The Peregrine Omnibus Volume One

by Barry Reese

  Nettie chuckled as she set to cleaning up the mess in the kitchen. She’d been busy preparing the family’s evening meal when little William had crawled his way into the room and managed to stand on tiptoes next to the table. He’d snagged hold of the lip of the tablecloth and given a mighty yank, covering himself in sweetness. “Things happen, things happen,” the old woman muttered to herself good-naturedly.

  Max handed the infant off to Nettie after she’d set the kitchen back in order and watched as his son disappeared around the corner to get washed up. He was cleaning off his own hands when the back door opened and his wife stepped in. Evelyn looked beautiful, curvaceous and fair-skinned, her auburn hair hanging in ringlets around her shoulders. Any change to her overall appearance since giving birth to William had been for the better and she’d been pleased to find that there were just as many stage and movie roles coming her way as before.

  Sadly, the quality of said roles had not improved dramatically.

  “Max, you wouldn’t believe what Sal just told me.”

  Max smiled, picturing the portly man who served as Evelyn’s agent. He was a good fellow but his many oft-mentioned contacts in Hollywood proved, more often than not, to be a lot less solid than he’d always claimed. “Tell me,” he responded, kissing his wife on the cheek.

  “He just showed me a new script that he thinks I’d be perfect for.” Evelyn held up a stapled-together manuscript with the title The Peregrine Takes Flight. “He says it’s based on a series of pulp novels that are being published about Atlanta’s vigilante supreme. Can you believe it?”

  Max took the script and flipped through the pages, chuckling. “What do you know?”

  “That’s your only response?” she prodded.

  “What else do you want me to say? I can’t very well sue them for capitalizing on my name. Secret identity and all, you know.”

  “People are going to believe this drivel about you! It says you were raised by a strange cult of raven worshippers in South America who sent you back to the States to battle the rising tide of Fascism.”

  “Certainly not the worst origin I’ve ever heard…”

  “Max!”

  “Honey, what do you want me to do? I think our only option is to simply laugh it off.” Max suddenly thought of something. “What role did they offer you?”

  “A femme fatale named the Minx.”

  “Adorable.”

  “Max!” Evelyn laughed, shaking her head. “Well, if you’re going to be like that, maybe I should take it.”

  “You should. Besides, you’d be able to serve as a technical advisor on the project, telling them all the things they have wrong.”

  “I can’t do that without revealing my relationship to the Peregrine,” she pointed out with a smile. “But you know that already.”

  The ringing of the phone in the study ended their banter and Max gave his wife one more peck on the cheek before moving to answer the call. The voice on the other end of the line was familiar and comforting. “McKenzie!” Max said with a grin, picturing the handsome young police chief in his mind’s eye. McKenzie was one of the Peregrine’s stalwart allies and had become a fixture around the Davies home in recent years. “What can I do for you?”

  “I’m over in the Techwood Homes area. There’s something here you need to see.”

  Max’s good humor faded quickly when he heard the terse nature of his friend’s words. “I’m on my way,” he said, ending the conversation without further conversation. It was time for the Peregrine to take wing.

  * * *

  Techwood Homes was dedicated on November 29, 1935 by Franklin D. Roosevelt, though work on the area continued until some time in 1936. The first public housing project in the United States, its stated purpose was to eliminate the slums in which Atlanta’s poor had been living in, but there were already signs that the area was going to become just what it had been intended to fight. Violence, rampant alcoholism and prostitution were all alive and well in the Techwood Homes community, which meant that the Peregrine was often in the area. When not confronting the denizens of the supernatural, Max focused much of his attention on commonplace street crime and thus he’d become a hero to the more pure-hearted of Techwood’s residents. If there was any place in the city where the name of the Peregrine was held in higher regard, Max didn’t know of it.

  The Peregrine’s modified roadster pulled in to a darkened alleyway near the New Blessed church of Atlanta, outside of which McKenzie’s patrol car was parked. The handsome young blond officer was standing on the front steps, looking haggard and worn. He smiled wanly as the Peregrine approached, looking mysterious in his long coat and bird-beaked mask.

