He turned, Charlie following him closely, and headed back to his car. He opened the door of the Demon just as someone screamed for help.
This was just beginning. The Seaths had the Boss’s Treasure. They’d interfered in an affair that kept Callaghan in line and happy, and that Redmond couldn’t have. The Family was his when the old man croaked, and until then, he had to be indulged. No, the fact that the boy was also O’Brien’s grandson only made it all the more perfect.
They thought they were safe now, holed up in that house. They were going to find out how far the Callaghan Family reached, and how their safety was nothing but an illusion.
Epilogue
The Pious and the Unforgiven
Early Sunday Morning, October 19th, 2015
“Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been two weeks since my last confession.”
The voice on the other side of the screen sounded elderly and weak. It was not unusual for older Catholic men to come and confess every small sin toward the end of their lives. A long life was a blessing of course, and it included making amends at the end of life. It was always a pleasure for the priest seated in the confessional to hear the routine sins of the aged of their community. By far, confessions of anger at younger people as well as indiscretions in their thoughts were the things he heard the most.
“Bless you, my child. Have you come for reconciliation of your sins today, my son?” asked Father Jameson. It was the beginning of his day, almost seven am now, and the third confession he’d heard in the last hour. Sunday mornings always brought about those wishing to confess before the beginning of mass, and those were generally the older parishioners and those that had mobility problems.
“I have, Father. I have been filled with wrath and I have need of unburdening myself of it,” the old man on the other side of the screen said. He spoke with a light Irish accent, not uncommon in this area, and Father Jameson could see the gray hair gracing his head through the screen. This was not a regular at their church, but all were welcome who wished to unburden themselves.
“Tell me, my son. What has caused your great wrath?” he asked with no hesitation.
There was a long pause. “I had something very precious from me taken, something so dear to my heart that I have need to acquire it once again. It was my last treasure in my twilight years. My enemies have hidden my treasure from me, and I struggle with what my reaction should be. I wish to burn everything to the ground my enemy has and destroy everything he loves.”
Father Jameson blinked rapidly for a moment. “My son, but the Lord does not wish to see you react in anger and wrath, ‘because anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires,’ James 1:20.”
There was a pause again. “My anger is because I have been wronged of what God’s word promised me, a treasure which brought safety to children.”
After a second to process the thought, the priest paused. “My child, I do not understand what it is you mean? For what children does the treasure bring safety?” For a brief instant, Father Jameson wondered if the man hadn’t had money stolen intended for some sort of children’s fund. That certainly would bring a wrathful feeling upon someone.
“God showed me a way to quell dangerous desires I carry in my sinful heart. God showed me a way to relieve such unholy carnal desires for the bodies of young boys, and now the way has been stolen from me by my enemies.”
Father Jameson wasn’t sure how to respond to what he just imparted upon him. “God showed you a way?”
“Of course. To save the virtue of the young, my treasure is who I turn the unholy desire upon, an adult who can withstand my violence which my God has given unto me to bear. And he was stolen from me, my last treasure that would hold me through until my dying days.”
The absolute emotionless way this man was speaking shook the priest to his core. “You visit violence upon another human being so you may refrain from lust toward young boys? This is not a something the Father...”
“The Lord revealed this to me because God is perfect and God has created me with these desires, and has given me a way to deal with such things. That has been taken and my anger is incredible,” he responded. “I only wish to confess my rage. I am absolved of all other sins by the Lord Himself.”
For some reason, Father Jameson began to feel dread settling into his stomach. “Of course, my son, but Psalms 37:8 states to ‘Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.’ Those who have stolen from you deserve your pity for they have stolen when they had none.”
The silence on the other side of the screen became unsettling. “I do not believe you understand, Father. I am absolved and I will receive my treasure. My treasure serves a Godly purpose and becomes one with God when I have dispatched them to be with Him. Their sacrifice is known to the Lord, and that is what I tell them before I release them from this mortal realm to Heaven. My rival has him and has hidden him. I only ask for absolution of my wrathful feelings.”
“My son, I can offer you absolution for the wrath you have confessed, but my son, you have said that there have been other desires...”
“Father, my repentance for wrath.”
“Your penance will be ten Our Fathers, and twenty Hail Marys. I would ask that you spend some time in self-contemplation on the deeds of your past,” Father Jameson responded with a dry click in his throat. He was beginning to realize who he was speaking to on the other side of the screen.
The gray-haired man nodded. “God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of your grace to confess my sins, do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.”
Father Jameson continued. “God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” he spoke as he made the cross on his chest. “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,” he finished.
“For His mercy endures forever,” came the answer from the other side. The door to the neighboring confessional opened and the other man left.
