Montague & Strong Detective Novels Box Set: Montague & Strong Detective Novels Books, 1 through 3 (Montague & Strong Case Files)

by Orlando A. Sanchez

  “Never mind,” I said. “Okay, how do you want to play this?”

  “We go in, see what he wants and we leave with our lives,” Monty answered as he adjusted his jacket. “That is the general plan.”

  “Good plan,” I said and pushed open the door.

  Across the sea of Persian rug sat Hades behind his redwood of a desk. Behind him and to his right stood Corbel as stoic as a Queen’s Guard. Hades was dressed in a beige suit, cream shirt, and a burnt sienna tie. He looked impeccable enough to make Piero drool with admiration. A few steps in, I noticed the smell.

  “Monty, did you eat eggs this morning?”

  “Shut it, now,” he said under his breath. “It’s brimstone, or what you know as sulfur.”

  “It’s an assault on my nose is what it is. Damn,” I said in between gasps. “Hades, what’s with the smell? Did something die in here?”

  “Your humor never ceases to amuse, Simon,” Hades said with a tight smile. “Please, sit down, the both of you.”

  We approached the desk and sat in his fancy English chairs. I tried my best to hold my breath and failed. I saw several pictures laid out on top of his desk. He picked up one and passed it to Corbel.

  “How is the investigation proceeding?” Hades asked. “Have you located the Ferryman?”

  “Not yet,” Monty said. “It would appear Chaos is involved somehow.”

  Corbel came over to our side of the massive desk and the smell intensified.

  “Whoa,” I said, gasping. “You need to change that cologne. What is that, Essence of Death?”

  “Actually, yes,” Hades said with a smile. “Corbel has been picking up a package for the both of you.”

  “If it smells like that, I politely decline said package, thank you, but no thanks,” I said.

  “First things first,” Hades said. Corbel handed Monty the photo.

  “Do you recognize that drawing?” Hades steepled his fingers as he reclined in his chair.

  Monty looked at the photo and the color slowly drained from his face. He looked up and Hades nodded at him.

  “This can’t be—?” Monty started.

  “Real?” Hades asked. “It’s real.”

  “Impossible,” Monty whispered, putting the photo down on the desk. “Where did you get this?”

  “Improbable, but not impossible,” Hades said and held out another picture for Corbel, who walked over and spread more of his nose-battering aroma. My eyes were beginning to tear up at this point.

  “They were destroyed, all of them,” Monty said. “Where was this taken?”

  “That was on display at MoMA. Which, as I understand, has suffered some vandalism?”

  “Something like that,” I said as Monty slid the picture to me. It showed a framed canvas with what appeared to be a large rune drawn in blood. “What’s this?”

  “Tristan?” Hades said. “Would you like to illuminate him?”

  “That is the null rune,” he said like I understood what he meant.

  “Like the rune of negation Ramirez has?” I said, looking at the picture. “Is this one of those weapons the mages created during the war?”

  When I didn’t get a response, I looked up and saw Monty holding another picture. He was visibly shaken and put the picture back on the desk. I picked it up and saw a small pedestal holding what could only be described as an amulet.

  “How could they miss that?” Monty asked himself. “Of all things, they missed that?”

  “Indeed,” Hades said. “It would seem there was some corruption amongst the mages to overlook an artifact this powerful.”

  My nose sighed in relief as Corbel went back to his post, taking the odor of destruction away from us.

  “Wait a minute,” I said, pointing at the second picture. “I’ve seen this.”

  “I know what he wants,” Monty said and turned to me. “Wait, what did you say?”

  “I’ve seen this pendant before. Chaos was wearing it when he entered the stasis.”

  Hades stood and walked to the window behind his desk.

  “Do you understand now, Tristan?” Hades said.

  “Back up,” I said, holding the picture. “What is this thing?”

  “That is an Infinite Amulet,” Monty said. “It’s made to contain and weaponize the null rune.”

  “This null rune is worse than the negation rune?”

  “By several magnitudes of order,” Hades answered and placed a palm against the window. “But Chaos can’t activate the rune or the pendant.”

  “Why not?” I asked. “It looks like he has everything he needs.”

  Not yet,” Hades said. “He needs a sacrifice, given freely and willingly.”

  “What kind of sacrifice?” I asked.

  “He needs the essence of sorcerers and the blood of a very special mage to activate the rune and then merge it with the amulet. Isn’t that right, Tristan?”

  “Ten sorcerers and one Golden Circle mage are required to activate the amulet,” Monty said. “The essence of the sorcerers is absorbed by the mage who then wields the amulet. It’s the ultimate weapon. Nothing can stand against it.”

  That’s when it hit me.

  “Roxanne,” I whispered. “He doesn’t want her. He wants you.”

  TWENTY-ONE

  “YOU SHOULD BE getting a summons from him soon,” Hades said as he sat at his desk. “He will try to force your hand. Your best option is to let her die.”

  “Unacceptable,” Monty said as his jaw flexed. “That option is not on the table.”

