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

by Michael Anderle

  James narrowed his eyes. “Used to think?”

  “My people have collected some of the footage taken from cameras near your last fight with Fortis.” Disbelief spread over Daniel’s face. “You were able to take shots from them like they were nothing. You should be dead or a pile of peanut butter, or something.”

  “The first time I got shot with one it turned my arm into stinking purple smoke.” James grunted. “That shit wasn’t fun.”

  “But you have two arms…” Daniel blinked and looked at each of James’ arms. “I see. That’s even more impressive. I understand now why you’re such a vital part of Senator Johnston’s alien defense plans.”

  “What about you, CIA?” James rumbled. “You just basically said I’m scarier than your magic monster gun. Does that mean you’re gonna come at me soon, just like all these other fuckers?”

  “No. You see, I’ve dealt with a lot of aliens directly, and it’s taught me an important lesson.”

  “What’s that? Don’t start shit you can’t finish?”

  “My grandfather taught me that long before I joined the CIA.” A genuine smile appeared on Daniel’s face. “The lesson I learned is that aliens are a lot like anyone from Earth or Oriceran. Some are good. Some are bad. Most are complicated.”

  James snorted. “And you’re saying I’m good?”

  “I’m saying you’re a man with deep ties to this planet and no ties to wherever the hell the Vax are from. You’re also a man who could easily have followed the path of a criminal or a mercenary selling his talents and abilities to the highest bidder, but you didn’t. You’re a man who still faithfully attends his church and gives money to orphans.”

  “You know all that? CIA’s really up my ass, aren’t they?”

  Daniel chuckled. “Most of that we got from the NSA, but the point is, Mr. Brownstone, it’s never what a man says that’s important. It’s what he does.”

  James snorted. “You expect me to be impressed? If you guys had minded your own house, we wouldn’t have had to deal with Fortis. It’s gonna take months to repair the Leanan Sidhe, and the Professor almost got killed.”

  Daniel’s smile disappeared, replaced by a stern frown. “And I’m sorry for that. You’re right. You’ve done us a great service by helping us all but finish off Fortis. I’ll be honest. If they had gotten their hands on the vimana, given how ruthless they are, who knows what they might have done with it? The kind of men who’ll kill innocent people to cover up a secret are not the kind of men I’d trust with access to an artifact like that.”

  “Yeah, not saying I disagree.” James put up his footrest. No reason he couldn’t relax why he was being debriefed by this CIA agent over his involvement in fighting another CIA faction. “But now that everyone knows the fucking truth, maybe you can answer a question for me? And don’t feed me any ‘it’s classified’ shit.”

  “I’ll do my best to answer. That’s all I can promise.” Daniel shrugged.

  “You guys aren’t going around killing people like Fortis, but you’re still keeping shit secret.”

  “You’re not exactly announcing to the world that you’re an alien,” Daniel replied.

  James scoffed. “Because I don’t want fuckers like Fortis coming after me and blowing up my favorite restaurants and bars. What’s the government’s excuse? Oriceran is weirder than the idea of aliens from space. Why the big cover-up? People can handle it. The last couple of decades proves it.”

  Daniel let out a low chuckle. “People could handle it, sure. People could handle the concept of aliens from space. That wouldn’t change anything. And you’re right, Oriceran is weirder, but there have been a decent number of magicals on Earth forever, and we have organizations like the PDA to offset them, let alone bounty hunters like you.” He leaned forward, all the humor gone. The man could turn it on and off in an instant. “Now imagine people find out that the aliens could park a ship in orbit and wipe Los Angeles off the map, and even with magic, we might not be able to do much about it. It’d make the chaos after the gates reopening look like nothing. I’m sure the truth will come out within the next few decades, but for now, we’ve got to ease into it, until we can honestly tell people, not just in America, but across the entire world, ‘Don’t worry. We can protect you.’”

  We can protect you.

  James could understand the sentiment. He might not be the smartest man or the most educated, but he was strong, and he’d always thought he could protect everything and everyone important to him. The Harriken made him realize he’d been wrong, but since then, he’d done everything he could to ensure that kind of loss would never happen again.

  James grunted. “The fight we had with Fortis was pretty messy. Tons of dead bodies. Crashed helicopters, an entire building half-destroyed. How are you covering all that up? When I fought the Council, the government just admitted what happened.”

  “It’s not like anyone, regardless of faction, wants to admit that rogue CIA operatives basically started a major battle in the middle of Los Angeles. If it wasn’t for Professor Smite-Williams’ quick thinking with that fiddle artifact, hundreds of people could have ended up hurt. There are many layers of government using their influence to make certain evidence go away, such as traffic camera and drone footage, but you need to also be on board, because your name is in the middle of the cover-up.”

  James slammed the footrest down. “What the fuck?”

  Thomas popped his head up for a moment, looked at James, and then snuggled back down to sleep, completely ignoring the stranger in the room.

  “You’re fundamentally an honest man, Mr. Brownstone,” Daniel explained. “That means you don’t know how to lie well. You’re probably decent at lying through omission, but I’m a spy. I’m great at lying. I was trained to be great at it, so let me give you a little helpful hint. The best lies, the ones people are willing to swallow without pushing too deep, are those with a core of truth.”

