Primal (28 page)

A slow knowing grin crawls across Ben’s face. He tilts his
gun up and bending down he places his handgun on the cement garage floor. He
raises his hands in surrender and says, “Gee, Alison, interrupted again. It’s
time for me to go along with this nice officer and be rehabilitated.”

With Ben’s gun down but without taking the aim from Ben’s
head, Thomas speaks to Alison kindly and carefully. He can see the tense
determination in her eyes. “Mrs. Kraft, you can lower your weapon.” She does
not move. “Alison, it’s okay. You can put down your weapon.”

Ben and Alison have not looked away from each other. Ben
cocks his head and whispers to her with frank honesty, “It’s…not…over.”

She whispers back, “I know.” And then she pulls the trigger
over and over blowing Ben Burne over the lawn mower and into the wall! Thomas’
mouth drops open. He shifts his weapon to point at Alison. She watches the life
drain from Ben’s opened eyes. Then, she moves very cautiously laying her rifle
on the floor and stepping back from it. She says to Ben, “Now it’s over.” A
dead breath sighs out of Benjamin Burne’s mouth.

Two Officers in bulletproof vests and with automatic weapons
drawn burst into the garage. They assess the scene. Thomas lowers his gun as he
stares at Alison. It was an execution. He knows this. She knows this. He
witnessed it. The other officers holster their weapons. Alison’s eyes finally
leave Ben’s dead body and she looks over at Thomas. Resignation is clear in her
eyes.

An officer asks, “Thomas, what went down here?”

She knows what she has done. She knows Ben was unarmed when
she killed him. She knows what Officer Thomas must do and she is prepared for
it. She accepts it.

Without looking away from Alison, Thomas says, “Mrs. Kraft
shot in self-defense. I saw it.”

She nods. Thomas nods.

The officer speaks into his radio, “We need the M.E. and a
paramedic back here.”

Hank looks into the garage terrified by what he expects to
see. And then, he sees her. She looks at him and really sees him for the first
time since the island. A gentle smile graces her as his eyes light up with
surprise, with relief, with love and longing. Hank walks over and tenderly takes
her in his arms and then they drop to the garage floor together. He begins to
rock her softly. They are completely lost in each other.

“Forgive me”

“Yes.”

“Say you forgive me.”

“I do.”

“I didn’t know.”

“I know.”

“I didn’t understand.”

“I know.” And she snuggles into his chest, burying her face
in the soft fleece of his sweatshirt. The officers go to move them and Thomas
puts up his hand. They back off. Holding on tightly, on the floor of this
garage, they sink deeply into each other. Hank notices the burns on her feet
and he pulls her even tighter into his body. He wraps his legs around her,
enveloping, clutching. Their breathing synchronizes. Their heartbeats
synchronize. They rock back and forth on the garage floor and she begins to cry
softly.

“Okay,” he whispers, “I’m here. I will never leave you
again. Okay. Okay, Allie? Never.”

“Yes.” She whispers back, “It’s over.”

“It is over.”

* * *

Later, holding hands with their fingers intertwined, Alison
and Hank will sift through the grey insubstantial ashes of their home, and save
what they can while knowing with complete certainty that everything of value
has already been saved. The number of neighbors and family members offering
them solace, housing, and food, will bring them to tears. The entire community
will rush in and cushion them with generosity. Alison will find she welcomes
the casseroles, finally recognizing them as a physical expression of affection.
She will be accepted back into the school, and she will teach with all the
talent and care that she always has. Hank will turn up the music and it will
blast out all over his world making him smile. And Alison will tell Jimmy over
and over how his little crazy robot turned on exactly at the right moment and
saved her life.

* * *