“Iced Up” by Bruce James Bales

Winter came and the usually cobalt lagoon was frozen into a black slab. Pulling up was a matching Cadillac with tinted windows just to prove something.

"Butcharelli. Nice to see you," Marian Falzone cut the cold with his speech.

I didn't say anything. Just stood frozen.

Two of his bigger men jumped out behind him. I was frozen. Not that I couldn't tell you how I felt.

"I'm surprised your coward ass presented itself today." Falzone was now hissing like a badger. "You know why we're here and we intend to handle the situation."

His men were on me before I could blink. They drove me back towards the lagoon and took me off my feet. The sky looked cloudy and black. My head felt the scrape of the cement around the lagoon. I knew what was coming. Ice.

"You take a man's life, put him on ice, sometimes it comes back," the reaper Falzone was preparing to give me a touch of death.

Our eyes met for a brief second. He couldn't be cold, his eyes were full of flames. His head nodded and the cold air was turned into a refreshing bath.

Into a sub zero pool, with its winter lid I stabbed head first.