The Secret Manuscript (18 page)

“Dear Lord, I
ask you to bless these young boys in their journey through life.
Please ensure they remain safe from the dangers of the world,
strong when tested with temptation, and resilient when faced with
adversity. Please remove the evil from within the hearts of anyone
who wishes harm upon them. Thank you for blessing our lives and we
hope in your grace you will continue to provide us with many more
days to come. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.”

“Amen.”

“Amen.”

Later that
night when Gladys went to bed, the boys continued to stay up and
talk in their room.

“Do you think
they’re setting a trap for us?” Ben asked. “I bet they’re waiting
inside for us and the second we step through that door, they’ll
blow our heads off.”

“Who
knows?”

“That is of
course if we entered through the front door.”

“What are you
saying?” Kyle asked.

“I’m saying
that I need to get in the house, more specifically the secret
room.”

“Let it go,
bro. We don’t want to take any unnecessary risks with these
guys.”

“I need my
manuscript and my wallet. Without them, I’ve got nothing.”

Kyle
considered what Ben was saying for a moment. He realized they could
not stay in Gladys’s house forever. Ben had lots of money, which
they could use to make a life somewhere else, but without a means
to access it, it would not be of any help to them.

“How do you
suggest we get in?” Kyle asked.

“I’m so glad
you asked. Don’t worry, I have a plan.”

Kyle followed
Ben downstairs and into the kitchen. While trying to make as little
noise as possible, Ben opened up several drawers until he found
what he needed. Among the things he took were a multi-purpose tool,
a flashlight, and a knife.

“What are you
doing?” Kyle whispered. “Put those back.”

“I will, I
just need to borrow them for a bit,” Ben said.

“What’s the
knife for?”

“Protection.”

“You’re really
going to bring a knife to a gun fight?”

“Well, unless
Gladys keeps a Glock next to the can opener, I think this is my
best bet.”

Ben walked
over to the back door and made sure it was unlocked before leading
the way back upstairs. The next stop, oddly enough, was the
bathroom. Just like in their house, the bathroom had a large window
that could open wide enough to climb through. Getting from the
bathroom window to the top of the house was a little scary, but
definitely doable. Just below the bathroom window was a little
ledge that conveniently wrapped around the side of the house.

Ben lifted up
the window and stuck his head outside.

“It’s just
like ours,” Ben confirmed.

“So what are
you waiting for?” Kyle asked.

“I don’t know,
I was kind of hoping you’d want to go first.”

“No thanks,
this was your idea so you should lead the way.”

“Fine,” Ben
said as he proceeded to climb out the window. With his bum resting
on the window sill, his feet dangled two stories off the ground. He
was still a little afraid of heights, but once again summoned the
courage to momentarily set aside those fears. Once he found his
footing, he completely exited the window. The crisp night air made
his muscles tense up, but it was nothing too debilitating. He
inched across the ledge slowly, making sure not to look down. Kyle
watched him to see how it was done. When Ben was a good distance
ahead, Kyle reluctantly followed after him.

Kyle carefully
climbed outside and shuffled along the side of the house in the
direction of the backyard. Together they gripped the slopping roof
for support until it was low enough to climb onto. With both hands
planted firmly, Ben used his legs to pull himself on top of the
roof. He was now laying belly down and had his head dangling over
the edge, encouraging Kyle to continue. Kyle was close behind him
and eventually climbed up as well.

The ascent was
steep, but Ben showed Kyle how to scale the roof by crouching low
and walking up on all fours. Once at the top, they approached the
crest and peered over.

“Think you can
make it across?” Kyle asked, being mindful not to speak too
loudly.

“I don’t know,
it’s a pretty big gap,” Ben said. “Should we roshambo to see who
goes first?”

“Man, I always
lose those. Alright, whatever, let’s do it.”

Silently, on
top of the roof in the biting cold air Ben and Kyle played an
important game of rock-paper-scissors. As usual Kyle lost.

“Alright,
move. I need to get a good run up.”

