The Horsemen Gather: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone Book 17)

by Michael Anderle

  Seriously? There’s a fucking bounty in there, and you’re all acting like this is some movie premiere.

  “Kick his fucking ass, Brownstone!” shouted one man in a shirt that had more colors than should be legal. His words were slightly slurred, and he swayed as he walked.

  Another man jogged by with his phone up. “Do that shit where you kick them through a wall. Fuck those bitches for thinking they could come into Brownstone Country, bro! Boo-yah, motherfuckers!”

  Don’t know if I should like this shit or be annoyed by it.

  A few other men and the occasional woman offered their less-than-helpful advice and suggestions as they continued streaming out of the club. Their continued movement away from the club suggested they might be convinced of his eventual victory, but they also didn’t want to be present when he delivered the pain.

  Good. That means they’re not total fucking morons, so I can go all out if I need to without any trouble. No hostages or shit like that mind-control asshole. It’ll be a nice, clean fucking fight.

  A couple of minutes passed before the flood of people turned into a mere trickle, and finally, the bouncer came out, sweat covering his pale face.

  “Just so you know, man, I called the cops,” the bouncer explained as he headed into the parking lot. “I told them you were here and what you were doing, so you can just chill and wait for them. I’m sure you’ll get your money just for being here.”

  James shrugged. He wasn’t really there for the money. It was just spice.

  “They aren’t going to show up anytime soon then. It’d be a waste of resources to scramble AET for a level four when I’m on scene. Everyone out? I didn’t hear any fire alarms. No one took the emergency exits?”

  “I told everyone to go out the front.” The bouncer frowned. “I didn’t want someone getting stuck behind the building in case you blow it up.”

  “If I damage the place, I’ll pay for it.” James shrugged. “And I don’t blow up buildings all that often, and not for level fours.”

  The bouncer’s face scrunched in confusion and fear. He shook his head. “Why did I take the extra shift? Sometimes life gets too fucking complicated, even by the standards of LA.” He sighed and jogged into the parking lot.

  “Yeah,” James mumbled. “I feel that. Sorry.”

  Moderate potential adaptation, Whispy reported. Engage and kill targets for maximum adaptation.

  No killing, James thought back. The bounty on this asshole isn’t dead or alive. Probably the same for his friends.

  Engage and kill targets for maximum adaptation, Whispy insisted, a hint of annoyance coming through the mental link.

  Of all the things James had managed to teach the symbiont in the last couple of years, the value of money wasn’t one of them. It made him wonder how things worked on the Vax homeworld.

  Oh, wait. I don’t know if there are any bounties on his entourage. Fuck them. We’ll kill them if they get in the way. If they’re hanging out with an asshole who’ll kill waitresses and cooks at restaurants, they’re pieces of shit.

  Kill the enemy, kill the enemy, kill the enemy.

  Yeah, just not the one.

  James pulled out his .45 and marched into the club. The thumping beat from before had long since died and the main lights had been turned on, revealing a room in need of a good sweeping and scrubbing. There were a surprising number of shirts and shoes strewn about, along with bottles and cups.

  Everyone looked calm, but they just dropped their shit and left.

  A man in a black t-shirt and jeans that must have been purchased from the Tight-ass Jeans Company stood in the center of the dance floor with an obsidian-tipped wand in his hand. Half a dozen other men surrounded him, all holding thin glowing knives. Everyone had murder in their eyes.

  Excitement radiated from Whispy.

  James didn’t raise his gun. “Before we get started, I just want to be sure. You Gavin Vanders? If you’re not Gavin Vanders, I don’t give a fuck. This is about bounty shit, and I’m not here to start anything with random assholes.”

  The wizard tapped his wand on his shoulder. “Yes, I am Gavin Vanders.” He sighed. “I was expecting this to happen. Fuck. People warned me, but I didn’t think it’d happen to me.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Come on, Brownstone. Everyone says that if you’re even remotely big shit, you shouldn’t go to LA because the Granite Ghost will come after you.” Gavin tapped his forehead with his wand. “That was what everyone told me when I said I was heading to LA, and I blew them off.”

