CT sits quietly in the front row of Saint Michael's Church. His head bowed he speaks silently before standing up and entering the confessional. "Forgive Me Father For I Have Sinned" he whispers. "What Sins Have You Committed My Son" a voice echoes back.

5 Years Ago

CT sits in a parked car motor running smoking a cigarette. The car sits in a dark alley across from a corner store around 1030pm. A lowly dressed man exits the store locking the door behind him. CT perks up as the man gets in a cab. The cab leaves as CT follows, not getting too close. The cab pulls up to a rundown apartment building on the lower south side. CT stops about a block back and watches the man. The man gets out and goes into the building. 

After about an hour goes by the man exits the building nervously as CT looks on. The man walks in the opposite direction as CT gets out of the car. CT walks to the alleyway and into the building. CT gets inside and walks to the stairs. The mailboxes are on the wall at the bottom of the staircase and a piece of paper protruded from one in particular. CT looked at the paper then slid it out. It was from apartment 7C but the paper was blank. CT knew that 7C was his destination. CT walked upstairs slowly and as quietly as he could be. When he reached the apartment door he took a deep breath and turned the doorknob slowly. As he entered the apartment he could hear the radio playing. He pulled a gun from inside his jacket and crept through the apartment. As he reached the living room he saw a man in the chair facing the window. He sidestepped around the chair and realized the man sat dead. The man had his throat slit recently and fresh blood stained the front of his shirt. CT stunned a moment finally turned and saw a card sat on the record player. CT picked up the card and it read.

Game Over

CT knew he had been beaten to a job but who? The little old man? A rival hitter? He sat thinking for a moment before sirens filled the air. He knew he had been setup. CT immediately turned and fled the apartment window down the fire escape. Once he reached the ground he ran down the alley to an open door where he entered and shut it behind him. It was the kitchen of a local pizza shop. He made his way through the kitchen into the front undetected. He quickly sat down to decide what happened and what went wrong. 

The next morning CT sat at the kitchen table going over the events of the previous night in his head. "What’d I miss" he thought, "What didn't I see?" He got up washing out the coffee cup he had been drinking from and walked to the bedroom to get dressed. He exited the apartment and went downstairs and out the front door of the building. He had to figure out what went wrong and fast. He retraced the events in his head as he walked towards the corner store.

As he reached the corner store he walked in to find the man he tailed last night. CT walked in and promptly locked the door behind him. "We need to talk, '' he said as he flipped the open sign to closed. The two walked to the back room. The man quickly berated CT for showing up in broad daylight. "I need details, '' CT said sternly. The man reached into his inner pocket and produced a card which he quickly handed to CT. The card was a message to the man explaining if he didn't follow instructions that his wife and newborn daughter would not make it home safely. "Who?" CT asked as he looked over the card. The man advised CT that Johnny The Rat was ransoming the wife and daughter to frame CT for the murder of a high profile government official. His job was to hire CT for protection and lead him to an apartment the Senator had been renting for his mistress. The Senator was there dead and CT would be jailed for the job. "He was already dead when I led you there" the man said "I don't know which one of Johnny’s guys...if any of them actually killed him." CT motioned for the man to come closer. As the man leaned in CT grabbed a pen off the counter and stabbed the man under the chin. Blood sprayed down covering CT's hand as the man's eyes went wide before CT removed the pen and the man fell forward. "You rat fuck" CT muttered before exiting the back door into the alleyway as to not be seen. CT quickly ducked into an open doorway taking his jacket off using it to wipe off the blood covering his hand. CT tossed the jacket into a dumpster and proceeded down to the main street.

CT walked down to a local coffee shop and peeped through the window. None other than Johnny The Rat was sitting at the counter eating a piece of pie and drinking a cup of coffee. CT walked in and sat down next to Johnny smirking and lighting a cigarette. "Now I thought rats only ate cheese Johnny '' he said as Johnny looked over a bit shocked to see him. "Now...you genuinely looked surprised," CT says. Johnny remains silent as CT inhales the cigarette then exhales smoke into Johnny's face purposefully. "I could've killed you before you even saw me," CT said. "But I want you to KNOW it's coming" CT stands up and pats Johnny on the shoulder and walks out. 

That night CT was sitting in the dark in his chair with a pistol on the arm rest next to him. Johnny and three men are right outside his apartment door. They quietly pick the lock of his door and slowly open the door. The men walk into the dark apartment. One man flips on the light and CT spins around in the chair.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM

Shots fire off as CT hits one man in the head and Johnny gets shot in the leg by SuperBee from behind the kitchen bar, Rocco from the bedroom doorway and Bobby from the hallway all begin firing. Johnny drops to the ground as he realizes his men are dead and he is undoubtedly next. CT stands up walking over to Johnny. "Who pushed the button? Who put my name in your ear?" CT asked, kneeling down to Johnny. Johnny whispered as CT leaned closer. CTs eyes went wide as he stood up. "Your kidding...right?" he asked. Johnny clinches a bit, handing over a piece of paper. CT takes it and looks it over before Rocco pushes his gun into the temple of Johnny and pulls the trigger. 

PRESENT DAY

"That note was a revelation father" CT says somberly. "My son, death and chaos is never the answer" the Priest says. CT nods and a sadistic smirk comes across his face. "I am sorry for these and all my sins' ' CT whispers. CT fires a single shot through the confessional hitting The Priest in the side of the head killing him immediately. He whispers “Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. I detest all of my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who are all good and deserving of all of my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.” CT crosses his heart then exits the confessional. He reaches into his pocket pulling out the note Johnny had given him 5 years ago. The note reads...

"Johnny, CT has come much too close and must be eliminated if our relationship is to continue. He mustn't be made aware of the circumstances of his wife's death. He is a lifelong member of the church as well as a close friend of the family. If he knew the church was behind her death it would sever ties and strongly impact the future of the church."  

Signed Father Thomas O'Mallory

The End