Kill The Willing

by Martha Carr

  “I work alone.” Shay considered passing on the job. First Peyton crowding her life, now this. But five million. She worked the muscles in her jaw, feeling herself slip further into a new game where she didn’t get to control all the rules.

  “Not on this job.” The Professor lifted his eyebrows, wrinkling his forehead as he smiled. “There’s a man, a bounty hunter. Class six.”

  Shay resisted the urge to whistle in genuine appreciation. Even if a class six bounty hunter was protecting her ass that didn’t mean she wanted to work with him. The last thing she needed was to be in close quarters with an asshole-big-shot-bounty-hunter, second guessing her tactics.

  I’ve taken down worse. “I don’t care if he’s the toughest badass on the planet,” Shay said. “I like working by myself.”

  “I hope you like taking home five million dollars more. Let me make this clear, Miss Carson.” The smile remained fixed on his face. “This is nonnegotiable. You’re not losing any money on the ride along. Take it for what it is. A gift of free protection.”

  “People need protection from me.”

  “Then the bounty hunter will be very bored, I imagine.”

  Shay gritted her teeth. “If he tries anything stupid, he’ll regret it.”

  “You will come up with a plan to execute. I think you’ll find this man avoids obvious stupidity.”

  “If he decides to go after the Warlocks, that’s not my problem. I’m there to get the artifact, not save his ass.”

  “I wouldn’t worry. He has a lot of field experience dealing with threats like the Brujos Rojos, and he doesn’t shrink from the extreme and necessary application of violence when it’s warranted, Miss Carson. I’m sure you’ll find him amenable to your style.”

  The waiter delivered another beer to Smite-Williams even though he didn’t ask for a refill.

  He took a sip, drumming his fingers on the table. “He’s a man who is very good at what he does. Feel free to check into his background. He’s not nearly as secretive as you. Do we have a deal, Miss Carson? If not, I need to move on to other options.”

  Shay observed the professor as he drank his beer, the faintest of smiles on his face.

  “We have a deal. What’s the name of this bounty hunter?”

  “Brownstone. James Brownstone.”

  The next morning, Shay pulled the Spider into Warehouse Two and got out, making a direct line for the office.

  Peyton sat the desk, staring at his computer screen. He was wearing a plaid shirt and plaid shorts – nothing matched. He was going for irony.

  “Were you able to check into Brownstone?”

  Peyton nodded, still looking at the information on the screen. “The guy checks out. Licensed class six bounty hunter. Like all high-end bounty hunters he specializes in bringing in enhanced threats, primarily magical in nature. This guy kicks serious ass, Shay. He’s put a lot of nasty guys into ultramaxes.” He looked over her. “People talk about not wanting to meet bad guys in dark alleys. This is the guy that bad people in dark alleys are afraid of.”

  Shay rolled her eyes and scoffed. “He can’t be all that.”

  “This is all public records shit. As far as I can tell, he’s been a bounty hunter most of his life. He was an orphan, grew up being raised in a Catholic orphanage.”

  “Great, so he’s a do-gooder. He’ll probably beg me not to shoot the assholes coming after us.”

  Peyton laughed. “This guy has killed more people than you. Look, I know you like the lone huntress thing, but I think this Brownstone could be a good match for you. You can be the brains and beauty. He can be the murderous brawn. He’s got a good reputation for getting the job done, and if you can concentrate on retrieving artifacts while he concentrates on taking down mercs or Witches, it’s win-win.”

  Shay pursed her lips, one hip jutting out as she crossed her arms. “Smite-Williams didn’t leave me much of a choice.”

  “Five million is a nice pay day.”

  “I already agreed to terms. You can relax. I’m heading over to Warehouse Four to do my own research. Head over to Warehouse Three and start prepping gear for me.”

  “Um, question about that.”

  “What?”

  “Can I get a cooler car than the van?”

  Shay lowered her chin. “Make a list of everything you want. This death by a thousand papercuts....” She turned and headed to the car before Peyton could answer.

  Several loud beeps sounded from Peyton’s computer. Shay halted and spun on her heel.

  “What the hell was that? And why isn’t it going to my phone?”