  James grunted. “It’s true, but only if you have a bounty. And you do, Vanders—level four, armed robbery and murder, among other things.”

  Gavin smiled brightly. “Yeah, I do have a bounty, but I’m still glad I came here.”

  “You are? Why the fuck is that?”

  Gavin flourished his wand and bowed. “Big fan. I’ve got to say, you do look pretty fucking tough in person, Brownstone. It would have been disappointing if I came here and you looked shorter, or the voice was fake.”

  James narrowed his eyes. “You’re a big fan of a bounty hunter? How the fuck does that make any sense?”

  Gavin shrugged. “You’re a tough asshole. I can get behind that. It’s not like I have any special loyalty to the underworld. So, yeah, big fan.”

  “Huh. I was half-expecting you to give me a big speech about how I’m nothing and you’re going to beat my ass down and shit. That’s what most of you assholes say.”

  Gavin snickered. “Nah, come on. Sure, a man can inflate his reputation a little, but not too much. Everyone saw what you did at that amusement park fight. Anyone taking you on and thinking you can’t kick a lot of ass is a special kind of stupid.”

  James holstered his weapon, the motion causing the men with knives to raise their weapons. There was a slight shimmer around them as they did. He reached into his pocket and felt for a small magic coin Shay had given him. He might get to test Shay’s jumpstart method in an actual fight.

  Kill the enemy, Whispy insisted.

  If necessary. And the way this guy is talking, I’m guessing this gonna end with some ass-kicking.

  “If you understand I’m not to be fucked with, why don’t you make this shit easy and surrender?” James gestured to the man’s lackeys. “I don’t even know who these fuckers are, let alone if they have bounties, so this just has to be you going in. They can walk.”

  Gavin sighed. “That’s the thing, Brownstone—I don’t think prison would agree with me. Too hard to schedule a good lay, you know what I mean? And I don’t think I’d like the food.”

  His men all laughed.

  That shit was weak.

  “You had your chance to run, but you’re still here,” James rumbled. “If you know you can’t win, then what you are hoping for? That I’ll let you go? I don’t let bounties go because they say they’re fans. I don’t care about what tragic fucking backstory you have, either, about how you needed to rob all those places for your sister’s surgery or whatever.”

  Gavin shook his wand in front of his face. “No, no. It’s not that I can’t win. It’s just that I’m not stupid enough to think you aren’t tough. And tragic backstory?” He snorted. “I actually inherited a hundred million dollars when I was eighteen. I don’t commit crimes because I need the money. I commit crimes because it’s fun, and it beats being bored.” He shrugged. “What’s the point of being a rich wizard if I can’t rob the occasional place because I feel like it?”

  James grunted. “Aren’t you just the perfect example of a pile of shit?”

  Kill the enemy, Whispy demanded again.

  Strongly considering it.

  “Probably,” Gavin responded, “but I’m a pile of shit willing to offer you twice my bounty to let me walk. You’re a bounty hunter, not a cop. Come on, Brownstone, you might be rich from all your bounties, but you’re still all about money. You don’t have a sworn duty to take me down.” He shrugged. “And, shit, if
you track my ass down again, I’m willing to offer you the same deal. I’ve got plenty of money.”

  “I don’t get it.” James furrowed his brow. “You knew I might come, and you were still sitting here partying?”

  “Sure, because I figured I’d just offer this deal.” Gavin frowned. “I didn’t think you would track my ass down so quickly, but that proves you got something going on upstairs, too.” He tapped the tip of his wand in his palm. “So, what do you say, Brownstone? Want to make the easiest money you’ve ever earned, or are we going to have a pointless fight where someone might get hurt?”

  James cracked his knuckles. “Last chance. Surrender, or this is gonna end with you hurt. I also can’t guarantee your little bitch posse won’t end up dead.”

