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Post by teedee on May 24, 2022 16:07:20 GMT -6
Thank you. A very good teaching story!
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Post by bitsmith on Nov 2, 2022 17:27:20 GMT -6
Sorry for the delay, everyone.
Things in my life have been going in a different direction. A direction I have been pushing to get it to go. This has left me will little time or energy to write.
Change #1 -- My 'Refuge' on the family farm, back deep in the woods is progressing very well. Even got the non-running RV drug back into that corner. This coming weekend, I hope to get it nudged into a more permanent placement.
Change #2 -- Negotiations are underway with a local battery rebuilder
Change #3 -- The RV now has HEAT, so I can sleep more comfortably in it, on cold, dark, empty and lonely nights. Nights I intend to reconnect with / create new people to torment in these stories.
Change #4 -- The business is progressing well enough. Sent out 200 Alka-Seltzer loaded envelopes / letters, today to Tax Preparers to market my business more.
Change #5 -- Deposit made on a modified shipping container to be put on the Refuge for the blacksmithing shop I intend to rebuild.
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Post by bitsmith on Nov 2, 2022 19:16:14 GMT -6
TIA -- Chapter Twenty-Seven
William quickly left Esther's house via the back door, keeping to the shadows as the squad car went up the street then turned around and came back. As the car passed the church, it finally turned off the siren, which was helping hide any noises he made. Soon he was up in a tree where he could see most of the town square. Men were hammering pieces of wood together, building a simple St. Andrew's Cross. As the towns folk were coming out, William saw they were in their night clothes, wrapped in robes against the cooler night. Then the girls from Indy were brought out, one of them being carried between two men. She was obviously hurt.
And William knew what was about to happen. And he had an idea. Quckly he left the tree as Gardner and Hamblin both stepped forward to address the townspeople.
It occurred to him this might make things worse, but he was going to at least try. Then again, paracord is a wonderful thing to have handy.
Climbing the trellis on the back side of the church, William was able to access the roof and from there, he was able to pull up the rope the church bell. Paracord tied that small tree, barely more than a sappling he jumped down onto. He then tied the paracord to the tree, taking up the slack as he listened to Gardner drone on about how the good people should admonish the girl for fighting against the men she was wupposd to pleasure. Someone asked a question and Gardner offered the girl freedom ... "If your god gives a sign, some holy sign that she should not be punished ... "
William let go of the sapling. This pulled the rope / paracord combo and the church bell pealed loudly into the night, startling all who were present.
The enemy as William was starting to think of them, as he quickly sprinted for the woods. Passing by a corner of the church, he tossed the remainder of the paracord he had into an open basement window.
Quickly, Gardner and Hamblin were standing there, the young woman held fast by Gardner. Two gauards remained behind Gardner. He directed his men to find who rang the bell. Soon, men with guns and flashlights were all abotu the church. They found the paracord, then searched the church, breaking in the back door rather than getting the keys.
William crept back further into the woods until he was where he had stashed his rifle. He moved down the road until he could see the town square and away from Esther's house. From where he was, he could see the whole square and was close to square on the two men, their three guards and the girl. He hated doing it, but he took off his over shirt and threaded the muzzle down the sleeve, before laying the barrel in a convenient space between a tree trucnk and a branch. Looking about he saw he was deep enough in the woods to not be seen, easily. And he knew the muzzle flash would be visible. But probably not noticed until the second shot. Everyone was watching the church be searched.
Carefully, he lined up his shot, checked movement of leaves for wind. Took sight, again, as he tighly held the stock deep into his shoulder. One eye through the scope and he could see the radio in Gardner's hand as he spoke into it. With his other eye he watched for everyone to be watching the church.
"Gently," he breathed to himself. And he let out half of his breath, freezing when the cross hairs were on the radio in front of Gardner's mouth. "Slowly," he thought as he pulled on the trigger. He felt that tension as the impending break point was getting closer and closer.
The crack of the rifle reverberated off the side of buildings, across the square, and back again as the quiet of night was broken.
Gardner let go of the girl and grabbed Hamblin, pulling him down to the ground. The girl stood still, her lips moving as she continued to cry. The townspeople all cried out as they too dropped to the ground.
