Chapter 39 – The Cycle of Violence

In the depths of the shrinking void, Ben saw men hurtle seemingly out of nowhere to grapple Emily. He saw Emily seated in a chair in the room of black and white, just as he was. The fury threatened to break through the surface, the anger inside him has reached the boiling point. There was no time to lose.

Ben staggered to his feet. The pain was not gone really, but the pressure was, bringing promise that the pain would go away. His eyes could not leave the northern forest. Emily. Her name hung in his head, sliding across the void of his thoughts.

William lurched by him, fixed on the wagon, leaning as if only by moving forward could he stop from falling. The wagon was loaded with corpses. The infected were separated from the humans. No one in Jackson would want to make that mix-up. William's foot gave away, and he started to fall, but Ben caught him. The stocky blacksmith was heavy, twice as big as Ben, but he managed. "You… you can't do anything, Will. You can't come with us."

"I know," William said hopelessly. Held in mid-step, he did not struggle, only stared at the northern forest, where the Gypsies camp should be located somewhere, where Emily was held. If she was still alive. "Damn it, I know."

All around them people rushed to do what they were doing, whether it be cleaning out the ground from the corpses, carrying the wounded to the medical wings. So many have died, and almost as many as that were infected either by bites or scratches, damned to turn into something they didn't want to become. That was the hardest part, the part where they had to kill their own. The pile of corpses, some two hundred yards to the east, had caught fire now. There was no use in letting the corpses rot and spread the disease. The other pile, a few paces closer to Ben was beginning to smoke, though it was stone, white, acrid smoke that gathered thickly. Even a whiff burned Ben's nostrils and made him cough; his skin prickled and stung where the smoke brushed.

Releasing William when he regained his balance, the two of them walked back into the settlement as the sun rose in the east. No one slept that night. No one wanted to sleep. The scenery wasn't any better back in the settlement, if not worse. The streets bathed in blood, now dry and black. The corpses of friends and family still lied on the streets. Four houses were burned down to the ground, though their inhabitants ought to find the replacement houses easily, since the former owners died last night. There were no more cheers, no more celebrations because of the accomplished victory. They came back to reality and reality was harsh. Many corpses lacked limbs and needed to be assembled for burial, though the burial itself was a risky option.

Many were met with protest when Maria and Ellie suggested that all corpses should be burned to avoid the spread of a disease. Tough days were coming. Following the trail of corpses, Ben saw Julia on her knees, holding Cat that was crying into her shoulder. Miles was there, too, looking around as if he expected a clicker to leap out from behind a wagon or from the roof of a house. And Mark as well, squatting with his pistol in hand.

Ben saw what all of them were looking at. Noah Oliver was never Ben's favorite person, but he wasn't evil by any means. His face took that distinct color of death, the shade between white and purple when the body turns cold. He was bitten and then killed, Ben remembered for he saw the whole damn scene, though he barely remembered it through the mist. He never liked Noah, but he… felt pity. There was no sight of Miles' cousin Daryl, but the look on Miles' face said it all. Ben didn't want to ask the questions whose answers he knew.

Julia looked up when she noticed his presence. Her eyes were sorrowful and she looked defeated, but she kept a strong face for her friend. All of them were close to Noah. After all, he was Julia's ex, but yet she was the one that kept the strong face for her friend that cried into her shoulder. Suddenly, the realization struck him like a brick thrown directly at his head. So many had died. The settlement was crippled. So many faces he had known, never to return. It was never going to be the same.

"It was a tough night." Mark said, standing by Ben's side. "Noah, um… What's done is done. We'll mourn later, let's get your sister. I'm going with you."

Ben looked at him, genuinely surprised. Mark has managed to surprise him these past few days. He always thought of him as another of Noah's chumps, but he has proven otherwise. Ever since Ben saved his life from those Wolves at the resort, Mark has done nothing but displayed his loyalty to Ben.

"You sure?" Ben asked.

"Damn sure as I'll ever be. Let's get these fuckers and end this. I'm tired of all this bullshit."

Ben smirked and patted his shoulder. Loyal or stupid?Perhaps both. Fifteen minutes later, Ben was on his way out towards the stables. Mark followed him closely, though he did not seem too eager to be with Big Paul and the rest. Ellie joined them halfway as they walked through the streets of Jackson. People still worked hard and they would continue so for the next couple of days until the damage has been fixed. As Mark said it, the time for mourn was later. They all had a job to finish.

"Where's Lea?" he asked.

"Should be by the gate." Ellie sighed, checking the ammunition in her revolver as she walked. With a click, she closed the barrel and put the gun in the holster taped for her leg. "I talked to her about the camp."

"And?"

"Shouldn't be more than a day away. We could make it there faster if we hurry."

Ben nodded, "Good. We'll take the horses, then."

"Ben!" A female voice called his name and he stopped, turning around to notice Julia jogging towards him, wearing the full gear she used for patrols. "Is it okay if I come? I know you wanted to keep the numbers small, but… I like Emily, and…"

"It's not going to be easy, Julia." He said sternly, "We ride non-stop, there are no breaks until we finish this."

"I know." Julia said with a determined expression on her face. For a second, he hesitated whether or not he should let her come with them. Julia was pretty 'fresh' when it comes to things like these. There's a good chance she'd drag them down, but then again… she fought valiantly last night, showing courage and determination a few had displayed. She could be useful to the group.

