08-28-2014, 07:49 PM
Jensen's heart beat sad for Pyotr. Effectively, the man proclaimed he didn't see the need to commune with the Lord on a regular basis. But Jensen said nothing. It was his first time in church in over four years. He couldn't say a word.
But Pyotr's subsequent question curled the black of death through his chest. His eyelids slid low beneath the heavy lines of a grimace. Instantly, he was standing in that alley, furious and terrified.
He steadied himself with a long breath. The air in the diner was stifling, but the heat inside was a furnace by comparison. It was a relief to let it out lest it consume from within.
"Like I said, I didn't think it was a gift at first."
The long, Texan drawl grew quiet.
He pulled his wallet from a pocket and ran a brief search. Moments later, he slid it across the way for Pyotr to read.
It was a short news article. Jensen's picture was positioned at the top. In it, he was smiling at something off-camera. His hair was slicked back and dark against his scalp. He wore a pristine black jacket and a white-button down, no tie, and open at the collar. The headline explained the rest.
"That's when I found out about it."
He forced himself to watch the light of recognition illuminate Pyotr's face. Meanwhile, the memory of Tomas' sweet smile filled his mind. Never in a hundred years would Jensen have believed the man was planning to blackmail him. Then again, never would Jensen think himself capable of leaving a dead body behind in the street.
He paused in case Pyotr had another question, or perhaps might leave the table altogether."What about you? How'd you find out about it?"
But Pyotr's subsequent question curled the black of death through his chest. His eyelids slid low beneath the heavy lines of a grimace. Instantly, he was standing in that alley, furious and terrified.
He steadied himself with a long breath. The air in the diner was stifling, but the heat inside was a furnace by comparison. It was a relief to let it out lest it consume from within.
"Like I said, I didn't think it was a gift at first."
The long, Texan drawl grew quiet.
He pulled his wallet from a pocket and ran a brief search. Moments later, he slid it across the way for Pyotr to read.
It was a short news article. Jensen's picture was positioned at the top. In it, he was smiling at something off-camera. His hair was slicked back and dark against his scalp. He wore a pristine black jacket and a white-button down, no tie, and open at the collar. The headline explained the rest.
"That's when I found out about it."
He forced himself to watch the light of recognition illuminate Pyotr's face. Meanwhile, the memory of Tomas' sweet smile filled his mind. Never in a hundred years would Jensen have believed the man was planning to blackmail him. Then again, never would Jensen think himself capable of leaving a dead body behind in the street.
He paused in case Pyotr had another question, or perhaps might leave the table altogether."What about you? How'd you find out about it?"