"What was that? Where did it come from? Report!" Gardner barked into his radio. Looking around he saw one of his guards was on his back. Most of his head missing. William watched as Gardner started 'doing the math', mentally locating where the shot had come from. As he lifted his radio to his hand, he noticed a slight cut on the backside of his thumb that had not been there, before. William realized he missed by two inches as he was taking fresh aim. "There!" Gardner starts pointing to the woods between two buildings. William was in that general vicinity.
Pulling his rifle from the tree, he ran deeper into the woods. Towards the culvert for the creek. He was abandoning his camp. It was not setup. Hardly anything had been unpacked. So it being found was less than likely. Once through the culvert and out the other side there was a corn field, still green and just starting to brown on the top tassles. Once he was in a few rows, he again stopped, leaving the shirt still hanging over the end of the barrel, he dropped to a knee. One leg bent tight and straight up, the other knee into the ground, he sat back onto his heel. Taking sight, he was a tight ball of human with a long rifle. One arm extended slighly to hold the barrel end, the other elbow resting on that high knee. Head dropped down to rest on teh rifle stock. He carefully took aim. The first man out of the woods was still the far side of the culvert was scanning the area, looking for anyone. The man behind him was using a flashlight to look for targets. But the light was useless beyond 30 feet, or less. And he became the target.
William sighted in on the man's hip. He could see the pistol holster on the right hip. Carefully William watched as the man slow stepped, waiving his light about far too quickly to be effectivly scanning with it. As he took a leading step with his right foot, William stroked his trigger. Another rifle crack startled everyone. The flashlight swung around in a fast circle, catching most everyone's face as the man spun while falling. Screaming in agony, the other men surrounded him, looking down, then out to see where the shot came from. Most of them had lost their night vision with that light across their face, as their colleague spun and fell. Two carefully bent to pick up their fallen as the other three stood or kneeled, looking for where the shot came from.
Again, he waited. Adjusting the shirt sleeve, again. He watched as the rear guard started backing their way across the road covering the culvert. William watched, carefully. He again selected a target. Not the last man, but the man in front of him. Carefully watching, William waited until the man gave him more of his back in silouette. And again, another gentle aqueeze. The tall man was taken with a shot between shoulder blades at a 30 degree angle. The man infront of the target was covered in blood. The last man in line started taking random shots into the corn field. None of them came within 15 yards of William, who remained granite still as the men moved away. Carrying their wounded and dragging away their dead.
William stayed in that position for several minutes, before he again moved. Back into the woods he went. Navigating carefully, he crossed the creek to get to his gear, then moved farther down stream. He kept going until he was at least 2 miles outside of town.
Sitting down, against a tree, William dug out his small hand held radio. It was the same model as the one Gardner was using. A Baofeng UV-5R. He set it to scan, the bands, hoping to be able to listen in on the radios in town. After it had scanned through both bands twice, William recognized he was at the edge of the device's range. Getting up, again, he dug around in his trailer, until he found his wire antenna for it. The longer antenna immediately started picking up the conversations in town. When a signal was found, William would save that frequency into memory and start scanning, again. He dozed off, listening to reports of them not finding him. He listened as Gardner pronounced the wounded man as 'dead-weight' and ordered him killed. "And don't waste a bullet to do it!" he ordered.
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Post by bitsmith on Nov 2, 2022 19:18:03 GMT -6
And for those who cry out "MOAR" ...
You are welcome. ;-)
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Post by sniper69 on Nov 2, 2022 19:27:34 GMT -6
bitsmith - thank you for the chapter, and also the update about your plans falling into place.
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Post by feralferret on Nov 3, 2022 0:15:24 GMT -6
bitsmith,
I just discovered the story tonight and like it very much. Thank you.
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Post by kyrsyan on Nov 10, 2022 11:16:14 GMT -6
Wow!
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Post by bitsmith on Dec 20, 2023 10:31:55 GMT -6
TIA – Chapter Twenty-Eight In a light sleep William awoke when the radio sounded that a daylight manhunt was being ordered. No one knew who he was, where he was, or even what he looked like. But he was to be found.
“I want that son of a bitch found!” came the angry voice giving orders. “He nearly took off my thumb!”
“Which is more important? Your THUMB or Baron’s life?” came a quiet and muffled voice in reply.
“Who said that?” the angry voice, now identified as Gardner countered. “I want to know who said that? MY life is important to ALL of you. I keep you all alive!”
