Tales of Sin and Madness by Brett McBean Read Free Book Online Page A

have another daughter,” Ray said. “Forget that. Doesn’t go on the list.” He looked down at the scrap paper. “Okay, so far that’s four pro and two con. How much time do we have?”
    “Seven minutes.”
    “Okay, Rebecca. Pro – I love her. And she hasn’t been on this earth for as long. Only sixteen years. Hasn’t had a chance to really live.”
    “Again, the other side of that is since she hasn’t had a long life yet, she won’t miss it as much.”
    Ray frowned. “Pretty fucking stupid, but okay.” He wrote it down. “Con. She’ll be more affected seeing her mum die than Kim will be about seeing Rebecca die.”
    “Ya think?”
    “I think it’ll screw her up in the long run, yeah. Maybe I’ll be doing her a favour killing her. I mean, seeing her mum being blasted away will be like dying a hundred times.”
    Jerry shrugged. “Maybe.”
    “I’m putting it down,” Ray said.
    “You really think this guy will let either of them go? I mean, they’ve seen his face. Heard his voice. He won’t take that chance.”
    “Only a person with a really sick mind would be doing a thing like this. Who knows how his mind works? He really might be getting off on me having to choose. Maybe the killing is just an end to the more important act of making me live the rest of my life knowing I gave the order for one of my family to be killed.”
    Jerry shrugged.
    “Well I have to hope that’s the case, anyway. Besides, maybe they haven’t seen his face. He might have knocked them out and is keeping them blindfolded or something.”
    “I suppose. So what does that make? Two each for Rebecca?”
    Ray looked down at the sheet of paper. He nodded. And tried thinking of more reasons not to choose his daughter. “I can’t think of anything else for her,” he said after a bit.
    “Neither can I,” Jerry said. “So what does that mean?”
    In a voice that sounded more like a little kid’s, Ray said, “It means I’m gonna choose Rebecca”
    “Are you sure? Christ man, she’s your daughter. Your daughter!”
    “I know that,” Ray growled. “But what else can I do?”
    Jerry didn’t reply.
    “Exactly.”
    They didn’t talk for the next few minutes. The silence was broken when the phone rang. It sounded very loud, louder than usual. Ray gazed at Jerry. “This is it.” He stood up and hurried into the kitchen. Jerry was close behind.
    “He’s early,” Jerry told him.
    On the fifth ring, Ray picked up the phone. “Yes?”
    “That’s no way to greet your mother.”
    “Mum?” Ray gasped.
    He heard Jerry mutter, “Shit,” from behind.
    “Yes. Is everything okay, Raymond? You don’t sound…”
    “Listen Mum, I can’t talk. I’m waiting on a very important call. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
    “Well I can’t believe you. Treating your own mother like this.”
    “Sorry. But I have to go.” He turned to Jerry. He was holding up his arm and pointing to his watch.
    Ray nodded quickly. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Okay? Bye Mum.” He hung up. “Fuck! What time is it?”
    “Right on ten.”
    Ray shook his head. “I hope the kidnapper didn’t try calling. He’ll probably think I was on the phone to the cops. Damn!”
    “You should’ve just hung up as soon as you knew it was your mum.”
    “I can’t just hang up on my moth…” The phone rang. Ray grabbed it. “Hello?”
    “Hello again.” It was the voice of the kidnapper.
    Ray swallowed. “You’re right on time.”
    “I said I would be. Now, have you made a decision?”
    “Yes,” Ray said.
    “Good. Now you didn’t call any unwanted people, did you?”
    “No. I swear. I kept my word.” Ray could feel hot breath on the side of his face. He turned to find Jerry leaning in close, trying to hear the conversation. “Get away,” Ray whispered, and Jerry backed up.
    “Who was that?” the kidnapper said. “Is there somebody with you?”
    “No. Nobody but me.”
    “I thought I heard you talking to somebody.”
    “Uh-uh,” Ray said,