The past never stays hidden or forgotten. Ben Stingler left his past for a quiet life, until a young man steps in his bar, and brings with him all the things Ben tried to put behind him five years ago. An overdue debt is back on the table.
This is a short story about assassins and secret past life, meant to be over in a few minutes.
Excerpt
Street noises poured in once he opened the door; a truck panted uphill, bringing the traffic to a near standstill, a bunch of teens on their way to school laughed and joked. The timing was terrible; my favourite song was on, Phil Collins’, Another Day in Paradise. For the past five years, my bar was my paradise.
I had a feeling the man who entered was trouble from the moment I saw him. The glare from outside framed him in a blinding halo, until the door closed behind him and the world darkened. I could have sworn a young version of Steve McQueen had just walked in. Well-built, mustard-coloured hair, with a set of washed arctic blue eyes, he measured and sized people up in a way that was unknown to the average person. Even one who walks into a place looking for trouble. A look that sent hackles on a rigid frenzy, and screamed “trained professional” a mile away. A look I knew too well.
Without a doubt, a look I had on me every time I pulled the trigger and ignored the pleas for mercy.
He stood by the entrance and swivelled his head from one side to the other, absorbing every bit of information; Teddy was on his usual spot, reeking of last night’s booze mixed with stale sweat and vomit. A middle-aged woman sat in a booth by the window, surrounded by sheets of paper. Already on her third glass of cheap red wine, she typed in bursts something on her laptop whenever she wasn’t staring outside at something more interesting than her work.
Professional Reviews
A quick, yet indulgent thriller
What an intense, gripping thrill ride! From the character descriptions and language to the way the author sets the tone, I have found myself wishing it wasn't over! Yet, it was a taut, tasty treat wrapped up inside of something delicious in a way that makes you want more, yet is complete all in itself. This story is one of those things that perfectly ends itself, yet leaves you wanting more, and not in a sense that you feel the author left you hanging. We have a fast-moving, suspenseful short story that delivers what you need to know moment by moment until its revealing ending. I would love to read more from this author and hope he will also write longer works of fiction.
