by Ryan Casey
Candice looked at him with narrowed eyes. “We came to take your home. You weren’t there. I… I can’t say I know where they are now. But you’ve got us wrong. Really. You’ve got us—”
“I don’t care how you say we’ve got you,” Jack said. “You’re with Logan Butcher.”
“He’s not what you think he is.”
“He’s a killer.”
“You’re a killer,” Candice said.
The air was still. The silence was strong. The tension grew.
“I can’t promise he’ll let this go,” Candice said. “But we need to try. For all of us. We need to…”
She stopped.
Her eyes widened.
It took Jack a few seconds to realise why.
Until he heard the cry.
He spun around and he saw it happening quicker than he realised.
One second, Bella was there.
The next, out of the long grass, someone appeared and grabbed her, dragging her away.
Jack’s instinct was to go after her. To chase her. To track her down and get her back.
But as Wayne disappeared into the grass, shouting for her, running after her, Jack turned to Candice. Emma had disappeared in the chaos.
He looked at Candice.
“You don’t move a muscle,” he said. “You’re with us now.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Logan stood between the trees and tried to gather his thoughts.
It was late. They’d taken a little time to regroup, to eat, to drink, but now it felt like they were caught in stasis; in limbo.
He thought back to the attempt to take the farm. He should’ve known things weren’t completely as they seemed. The place looked too empty, and he should’ve been the first to recognise the warning signs. It was only when the bullets were actually flying towards him that he’d realised exactly what was going on.
He had been careless. All because he wanted that farm.
All because he wanted to take Jack out.
He thought back to the moment they’d crouched there in the grass, hiding from the bullets. He’d advanced, open-fired at Jack and his people, desperate to just put them down, to get them out of the way. Because he was so close to that farm. So close to taking it over.
And so close to avenging Jean’s death.
But as he’d stood there firing that rifle, he soon realised that he was going to have to take a different approach.
He’d turned. Told Candice to take Emma to the left; to flee.
Because he had another idea.
He ducked down and headed over to the right, looping around the back of where he knew Jack and his people were, as slowly and silently as possible, preparing his ambush.
He’d made his way in that direction. He didn’t hear anything, not for a while.
But eventually he had heard something.
Talking.
Candice. In conversation with the enemy.
He heard that voice and he sensed his opportunity. He felt like things were playing out exactly as he’d intended; as he’d planned.
He reached the back of the group and he saw them.
The first thing that struck him was the way Candice and Wayne were looking at one another.
The love in their eyes. The connection.
And the problems that was going to bring.
And then there was something else.
The way Jack stood there, pointing that rifle at Candice.
Emma by her side.
He knew any sudden movement could be catastrophic. He knew just how fragile ground he was walking on right now.
He knew he could lose everyone if he weren’t careful.
So he’d had to try something else.
He shuffled back into the tall grass, and then he made his way slowly around the side, towards Bella.
He waited, totally still. He listened to them talking. Heard Candice saying things—bargaining, trying to make Jack see sense.
But Logan knew those days were far gone.
He knew there was no chance Jack would see common ground.
Not unless…
An idea sparked to mind as he stood there, rifle in hand. He could try shooting right now. But it was too risky. Too precarious.
But his other plan…
He waited.
Waited for the perfect moment.
Waited for the one they called Bella to drift closer towards him.
And then he reached out of the grass and dragged Bella to one side.
He ran as quickly as he could through the grass. He heard the shouting. Heard the commotion. But eventually it eased. Eventually it died down.
And then Logan found himself back in the trees.
He didn’t know what had happened. Not at first. Tension grew. Maybe something had happened to Candice and Emma. He hadn’t heard gunshots, so he just had to hope that wasn’t the case.
He went to turn away, Bella still in his arms, mouth covered by his hand, when he saw movement up ahead.
He stopped dead.
Then he saw who it was.
Emma stood before him.
Tears and fear in her eyes.
“They took her,” she said. “They… they took Candice.”
Logan let Bella go, walked towards Emma and wrapped his arms around her.
“It’s okay,” he said. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
He looked back at Bella as she lay on the ground, staring up towards him. Shaking.
And as much as he didn’t want war… he knew she was going to be a very important part of the next phase of the plan.
“Let’s get out of here,” Logan said. “We’ve got a lot of planning to do.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Evening arrived, and tensions felt higher than ever.
Jack looked out over the fields into the darkness, rifle in hand. He kept on checking his surroundings, kept an eye on them at all times. He knew Logan could strike at any moment.
But at the same time, he felt like he had the upper ground, now. He felt perfectly capable of defending this place from just one guy and a little girl.
And just to add to the stakes, they had Candice.
Usually, Jack would’ve been happy to just leave it at that. They’d captured Candice, reunited her with Wayne. That was Wayne’s primary goal; the thing that had driven him for so long. They could wait here until Logan returned and take him out of the picture as soon as he surfaced.