Father Jameson sat quietly for a short while and reached for the small latch. The door popped open and he looked up to see a very large red-haired man staring at him. This man was not the one who had been in the confessional. This man was perhaps in his thirties, and he had a grin on his face which spoke of violence.
“Sorry, Father, but I’m not Catholic, hell, I’m an atheist, but Callaghan don’t know that. Don’t worry, no one is in here, we cleared them all out when we came in. I can’t leave witnesses to what he told you in that booth, Father,” he said and lifted a handgun to the middle-aged man’s head.
The last thought that passed through Father Jameson’s mind was Forgive me father, for I have sinned...
Notes
Chains of Fate
THE CHAINS OF FATE Series takes place in St. Louis, MO. St. Louis is a community of rich diversity and has about anything imaginable available within the city itself. If something cannot be found inside the city of St. Louis itself, a trip to one of the surrounding suburban areas is sure to reveal whatever is desired. Chesterfield, where part of the Doctor’s Training Trilogy takes place, is one of those suburban areas.
The surrounding area of St. Charles, St. Peters, and Cottleville, MO are all situated across the Missouri River. St. Charles, MO has a long history as the original capital of Missouri. One part of St. Charles that is featured in the Chains of Fate stories is that of the Historic Main Street. Here there are buildings, shops, and all kinds of unusual places of interest.
The authors have chosen to create original locations in these areas so that the characters can have free reig
n to interact without causing any upset to actual people that own and operate businesses in the area. Many of the places we created are based on real locations, so perhaps if you make your way to St. Louis, you might recognize some of the places that we created. Please fine a listing of all the original locations that we will be using in the Chains of Fate books now and in the future. We could add to the list at any time!
Any resemblance to actual locations is completely unintended and coincidental. There certainly may be some locations out there with similar structures to those described here, but these are all completely imaginary. We do apologize if there are any names that coincide with real locations. There is no link between anything real and the following list of places. These places are to be used exclusively in the Chains of Fate Series by Anderson and Hunt.
Local Businesses
Arch City Leather Works
• St. Louis, MO
• Leather goods store located in St. Louis. They carry a large array of high quality leather items for sale.
Brewer’s Yeast
• St. Charles, MO. Main Street.
• Microbrewery. They have a large outdoor patio and occasionally have spoken word and local bands play on the small stage inside. Brewer’s Yeast is located on the corner of their block, offering the chance to have an outdoor patio that curves around it. Lotus With Coffee and Tea is on their left.
Betsy’s Kitchen
• Cottleville, MO.
• A Family Restaurant that is somewhat off the beaten path. It is owned by Betsy Daniels and her husband Carl. Their daughter helps by waiting tables and washing dishes while attending UMSL. Their younger children also help out around the place, and can often be found playing in the back near the “back” kitchen. Located just off 94 near Jungerman.
Cat’s Meow
• St. Louis, MO.
• Near UMSL. Library/Cat Library. The Library is run by a group of business students from UMSL and their books are all from other Library Sales throughout St. Louis and St. Charles/St. Peters. Donations for books are taken regularly, and most of those that work there are volunteers. There are often cat food and cat litter drives for the Library.
Channings
• Chesterfield, MO.
• Autism specialty school and treatment center. The school specializes in Applied Behavioral Analyst techniques and has recently come under fire by autism self-advocacy groups. Dr. Thomas McKellar is on the board of directors, and has championed the school as being a pioneer in the treatment of “mild to severe” autism. They frequently use Kieran Sung as an example of how effective their school is.
Down and Out
• St. Charles, MO.
• A Local dive Bar. Generally, a good place to sit down for a drink, but lately there have been a lot of questionable individuals frequenting it. Rumors have been going around that the owner has acquired a gambling debt to someone very dangerous.
Flight of Fantasy
• St. Charles, MO. Main Street.
• Gaming Store/Comic Store located not far from the Japanese Teahouse. The store is open at odd hours and sometimes hosts all night gaming parities for various systems. The owner runs a YouTube channel that features many of the games played in the shop.
Heartthrob
• St. Louis, MO.
• Gay Bar that often features Drag shows. They have a leather night about once every two weeks, and they often offer other fetish nights. These nights aren’t regulated, and Danica (from Strawberry’s Black) has often asked that they discontinue the practice. Bar that Devan meets Cryst in as teenager.
The Japanese Teahouse
• St. Charles, MO. Main Street.
• A piercing and tattoo place on Historic Main Street of St. Charles, MO. Built inside a couple of the historic shops connected together, the Teahouse preserves the historic nature of the building while providing a service to the locals. Lotus with Tea and Coffee is located on their right, and another restaurant is located on their left.
