Jury of Peers by Troy L Brodsky Page A

his lips.  “I didn’t shoot no one,” he said.  “I fucked up his gun, dunno how.”
                  “How’d you know it wasn’t right?” Vesper asked.
                  “A guy came around the corner.  That guy.”   Saul pointed at the television.  “I didn’t know he was comin’, just turned and tried to shoot, didn’t shoot.”
                  “Kinda piece?”
                  Saul shook his head, "Some kinda nine I guess.”
                  Bolo’s jaw moved to speak, but Vesper cut him off with a wave.  “Not talkin’ to you.”
                  “Auto?”
                  “Yeah, like a Glock.”
                  Vesper looked down, opened his desk.  “Like this?” he said.  He put an angular black pistol on the desk and slid it over toward Saul.
                  “Pretty much, not that big.”
                  “Check an’ see if it’s hot,” Vesper said.
                  Saul reached out, took the pistol off of the desk, and gently pulled back the slide.  He turned it to the light so he could see down into the chamber.  “It ain’t loaded.  I mean, not ready like.”
                  “Put one in the pipe.”
                  He hesitated and looked at Vesper who gestured for him to do it.
                  The action was smooth, the round chambered with a soft click. The bullet looked funny, but he said nothing. 
    “You know how to use it, like for real?”
                  “Yeah,” Saul said. 
                  “You’ve never been sent up for nothin’ have you Saul?  No prints, nothin’ like that right?”
              “Nuh uh.”
                  “Show me how you aim it.”
                  The boy lifted, steadied, and aimed the gun naturally… at the television.  He’d seen it thousands of times; it was pretty simple.
                  Vesper pointed, “Nah little man, aim at him.”
                  Bolo stepped back.  “Hey man.”
                  “Still not talking to you Bolo.”
                  Saul turned and the gun came down.
                  “Aim at him Saul,” Vesper said.  He extended his own finger like a gun.
                  Bolo took another step back.  He was a pale kid to begin with, but this turn had him blanched as grey as boiled beef.  “Seriously, Vesper, com’on man.”
                  “Saul,” Vesper said in his same relaxed tone, “some people say that there ain’t no such thing as a truth serum.  Ya know, like in the movies.  You think that’s true?” 
                  As he lifted the gun to mimic Vesper, Saul saw clearly what was about to happen.  He couldn’t decide if it was a relief or not.  He put Bolo's chest in the sights.
                  Vesper went on without waiting for an answer.  “See… it does exist though.  Watch.”  He watched Bolo focus on the tiny black hole that would end his life.  “Let’s talk truth B.  You think Saul here can fade somebody?”
                  Bolo’s mouth moved, but there were no words.
                  “See, I think he can.  I think he could drop your sorry ass right here on the rug.  Also think that nobody’d care much.  You're outta friends on either side of the street.  Ain’t nobody gonna take you in, and now you’re tryin’ to lean on my boy here.  Tryin’ to make him out like he fucked up.”
                  Bolo’s hands came up slowly, "Wait, man, just wait….”
                  “Tryin’ to make him like he’s got no cojones ,” he cast a glance at Saul.  Then down the length of his arm, at the very tip of the gun there was no movement… the kid was rock steady.