Crybaby - Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen of the blockbuster new novel, Crybaby by best selling, multi-award-winning author Mark Watson...
CRYBABY
©Copyright 2024 by Mark Watson
CHAPTER 17
Two Tribes
The sun had risen, and the first day of the village festival was warming up. The early morning mist clinging to the forest floor had faded like a bad dream with the dawn. It didn’t take long to confirm that Rahul wasn’t among the casualties when the watchtower was destroyed. Yet, no one in the village knew his whereabouts or why he hadn’t spent the night there as planned.
The rangers Ahanna had sent into the forest to look for Crybaby’s trail returned swiftly. She could tell they were hiding smiles as the remaining rangers, villagers, and police cleared away the wreckage and the charred bodies of the two men. Ahanna pulled them aside.
“What is it?” she asked. “Did you find something?”
“Clear tracks,” said the senior ranger, shouldering his tranquilizer rifle. “Clear as day and heading west. That’s one big, heavy elephant.”
“The ground’s soft,” added another ranger. “No missing him—we could catch him in minutes if we leave now.”
Ahanna clapped him on the shoulder. “Patience,” she said quietly. “Remember last time, we were outgunned? We’ll leave the local police in charge, pick up more lethal weapons from The Onion House, and set off in half an hour. This is good news,” she added, smiling. “Well done.”
Ahanna called Raj over. The sun was hot, and the bamboo poles and wooden planks of the destroyed watchtower were already stacked into a rough pile.
“Any word from Rahul?” she asked.
“None,” Raj answered. “Either nobody knows or nobody’s saying why he wasn’t here.” He noticed something in Ahanna’s expression. “Why? What’s up?”
“We’ve got clear tracks on Crybaby. He’s heading west, toward the main road.”
“Wow! Fantastic. I’ll tell the men.”
“No,” Ahanna said, pulling Raj aside. “Remember what happened with the tiger, eh? Whoever those other guys were, they had AK-47s. We’ll arm up at The Onion House first, in case we run into them again. You’re coming with us, but the rest of the police need to stay here and finish the cleanup. I don’t want anyone panicking and killing Crybaby. We need to catch him alive.”
“Yeah, good idea,” Raj nodded. “I’ll meet you at The Onion House in ten minutes, once I’ve got everything sorted.”
“Great,” Ahanna smiled. “We’ve got him, Raj. This time, we’ve got him.”
It had been a rough night for the bandits, who were now four men down. Aside from Rahul, only twelve remained, none of them hardened veterans like those they’d lost. Exhausted, they’d spent most of the night burying the two traitors well away from the hillside fort. When they returned, Rahul was waiting for them, with news from the village.
“Gather up,” he ordered as they filed in and stacked their tools. “We’ve got a short time to rest, and then we’re back out.”
The bandits, weary but loyal, slumped down and sat on the floor of the main hall, watching their leader intently.
“While we were dealing with the traitors, we think Crybaby attacked the village,” he said.
The men, many with families in the village, looked alarmed.
“Relax,” said Rahul, noticing their anxious looks. “He didn’t reach the village, but he destroyed the watchtower. Sunil and Praveen are dead. Nobody knows exactly how it happened, but the dynamite exploded and took down the tower, killing both of them. Crybaby’s gone, but he may be injured. Nobody saw anything, but they heard the blast, and I just learned that the rangers found tracks. So we know he was there.”
The men knew Rahul had eyes and ears throughout the village; no one questioned how he knew. Inexperienced though they were, the remaining bandits were sharp enough to recognize that as their numbers dwindled, their share of the loot increased. None of them shed any tears for Sunil and Praveen or the traitors they’d buried that night.
“We can’t keep the gold here any longer,” Rahul continued. “It’s too tempting, and we’re nearly done, boys. The job’s almost finished.”
No one argued. They’d seen firsthand how he dealt with traitors, having spent the night burying them.
“Remember, I was supposed to be in the tower last night too. I need to get back to the village, stash the gold somewhere safe, and come up with a story. My contacts tell me Crybaby is heading west, which means he’s between us and them. You’ve got half an hour to rest and then catch him before the rangers. I’ll meet you after I’ve shown my face.”
His men nodded grimly.
“If you see the elephant, don’t hesitate to kill it—don’t wait for me,” he added. “Who’s our best shot now?”
The bandits looked at each other until one man, Rajan, raised his hand.
“You,” Rahul pointed, addressing the others. “Attack the rangers. We outgun them. Take the AKs.”
He looked at the man who had raised his hand, handing him his rifle. “Get behind them. Kill the woman.”
At The Onion House, the rangers were gearing up quickly with automatic weapons, sidearms, and bulletproof vests.
“We’ll bring enough tranquilizer rifles to take Crybaby down, but we’re prioritizing our safety if we run into that gang,” Ahanna explained. “Two tranq guns per team so we can split up if needed.”
She looked at her team intensely. “Take no risks. We know these guys are heavily armed, and they’re after the same thing we are. If you see them, be ready—for anything. Last time, they were spooked by the tiger. If we run into them today, they won’t be so distracted.”
Additional rangers and trained elephants were due to arrive soon, as promised, to support the search. But for now, it was just the rangers against the bandits.
“To complicate things, the village festival starts today. Everything will take place on the main street to keep it contained, but if we can end Crybaby’s threat now, we can all rest a lot easier,” she continued.