"Okay. Mount up, we're leaving in a few." He said, a wide grin decorating Julia's face. She is quite pretty, as Jesse said. Did he also mention she was interested in Ben too? And she didn't seem half as distressed as she was fifteen minutes ago. Who wouldn't be, anyway, considering the grim mood in the settlement. Not her, though. "But you gotta be careful. They won't hesitate to kill, neither should you."

"Got it. I won't let you down." She said, flashing another smile. "Thanks, Ben."

He barely noticed how Ellie pierced Julia with a side eye. Why, though, he did not understand. Just as his 'cousin' James said, you never understand what the girls are thinking or saying. Feeling everyone's eyes on himself, he rushed them to the stables where Stepper was waiting for him. Ben stood stroking the horse's nose as others saddled up. After he was done with stringing the bow, he thrust it through the saddle girth on one side, and the full quiver hung in front of the high-cantled saddle, balancing a long, narrow, neatly wrapped bundle that contained his machete. He has always preferred to keep his blade as clean as possible. Ellie had tied a package to her own saddle, probably some necessities. She had said something, after he had turned away.

"I won't leave you," she whispered, "Not this time."

He was not sure whether she meant him to hear or not. Her face was expressionless when he looked at her, he could make nothing out of it. Ben knew he should be thinking about what to do with Wolves, about Emily and how he should do it, but Ellie somehow always crept softly back into his mind, especially after the battle. He had no doubt she'd announce that she was coming with him, and he knew he could do nothing about it. Yet, if Ellie died, Ben knew he would go mad. It was funny in a way, the lengths he'd walk just to make sure she was safe. He wanted to yell and her, to smack her in the head when she got down from the towers to join the bloodbath on the streets. But he could nothing except be happy because she survived. Even then, bathed in blood, she was beautiful. Ellie…

"Hey, stupid." Ellie broke his line of thoughts as she appeared on the other side of Stepper, looking at him over the saddle. "Don't fall asleep on me now. We should be moving, others are waiting outside."

Ben looked around the stables and realized the two of them were the only ones that remained. "Right." he said with a weak smile and pulled Stepper's reins to lead him outside. "Let's go."

Some of Big Paul's men were laughing and joking with each other, but jokes and laughter did not last long once he arrived. All of them remembered what Ben did in Seattle, and hardly anyone dared to do anything that would trigger his angry reaction. After all, he was offered to lead them back then, and with a good reason. Big Paul stood in front of others, slightly wild eyes fixed on the northern forest, examining the woods they were about to scour for a Gypsy camp. Ellie, Lea, Mark and Julia sat on their saddles next to each other, couple of paces separated from the Big Paul and the rest. William appeared walking from the direction of the settlement, stopping to lean on the long-handled axe he used to kill infected in the battle last night, stroking his mare. Everyone shut their mouths, eyeing Ben and waiting to hear what's next.

"I thought you weren't coming." Ben said, "You know we need to keep the numbers small, Will."

"I don't care, Ben. I changed my mind." Will hissed, anger recognizable in his voice. Ben didn't remember if he ever saw him this angry. What got into him all of the sudden? "She's my girl, and I won't stay here waiting for them to do… God knows what. I'm coming, you won't leave me behind.

"I understand." Ben nodded slowly, and he did. He understood what Will felt. He'd to the same for Ellie. "You sure you can keep up with us? Your leg looks bad."

"Don't underestimate me."

Ben raised his hands and backed away, "I won't. We're moving out! Let's go!"

Huge twin towers stood above the gate, housing a sentry each and overseeing the houses and the blackened remains in the settlement. Those were burned in the battle the night before, and repairs wouldn't take hold until other urgent tasks were completed. People who worked hard on removing the bodies stopped to take a look at the group of twenty that was riding out. Maria, who stood in the middle the mass, her arms and sleeves bloody from carrying the corpses, nodded at them, her way of giving them approval. Everyone present knew what they were about to do. Everyone knew the threat Washington Liberation Front posed to the people of Jackson. And everyone as hell knew, it was better to attack first than be attacked. Would it be enough? It has to be enough, Ben thought as he rode in front, Stepper quiet as ever, the only sound he produced was the sound of his hooves. I'll save you, Em. If you're alive, I'll save you I swear.

The straight streets of Jackson abruptly became the hilly terrain of the north, as they rode through forested hills that stood higher above the settlement. A mile into the forest, they were joined by another sixteen of Big Paul's men, all mounted on the animals they took from the Wolves.

Big Paul and his men all wore ragged combinations of clothes that differentiated them from the others, heavily contrasting with Lea's colorful riding dress. Their rifles and bows were resting on their saddles, ready to be used at any given moment. It was going to be a constant ride to the Gypsy camp. Lea filled them in on the details concerning the camp and the number of Wolves in it. She said that tsome of the Wolves wore the Gypsy clothing in the camp as well to intimidate the Traveling Folk, as she said "To engrave in our minds that they own us." Near midday, a scouting party of two trotted out of the trees and down the slope to the road. A man and a woman, both belonging to Big Paul's group, standing beneath Paul's shoulders.

Ben dug his heels into Stepper's side and rode ahead of everyone else. "How many?" was all he said.

Big Paul glanced back to where the rest of the group was riding, and held his voice low. "About twenty infected, four clickers at least, in that village down the road."

