One Epic Ring: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone Book 14)

by Michael Anderle

  Shay frowned. “I don’t know if it’s as tidy as all that.”

  Peyton spun his chair to face her and shrugged. “There’s nothing inherent in being a tomb raider that requires you to hide your identity 24/7.” He shook his finger at her. “You did that because of your past as a killer and the holdovers, and you can still keep that past buried, even if you live a little more openly.”

  “Sure, but I’m also not exactly obeying the law when I go into some archaeology site and take an object without all the proper permits, even with some of the expanded international magical salvage laws. Do you think the Cambodian government would be very happy to know that I might fly in and take an ancient artifact without even checking in with them?”

  Peyton sighed. “I guess that’s true, but my point stands. You don’t have to worry about Aletheia as some impenetrable secret identity. I think plausible deniability is enough.”

  “When you’re regularly hitting the field more, we’ll talk about whether I should worry about people coming after me. If anything, I need to maintain at least a fig leaf of anonymity if I want to do more at the college.” She shrugged. “Especially if I want to move beyond guest lectures into something more permanent.”

  “That’s what bothering you?” Peyton chuckled. “Your path to tenure?”

  Shay smirked. “A dean can be scarier than the head of a cartel.”

  Chapter Ten

  What a fucking annoying day, James thought.

  A cop waved from the front of the cruiser as he pulled out of James’ driveway. Julius had been delivered successfully to the police and the F-350 had been towed to the body shop for repairs, but that left him without a vehicle and an upcoming explanation to deliver to Shay.

  He clenched his fists and took a deep breath. From the mechanic’s initial checks, most of the damage to his truck was cosmetic, albeit extensive. The engine had miraculously escaped damage, but the transmission needed a little work.

  Fucking Eyes. This shit isn’t over yet. I’m gonna wait until my truck is fixed, then I’m gonna drive it over to your place, kick in your door, and drag your invisible ass outside before I beat you down. If you have a car or a truck or magic carpet or whatever, I’m gonna blow that shit up, too.

  James stomped toward his porch and let out an annoyed grunt as his phone rang. He yanked it out, expecting it to be from the body shop, but it was the Professor.

  “Hey,” James answered, trying to suppress some of the anger in his voice.

  “About the matter we discussed the other day, lad,” the Professor began. “I found something that I think would be perfect. An older ring and pendant combination that provide powerful shielding from most forms of magical and regular attacks. Stylish without being gaudy. A nice combination indeed, which is fortunate because so many wizards back in the day had awful taste.”

  “Finally, some fucking good news.”

  The Professor laughed. “Bad day?”

  “More annoying than anything. Some fuckers did something they shouldn’t have.”

  “Are they still around?”

  “No.” James grunted. “But their boss still is, and I’m gonna need to handle that situation soon.” He turned toward the street with a frown, watching a few cars drive by. “Before we go forward, I want to discuss payment. I’m not doing another Bard of Filth competition, so don’t ask. That shit was once in a lifetime, and I was lucky nobody recorded me.”

  “I’d argue it was more fear than luck, lad, but I see your point.”

  “So no Bard of Filth?” James rumbled.

  The Professor chuckled. “Oh, no, of course not. If anything, I want to wait a long time before I again witness James Brownstone doing such a thing. I’m sure I can get you to agree again at some point.” His gulp of beer was audible. “The rareness of the event makes it that much more valuable.”

  “Meaning what? You plan to advertise it better next time or some shit?”

  “Not at all,” the Professor replied, deep amusement infusing every word. “The Leanan Sídhe has regulars, a family of sorts. There’s no reason to encourage outsiders to come. The atmosphere there is perfectly balanced as it is. They should be rewarded, not anyone else.”

  James thought that over. It didn’t sound like the Professor was planning on fucking with him after all.

  “Then we understand each other,” he replied. “I’ll owe you a favor if you want. Got a more open schedule these days because of the agency.”

