The liberated people of Haven set about burning the bodies of the nineteen soldiers who were killed in the ambush. There were whispers about Leonard’s role in this whole affair and how easily he submitted himself to Royalist authority. Some people claimed he was paid off, while others simply named him a coward. The general consensus was that Alister Preevy would return soon and some sort of election would name him as Leonard’s replacement. Alister had been Haven’s former leader, after all, before he was initially captured.
As for July, there was still more to be done. He returned to using a walking stick for a while on account of his prosthetic leg being more or less broken from his recent scuffle. There was no time to visit the doctor. As matters around town began to set themselves in order, July turned to Charlie for help with one final task concerning Haven’s liberation. They collected Sal from the old police department, tied him up, and threw him in the back of the Jeep.
“Where are we going?” Sal demanded as they drove north from Haven.
They didn’t answer him.
“Why didn’t you kill me? Are you holding me for ransom? Is that it?” Sal scoffed. “It won’t work. You think holding me hostage will stop the garrison from raining hell on all of you? No one in your stupid little town will survive after the stunt you just pulled. You hear me, no one. Say something, dammit.”
After about twenty minutes of driving in silence July said “Here” and Charlie pulled over at a point overlooking the entire Royalist garrison camped near the base of the dam. July stepped out and hobbled towards the edge, taking in the scenery, which was rather serene this time of year. The heat here paled in comparison to the desert surrounding Bastille Point. The old dam to their right was a hulking mass of stone protruding from the sandy forest.
Sal struggled and spat insults at them as Charlie dragged him from the Jeep, despite her lean figure Charlie was surprisingly strong, she forced the officer to his knees and made him face the distant garrison.
“So, you are ransoming me,” he blurted. “How stupid are you?”
July collected the radio from the Jeep and raised it to his mouth. “Tom, do you read me? Are you there, Tom?”
There was a delay before Tom responded. “I hear you, July. Everything okay back home?”
“So far so good. How are things on your end?”
“We’re in position. Waiting on your word.”
“Alright, do it.”
July turned around and took a step closer to the kneeling officer, who at this stage was profoundly confused. July glanced at the garrison, then back to Sal. “I’m not holding you for ransom.” He drew his pistol and crouched beside Sal, whispering in his ear. “I just want you to watch your brothers die before I put a bullet in your skull.”
A number of controlled explosives ruptured the structural integrity of the dam. As the smoke cleared the massive wall cracked into large chunks and gave way under the mighty force of the river, which came gushing down in a destructive torrent. A siren whirled somewhere within the Royalist camp, followed by frantic movement, but no one could react in time before they were swept away and drowned, crushed under the terrible flow of the river. Sal witnessed this in horror. Charlie made sure he didn’t turn away. July let it all sink in before he raised his pistol shot Sal in the back of the head.
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