Hitman's Creed - 30

 

"Forget it, you're too damned young," Glenn growled, heaving a sigh of relief when the computer dinged to tell him he had mail. He read the message, made notes, took Miriam's cell from his pocket then opened one of the desk drawers. He took out a sim card reader/writer, took the sim card out of the cell phone, put it into the reader/writer, and plugged that into one of the USB ports.

When that was done he read from the notes he'd made, typing out the information he needed then sent it to the reader/writer. After he'd finished, he replaced the sim card in the phone. "That will keep your father from finding our location."

"Why not just have her do it from somewhere else?" Joey asked, understanding that Glenn planned on having Mary use his mother's phone for her call.

"Because we don't know where he is, yet, but we will once she calls him." Glenn explained. "And I need to be here and on the computer when she does."

"Whoever's helping you will triangulate where he is when he answers?"

"Yep, unless he's smart enough to have done what I just did, which we can hope he isn't." Glenn got up and went to the wall across from the bookshelves. He turned to look at Joey. "You can go back downstairs now if you want or," he cracked a small smile that didn't reach his eyes, "you can stay here and see what's behind the secret panel—the lady or the tiger—to speak metaphorically."

Joey bit his lip as he glanced from Glenn to the door and back again. "Am I going to wish I'd left?"

"Possibly. Just know that, god only knows why, I trust you enough to have offered to let you stay." He meant that quite literally, he had no clue why he wanted Joey to see what amounted to a part of his life which to all intents and purposes he'd left behind him. Perhaps he hoped to scare the kid away, perhaps he wanted him to know exactly what he'd be getting into if… and it was a huge if… the connection that seemed to be developing between them happened.

"I'll stay."

With a nod, Glenn touched a spot on the wall and a panel slid to one side to reveal a door with a touchpad mounted on it. He tapped the buttons then pushed and the door swung open. He stepped through, beckoning for Joey to join him.

When he was inside, Joey looked around then up at Glenn. "So what's so special in here? You use it for storage from the look of it."

He was correct. It did look like a storage room lined with shelves. Some held a variety of camping gear; others had neatly stacked pants and shirts that ran the gamut from primarily black to a couple of sets of white. On the shelves on the short wall opposite the door there were several metal cases with security locks.

"Yes, it's for storage." Glenn went to one of the cases, spun the dial on the front to unlock it then handed a pistol to Joey.

"All right," Joey said hesitantly. "What is this? I mean it's a gun, but...?"

"Ruger MK III." Glenn opened a second case and handed Joey another pistol. "Ruger 22/45 with a picatinny rail instead of a fixed sight."

Joey weighed them in his hands and commented, "The 22/45 is lighter and you can add a scope." He looked at Glenn, one eyebrow cocked. "Which one is more accurate?"

"I prefer the 22/45 because of the threaded barrel and it is lighter, but the MK III is a bit more accurate if you're new to them both."

"The other cases are for guns as well?" When Glenn nodded, Joey asked, "Why? Why all the firepower?"

"I like guns." Glenn replied with a slight smile. "And they were part of what I did before I retired."

Joey handed the guns back, chewing on his lip. "Guns, probably knives somewhere here, survival gear," he nodded to what he'd at first thought was just camping gear. "What the hell kind of security did you do?"

"Let's just say it was more than going around rattling shop doorknobs and leave it at that for now." As he talked, Glenn put the MK III back in its case. From the other case he took out a custom made side holster for the 22/45 and a scope. Once he'd attached the scope he put the pistol into the holster and clipped it to his belt. Then he reached for another case, unlocked it, took out two sheathed knives and closed it again. Finally he chose pants and a shirt, picked up a bag from another shelf and said, "That should do it for now. Take the phone down to Mary, wait five minutes, then have her make the call. She's to tell Fairburn that you picked her up at the gas station and now you've stopped at a fast food place to get something to eat before you take her to meet your mother."

"He won't like that."

"No, but he will wait for her to call again."

Hitman's Creed - 29

 

Joey stared stonily at Glenn. "Are you sure you want some novice helping you?"