"No time." Ben said and turned his horse around, looking over his shoulder at Big Paul. "We're not stopping."

He learned many other things from Lea as well. Wolves kept the majority of their forces in the camp, but they also constantly sent out the scouting parties in all directions around the camp. Those needed to be dealt with or avoided if they wanted to do this silently. There were about seventy of them in the camp, as Lea last counted, and more around the camp. Now there was a question whether or not Gypsies would fight for the Wolves or against the Wolves. They needed to do this as silently as they could, at least until they get the Gypsies to fight for them. As the night drove near, once they were done with making the plans and figuring out a way to communicate between each other, they separated into three different groups that would approach the camp from three sides, each looking to either eliminate or sneak past the scouts. The Wolves were well-organized, and Ben forced everyone to keep that in mind. His own group consisted of Ellie, Mark, Lea and the rest from Jackson.

Buildings began to appear more frequently as they approached the Gypsy encampment, coming in clumps closer together until they ran on continuously the way they did in small towns, old country roads along which many narrow lanes, footways and wagon paths could be found. They didn't stop for breaks, especially because of the lack of daylight. Ben kept a sharp eye out for any sign of WLF patrols, but except for a distant torch atop of one of the hills that headed south, he saw none. After a time, Ellie suggested they dismount and lead their horses. Afoot there was less chance of being spotted, and the trees shielded them a little.

Mark knew a thicket that gave a good view of the Gypsy camp, a slope above the camp. Crawling up the gentle slope on his belly, Ben peered over the crest into a scene what could only be the camp of the Gypsies. The camp was just what he expected. Their wagons were small houses on wheels, tall wooden boxes and trailers lacquered and painted in bright colors, red and blues and yellows and greens. The Gypsies were going about work that was disappointingly everyday, even at this hour of the night, such cooking, sewing, tending children and so on. They looked like butterflies in a field of wildflowers. It was amazing in a way, considering they had to move those wagons through rough terrain. How did they manage that, Ben had no idea, but they truly seemed to have developed a culture of their own, which was hard in a world such as this one. Dozens of wagons spread long on the clearing below the slope, with an occasional tent in-between the wagons, though not as colorful as the wagons. He could see the men with guns patrolling the camp. Those must be the Wolves. Not all of them wore the attire of the Traveling Folk.

"So many colors," Ellie, who was lying on her chest next to him, said as she stared at the scenery below. "They wouldn't know we're here until it's too late."

"Yeah, they're won't expect us. They're probably thinking we were overrun."

"That's the weird part. Why would they send Lea to get you to them when the horde could've done the job for them?"

Ben scoffed, "Probably to watch me suffer or something like that." I've suffered enough, he thought bitterly. "Connor is like that."

"Are you ready?"

He turned his head to look at her. Her face was hidden by the darkness, but he could make out the shape of her head in the dark. He patted the machete resting in the sheath at his hip, "I'm ready. Let's finish this."

Helping Ellie up as he got on his own feet, he walked back towards Stepper to tie him to a tree. "Stay here," he told Julia and Mark while they were tying their horses to branches. "Keep your weapons handy, and be ready to run if things go south. But don't move until you're absolutely sure we're dead or need help."

"But…" Mark tried to protest, but Ben cut him off. "No buts, Mark. You'll stay here, guard our horses. Get down there only if you hear shots, and only if you come to a conclusion we need help down there."

"Were you ever a soldier?" Julia asked quizzically in a low voice.

"I've just heard soldiers talk." he said in a low voice as well. "It seems to work, though."

Creeping from tree to tree, he and Ellie followed William to where Lea was already crouching near the thicket's north edge. The brush made a thin screen of bare branches, enough to hide them but no hindrance to observation. The encampment stretched out like a village itself. Hundreds of men moved along uneven rows of colorful wagons and trailers. Animals being unsaddled and curried indicated patrols finishing their day, while a double column of maybe thirty men, pristine and precise, trailed off towards the western trees at a brisk walk, rifles all at the same intervals around the encampment guards wearing military jackets marched up and down, some of them with rifles shouldered like spears.

Between the thicket and the two sets of tents was an expanse of flat ground. In the spring and summertime, the local farmers, if there were any, probably used it for pasture. Not now, however. It was fairly flat ground. Wolves galloping on their horses could cover it in a minute.

Lea directed Ben's attention to the large set of wagons. "You see those wagons in the middle, with a man standing watch at either end? Can you make it out?" Ben nodded. The low light was slanting shadows eastward, but he could see well enough. "That's where my Solomon is with our girls. That's our wagon, the one with the white stripes. If we could get to him, the others will probably join us. They're too afraid to do anything without him. The patrols come out and go in. One at a time, with two soldiers at least in each patrol."

It would be like trying to stick your hand into an anthill without being stung. Ben sat down at the base of the slope with his bow across his knees. He needed to think it through. The others should have arrived by now, he just needed a sign they were there. And soon enough, the sign came in the form of a bird chirp. A smile aroused his face when the second chirp followed. Big Paul's men used these to communicate with each other without drawing attention. They were moving in, and so was Ben.

Under the stars, Ben peered over the deep snow. He knew they had little time before the Wolves found one of them. The problem was that they could not know which were the Wolves and which were the Gypsies, because some of the Wolves wore the same colorful clothes. A few of the Gypsies still patrolled the camp, as Lea confirmed. Hence, Ellie ordered them to kill only if they had to.

