Killing Is My Business
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Killing Is My Business
Protected by the Damned, Book 2
Michael Todd
Michael Anderle
Laurie Starkey
KILLING IS MY BUSINESS (this book) is a work of fiction.
All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.
Copyright © 2018 Michael Todd, Michael Anderle, and Laurie Starkey
Cover by Ryn Katryn Digital Art
Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing
LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.
The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact support@lmbpn.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
LMBPN Publishing
PMB 196, 2540 South Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV 89109
First US edition, March 2018
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Author Notes - Michael Todd
Author Notes - Laurie Starkey
Connect with Michael Todd
Books by Michael Todd
Books written as Michael Anderle
Torn Asunder Team
JIT Readers
John Ashmore
Kelly ODonnell
James Caplan
Daniel Weigert
Peter Manis
Kim Boyer
Paul Westman
Tim Bischoff
Joshua Ahles
Larry Omans
Micky Cocker
If I missed anyone, please let me know!
Editor
Lynne Stiegler
To Family, Friends and
Those Who Love
To Read.
May We All Enjoy Grace
To Live The Life We Are
Called.
1
Korbin stood in the kitchen, grasping the warm mug tightly in his hands.
He was staring off, not thinking about anything in particular—just feeling more worn out than usual.
It had been a long several months, and a lot had happened. Between losing Armani and saying goodbye to Garrett, the house was a whole lot quieter than normal. Life had gone on, just like it had when he was in the military and lost a soldier. In his own head, though, he couldn’t ever get over losing someone, especially not on his watch.
He was down to four: Katie, Calvin, Damian, and Derek. That wasn’t enough to keep the three states he was in charge of safe and secure from the flesh-eating bastards hell-bent on turning Vegas into a fucking human buffet.
“Hey, boss,” Calvin said, walking in and interrupting his thoughts. “You about ready to get going?”
“Going?” Korbin’s eyes narrowed, still slightly foggy.
“Yeah.” Calvin chuckled. “We are meeting our new potential recruits today, remember?”
“Oh, sure, sure,” Korbin said. “Sorry, didn’t sleep well last night. I feel like I’m still waking up.”
“You sleep?” Calvin scratched his chin. “We think you don’t. I have fifty big ones down that you are pretending to sleep so we humans think better of ourselves.”
Korbin looked at Calvin. “Fifty large?”
“What?” Calvin was shocked for a moment. “Oh, hell no! Just fifty bucks. Hell, I don’t have Korbin-level money to be tossing around.” The two men shared a chuckle.
“Hey, boss and mini-boss,” Katie called, smiling as she pranced into the room and grabbed a donut. She took a bite and turned back to the men, covering her mouth. “Whatcha up to so early? I know you said there was no training today.”
“Some of us aren’t slackers,” Calvin teased, hip-checking her as he passed on his way for more coffee.
“Yeah, okay.” Katie laughed, rolling her eyes.
“No, we are going to go check out the new recruits so we can make the team stronger,” Calvin answered. “I know you are a beast, so it is probably shocking to find out that it’s not your show, but we have to do what is best.”
“Ha ha.” Katie shook her head. “I’m glad this place doesn’t revolve around me. It’s stressful enough as it is. Do we have some good options?”
“We just got the list,” Korbin answered, rinsing his mug. “They give it to us the same day as the interviews, so we are on the same playing field as any other team.”
“Gotcha,” Katie said, staring at the two of them. “Well, try to get another girl. This place is full of testosterone and dirty socks. I need someone I can gang up on Derek with. You know, keep it interesting.”
“I don’t know if we can handle another female,” Calvin replied. “Especially if she is as hotheaded as you are.”
“You’re probably right,” Katie said, flashing a huge smile. “All right.” She waved her fingers. “Have fun, you two.”
“Yeah.” Korbin patted her on the shoulder and walked out of the kitchen.
Katie looked at Calvin in confusion, wondering why Korbin was being so distant. He was acting like picking up new members was the worst thing in the world. Calvin just shrugged and followed Korbin out to the garage.
Calvin jumped in the driver’s seat of the first black SUV and buckled his seatbelt, then looked at Korbin with a stern face. Korbin rolled his eyes and buckled in too.
“You know, for someone who risks his life fighting demons, you sure are ‘Mr. Hall Monitor, Safety First,’” Korbin ground out.
“Yeah, but it would be just our luck to withstand an attack by demons and then die in a stupid car accident.” Calvin dropped the car into gear and pulled out of the garage. “Besides, drivers in Las Vegas don’t give two shits—they’ll smash right through you. Just lookin’ out for you, boss.”