"Get over it, kid. You know what I said was the truth." Glenn pocketed Miriam's phone when she handed it to him, wrote down the number Mary gave him and said to Joey, "Now move it. The sooner we get this done the sooner Fairburn will be out of our hair."

Joey followed Glenn upstairs, still pissed as hell but at the same time very interested in what Glenn was planning. The wood-paneled room they entered was obviously used as Glenn's office, with shelves along one wall and catty-corner from them a large desk with a computer and all the necessary peripherals.

"Nice," Joey said almost enviously with a nod toward the computer.

Glenn shrugged as he sat down and booted it up. He logged in, hit the internet, worked through several screens until he got to the email account he needed. He sent a message to his hacker, and then while he waited for a reply he turned to look at Joey.

"I know you're angry with me and I'm sorry but this isn't a game or a textbook exercise. Your father needs to be stopped and I intend to do just that."

"I understand, but you're talking like a gunslinger going off to a shootout on Main Street or something," Joey replied, leaning against the wall by the desk as he stared at Glenn.

"Exactly." Glenn cracked a small grin for a second. "Maybe not on Main Street, but your father is a bastard and killer who seems to have no boundaries. I plan to find out where he's gone to ground and deal with him."

"Kill him?"

"If necessary, yes."

"There are laws against that, you know," Joey told him somewhat snarkily.

Glenn nodded. "I'm well aware of that. I'll try avoid it but if it comes down to him or me then I'm not going to wait for some lawyer to tell me if I'm in the right or not."

"I can help."

"How? Could you shoot a man if you had to?"

Joey's mouth tightened. "To save a life, I think so."

"Have you ever fired a gun?"

"I've gone hunting a few times with friends."

"Kill anything?"

Joey shook his head.

"Why not?"

"We didn’t come across any deer, which is what we were hunting," Joey admitted. "But I could have, if we had," he added somewhat defiantly.

Glenn rubbed his forehead between his fingers. "You've held a hunting rifle, probably practice shot it at a few trees, never even killed a rabbit or a bird to say the least of anything bigger. Like I said earlier, right now you're all book-learning with nothing practical to back it up. No way in hell do I want you to have my back in a situation like this. You'd probably end up either as a hostage or dead."

"You don't know that," Joey spat out angrily.

"You're right, I don't, but now's not the time to test your mettle. I don't want to be worrying about you when all my concentration should be on him."

"As if you would," Joey muttered, then said quietly seconds later, "Sorry, that was uncalled for."

"Yeah it was because I would. Even if you were just, well, any old someone I would, but you're not." He sighed to himself when Joey's eyes lit up. "And don't take that as some kind of romantic declaration, kid. I'm fond of you; I don't want to see something happen to you."

"Fond?" Joey scowled. "Mothers are fond of their kids; kids are fond of their pets."

"Bad analogies. Mothers love their kids and kids love their pets and… fuck…"

"And?" Joey said, pushing for what he wished Glenn would say and knew he wouldn't.

Hitman's Creed - 28

 

"Why did you want me back here?" Mary asked. "I thought you wanted me somewhere safe." She looked both puzzled and afraid as she huddled in the corner of Glenn's sofa.

"We do, and after thinking more about it I decided that your father probably does know about Harv. It would explain why he decided Miriam and Joey are here."

"It was 'cause of the coffee place," Mary said.

"Oh?" Glenn cocked an eyebrow.

She chewed her lip as her eyes flicked from person to person. "He said that their stupidity in calling it 'M and J's' was their undoing. He said it took him some time to figure that out but when he did he knew this was where they were."

Joey grimaced. "And that's how you knew where to call to find me?"

"Umm hmm. I looked in the phone book at the pay phone at the gas station."

Joey stared at her. "Then you already knew you were close when you called because it wouldn't have been listed in a phone book in any other city."

"I… I was…" Her eyes dropped down to her lap as she twisted her hands together.

Joey's mother, who was seated at the other end of the sofa, slid over beside Mary. She took hold of her hands, gripping them when the girl tried to pull away. "He let you go, didn't he?"

"No!" Mary shook her head wildly. "I escaped when he… he…"

"Mary," Glenn said grimly, "you won't be free of him if you don't tell us the truth."

"I am telling the truth. I got away and found that gas station and… and found the coffee place in the phone book and called."