  Gavin pointed his wand at James, some of his earlier easy manner sliding off his face. “Just because you’re tough doesn’t mean you won’t get hurt, Brownstone. I’ve got a few tricks I don’t think you’ve seen before.”

  Engage enemy for maximum adaptation, Whispy demanded.

  James pulled his gun out again. He was surprised the bounty and his men hadn’t attacked him immediately. He pointed the gun at Gavin’s leg. “You got more tricks than a three-headed dragon?”

  “Huh?” Gavin blinked. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “Just saying I’ve seen a lot of shit.” James fired.

  A shield flashed around Gavin and the bullet fell to the ground, not crushed or showing any sign of impact.

  So, it doesn’t deflect. At least that’ll cut down on collateral damage.

  Kill the enemy, Whispy chanted.

  James whipped his gun to the side and fired at one of the knife-wielders. The bullet also ended up on the ground. He emptied his magazine between the rest of the men and the wizard before holstering his gun.

  Gavin looked pained. “That wasn’t impressive. Come on, Brownstone. We both know you’ve got more than that. That shit right there was insulting. Fuck, this is embarrassing for both of us.”

  “Hey, why use the top-grade shit if you don’t need it?” James shrugged.

  The men all laughed.

  James didn’t. “This is the part where people start dying.” He pulled off his coat and tossed it to the side, then removed his knife sheath and holster. No reason to lose a perfectly good holster when he activated advanced mode. “And you’re not gonna die, Gavin, but I am gonna fuck you up.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the magic coin.

  “We’ll see about that.” Gavin pointed his wand and shouted an incantation, and a ray of pure darkness shot from his wand. It shot forward, obscuring the area around it as if eating the light.

  James hissed as pain blasted from his shoulder and suffused the rest of his body.

  Yesssss, Whispy sent. New adaptation in progress. Heavy regeneration in progress.

  James looked down at his throbbing shoulder, wondering why it hurt so badly. There was a huge hole through it.

  Huh. That explains it.

  “Damn!” Gavin shouted slapping his leg. “I didn’t think it’d work so well. Fuck. You can see clean through him.” He laughed. “See that shit?”

  The men all laughed and pointed.

  Despite the injury, James wasn’t actually that angry, and the wound hurt less than many similar injuries he’d suffered before, perhaps an artifact of the magic used. Whispy’s joy over the new damage source further dampened any irritation.

  It was the perfect time for a test.

  James slipped the coin under his shirt and against the amulet, his teeth gritted. It might not be the worst pain ever, but it was still pain. “That shit hurt, Vanders.”

  Gavin waved his wand. “Offer’s off the table, Brownstone. I’ll let you leave, but I’m not paying you a dime. The fact that you’re not wetting your pants and screaming in pain proves that you live up to the hype, so I still have mad respect for you.”

  Do it, Whispy.

  Utilizing alternate power source. Advanced transformation in progress.

  The bioarmor spread from the amulet, covering the wound in his shoulder, and his blade appeared. James took a deep breath and pointed the weapon at Gavin.

  “Damn, there it is.” The wizard frowned. “Don’t do this, Brownstone. I’ve still got respect for you. It might help my rep to kill you, but I really don’t want to, especially after seeing you take that null ray like it happens to you every day. It’d be a fucking waste of a kick-ass man.”

  “Now you’ve got my attention,” the bounty hunter rumbled. “You should have put that shit through my head, but to be honest, not sure even that would have finished me off. I don’t think you understand who you’re fucking fighting, asshole.”

  “Too bad.” Gavin shook his head. “What a fucking waste.” He fired another null ray.

  The attack struck James square in the chest, digging through the armor but not penetrating much into his chest. The attack left a mild surface burn, but the pain was nothing compared to James’ shoulder.

  “What the fuck?” the wizard yelled.

  Tendrils of the armor threaded to seal the new hole, and the pain in James’ shoulder started to ebb.

  Regeneration still in progress, Whispy reported. Primary adaptation achieved. Kill the enemy.

  “My turn, fucker,” James growled. He charged the wizard.