Kyle backed up
all the way to the opposite end of the roof and stopped. He stared
at the gap with an intense focus. After a few deep breaths, he felt
prepared. At full speed, he sprinted past Ben and leapt off the
edge. Once airborne, time seemed to slow down. His legs kicked in a
manner that resembled riding an invisible bicycle. As the gap grew
smaller, he knew he would make it. He hit the opposing roof with
such velocity that he stumbled forward and tripped over himself. To
brace for impact, he put his forearms down and skidded on his
elbows for a bit before tumbling down the steep decline. He spread
his arms and legs out to gain control. After some bumps and
bruises, he stopped just before hurling over the edge.

Ben watched on
in horror. Whatever reservations he had before the jump were now
amplified. Nevertheless, he had no choice. Following Kyle’s
example, he backed up to the far edge of the roof. He wanted to
clear the distance, but did not want to overshoot it like Kyle had.
After mumbling a few words of encouragement to himself, he took off
and launched himself over the gap. In the middle of his jump, he
realized he may have miscalculated. Ben undershot and hit the edge
of the roof. The lower half of his body ploughed into side of the
house creating a tremendous thud. His hands quickly clasped onto
anything within reach that would prevent him from falling. He
clamped down on the edge of the roof, but did not have the grip
strength to sustain his bodyweight for long. His legs dangled
precariously over the edge of the house, looking for a foothold.
Just when he was about to lose his grip, Kyle grabbed him under the
armpit and assisted him up.

“Thanks, man,”
Ben said, taking a moment to regain his composure.

“No problem,”
Kyle replied.

Without
wasting any more time, Ben and Kyle silently ascended the roof and
got into position. Ben took out the flashlight and handed it to
Kyle, while he used the multi-purpose tool to unscrew the chimney
crown.

“Can I get
some light?” Ben asked.

Kyle steadied
the flashlight as Ben went to work. Fortunately, the bolts were
already loose and came off with ease. The chimney crown was not
heavy, but it was a bit awkward to manage with just one person.

“Alright, I
need you to help me with this thing,” Ben said. “Can you grab the
other side?”

Together, they
hoisted the rusted chimney crown from the top of the chimney and
set it aside. Ben remained crouched to ensure it was stable and
would not tumble down the roof. Kyle used the flashlight to look
down the chimney chute. That’s when he made an unexpected
discovery.

“Whoa, Ben,
check this out,” he said. “You’re not going to believe this.”

Ben stood up
and peered into the chimney. Attached to the inside of the chimney
was a forty-foot rope coiled up. One end of the rope was connected
to a steel ring, which was bolted into the brick.

“What the
heck. What are the odds?”

“Based on the
luck you’re having, I’d say this fits right in.”

Ben unlatched
the rope and gave it a few tugs. It was secure. He then tossed the
loose end down into the chimney.

“Okay, I’m
going to lower myself down using this rope. Once I retrieve the
goods, I’ll signal you to pull me up.”

“Ben, I don’t
think I can pull you up,” Kyle said.

“You’ll have
to try or else I’ll be stuck down there.”

Ben hopped up
on the chimney and swung his legs inside. He wrapped the rope
around his forearms and used his feet to pinch the rope. This way,
he could lower himself down with a little more control. With a slow
and steady descent, Ben allowed the rope to slip through his shoes
and hands until he reached the bottom. Once at the base of the
fireplace, he quickly activated the switch and darted through the
small doorway.

Inside the
secret room, Ben was about as safe as could be, but he still had a
reason to rush. Perched atop the roof, Kyle lay in wait.

Ben grabbed
everything he needed and ran back down the narrow corridor that led
to the secret entryway. He ducked through the opening and sealed
off the door behind him. Now standing inside the fireplace at the
base of the chimney, he affixed the rope around his waist, and made
an owl sound, signalling for Kyle to pull him back up.

Kyle began to
heave on the rope as hard as he could. The veins in his arms bulged
under the skin and sweat immediately began to bead down his red
face. With a clenched jaw and a scrunched face, Kyle did his part
to alleviate some of Ben’s weight. It was enough to allow Ben to
maneuver up the chimney. Ben used his arms and legs to scramble up
the chimney until he was within Kyle’s reach. Once Ben was near the
top, Kyle reached down and clasped onto Ben’s forearm and pulled
him up the rest of the way.

“Why are you
so sweaty?” Ben asked.