  “What’s the core of truth this time?” James rumbled.

  “That you fought some men near the Leanan Sidhe, and you killed those men.” Daniel shrugged. “Just a few details have been changed. It wasn’t Fortis agents you fought according to everyone including the LAPD, it was overzealous cartel members who thought they could kill James Brownstone, but because of your concern about casualties, you made sure that one of your contacts cleared out the area.” He shook his finger. “Let me make this clear: this is the official story, and the chief of police is playing ball even though he doesn’t know the full story. The media is already being supplied with evidence that corroborates that version of events, so when they contact you, just grunt and tell them you killed the guys trying to kill you.”

  James scoffed. “I knew getting involved in government shit would be annoying.”

  “Hey, imagine how I feel! This is my day job.” Daniel offered him a playful smile, but James wasn’t in the mood.

  “Is this shit over then? I thought it was after the first attacks, but they came at us twice after that.”

  “My people have been able to account for the vast majority of missing agents who allegedly died in the plane crash I told Shay about. I’m not going to blow smoke up your ass and tell you that Fortis has been eliminated, but they no longer have any effective field operatives.” Daniel stood and dusted his hands on his pants. “And that means my people can handle them from here and keep them from bothering people not in the game—like you.”

  James locked eyes with Daniel. “So Fortis is done, but what about the rest of you? You said you trust me, but what if you get the call to take down James Brownstone next week? You gonna be a good little soldier and come after me?”

  Daniel headed toward the door without a response, but stopped and looked back at James when he reached it. “For now, I believe you’re a man who will defend the United States, so I’m not going to worry about that.”

  “And if that ever changes?”

  “Let’s just say I’ve got a few more tricks and favors I ca
n call in that even Fortis and Senator Johnston don’t know about.” Daniel opened the door. “With any luck, neither of us will ever see each other again. Have a good day, Mr. Brownstone.” He stepped outside and closed the door.

  James grunted.

  I can’t figure out if I like that guy’s attitude or if I want to punch him in the face.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The Professor sighed as he settled into the booth of the pub with a fresh mug of beer. It was a nice enough place, but it wasn’t his place.

  We all suffer in the long fight. At least I’m still breathing.

  An unassuming Light Elf in a hoodie walked up to his booth and took a seat.

  The Professor eyed the elf and smiled. “New look, Correk?”

  “It involves a bet with Leira.” Correk frowned. “Don’t ask.”

  The Professor reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the small glass sphere that had cost so many lives. He handed it to the elf. “This would all have been far easier if you had been directly involved.”

  “I’m the Fixer. My purview is the protection of magicals, not getting involved in internal US intelligence struggles.” Correk frowned.

  “Oh, don’t feed me that, old friend.” The Professor pointed at the sphere. “We both know what that represents. The fate of Earth and all the magicals on it is tied to how well we’re able to defend it. If this planet ceases to exist, it’s going to be rather nasty for the magicals on it, and the Oricerans who will need to come to it.”

  “It’s all paranoia, though. You have no proof that anything’s going to happen. If the Nine Systems Alliance wanted to go after Brownstone, they’ve had months to do it.”

  The Professor shook his head. “I wish I could share that optimism, but all I can do is assume that the aliens are as moral as humans.”

  Correk winced. “That bad?”

  “Aye.” The Professor lifted the mug to his lips and took a sip. The beer outside of the Leanan Sidhe didn’t taste as satisfying. “But I understand your restrictions as Fixer. All I’d like to know is if you think we’ll actually be able to activate the vimana.”

  Correk took a deep breath and looked down for a long moment before giving a slight nod of his head. “Yes. Everything you’ve collected and you’ve had Shay get for you should be enough. I just hope we’ll never have to use it.”

  “You and me both, old friend. You and me both.”

  James leaned back in the confessional booth, pressing his back against the cool wood. “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It’s been two weeks since my last confession.”

  “What do you have to share with me today?” Father McCartney replied.

  “I’ve kept a grave secret from you, one that might affect my soul. I’ve thought long and hard about it, but some recent events make me think I should tell you the truth.”

  The priest sighed. “James, honesty is important in the sacrament. I’m surprised to hear that you have been keeping secrets, given all the other things you’ve told me.”

  James’ hands curled into fists. “This isn’t something I’ve always known, and it might be dangerous for you to know. I’m gonna say this now. If there’s any government ass…government agents listening to this, and anything happens to this man after I tell him, you’ll see the full power of a Vax.”

  “Vax?” Father McCartney echoed. “Government agents? I don’t know what’s going on, James, but I don’t want you to endanger your soul because you think you’re protecting me. I’m willing to take the risk.”

  “I’m not human, Father,” James replied. “I didn’t know before, but now I know.”

  Father McCartney sighed. “That’s your secret?”

  “You don’t sound surprised.” James blinked.

  “You do things that no normal man can. There’s no shame in being from Oriceran. I’ve long suspected it.”

  James shook his head. “No, you don’t understand. I’m not from Oriceran. I’m an alien from a race called the Vax, and they aren’t the only ones out there. The government’s keeping them a secret because they’re not sure if there will be a panic.”

