The Devil You Know

boatpilxr_-antiqued

The sea knew his secret. He had that night turned his back on God forever, given his life to the Devil. It was God who bade Gustavo to slide the body of his brother over the side, to pray for his salvation and commit him to the deep. Gustavo had tried to obey, had recited a novia for strength as he washed the dead face with seawater, even lifted his brother’s stiffened legs over the gunwale. Marino looked peaceful, as though he was asleep. But Gustavo felt the rage again rise in him, unfathomable black anger at this cowardly desertion.

Friday Fictioneers

This is an excerpt from my forthcoming novel Miramar, set in Cuba during the revolution. This is the first time I have regurgitated anything for a prompt, but this seemed to fit. Those who know me know I also author another regular contribution to Friday Fictioneers under an alias, so there’s at least one original snippet.

Here’s the synopsis of Miramar, if anyone is interested:


Hawser, a former bombardier tormented by nightmares of the war, takes a fall for the mob and is sentenced to life on Alcatraz. On the eve of a planned escape, the mobsters unexpectedly arrange for his release. He is stripped of his citizenship and sent to Cuba to work for MEYER LANSKY at the Riviera Hotel as de facto babysitter for Hollywood stars who want to cut loose.

While acting as bodyguard to the visiting Senator John Kennedy, Hawser is taken by Castro’s revolutionaries to their base deep in the Sierras where a beautiful rebel sergeant steals his heart and convinces him of the righteousness of her cause.

As civil war engulfs the island, Hawser is caught between the wrath of the Havana mob, his love for the girl, and the brutal vengeance of Che Guevara’s rebels, but learns his real enemy is the violence within himself.

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  1. brainsnorts

    help me understand something: he turned his back on god, but god bade him to dispose of his brother. that doesn’t seem like turning his back when he’s obeying what he was told to do. or – i’m misreading it. regardless, very much doom and gloom in his future.

Don't just stand there.