500 Days - The Letter

Today's story takes us back to Amy and her mother and father.  When we last left her, Amy was still stuck in the attic of the Dew Drop Inn (which is actually a brothel).  Her mother and father received a letter she had miraculously mailed and they had come to rescue her.  However, the rescue did not go well and Amy's mother and father went to the church for help.  At the church, they met Pastor Steadman.  Pastor Steadman is based on a historical figure and Reverend D.S. Steadman who was a gun slinging church leader.  This segment of the story is what Steadman does once he has heard Amy's mother tell the story of Amy's kidnapping. Hope you enjoy!
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Veronica: Everything Seems to Break at Once

With Pastor Steadman standing in front of me, in front of my broken husband who is bent over, covered in his own blood, his eyes swollen shut, everything seems to break in me a once.  I am beside myself in racking sobs.  “Oh Pastor Steadman,” I wail.  “I know we do not know each other, but I am in desperate fear of what those animals will do to my child.”  I can see Steadman's eye twitch with these words and at once know he, too, is a father.  I have spent the last hour telling him the story of Amy, right up to the last few hours we've spent fighting to rescue her from the brothel where we assume she is being held captive.

“If what you say is true,” he says, “and I believe by your reaction it must be, there is nothing to be done but act.” 

With these words he strides swiftly out the back of the church to a door in the back.  I'm left to calm myself, to soothe William.  A few moments later, Pastor Steadman strides in with a 12 gauge shot gun thrown over his shoulder and I am surprised by how little his gun shocks and frightens me.  Steadman is the type of Pastor who preaches in a town where guns are the law, not God.  He looks me straight on and says, “it's probably best ma'am if you stay here. This rescue might get ugly.”  With these words, he turns on his heel and strides out of the door. 

But, I have no choice but to follow.  I cannot sit by as someone else goes to rescue my daughter.  I tell William I'll be right back, but he has fallen unconscious.  Quickly, I follow a few steps behind the Pastor as he strides confidently down the street towards the brothel. 

With one swift kick he open the already broken door.  “I'm here for the girl,” I hear him shout with force.  Then, I hear a loud snarl from the strong man. 

“What the hell you talking about Steadman.” 

“I said, I'm here for the girl.  The one you and Kate have locked up in your attic.  Her mother just came up to the church and told me the whole story.  Now, I don't usually mind your business, but this time, you've gone too far.” Steadman says.

From the street, I can see how he is looking at the strong man straight on.  “I don't know what the hell you talking about,” says Ben.

“Alright, if that's the way it's going to be, I'll shoot my way in.”  With these words, he sets his shotgun on his shoulder, releases the safety, and sets the site directly on the Strongman.

“Well, wait here just a second,” says Ben.  “I don't want to cause any trouble.  She's up there.”  He says, pointing to the stairs I'd tried to climb just an hour ago.  For what seems like an eternity, I hear him climb the stairs then nothing.  Just the beat of my heart thundering in my ears.