"Glenn's right, Mary, without our help he'll take you again when he's finished with us," Joey told her. "Do you really think he'll let you go if you're a witness to his killing us?"

"He promised…" Mary clamped her mouth tightly shut when she realized what she'd just said.

"Mary," Joey's mother said softly, "we understand that you believe he'll let you go, Steven can be very manipulative. I should know, I lived with him in spite of how he treated me. But he's lying; he has no intention of letting you go. He thinks he owns you. Is that what you want, to spend the rest of your life being his personal punching bag and plaything?"

"No," Mary whispered.

"I didn't think so. So please, please, tell us how he's going to use you to find us. If you do then we can stop him."

"What if you can't?" Hope and doubt played across Mary's face.

"We can," Glenn told her adamantly. "I know what I'm doing. I just have to know how to find him."

"He'll come here if she tells him we're here," Joey pointed out.

"I want to get to him before that happens." When Joey frowned and seemed ready to protest, Glenn glared at him. "Don't argue with me. I'm the expert here, not you."

Joey glared back. "Now just a second here, I have some training. It is what I'm studying."

"Schoolbook knowledge means shit right now. I'm not going to let him get within miles of this place if I can help it." Glenn turned his attention to Mary. "How are you supposed to get in contact with him?"

She ran her hands through her already tangled hair. "I'm supposed to sneak one of their phones and call him."

"I don't suppose you know where he's gone to ground around here."

"No. He said that was none of my business when I… when I asked him."

Glenn nodded. "All right. I need a few minutes to get some equipment. Joey, if you'll come with me. Miriam, your phone please. Mary, what's the number you're calling?"

Hitman's Creed - 27

 

"I should have gone with them; I have things I have to do at home," Joey's mother said as she watched Harv's car pull down the lane.

"Absolutely not," Glenn told her firmly. "Even though your house is as safe as I could make it, if he doesn't want to be up close and personal and if he has a decent gun he could shoot you through one of the windows."

"So we're not really all that protected after all," she replied with a worried glance at Joey.

"You're safe from him getting into the house, which he did when he beat then shot Miss Nye. I think he likes proving that he has control over the situation that way. However if he finds that he can't get inside I have no doubts that he'll come up with another solution to his 'problem'. And he is going to be furious that Mary managed to escape his clutches."

"Do you think he suspects she got in touch with us?" Joey asked.

"Let's put it this way, he's not a stupid man. He managed to avoid capture for the last seven years, even after he took Mary prisoner. Given how close to here they were when she got away he'll probably at least consider that she might try to find you all."

Joey nodded slowly then frowned as he thought of something. "Isn't it a bit odd that she wasn't able to get away from him until they were almost here? Maybe," his frown deepened, "maybe he let her go. Maybe he's brainwashed her so badly that even though she's free she's still under his control. If he thought that mom would take her in then he'd have a way to get into the house with no problem."

"You're going to make a good cop one day," Glenn replied a bit wryly. "That never even occurred to me."

"I can't believe that child would do such a thing," Joey's mother stated, but her tone of voice said she wasn't all that certain.

"She is young, and vulnerable and obviously terrified," Joey pointed out, "the perfect subject for someone like father to manipulate."

"We have to warn Harv!" She looked panicked as she took her phone from her purse.

"Allow me," Glenn said, holding out his hand for the phone. She hesitated then gave it to him once she had dialed the number. As soon as Harv answered, Glenn told him what they were thinking then said Harv should bring Mary back.

Joey listened to Glenn and when he'd hung up said, "She could let him in here as easily as at our place."

Glenn smiled tightly. "She could if we don't keep a good eye on her, which we will. If that's his scenario then she must have some way to communicate with him so he'll know that she's with you two. Ergo, you all are going to remain here, at least for the next twenty-four hours. We might as well make things as easy as possible for him. Or at least he'll think it's going to be easy."

"And if it isn't the scenario? If she actually did manage to get away from him on her own?" Joey asked.

"Then we all get a good night's sleep, and come up with a plan in the morning," Glenn replied with a brief smile.