“You did not keep Baron alive! Or Ellis. And you ordered us to kill Montgomery because he was ‘dead-weight’. Some saving grace you are. Hamblin and you are perfect for each other. Simple bullies.”
William listened for a moment before picking up the microphone. Mimicking the previous operator’s accent he called “Well, Gardner? ARE you anything more than a bully? I’m tempted to kill you, myself, if I get the chance to do it, clean. And Hamblin, too.”
A third voice came over the radio, “This is Hamblin! No one is going to do anything! If any of you had any brains, you would be leading, not following. Now get out there and find that sone of a bitch who is picking us off.”
“I’ll be glad to help find him” William called. “I’ll be three steps behind YOU, Hamblin!”
Someone else replied, “And I’ll be behind Gardner.”
And another voice answered, “Me, too!”
William continued to listen as the channel went dead. Nodding to himself, he started scanning, again.
“… Gardner I don’t care. As they come back into town, I want them dead. Do you hear me? Every single one of them. The only ones we can trust are the ones we have with us.”
“I’m not certain that will be enough, Mr. Hamblin.” Gardner replied. “Did you see the looks in the faces of our men, when they heard the threats? No, sir. Even some of them are starting to think they would be better off without your leadership.”
“Dead, I said. Every last one of them!”
William switched back to the main frequency, transmitting “I’m not going back to town. If I find this guy, I’m gonna kill him, but I’m not going back. I don’t want to be killed by Gardner. He and Hamblin are psycho. Anyone with any REAL brains is gonna leave, too.”
“I’m glad someone else said it. We all have been thinking it.” Another anonymous voice replied. “I don’t know where I’m gonna go, but I’m out of here. I’m going back to Indy. I got kin there I can stay with.”
“Indy? Man, that is long walk!” another replied.
“Yeah, but I’d rather take my chances on the road than going back into town. Back to Gardner and Hamblin.”
“To hell with walking! Maybe I will do like the Sheriff described that vagrant. The one with the bicycle and the trailer? It’s not fast, but it is easier than walkin’.” William chimed in, again, as there was a pause, “Indy or Louisville. Maybe Bloomington or Columbus. Cities big enough to hide in. Or with neighborhoods weak enough to control. Most anywhere has to have better options than these tiny little towns Hamblin chose.”
William let off the mic button for just a moment, before he could continue someone started, “I know two things. I’m going back to town and I’m getting one of those cars, a couple of those sluts, and supplies. If I see anyone I don’t like, I’m going to kill first and not bother asking any questions. All you pussies can go crawl off into some hole. I’m going to take opportunity when I see it. And you would be wise to either join me or stay out of my way.”
Several people were all speaking at once. And William knew that an unfortunate war was about to swallow the town. Before it was a controlled war of William against a gang of 20 or so thugs. Now it was a three sided war of thugs against thugs against William. And the town was the battleground.
“Shit!” Williamm muttered. “Not quite the way I had hoped that would go.”
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Post by feralferret on Dec 22, 2023 4:09:04 GMT -6
Bitsmith, thank you!
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Post by CountryGuy on Dec 23, 2023 21:10:12 GMT -6
Bitsmith, appreciate the latest and hope MOAR is coming soon. Might have to put it on my Santa wishlist...
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Post by bitsmith on Mar 8, 2024 21:36:13 GMT -6
TIA Chapter Twenty-Nine
William rushed back into town. In the treeline behind the church he set two rifles behind different trees, about 30 yards apart, both with heavy shrubbery and bushes around them.
He whistled at Esther as she was hanging laundry. She picked up the basket and walked towards the wood line.
"Hey! You! Where do YOU think you are going?" one of the thugs yelled after her.
"Sometimes I can find berries back here. I'll stay in sight. I know the rules," she called back.
Good girl, william thought about the older lady.
"Work your way over here, Esther." William whispered. "Things are about to get worse. A LOT worse. The thugs are coming back into town. They are going to have a showdown with Hamblin and Gardner. I need you to get work out to as many of the townsfolk as you can, for them to take shelter in their basements. There is going to be A LOT of shooting and I don't want anyone getting hurt who is not a part of it."
"Sweet child you are, we all are in the thick of it." she said as she bent over the bushes, pulling off a few berries.
"Uhm, Esther, those are not edible. They are poisonous." William said, noticing her harvesting purple berries growing on a weed.
