I Am In Here: A Breathtaking Christian Thriller by Mapes Creston

Author:Mapes, Creston [Mapes, Creston]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rooftop Press
Published: 2022-09-02T00:00:00+00:00

20

DOUGLAS

T he sun is well down behind the trees as I drive up the driveway, my stomach churning with anxiety over the night ahead.

No.

Pastor Rick’s car . . .

Everything in me goes dark.

I slow down.

I stop.

No, no, no . . .

His car is backed in, parked, and running. He’s in it. A cloud of exhaust streams gently out the back.

I’m gripped by an overwhelming sense of desperation. I glance down at the bag of money on the floor next to me.

He can’t take it.

Pastor Rick opens his door, slowly gets out, stands there, and nods at me with a serious face.

I pause then roll down my window. “Hey man. What’s up?”

It’s so obvious I’m stalling, deceiving . . . if it weren’t so serious it would be comical.

Pastor Rick insists we need to talk.

In that split second, I contemplate flying backwards and taking off. But I can’t. It makes no sense. I can’t run from my own home. Plus, I need to be here to make the deal.

I’m still stopped in the middle of the driveway. I yell over to him, “Let me pull in.”

After pausing, trying to figure out what to do, I ease the car forward and open the garage door with the remote. I’m light-headed because I have no idea what I’m going to tell Rick. I can’t tell him the truth or he’ll take the money back. As my car crunches through the snow in the cold dark shade of the house, I decide I will park quickly in the garage and get outside fast—away from the car and money.

As I pull into the garage my phone vibrates.

I park, turn off the car, and look at my phone. A text from Sandra: “What is the pastor doing here?”

Quickly I text back: “He knows I cashed the check. Doesn’t like it.”

I get out, shut the car door, and hurry outside.

Pastor Rick has trudged toward me up the slight incline and is only fifteen feet from me. He has on a heavy dark blue parka and an army green ski hat.

“Doug, you have to talk to me about getting cash,” he says, slightly out of breath. “I need to know everything’s on the up and up. Otherwise, the deal’s off.”

No, no, no.

I chuckle anxiously.

He has every right to doubt me, especially after he saw on video that I was casing out the safe in his office.

He is in the right here; I am in the wrong.

I hold my hand out for him to stop walking, not wanting him to get any closer to the money. “Rick, I promise you every cent of that money is going toward the debts we owe on Hale, just like I told you. Can you just trust me on this? Please?”

Of course, that isn’t true because a large chunk of the money is for interest.

He shakes his head and continues toward me. “No, Doug. I can’t. What kind of hospital or medical company would require you to pay in cash? Just tell me what’s going on.

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