Reckoning

Who are these men, and why do they do what they do?

His probation rules require him to find a place to live, get a job, and attend specialized therapy. He desperately wants to find work and a home, but he wants nothing to do with the therapy. After all, he doesn’t think he did anything wrong.

That’s about to change…

Read an Excerpt

Meet the Men

Warren has just been released from prison. For the first time in nine years, he is back in his home town. Only this time, he is a registered sex offender. People he once knew have cut ties with him, and new people want to avoid him at all costs.
His probation rules require him to find a place to live, get a job, and attend specialized therapy. He desperately wants to find work and a home, but he wants nothing to do with the therapy. After all, he doesn’t think he did anything wrong.
That’s about to change…

Read an Excerpt

Meet the Men

It starts here...

“Huh?’ Warren was startled awake. Knocking. His name being called. What the…? Who’s knocking at this time of night? He tried to focus.

“Can you come to the door please?” The voice was urgent. What was going on? Damn! He’d passed out. But the liquor still had hold of his brain. He struggled to sit up, tried to stand, and fell back down onto the bed.

“Please open the door!” the voice more insistent.

In a haze, Warren pushed himself up once again, staggered to the door, and slid open the chain lock. He looked woozily into the night. Flashing blue lights assaulted his eyes.

“Warren Thompson?” one of the voices said. It was a male voice. A guy in a uniform. Two guys in uniform! Shit! It’s the cops!

“Yeah,” Warren’s words were slurred. “Wha’s goin’ on?”

“Will you step outside for me please?”

Holding on to the door frame, Warren wobbled outside and leaned heavily against the wall.

“You got a daughter named Robyn?” What the hell?

“Yeah. Yeah.”

“You do anything to her?” Warren’s mind swam in the booze. He tried to find coherent thoughts, but they eluded him.

“Huh? No. No!”

“I got a report here that says you did.”

Warren shook his head emphatically. “No. No. I been drinkin’, officer. I don’ even know what you’re talkin’ about. Lemme sleep it off an’ I’ll answer your questions tomorrow.” With that he rolled towards the motel room door and shoved himself off the wall.

A hard hand gripped his arm. Warren’s head shot up in alarm. “Hey! Whaddrya doin’?” The hard surface of the cinderblock wall pressed against his face. “Hey!”

They yanked his arms behind him and the cold metal clasped his wrists. What’s going on? Why are they doing this?

“Hey, man! I’m a mail carrier. A gov’ment worker. Like you!” He was answered with a hard yank. He fell and felt the bite of the hard metal on his wrists as the officer broke his fall with the cuffs. “OW!”

Another hard yank and he was back on his feet. He was half pushed, half dragged to the squad car. The officer shoved him into the back seat. “Ouch” he yelled, as his head hit the door frame.

“Shut up!” the cop commanded.

“Officer, wait! I gotta, I gotta…” The cold thud of the door behind him. Then, two other thuds as each officer got in.

“You’re gonna shut up and say nothing back there, got it?” the passenger cop said. Warren tried to think, but his thoughts slipped over the waterfall of booze. As the squad car took off, he fell sideways onto the seat. At the first stop, he rolled forward and slipped into the footwell. Unable to right himself, he rode to the station with his face pressed against the grit of the backseat floor. The alcohol on his breath nearly choked him.

Damn! If only he could think straight! If only the booze would let him loose! He could defend himself! Tell the officers they had it all wrong! What had his wife gone and done? Dear God! What had she done?

Author

J.P. Zeeb

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. I have worked as a psychotherapist since the 1970’s. In addition to providing general mental health counseling, I specialize in sexual abuse. I have treated over 1000 adolescent and adult sex offenders in prisons, residential treatment centers, and community-based programs. I have also worked with hundreds of adults who are recovering from sexual abuse in their past. My other clinical specialties include substance abuse counseling, sexual compulsivity/addiction, gay and lesbian concerns, and spirituality concerns.