  “Job offers. I’m trying to prefilter some of them for you. You got a guy in England who wants you to help him find an old druidic necklace. Some woman over in Connecticut who wants you to find… an old family photo? Says it’s the key to something.” He laughed. “That’s probably under some split-level three bedroom.” A few more beeps sounded. “The word’s spreading.”

  Shay gave a wicked smile, her hands on her hips standing in the middle of Warehouse Two. “Of course, it has. I’m a complete badass.”

  “Business is booming, tomb raider.”

  Author Notes - Martha Carr

  Written May 1st, 2018

  The past nine months have gone by in a blur of typing. The grey on part of my laptop has rubbed off from all the hours of building out the Oriceran Universe. Some of the keys are worn down and a little bent.

  It’s moved so fast that I haven’t had time to really take in how much things have changed. Five series later – Midwest Witch Chronicles, The Leira Chronicles, The Soul Stone Mage, The Kacy Chronicles and the Fairhaven Chronicles – plus maps, art work, a web site, fan groups – Hey FANS! And lots of you guys too! Open house at a local Vet Center in Austin (two Vietnam vets reunited after 50+ years – that was wild), lunch with Fans at the Jackalope (who knew that place has a lot of photos of topless women on the wall in the backroom…), speeches at writer’s conferences, a trip across the pond to England, tons of mugs and stickers and signed books.

  And a swearing troll started it all off. Yumfuck Tiberius Troll. New mug out there with him as Batfuck.

  Here we go into PART 2 of the Oriceran Universe with a badass new logo. It started with Michael Anderle and his second series as a solo – The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone. (You know that other series he has by himself – Kurtherian Gambit…). Now there’s a spinoff he and I are doing with the main character, Shay Carson in I Fear No Evil series and Book 1 - Kill the Willing. It’s going to keep going with Alison in a YA spinoff from Michael and myself later this month – The School of Necessary Magic and Book 1 – Dark is Her Nature.

  And of course, Leira, Correk and THE TROLL return in a new series, Rewriting Justice and Book 1 coming in May is Justice Served Cold. Leira’s not taking orders anymore. Time for her to figure out what justice means in a world with magic. It’s Leira 2.0 with Correk by her side and the troll set loose on the nation’s capital. What could go wrong?

  I’ve done all this while maintaining a corporate day job (got a promotion!) and I decided to sell the house I’m in and build a new one. Pre-drywall chat with the builder is this Friday. I think this is where I hear when they think the house will be done. There’s a ‘coming soon’ sign that I can see out of my window where I’ve been writing. Put down 12 bags of mulch last weekend. This week’s chore is packing so it’s ready to show (translation: make it look like no one really lives here). The good dog Lois has loved all the coming and going and new people to greet and rub up against, leaving a trail of white fur.

  Here’s the thing I sometimes get a moment to think about and it blows my mind. I was a poor kid in a minister’s family, then I was a single mother with a great kid – the offspring now grown, and I survived a terminal diagnosis followed by several more bouts of cancer – all of it lived out in a lot of apartments in big cities in the US. I look back at my time in Chicago and see so many people crowded in a tiny kitchen around a glass top table, talking and laughin
g and sharing a dish. It was the best and already a good life. Money never defined it even if lack of it made it a little tougher at times.

  The house I’m selling (and bought 4 years ago) was my first house and was a BIG step up. A washer and dryer without a coin slot, a garage of my own (no more running through the rain or trying to remember where I parked last), central air conditioning and my own little backyard. Heaven…

  So, here’s the cool part. Since I met Michael Anderle and this dream of being a successful author has come true, I’ve stretched out my dreams and grown them bit by bit. I’m moving into a house that has all kinds of upgrades that I’m not used to near a state park not too far from downtown Austin. My dream home.

  It’s been a journey of ups and downs to get here – wouldn’t trade any of it – because it got me here with all of you doing something I love with some wonderful people like Magic Mike and Craig Martelle and Steve Campbell. Now, the good dog, Lois Lane and I are going to move on up…

  I’m not unique – just stubborn and willing to keep trying – so if you have a dream, keeping going. Don’t give up just ahead of the most amazing parts of your journey. Makes me wonder what is coming next. I can hardly wait… More adventures to follow. Thank you to each of you who read these books and write to me all the time – I am so very grateful.

