Continued from Part Two

Father Douglas eyed the parishioners lining up for confession and sighed. Father Brady asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Arnold Witter’s in line.”

“So?”

“Every time there’s a big crime in the news, he comes here and confesses to it.”

“How do you deal with it?”

“I just give him his penance for lying and send him on his way.”

“It’s time to get started.”

###  

Marcos reached the front of the line. This was beneath him, but what else could he do to escape Jones’ face? Why did it haunted him in his dreams like this? He’d killed many men before without a second thought. So why couldn’t he get a lick of sleep without valium?

He entered the confessional. Thank-fully, this parish didn’t know him. “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.”

The priest asked, “How long has it been since your last confession?”

Good question. How long had it been? “Twenty-six years.”

“I see. So what is this sin?”

“I killed an innocent man, that Rev-erend Jones. I can’t get him out of my head. I don’t feel any guilt over hiring that guy with the rocket who killed all those people compared to what I did to that Reverend.”

“So you not only killed Reverend Jones, you’re responsible for all twenty of those deaths downtown.”

“Yes.”

“We all make mistakes, son. Say five Our Fathers and three Hail Mary’s.”

What? “I just told you I killed a man.”

“And I just told you to say five Our Fathers and three Hail Mary’s.”

“But I’ve killed a lot of people”

“I know. Just say five Our Fathers and three Hail Mary’s. That’ll suffice.”

“But it’s not going to—”

“You could confess to the police if you would like.”

“Fine, I’ll say the penance.” Marcos left.

 ### 

The parishioner after Arnold said, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.”

Douglas still didn’t look up. “How long has it been since your last confession?”

“Four days.”

“What is this sin?”

“I killed Reverend Jones and all those people downtown.”

Oh no. Father Douglas peered through the screen at the confessor. “Arnold! If this is you, then who…” He cupped his mouth. He raced from the confessional.

Only the normal parishioners remained outside. “Oh, my God! What have I done?”

 ###

A few hundred feet away, Marcos rose up from his penance. Reverend Jones’s face greeted him. “Father, forgive him…”

Never. God would never forgive him.

Continued…Next Tuesday

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Continued from Part Five

Captain Justice hurled a smoke grenade into the midst of the drug dealers in the alley. He dashed in with his night vision goggles on. He got the first thug on the chin, knocking him to the ground. He unholstered his tranquilizer gun and fired at the second.

 Dart after dart found their target until seven thugs lay sprawled on the ground. Never understood the ropes the other heroes used. Tranqs were less work and easier for the police to pick up.

He walked through the alley. One got away. Only one place he could have gone. Over the wall.

Captain Justice charged the wall and leapt clean over the ten-foot obstruction. The fleeing drug dealer’s footsteps echoed in the distance. Captain Justice sped through the alley. Almost on the drug dealer.

The thug glanced back and sped up.

As if that’ll help you.

He turned a corner. The dealer had van-ished. He stared up. Nothing. Focusing, a faint orange glowed appeared around every heat source. He scanned down the street. Nothing. He turned left onto another alley.

A garbage can up against the brick wall showed the bright orange glow of a human heat pattern.

Ah ha! Captain Justice lunged towards the bottom of the trash can, overturning it.

The drug dealer tumbled out. Captain Justice jumped onto the thug’s chest and grabbed the gun out of his hand.

Captain Justice aimed his tranq gun and fired a shot into the perpetrator’s arm. A second later, the guy was out cold. Captain Justice hoisted the drug dealer on his back, ran back to the wall and jumped over it, this time only clearing it by two inches. He placed the drug dealer near his compatriots with the evidence. The police would find them.

Captain Justice walked away.

A spasm ripped up his leg.

He crumpled to the pavement, clutched his knee, and screamed. With effort, he soft-ened the noise tearing out of him to a moan.

Dr. Baxter’s laundry truck pulled up in front of the alley. Doc jumped out of the car and ran over. “Cap, what happened?”

“I think I tore something.”

Dr. Baxter hoisted him up, offering his shoulder as a crutch. “Let’s get back to the office. I’ll figure out what happened.”

Captain Justice limped to the laundry truck. If I can’t handle one simple mission, how can I ever go back?

Continued…Next Monday

Subscribe to Laser & Sword by Email to get the next part and all the rest of our free offerings delivered to you. To find out what happens sooner, visit the Laser and Sword Online store and download  Issue 1 for free or purchase the Annual Edition containing 11 action packed stories