“Appreciate it.” He chuckled. “So, there are five options in this file for us to pick from.”
“All right.” Calvin turned left. “Let’s hear ‘em.”
“Well, option one is Eric Bynes,” Korbin told him. “He was a field medic in the military.”
“That’s interesting.” Calvin took another left. “Especially after losing Garrett.”
“Only thing is, he isn’t infected,” Korbin explained. “So he would be in for life, either until he became infected or he died. Those who come in human can never leave.”
Calvin’s eyes narrowed. “Why in the hell would he want to walk into this, then?”
“That’s what I’m searching for.” Korbin was reading the information on his tablet, and a moment later he scratched the back of his head as he spoke. “It says here that he lost two of his teammates to an outbreak over in the sandpit. He witnessed the whole thing and did some considerable damage to the demons; got out alive. It adds he has no family or significant other, and he just wants the chance to take a crack at them.” Korbin looked up as Cal
vin entered the 15 freeway. “What he saw over there must have been pretty brutal, but they don’t give any real details of the attack.”
“If it was anything like the commune I can understand his feelings about it,” Calvin replied, “especially as a human seeing something like that for the first time. I imagine it would really fuck someone up or turn them into a revenge-driven machine.”
“It’s concerning, but I’m not here to judge him on his personal choices for the rest of his life,” Korbin said. “If this is what he wants, so be it.”
“Let’s just hope he isn’t a crackpot. We don’t want to have to put him down,” Corbin replied.
“Yeah.” Korbin sighed. “Something like that would hurt Katie, and the morale for the rest of the team.” Korbin chewed on the information for a couple minutes, and the cab of the vehicle was quiet. “It’s a hard decision, Cal. He is physically qualified and has the drive, but we have already lost so much. I’m not sure what another loss would do to us if he can’t swing it without an infection.”
“I really appreciate how much you care for our mental status,” Calvin said. “Let me just say though, your first and foremost responsibility is the war against the demons. You have to know that if this guy can help us get there,” Calvin looked at Korbin, “you can’t pass him up.”
“Yeah…I know.” Korbin looked out the window. “You guys are my team, though. I’m responsible for your lives, so when I lose one—like Armani—it really hits hard. I’ve lost a lot of men in war, and now that I’m in a war with no end in sight, I fear going through that over and over again. It’s something that never gets easier.”
“I get it, boss”
“Anyway, there are several other candidates,” Korbin said, changing the subject. “The second is Jeremy Crofts. He is Damned, and was part of the FBI. His record shows that he was pretty much the perfect agent; awards and accolades through the roof. His team ended up in the thick of a swarm of new demons, apparently. They walked in right after the coven had summoned. Several of them were Damned, but he was the only one of his team to walk out alive. There is a note here that the facts of the case are foggy, though, and he doesn’t like to talk about it. I guess we won’t know for sure until we gain his trust.”
“So he wants revenge?” Calvin guessed.
“I’m not sure,” Korbin said. “From his responses, it looks like he just wants to be part of something that is combating this threat. His notes are intelligent; very short and to the point. From what it says in his file, he didn’t have much problem making the transition into this life. He is professional, strong, and follows the rules to a fault, and even with a demon in him he doesn’t waver from what is right and wrong.”
“He’s in trouble coming to our team, then.” Calvin laughed. “We kind of go by our own rules as long as it gets the job done. Luckily we stay relatively safe and in one piece and who knows—might be a little fun if he was offset against Katie.”
Korbin snorted. “True, but following the rules isn’t a bad thing, he might be good for us.” He chuckled and touched his tablet. “All right, candidate number three is Alissa Bonds. She is Damned, relatively new, trained with the East Coast teams but looking for a home. She was a schoolteacher—found herself on a really bad date, and ended up infected. Apparently she is strong, fast, and can wield a mean sword. She was a fencing coach in her human life, but the notes say she has a bit of a hard time controlling her demon when she gets angry.”
“That sounds terrifying.” Calvin laughed. “But a little demon-fueled anger never hurt anyone.” Calvin sped up to pass a family in a little red Prius. The wife seemed intent on singing with the two little kids in the back seat while Dad suffered in the driving position. Calvin didn’t notice any headphones, so he was taking one for the team.
“I don’t think that is necessarily true.” Korbin chuckled. “It says here she needs a strong hand, and that she caused at least four teammate trips to the medic during an incredibly trying mission into one of the largest DC covens. I’m going to steer clear of her.”