Hitman's Creed - 26

 

"He just took me. I was walking home from school, sort of slow 'cause I'd had a fight with my foster mother." Mary smiled weakly. "Well that's not quite true, I wasn't going home. I went to the park. I was going to sit there and make her worry. This man came up and I didn't recognize him at first. He told me he was a cop and that my foster mom had sent him to find me. I was pissed but…" She shrugged. "You don't argue with a cop. We got to his car and no one was around and he opened the door and pushed me in and told me to be quiet or he'd kill me like he killed mama and I was scared he would 'cause then I knew it was him and he jumped in and… and…" She scrubbed away a tear from her cheek. "And then I was… he kept me…" She began to cry. Joey's mother immediately wrapped her arms around her and held her until she stopped.

Once she had, Glenn came over to kneel in front of her. "He kept you prisoner I take it."

"Yes. We traveled around," she whispered. "We would stay at motels and if he left he would tie me to the bed like a dog. He told me if I tried to escape he would find me again and that… that what he had done so far would seem like child's play." A shudder ran through her thin frame. "I knew he meant it."

Glenn nodded. "Why did you finally decide to run from him?"

She dropped her eyes to stare at his feet. "He… he forced me… He said I was legal now and his and…"

"Legal," Joey whispered under his breath as he remembered his first meeting with Glenn and their using that word. "The bastard," he said aloud, angrily.

"No question about that," his mother agreed with equal fervor. "Glenn, we need to find her a safe place to stay until we catch… the bastard."

"She can stay with me and the family," Harv said. "Julia would mother her to death but I don't think you'd mind that, would you, Mary?"

Mary lifted her eyes to look at him. "Do you mean that?"

"Yes, of course. You'd be safe enough because he wouldn't have any reason to think you were there. Besides," Harv chuckled as he glanced at Glenn, "the police chief lives two doors down from me so the neighborhood is very safe."

"Of course he does," Glenn muttered. "It probably would be the best place for her for the moment."

"Then that's settled," Joey's mother said, giving Mary a hug.

"It is, but I need to get more information from her before we disband." Glenn stood again, rubbing his knees. "I'm getting too old to kneel like that for so long."

Joey snorted softly but kept his peace. When Glenn shot him a look, he smiled back innocently. Glenn shook his head before he began quizzing Mary about the make and model of Fairburn's car, what the man looked like now, and for any other details she could give them that might help them find him. Finally satisfied that she'd told him everything she knew, he suggested that Harv take her back to his house.

Hitman's Creed - 25

 

Glenn watched with admiration as Joey's mother took over without hesitation. She introduced herself to Mary while she carefully put one arm around the girl's shoulders. When she said something that was obviously meant for Mary's ears only the girl nodded as she replied.

"Glenn," Joey's mother said as she turned to him, "it might be more comfortable inside, if you don't mind."

"Mom," Joey muttered.

"Well it would be." She walked toward the back porch with her arm now around Mary's waist as she urged her forward.

Glenn had the door open by the time they got there. Soon they were all ensconced in the living room, Miriam on the sofa with Mary, and Joey and Harv in chairs. Glenn stood by the fireplace with his hands behind his back. It took him a moment to realize that Mary was shivering and not just from nerves. She wore only a thin shirt and worn jeans.

"Joey, would you go upstairs and get my robe off the hook on the back of the door, please."

Joey looked at him in surprise and jumped to his feet. He was halfway up the stairs when he turned to look at Glenn.

"First door on the right," Glenn told him with a small grin.

"Thanks." Joey disappeared. He returned a minute later with a heavy wool robe which he handed to Mary.

"Thank you," she whispered as she stood, wrapped it around her, and sat again.

"Now, down to business," Glenn said, looking sharply at Mary, "I don't want you to take this wrong but so far we only have your word for it that you're Mary Nye."

"I… I don't know how to prove it to you," she replied. She stared down at the floor as she twisted her hands together.

Joey's mother put her fingers under the girl's chin to make her look up. Then she studied her face before she said to Glenn, "She is definitely Steven's child. I can see it in the eyes and set of her jaw. And she looks like what little I remember of her from the attack, only older of course."

Glenn nodded. "I'll take your word for it. Now we need to know why she," he looked back at Mary, "why you were with Fairburn."

