The Ember In The Storm (undergoing editing)

Part III

     "Preposterous", Jackson got off the wall.

"Luke, you are anything but one who would kill family. You loved Vaughn, she—"

"Love?" He faced him fully, confused by his choice of words. "Vaughn was nothing but a splinter in my foot, a nuisance to everything I needed to get done. I had to get rid of her, she made everything slow".

"So you had their carriage ambushed and all of them killed?" Jackson finally realized, clenching his fists in angst.

"Well not me exactly", he chuckled. "I just told the British soldiers what to do, it was already bad enough that they arrived late".

"You knew about their coming attack?"

"Oh my goodness, brother!" Luke exclaimed with frustration. "I thought you were supposed to be the 'smarter' one between us, how are you not catching up? I work for the British, I have known about every plan, every ambush, every strategy", he spat.

"Why would you do that?" Once again, disbelief. "Why would you do that!?"

"What are you mad about? Don't tell me it is because of Elizabeth? I helped you get rid of her, you should be thankful!" He stepped ahead a little.

Jackson internally thanked God she was not on that carriage. Her stubbornness actually saved her, she lived a month longer. He had time to be with her, to realize he loved her.

Tears reached his eyes. "And you planned that attack on my men and I. The only people that knew about that place were the Generals and you, I told you about it incase you ever needed me".

Luke's face stiffened. "Look at that, you are smart after all. And I did come when I needed you. You had something of ours".

"Ours? You mean you and the British? Luke you're not part of them, you'll never be".

"You have to tell me where you hid it. You have to tell me about the weapons, I know you have a map on where you'll have the attacks and the bombs located", Luke reached for his brothers chest, holding his shirt in his hands.

The two were at eye length, none shorter or taller than the other.

"You killed Elizabeth", Jackson stared at him. His arms fell to his side as he felt the last strength in him reach its limit.

"Jackson, tell me where you hid the map", Luke gritted is teeth.

"Are they paying you? Or maybe they have threatened you?—" Jackson released a groan upon feeling the blow of his brothers knee hitting his abdomen.

A loud groan escaped his lips as he lost posture and reached to grab his stomach.

"Don't answer my questions with questions".

Jackson lifted his head, regaining a little of his posture and facing up to his brother. "Luke, if they are holding anything against you, you can tell me and I can have you free—"

Another blow, this time a punch to the face. Jackson fell back and to his knees, a small bruise on his left cheekbone. He reached his finger to it, flinching when he saw the blood.

"Jesus, when did you get so strong?"

Luke stepped away from him, heading for his kitchen utensils in the corner. "You're holding back, brother, fight me like a man. Fight me like that General everyone praises".

"How do you think mother would feel seeing us at each other's necks?" He stood upright, sighing heavily as he watched his brother grab a small kitchen knife. 

He would not do it, he's my brother, he thought.

"Mother can go rot in hell for all I care, all she'd want would not be for her little boy to get a single scratch on him", Luke rolled his eyes to Jackson with envy.