  “What’s wrong?” the Peregrine asked, looking around to see that there were no witnesses about. This struck him as strange since Techwood residents were notorious for being busybodies.

  “There’s a message for you in the church.”

  The Peregrine hesitated, wondering about the somewhat sickened expression on McKenzie’s face. The man had fought at his side against vampires and ninja… there was little in the world that had seemed to frighten him. But there was fear in his eyes now, clear as crystal.

  Max and McKenzie entered the church and the smell of death hit the Peregrine immediately. He saw that a body had been draped across the altar that sat just before the choir section. As the Peregrine moved closer, he recognized the young black man who had been brutally murdered. His dark skin was stained red and his white shirt was ripped open, to reveal a deep knife wound in his chest. His neck was set at an odd angle, indicating that it was broken.

  “Jefferson Cross,” the Peregrine whispered, rage beginning to burn in his heart. “He was an informant of mine. Good kid. Dreamed of being a lawyer but there’s too much good old boy left in this country to let that happen. He wanted to clean up his hometown. I wanted to help him.”

  “I figured it was something like that,” McKenzie said. “This note was attached to the body when he was discovered.”

  The Peregrine took a small slip of paper and read its contents with mounting gloom:

  ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WILL DIE.

  “Who could have done this?” McKenzie inquired, looking back towards the door into the church. The coroner had arrived with a couple of other officers. The men stared open-mouthed at the Peregrine, who was almost an urban legend to them. He usually appeared only to close allies… or wanted felons.

  “I think I have a clue,” Max whispered in response. “Thanks for calling me.”

  “If you need help… don’t hesitate to call.”

  The Peregrine looked at him earnestly. “Contact everyone you can think of who might have assisted me since I came to Atlanta. Tell them to take care. No one’s safe.” The Peregrine sighed, not wanting to do what must come next. “Give me a few moments alone with the body.”

  McKenzie nodded, moving to escort the others outside as well. When they were gone, the Peregrine reached out and touched the dead man’s arm. He called upon his mental abilities, trying to bring forth the oft-times painful but useful images of the future.

  At first there was nothing but then… it came to him. He saw a man wearing a skull mask snapping Jefferson’s neck… and then he saw Leonid Kaslov standing face-to-face with the Warlike Manchu… Evelyn holding the baby tight against her breast, fear evident in her eyes… and the specter of death hanging over the city, as the Peregrine rushed to stop something awful from taking place.

  Max yanked his hand away as if burned. He was panting, confusion making him stagger about wildly. As his heart rate began to slow, he heard a ghostly whisper in his father’s voice:

  Kaslov is at your house.

  The Peregrine whirled about, looking for some sign of his father, but there was none. He cast one last look at the dead man and swore under his breath. “I’m going to avenge you, Jefferson. I hope you’re in a better place.”

  He marched from the church, ignoring questions he received from McKenzie. If Leonid wa
s here in Atlanta that meant that the Peregrine wouldn’t have to face the Warlike Manchu and his new soldier alone. “I’m going to need all the help I can get,” Max muttered as he sat behind the wheel of his roadster.

  Within moments, he was well on his way home, unaware that Shinigami watched his every move from the shadows of a nearby bordering house.

  CHAPTER VI

  Knowing the Enemy

  January 27, 1940

  7:05 PM

  Atlanta, Georgia

  Upon returning to the plantation home, Max slipped into the Peregrine’s Nest, located beneath the main house. Once he’d removed all traces of his nocturnal identity from his body, he ascended the stairs and entered the study, where his family and friends were gathered. Evelyn sat on the couch, baby William in her arms, talking animatedly to Libby Raines, who looked as curvaceously lovely as ever. Standing a few feet away were Flynn and Kaslov, whispering together in low tones.