But there was a problem.
And that was Bella.
Jack didn’t know how exactly it had happened, what had gone down. All he knew was that Bella was with them one second, and then she was gone.
Logan had his prisoner.
And Jack had his.
Wayne had pushed back at the idea of Candice being a prisoner. He’d resisted. Jack hadn’t even given them a chance to talk to one another. Not yet.
But as difficult as it was, she wasn’t one of their people. Bella was.
He couldn’t forget that.
“I know it’s not easy,” Jack said, as he stood in the lounge. “But we need to really think about what’s important here.”
Wayne held his head in his hands. “What’s important is that Candice is our prisoner. My… The girl I love is our prisoner. And you’re talking about trading her?”
“It might be the only way,” Hazel said.
Wayne turned to his mum, the disappointment clear to see in his eyes.
“Mum?”
“Bella’s one of our people, like… like your dad said. Candice isn’t—”
“She is!”
“As long as we have her, we have an opportunity. A chance for peace. We can meet Logan. We can make some kind of proposal. Or…”
“Or if it doesn’t work,” Wayne said. “If he doesn’t agree. Make an exchange. That’s what you’re really suggesting here, isn’t it?”
“It’s not my first choice,” Hazel said.
“But it’s a choice,” Wayne said. “That
’s what you’re saying. Isn’t it? Just say it!”
“Yes,” Jack said.
Wayne turned to face him, the disappointment in his eyes obvious. “At least you’re honest. Even if I despise what you’re suggesting.”
Jack took a few deep breaths. “This is war right now. Whether you like it or not. Whether you think you know Candice or not. She’s our prisoner. That’s how we have to look at it. Take the emotions out of the picture and we’ve got a very clear situation. Bella is Logan’s prisoner. Candice is ours. Besides. You really want to just let Bella go? You really want to risk losing her?”
Wayne looked away. Tears welled in his eyes. He looked lost, confused. Torn between two awful situations.
“Logan isn’t ever going to give up,” Jack said. “And if I have to be honest… I’m not entirely convinced us having Candice prisoner will change anything. Not if he’s the man we think he is. But we have to hope he isn’t that man. We have to use this situation to our advantage. We have to make the most of the chaos. And if we get a chance to strike… we take that chance.”
Wayne frowned. As too did Hazel.
“What are you suggesting?” Hazel asked.
Jack scanned the room. “I’m suggesting we make it look like we’re going to do an exchange. But when the time is right… we strike. We get Bella back. We take out Logan.”
Wayne shook his head. “It’s too risky.”
“There’s no way this resolves without risk. Not anymore.”
“Bella could die. Candice could die.”
“That’s war.”
Wayne’s eyes went red. “When did you get so… cold?”
Hearing those words didn’t sit right with Jack. Because as far as he knew, Wayne had always thought him cold. He’d always thought him evil.
So for him to only be asking this question now, after all those years, after everything that had happened…
“I want this to work out,” Jack said. “Believe me, I want nothing more. But I have to think about Bella. And then I have to think about Logan and how dangerous he is. I have to think about all these things. But I guess… I guess I can only start in one place.”
He turned to the farmhouse door.
“You want to speak to her?” Wayne asked.
Jack nodded. “Someone has to.”
“It should be me.”
“No.”
Wayne stood. “She’s my—”
“Which is exactly why it shouldn’t be you,” Jack shouted.
Wayne went still.
“There’s too much history. Too much emotion. This situation, it needs a cold touch. It needs someone who is less attached. Someone who’ll get the facts.”
Wayne shook his head. He looked like he’d been stabbed. “She’s—she’s a good person.”
“And I’ll give her a chance to prove so. But we need to learn as much as we can about Logan. We need to know what we’re dealing with. Exactly what we’re dealing with. Only then can we make a decision. A proper decision.”
Wayne stood there shaking. He looked like he was going to argue.
But then he just sighed and turned away.
“Just… just remember I love her. Remember how much I care about her. Remember how much I fought for her. Please.”
Jack looked into his son’s eyes and he nodded.
“I won’t forget.”
He wanted to go over to Wayne and put a hand on his shoulder. He wanted to tell him things were going to be okay; that they were going to resolve this.
But he couldn’t make promises he wasn’t sure he could keep.
He turned away and walked towards the barns.
Towards where they were keeping Candice.
He looked at the office area beside the barns. He stood by the door. Unlocked it. Then he took a deep breath.
He turned the key.
Pushed the door open.
She was sitting against the wall, the smell of manure surrounding her, face covered in sweat.
“Hello, Candice,” Jack said, as he stood there in the dim light of the setting sun. “We need to talk.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jack stepped into the little office area beside the barns and closed the heavy metal door behind him.