  Father McCartney took a few moments to digest the news. “Somehow none of that surprises me, nor does it change anything.”

  James chuckled. “It doesn’t change anything that I’m not human?”

  “The Lord created all of the universe, not just Earth,” the priest replied softly. “I know everyone’s still arguing about the metaphysics of it all, but that’s my belief. As such, I don’t see that it’s relevant what species you are, as long as you are faithful. Also, this sacrament is sacred, so none of what you’ve told me here will be spread beyond this confessional.”

  “Huh.”

  “What troubles you now?” Father McCartney asked with a faint hint of amusement in his voice.

  “I just didn’t think this conversation would go like this. I didn’t even tell Shay about it.” James leaned forward. “Just between sh…stuff that’s happened in the last couple of weeks and the wedding coming up in the summer, I want to be right with you and the church.”

  “As I’ve told you before, James, you’re a good man. I still believe you’re a good man, no matter what planet you were born on.”

  Shay eyed James from her side of the bed. “You did what?”

  “I told Father McCartney the truth. It's not a big deal. He took it well.”

  Shay scrubbed a hand over her face. “That could have backfired in a big way.”

  “Maybe.” James slipped the amulet off his neck and set it on the nightstand next to him. “But the less I have to lie, the better. The government knowing all that shit made a lot of what had to go down easier. It’s not like I’m planning to go on some news show and have them broadcast that I’m a Vax Forerunner, but if I can tell people I trust, why not?”

  Shay sighed. “I suppose. Maybe someday you will be able to tell everyone. Are you going to tell Alison?”

  “Yeah. She needs to know, and anyway, she might already have figured it out. Saw it in my soul or some shit. I’ll give her a call soon. I just want to make sure all this vimana and Fortis shit isn’t as fresh. I don’t want her asking the right questions and figuring out what went down. Somehow she always seems to be able to tell if I’m holding back, even over the phone.”

  Shay snickered. “The truth is, James, you’re just a terrible liar.”

  James chuckled. “CIA Boy said something like that.”

  “It’s not a bad thing. You’re a straightforward guy, and even if you hide the amulet, it’s not like you’re much for bullshit misdirection. It’s one of the reasons you drove me nuts when I first met you. Every man like you I’ve met before has been into bullshit misdirection, so when you dealt with me honestly and openly, it confused the hell out of me. I kept trying to understand your angle.”

  James grunted. “Yeah, and kept assuming I was gay.”

  Shay gave him a sheepish smile. “You’re not the only one who needed to learn how to deal with people better, you know.” She leaned back and rested her head on her pillow. “I wonder if the Professor and a bunch of wizards are out in the desert somewhere raising a vimana. I always assumed he already had it, but now that I know he didn’t, it’s… Shit. It’s a little cool. I still doubt they’ll be able to do much with something that was made during an age of high magic, but if they dump enough magic into it, maybe they can accomplish at least a little with it. But that’s the kind of thing that—I don’t know—really makes you think about how things were back on Earth then. It’s almost as if they were more impressive than on Oriceran.”

  “What? You saying all this getting shot at by Fortis shit is inspiring?”

  Shay laughed. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

  “And what is it inspiring you to do?”

  “Epic wedding venues.”

  James shot up, his heart pounding. “Meaning what?”

  “I’m just saying that a wedding on the ground would be kind of boring. Everyone does that shit.�
�

  James stared at her, uncomprehending.

  “I’m not saying that I want a vimana wedding,” Shay clarified. “But maybe something in the air. There has to be some way to manage it. We’ve both got plenty of money and magical contacts.”

  James shook his head. “If God wanted man to fl—”

  “He would have given them wings. Blah, blah.” Shay rolled her eyes. “I wonder what stupid shit arpaks say that sound like that. What about a plane?”

  “You know I hate them, too.”

  Shay’s breath caught. “Underwater wedding. I bet that’s easier. I’m sure you get a few elves and wizards together, they cast a spell and make a little air bubble or some shit.”

  James grunted, unsure if Shay was being serious or teasing him.

  Underwater wedding? I guess it’s better than a gnome bounce castle on the moon.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Sentry 8224 tapped his AllBand a few times to verify that the long-range comm link was stable before clearing his throat.

  “Reporting, Sentry 8224, Senior Shepherd Corayailaxi Jakimalitta, in response to the last inquiry sent by Command. I am confident that my time on Earth has given me sufficient information to place the actions of Sentry 7921 in proper context, while also providing recommendations for future Alliance interactions with Earth.” He waited until a telltale beep indicated the words had been processed. “Let me first note that I agree with earlier conclusions that Shepherd 7921’s actions were excessive, and on multiple occasions, she clearly harmed innocent natives outside the scope of her operational mission. With that duly noted, the Vax threat represented by James Brownstone is even more extreme than was perceived by the junior Shepherd. In a recent series of encounters with rogue intelligence agents of the US government, the Vax, operating in armored mode, was able to survive attacks by a molecular rearrangement weapon associated with an unknown advanced species. I’ll be looking into them further to determine their influence and threat to Earth.”