Fool Me Twice – In the Hole
In the blink of an eye I pulled out my pistol and fired a shot just inches from him, causing him to jump back in surprise. “Please, Paddy! Don’t! Holy shit, I’ll…”
I fired another round into the dirt in front of him, “Get your ass back in that hole!”
He started to stand. But when I fired another shot, he quickly complied with my order, but stopped just short of climbing all the way into the grave with Louie.
“Paddy, don’t do, this!”
“I said, get… back… in the hole, now!”
My words had their intended effect, and he slowly eased back into the ground.
I absolutely hated what I was about to do. Indeed, it was completely out of character for me. But frankly, he’d left me no other choice.
When you’ve had the rug pulled from under you as much as I had, sooner or later something had to give.
In the blink of an eye I pulled out my pistol and fired a shot just inches from him, causing him to jump back in surprise. “Please, Paddy! Don’t! Holy shit, I’ll…”
I fired another round into the dirt in front of him, “Get your ass back in that hole!”
He started to stand. But when I fired another shot, he quickly complied with my order, but stopped just short of climbing all the way into the grave with Louie.
“Paddy, don’t do, this!”
“I said, get… back… in the hole, now!”
My words had their intended effect, and he slowly eased back into the ground.
I absolutely hated what I was about to do. Indeed, it was completely out of character for me. But frankly, he’d left me no other choice.
When you’ve had the rug pulled from under you as much as I had, sooner or later something had to give.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. You probably think I’m one of those nut cases who get their jollies out of making other people suffer. They’re called sociopaths, or psychopaths. And although I’ve met plenty of them in prison, I’m not one of them.
Never have been.
Psychopaths will freely admit to enjoying nothing more than torturing cute, furry little animals just for shits and giggles.
But me?
I have a heart.
I just wanted to be sure Mac was telling me the truth.
That he wasn’t playing me for a fool again.
As he got down on his knees, I slowly eased the hammer back on my pistol.
“All right, Mac. This is your final chance.” I pointed the gun at his face. “Where is my money?”
With trembling hands, he wiped the dirt and sweat from his eyes, pleading with me to change my mind.
“Paddy, look, I don’t know where it is. But I swear it! We’ll find out! If we can just—”
“No, Mac” I said, shaking my head. “I’m sorry. There’s no more we. It’s just me now. You’re through.”
“Think about what your about to do, Paddy.”
I tightened my grip on the trigger, “I already have, Mac. Believe me. I already have.”
And as my finger closed around the trigger, Mac cringed and closed his eyes.
I pulled the trigger.
And before the shot even finished echoing through the surrounding woods, a small trickle of blood began coursing a path down Mac’s dirt-smeared face.