"Because he found me and made me go with him."

"Why didn't he take you with him when he killed your mother?" Glenn put a tone of questioning disbelief in his voice as he asked. He knew the answer but needed to see what her reply would be.

"I was upstairs in my room. I… I heard loud words then mama screamed… and screamed. I was so scared… so I ran to her room and crawled into her closet and prayed whatever was happening would stop." She wiped one fist across her damp eyes. "All I could think of was the… the way she screamed when he was going to… when he hit me and she tried to stop him then they showed up and…"

"Why didn't you call the police?"

"Because I was scared he'd hear me. I did call when he left." She chewed her lip as she looked up at Glenn. "He searched for me, I heard him. But he didn't come into mama's room."

Glenn nodded. "You were quite lucky.”

"I guess. For a while I thought so even though mama was... was dead." Again she wiped away tears.

"How did he get you to go with him once he found out where they had placed you after your mother's murder?" Glenn asked a moment later.

Hitman's Creed - 24

 

"All right, here's how we're going to play this," Glenn said.

They were parked on a side road about a quarter of a mile from where girl told them the gas station was. Harv, who had followed in his own car, was now crouched by the open door of Glenn's as he listened intently.

"Miriam, you and Harv will stay here in his car for now." He turned to Harv. "Turn it around and leave it running. If you even think that something is wrong get her the hell away from here. Joey, you do know how to drive I hope."

Joey rolled his eyes. "Of course."

Glenn chuckled low and patted his leg. "Just had to be certain. I'll do recon first. Give me twenty minutes. I'll call you to let you know whether it's safe or not. If it is you drive up, park by the side of the station and go get the girl. I'll be watching. Once she's in the car, I'll join you and we'll come back here."

"And if it's not safe?"

"Then the three of you head…" Glenn thought for a moment. "Go back to my place and I'll meet you there. Once you turn onto the side road you'll be able to see if he follows you. Just keep going in that case, get back to town, and go to the police station."

"Why not do that from the git-go?" Harv asked.

"Because we'll need to make contingency plans and that won't happen if the cops are involved."

Harv cocked an eyebrow. "Not a big fan of the police, are you?"

Glenn shrugged. "I just think we can do better on our own. The less people involved the more likely Fairburn is to try something else, if the thing with the girl turns out to be a set-up."

Joey wanted to defend the police since he intended to become one, but thought better of it. Now was not the time for some philosophical argument on that subject. Later however, because Glenn's attitude about them bothered him, he would try to find out why he distrusted them.

"All right, let's get this show on the road," Glenn said.

Harv stood and opened the back door of the car, waited for Miriam to get out, and the two of them went to his car. Glenn looked a Joey. "Twenty minutes. If I haven't called by then, get the hell out of Dodge."

"I… all right." Joey tried to smile. "Be careful?"

"Always am. It's what I do best." Glenn patted Joey's leg again then got out. "See you in twenty."

* * * *

Joey drummed his fingers on the steering wheel while he waited for Glenn to call. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but his mind was more on the two brief touches Glenn had given his leg than on the problem at hand. He wondered, hoped, that maybe they were meant as more than just to be reassuring. He rubbed his leg as he imagined Glenn's hand moving higher. His thoughts drifted off toward the erotic and he began to harden.

So when his cell rang he jumped and growled before he came back to reality. He sighed in relief when Glenn told him it was safe, tamped down on his libido, and put the car in gear. As he drove past Harv's car he gave them a thumbs-up. Three minutes later he was parked by the side of the gas station.

He got out of the car, walked to the back of the station, and zeroed in on the stand of trees where the girl was supposed to be waiting. He saw a brief movement in the shadows. As he started toward the trees he kept his hands at his sides, palms facing outwards. He figured she might feel safer if she knew he was empty handed.

When he got to the edge of the trees he saw her peek out from behind the trunk of one of them. "I'm Joey," he said softly.

She stepped into view. For a brief moment she looked at him before she lowered her eyes in what to him seemed a very submissive gesture. "I'm Mary," she whispered. Then her eyes darted around as if she was terrified that someone was listening.

