said. Once you confessed your sins, and resolved to become a better man, everything began to go your way." Pastor Jack smiled at him, as if sharing a great secret.
George nodded, actually agreeing with the pompous asshole. He didn't mind that the pastor more or less took credit for having led him to God and affecting his rehabilitation. Let him. Actually the interfering bastard's poking his nose in had suited George. It had suited him personally and served his purposes to have the pastor believe himself the instrument of divine intervention.
Appearing to be a member of the man's pious flock had scored him lots of privileges in this hellhole, including learning all about the Internet. The deluded pastor really had it only partly right, though.
Once George had decided on his course of action, once he came up with a detailed plan, and once he'd focused himself completely on carrying out that plan, only then had everything begun to go his way.
Discipline, total, complete, and absolute, was the key to success. He'd always believed it to be so. Now, on this morning - the morning of his liberation - he believed it even more.
Looking back, he could absolutely admit that things had only gone wrong for him when he'd lost his focus. When he'd let his anger at his woman's betrayal consume him, he'd lashed out in heated temper and in so doing had made a serious mistake.
Now he said, with total honesty, "I've made grave mistakes, Pastor Jack. Horrible mistakes that I promise you, I will never, ever make again."
"I believe you, George. I'm so proud of you, and so grateful to God that he's seen fit to work in you, through me. As soon as you're processed, I'll drive you over to Second Chance House. They're expecting you. The room isn't much - just a bed and a dresser. But it's private and you can consider it your home for now. You'll be pleased to know your mother sent me some clothes for you. My wife laundered them, and I've already delivered them there."
His mother could go to flaming hell. If it hadn't been for her, he would have been able to keep closer tabs on his woman. It was all her fault the bitch ran away.
George closed off the anger, and focused on the goal. He must keep to his goal, no matter what. That was the only way he'd succeed. He said, "I need to go to an electronics store. I have enough money saved up from working here to get myself a computer - I need to be able to keep up with the latest technologies and developments. It'll also help me to get a job." What he really needed to do was to be able to begin to hack into other computer systems and find out where his woman was. There was no such thing as losing yourself or hiding successfully in this modern, technology-obsessed age.
His goal was clear. First he'd find her. Then he would go after her. Then, he would reclaim her as his own.
"Of course. I'll take you over to the mall. I'm sure you'll be able to find everything you need there."
George had to fight his way back to the conversation. He shot a startled look at the pastor, wondering if the man had noticed his loss of focus. But that man was staring off in the distance, a pinched look on his face.
"Neither your lawyer nor myself could talk the authorities out of placing the ankle monitor on you." He shook his head. "Bad enough the judge gave you ten years on a first offense. I read the transcript of your trial and I'm not as convinced that young lady didn't entice you in the first place." Pastor Jack shook his head. "Teenagers these days are creatures of the flesh. According to her own testimony, she wasn't even a virgin. In my opinion, using a monitor seems a bit extreme to me."
No, she hadn't been pure. My Carolyn had been pure. She'd been my pure and perfect mate, my gift from God. George wondered if the pastor didn't have some latent aggression himself he needed to deal with. Or maybe, his appearance of siding with him was a trick. George said nothing, and waited.
"I want you to know, George, that I don't think you need that device. I have complete faith that you have indeed been completely rehabilitated."
Ah, the little prick is just trying to escape responsibility for being a