Tim’s Stories: THE LONGEST WAIT
CHAPTER 23 — The Edge of Redemption
The sound of the gunshot still echoed in Mia’s ears long after the silence had fallen. Smoke curled from the muzzle of the pistol, twisting upward like a thin ghost disappearing into the cold night air. For a moment, time froze—Buchi’s eyes wide with shock, his body jerking back before collapsing against the dusty floor. Mia’s trembling hands dropped the gun, and the metallic clang that followed sounded like a death knell.
“Papa…” she whispered, her voice cracking with disbelief. “Papa, no—”
Her knees gave way beneath her as she crawled toward him. Blood—thick and dark—pooled beneath his side, seeping into his shirt. His breath came in shallow gasps, the rise and fall of his chest slowing with each passing second.
“Do