"I know. But do you think they do?" Esther stated with a sly grin. "Someone found some koolaid and mixed it up for these fools. I'm just going to add to it. It might not kill 'em, but it WILL make 'em sick. Slow 'em down. Give YOU a better edge to do what YOU must do to save my friends and neighbors."
William smiled and grunted then slowly backed out of the bushes and down the slight hill as he made his way away from her and to the other side of the church and towards the small bridge over the creek. The bridge was blocked by one of the police cruisers.
Walking steadily down the road were three thugs. Right down the middle like they owned the road. William dug out his radio, put the ear piece in and keyed up. "What are YOU assholes doing?" he stated into the radio.
The one in the middle of the road pulled out his radio, "We are leaving. We are taking food, water, guns, ammo, and a few of those bitches. Hamblin is not keeping his promises. Show you ---" One well placed gunshot to his chest went through him and into the fool standing too close behind him. The third dove for cover as William tried to take aim on him. The second mad was screaming in pain as he bled out on the country road.
William hopped the small creek, taking up a position where he could see the thugs from town coming out of their hiding places.
"Which of you assholes shot Twitch?" radioed the one who was hiding in the ditch on the other side of the road. "Which one of you did it?" William watched as two of the thugs were creeping closer to the police cruiser on the bridge. One was taking a path on the far side of the road. He sighted in on him even though the was closer to him. He was on the near side of the cruiser, making a bad shot to have come from the thug in the ditch. With a loud crack, there was another headless corpse that took one more step before falling down.
William backed out of where he was, moved farther down the road, the way the three had come, before demanding a car and suppies. Quietly, he watched as the remaining thug from town stalked the one in the ditch. Taking aim, he watched and waited as the hunter found his prey. He could not hear what was being said, but he watched as the guy tensed against the expected recoil. The two shots were almost as one as the man staggered and fell, facing town. The man in the ditch was dead, from that fallen thug's pistol.
"What the F*** is going on?" came Hamblin's voice, over the radio. "Where do you think you are? Tombstone or some shit? Stop shooting each other!"
Waiting William listened on the radio for someone to say something. Anything. Finally he keyed up. "Hamblin? F*** YOU! I'm out. I'm not going to let you shoot me as I come back into town. I'm gone, man. You ain't shit, Hamblin! There ain't no riches here! Just a bunch of dumb hicks and farms."
"Now, now. Calm down. We just got rid of a trouble maker, that is all."
"I don't care. You can't be trusted." came another voice over the radio. Two that William could see were entering town along the school road, turned and started walking away. William let them.
"Gardner! Bring the bus around! And get a detail of men to help load it! We are leaving here!" Hamblin barked over the radio. "NOW, dammit!"
Radio silence. No one said a thing. William pressed the scan button. As the radio scanned for other conversations, William snuck back into the woods, heading for the church and Esther. He was just in time to see Hamblin using two of the girsl for a shield, as he came out of the courthouse. Both women had their arms full. One was Margaret.
Gardner's voice came over the radio. "Hamblin? Go F*** yourself. I'm already down the road. I got what I need to survive a while. And my chances of survival are far better without you."
William watched Hamblin growl in frustration. He keyed up the mike, "Hello, you one-eyed son of a bitch. Are you ready to meet your maker?"
Hamblin was terrified. Gardner came back over the radio, "Like I said, Hamblin, my chances of survival are far greater when I am away from you."
"Don't go far, Marty. I still owe you, you disgusting, nasty, prick." William taunted back.
Hamblin was spinning around and around holding the girls in front of him. William stepped up, out of the creek, into the cemetary. Walking slowly, intentionally, carefully towards Hamblin. He hung his rifle from the hand of a stone angel as he passed. "Hold this would you?" he quipped.
"Hamblin ... I'm over here." William called out from about 50 yards. Hamblin saw him ans started shooting. His shots going far wide as his aim was off with only his secondary eye and the gun in his primary hand, while still trying to hold the girls as shields. They screamed as he fired and fired until his poistol ran dry.
"Billy? Is that you?" Hamblin called out. "Damn it, boy! I thought you were dead!"
"Well, as you can see, Hamblin, I'm still alive. And I'm here, to seek justice, just as I promised, all those years ago. "
"Oh, come on, son! You know I was only doing what I had to do. You were soft with her. She made you soft. Look at what you are, now. Was that you the preacher told of on the bicycle?"
