Alternative Ending 1
This alternative ending negates everything after 'Cordova'... So, this ending picks up on the pretence that Sile never went home to Ian and she is still gone and ever in love with Benjiman. I'll fill in the gaps later, but to set the scene, Dublin, a fair/festival type event. Beautiful day...
Sile didn't recall any announcements for a festival in Dublin, but much to the couple's delight, there was. The day was picturesque. The sun shined beautifully, gently smiling upon those who walked to and fro past friends they greeted or by artisans showcasing their finest work at which they stopped to browse. Bejiman had seperated from her a moment ago. Though unsure as to why, Sile just continued along at her wandering pace. She hadn't a care to be found. No thoughts of the attrocities her eyes had once been tortured with, the violence she had been a part of, nor the hatred she once burned with. Her heart, her mind, her soul were free. She only battled with finding the courage to show her face in a church. She felt a pull to return to God the way she once did, and yet... part of her still felt incredibly astranged. I will pray again... soon. She told herself as she chanced upon a tent of hand crafted religious art. Part of her missed speaking to God as a child missed speaking to their parent, and still her fear remained that she had drifted so far from her Almighty Father that she would never be welcomed back among his children. She gently touched a hand painted cross with her finger tips. Very soon. Sile suddenly felt hands covering her eyes. The gentle touch told her without a doubt who it was.
"I have a surprise for you, love." Benjiman whispered into her ear. Her heart fluttered at the sweetness in his voice. Little did he know, as she suspected he didn't, that his every touch, his every smile, every kiss they shared, was all a wonderful surprise. "Keep your eyes closed." He said, removing his hands. She humored him and kept them shut, and smiled. The slight cold of a thin cord of metal touched her neck and she felt a larger item rest against her chest. "Alright. Open them." He said with a hint of accomplishment. Sile opened her eyes and glanced down at the object she felt against her. It was an intricately crafted celtic knot of bronze. She gasped almost inaudibly. Benjimen's eyes widened in anticipation. "Do... you like it?" He asked meekly.
She looked up at him. "Its beautiful." She smiled. "Thank you so much." Sile wrapped her arms around Benjiman and held him close. He kissed the top of her head.
"Not as beautiful as you." He whispered as he held her close. Sile allowed herself to be lost in his arms for a moment. She glanced over his shoulder. Two men stood in the distance and stared at her. Her heart skipped a beat. She watched them before she was all too certain who they were. She broke away from Benjiman, and looked up at him.
"Why don't we get out of here?" She said, forcing a smile. Benjiman shrugged.
"Alright." He answered. "Is everything alright?" She found herself glancing around, frantically, leading Benjiman by the hand, away from the tent and into the most densely populated crowd she could find.
"Yea.." She said, distractedly. "Things are... fine." She wove them in and out of people as quickly as she could, trying to lose their on lookers.
"What's wrong!?" Benjiman asked, a heightened concern clung to his voice.
She spun around to him. "Look. Just... trust me here. Alright?" Benjiman nodded. "All my life I've had eyes watching me all over this goddamned place. I think Ian's radio dispatched his lemmings to look for me to bring me back. And these guys are fucking clever. So, walk with your head down and don't say a word. Let me handle this." She glanced around and didn't see them. "I think we lost them. Now, lets leave here, take the backroads out to the country and lay low for a few days." Benjiman nodded again and they hurridly walked from the area. Benjiman was nervous. She felt it in the way he held her hand that he intended to ignore his own fear and protect her to any end. She intended the same for him. She silently scoffed at the impass their respective hero-complexes had brought them to.
They tried to walk as inconspicuously as possible amongst other pedestrians on the side walk. Sile couldn't help but look up and scan the faces of every passer-by for one she needed to note or recognize. Stay calm, girl! Don't panic! She reassured herself that she could, at least, get Benjiman out of the way of danger and go back to face the music if necessary. But Benjiman must be safe. She looked at Benjiman, who was obviously experiencing the most intensely nerve wracking moments of his life... but then again, how often have people been so willing to kill him, before, she rationalized. Her heart jumped into her throat as she noticed the crowd begin to thin out. She knew she'd be seen. A glance to her left brought a white van, devoid of windows and chuncks of its paint into her line of sight, driving all too slowly, as if watching them. No. Definately watching us. She felt the panic begin to boil as the van got closer. She gripped on to Benjiman's hand tighter. He looked at her.
She swallowed hard. "Look, when I say 'run'... go! And don't wait for me." She looked at the van getting closer. "They won't kill me." She saw the color drain from Benjiman's face. "I will see you again, love. I swear this to you, but get out of here." She yanked him quickly into the next ally they passed. The van's tires squealed as it turned on two wheels to follow them. It sped up, just as Sile knew it would do. She dropped her pack. "RUN!" She screamed. She and Benjiman flew away from the van, towards their last remaining exit. The van continued to gain on them. Sile cried out as she saw a black car squeal through the other opening, trapping her and Benjiman. With no where left to run, she hurried to her love, and backed him up against a wall, standing between him and those that approached them, their weapons brandished. Their faces were hidden, some with masks, others with handkerchiefs. Sile's fear was evident in her face, which was remarkably abnormal. She'd learn to hide fear long ago, and yet now that lesson escaped her.