“Shut up,”
Kyle replied coldly. “Did you get what you came for?”

“Yeah, now
let’s get out of here.”

Instead of
jumping across the eight-foot roof gap between the houses again,
Ben had the forethought to come up with a much safer plan. He and
Kyle scooted down the slanted roof and jumped down onto the grass
in their backyard. From there, they ran across to Gladys’s house
and entered through the door by the kitchen, which Ben had unlocked
earlier.

They quietly
tiptoed upstairs, being careful not to wake Gladys. Once in their
room, they celebrated with some hugs and high-fives. Ben inspected
his bruises while Kyle went to the bathroom to tend to the scrapes
on his arms. When Kyle returned, he collapsed on the bed. Ben took
the manuscript out of his bag and laid it on the floor.

“Now that we
have the manuscript,” Ben said, “I think we should read the rest of
it and see how all this plays out.”

“How what
plays out?”

“You know, our
lives. These thugs are trying to kill us and maybe the story will
reveal a way we can avoid getting ourselves killed.”

“I don’t want
to know when or how I die. Besides, the book, or manuscript as you
insist on calling it, is about your life, not mine. Who’s to say my
death would even be in there.”

“If we remain
friends, and it seems like we would, then your death would be a
significant moment in my life. If that’s true, it’ll be in here.
Perhaps if we know when and how we die, we can prevent it from
happening.”

“Look, I’ve
seen more adventure in one day than I can handle. I need to get
some sleep.”

“Alright, do
you mind if I keep this lamp on? I just want to read a bit and see
what happens.”

“Sure.”

“Kyle, I just
want to say thanks for tonight. I know this manuscript doesn’t mean
much to you, but it means everything to me. You have a life and a
lot going on, but me… I don’t have any of that. Until these pages
came into my life, I was broke and had no direction. Now look at
how much I have benefited from it.”

“Ben, you
can’t be serious. First of all, we’re lying in some old lady’s
spare bedroom because two men tried to kill us today. As for the
money you made exploiting the future, it’s tied up in some
brokerage firm who will undoubtedly notify the cops the second you
try to withdraw it. And let’s not forget what happened with your
little date with that girl. It seems like everything you touch
either crumbles or slips through your fingers. Sorry, but I don’t
see how you have benefited from it.”

“It’s cool, I
get it,” Ben said. “You’re more of a ‘glass-is-half-empty’ guy. I’m
going to focus on the positives.”

“Like what?
What positives are you focusing on?”

“Let’s see,
I’ve made a lot of money, I have a house, I have my best friend,
I’ve been writing a lot lately…”

“Ben, you
remind me of this kid I used to live with. He loved Jello, and
whenever his mom would make it for him, he got all excited. I’d sit
across from him, eating my Jello and watching his frustration grow.
You see, unlike me, this kid would eat with his hands. He would
reach into the bowl and squeeze a fistful of Jello tightly so he
wouldn’t lose it. Then when he brought his fist to his mouth, there
would be nothing. He would try over and over to capture the Jello,
but the harder he squeezed, the Jello would squish through his
fingers. You understand the moral of the story, don’t you? His
greed prevented him from getting what he wanted, and in the end, he
was left with nothing but a big mess.”

“Is that a
real story, or did you just make that up.”

“Honest to
God, that’s a real story.”

“Well,
whatever. I’m going to read this manuscript and you can tell
yourself another one of your stories until you fall asleep.”

Ben rested
face down on the floor while reading page after page of the
manuscript. With great intrigue, he was captivated by the events
there were described. In the book version of Ben’s life, the story
deviated far from reality. It was supposed to be based on the
future, but it did not resemble Ben’s current predicament at all.
It told nothing of the dangers he was currently facing. Instead,
the story told a tale of Ben getting his life together and living
an honest existence.

Kyle did not
want anything to do with the manuscript so he left Ben to toil with
it. He was much more practical than Ben. Instead of trying to
manipulate events for personal gain, he came up with a strategy to
get his life back on track. Without his research job at the
university or a permanent place to stay, he felt like his time in
Calgary had run its course. Leaving town would also allow him to
distance himself from the dangers of being associated with Ben.