“We already have our female, anyway.” Calvin pulled back into the normal lane. “And she is pretty much the essence of our team at this point. I can’t imagine her with another woman, especially one with anger issues.”
“Also true,” Korbin agreed. “Moving on. Candidate Number Four is Bruno Ronshaft. He is a martial arts specialist, worked for the CIA overseas for about a decade, and speaks six languages.”
“Does he speak demon?” Calvin asked sarcastically. “I don’t really think French and Portuguese are going to be an asset in this line of work. How did he end up here?”
“His file said that he was in Rome on assignment with his partner,” Korbin explained. “He was on the way to the Vatican but got caught in a demon battle right outside the gates. His partner was brutally killed, and he was infected. He had the option to stay there and fight, but wanted to get back to the States. It says he is used to being the leader, but is capable of working in a team.”
“Are those his words?” Calvin asked.
“Yes,” Korbin replied. “Though in my experience with agents like him, they are very self-sufficient and tend to miss the little details unless they directly affect them. We need someone who is a team player through and through, and can keep their eyes and mind open to everything around them.”
“Agreed,” Calvin replied. “So who is the last candidate?”
“Rafe Waterby,” Korbin answered. “He was a high school senior, Varsity football, Damned by his cheerleader girlfriend after prom.”
“Bet that wasn’t on his college prep list.” Calvin laughed.
“I’m assuming not, but he seems to have a vengeance for the Damned after having to kill his girlfriend to make it out alive,” Korbin replied. “He seems like a younger Armani.”
“Which sounds terrifying and completely unstable,” Calvin replied.
“I agree,” Korbin said. “He may be moldable since he is so young, but we don’t have the kind of time or team that will allow us to take that sort of initiative with a new team member. We need them somewhat seasoned and not on a self-destructive warpath either. Armani was great—he was family—but I can see the mistakes I made with him and will not do that again.”
“Understandable,” Calvin said. “I’m sure he will be better at home with some of the more stringent teams.”
“Hey, I’m stringent!” Korbin grabbed his coffee and took a sip. “My team quakes when I walk in to say good morning.”
Calvin chuckled. “Sure, boss, whatever helps your ego. You are tough, but you care and they know what to expect from you,” Calvin clarified. “The others often seem like assholes.”
“Well, those assholes didn’t lose two guys in one day, so maybe they are doing something right,” Korbin said, turning his head toward the window. “I want a stronger future.”
“Is there some like priestly rule about drinking at a bar on a Sunday afternoon?” Katie asked, looking across the table at Damian.
“Not that I could find in the handbook.” Damian chuckled and winked at her.
“You have a handbook?” Katie said squinting to see if he had anything beside him.
“Yeah, the bible.” He laughed. “And I don’t recall anything saying you shall not partake in the creations of God on Sundays. I mean, the Catholics drink wine, right?”
Katie shook her head and pointed to him. “Why are you asking me this? You are the holy man here.”
“True.” He smiled. “Maybe I should brush up on my craft.”
“What are you getting for lunch?” Katie asked, grimacing at the menu. “The nachos look good, or at least kind of safe.”
“Go with the pulled pork,” he said. “I wouldn’t choose the beef. There’s no telling what animal you might get.”
Katie put her menu down and looked at Damian with a question on her face. “Why is it always terrifying to have lunch with you?”
“It’s an adventure,” Damian clarified.
“Hey, you two,” the waitress said as she walked up. “What can I get you guys to drink?”
“Oh,” Katie said. “I’ll have an Earl Grey Tea with honey, and your nachos with the pulled pork.”
“Not sure how that will go down, but okay,” she said, scribbling the order on her notepad before turning to Damian. “And you, Father?”
“I’ll have a porter, whatever you think is the best, and a side of fries,” he answered, grimacing at being called “Father.”
“Sounds great,” she said, walking away.
She laughed. “They don’t even blink an eye when you order alcohol.”
“I’ve been coming here for quite a while, but it’s not really that bad. I stayed away from the whiskey today.” He winked.
“Oh, I’m sure that is buying you some bonus points with the Big Guy.” She smiled.
He nodded. “Or reducing the amount of negative points I already have.”
“I’d think you protecting the world from demons helps whittle down those numbers?” Katie replied.
Damian’s eyes glinted. “I sure as hell hope so, because otherwise I’m screwed.” He laughed.
This conversation is enthralling. Pandora yawned in Katie’s mind. I mean, how am I supposed to concentrate on anything else while learning about the drinking habits of a mercenary priest?