Ben Chamberlain's Inheritance

Chapter Eight

Thank you Mr. Harry." Mary said to her neighbor a former medic in the army.

"She is conscious now but she needs to get to the hospital."

"We will be taking her there tomorrow." Mary said.

"She is in a critical stage. She might not pull through if this occurs again." Mr. Harry warned.

"Thank you once again." Mary said

Mr. Harry just nodded and left.

"What do we do now?" Ben asked frenziedly.

"I don't know Ben, I don't know." Aunt Mary sighed

Henry was on the phone with someone.

"Let me look at the things that I can pawn." Mary said.

Betsy was resting but her paleness was very evident. Henry signalled to Ben for them to go outside after Henry was done with his conversation over the phone.

"Ben we have to do something fast so that Betsy can begin Chemo now."Henry said

"Yea! she ought to have started it like yesterday." Ben replied.

There was a brief silence. "But how do we get money?" Ben asked with worry as his companion.

"I think I have an idea on how we can get money." Henry said

"But I don't think you might be down with it." Henry added

"Let me be the one to decide." Ben replied.

"Okay then, here it is."

Ben waited anxiously. "It actually involves burgling a jewelry store." Henry said finally.

Henry was perplexed at what Henry just said.

"You don't mean it Henry?" Ben asked.

Henry just stared hard at Ben and said nothing

"Mate! You are really damn serious."

"Listen Ben, do you want your sister to die?"

"Of course not b-b-but this is huge mate."

"I know it's going to be a clean job." Henry said.

"Have you done this before?" Ben asked

Henry hesitated. "Does it matter?" Henry asked

"Not really; I am just curious."

"To satisfy your curiousity, I have on two ocassions; but not as big as this."

Ben sighed and he began to ponder on the idea.

"There is no time Ben. It has to be now; and we need to do this for our sister if we do not want to lose her" Henry said agitatedly.

Ben sighed, "let's do it."

Henry smiled and said,"we won't lose her."

"Yea! We definitely won't." Ben replied.

"So when is it suppose to go down?" Ben asked

"Its going down this night but I have to confirm

a tiny detail before then." Henry replied.

Ben was filled with fear. He had never stolen before, regardless of the situation he was in but right now he would do anything to keep his sister alive. 

"Ben! Henry! I was only able to get five hundred pounds from what I pawned." Mary said.

"Don't worry aunt; we have a plan." Henry said.

A worried look appeared on Mary's face."What are you planning?" She asked

"Its going to be Okay. Don't fret." Henry said

"This is what you said the last time and look what happened." Mary said.

"It won't be llike that time; I assure you." Henry said

Mary started crying. She had this feeling of foreboding despite the fact that she had no idea what her nephews were planning.

"I wish you boys did not have to do whatever you are planning to do because I am the adult here; I should be the one taking care of things and not you both." Mary said.

Both boys went to her and hugged her as she continued to cry.

"We will be okay aunty." Ben said

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"Are you ready?" Henry asked Ben who was overwhelmed with anxiety.

"Mmmmm." Ben sighed. 

"Its going to be fine. Just follow my lead." Henry said. Ben just nodded

They were at corner close to the Jewelry store.

"Once we get the signal we move in." Henry said

"I hope the security guard will turn up?" Ben asked.

"He will; he lost definitely will." Henry replied.

"I never asked this but Henry how did you get this...

I don't know what to call it." Ben said confusedly

"I guess the word is 'Job' right." Henry replied.

"Yea I guess so mate." Ben said

"The light is going off." Henry said.

The security guard put on and put off his flash light thrice.

"That's the signal." Henry said excitedly. Ben was silent. 

"Don't be scared Ben; I know you have never done this before." Henry said touching his shoulder. Ben nodded.

"Alright blood, put on your ski mask."Henry said

They left their hiding place and moved, towards the store.

"Are we good?" Henry asked the guard when he got to the entrance.

"The alarm is disabled." The security guard said.

They got into the store and began to carefully take the jeweleries they could get their hands on.

"I guess we have taken enough, Henry." Ben said

Henry did not respond. "Henry!" Ben called out in a hush tone.

Ben was looking at all the beautiful jewelries in the store. He didn't notice in time the person that was coming out of the counter towards Henry who was backing it.

"Henry! Look out." Ben shouted but it was too late. Henry was struck on the head with a rod. Ben was about to confront the person when he was knocked out by someone else.

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Mary was watching Betsy when the phone rang. "Hello, who is this." She answered.

"Am I speaking with Miss. Mary." The caller asked.

"Yes.You are speaking with her." She said.

"We need you at the police station right now." The caller said.

She knew what had happened. The tears began to flow. "God! I would have stopped them from doing this. We would have found another way." She thought.

"What is the problem?" She asked.

The next voice she heard was Ben, " It's me Ben."

"God! Why Ben?"

"I am sorry. How is Betsy?" He asked.

"She is sleeping."

"Please aunt, take care of Mary." Ben said.

"What did you guys get yourself into Ben?" She asked crying.

"I am sorry aunt?" Ben said crying

"I am on my way now. You guys hang in there okay."

She said and hung up. She was filled with regret that her nephews were in such a mess.

She looked at Betsy and observed she was sleeping.

She kissed her on the forehead and left. She got into the truck and she was on her way to the police station.

Mary was crying as she drove. All of a sudden the rain started falling. Visibility became poor but Mary kept on driving. The rain reminded her of when Henry was arrested two years ago.

"Henry is a boy with a good heart but why he had chosen the life of the streets, I have no idea." She thought. "I am sure Ben has never done this before." Mary continued in her thoughts.

"I wish I was in a better condition in terms of my financial state. I would have been able to take care of this present situation that we are in presently." She thought.

The rain was falling heavily now; the wiper of the windscreen was working overtime now. Then abruptly, it got stuck and refused to work anymore. Mary was struggling with visibilty now.

Out of the blue, for a brief moment something ran across the road; Mary had no idea what it was but she lost control of the truck and hit a streetlight.