The Wrath Walker (The Wrath Series Book 1) by Matthew Newson (fun to read .txt) 📗

“Who could forget that crazy story? A man claiming to be the embodiment of God’s wrath on the earth... Wild stuff.” Phillip laughed.

“It truly is, and I’m glad you’re laughing, because this next part is a real gas. It turns out he was there the day of the mayor’s funeral.”

Phillip’s laughter slowed. “How do you know that?”

“Because he’s in the picture on the front page of the mayor’s funeral. Standing in the back. I had to do a double take and really look, but sure enough it was him.”

Phillip’s smiled started to shift. He put his hand over his mouth and rubbed his bottom jaw for a moment. “Brandon, do you hear yourself? I have placated you for long enough now, but you are not well, and I believe you’re at the point where you need some professional help. You’re clearly seeing things that are not there, and you need a level of care that I cannot give you. If your story is true, which it is not, that would make this Wrath guy well into his eighties or nineties.”

“I won’t debate you on my need for some kind of professional psychological help, but tonight Wrath killed Enzo and Skeeter Amara right in front of me.”

“He did what?” Phillip asked in shock as the faint smile finally faded away from his face. “Brandon, I want you to be honest with me, you’re the one who has been killing these people, aren’t you?”

“No. I’ve never killed anyone. But the great thing is that I finally saw today the thing Wrath has been trying to show me since the moment I met him in Ron’s house. This revelation saved my life by the way, and afterward we got to talking. He had some interesting things to say about you and your friends he killed.”

“Come on now, what are you talking about? The Amaras have never set a foot in this church, and I’m willing to guess they haven’t been in a church for a long time.”

“God, you’re good, you know that? You had me and my dad convinced for years, but not Wrath. He filled me in on all of it. I know you’re the one who has been over the Amaras since they started in this city. Skeeter told me how you helped him run the Riccis out of the city in order for them to take it over, and as long as they did what you said, they stayed in power. They both also said that you’re into some really dark stuff as well, and I’m here to stop all of it tonight.” I pulled the revolver from my waist belt.

The sight of the gun didn’t seem to faze Phillip in the slightest as his eyes glanced at it and then back to me. His gaze narrowed as he cocked his head to the right. A wickedness I’d never seen on him before filled his face.

“I don’t think he told you everything that I am into, or he wouldn’t have sent you in here alone with that pea-shooter.” Phillip walked past me in total disregard of the gun. “Come with me, Brandon, and feel free to keep the gun on me if it makes you feel better. But like I said, you will see soon enough how it won’t help you. Just for the fun of it, I will also keep my hands where you can see them as well, and I guarantee you I won’t make any sudden movements.”

“Because bullets bounce off of you, right?” I said mockingly. “There’s one person I’ve seen that happen to, and he isn’t even human.

“Something like that, now come on.” Phillip turned his head to me and flashed a smile.

I cautiously followed at what felt like a safe distance behind Phillip and performed a quick scan of every open room we passed to ensure he didn’t have anyone waiting to ambush me as we proceeded down the hall.

Phillip turned around with his hands still in the air. “There’s no one in any of these rooms except for the one I’m taking you to, so please don’t waste any more time with that.”

“Stop. There’s no reason for me to follow you. You’re under arrest, Phillip.”

“Who do you think you’re scaring with that? You can’t arrest me, and on what charges would you arrest me for? You’re not a cop anymore, you don’t have any real power and authority, or have you forgotten?”

“I’m making a citizen’s arrest.”

“Well, if you do that, you will never get the answers you seek, and even if you force me to leave here, you won’t be stopping anything. Besides, your red-suited friend hasn’t told you the whole story, and as you know there are two sides to every story.” Phillip kept walking with his hands up.

We went a few more rooms down the long hallway, until Phillip stopped and pointed at the door to his left. “In this room you will find all the answers you seek, and all you have to do is go inside.”

“Do I have to give you the gun first or something like that?”

“No. If it makes you feel more comfortable then I’d rather you keep it.”

I kept the gun trained directly at the upper left portion his back, so the bullet would tear straight through his heart if he tried anything. Phillip lowered his arm and turned the handle and pushed up the door to one of the church’s main conference rooms. He walked in with his hands up with me close behind him, and a group of men at the table jumped once they saw me enter the room with a gun.

“Now, now everyone please calm down. I assured Brandon that none of us would try and hurt him, and I mean that, so everyone take a seat and relax. Mr. Farmer is here tonight for answers because his red-suited friend has apparently filled him in on all of us, and some