"Come on, Mary. It's safe, I promise. I'm here and so is a friend of mine. He checked things out. Your… our father isn't around." He held out his hand and she moved closer, so fearfully that she made him think of a feral cat that wasn't certain it could trust the person standing there. Then, tentatively, she reached out and took his hand. He smiled, closed his gently around hers, and led her back to the car.

Once she was seated, Glenn appeared. He smiled at her as he told her, "I'm a friend of Joey's."

She looked at Joey for confirmation and he nodded. "This is Glenn. He's one of the good guys, I guess."

"You guess?" Glenn chuckled as he got into the backseat of the car.

"Yeah, well." Joey smiled at Mary as he slid into the driver's seat and turned the car on again. "He says he is so I'm taking his word for it," he told her.

She smiled back shyly. "A joke?"

"Yeah, a joke." As Joey pulled out onto the road, he glanced at Glenn in the rear view mirror and held his hand up in the classic phone call gesture.

Glenn nodded, took out his cell, and texted Harv that he should follow them. As they drove past the side road where they had parked earlier Harv pulled into view. Fifteen minutes later the two cars pulled up behind Glenn's house.

 

Hitman's Creed - 23

 

"I'm going to run home and see how Glenn's doing," Joey told his mother as soon as the noon rush was over.

"I'm quite certain he and Harv have everything under control," she replied with an amused smile.

"Yeah, but…" His words were cut off when the phone rang. He answered, saying "M and J's Coffeehouse, how may I help you?"

There was a long pause then a girl's voice asked, "Is this Joey?"

"Yes. Who are you?"

"I'm Mary, your sister… half-sister. I… I need… I need help."

One look at Joey's face and his mother was right beside him seconds later mouthing 'What?'

He grabbed an order pad and wrote A girl who claims to be my half-sister as he said into the phone, "Why should I believe you?"

"Because it's true," she replied plaintively. "Please… help me."

"How?" he asked.

"I… I ran… I got away from… him. But he's… if he finds me…"

While Joey talked, his mother took out her cell and called the house. She prayed Glenn or Harv would pick up the phone. Glenn did and she quickly explained in a low voice what was happening then nodded. "Keep her talking," she whispered to Joey. "Glenn's on his way."

Joey nodded. "Where are you?" he asked the girl.

"I think… he said we were heading to your town… I'm at a payphone beside a gas station."

"Is he around there?"

"God I hope not. Please can you come get me? Please."

"You're going to have to figure out where you are first. You could be half way across the state for all you know," he told her, keeping his voice calm. "Go into the gas station and ask."

"What if he…"

"If he knows you're there he'd have gotten you already. Don't hang up the phone, just lay it on the shelf and go ask someone." He heard a clunk and knew she had at least done that much of what he'd asked. As he waited for her to return he told his mother what the girl had said to him.

"The question is, is she telling the truth or is this some kind of setup?" his mother said, a look of fear in her eyes that was reflected to a lesser degree in his.

There was a screech of car tires outside the coffeehouse then Glenn pushed through the door, walking swiftly over to Joey. Two seconds later the door opened again and a pair of customers came in.

"I'll take care of them," Joey's mother told him. "You wait for her to get back to the phone."

Joey nodded, stepped away from the counter with the cordless phone still pressed to his ear, and followed Glenn when he moved to the rear of the room. He was about to tell Glenn what the girl had said when she came back on the line. He held the phone so Glenn could hear as well.

"He said the station is on highway 14, just past exit 5. He said that was the best way to tell you to come get me." Her voice still trembled but she sounded a bit more in control of herself. "Can you… come get me?"

Joey looked at Glenn and got a nod in return. "You're in the right place so I can," Joey told the girl. "How will I know you?"

There was a brief pause then she told him, "I'll be in back of the station. There's a… a bunch of trees…"

"All right, you get to them. I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Thank you," she whispered then the phone went dead as she hung up.

"Do you think she's for real?" Joey asked.

"I'd say the odds are fifty-fifty," Glenn replied. "This could be a ruse to get you away from your mother so your father can get to her, which considering where the girl says she is, is a very strong possibility. Or the girl really could have gotten away from him if she was his prisoner. We won't know until we get out there."

"No way am I leaving mom alone here by herself," Joey said adamantly. "Not with that girl so close. Even if she did escape, it still means he's somewhere nearby."