  “A banked favor isn’t necessary in this case, lad,” the Professor replied. “I want to take your services up front, but it’ll be simple and convenient for you. I know how much you prefer things that way.”

  James snorted. “Yeah, what I prefer and what the world gives are two different things. How simple can it be?”

  “Quite. I’m going to have your items delivered via courier. Do you remember Miss Endo?”

  “I never forget anyone,” James replied. “And she was kind of flashy, so she stands out even more. Am I gonna have to use some fucked-up passphrase?”

  The Professor snickered. “Yes. That’s the way Miss Endo works.”

  “Whatever.” James frowned. “So do I have to drive to Seattle?”

  “No, no. Despite the business we did there before, she doesn’t live there. She’ll be bringing your items all the way to LA, along with a few other things for me, and that’s where I need your help. I won’t bore you with the details, but there’s a decent possibility that there will be trouble during delivery. While Miss Endo is resourceful, she’s a courier, not a class-six bounty hunter, and some bad men will likely attempt to waylay her and take the items she has to deliver to me.”

  A good old-fashioned beat down—James could get behind that as a payment easily.

  “So go pick up my stuff and kick the ass of anyone who shows up looking for trouble?” James asked.

  The Professor chuckled. “Aye, lad. Like I said, simple and convenient. Oh, the only other thing is that this isn’t going to happen in the next day or two. I’m presuming, given that you were still looking for a ring, that a proposal wasn’t imminent.”

  James grunted. “Not a problem. Yeah, still working the actual proposal idea, and until I have it down, I don’t need the ring. This won’t work with just violin shit in some Italian restaurant.”

  “Truly a romantic. You could teach the poets a thing or two.”

  “Don’t really give a shit if it’s romantic as long it makes Shay happy,” James replied.

  “Then there actually is some hope for you.” The Professor sucked in a breath. “But, excellent. I can’t tell you how much confidence you agreeing to pick up all the artifacts fills me with. I’m sure Miz Carson will enjoy the ring and pendant, and your help is much appreciated.” The Professor paused for a long moment, likely drinking more beer. “And this has saved me the trouble of having to ask for your help. I’ll let you go for now, James. I’ll talk to you when I have a firmer timetable.”

  “Yeah. Fine by me.”

  The Professor hung up, and James stared at his phone.

  Shit. Once I have that ring, the pressure is on.

  “Understanding and empathy are the keys to a relationship,” the podcast hostess explained. “They are the foundation of everything. Even if all other aspects of a relationship, whether intellectual, social or sexual, are being fulfilled, a lack of mutual understanding and empathy will lead to a strained relationship at risk of collapse at the first significant test.”

  Significant tests? We’ve had all sorts of tests. Shay doesn’t even care that I’m not human. Am I overthinking this proposal shit?

  James leaned back in his recliner, his eyes half-closed as he listened.

  No, she’s the one who told me she needed it to be fucking epic.

  “And that same idea extends to relationship milestones such as marriage, children, and buying a home. Listen to what your partner says, but also anticipate their needs. If they’ve gone to the trouble of clearly articulating their nee
ds, don’t dismiss them even if they seem unreasonable to you at first, since you may be failing to use your understanding and empathy to see things from their perspective. What appears difficult might become practical and lead to a great bonding opportunity if you simply approach the request from a different angle. Worry less about the direct request; instead, try to determine the mindset that led to the request and tailor your response to that.”

  So you’re telling me it only needs to be epic and not fucking epic?

  James grunted. He could work with that. With the Professor having a line on a practical but useful ring, he was off to a good start, especially given what Shay had been saying about her artifact needs.

  He looked up as the door swung open. Shay stepped inside, frowning.

  Damn. Not a good time to ask her about epic shit again. Wonder if something annoying happened at her lecture? Should I offer to go threaten the bastard? Not like I would actually have to beat anyone down.

  Shay slammed the door behind her and walked over to the couch. “I’ve got a job prospect to tell you about. Highest pay I’ve ever been offered, but if I do this job I’m gonna want you to come along, and this definitely won’t be a vacation.” She shrugged. “Good news, though, I’m pretty sure our main obstacle won’t be nanites pretending to be a Wendigo.”

