The Wrath Walker (The Wrath Series Book 1) by Matthew Newson (moboreader txt) 📕

“Okay, then what brought you in today?” Phillip still looked happy I was there.

“I don’t know, I was just driving by and felt like stopping.”

Phillip smiled at my response. “Sounds like God led you here to me, my old friend.”

“Yeah, I don’t think that was it. God and I haven’t talked in a while, and I’m good with that.”

“Then why are you here?”

“My old partner, Ron Horn, called me earlier today. He begged me to come by because he thought someone was after him and it turns out he was right. When I got to his place, some nut job must have been hiding in his house, because he showed up out of nowhere and knocked me senseless. Then the guy picked Ron up with one hand and stabbed him to death. The guy accused Ron of being the killer in that string of elderly murders a few years back we could never seem to solve. He said he killed Ron with a knife just like Ron had killed all those other people.”

Phillip’s eyes widened in shock as he appeared to be waiting for me to say just kidding or something. “You’re serious?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Are you okay? I mean, you’re lucky to be alive.”

“Physically, I’m fine, and yes I am lucky to be alive.” I nervously rubbed the side of my face.

“Have they caught the guy who did it? You got a good look at him, didn’t you?”

“I got a good look at him, and I even talked to him. But I don’t believe they caught him yet.” I stood and walked to Phillip’s wall of books.

“What did he say to you?” Phillip stayed seated in his nice leather desk chair. “This isn’t good, Brandon. This means we have a sadistic killer on the loose in Black Castle. The members of this church need to know. Everyone is at risk because of this man.”

I felt slightly moved by his concern for the members of his church along with the rest of the people of the city. “Well, I guess that’s why I turned in here today, to see if you could help shed some light on this mystery for me.”

“I will certainly try my best. What do you need?”

“The killer said he worked for God, and that he was the embodiment of God’s wrath come to the earth. He called himself a Wrath Walker. Do you believe that?” I turned and faced him.

Disbelief, mixed with confusion, filled Phillip’s face. “That’s sounds pretty farfetched to me. Did he look like an addict in need of a fix? It sounds like the mindless ramblings of a drug addict or a mentally ill person.”

“I’ve seen junkies, and this guy wasn’t one of them. Although, he probably is a little touched in the head. He also said his existence could be summed up by Ephesians chapter five, verse six. Do you know it?”

“I do, it says Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Ephesians is one of my favorite books.” Phillip spouted off without even having to look it up or search his phone.

“That’s good quoting from memory like that. I never did know how you pastors can remember so much from the good book. Did you have to memorize the entire Bible in school?”

“One must read it first, before they can start to memorize it,” he sniped back at me with a little sarcasm.

“Ha ha. Good one, Phillip.” I turned back to the mountainous wall of books. “Have you read all of these books?”

“Most of them, yes. I read a lot of them while I was in seminary, and the information in them is still really good. I refer to them a lot when I am putting my messages together for Sunday mornings. Honestly, all the content in those books is online now, but I just can’t bring myself to get rid of them. I’ve had them for so long, it’s almost like they are a part of me.”

“Yeah, that’s great. Do anyone of them talk about a Wrath Walker, or God’s wrath coming down to earth in the form of a man?”

“None of the books on that wall mention anything like that.”

I walked back and sat across from him again, slightly frustrated that my hope for an answer wasn’t in those books. “What about all of the extra Biblical stuff I’ve heard about. You know, the dead sea scrolls and things like that. My dad carried a lot of that stuff in his bookstore when he was still alive.”

“I haven’t read all of those writings, but I’d be surprised if there was anything in those passages about a Wrath Walker. Why are you asking? You seem like you almost believe this guy is from God. What else happened that you’re not telling me?”

“If I tell you, you have to keep it between us, and not let it leave this room, okay?”

“Of course. I know you haven’t been here in a while, but I still consider myself to be your pastor. Whatever you tell me stays between you, me, and God.”

Part of me wanted to say never mind and leave, but I’d gone that far, and I needed answers to save the others and myself. “The guy threw me into a wall so hard that I broke it before I fell to the ground in pain like I had never felt before. He did that with just a flick of his wrist. The pain was so bad I couldn’t move to help Ron or save myself.”

Phillip pursed his lips in confusion. “It couldn’t have been too bad because you walked in here under your own strength, and there’s not a mark on you.”

“That’s just it, the guy healed me or something. He walked over and touched my forehead with the tip of his index finger, and instantly all the pain went away.”

Phillip looked more perplexed than before.