  Author Notes - Michael Anderle

  Written May 1st, 2018

  First, THANK YOU for reading these author notes!

  Right now, I’m sitting in Javier’s in the Aria Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. I’m sitting in the second booth from the right in the bar area.

  It’s a circle. Probably sits maybe three (3) comfortably and five squished together. Today, it’s just me and my laptop, working on these author notes before I call Martha when I get back to my office.

  She is still packing, if you care to know (she messaged me in Slack, so I know this now.) Right after I speak with her, I’ll get on a call with Hayley Lawson regarding a project we are working on, and then type out another two chapters for Payback is a Bitch due out in less than two weeks.

  I turned in two chapters this morning.

  I was working with Laurie Starkey (Protected by the Damned) yesterday. I had a collaborator ask me a question three days ago, and the concept came up yesterday as well that is summed up like this:

  “How the hell do you put out so many books, so fast?”

  The answer is I work with fast people. Or people that may not be fast, but they ARE productive. They get shit done and they know the value of dreams being realized. In general, most of my collaborators are older (not than me, just in life) and know what it takes to make their dreams come true.

  Hard work. Often boring, typing our fingers off, work.

  I’d bet (without putting it to a spreadsheet) the average collaborator age is early forties. I’m fifty turning fifty-one this year. Craig is older than me and so is Martha, and Steve (Zen Master Walking ™.)

  CM Raymond and a LOT of the Age of Magic / Oriceran folks are younger as is Ell Leigh Clarke and Hayley Lawson.

  Hell, even TS (Scott) Paul is only one year younger than me (but he looks ten years younger.)

  For many of us, this is our second or third profession. We grew up book readers and book lovers, but not authors.

  Except Martha.

  She has been working this profession (one way or another) for thirty years. As a fiction writer, journalist, ghost-writer, nationally syndicated columnist and a believer.

  She mentioned before just how much has been accomplished in the last year, but she isn’t scratching the surface very much. She spoke in Las Vegas for the 20BooksTo50k event in November of 2017 on what works and doesn’t work when building a Universe. Then, just three months later she was in London at the 20BooksTo50k event there talking about getting through multiple battles with cancer and overcoming to see her success.

  This year, after 30 years of hard work in writing, writing is offering her the chance to see the fruits of that labor.

  I couldn’t be happier for her, and the last two of her wishes. Grandchildren to spoil, and a good man to share her life with. Her new home is supposed to be finished sometime late summer or fall, I think. Martha says she wants to make me ‘touch’ all of the upgrades. (Yes, she means that literally.)

  I think I’m going to be busy that half of this year. Maybe by 2019, she will forget ;-)

  Next book, I’ll write about Shay perhaps, or ask Shay to write my Author Notes, we shall see.

  This book, I just wanted to congratulate my collaborator for showing us what true dedication means.

  Ad Aeternitatem,

  Michael

  Other Revelation of Oriceran Universe Books

  The Leira Chronicles

  * Martha Carr and Michael Anderle *

  Waking Magic (1) - Release of Magic (2) - Protection of Magic (3) - Rule of Magic (4) - Dealing in Magic (5) - Theft of Magic (6) - Enemies of Magic (7) - Guardians of Magic (8)

  The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone

  * Michael Anderle *

  Feared by Hell (01) - Rejected by Heaven (02) - Eye For An Eye (03)

  I Fear No Evil

  * Martha Carr and Michael Anderle *

  Kill the Willing (01)

  The Soul Stone Mage Series

  * Sarah Noffke and Martha Carr *

  House of Enchanted (1) - The Dark Forest (2) - Mountain of Truth (3) - Land of Terran (4) - New Egypt (5) - Lancothy (6) - Virgo (7)

  The Kacy Chronicles

  * A.L. Knorr and Martha Carr *

  Descendant (1) - Ascendant (2) - Combatant (3) - Transcendent (4)

  The Midwest Magic Chronicles

  * Flint Maxwell and Martha Carr*

  The Midwest Witch (1) - The Midwest Wanderer (2) - The Midwest Whisperer (3) - The Midwest War (4)

  The Fairhaven Chronicles

  * with S.M. Boyce *

  Glow (1) - Shimmer (2) - Ember (3) - Nightfall (4)

  Books by Michael Anderle

  For a complete list of Michael’s Kurtherian Gambit Universe books please click this link.