  Gavin took a step back, confusion and fear in his eyes, and his men rushed forward with their glowing knives. James backhanded one man, who spun through the air and landed on his arm with a loud snap. Being unconscious kept him from screaming.

  Two more men stabbed at James, but their weapons bounced off without a scratch. James gutted one man before spinning and slashing the throat of the other. Their blood coated the floor, and James made a mental note to make sure to offer the club owner extra money to hire special cleaners.

  Kill the enemy, Whispy cheered. Kill the enemy. Kill the enemy.

  Gavin fired off another ray, but the new attack barely penetrated the top few layers of armor. Terror seized the wizard’s face as his remaining men continued slashing at James with their magic knives. James stabbed another man and smashed him against one of his friends before pulling the blade out.

  The surviving member of the entourage dropped his knife and ran for the door. James didn’t bother chasing him. He wasn’t there for random thugs.

  James stepped toward the wizard. “You know what they say, Vanders. Be careful what you fucking wish for.”

  Gavin raised his wand, his arm trembling. He launched a large fireball toward his tormentor and it exploded around James, but it didn’t accomplish much more than stinging his eyes, even without a helmet.

  “Bring it, bitch,” James rumbled. “Because that shit was just fucking embarrassing for both of us.”

  An ice lance came next, and it shattered into thousands of pieces against his chest. The impact did jostle him, though, increasing the ache from his shoulder.

  Definitely regenerating slower.

  Limited power available from alternate power source, Whispy responded.

  James reached down and grabbed a knife from one of the dead men.

  “What the fuck are you doing, Brownstone?” Gavin shouted.

  “Making this bullshit worthwhile.” James placed the blade against the center of the armor.

  Alternate power usage in progress, Whispy reported.

  James tossed it to the ground and grabbed another knife and repeated the process.

  Regeneration accelerated.

  “You know why it’s your lucky day, Vanders?” James asked.

  “Fuck you! Die, shithead!” Gavin shouted his next incantation and a massive electrical bolt blasted into James.

  Maximum adaptation already attained, Whispy reported. Previous attacks indicate minimal additional adaptation potential. Kill the enemy. Find and engage stronger enemy.

  James picked up the other knives and drained them. “It’s your lucky day because I decided I need to test some shit, which meant I didn�
��t finish you off as quickly as possible. You got a little more time without some serious pain, asshole.”

  “I’m a fucking wizard, Brownstone, not some gangster,” Gavin snarled. “You’re not going to win.”

  The wizard spent the next thirty seconds pelting James with every element and material the man could summon, but none of his other attacks approached the damage of his initial null ray. Whispy’s excitement continued to fade, and his requests for immediate termination increased.

  Whispy, James thought, is that enough power for extended advanced transformation?

  Yes, but stability limited with alternate power sources used.

  Fine, just do it.

  The silver-green metallic tendrils spread, encasing James’ entire body in armor. His helmet formed, blinding him, and his claws extended. It was an odd sensation wearing the full armor without the familiar all-consuming rage. A few seconds of pain in his eyes preceded his vision returning with a wider field of view.

  “You’re fucking finished, Vanders,” James thundered.

  Gavin raised his wand again, and several of the massive speakers tore away from the roof and hurtled toward James. The bounty hunter didn’t even bother to dodge as they slammed into him. The impact barely even made his shoulder hurt. Most of the previous pain had vanished.

  Kill the enemy, Whispy demanded. Limited power available for extended advanced mode.

  Guess I’m not gonna end up in Forerunner mode just from draining artifacts, huh?

  Insufficient power for Forerunner transformation. Primary power source necessary.

  James grunted. It was time to finish this shit. He charged Gavin and slammed an armored foot into the man. The wizard flew back and crashed into a nearby wall with a crunch. His head lolled forward, but he was still breathing.

  “Fan request, asshole,” James rumbled. “And a little payback for all the people you’ve hurt.”

  Extended advanced mode instability, Whispy reported. Insufficient power to maintain form.

  Revert. I don’t need that shit anymore. This battle is over.