  “What does he want? Why go through all of this?” I said.

  “Chaos is actually very simple in his motivation,” Hades answered. “He always has been. He wants the end.”

  “The end of what?” I asked.

  “Of everything,” Hades said, waving a hand. “Especially humanity.”

  “Why not just wage war? He’s a god, after all. Just like the rest of you.”

  “No, not like us. He’s one of the Old Ones. No longer actively worshipped,” Hades said. “We could stop him if he rose to wage war against us.”

  “Then why not go stop him now?” I said. “That sounds like an excellent plan.”

  “Unless directly threatened, the others will not act. We prefer the status quo,” Hades said. “With the amulet, however, he would be too powerful. He could start another supernatural war that would involve the gods themselves.”

  “He has the amulet, so how are we supposed to stop him?” I said.

  “True, but it’s not active,” Hades replied. “At this moment it’s just jewelry. Find a way to get it back.”

  “Just us two? Can’t you lend us, like, an undead army or some of the Valkyries?”

  “No, if I’m seen to favor you with my participation, it could set off an unpredictable chain of events,” Hades said. “Even I have enemies. If Charon is still missing, it means he still needs sorcerers.”

  “So we need to find Charon and steal back the amulet before he somehow forces Monty to give up his blood and merge the rune and destroys us all.”

  “Seems like you have a handle on it, yes,” Hades said. “I have every confidence in your abilities.”

  “This is suicide,” I said angrily as I stood. “I’m so tired of you gods playing your games and not getting your hands dirty.”

  “Measure your words, Strong,” Hades warned as he stood. “They may be your last.”

  “Simon,” Monty warned, “it may be time for us to leave.”

  “No, Monty,” I said. “What’s he going to do, kill me? Kali already took care of that. Besides, who’s going to go on his suicide run if he kills us?”

  “There are many things worse than death,” Hades said, every word full of menace. “You were chosen for this because you can act without serious repercussions.”

  “Translation—we’re expendable,” I said, throwing the picture I held on the desk. “Monty, yes, let’s get the hell out of here.”

  “Sit down,” Hades said. “No
w.”

  The last word reverberated throughout his office and I actually felt the building shake. I remained on my feet and stared him down. My bowels were turning to jelly and my heart felt like I had just run two back-to-back marathons. I wanted to crawl under the desk and hide, but my brain was too stubborn to back down.

  I sensed the energy around Monty and felt the heat of his orbs as he stood next to me. Corbel adjusted his position and assumed a defensive stance. Behind us, I heard the door open and several sets of footsteps enter the room.

  “Well, if we’re going to die, you certainly picked the best place for it,” Monty whispered. “This is guaranteed to be a short trip.”

  “Enough,” Hades whispered and gestured. It was a sort of half-wave flick of his wrist that seemed to suck the oxygen out of the room.

  A shockwave raced across the floor with Hades at its epicenter. The orbs in Monty’s hands vanished. Industrial-sized runes flared to life on the walls, floor, and ceiling.

  Monty sat down in the chair hard, his face pale. I turned to Hades and drew the Ebonsoul. He remained motionless as Corbel advanced. Hades raised his hand and Corbel stopped moving.

  “Siphoning runes,” Monty whispered, trying to catch his breath. “Bollocks.”

  “What did you do to him?” I said and took a step forward. Corbel raised an eyebrow and I heard the metallic chorus of swords being unsheathed sing behind me.

  “Nothing,” Hades answered. “He’ll be fine in a few minutes. Corbel, please bring their package. Ladies, I will not have need of your services, thank you.”

  I turned to see five Valkyrie sheath their swords and leave the room in silence, each of them fixing me with a stare designed to strike fear as they exited. It only made me angry.

  I held the Ebonsoul and squeezed the hilt until my knuckles were white. Hades looked at me for a moment longer and then sat down.

  “As much as I would enjoy a sparring session with you, Strong, even with your ‘special situation,’ it would be—pardon the pun—short-lived,” he said. “Your power is not where it needs to be to face me—yet. But both of you were willing to try—what did you call it—a suicide run?”

  “Shit, you set me up,” I said, sheathing the Ebonsoul.

  “I did no such thing,” Hades said. “I merely facilitated a context to demonstrate that, despite your fear, you were the best pair for the job at hand.”

  He was right. The rational part of my brain knew he was right. Fighting him would be suicide, but it didn’t stop us from considering it. He had proven his point. If we were insane enough to try to take him on, we were the ones to face Chaos. I sat down hard, hating that he was right.

  “Bollocks,” Monty whispered. “Facing Chaos and defeating him are different things.”

  “I’m not suggesting you defeat him,” Hades answered. “Get the amulet away from him or the rune. If you can manage both, even better. Preferably without spilling any of your blood, Tristan.”

  “Easier said than done,” I muttered, angry with myself for letting him push my buttons. “It’s not like he’s just going to hand them over.”

  “Convince him,” Hades said and the smell of sulfur strangled me again. Corbel had entered the room with a large crate. “Place it over here and leave us.”