  Shay finished explaining the job offer and what Peyton had already uncovered.

  “Shit.” James grunted. “Durand, huh? You should take the job just to finish that asshole off. He’s gonna be trouble sooner or later.”

  “Yeah, I think so, too.” Shay shrugged. “There are still a lot of unknowns, which is why I want you to come along. Erin’s too self-righteous, and I’m half-convinced she’s throwing me at this because she thinks that at the minimum I’ll take out Durand, even if I get taken out as well. Maybe this is just a stall before she can get a bigger team together.”

  James shrugged. “Maybe, but we know the guy’s involved, so he shouldn’t be able to get the drop on us.”

  “We might be able to get some more information on you as well.” Shay sighed. “Even if Erin’s clueless about aliens, that doesn’t mean there aren’t alien artifacts there.”

  James shrugged. “If we find out more about me, fine. If we don’t, also fine, but I’ve got some important shit to take care of first, and that requires a few other things. So can we do this shit in a couple of weeks?”

  Shay shook her head. “No, since Durand is sniffing around, we’ll need to move on this quickly. If I’m gonna do the job, we should fly out as soon as possible, as in tonight. Peyton can get us tickets while we’re on the way to the airport.”

  James frowned. “You don’t understand. That shit with Julius got…complicated, and there’s some other stuff I need to handle because of that. It’s important.”

  Shay’s brow lifted. “Complicated? How?”

  “Some thugs ran my truck off the road and tried to kill Julius.” James took a deep breath and looked down. “During the fight, the F-350 got shot up and firebombed. It’s pretty fucked up. Not as badly as when my house got blown up, but, it’s gonna be out of commission for a few days or maybe a week.”

  Shay sighed and shook her head. “Some assholes never learn. I’m assuming you killed the guys responsible?”

  James nodded. “Yeah, but they were just the errand boys. I need to take down the fucker who sent them after me.”

  “The Eyes?”

  “Exactly.” He let out a low growl. “This wasn’t personal before. Now it is, and he needs to answer for what he did. People need to understand. It’s why no one comes after my fucking house anymore. They saw the kind of shit I did when someone took it out.” He frowned. “Slowing down on bounties I’m handling personally means fuckers don’t always think before they decide to mess with me.”

  Shay shook her head. “Some people are just dumbasses, James. Don’t overthink it.”

  “It doesn’t matter. They fucked up my truck on his orders, so now I’m gonna fuck him up. Simple as that.”

  Shay laughed. “Well, from what I’ve heard, there is a long list of crimes that come before him fucking up your truck, but I get it.” She walked over to him to take his hand in hers. “I’ve totally got your back, and if you want to raid this asshole’s place I’ll crack out the tachi and slice him in half myself, but it’s gonna have to wait. I can’t risk Durand scoring an artifact ahead of me, let alone an alien artifact, and it’s not like I’m so rich that forty million dollars is easy to blow off.”

  James frowned and crossed his arms. “You told me about going into ruins, but you didn’t tell me where. February isn’t that much warmer than December in Canada. Is this going to be more snow shit?”

  Shay shook her head. “No to Canada. It’s in Cambodia. I checked the weather earlier, temperature range the last few days has been between low seventies to high eighties. If the ruins extend underground, it will probably be in the fifties, depending on how deep they go into the ground. Not bad. Just normal.”

  “Cambodia?” James grunted. “That’s a decent plane ride even on a supersonic.”

  Listen to what your partner says and anticipate their needs.

  He sighed. “Fine, but we’re gonna talk to the Eyes the minute we get back. That fucker’s gonna get a lesson about respecting classic trucks.”

  Shay nodded. “Sure, James. If you want, I can use some of the payment to hire a bunch of mercenaries to invade his club.” She smirked. “That might be fun, actually.”

  James shook his head. “I don’t need to hire people to do my ass-kicking. Some things require the personal touch.” He slammed his fist into his palm.

