by a huge dark-green sea. Who could just happen to wander into it?

  She knew the answer was no one, and they were alone in that wilderness. No loggers, nobody. Just them and the trees.

  Once more the vehicle leaned dangerously sideways. Suddenly a steep drop appeared on their left and Ronald said, “I told you to drive carefully!”

  “Alright,” John said curtly, his anger so great now that he could no longer feel the
deep wound inflicted by Ronald. He kept wondering how to protect Emely against his brother. He glanced at her staring out of the window. She seemed so beautiful to him, and brave. He would have given anything to be able to kiss her on the lips. He was about to lift his arm to caress her hair, but remembering his brother’s threat, he changed his mind.

  Emely’s and John’s eyes met and they could see the pain in each other. It was only a fraction of a moment, but it made them both feel better when they looked back at the road. He touched her hand briefly and they looked at each other once more. His sad face made Emely cry, she wanted to hug him so much. She asked God to help her one last time.

  Then she thought that John was trying to tell her something. Although he was looking ahead, she had a feeling that he would look at her soon again and tell her something. A second ago his eyes had looked somewhat sharper. Something in them drew her attention. She moved her head slightly to the left, not too much, and pretended to look straight ahead. But in fact she was waiting for John’s next look.

  And it came. After only a few seconds, his eyes met hers and this time his face was even more serious. He looked first at her, then at the window on the right, and then at her again, twisting his eyes in a strange way, and Emely knew he was up to something. Again, their eyes turned to the road.

  What is he trying to tell me? It was definitely something, but she didn’t understand what.

  The vehicle leaned to one side again. Emely looked at John and as their eyes met and she saw that his were glistening, Emely knew. Oh my God, he’s not thinking that? She had a feeling he was trying to tell her to get out at a particular moment. How can I get out?

  She moved her head left and right slightly in the hope of letting him know that she couldn’t do it. But he returned a serious look in which she saw that there was no other option. But what will he do? He’s fastened to the steering wheel. Why does he want me to get out? She was confused, not knowing exactly what he wanted from her. They were coming near the top of the small hill and there was something she did not comprehend. So she waited for John’s next look, afraid Ronald would notice something.

  John didn’t glance at her, but she could sense that he was going to do something. He kept searching with his eyes and she could see that he was ready for something. Once more he embraced her with his eyes, lovingly this time, blinking gently as if to give her hope.

  What is he up to? Please, John, tell me what you’re going to do.

  At that moment they reached the summit and what followed happened quickly. Emely saw the road ahead, which turned sharply to the right in about twenty yards. Nothing but the blue sky could be seen on the other side of the bend, which meant the terrain dropped down. John’s last look followed, the one she would remember forever. It lasted only a few hundredths of a second, but she could clearly see it was a goodbye. She could see in it immense pain and love. If she could stop time at that moment, she would have. Then she saw John’s fist hitting Ronald on the nose. John leaned to his right and opened her door and before she realized what was happening, he had pushed her out so that she fell on the stony road. A horrific scene followed as she watched the vehicle speeding toward the precipice.

  “John, please, don’t!” she screamed so loud that her voice carried at least two miles. She knew what he was going to do. “John, damn it, no.” There must be another solution. She saw Ronald looking back at her. She could see those terrible eyes of his, full of contempt and hatred. For a moment she thought she could also see the gun, but then he spotted the abyss and she could clearly hear his last scream, the one that later often woke her from her sleep. The scream that signified Ronald’s demise and her redemption.

  The vehicle was speeding along as if wanting to fly. Tears of despair ran down Emely’s face, but there was no way in which she could prevent what was to follow.

  “John, please, don’t do this,” was all she was able to say as the SUV flew into the air.

  Now time did stop. A horrendous pain gripped her heart as the car engine roared in midair.

  Emely covered her eyes, screaming, “Damn it, John, why did you do it? Why? You shouldn’t have. You damn idiot. Why … why?”

  All she could see was his last look into her eyes when he was trying to tell her. That look spoke volumes she understood well. She knew how much he loved her and how sorry he was for all the suffering she had been through.

  “No, John, no!”

  The vehicle crashed down the rocks and she could hear every sound clearly. She put her hands over her ears but couldn’t shut out the noise.

  “John, why did you do it?” She was choking with tears and the immense pain inside. “John, no. Why did you leave me?” Her fists were banging on the ground. She wished she could die with him. “John, John, my John!” She covered her face.

