The Deadly Divine

The Deadly DivineA Trouble Thriller Matthew DoggettFive Brothers Publishing Copyright © 2023 by Matthew DoggettAll rights reserved.No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.Cover Art by GetCovers.com Contents Get Your Free Novella 1. Prologue 2. Chapter 1 3. Chapter 2 4. Chapter 3 5. Chapter 4 6. Chapter 5 7. Chapter 6 8. Chapter 7 9. Chapter 8 10. Chapter 9 11. Chapter 10 12. Chapter 11 13. Chapter 12 14. Chapter 13 15. Chapter 14 16. Chapter 15 17. Chapter 16 18. Chapter 17 19. Chapter 18 20. Chapter 19 21. Chapter 20 22. Chapter 21 23. Chapter 22 24. Chapter 23 25. Chapter 24 26. Chapter 25 27. Chapter 26 28. Chapter 27 29. Chapter 28 30. Chapter 29 31. Chapter 30 32. Chapter 31 33. Chapter 32 34. Chapter 33 35. Chapter 34 36. Chapter 35 37. Chapter 36 38. Chapter 37 39. Chapter 38 40. Chapter 39 41. Chapter 40 42. Chapter 41 43. Chapter 42 44. Chapter 43 45. Chapter 44 46. Chapter 45 47. Chapter 46 48. Chapter 47 49. Chapter 48 50. Epilogue 51. Dead Man's Hatch Sample Also By About the Author Get Your Free NovellaGET YOUR FREE TROUBLE novella by heading over to MatthewDoggettAuthor.com/Trouble Not only will you get a free Trouble story, but you'll also join my epic email list. I send regular freebies and exclusives, and only email once or twice a month. PrologueBETRAYAL WAS ON JOHN Virgil’s mind as he sat on the low couch, dressed in an ill-fitting coat. The couch was so low, and John so slumped, his knees were nearly level with his chin. He thought about the phone call he’d made at the gas station. Regrets swam in his head. He finished off his second single-serving bottle of wine and leaned over, opening his legs so his modest belly wouldn’t press against his thighs. With a stomach full of wine and a head full of anxiety, he didn’t want to risk a vomiting episode. He reached into the bag between his feet for another small bottle. He wanted the wine to do its sweet work, to stay in his body and give him a little solace, a little comfort. He wanted it to take the edge off his regret. And his dread. The shades were drawn over the windows in the living room, keeping out the night and obscuring them from any prying eyes. The soft lighting in the house gave it a cozy feeling that John would’ve enjoyed had the situation been different. As it was, he was only vaguely aware of his surroundings. He had other things on his mind. Across the living room, near the front door of the one-story house, Shelly and Trent Waller were speaking animatedly to each other. John knew Shelly and Trent well. And that was one major regret. He’d betrayed their trust. They just didn’t know it yet.“Just relax,” Trent said. “We’re safe here. The only other person who knows where we are is Parall Mitchell.”“Don’t say that word. Please.” Shelly said. John lowered the third bottle from his lips, stopping the glug-glug-glug sound it was making. He looked at Shelly, who glanced over her husband’s shoulder at him. He still thought of them all as Paralls. Parall Shelly and Parall Trent since they shared a last name. He even thought of himself as Parall Virgil. He’d grown so used to it. Why did he want to leave in the first place? He couldn’t remember. The wine burbling softly in his head kept him from thinking too hard. “We’ll stay one night,” Trent said. “Mitchell said he’s going to try and send help. Just one night, okay?”The situation was wearing on all of them. Shelly and Trent, both in their late twenties, had a right to be concerned. They’d taken a big step. They all had. Trent glanced over his shoulder at John, his eyes flitting with disapproval across the small bottle of wine in his hand. Then he turned back to his wife and nodded once. Shelly, looking up at her husband, brought a hand to her head and ran it through her short brown hair. The hand shook as she did it. Even John could see it from his position on the couch. “Okay,” she said finally, “We’ll be okay,” Trent said. “We did the right thing. We’re doing the right thing.”Shelly stepped to the front door and peered through the peephole. She fingered the deadbolt lock even though it was fully turned, seated securely in the doorjamb. She turned back and embraced her husband for a long moment. “You doing okay over there?” Trent asked, breaking the embrace and turning to face Virgil. “Good as I can be,” Virgil said. He held up the small wine bottle. “I missed alcohol. Probably a little too much.” Trent and Shelly each managed a small smile. “We’re going to try to get some sleep,” Trent said.Virgil nodded. “I guess Angel—uh, Shayna’s still out?”“I think so,” Shelly said. “Last I checked, anyway. After we ate dinner, she passed out pretty quickly.” John Virgil nodded. He could still feel the fast food like wet cement in his gut. “I’ll take the other bedroom when I’m done out here. Don’t think I can sleep quite yet.”“Yeah,” Trent said. “We’ll see if we can. It might be tough.”The married couple said goodnight and went to the master bedroom, where they’d placed the girl. It was better that they stay with the girl. They seemed to have a connection with her. John Virgil was not inclined to move from his spot on the couch. He was comfortable, and he also wanted to be the first to greet whoever they sent. He didn’t know when they’d arrive, but it had been several hours since he’d made the call. He wondered about the “help” Mitchell was supposedly sending. He knew it wouldn’t be cops. John