"Don't shoot!" Sile said with all her conviction. They continued to creep closer.
"Step aside from him!" One man shouted. "Hands in the air!" Sile refused to move away.
"Stand down!" She commanded. One without a gun reached out and grabbed her by her hair. She attemped to resist, but the other took her by the arm, yanking her away from Benjiman.
"Sile!" Benjiman cried out, as he lunged to help her. He quickly found the barrel of a gun pressed against his face. The man who had her by the hair grasped her completely, rendering any future attempts to free herself, futile. He pressed the serated blade of an onscene knife to her throat, and she trembled with absolute terror. She heard the sound of hand cuffs near Benjiman. They were both shit out of luck.
"Don't do this!" She pleaded. "My name is Sile Hannlan! Sister of John Hannlan!" She looked at Benjiman, who's eyes bled with helplessness and horror. "Please!" She cried again. Her breathing became shallow and labored amidst her panic. The knife was pressed harder against her throat, she felt it cut into her, and yelped. "Th... the wolf ofKillarny!" She begged. "Contact him! He'll tell you who I am!" She heard another door open and glanced towards the black car. An all too familiar face emerged and she was flooded with relief as the individual approached her. "Ian!" Her relief was short lived. He came towards them with a fire in his expression that burned with pure hatred and malice. His eyes were cold and unforgiving. Sile heard a pistol cock and her knees went weak. "Ian!" She sobbed. "Help us! Please!"
Ian looked at the man holding the gun to Benjiman. "Kill him." He ordered. Sile watched Benjiman's face blanch and she felt sick to her stomach.
"No!" She screamed. "Ian! Don't do this!" She tried to struggle but the hold on her hair and the knife cutting ever deeper into her throat kept her pinned. "Benjiman!" She watched him struggle in vain against now two men that dragged him away from the wall and force him to his knees. "Benjiman!" She turned her eyes to Ian. "Please!" She begged. "Just let him go! You'll never see him again! Just let him go!" Tears of scorching agony fell from her face. "He's of no consiquence to any of us!" Benjiman raised his head to look at her. She continued to fight against her captor. In her struggle, she delivered a swift kick to his groin and felt his hold on her weaken enough to allow an escape as he crumpled to the floor. She tackled Benjiman completely, and hovered over him. "Leave him alone!" She screamed. "He's done nothing!" She turned to Ian, pleading, begging, beseeching. "Why are you doing this?!"
"Traitor bitch!" She heard a voice sneer as hands reached down to yank her to her feet again. She snatched her own blade she kept tucked into her boot and stabbed, catching the man in the calf. She swung the blade again, slashing at any hands that came near her. She took her open opprotunity to scramble to Benjiman, who, like her, trembled uncontrollably.
"Get her up!" Ian barked. The men were apprehensive to go near her with that blade in her hand.
Sile took what little time she had. "I love you." She whispered to Benjiman. In his fear he was unable to do more than mouth the same in response. "We'll be free from this!" She swore to him. "Dead or alive!" She kissed him on the forehead as she cried unstoppably. "I'm so sorry!" Ian sighed disdainfully and kicked her hard in the ribs, knocking her away from Benjiman. She dropped the knife during the unexpected imapct and landed with a thud and a groan.
"Stand that piece of shit up," He shouted about Benjiman as he dragged Sile to her feet, "And kill him!"
Sile fought against Ian as hard as she could. "No!" was the only word her mind seemed to recall at that moment and she screamed it repeatedly. She watched in horror as Benjiman was brought to his his knees and the firearm was brought to the back of his skull. Sile struggled with all her strength, and swung her head back, making contact with Ian's face. She again went to run to Benjiman but was stopped short by the echo of a gunshot. "Benjiman!" The pitiful wail filled the area. She fell to her knees, hysterical. She lost all understanding of where she was or what had just happened. Her mind simply told her to continue screaming amidst her uncontrollable sobbing. Ian reoriented himself and walked over to her, swinging the butt of his pistol, striking her head, knocking her to the ground completely. She made no effort to stand, rather, allowed her maniacal tears to dominate all of her energy. Ian crouched down next to her.
"Why am I doing this?" He asked, dripping with hate. "WHY!?" He wiped the blood from benieth his nose. "Because Sile" he sneered, "as I'm sure John would agree, it's better you'd be dead than in the hands of the enemy." He dragged her up to her knees. Her brow poured blood down, over her face. She looked at him apathetically.
"You're a liar." She muttered. "I was right..."
"What?!" He roared at her.
She continued her ambivilant gaze. "You're no better than those you supposedly protect your country from... so filled with hate... you'd break a promise to your best friend. My brother..." She trailed off but began to stare him down. "You were supposed to protect me."
"You turn eighteen today, lass." He said evily. "Contract terminated." She heard his pistol cock as she clamped her eyes. Hail Mary... full of grace... the Lord is with thee... blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus... Holy Mary... Mother of God... Pray for us sinners, now... and at the hour of our death... The gun exploded and her body fell to the ground.
The pavement of that ally was now died a hellish red of carnage. Ian stood amidst it and the reality of his actions became all too clear... how could he ever look his son in the face again?