"Yes. I ride a bicycle." William answered back, as he continued to walk, slowly towards Hamblin. Keying the microphone, William called out ... "To any of Hamlbin's mercs still within the reach of this radio ... be gone. Never return. If you do, I will return, as well. And we have already seen what it is like to have me hunting you. Go. Now. Any of you who wants safe passage AND a vehicle with a 1/4 tank of gas ... bring me Chief Davies. Alive. and be unarmed."
"I'll bring him to you. But I want a full tank of gas. I choose the vehicle. AND one of the women." came back a voice.
"I alredy made my offer. You have it. You have no power here. The town's people will find him. Eventually. 5 minutes and the offer expires. Alive or the offer expires." William transmitted, as he stepped up to Hamblin and the two women. "Ladies, you may step away, now. In fact, can you find me some rope, please? A thick rope. About 30 feet minimum. Go on, step away. He can't hurt you, now. He knows if he does, I will give him a slow and very painful death."
"Come on, Billy." Hamblin started, again. "Are you upset I was just shooting at you? I'm sorry. Ever since you took my dominant eye, I have not been able to see well enough to shoot accurately. DOn't blame a guy for trying to protect himself, right? You werre a good soldier for me, Billy. You still can be. We can still take control. With you at my side ... there is no town we can't take and control."
"Hamblin ... I don't want to control anything other than my self." William stepped back from Hamblin pulled his Glock from his chest. Then very quickly shot Hamblin 4 times. Once in each knee and once in each elbow. "And right now, Hamblin, I'm losing that battle for self control."
Suddenly there was a very loud crack from behind William. He turned in time to see Esther holding his rifle on her front porch. Next he saw Chief Davvies mouth agape at seeing Esther shoot a man.
"Esther?" William called.
"You promised him safe passage. Not ME!" Esther called back. "Besides, he was holding a gun at the chief's back."
Turning back, William saw Hamblin trying to crawl away, as he bled out, slowly. He stepped forward, stomped HARD on Hamblin's shoulder blade. The crack it made, as it broke was very distinctive. "You took her away from me, you son of a bitch. You killed her. And you killed the child within her. They burnt slowly in that car. And slowly you will die."
Chief Davvies was at his side. "William? This is not right. We have laws for a reason. She will get justice only through the courts. You cannot do this."
"Chief, I'm the only one who CAN do this. There are no courts, anymore. The only justice there is, left, is the justice one can make and hold to. YOU are the law and order, here, now. How are you going to show the town's people that you will do all you can do, to protect them form other filth such as this? YOU have to be judge, jury, AND executioner. Until law and order from above is restored. You cannot let a snake like live. YOu can not afford to keep him locked up and fed and cared for. You can not put him to work in fields to help grow his own food, and such. You cannot keep him in solitary confinement. THat only gives hime time to plot, plan, and eventually escape with absolutely no concern for life. He MUST die."
Davvies suddenly shoved William aside, while also pulling his glock from the chest holster. And jsut as quickly, he put a bullet in the back of Hamblin's head.
"Judged. Juried. Executed." Davies said as he handed William back the glock. He then turned and collapsed in the arms of Esther and another man.
"Chief! YOu just murdered that man!"
"No. I delivered justice to a man who has terrorized us for days. One how has killed, raped, stole, and beat innocent people for pleasure. We can not allow such evil to live within our society. If you do not like that, Harold, I suggest you either get with the new reality, or leave town and find your progressive utopia, somewhere else."
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Post by cashless1 on Mar 8, 2024 21:57:21 GMT -6
wow, thank you
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Post by sniper69 on Mar 8, 2024 22:15:43 GMT -6
Awesome chapter. Many thanks!
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Post by gipsy on Mar 9, 2024 8:41:00 GMT -6
Fine update. Thanks
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Post by bitsmith on Mar 9, 2024 21:51:07 GMT -6
ITA -- Chapter Thirty
William held Esther hugging her, thanking her for the fine shot she took to stop the threat to the chief. The chief was turning away medical attention, demanding the women in the jail be looked to, first. Finally, he just collapsed, dropping to his knees. William was at his side, kneeling, with arm over the man's shoulder.
"You have your town back, Ben. The bad men are mostly gone. Any that are still around will be alone and disorganized." William soothed the frazzled and proud man.
"Why are you here, William? Why did you come back?"