“Raj will come with us—he knows the terrain. That’s it. Stay safe. Let’s move out.”
With that, the rangers slipped out of the building, skirting the village to the wreckage of the watchtower before disappearing into the forest.
The sun climbed higher, casting sharp shadows through the dense forest canopy. Back at the bandits’ hillside hideout, Rahul’s men had gathered their remaining supplies, arming themselves for what was now a last-ditch mission. For the first time, their leader had openly said it—kill Crybaby, kill the rangers if necessary, retrieve the gold, split it, and they were done.
It wasn’t fear on their faces as they loaded their rifles, checked magazines, and tested the weight of the AK-47s on their shoulders; it was something sharper, colder. They felt it in their bones: Rahul’s patience had worn thin. As the bandits assembled, Rahul stepped forward, scanning their faces before speaking.
“Listen up,” he began, voice low but steely. “Crybaby is heading west, closer to the road. That means he’s closer to the village and closer to our route out. The rangers are on their way with tranquilizers, thinking they’ll capture him alive. We’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen. Kill Crybaby and kill any ranger you see. I want nothing left in our way. When it’s over, make your way back here and wait. I’ll bring the gold, we’ll split it, and then we all go our separate ways. Agreed?”
The men nodded, more focused than they’d been in days. The losses had stripped away their complacency; each of them knew the stakes. They loaded grenades, extra magazines, and packed what few explosives they had left. With bandanas pulled over their faces and eyes hardened with determination, they were more ruthless than ever.
Rahul called over his best marksman, Rajan, the man he’d tasked with taking out Ahanna.
“Rajan,” Rahul said, handing him his prized, scoped rifle. “Don’t waste your shot. Take her out first if you can. She’s the key to them—they follow her lead. Without her, they’ll scatter.”
Rajan nodded, his grip tightening on the weapon. He adjusted the sight with meticulous care, his hand steady as he calibrated the scope to pick off targets through the thick underbrush.
Rahul stepped back and looked at the rest of the group.
“The rest of you,” he continued, “take the high ground around Crybaby’s route. Trap him if you can, but don’t let him get too far west. Once he’s down, we’ll clear the area. We move as soon as Rajan’s team gets in position. And remember—no hesitation. The rangers will be close.”
He watched them fan out, each carrying their role like seasoned warriors, despite their ragged appearances and the weariness in their eyes. These weren’t the experienced killers Rahul had once led, but they were something just as valuable now: desperate, loyal men with nothing left to lose.
Rahul, strapping on his last sidearm, knew he’d have to return to the village soon. He needed to keep up appearances, plant doubt, and ensure no one suspected the bandits were on Crybaby’s trail. He had already coached his informants to spread rumors of sightings, stirring fear, especially with the festival underway. More panic meant fewer eyes on him and fewer people asking questions when he disappeared again.
He looked at his watch, counting the minutes. As he did, he muttered under his breath, “This ends today.”
By mid-morning, the bandits were on the move. Rajan’s team took the lead, rifles cocked and steps measured as they crept through the foliage, scanning for any movement. The familiar sounds of the jungle—the distant chatter of birds, the occasional rustle in the underbrush—now seemed alien, somehow sharper in the heightened tension. Every shadow could be a ranger, every sound a cue to fire.
Not far behind, the other bandits split off into smaller teams, spreading along Crybaby’s known route, setting up ambush points with the skill of hunters. Despite the poor odds, they moved like men confident in their ability to bring down the crazed, killer elephant.
Rajan spotted a break in the trees up ahead, a narrow clearing that opened up for several meters—prime territory for a shot. He took his position, adjusting his scope with military precision. Through the glass, he saw the dense, verdant landscape beyond, waiting for the moment Ahanna and her rangers might appear. A breeze kicked up, rustling the leaves and drying the sweat trickling down his neck.
One of the men with Rajan scanned the area, whispering, “They’ll come from the east if they’re following the elephant’s trail.”
Rajan nodded, silent and still, his eye fixed on the sights.
Meanwhile, Rahul doubled back to the village, walking briskly and wiping his face to look calm and unsuspecting. As he reached the village, he passed through crowds busy setting up for the festival, his expression inscrutable. The villagers, many with confused expressions, watched him as he squeezed through them. Some elders were praying, clutching their talismans. Children watched the commotion, eyes wide with a mix of excitement and fear.
Rahul walked straight to where one of the local policemen, Patel, was directing some of the cleanup efforts around the fallen watchtower.
“Patel,” Rahul greeted with a hint of urgency. “I heard the watchtower. I wish I’d been there—I could have helped.”
Patel gave him a long, searching look. “Nobody’s seen you since last night, Rahul. Where were you?”
Rahul feigned a look of hurt, masking his irritation. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I have some important info for Ahanna. Where are the rangers? What happened to the tower? Was it Crybaby?”
Patel didn’t seem entirely convinced but nodded, too exhausted to argue further. “The rangers are on his trail, but this elephant is a demon. Ahanna believes she has a chance if she moves fast.”
“Ahanna’s right,” Rahul replied, nodding sympathetically. He hefted his heavy backpack. “I’ll get after them.”
Patel gave a curt nod, leaving Rahul to his feigned concern. Inside, Rahul was already planning his next move. Soon enough, his men would have Crybaby—and, if all went to plan, they’d have Ahanna too. He glanced in the direction of the forest, a hint of satisfaction flickering in his eyes.
The hunt was on.
END OF CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
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