Savages

228

Chon drops the rifle, it

Clatters on the rocks and he

Scampers down the slope, gets into the work car, pulled off on the side, covered in brush, and he races it down to where

Ben

his face lit by flame

stands among the dead and dying.

“Get the money,” Chon says. He reaches under the dead driver’s legs and releases the trunk.

It opens with a dull pop.

Canvas bags full of cash.

They heft them and carry them to their own car and come back for more and Ben hears the shot and sees Chon whirl and fall and Ben

Head on a swivel, turns and shoots the shooter, dying anyway.

Ben pulls Chon up from the dust, helps him to the work car, sits him in the passenger seat. Starts to get behind the wheel but Chon says, “Get the rest of the cash. And Ben, you know what you have to do.”

Ben grabs the two remaining satchels and tosses them into the car.

Then he walks back.

He does know

What he has to do.

Wounded survivors could identify them

And kill O.

He finds three men still alive.

Fetal, curled in pain.

He shoots each of them in the back of the head.