He stood there in the darkness. The manure smelled so rancid and strong it stung his eyes. He could hear shuffling right in front of him. As much as it sounded just like the cattle before slaughter… he couldn’t think that way.
Because the movement came from Candice.
He walked towards her. Every step felt laboured. It wasn’t helped by the rifle he was holding.
He felt bad for holding it. He’d grabbed it on his way out. He couldn’t tell Wayne he was grabbing it because he wouldn’t let him anywhere near Candice with a gun.
But these were complicated times.
Jack just couldn’t shake that awful, looming feeling that he was the villain.
He was the enemy.
He was darkness itself.
He stopped right in front of Candice.
It was dark, but he could just about make out her silhouette.
He crouched opposite her and struck a match.
Her sweaty, dirty face glowed, as did her tearful eyes.
“So you must be the famous dad he’s told me all about,” she said. “Wish I could say it’s a pleasure, but it really isn’t.”
Jack looked away. “I’m not here to discuss the past—”
“I don’t know what you’ve said to him. I don’t know how you’ve poisoned him. But Wayne’s a good guy. He’ll see the truth eventually. He’ll see through you. See you for what you are.”
Jack looked back at Candice. “And what am I?”
Her eyes darted around his face. “You abandoned your son. You made him believe he was responsible for the death of his own sister.”
“That’s not what—”
“You disappeared from his life when he needed you most. You turned him into a wreck. A wreck who puts across an illusion of control and confidence. But a wreck who is broken, deep down. Who is weak. I was the only one who could get him to be himself. Who allowed him to feel comfortable in his own flesh. And he even turned his back on me. That’s how poisonous you are. How evil you are.”
Jack didn’t know what to say. Was this the monster he’d become? Was this the monster he’d always been?
“He’s here now,” Jack said. “And so are you. He cares about you a lot. That’s a problem.”
Candice laughed. “And that’s funny, isn’t it? He won’t let you hurt me because he loves me. But things are complicated now. My people. They need me too. I… I need to get back to them. As hard as it is. I need to… to get back to them with Wayne.”
“Your people? Logan the Butcher? Seems like a nice guy.”
“He’s flawed. But he was just searching for a home.”
“Sounds likely.”
“We’ve been on the road for weeks. Logan has… well, he has trust issues, let’s say. But we talked him into approaching your farm. Convinced him that if we walked together, we could convince you to let us stay. Because we wanted to offer our services. We wanted to help. And then you shot Jean. You killed her. Without even asking questions. Without even giving us a chance to explain ourselves.”
Jack looked away. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“But it did. And Logan isn’t going to give up now. He wants this place. And he wants revenge.”
She smiled at Jack.
“So I’d say it looks like you’re screwed. Or at least, as long as I’m locked away in here, you’re in trouble. If I can speak with him, maybe I can still stop him. Before it’s too late. He’s not the guy you think he is. But he’s not someone you want to make enemies with, either.”
Jack felt uneasy. He cleared his throat. “Logan,” he said. “He has one of our people. Bella. I need… I need to know what you’d advise.”
“What I’d advise?”
“Is he going to hurt her?”
Candice tilted her head either side. “He’s not a monster. I think he’d be willing to talk. But then again… maybe that’s exactly what he’s waiting for. A trade. A moment. An opportunity to strike. I guess there’s only one way of finding out, isn’t there?”
Jack’s heart raced. This wasn’t going anywhere.
He needed more from Candice. Fast.
He did something he hated himself for.
Even though he had no intention of doing anything bad, he turned the rifle to her and pointed it at her.
“What makes you think I won’t do the same?”
Candice didn’t look fazed. She just smiled.
“You’re wrong there,” she said. “I think you’d do exactly the same. Because you and Logan, you’re not so different. Not really. Not when you chip away at all that exterior. And that should scare you to death. Because it’s how you’d react when your backs are right up against the wall that really defines you. Who are you, really? The man who puts aside his trust issues and decides to approach a farm? Or the man who shoots a girl in plain sight because he can’t bear the thought that his perfect game of happy families might come crashing to an end?”
Jack’s head spun. A bitter taste filled his mouth. “That’s not true.”
“You did this, Jack. Now all of us have to suffer.”
He looked into her eyes and he wanted to tell her she was wrong. That he wasn’t the monster she thought he was.
But what was a monster, really?
Was it someone with evil, nefarious intentions?
Or was it someone who wanted the same thing as everyone else—happiness—only they were willing to go through everything and everyone in order to secure it?
And could people even survive without monstrous traits in this world?
Where did that leave him?
Where did that leave those he cared about?
He remembered what Bella said.
Everyone is someone else’s villain.
“What do you want?” Jack asked.
Candice was quiet for a few moments. “What do I want? I’d say it doesn’t look like I have much of a choice in my fate right now.”
“I mean with Wayne. With Logan. With all of this. What do you want?”