  Max noticed that Libby’s eyes remained fixed on Kaslov even as she talked to Evelyn, a sure sign that the torch she carried for her employer was still burning bright. The girl was a bit shapelier in the hips and breasts than Evelyn but both women shared an attractive heart-shaped appearance to their faces.

  “Max. It’s good to see you.” Kaslov strode forward, looking handsome but reserved in a black suit and tie. He shook Max’s hand and detected the tell-tale signs of stress in the other man’s eyes. “I take it you know why I’m here.”

  Max nodded, looking at his wife and child. “You need to get someplace safe. My identity’s compromised.”

  Evelyn looked alarmed, pulling William tighter against her. “Are we in danger?”

  “I think it’s the Warlike Manchu. One of my informants was killed tonight and there was a message there, warning me that my family and friends were next.”

  “I have dire news, as well.” Kaslov clasped his hands together behind his back. “While in the Himalayas, Flynn and I were attacked by a German who bore a name with Japanese origins: Shinigami. He made it quite clear that he was attempting to kill us before we could offer you aid. Furthermore, I noticed that his fighting style matched yours in several key points.”

  “The Manchu’s got a new student,” Max reasoned. “All the more reason to get Evelyn and William to safety, then. I had a vision of them both in danger.”

  Kaslov placed a hand on the Peregrine’s shoulder. “I think it best if we alert the police chief and allow both him and Mr. Flynn to protect them. This would free you and me to locate the men behind it all and stop them.”

  “That’s fine—but they can’t stay here. Even Josh and Nettie will need to be moved.”

  “Max,” Evelyn said, moving from the couch to stand next to him. William looked sleepy and was resting his head against her shoulder. “We’ll be okay. Besides, if we go into hiding, it’s just going to make it harder to find these men. Staying where we are makes us targets… but you can use that.”

  “I’m not going to treat you like bait!”

  “They won’t strike here,” Kaslov interrupted. “Because we’re going to take the battle to them rather than waiting for them to take action. In the vision you mentioned, did you see anyone actually moving against Evelyn?”

  “No… I just saw her with William, looking afraid.”

  “Then let me watch over them,” Flynn said, looking confident. He flashed a cocky grin at Libby. “I’ll protect both ladies. You’ve got my word of honor.”

  “And I’m certain you have defenses set up around the property, making them doubly safe. Am I correct?” Kaslov asked.

  “Yes.” Max sighed, running a hand through his dark hair.

  “Then let’s retire to the Peregrine’s Nest and begin our planning.”

  Max leaned towards Evelyn and kissed her hard on the mouth. “I don’t want to lose you. Not yet.”

  “You won’t, you silly man. Not if you stop moping and put a stop to the Manchu and his friend.”

  * * *

  Moments later, the Peregrine and Kaslov were downstairs. Max had donned his vigilante attire once more, finding that it soothed his nerves somewhat to be behind the mask.

  “I’ve heard of the Warlike Manchu,” Kaslov was saying, removing his jacket and shuffling through a number of photographs and papers that Max had put out on a table. A low overhanging light illuminated the papers, revealing several pictures of a man who was lean and somewhat feline in appearance with high shoulders, a close-shaven skull and a long, drooping moustache. “But seeing him puts all the stories into a new perspective. He seems to radiate intelligence and evil in equal measures.”

  “Keep in mind that he’s ten times more impressive in person,” the Peregrine pointed out.

  “Tell me about him.” Kaslov studied his friend’s body language, sensing the energy that was about to explode.

  “Read it yourself!” Max snapped. “I don’t want to waste time.”

  “You’re familiar with him, Max. Your experiences will illuminate him in a way that printed text can never accomplish. Tell me about him.”

  “He’s a master criminal, with extensively planned out crimes that usually entail some sort of arcane angle. He doesn’t use guns or explosives, though his agents won’t hesitate to do so. He sometimes uses poisonous animals for assassinations—spiders, snakes, anything he can get hold of.”

  “He’s much older than he looks, his longevity increased due to the use of a secret elixir. At one time he was a member of the Imperial family but he backed the losing side in the Boxer Rebellion and ended up on the run.end here He used his skills as an assassin to build a new fortune for himself but then vanished from sight.”