Lotus With Tea and Coffee
• St. Charles, MO. Main Street
• Coffee and tea shop that is next door to the Japanese Teahouse. Situated in the same row of businesses in a connected block. Lotus With Coffee and Tea has the Japanese Teahouse on the left side of the shop with the Brewer’s Yeast on the right.
McKellar Hospital
• St. Louis, MO. North New Ballas Rd.
• A Private Hospital located in St. Louis. They are known for being extremely exclusive and expensive. The hospital is set up to be a trauma and cancer treatment center. Most of the surgeons that work for McKellar are highly respected and well-known in the medical community. The board of directors are all retired doctors from the area.
McShoogins Repair
• St. Peters, MO.
• A family owned mechanic shop run by the older James McShoogins and his sons Jacob and Sam. Charles Ruebern works for them delivering parts from their supplier in St. Louis.
O’Malley’s Diner
• St. Louis, MO.
• A small, neighborhood diner known to be owned by the Callaghan Family as a meeting place on neutral ground at the very edge of St. Louis city. Nothing obvious ever occurs in the Diner, but the owner has been known to shut down in the middle of the day when a black car arrives.
Priscilla’s Emporium
• St. Louis, MO
• A drag clothing store in St. Louis. It carries an assortment of various clothes suitable for drag. They have a small kink corner where they sell collars and cuffs.
Smoke and Juice .
• St. Peters, MO.
• A new Vapor Café. Recently opened, the Smoke and Juice provides smoking wares and accessories as well as tables to use hookahs in the location.
Strawberry’s Black
• St. Louis, MO.
• A Goth Dance club and Dungeon built inside the old brewery. Strawberry’s is one of the few Dungeons that exist that allow full contact and nudity in their lower levels. Because of this, there are strict rules and agreements for those that wish to participate. The club is owned and run by the Patrick sisters. Danica runs the Dungeon, and her Marissa runs the Goth Club on the first floor.
Sweet Clementine’s
• St. Louis, MO.
• A rather unsavory strip club that is known for trafficking drugs. The club is a rumored location for human trafficking, but the FBI has never been able to pin any illegal activity directly on the owner, Evan “Cryst” Fullbright.
Underdog’s Bite Dojo and Gym
• St. Peters, MO
• Dojo and Gym owned by the O’Brien Family and run by primarily by Tiberius Seath. The location is within a few minutes’ drive from the O’Brien home.
Vick’s Goldmine Guns and Ammo
• St. Louis, MO.
• A less than reputable pawn shop known to fence stolen goods. It is also a suspected contact point for gun running in the area.
Willow Branch
• St. Peters, MO.
• Pagan New Age Store. Owned by the Founder of the local coven, called the Willow Coven. The coven is eclectic and welcomes practitioners of many different types of paganism.
Sentinel Investigations
• St. Louis, MO and Santa Cruz, CA
• Private Investigation firm run by Sherlock, his brothers, and the Seath Family.
National/Regional Chains
Randy’s Diner
• National chain of All-Night Diners. Generally, a decent place to eat, but honestly, no one goes to Randy’s. They end up there because no one else is open.
The Daily Grind
• Regional Chain of Coffee Houses. They offer free wi-fi and have cafés inside them that offer sandwiches and pastries. Known for their smoothies and frappe.
Resources
Hotlines and Resources
On the following pages, find a listing resources compiled by the authors. At the time of this publication, resources are considered reliable and available. Pl
ease note, that this may change any time and the authors are not liable for the content of the following groups/resources. These resources relate to events over the course of several of our books. They may be added to or altered at any time. Local resources may be available in your area. These are only a few of the possible resources for the following needs.
Autism and Autism Self-Advocacy
Autism Self-Advocacy Network
• [email protected]
• http://autisticadvocacy.org/
Autism Women’s Network
• https://autismwomensnetwork.org/
Identity First Autistic
• [email protected]/
• https://www.identityfirstautistic
Mental Health and Mental Health Resources
National Alliance on Mental Health
• 1-800-950-6264
• http://www.nami.org/
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
• 1-800-826-3632
• http://www.dbsalliance.org/
Eating Disorder Resources
National Eating Disorders Association
• 800-931-2237 (M-F, 11:30 am-7:30 pm EST)
• http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
ANAD: National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
• 630-577-1330 (M-F,12 pm-8 pm EST)
• http://www.anad.org/
Substance Use Disorder Assistance
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• 1-877-SAMHSA-7
• https://www.samhsa.gov/
Drugrehab.com
• 866-957-1026
• https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/
Transgender Assistance and Equality
Transgender Youth Equality Foundation
• 207-478-4087
• http://www.transyouthequality.org/
Trans Student Educational Resources
• [email protected]
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