  Shay pulled out her phone. “I’ll let Erin know and have Peyton secure the flight. Grab what you want from the basement, then we’ll hit Warehouse Three to grab everything else we might need.” She winked. “Don’t worry about the Eyes for now. Think of it as something to look forward to.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The Land Rover shook and bounced as they sped through the thick undergrowth. James had slept on the plane, having wonderful dreams of laying waste to the Eyes’ club as revenge for his truck. Now, as they barreled toward the Khmer ruins, he found his mind drifting back to proposal possibilities.

  Something on a tomb raid. That’s all about sharing her interests and shit. Maybe the Professor could help me find something. Would that be romantic? Fuck if I know.

  His gaze cut back and forth as the trees zoomed by, the occasional bird taking flight. They sped past several fallen bayan trees, the trunks lining both sides of their path. Leaves and branches were crushed into the ground between them.

  “You see what I see?” James rumbled. “It’s gotten more obvious the last few miles.”

  Shay frowned and nodded. “Someone’s been this way already, and recently.”

  Despite it being early in the morning, the thick canopy overhead blocked most of the sunlight struggling to make it through the thick clouds covering the sky. It left a stark contrast between dark shadows at the base of many of the trees and the lighter bands between, like an extended twilight.

  “Better stop for a second and bond Whispy,” Shay suggested.

  “I’m fine,” James replied.

  Shay snorted. “Don’t think I didn’t notice the blood on your clothes the other day when you came home.” She pulled a ring out of her pocket. “Only got two of these left, but that should be enough for this raid—assuming we don’t run into something ridiculous.”

  She slipped her ring on and muttered an incantation under her breath. A golden aura bathed her body, highlighting her face and eyes. The tactical vest and AR goggles atop her head might have undermined some men’s vision of what perfect beauty was, but James liked the idea of his personal and gorgeous Angel of Death sitting right next to him.

  James eased off the gas and let the Land Rover slow to a stop. He took a deep breath and reached under his shirt to pull the spacer off his amulet. The tendrils shot through him, not even bringing a
grunt despite the burning sensation of something digging through his chest.

  Initiation, Whispy sent.

  James finally grunted. Whispy had his uses, but now the bounty hunter would need to keep his thoughts disciplined. Having someone else in his head was annoying.

  He pressed down the accelerator and the Land Rover shot forward, following the path someone had conveniently made for them.

  Shay reached into the back to grab a few extra magazines and grenades to stuff into her tactical vest. Her sword belt lay on the floor in the back seat, but she didn’t pick it up.

  She gestured to the jungle. “My quick research on the plane indicates a lot of magical creature activity in the deep jungle since the return of magic. The Cambodian government doesn’t give a shit if it’s not near humans and they’ve left them alone for the most part, but besides whatever mercenaries we run into, we should be ready for angry and weird shit.”

  Whispy sent a few excited thoughts that ended with “kill enemies and achieve primary directive,” but James did his best to ignore the amulet.

  Shay pulled out her phone and tapped a few commands. She frowned. “Tree cover is too thick for satellite comm. That means Peyton and Heather won’t be able to back us up.”

  James shrugged. “We expected that. Don’t need babysitters. Besides, if we don’t have comm, whoever we run into doesn’t either.”

  “No,” Shay replied. “They just don’t have sat comm. They could still run drones from line of sight or some shit like that.”

  “Whatever. I don’t even need an EMP for that. I’ll just shoot them out of the air.”

  She laughed. “That might be a fun game.”

  “Epic fun?”

  Shay smirked. “I wouldn’t go that far, James.” She looked down at her phone. “Also don’t have GPS without the sat link, but the map app shows only a few miles based on estimated time traveled.”

  James nodded, and a quick mirror and camera check followed before he spoke again. “You think that alien bitch will send another nanoform at me? We might not be in the middle of a fucking blizzard, but we’re in the middle of the jungle and can’t get decent reception on the satellite phone.”