  “After I began wandering the globe, I began to hear rumors of a man who had retired from public life. I knew he’d had his fingers in all sorts of crime but I believed he was beyond all that… and I was desperate to learn from the best. So I sought him out, overcoming numerous obstacles in my path along the way. It was quite clear that he didn’t want to be found… but I eventually did it. He was impressed by my perseverance and took me as his pupil. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, he was grooming me to be his heir. He wanted a son, but his relations in women had left him with only a daughter named Koreani.”

  “Eventually, I told him I was ready to leave and he gave me his offer: I could stay and join him in returning to the Western world, where he was planning to re-establish his criminal base… or I could face him in final combat, which he felt certain would lead to my death. The two of us ended up fighting and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. He broke three of my ribs, my left arm and my jaw. I nearly blinded him by gouging out one of his eyes and ran him through with a long sword. In the end, we were both lying on our backs, bleeding to death… and then I was somewhere else.”

  Kaslov’s blue eyes flashed and he sat down in one of the spare chairs in the room. He idly stared at several weapons in production on the Peregrine’s work table. “You mean you blacked out and someone moved you?”

  “I suppose. I was no longer in the Warlike Manchu’s temple, that’s all I…”

  Kaslov looked up to see the Peregrine staring off into space. “Another vision?”

  “A memory,” Max answered, his voice sounding distant and cold. “There was a woman there, so beautiful… she was his daughter. She came to us both, standing over her father. I heard her talking to him but I was fading in and out of consciousness and couldn’t make out the words. He said something hateful to her and she turned from him, tears in her eyes. And then she took me to someplace safe.”

  “Interesting,” Kaslov murmured.

  “I haven’t thought of her in years. I think she did something to me. I can feel it, tickling in the back of my mind.”

  “A post-hypnotic suggestion?”

  “Yes… but why didn’t it come to the fore during my battle last year with her father?”

  “Perhaps something in the current situation has set it off, something that wasn’t present before.�
�

  The Peregrine began to check his pistols, verifying that they were ready for use. “I hope that Flynn is as good as you think he is.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we need to leave the country for awhile and we can’t take Evelyn and the baby with us. Koreani left behind an address in my head, with instructions to go there if I needed to finally destroy her father, once and for all.”

  “Where are we going?” Kaslov asked, standing up again, pleased to see that Max was energized once more.

  “Copenhagen, Denmark.”

  CHAPTER VII

  Master and Servant

  January 27, 1940

  11:05 PM

  Atlanta, Georgia

  “Kaslov still lives.”

  “Impossible! He and his partner Flynn were inside the temple when I blew it up. No one could have survived.” Hans said, feeling the color rise to his cheeks. He was still clad in his Shinigami uniform, though his skull mask was held tightly in his fingers, dangling at his side. The Warlike Manchu was sitting lotus-style on the floor before him, eating from a small bowl of rice. Two lovely female assistants knelt behind him, ready to jump up and serve him if needed.

  “Then perhaps he is a ghost,” the Warlike Manchu responded coldly. “I have the Davies house under surveillance. Earlier this evening, Leonid Kaslov arrived in the company of Benjamin Flynn and Libby Raines. The Peregrine and Kaslov then left soon after, visiting the private hanger that Davies owns at the Atlanta Airport. They have now left the country.”

  “Davies abandoned his wife and child? Or did they go with him?”

  “They remain at the plantation house.”

  Hans looked away, wondering what the Peregrine was up to. Since becoming the Manchu’s pupil, he’d wanted nothing more than the opportunity to finally engage Davies in battle… if the attacks against his friends hadn’t driven the Peregrine out into the open yet, what would? Was he really a coward at heart?

  “He is up to something,” the Warlike Manchu said, setting his empty bowl of rice to the floor. The smell of incense was thick in the air. “Call upon your father… see if his spectral powers allow him insight.”