In the Light of a Shadow (standard:action, 3984 words)
Author: Smokey	Added: Jan 19 2001	Views/Reads: 4005/2452	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A woman tries to escape her violent past...no one said it would be easy. If you like this Part email me. I will provide the actual ending.

In the Light of a Shadow By Robert G. Hagans 

“I’m going away for awhile daddy.” Jessica said to the headstone of her
beloved father. Her mournful eyes stared down at his final 
resting-place, hoping he could still talk to her, guide her.  The tears 
started, so she reached into her inside jacket pocket, grabbing her 
sunglasses, one hand accidentally bumping one of the two Beretta 92C’s 
in her shoulder holster. Putting the glasses on helped, but Jessica 
didn’t know why. 

“No I don’t know when I’ll be back.” She laughed, rubbing the residue of
fallen tears from her eyes. “It won’t be for a long while.” The wind 
blew, whipping her shoulder length brown hair around, which she gently 
tucked back behind her ears. It may have been her imagination, but as 
she sat there listening to the wind blow the leaves around the old 
empty cemetery, she could swear it carried the voice of her father. 

Why? He asked. 

Jessica was only too glad to answer and get it off her chest. “Gelati’s
got a hit out on me and it’s too dangerous for me to stay in town, and 
he’s got too much muscle for me to try and take down by myself.” The 
tears threatened to come again. “I know you told me not to get involved 
Daddy, but it was the only thing I had left.” 

She could hear her father’s voice again.  C’mon Jessy, you know that’s
not true. 

She argued. “Yes it is Daddy! I wanted to follow in your footsteps...to
have some part of you left for me.” 

But to be a killer Jessy? She laughed again. 

“It’s what we do best Daddy. You taught me everything I know.” 

The wind blew around with increased ferocity at that statement. I also
taught you that killing was wrong Jessica. 

She bowed her head. “I know Daddy, I know. I just....you were right.”
The wind decreased its chilling assault. 

“Fine time for me to realize that.” Jessica said, laughing again and
bending down to brush the leaves away from her father’s headstone. She 
read the words engraved in stone for the millionth time: Here Lies 
Donald James Wentling, Loving Father and Beloved Friend. 

Her father’s voice carried in the wind again. What do you mean
sweetheart? 

“Well I finally realized that killing people is wrong Daddy. Actually
I’ve always known, but I never let it get to me. In our profession you 
can’t afford to.” The leaves began to swirl around her; Jessica tucked 
her hair behind her ears again as it fell into her eyes. “But that last 
job...It was horrible...I just couldn’t bring myself to do it anymore.” 
Jessica fought back a shiver, but from memory and not from the cold. 

What happened Jessy? Her father asked. 

“The job was to do some punk that Gelati found out was snitching to the
cops about his organization. No big deal. Gelati sent me and Berlett to 
do the job, Monday night.” The wind picked up again as Jessica relayed 
her story to her dead father. Her face hardened, taking on that grim 
look that made her seem so intimidating. That look, one that her father 
often wore, combined with the dark sunglasses was enough to cause 
people to wet their pants when they saw her coming.  Everyone knows 
that in spite of her size, Jessica Wentling was just as good a killer 
as her father. Despite her 5’0” height and small frame that was maybe 
115 pounds, soaking wet. Still if you saw her coming, it was best to 
get out of her way. 

Her angelic face-hardened even more remembering the incident. “We went
downtown to his apartment at about 10 o’clock that night. The streets 
were dark.” She shook off her guilt. “We busted in the door, startled 
the poor bastard and I shot him, point blank, in the head.” The wind 
blew harder. “We didn’t see the woman...till his blood was splattered 


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