He watched intently the back of a man of average height in colorful clothes as he walked silently, ready to squat in case the man turned abruptly. He cursed the moonlight that clearly illuminated everything around him, thinking how it would have easier would it be for him to sneak in if the darkness had been more intense. The night was cold, but he was warmed by a burning rage and the closer he was to Connor, angrier he became. He gripped the knife tightly in his hand, ready to kill anyone who got in his way to his sister. Ben and the rest followed the guard until he stopped and remained in that position for a while. Thin strands of smoke rose in front of him as he urinated. Ben knew he wouldn't have a better chance and jumped to his feet, straight towards him. Pressing cold metal to his throat, he used his free hand to shut his mouth and keep him from screaming.

"Now, I wouldn't do anything stupid if I were you. Where's Emily Walker?"

He lowered his palm so that he could talk, but he kept it close enough to plug them again if he started screaming.

" Please don't hurt me."

"Where are they keeping her? Don't waste my time!"

"S-Solomon's wagon. He keeps her there, I swe-"

"Are you a Wolf or a Gypsy?" he asked, pressing the blade of the knife harder against the bare skin of guard's throat.

"I'm one of the Wolves. Look, man… I jus-" he never finished the sentence when Ben slit his throat, holding onto his body to lay it down on the snow carefully. Blood rushed out in thick rills on the dry snow below him, but Ben didn't stay to watch him paint snow red. Lea gasped behind him, but he ignored it. He'd show no mercy to Wolves and he thought he was clear about it. And anyway, it was clear that this one was Wolf, so why bother sparing his life?

He moved on elbows and knees, almost flat on the ground, as soon as he was beyond the brush where he killed the Wolf. Ellie imitated him at this side, followed by Lea and William behind who was keeping up somehow with a bruised leg. The blacksmith insisted on coming with them and there was nothing Ben could to about it. He was glad Ellie could not see his face. He was desperately afraid. Not for himself, but if anything happened to her…

Like four shifting moonshadows they crawled across the open ground, stopping at Ben's signal about ten paces from where guards paced up and down, cloaks gleaming in the moonlight, a little way out from the first row of wagons. Two came face to face almost in front of them, stopping to a halt.

"These patrols are killing me," one said. "Damn, I'd use a couple hours of sleep."

"I feel you," the other replied. "But you know Connor will kill us for slacking."

"I know."

Turning around, they walked away, looking neither left nor right. Ben let each take a dozen paces, then touched Ellie's shoulder and rose, barely letting himself breathe. He could hardly hear her breathing, either. Almost tiptoeing, they hurried in among the wagons, dropping low again as soon as they were past the first. Men snored inside, or muttered in their sleep. Except for that, the camp was silent. The tramps of the guards' boots were plainly audible. The smell of doused cook fires hung in the air, the scents of canvas and horses and men.

Silently he motioned for others to follow him. Tent ropes made snares for unwary feet in the darkness. They were clear to him, he could see them well and he wove a path through for the others.

He had the location of Solomon's wagon marked in his head, and he started towards it cautiously. Near the center of the camp. A long way there, and a long way back. The crunch of boots on the ground and a grunt from Ellie spun him around just in time to be knocked down by the rush of a big shape in a military jacket, a man as thick as William himself. Fingers dug into his throat as the two of them rolled. Ben seized the man's chin with one hand, forcing his head back, trying to push him off. Prying at the grip of his throat, he pounded at the fellow's ribs with his fist, but to no avail. Blood roared in his ears, his vision narrowed, black creeping in from the sides. He fumbled for his knife, but his fingers felt numb.

Suddenly the man jerked and collapsed atop him. Ben pushed the limp form off himself and drew in deep lungfuls of sweet night air.

Ellie wiped the blood on her knife off the man's jacket and rubbed the side of her head. "He did not think I was worth worrying about, after he knocked me down," she whispered.

"Idiot," Ben whispered back. "But a strong idiot." He was going to have to feel of those fingers at his neck for days. "Are you all right?"

"Of course. I'm not made of glass."

He supposed she was not, at that.

Behind them, William appeared with Lea, asking them what happened. When they explained the body on the ground, William added that they had to wait for a patrol to pass before catching up to them. Ben cursed himself for not noticing they lagged behind. Those mistakes can't be allowed. Hastily dragging the dead Wolf up against the side of a wagon where he hoped no one would find him soon, he stripped off the military jacket from his body. Lifting his bow above his head, Ben donned the jacket. If anyone saw him, maybe they would mistake him for one of their own.

He walked between the tents openly now, and quickly. Ellie and Lea kept together in the shadows. Hidden or not, that fellow could be found any moment and the alarm raised. William scudded beside him, scanning the camp for signs of life as alertly as he did. Shifting moonshadows obscured the spaces between the wagons. A woman and her daughter sat down by the fire, mixing the contents in the kettle that stood above it. The looks on their bruised faces were telling everything. Their colorful attires revealed who they were. The woman looked up at him upon hearing the sound of his boots, and her eyes widened when she recognized he did not belong there. Placing a finger over his lips, Ben ushered her to keep quiet. And surprisingly, she kept to herself, continuing to mix the contents of the kettle just as she did a moment ago, pretending to have seen nothing.