"Of course we're not." Glenn walked back to the counter, where Miriam had just given the two customers their order. "I'm sorry, folks," Glenn said to them. "There's an emergency and the coffeehouse has to close early.”

"What sort of emergency?" one of the women said. She looked worriedly at Joey's mother.

"It's Harv," Glenn replied before Miriam could. "He's all right but…"

"He wants me there, I'm sure," Miriam finished up. "I'm sorry Annabella, Gracie."

"It's okay, Miriam honey. You just go see to him," one of the women said, patting her arm. "And let us know how he is later."

"I will, I promise."

As soon as the women left, Glenn turned the deadbolt lock on the front door and switched the sign to let people know the place was closed. Then he said to Miriam, "Harv should be out back by now. He's going to take you to the police station, just in case."

"Oh no, he's not," Joey's mother said firmly. "I'm coming with you. If that child really did escape from my… from him, she's got to be terrified. She'll feel better off if a woman's there, which would be me."

"Mom," Joey protested.

"Don't 'Mom' me. Now we should get going. You can tell me the details on the way."

Release day for 'A Quest to Defeat a Sorcerer'!

 A Quest to Defeat a Sorcerer

 

https://www.jms-books.com/edward-kendrick-c-224_229/a-quest-to-defeat-a-sorcerer-p-5387.html

https://www.amazon.com/Quest-Defeat-Sorcerer-Edward-Kendrick-ebook/dp/B0F11Q3C8G/

 

GENRE: Gay Fantasy Spicy Romance
LENGTH: 55,789 words
RATING:

Sequel to A Quest to Find a Sorcerer

As soon as Niall is fully trained as a mercenary by his lover Renard, they, as well as the blacksmith's apprentice Merek and healer Aymer, journey through the mountains from Dorraine to the home of Tybout where the powerful sorcerer Symounde has been in exile. They join with Symounde, novice sorcerer Janot, Tybout, and his wolves to travel on to Wildemere. The plan, if they can come up with a viable one, it to destroy the evil sorcerer Huguenin.

When they arrive at Symounde's home, they learn Huguenin has used blood magic to bespell many of the inhabitants of Wildemere. They are his eyes and ears as he spies on the city's citizens, looking for those who oppose him.

It will take all of the companions' ingenuity, plus Symounde's powerful spells and Janot's lesser magic, in the battle they know is coming. Can they defeat Huguenin, who will surely send his enthralled minions to fight them, as well as use his own powerful battle magic against them? If they do, how many will survive?

EXCERPT:

"Alright. We have a plan to get us there," Renard said. "What next?"

"We need to find out what has changed while I have been gone," Symounde said. "Has Huguenin reinforced his control over the province, and even the king if we are correct, beyond what had been when I left?"

"He might well have if he believed the story you had run for your life. He would have realized you were no longer there to forestall him," Tybout replied.

"Not that I did much other than observe prior to my leaving," Symounde said with a rueful sigh. "As I told you previously, unlike Huguenin I abhor the use of magic as a destructive tool. Nor do I approve using it to control others unless absolutely necessary."

"Necessary, how?" Niall asked.

"I will use my powers to stop physical or emotional damage by one person against another when they refuse to listen to reason. For example, against a man who abuses his spouse or children or tries to use fear to control them."

"That certainly fits what we know of Huguenin," Renard said. He scowled. "While I'm not certain it can be called abuse, I have personal knowledge of him from when he threatened to arrest us and throw us in the palace dungeon if we didn't leave Wildemere, or if we tried to meet with Symounde, again."

"Using fear as a motivator is abuse as far as I am concerned," Aymer muttered angrily.

"Agreed," Renard replied. He focused his attention on Symounde, again. "To return to what you said a few moments ago, how can we find out where things stand now when we have been banned from entering Wildemere? As have you from what you told us when we first met."

"I was only banned from using my magic within the city, not from visiting, although I suspect it is irrelevant at this point. I do, however have a few friends, or did before I left Virlandia. Mostly farmers but a few city folk as well." Symounde tapped his fingers together. "I have an idea which may be worth considering. Unlike you, Renard, Niall and Merek had no contact with Huguenin and he may not have been aware of them except as your traveling companions. It has been a few months since they visited the city so I doubt anyone will remember them. It may play in our favor in trying to ascertain where things stand now within Wildemere if they were to act as spies for us."