"For my lucky coin, of course." William chided.
"They took it from me. I told you I would keep it for you, but they took it. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It was just a coin. The truth is, I came back to check on everyone here and to let YOU know I have told a young man I know to come here. He is an urbanite. A self-reforming hoodlum who needs a place of goodpeople to show him the way of being a solid human being. I believe he can be a great person, when he finishes growing up." William explained. "And, I wanted him to witness these women recovering. How they have to work hard to get over the things those animals and Fariq did to them. He needs to understand that we live an honrable life to keep good people from having to deal with such pain."
"Why? Why us, here?"
"Because of you, Ben. And Esther. And this place. You have a beautiful little town here. And just a few miles away is another small town and some small farms with other great people. People willing to put in the work to rebuild, in small steps, within reasonable limits to be a part of a recovery."
"OK, William." Ben said, as he painfully stood, with help. "I will keep an eye for the kid. How will I recognize him? Or do you just expect me throw open my arms for any drifter who comes riding in on a bicycle with a trailer?"
"Yes. Exactly," William laughed. "You take care of your town, Ben. And now, it's time you let some of the town take care of you. Let these people look to yoru wounds. and I will see you, at the station, in the morning, before I leave."
Ben allowed himself to be turned and lead away along with the women and others who were held in the jail. William turned away, chuckling to himself, as Esther and her husband bumped foreheads as they embraced.
A few hours later, William had recovered his rig and was sitting on the steps of the church, sipping water and nibbling on a dried apple bar. Ben was sitting beside him and looking much better after being cleaned up and after getting rid of the bodies that had been dropped. Without looking, he handed Ben the snack bar.
"You said you always learned something on your adventures. What did you learn on this one?" Ben asked. Esther and her husband farther up the stairs enjoying the breeze and conversation.
"Well, I can tell you, I learned that Esther is not to be trusted if she is offering you kool-aid." William replied.
Esther barked a laugh as she gently pushed him with her foot.
"Come again?" asked the pastor.
"I'll tell you, later, dear." She said and everyone just went quiet, again.
As they were all just sitting there, enjoying the company, watching the people of the town clean up and check on one another, a woman started to approach.
"Oh, Karen alert," Esther musttered. Her husband whispered back at her, so she slapped his hands off her arm.
"Hello, Beatrice," Ben opened. "How are you doing? Everything alright with your children?"
"My kids are fine, thank you."
"OK. I'm glad to hear that. Is there something we can help you with?" Ben asked. "Or maybe you would like to join us? We are just enjoying each other's company."
"And praising God for seeing us through to this day." Esther's husband stated simply.
"No, I will NOT be joining you. I just want to know why, you an elected officer of the law has not locked this man up?" Karen quized Ben.
"Oh, well, uhm ..." Ben stammered without an actual answer.
"Because he has hired me to remove, eliminate, erase, delete, and or kill anyone who threatens him or this town." William answered with as angelic a smile as he could muster, he continued, "Should I consider you someone who is threatening him or otherwise interferring with how he runs this town? ... Ben? Is this woman a threat? I mean, I have seen she is not a useful resource. She is not attractive. Nor intelligent. I believe she may be short sighted to the point of near disability. Evidently she is more interested HER position in this town than it's safety. I believe she may have been a conspirator of those we have eliminated today. Do you think she is capable of being a conspirator with such evil people, Esther?"
"Thank you, William, but no. She is not an INTENTIONAL threat. And she does have her uses in our little society." Ben stated clearly.
Esther opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by her husband as Karen turned to walk away in a huff.
"That was mean, William." Ben stated trying hard not to laugh.
"But well deserved and on point, I thought." Esther added.
"Esther, remember your 7 deadly sins. YOU are a leader in this town, now. You stepped into the role when it was needed. Now you have to be that role to ALL the people here." William teased back. "Where is Margaret?"
"She is in the house with one of women you rescued. The poor girl is not doing well. Very traumatized." Esther shared.
"It is good she has someone who has been through the same beside her."
"We thought so, too. So we took her into our house. Where she will be surrounded by other women and man of God to help support her." Esther stated.
"Be careful with the 'man of god' stuff. The asshole that held her prisoner spoke heavily and often of god. He was speaking of Allah, rather than Yaweh. But he still had that godly tone of voice of a preacher with a radicalizing nature." William shared.