  Then everything went quiet, only birdsong and the breeze remained.

  Maybe he’s not dead after all.

  The silence was rocked by a huge explosion, so strong that she had to cover her ears again.

  “Oh no, John.”

  *

  She had no idea how long she had been sitting there crying, maybe half an hour or an hour, when she finally got up and walked back. The next few hours she could not remember, as if they had never existed. She walked and walked, but she was not really alive inside. Later she was surprised that she had not fainted. Clearly her survival instinct led her on, all the way to the house in which she had spent so many horrible and wonderful moments.

  It was lucky she had spent the journey looking out of the car; otherwise she would have been lost. And who knows if she would have otherwise found her way out of the woods.

  When she approached the house, Emely was terribly pleased to see Kitty barking a greeting. She played with the dog for a while, then she sat in John’s car and drove northward, to her previous life. She had wanted this for so very long, but now that she could return, she wasn’t sure that she wanted her old life back. So much had changed. Nothing would ever be the same.

  Chapter 21

  _______________________

  Alexandra burst into Blake’s office.

  “Damn it, Alexandra, I told you that you can’t come in here without being invited.”

  It was half past seven in the morning. He had slept badly and his head was throbbing. He was drinking his coffee and reading the newspaper.

  Alexandra was holding the morning edition of News Continental and threw it on his desk. “I thought you might not know yet. Look at the front page and you’ll know why I’m here.”

  Blake Crouse saw a headline in huge letters:

  EMELY DONNOVAN DEVOURER OF HELPLESS COMPANIES

  Blake was astonished. He went on to read a short summary on the front page. The full article appeared on page two.

  “This journalist of yours, Robert Miles, has betrayed us,” Alexandra said. “I knew from the very beginning that we couldn’t trust him.”

  “What do you mean, this journalist of mine? You were happy with him too. How did he find out all these things?”

  “Journalists do. They’re driven by a desire for success and they sniff around better than the police. You know what this means?”

  Blake gave her a surprised look. “What?”

  “A big shitty pile of trouble.”

  The phone rang. “A Daily Press journalist wants a meeting with someone,” Maria said.

  “Tell him that no one is available today,” Blake replied, and put the phone down.

  “Clearly it has already started. Not only has Miles set the press onto us, it’ll probably also attract the inspection services. And the value of our shares will fall again.”

  Another phone call. “A journalist from the M3 television station wishes to talk to you, Blake.”

  “Damn it, Maria, tell everyone who calls today that I’m not here. Make something up. Just don’t talk to me about that journalistic vermin.”

  Outside his office, Maria rolled her eyes and got rid of the caller.

 
“What do you plan to do now?” Alexandra asked.

  Blake gave her a sharp look. “First, I’ll get rid of you. Get out of my office now!”

  Alexandra left without a word, but Blake could see she was glowing inside. He knew how happy she was that he had problems. Damn you.

  He lifted the receiver. “Call a meeting of the management board.”

  “For when?”

  “In an hour.”

  “But you’re meeting the CEO of Miners & Co. in an hour, and then at ten thirty—”

  “Cancel all my meetings.”

  “But in an hour? … It’s impossible, Blake.”

  “Do as you’re told.”

  Maria heard him disconnect. “I’m going to quit. I’ve had enough. I’ll go on until the end of the day and that’s it,” she said out loud, and then called all the board members.

  At the meeting, Blake said, “I’m sure you all know why I’ve called this meeting. If not, look at the front page of News Continental.” He pointed at the newspapers lying in the middle of the conference table. As he expected, only a few helped themselves, while the others waited for him to go on.

  Alexandra was sitting upright, enjoying the performance.

  Someone said, “I don’t think there’s any cause for panic yet. It’s just rumors that will soon die away.”

  “I’m not sure that’s right,” Alexandra said. She was one of the few people in the company who was aware that many takeovers had not been completely legal. If the journalists managed to prove only a fraction of the truth, such as the false rumors that Emely used to spread around banks, it would mean disaster, she was certain. The corporation would be taken to court and who knew how it would end. The trial would undoubtedly be televised. “Things are much more serious than we imagine,” she added.

  Blake said, “I suggest we threaten News Continental with a lawsuit. We’ll also start an aggressive advertising campaign. We’ve got to emphasize the quality and results of our services. We’ll tell the public how many people we employ every year, all the time focusing on the benefits Donnovan Corporation provides for society.”