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CHAPTER 15 - JEZEBEL
It took hours before we were cleared from the scene. The girl's body was finally removed and taken to the Medical Examiner to confirm the cause of death. As if the needle in her arm wasn't enough. This shift was never going to end! I dropped Keegan off at the House to do the paperwork and reports. I needed more answers and there was only one place I could get them.
It was just after dusk and night had not yet fully settled in. The snow was piled high from the plows and shovels, pushed from the roads. I could barely find the driveway. Going to the church had become an old habit. All too familiar. And I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. The house was well lit and as I pulled up, the porch light came on. The door opened and the old man was waiting for me before I got out of the car. He welcomed me in and led me straight to the kitchen where we sat at the kitchen table. He was quiet as he
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The Witch's Bottle CHAPTER 16 - WAYFARING STRANGER
Friday, December 14Driving the beat, seeing the wreaths on the streetlights, the businesses decorated for the season, the tree lots, the Menorahs, the busyness of the shops and stores, did nothing for me. There was a time when a night like this, a winter's landscape, brought me great joy, excitement, and peace. Tonight, however, there was none of that. No excitement or making merry of any kind. There seemed nothing but brokenness, despair, confusion, and emptiness. Everything that had gone on – all that was happening – made me completely exasperated. The guilt, the condemnation over the death of the grounds keeper... it was almost too much for me to bear. It was my stupidity, my arrogance in opening my mouth to Casper that got him killed."Central to Six-three David and a unit to back... Domestic i
The Witch's Bottle CHAPTER 17 - END OF WATCH
Saturday, December 15Foot mobile is definitely hostile... She's wired... hell, Sergeant... She's just a kid.Where was I? It was Nasariyah... I could smell it, feel it, but it didn't make sense.Garbo, you're cleared hot on that Haji... Take her the hell out!That was my Team Leader's voice, Theo. I was back in the Humvee... But I was shot. I know I was... I can remember it, can still feel the pain.Jesus Christ, Garbo... take her the hell out. I don't have the line of sight.... What the hell are you waiting for?I didn't want to look at it. Relive it. I never want to see that fa
The Witch's Bottle CHAPTER 18 - MIKHAIL WAZOWSKI
Sunday, December 23As if sitting at home in pain wasn't bad enough, I was called down to the House by Internal Affairs.My first call was to my father who told me he'd take care of it. Five minutes later my cell rang and it was Isaac Zeltman, Esquire, Attorney-At-Law. I had a bad feeling this was going to go sideways – and quick. Since I couldn't drive, and Maxine was working, Isaac came to pick me up.It was bitter cold with flurries, windy. I'd fallen back into a bad habit that I would have to hide. I was chewing tobacco... again. As he drove up, I left the front porch and spit in the snow. My arm was still in a sling but my free hand held my spit-cup."Ahh... no way... No, no, no... Not in my car, K
The Witch's Bottle CHAPTER 19 - MCSORLEY'S FOR CHRISTMAS
Monday, December 24It was our first Christmas Party as a married couple. Every year Max's family had their annual Christmas Eve shindig at McSorley's Ale House. They reserved the entire dining room which was an add-on from the original building. It was established in 1856 and had been a mainstay in the community ever since. The placed wreaked of history. McSorley himself was part of the 63rd Volunteer Regiment and served as a Captain alongside my fourth generation grandfather. It was still owned by the McSorley family, who hadn't changed anything about the original building except for bringing it up to code. It was like going back in time. It was very similar to Cohan's but more of an eatery than an actual pub.As we pulled into the parking lot, I felt the excitement of the season for the first time. The front
The Witch's Bottle CHAPTER 20 - TRUE DANGERS FALSE FEARS
Friday, January 3I didn't want to be here so I was just going to tell her, my Department appointed shrink, what she wanted to hear and get on with life. Mandatory counseling, I hated it. By just walking into this room threw me back into a depression that I hadn't felt in the past couple of weeks. The worst part... this was the first of six mandatory appointments I had to keep. I was both lucky and unlucky that they put it off as long as they did. Lucky because I didn't have to deal with it before Christmas. Unlucky because I didn't have to deal with it before Christmas... Ah, the beauty of the Christmas season.I sat in the chair across from her desk looking out of the window. This one had a reputation as being tough. She was dressed professionally, her office neat and orderly, but it was definitely deceiving.
The Witch's Bottle CHAPTER 21 - FOURFOLD HALLELUJAH
Monday, January 20It was one of the worst winters in recent memory. There had been some sort of snow, freezing rain and temperatures in the teens every day. The old timers called it the Demon's Breath Winter. The only people on the streets were the shoppers and those who worked. It was the gangbangers, junkies, and welfare who stayed inside. They would get cabin fever and either start killing each other or themselves."Six-three David, and a backing unit... Report of an MVA, possible fatality... The intersection of Central and Third." This was the busiest intersection in town. It was the business section, very wealthy and built up. Three and four story buildings lined both sides of the four-lane street. It had shops, eateries, delicatessens, bakeries, all throughout the five block radius. It was a favorite par
The Witch's Bottle CHAPTER 22 - RUBIK'S CUBE
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The Witch's Bottle CHAPTER 23 - CHARMS
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