"No," Renard instantly replied. "I will not put them in danger like that."

"If you're trying to keep me safe," Niall said tightly, "forget it."

"Both of you," Renard retorted.

"Uh-huh."

"Niall, do not presume to know my mind," Renard said scathingly. "Yes, you're important to me, but so is Merek in his own way. We can't afford to lose either of you if things went wrong and Huguenin were to figure out what you're doing. He undoubtedly has eyes and ears everywhere."

"Tyrants usually do and he is nothing if not that, or so I believe," Symounde said.

"I'm good enough to be a mercenary, which is a dangerous profession," Niall said, glowering at Renard, "Yet you don't trust me to do a little spying to find out where things stand."

"What if you were caught? Either of you? Do you know what it's like to be a prisoner in a dungeon? Do you know what Huguenin would do to you to find out what our plans are?"

"Well ..." Niall looked away, biting his lip as he envisioned what might happen. Then, he took a deep breath. "Isn't it worth the risk if we're going to rid Virlandia of him?"

Tybout clapped his hands before Renard could reply. "It is late, we are tired and stressed. I suggest we get some sleep. We can continue this conversation in the morning."

"He is correct," Symounde said. "I would suggest, in the interests of keeping the peace for now, Renard can have Janot's bed for tonight and he can join Merek and Niall sleeping out here beside the cabin."

"I will as well," Aymer said. "I doubt there is a bed for me inside." He pointed a finger at Renard. "Do not say I am too old to sleep rough. I have been doing it during our entire journey up here."

Renard appeared as if he would argue before giving a nod instead. When everyone stood, he took Niall aside. Embracing him, he said softly, "It's not that I don't think you're capable of what they want of you."

"I know. You're worried what might happen." He brushed a kiss over his lips. "I can do it, I promise, and come back in one piece. We both can. We'll just have to figure out the details come morning."

"And a million other ones," Renard said dryly, getting a smile from Niall.

They shared a deep, passionate kiss, and then Renard got his knapsack and went into the cabin. Niall joined the others who were sleeping outside, laid out his bedroll, and soon, because he was exhausted, fell asleep.

 

Hitman's Creed - 22

 

Two days after he’d ordered what he needed to secure the Fairburn house and add to the security at the coffeehouse, Glenn was at Harv's garage. He was tired because he had spent much of the last forty-eight hours keeping an eye on the Fairburn house, just in case. What sleep he'd gotten had been while Joey and his mother were in the relative safety of the coffeehouse with customers always around.

Joey had called him to say that two packages arrived at the garage, addressed to his uncle. It hadn't taken his uncle long to figure out they weren't really for him, or to figure out why they were there. Now Harv looked at Glenn warily as he asked, "Do you actually know what to do with this stuff?"

"I do."

"And you really believe that bastard might show up here?"

"I do, don't you?"

"Well," Harv said slowly, "it's been seven years. Why wait so long?"

"I take it your sister or Joey haven't talked to you about that." When Harv shook his head, Glenn gave him a brief rundown of why he thought Mr. Fairburn might come looking for them now.

"He killed Miss Nye, and kidnapped her kid?" Harv said in a horrified voice. "Why didn't they tell me? And more to the point if you don't mind my asking, how the hell did you get mixed up in this?"

It took a few more minutes for Glenn to fill him in on the rest of it, and his reasons for being involved. When he finished, Harv said adamantly, "I'll help you keep an eye on them. You can't stay awake twenty-four, seven. And I'll let the chief know so he can assign some of his people as well."

Glenn shook his head. "That would be too obvious. I'll accept your help but that's it."

Harv didn't look happy about it but he knew when to accept defeat, especially as Glenn was the expert as far as security went.

"Right now though I need to get this stuff," Glenn pointed at the boxes, "up and running."

"With my help—and before you shoot me down I'm reasonably bright and I do know mechanics and electronics."

Glenn smiled tightly and nodded. "Then let's get to it."