When justice and vengeance collide, what choice would you make with a loaded gun pointed at your enemy?
💥 First Line & 175-Word Prompt
The barrel of Detective Rivas’s Glock trembled inches from the narco’s forehead, sweat dripping like a second trigger he couldn’t pull.
For two years, he’d hunted Miguel “El Cuervo” Salazar—the ruthless cartel boss who left a trail of bodies, including Rivas’s own partner, bleeding on the hot El Paso asphalt. Now the kingpin was cornered, cuffed, helpless. All Rivas had to do was squeeze the trigger and every nightmare would end. One less monster on the streets. One more ghost avenged.
But the law’s voice nagged at him. Arresting Salazar would mean trials, loopholes, bribes. Cartels had a way of turning cells into palaces and bars into open doors. If Rivas pulled the trigger, he’d have peace—maybe. But would it be justice, or just revenge disguised as righteousness?
The silence between them thickened. The gun was heavy. The choice heavier.
❓ Three Questions for Writers
- What drives Detective Rivas more—justice for his partner, or the hunger for vengeance?
- How can the tension of the moment be heightened through sensory detail?
- What twist ending could make the reader question the true meaning of justice?
Discover more from Optimistic Beacon
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