"Uhm, who it Yaweh?" Ben asked.
"The Father of Jesus. Yaweh is just on of his 9 billion names." William spoke.
"So you are a believer?" Esther asked as her husband sat quietly listening.
"I believe MANY things, Esther. Not all of them will be in alignment of your beliefs. If the internet was still around, I would ask you to read the Book of Thomas, and others removed from the Bible at the Council of Nicaea. They, like ALL of the books of the Bible, should be read as they are a part of the experience of Christ's life, by witnesses. Including those of 'Doubting Thomas' and Mary of Magdelane and the Book of Judith. So much more about Christ that shoudl have been included and taught, today. I also believe that ANY society should have scolars and learned peoples of other cultures and beliefs. This can lead to a better understanding, in both directions. How many wars have been fought because of some mis-understood turn of phrase taken as insult because of ignorance?"
"That is deep, William. I consider myself a scholar of other beliefs. In seminary we were taught about them and how they are wrong so we might convert those into Christianity." the Pastor shared.
"And THAT, good sir, is why I do not worship as you do. You have been taught to bring theological warfare onto the hearts of those seen as being heretics and pagans, ignorant and wrong. A belief is like an opinion. Both have value, but only to the one who holds that opinion near and dear. Telling someone they are wrong for their FAITH is part of what destroyed our nation. Go forth and witness. Share the love of Christ. is practically the same as telling minions to go forth and bully non-believers. The Quoran at least divides non-belivers into two groups. The first group are to be treated fairly, kindly, honestly and openly. Treated as friends, even. For this group has not threatened or fought Muslims because of their faith. But for those who fight Muslims because of their faith or tries to expel them from their homes ... their Prophet instructed to fight back and treat with cold malice in defense of their faith and beliefs. BOTH Christianity and Islam are wrong for HOW they treat individuals who believe differently." William taught. "I do not know all about all faiths. But I have been treated kinder as a stranger in a strange land of Islam as a non-believer than I have been treated in my own homeland by alleged brothers and sisters in Christ..."
"WOW! You know a lot that is so very wrong. We should talk, sometime, when you are ready and willing to learn the truth," the pastor rebutted.
William looked to Ben, "Chief, pardon me for grinding gears on the conversation, but would you care to meet me at your office? I have some gifts in my trailer I would like to donate to your efforts of protecting this town and fine people within it."
"Sure, William. I will be along, shortly." Ben agreed.
William stood, nodded to the Pastor, smiled at Esther, nodded and left on his bicycle.
"Well ... that was like a turd in the punch bowl at the picnic, Pastor." Ben stated flatly.
"He's a godless heathen and he needs to be brought into the fold."
"Or, maybe he has seen and been through so much that he knows more than you do abotu what you you claim to actually know." Ben shared. "What was it he called that punk tha had your daughter in Indy? A 'Radicalized Muslim' who had twisted the words of God to his own desires and was teaching that to others? Could it be the doctrine of your seminary was, in it's own way, radicalized? That council thing he mentioned sure sounds like management radicalizing their system."
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Ben walked into the station to find William sitting in a chair in the lobby area with two ammo cans between his feet.
"Hello, Chief. Sorry about the sudden departure. Between the Pastor and that Karen, I've been told I'm wrong for what I believe too many times, today." William shared as he stood and shook Ben's hand.
"For what it is worth, William, I think I will keep my beliefs to myself. I think that not everything we are taught is truly the word of God, directly. But that it has been filtered, translated, and maybe even flat out massaged to meet someone's goals."
"Propagandized," William replied. "ANYWAY ... move that stick and dump the clutch. What caliber are your sidearms? 9mm or .40 cal?"
Startled, Ben responded, "uhm, we have weapons in both."
"Good. Here is an ammo can of each. About 500 rounds each, I would say, given weight and volume. I hope you use them in good health and in defense of this town and those in it."
"Even Karen and the Pastor?" Ben jokingly asked.
"Yes. Even in defense of them and those like them." WIlliam deadpanned as he stuck his hand out, again to shake the Chief's. "Good luck, Ben. And we can do that beer, another time, OK?"
William did not wait around for an agreement. He just turned and walked out the door, climbing on his bicycle and heading out of town. Taking the same exit that Gardner took.
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Post by gipsy on Mar 9, 2024 22:10:49 GMT -6
Cool beans
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