  Kurtherian Gambit Series Titles Include:

  FIRST ARC

  Death Becomes Her (01) - Queen Bitch (02) - Love Lost (03) - Bite This (04) - Never Forsaken (05) - Under My Heel (06) - Kneel Or Die (07)

  SECOND ARC

  We Will Build (08) - It’s Hell To Choose (09) - Release The Dogs of War (10) - Sued For Peace (11) - We Have Contact (12) - My Ride is a Bitch (13) - Don’t Cross This Line (14)

  THIRD ARC

  Never Submit (15) - Never Surrender (16) - Forever Defend (17) - Might Makes Right (18) - Ahead Full (19) - Capture Death (20) - Life Goes On (21)

  THE SECOND DARK AGES

  *with Ell Leigh Clarke*

  The Dark Messiah (01) - The Darkest Night (02) - Darkest Before The Dawn (03) - Dawn Arrives (04)

  THE BORIS CHRONICLES

  *with Paul C. Middleton*

  Evacuation (01) - Retaliation (02) - Revelations (03) - Redemption (04)

  RECLAIMING HONOR

  *with Justin Sloan*

  Justice Is Calling (01) - Claimed By Honor (02) - Judgement Has Fallen (03) - Angel of Reckoning (04) - Born Into Flames (05) - Defending The Lost (06) - Saved By Valor (07) - Return of Victory (08)

  THE ETHERIC ACADEMY

  *with TS Paul*

  ALPHA CLASS (01) - ALPHA CLASS: Engineering (02)

  *with N.D. Roberts*

  Discovery (03)

  TERRY HENRY “TH” WALTON CHRONICLES

  *with Craig Martelle*

  Nomad Found (01) - Nomad Redeemed (02) - Nomad Unleashed (03) - Nomad Supreme (04) - Nomad’s Fury (05) - Nomad’s Justice (06) - Nomad Avenged (07) - Nomad Mortis (08) - Nomad’s Force (09) - Nomad’s Galaxy (10)

  TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

  *with Natalie Grey*

  Risk Be Damned (01) - Damned to Hell (02)

  ~THE AGE OF MAGIC~

  THE RISE OF MAGIC

  *with CM Raymond and LE Barbant
*

  Restriction (01) - Reawakening (02) - Rebellion (03) - Revolution (04) - Unlawful Passage (05) - Darkness Rises (06) - The Gods Beneath (07) - Reborn (08)

  THE HIDDEN MAGIC CHRONICLES

  *with Justin Sloan*

  Shades of Light (01) - Shades of Dark (02) - Shades of Glory (03) - Shades of Justice (04)

  STORMS OF MAGIC

  *with PT Hylton*

  Storm Raiders (01) - Storm Callers (02) - Storm Breakers (03) - Storm Warrior (04)

  TALES OF THE FEISTY DRUID

  *with Candy Crum*

  The Arcadian Druid (01) - The Undying Illusionist (02) - The Frozen Wasteland (03) - The Deceiver (04) - The Lost (05) - The Damned (06) - Into The Maelstrom (07)

  PATH OF HEROES

  *with Brandon Barr*

  Rogue Mage (01)

  A NEW DAWN

  *with Amy Hopkins*

  Dawn of Destiny (01) - Dawn of Darkness (02) - Dawn of Deliverance (03) - Dawn of Days (04) - Broken Skies (05)

  TALES OF THE WELLSPRING KNIGHT

  *with P.J. Cherubino*

  Knight’s Creed (01) - Knight’s Struggle (02) - Knight’s Justice (03)

  ~THE AGE OF MADNESS~

  LIVE FREE OR DIE

  *with Haley Lawson*

  Unleashing Madness (01)

  ~THE AGE OF EXPANSION~

  THE ASCENSION MYTH

  *with Ell Leigh Clarke *

  Awakened (01) - Activated (02) - Called (03) - Sanctioned (04) - Rebirth (05) - Retribution (06) - Cloaked (07) - Bourne (08) - Committed (09) - Subversion (10)