Approaching Solomon's tent, he slowed, so as not to excite the guards, a tall man stood at this end, and the gleaming rifle point of another peeked over the corner at the other side. Suddenly that rifle point vanished. There was no sound. It simply fell. A heartbeat later, two patches of darkness abruptly became Ellie and Lea. Before the guard could move, Ben leaped forward, punching him in the face. He staggered to his knees, and Ellie added her own kick. The guard dropped bonelessly. Crouching, Ellie looked around, bow ready, to see if they had roused anyone.

"He's inside." Lea whispered, her eyes teary. "My Solomon and our girls."

Slowly opening the red doors surrounded by white stripes, Ben put his head into the interior, which was illuminated dimly by four candles. The interior was as colorful as the exterior, the decorations and furniture typical for those of housing wagons and trailers. A white-haired older man with a ponytail and a long, white beard sat on the chair by the desk, scribbling something in his diary. Two girls were lying asleep across the entrance, with another woman huddled together towards the back. Upon the sound of the door opening, the man hastily turned around, a knife flashing in his hand, but he instantly dropped it when Lea rushed in into his embrace, tears rolling down her face.

"You're back." He said, happy but confused, "How? The guards didn't say anything."

"I came back with Ben Walker." she said, pointing back at Ben who just walked in with Ellie and William at his sides. "He'll help us, Solomon. He's going to free us."

The man named Solomon had the look of a strong man, his shoulders broad and arms thick. He was taller than William, and he had that hard, weathered look on his face. His bright eyes examined the newcomers in his tent.

"What about the guards in front?"

Ben stepped in front, "They're knocked out. Where's Emily? I was told she's here."

"You will doom us all, child." Solomon hissed between his teeth, "You have any idea what you've done?"

Ben found himself caressing the hilt of his machete, "My men have surrounded the settlement. They're taking Wolves out as we speak." At least, he hoped they were. Not a single alarm has been sounded, meaning they weren't noticed yet. Just a little bit longer, at least until they take Emily out safely. "Where is she?"

Solomon stepped aside, revealing a girl laying on the bed, her back turned to them. Ben rushed right past the old man and towards the bed where the girl was lying.

"Dear, why is she here?" Lea asked him in a low voice.

"I couldn't stand seeing what they were doing to her. They were beating and taunting her. I couldn't just stand idly while they did that to the poor girl. So I took her under my protection. The others stood by my side. Those Wolves knew they would have to kill all of us to get to her, and we are too valuable to them." There was pain in his voice, distant but recognizable. He did not look like a man that would allow injustice. Turning the girl around, Ben examined the bruises on Emily's face, one under her eye and one below the lower lip. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him, staring blankly.

"You're alive." William whispered tpjer, his feet giving away as he dropped on his knees next to her bed. He took her hand. "Oh, thank God you're alive. I was so worried."

Emily looked down at Will, then back at Ben. The brightness in her eyes disappeared. Her eyes that were filled with tears that rolled down her cheeks. "Is this real?" she whispered, her voice hoarse.

Ben nodded slowly. He wasn't smiling. He wasn't crying. He wasn't anything. All he saw was his sister that was hurt by the men that wanted to hurt him.

"Will, keep her close to us." He announced, his eyes fixed on Emily. "Solomon, gather your men. Wait for my signal. You'll recognize it when you hear it. Ellie, Mark. Let's end this." His voice was ice, and he felt nothing at the moment. Nothing except the burning rage in his chest. The old man just watched him for a while, but nodded when he exchanged looks with Lea. No more explanations were needed. It was now or never, everyone was aware.

Sneaking out again the way they had come in was impossible, Ben had known that from the start. Even if Emily could have moved quietly enough – which he doubted – they had to deal with the Wolves. Horses were needed, both for a quick burst of speed away and for a distraction. There were horses at the picket lines. With Ellie ghosting ahead, he followed behind with Mark, Will and Emily. The picketed horses were guarded, but only on the side away from the wagons. After all, why guard them from the men who rode them? It certainly made Ben's job easier. They simply walked up to the line of horses nearest the tents, each secured by a simple rope hackamore, and untied one apiece. The guards supposedly watching the horses continued their measured rounds, calling to each other about the night being boring, and them being tired.

"When I give the word," Ben began, and someone in the camp shouted, then again, more loudly; a bell sounded, and shouting of men and women poured out of the tents and wagons. Whether they had found the dead guards, or strangers in the camp that attacked, it made no difference. "Now!" Ben cried out lout, digging his heels into the dark gelding he had chosen, pointing his pistol upward and firing. "Ride!"

Shocked by the sudden noise, horses grew wild and sped up to a gallop in every direction. After his shot, others followed, and very soon the camp was turned into another battlefield. Luckily, the guards were not expecting trouble from inside the camp. One woman in the military jacket peering into the darkness turned just in time to throw herself out of the way of the charging horses with a cry. More shots bayed behind them, and shouts with the definite sound of orders hammered the night. Will held Emily upward on his saddle with one hand while holding the reins with another. Ellie and Mark galloped by his side into the camp, shooting at any man or woman in the military jackets. They didn't hesitate to shoot ones wearing Gypsy colors, now sure they belonged to the WLF.

From the dark passes between the wagons, Big Paul and his men emerged, intensifying the chaos. Ben could recognize the bloodlust in their eyes, the same type just like when they fought at the main base of WLF back in Seattle.

