Angel's Creed: An Action Urban Fantasy Series (Rev Carver Series Book 2) by Paul Sating

Author:Paul Sating [Sating, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Paul Sating Productions
Published: 2023-03-03T16:00:00+00:00

14

HITTING THE JACKPOT

Hoodsport is a small town you'd miss if you sneezed while passing through, driving the speed limit—which I rarely do. It's one of those places that makes you nervous to visit if you're not a local. They've got each other's faces memorized and they don't trust those from the outside world. Secluded, rural communities can be like that, regardless of where in the Overworld you are.

I imagine I set several expectations when I walked into the bar and grill in town—literally the only place of entertainment for the entire community. At six feet and still in decent fighting shape for my age, donning my black leather duster, and with long hair that would make the more conservative community members squirm, I stood out.

But I had a job to do. They could drown their preconceived opinions about me in their cheap beer if they had a problem with non-conforming appearances. Plus, one of the beautiful revelations about the aging process for angels—and I've spoken with enough mortals over the years to know it rings true for them as well—is that the older I get, the less I care about what people think. The less I care about politics too. World affairs, pop culture, and most definitely, perceptions about me were included in that mix.

If anyone was going to embrace the whole 'aging rock star' vibe, I was that guy.

Eight heads turned my way. Seven remained on me while I took a seat. Only a woman, sitting by herself under a wide rectangular mirror displaying a cheap corporate beer company's logo, looked away. I ignored the other seven, keeping my third eye tempered for now. I was here to ask around about strange sightings, not to get flooded with the life stories of these small-town folk.

What lingered in the air inside the bar made me think no one had cracked a window since the nineteen seventies. Added to that gem, I was pretty sure patrons smoked in here whenever they thought an outsider wouldn't call the Health Department on this "fine" establishment.

"Whatcha havin'?" the husky woman behind the bar asked. She was missing a front tooth.

"Whiskey sour, please," I said, pulling up on the stool. The red plastic seat cover had split open so long ago that the cushion inside was rubbed, or scooped, away in small divots. Instead of trying to get comfortable on the stool that looked as uncomfortable as the looks I was receiving from the men on either side, I stood while she made my drink.

When the bartender finished, she said, "Eight bucks."

I slid my card to her. "Keep the tab open. I'll be here for a bit."

She snatched it like I'd stolen it from her and walked away to chat with another patron who might have been her husband.

I found a seat closer to the front door that also placed me behind anyone coming in. The spot would give me a slight advantage, putting any new entrant in my targets before I could fall into theirs.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.