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LOVE LIKE HIS - Chapter 23 : "IS THIS YOU?" - An Original Story by @papa-pepper

80
8 years ago
in#fiction

CHAPTER 23: Is This You?

Fortunately, the bar Cromwell chose for the night is relatively empty, especially for a Saturday night. A major cage match is on at the sports pub next door, so the macho meatheads are beating theirs chests and grunting over there, and the women who follow that type of guy around are nowhere to be seen here.

Cromwell is unware of the cause, he is just enjoying the effect.

He’s is no mood to put up with drunken macho-ness tonight anyway. As he finishes his third drink, he pauses momentarily before ordering his next. It’s not a calculated or cautionary pause, it’s just the result of a distracted and distant mind with too many thoughts competing for his attention.

Either Gary is still in town, or he has fled. Cromwell fears the latter. If that’s the case, Cromwell blew it, and he knows it.

Also, if that’s the case, then Gary did hire Ray to murder his wife…

Of course from Cromwell’s viewpoint, there is no other option. If he’s lead to investigate, then the matter is settled, it’ll just take time for the truth to come to light. The possibility that he has allowed these murderers to escape is terrifying the detective. He had one job, and he thought he was doing well. It’s a lesson to learn for the detective, he just wasn’t pressing them hard enough.

Next time he’ll have to go harder, be more persistent, and not get distracted. Stupid food! He should have ate more when he got up today. Regrets…

He snaps out of it and orders another. While he waits, his mind is penetrated by a new thought.

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

If Cromwell wasn’t hard at work in the bar right now, it would have been a sobering concept. The sentence catches him off guard, and he blankly stares ahead, wide-eyed, as the troubling thought hits him. What is the origin of this, and why is it coming into his mind now?

Another drink is set before the detective, and two quarters worth of change are placed on top of his pile of bills on the bar top. The bartender catches the look on his face, and quickly turns. “Why do I get all the weirdos?” he thinks as he briskly heads towards the other end of the bar.

Just as Cromwell is about to dump some more down his throat, it happens again.

“The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. What does that even mean? Cromwell slams his drink and begins to recall.

It was Kyle! That Bible search program! Right!

These are those Bible verses that he had checked out earlier to try to find some ammunition to use against Gary! Foolish Gary, claiming that he was just obeying God and following the teachings of the Bible! Not any more, Gary! Now Cromwell has the Bible too, and he is getting ready to blow Gary’s cover, if he can still find him.

The detective’s eyelids were already drooping. Is it from lack of decent sleep, or just alcohol induced? Perhaps it is a mixture of both, but either way, he looks like a complete idiot with that grin on his face. In his mind, he’s relishing what it would be like to watch Gary squirm as he pulled some verses out of the Bible and used them to show Gary his own hypocrisy.

It’s hard to pretend to be innocent once your own hypocrisy is exposed.

As Cromwell attempts to enjoy this thought longer, reality cuts its way back into his mind. Isn’t Gary gone now? Even the thought repulses him, and he is suddenly overcome by a sickening feeling. His head becomes slightly dizzy and his mouth begins to water. Quickly, he slams the rest of his drink and slides the empty glass back to the barkeep’s side of the bar top.

“When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish.”

Another one! So far, Cromwell’s plan is backfiring. He checked out the verses to use on Gary, not to have them running through his own head down at the bar. Perplexed and frustrated, the detective begins to outwardly express his inner turmoil.

“ANOTHER ONE?” He shouts, as the next uninvited verse shows up. Unaware of what’s going on inside the detective’s head, the barkeep pours him another drink and brings it over.

“In due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Cromwell doesn’t even realize that he didn’t intend to order the drink. The frustrating trend of Bible verse bombardment continues for the next hour, and Cromwell continues to try to compensate by keeping the drinks coming.

So far, so good, but this one may be a losing battle.

“What’s with this?” Cromwell asks himself inside dulled mind. “This is getting pretty messed up. Why’d I have to only look at verses about death and dying?”

“He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy…”

He's still thirsty, but Cromwell has had enough for the night. He knows who’s behind this, and he’s not about to let God get the best of him. Before too long, the drunken detective bursts out the back door and tromps down the alleyway, looking for a fight.

“IS THIS YOU?” he shouts into the dark night air. Cromwell is turning slowly and looking straight up into the starry night.

“DO YOU THINK THOSE VERSES ARE FOR ME? THAT’S NOT IT! I KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT YOU, AND ENOUGH ABOUT DEATH! YOU HAVEN’T LIVED THROUGH WHAT I HAVE!!!” the belligerent Cromwell shouts upwards. Cromwell straightens his body out before he tips, and shakes his head.

“I GOT ONE FOR YOU, YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT DEATH?” The detective quickly removes his pistol from its holster and loads a round in the chamber with preprogrammed hands. “THIS ONE IS FOR YOUR BIBLE VERSES!”

BANG!

The first round is sent ripping into the dark sky.

“YOU LIKE THAT?”

BANG! BANG!

“YOU TOOK MY WIFE AND SON FROM ME!!! THAT’S ONE FOR EACH OF THEM!”

Cromwell continues screaming into the sky and firing off rounds until he runs out of ammo.

THE END OF CHAPTER 23.

TO READ THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS, CLICK BELOW:

MY NAME IN PEPPERS

(I didn't have any lights....)

Thank you, and stay tuned for LOVE, LIKE HIS : Chapter 24 - Coming soon to a steemit near you

Also, if you enjoyed this chapter, let me know by leaving a comment! Thanks.

Awesome Handcrafted @papa-pepper logo kindly donated by @vlad - Thank you!

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8 years ago
papa-pepper80
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