The Wolves did not lack courage. When their shouts echoed through the camp, each soldier bravely took up a rifle or any weapon that was at hand. Ben's onslaught on horseback penetrated deep into the camp, followed by the others. There Were fewer wolves than Ben had originally expected. It seemed that his plan went well, they managed to get the rid of many silently. But still, he was now at the heart of the battle. One wrong step and that would be it for him. He suddenly realized that his quiver was empty. He threw his bow on the ground and drew his pistol with his left hand, shooting left, right, in front of and behind him, at anyone who seemed to be the enemy. He was barely aware of the Wolf blocking his way, swinging the hoe that knocked him off the saddle. Getting up with a painful sigh, he noticed that he dropped the gun during the fall. Ben pulled the machete from its scabbard and stumbled upon the Wolf who knocked him off the saddle. Suffering pain in his injured leg, he felt the adrenaline that relieved him of the pain. And he tirelessly attacked the Wolf, cutting the tendon on his left leg to cut his throat when he fell to the ground.

The change came without notice. Another Wolf that was standing next to him dropped his weapon and would probably have been dead had he not thrown himself to the ground at once, right next to Ellie's horse. The others did the same, spreading across the land when Solomon appeared with the other Gypsies, completely turning the tides of the battle. It took time for the hot blood in Ben to cool down, but he raised his hand and announced to the others to lower their weapons. His men, who were concentrating on the butchery, nevertheless heard him and did as he asked.

Suddenly, there was silence. Just a moment earlier, his ears were pounding with the sound of horses, the sound of gunfire, murderous shouts and uttered orders, only so that now everything would be quiet. Ben listened in astonishment to the silence long enough for Ellie and Mark to reach him. A whimper came from somewhere, followed by the whining of the horse, and the sounds came again. They may have been there all along, but Ben couldn't hear them from the pulsing blood in his ears and the thunderous pounding of his heart in his chest.

He turned around and watched the scene around him. The camp was almost destroyed. The Wolves that managed to survive were lying face down on the ground, terrified and desperate.

"You fought good," he announced at the Gypsies gathered in front of him, Solomon at their head holding a bloody knife in his hand. "You're free."

The group sigh of relief spread among some of the Traveling Folk, yet they stared at the corpses with condemn. Connor, Annabel growled in his head. Give me his head! I want him dead! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! NOW!

Another Gypsy emerged behind one of the ruined wagons, stopping to a halt in front of Solomon. "Solomon, their leader got away with several others! They took the horses and rode off."

Solomon said something to the man, but Ben stopped listening. Connor got away? Not this time. "Mark, Ellie, mount up. We're going after him. Where did they go?"

"Towards those mountains." Young Gypsy said pointing at the east.

Ben mounted up and just as he was about to kick the heels into his horse, Big Paul asked. "The prisoners. What's to be done with them?"

Ben looked at the men lying face down on the ground. Twenty, he counted twice. Twenty men that survived. "Kill them."

"Please! Mercy, please!" cried one of the prisoners.

"I beg you!" cried another, joined by the third, the fourth and so on. The eruption of their voices was all Ben could hear.

"I don't want to die!"

"I have a family!"

"Mercy!"

Other than Wolves, the rest of the mass started stirring nervously, except for Big Paul and his people. Solomon stepped angrily towards him, with Lea after him, forced to run to be able to catch up to him. Spurring her heels into the horse's side, Ellie rode around Ben in a wide circle before she stopped in front. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

He could see her clenching the reins in her hands tightly, "Don't you have enough, Ben? Too many have died. Today. And yesterday, too."

"End this madness, boy." Solomon's voice was storm, he towered over Ben, his face a true definition of boiling fury. "There will be no more killings."

No more killings, he thought bitterly. No one will take my revenge from me. Ben felt the weight off all eyes on him. The eyes of the Gypsies that were free, waiting to hear his decision and standing behind their leader, protesting the execution On the other side, Big Paul and the rest of his group eagerly awaited for the decision whether or not they were going to do what they wanted, and they to kill, to take lives. Their number seemed to have reduced, but it was a necessary sacrifice. Wars always bear victims. William, and Emily looked at him from the horseback, Emily tiredly leaning on the chest of her boyfriend, looking at the scenery with eyes half open. Julia and Mark joined them, but most of all, he felt her gaze on himself. Ellie watched him, just in anticipation as others. What would they think of him if her ordered the Wolves to be killed? He used to be so different before, cringing at deaths, avoiding them at all costs. He avoided deaths that seemed to come so easily to him now.

"When I was captured by Connor," he began, walking closer to the prisoners that watched him tear-eyed. "Isaac ordered him to tie me to a horse, do you remember?" He was talking to the prisoners, but everyone was listening to what he had to say. "Of course you remember. Isaac ordered Connor to tie me to a horse and drag me on the ground until I bleed. And I bled. I bled a lot. Not a single one of you gave a damn what happened to me. And all of that because I wanted to help some people and get them out of the city because you weren't tolerant of anyone who wasn't a part of your group."

"We couldn't do anything, Isaac would have killed us." said the middle aged man on his knees, one side of his face covered in blood from where his head was hit. "Please, you have to understand. We're doing this because we had to!"

Ben smirked ironically, "Just as I thought." Ellie and Solomon pierced him with their eyes. And somehow he knew the execution wouldn't come easily and without a fight. And a fight among themselves was the last thing they needed.

