Chaos Theory

By M.A. Planamente

Chaos Theory is a crime novel that focuses on how a murder affects people throughout one community. There were many causes and effects to this crime in which the characters involved are all connected without realizing this bond they share. This book will have you biting your nails to see what happens next. Each chapter describes a character their connection to the entire web of lies, deception, and murder.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312377721

Book preview

Chaos Theory

Chaos Theory

M.A. Planamente

Copyright © 2014 by M.A. Planamente

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First Printing: 2014

ISBN 978-1-312-37772-1

AP Publishing

Baltimore, MD, 21234

Dedication

To my son AJ,

Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Kristin, Jamila, Kaitlynn, and Katie for the completion of this book.  Without each and every one of you, this would have never been completed.  Your patience, insight, and help have made this idea become a reality.  Thank you for everything.

Chapter 1: One Last Drink

It has been three months since I was able to use my real name and live in my own house. I guess it was karma.  That is what I get for being out that night.  I was the only person that ever saw his face. Now that I did see him, I wish that I had waited five more minutes that night before I decided to go home.  I should have actually had just one more drink.  Shocking that one more drink could have saved my life.

I was picked up by the police shortly after the crime happened.  I gave them my statement and described the person who threw that knife, the same knife that was still lodged in the chest of that lifeless body in the middle of the street that night.  I should have known better.  I should have pretended that I did not see anything.  I guess I was still in shock from what I had just witnessed.

The words were coming out of my mouth.  I was not processing what I was really saying.  I described what had happened.  I saw the argument, the fight, the crime, and the murderer.  I described the entire scene in complete detail.  What was I thinking?

The worst part about the description was that the person I described was someone that I should not have seen.  This was someone who was described to me as being dangerous.  This person was going to have me killed in order to make sure that he would be protected.  This person was thought to have been dead for years.

That is where I was quickly moved out of sight and into protection by the police.  I was given a new identity, job, house, and life.  I had not even heard of the town they were going to put me.  Apparently, they figured that Montana would be a safe place.  I guess small population with limited people to see me would keep me alive.  I just thought it was to make sure that I could not get into any more trouble.

It has been three months since I last saw the inside of a bar.  It was about time that I finally made the best of this situation.  I figured that months would pass before I would be able to go back to my real life.  The police gave me a fake name.  I hate the name.  I really do not look like a Steve, but for now that is what I am going to go by.

I left my house for the first time at night since I arrived at this location.  Everything looks so much different when the sun goes down.  I do not even recognize the normal streets or the buildings that I see every day.  Finally, my destination was in sight.  The bar was lit up with cheap neon lights advertising the various beers they were selling inside.

The handle on the door was cold and sticky as I pushed down on the handle.  As soon as I entered, the sound of country music erupts from the speakers.  The bar was a typical hole in the wall.  The lighting was non-existent as it was quite dark inside.  I sat down at the bar and I ordered a beer.  The bartender gives me the cheapest beer in the building, but I do not mind.  Right now any type of a drink would help me forget what the past three months have been like.

After I have put away three in thirty minutes, a fourth beer comes my way.  I did not order this one, or if I did, I did not remember it.  A brunette comes and sits next to me as the beer is being served.  She tells me that she wanted to buy me a drink since I was the most attractive person in the bar.  That was the first I have ever heard that, but after looking around the place I can see why she made the statement.

The brunette has something about her that I can not quite fathom.  Her smile made me feel like I was the only man in the world.  Before I even got to know her, I could tell that she was going to make a major impact on my life in some shape, way, or form.

She told me her name.  It was something that began with an M like Maria or Marta.  Maybe it was Kaitlynn?  I did not remember nor did it really matter.  Being able to have a flirtatious conversation might actually make my stay out in Montana a little bit easier.

I told her my name and we shared some stories.  Apparently, she was new to town.  Well that was something we both have common. I got to know her life story about growing up in a big city and her adventures traveling to different places in the world.  I do not know how she ever made it to Montana, but at the time I was not complaining.

I took a look at my watch and saw what time it was.  As much as I was having fun, I was already at a point where it would be difficult to wake up tomorrow without a headache and on time.  She gave me the typical female pout.  She asked me to say for one more drink.  I remember the last time when I should have stayed for one more and look where it got me.  I agreed.  I shared one last drink with her which took another hour for me to finish with the amount of talking that we were doing.

When I was finally finished and the drinks were paid for, she asked me to walk her to her car.  I beamed at the idea of getting to spend more time with her.  We left the bar and when we walked outside, the chill of the night hit me immediately.  I grabbed her close to me to keep her warm even though the gesture was more for my sake to have a friend at this point.

By accident, she stepped on my shoe and my laces became untied.  I got down on one knee to tie my laces.  As I was tying them, I began to speak.  I do not know if it were the beers or the desire to be honest to someone that I shared a night with but I said, Steve is not actually my given name.

She answered back, I know.

I stopped tying my shoes to look up to see the barrel of a gun pointed straight at my head.

Chapter 2: The Man in the Picture

I have never killed anyone before.  I never intended for anyone to get hurt.  Desperate people do desperate things in order to save the people that they love.  Sometimes, you have to do a little evil in order to make sure something right happens.  The choices that we make will eventually affect millions of people.

On that first night, I was given money, a gun, a map, a phone, and a picture of a man that I have never seen before.  In fact, I had never seen the person who was giving me these resources as well.  My instructions were to find this man using the map and kill him.  I was also told to leave my own phone off until the job was done.  My reward was to be given something that would greatly improve my life.  I was desperate.  I had to do what they said.

The map led me to a small town in Montana.  I have never been to Montana before and from the looks of the town, not many people had been to it as well.  I scoped out the area and saw that there were only a few social places for someone to really be.  I would bet my life that I would find this man in one of those places.  The quicker I got out of this town the better.  I wanted to leave this town without the locals seeing my face and asking too many questions.

After a week, there was still no sign of this man.  I had been to every possible place without looking suspicious.  I figured to try one more night before calling the job quits.  There was a chill to the air that night.  The air conditioner was on when