"Ben, they're listening to what you say." Ellie whispered to him, motioning to Big Paul's group with her head, Solomon slowly closing in to hear what she had to say. Outside, he had an intimidating presence, being that tall and muscular, even for his age and in clothing he wore. He placed his arm on Ben's shoulder, "Listen to reason, boy. The Wolves are defeated, their pack is shattered. Don't inflict pain upon a wounded animal."

That's a way to talk in fantasy books, he thought, denying himself a smirk. "Okay. You're right. I just got blinded by uh… yeah."

Ellie and Solomon both breathed in a loud sighs of relief. He turned around to his wife and nodded, spreading the relief among others, the most notable among the Wolves. They cried as some hugged each other for the life they were not denied. And to think, their lives depended on a single word uttered by Ben. A single yes or no was enough to decide their faith.

"I'm still going after Connor, Ellie." he said, almost whispering. "He can't get away, not again."

She nodded at him, "I'm coming with you. And not a word."

"Okay." he replied and took reins from Mark's hands, mounting up. This was something he wanted to do alone, to prevent Ellie from seeing what he was about to do to him. How he was about to end his life in pain and suffering, and in a way that Annabel taught him a long ago. With curious eyes still fixated at him from all around him, Ben looked at them for one last time. Emily gazed at him, teary-eyed and worried, nodding because she understood what had to be done. When Mark offered to accompany him, Ben calmly refused and steered Stepper towards the eastern mountains. It ends tonight. I'm coming for you, Connor.

x

The moon was low in the western sky when they reached the top of the ridge from which they could see the magnificent plain that stretched deeper into the state of Wyoming. All three dismounted, leading the animals on foot to move unnoticed. Ben led his horse to a small stream that flowed between two trees, letting the animals refresh itself from the strenuous riding.

"There are four of them," Ellie said, squinting into the distance. "I saw their horses."

Ben stared into the distance with a rock-solid face.

"You can kill others, but not Connor. I want his death slow."

"You're just complicating it, Ben." Ellie said in a serious tone, looking at the place that he observed, noticing the barely visible shadows moving between the trees, where the fire was burning. They followed them tirelessly in the middle of the night without a break. Connor and his men probably thought they could take a short break before resuming, perhaps to eat something or get an hour or two of sleep. What they didn't know was that Ben would follow them tirelessly to the end of the world. "It's ends tonight." he kept repeating. Ellie began to worry. Ever since the battle was over, he did not seem like the same person at all.

"If you can," he repeated the plea. "I want his death slow because of what they did to her."

Ellie remembered torturing Nora to find out where Abby was when Ben mentioned a slow death. Back then in Seattle, he was trying to stop her from doing so. He didn't succeed, but that doesn't mean that she will let him become a monster. He was too good, too kind to become one and she simply refused he was capable of hurting people like that. But again, he wanted to execute the Wolves prisoners…

"It's time." Ben announced, jumping on his horse. "We have to reduce the distance before they leave. I don't want to lose them in the dark." He didn't look back to see if Ellie was following him as he galloped downhill.

The Wolves around the fire stared at the tall man with short hair, muscular almost like Will himself. They looked at him silently, expecting to hear the next order. You must be Connor, Ellie thought, clutching Joel's revolver tightly in her right hand. Those were the last four of the WLF. Although they did not pose a threat for anyone else, she knew they had to die. She knew Ben was going to push this through, and she had no intention of leaving him. Not again.

"How?" Connor asked, tossing a piece of meat into the fire, watching the fire flare in the air in front of him. "How the hell did this happen? How could you let them slip through like that? Somebody fucking explain it to me!" Then he kicked a pile of firewood that was on the ground by the fire, scattering it on the ground.

"I don't know, Connor." said the little man sitting on the ground, "They showed up out of nowhere. We couldn't do anything. I swear!"

Ellie sensed Ben's presence beside her. She looked at him and was stunned to see the look in his eyes. The only word that could describe that look was death. He ran his left hand over the handle of the machete sheathed at his side. He was the embodiment of death.

"You fools, we lost everything! Everything! All of this was for nothing! And that fucking bastard… Argh!"

The three Wolves silently lowered their heads, keeping their mouths closed and suffering Connor's rage in silence when he kicked one of them in the head. A moment later, the duo from Jackson leaped out from the trees. They lined up around the Wolves, shooting at their legs and arms. One winced in pain as Ellie shot him in the ribs and suffered a knee blow in the middle of his face. Ben broke the man's nasal bone and turned to the next one who managed to reach for the rifle. Before he could fire, Ellie killed him, hitting him right in the forehead. The third lay on the ground and moaned after Ben fired an arrow into his back. When he tried to get up, his legs would not listen. When Ben saw Connor, his face twisted with rage as he stumbled over towards the bigger and stronger man.

"He's mine!" he bellowed, trying to keep Ellie out of the fight.

The Wolf held the gun in his hand, but missed the first shot when Ben ran up to him and cut him on the fingers with a machete. Connor dropped the gun with a painful scream as three fingers flew off his right hand. Ellie just lowered her weapon and watched Ben cut the larger man with vigorous swings until he fell to his knees. With a furious scream, Ben kicked him and knocked him to the ground, climbing on his body. He got into his face and screamed a scream that embodied all the hatred of the world. Ellie shivered. She had never seen Ben so furious in her life.

"Ben?" she uttered after a few moments when she gathered enough courage, waiting for him to stop screaming. He stood up and turned to face her, his face expressionless as if none of this had happened.

"Yes?"

She wondered what to say, but didn't know how to begin. In the end, she decided to go the direct route, "Just kill them. Shoot them in the head and get it over with. Please. Let's finish this and go home."

He looked at her for a few moments, then shook his head in disappointment. "No, Ellie. They have to suffer. Connor has to suffer for what he did."

"Because of what I did?" said the bigger man, gurgling blood in his mouth. He laughed ironically, "Because of what I did?"

Ben looked at him, his eyes glowing with hatred, "You're going to suffer, Connor, like I suffered."

"You killed hundreds with your stupidity! You killed hundreds to get revenge on us! Men, women, children, innocent and guilty ... they are all victims of your revenge! You are a bigger monster than I will ever be!"

Ellie stared in bewilderment at the back of a man she had once known. Was it true? Was this the past that caught up to him? Ben was no longer the same person, she told herself once he got back. It was obvious, he has changed and that was fine, she also said. But ... he's changed too much.

"Ellie." Ben said softly, "Keep your eyes on him. I need to put more wood in the fire. I need it hotter. I want him to feel what's waiting for him."

"What are you going to do?" she asked. She didn't want to think what it could possibly be.

"I will take revenge."

"Don't do this. Please, this isn't you."

He turned to her, his eyes glowing with rage. "If you don't like it, then go. This is my revenge and no one will take it away from me."

Those words cut her to the bone. She felt as if she wanted to cry. Cry because he had become the person that he was. Why?, she'd ask herself. Why did it have to be like this? Could she blame him, though? What he suffered, a few others have. She knew it. She saw the scars on his body. She noticed how rare his laughs were, how he nearly never smiled. She noticed the hopelessness in his eyes. Whatever this Annabel did to him, it permanently scarred him. But she promised herself, just as she promised him even though he didn't hear it. I'm not leaving you, Ben. Never again.

x

Ben stood by the fire naked to the waist, his skin glistening with sweat. Mark lit the fire until the flames became so strong that they scorched everything near it. The other three Wolves have been dealt with, one killed in the shootout and other two left to bleed out. He didn't torture them, but their deaths will slow to them, anyway. He had to admit to himself, Connor was the only one he came for.

"You were getting desperate, Connor." he spoke, his voice composed and cold, reminiscing on everything that has happened until now. "All you had to do was be a good boy and remain in Seattle. Whatever gave you an idea that you could get away from me? You think you can get away with kidnapping my sister and hurting her? Do you have any idea what pain and torture I had to go through back in Seattle? DO YOU?!"

Connor stared at him from his knees, defiant as ever, his face bloody and beaten to a pulp. "Fuck you."

"Are you superstitious?" he asked. "Some time ago, I heard that if you eat someone's heart, you'll eat their soul. That person has to be alive during the ritual, right until you cut out a piece of heart and eat it. Chew, chew, chew and swallow. That's what Annabel said."

The look of terror on Connor's face couldn't be more obvious. He looked as if he was looking devil right in the face. Ben felt Annabel's presence on his side, his hands resting upon his shoulders, guiding him on what to do next. Eat his heart, Bennie. Eat his heart and kill him! He smiled wickedly.

Ellie was quiet. He knew she was opposed to this, but at the moment, he didn't care. She didn't stop when he begged her not to torture Nora. It was too late to turn back now. He'd get his revenge for everything Connor has done. From killing that family in Seattle that saved him and tended to his wounds after the battle with the Wolves at the theater, to kidnapping Emily and everything in-between.

Suddenly, Connor squealed in fear and twitched his fingers around Ben's arm, tearing at his skin with broken fingernails. Ben watched him from above. He took a knife from his belt, already stained with blood. Connor, weakened by the wounds he suffered, fought to free himself. He punched, he kicked, but to no avail. Finally, I will get-

The gunshot exploded and Connor's head winced backwards in unnatural motion. Ben still held him up by his collar, noticing the bullet wound on his forehead. Connor was dead. And he could just stare blankly at it, holding his breath in disbelief. Connor was dead. Connor, that evil bastard that killed and tortured and raped, was dead. But he deserved a painful death! He… Without a word, Ben released the grip and let his corpse hit the snow, turning around to face Ellie, hopelessness on his face. She held Joel's revolver outstretched in her hand, revealing pity on her face. He groaned for a moment, aware of the heat by being so close to the fire he made, but insensitive to pain.

"I-" he wanted to say something, but words weren't coming out, instead he stuttered. "Ellie, why-"

Ellie approached him, stopping in front of him and looking at him with eyes full of pity. She grabbed the hand holding the knife and slowly took the blade. "Enough," she said gently, her soft voice overcoming the crackling fire. "It's over, Ben."

It's over? He turned around and looked over his shoulder, at Connor's corpse on the snow, a pool of dark blood forming underneath his head. He was dead, just like Isaac was, just like Annabel was. The Wolves, the horde… it was all over. It felt surreal. But what about his revenge? Exhaustion. He felt so tired. Tired of fighting, of deaths, of everything. He just wanted to lie down and sleep forever.

Ellie's lips trembled as he set her teary-eyes upon him. Why was she crying? He hated it when she cried. "Let's go home."

He nodded and let her lead him away. As the orange tint in the eastern sky promised a new beginning, Ellie led him into the dawn.