  Corbel placed the crate next to me.

  “Thank you for sharing,” I said, covering my face. “I may never smell again.”

  “I live for the simple pleasures,” he whispered with a smile. “Draw your weapon on him again and I’ll kill everything and everyone in your life.”

  “Next time you want to threaten me, don’t use words,” I replied and pulled back my coat, revealing the Ebonsoul and the Grim Whisper. “Unless this stench is your weapon, in which case I surrender—you win.”

  Hades coughed and Corbel bowed. He walked to the door, bowed again and left.

  “Simon, you just don’t know when to quit,” Monty said. Most of the color had returned to his face. “He’s dangerous. There’s a reason they call him the ‘Hound of Hades.’”

  “I’m guessing it has something to do with his pungency—the man is ripe.”

  “Strong, honestly, I don’t know how you’re still among the living,” Hades said. “You’re either very brave or very stupid.”

  “The latter,” Monty said without hesitation.

  “You need to get him on some kind of hygiene plan,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I won’t be able to smell anything for months.”

  “You would do well to take his threat seriously,” Hades said. “He’s a fearsome enemy.”

  “So am I. He so much as looks at me sideways or steps in my direction again, I shoot first and won’t bother with questions.”

  Hades nodded. “Duly noted. That is for you,” he said, pointing at the crate. “I hear you have been having security issues at your place of residence.”

  “And this is…?” I asked, wary. When a god wants to give you something, always read the fine print. Hades was known for being downright shady in negotiations and his gifts always came with strings attached.

  “We’re flattered, but we can’t accept it—whatever it is,” Monty said. “Thank you, but no.”

  “Every ten years, Cerberus sires offspring,” Hades said, ignoring Monty.

  “Wait, Cerberus, as in the three-headed dog?”

  “That’s called embellishment. I spread that rumor, Strong. Are you serious? Have you ever met a three-headed dog?” Hades asked. “Next you’ll tell me you still believe in dragons?”

  “We recently fought an ogre, a real ogre,” I said, feeling defensive. “Are you telling me I imagined that too?”

  “Well, that’s different,” Hades said with a smile. “Those are real. I will concede that you are new to all of this, Strong. I suggest you get up to speed as soon as possible. What you don’t know can kill those around you.”

  “I take it this is his offspring?” Monty asked and looked into the crate. I followed Monty’s lead and looked in too. A pair of yellow eyes stared back at me, followed by a low growl that rattled the crate.

  “That is Peaches,” Hades said with a small amount of pride evident in his voice.

  “Not Mr. Peaches or Sir Peaches?” I said as I peered into the crate. The eyes shifted from yellow to deep red followed by a low growl.

  Monty coughed and I chuckled nervously until I looked up.

  “It’s just Peaches,” he said, glaring at me.

  “Peaches? Are you serious?” I said and saw the look on Hades’s face. “I mean, a seriously good name, Peaches.”

  “Named him myself,” he said. “If I don’t give him away, he’ll have to be put down.”

  “Let him live with his dad. That way you get twice the security. Not that I can imagine anyone trying to break into Hades.”

  “I can tell you’ve never met Cerberus. He’s insanely territorial and would destroy him.”

  “We don’t have the room,” Monty said, quickly looking at my face and shaking his head.

  “Maybe just for a little while until you find him a new home?” I said, looking at the yellow eyes that flared red for a split second. “He can’t be that bad. What breed is he?”

  “There is no name for the breed he is,” Hades answered. “Cerberus was created to be the only one of his kind. The closest approximation would be a Cane Corso, but that’s only in appearance.”

  “This means it will be massive,” Monty said, shaking his head. “Cane Corso are Italian mastiffs.”

  “Well, I hear you have a vampire problem,” Hades said. “Massive is good.”

  “It’s not a problem, per se,” I answered, glancing at Monty. “They just like to visit every so often.”

  “Wait, this creature—” Monty started.

  “Peaches,” Hades said, correcting him.

  “Yes, sorry. This Peaches can stop the vampires from coming in unannounced?” Monty asked.

  “Peaches will stop anyone from coming in unannounced,” Hades said with a smile.
“Look closer, Tristan.”

  Monty looked inside the crate and I saw one eyebrow go up in surprise. “Are those what I think they are?” he said.

  Hades nodded. “Gets them from Cerberus. As he matures, he’ll be able to communicate with his bondmate—provided they possess enough power to hear him. However, he can understand everything you say.”

  Monty rubbed his chin in thought. “Fine, Simon will be responsible for him.”

  “What? When did I agree to this?”

  “It makes perfect sense,” Monty said. “The vampires don’t come to see me, they come to see you. One in particular especially.”

  “Wait, he doesn’t eat humans or anything like that does he?”

  Hades gave me another look. “He’s a dog, Strong—have you encountered the species? He eats dog food. Oh, one last thing, one of you has to bond with him.”

  “Excuse me? Bond with him?” I said. “What do you mean bond with him?”

  “Yes, one of you has to stick your hand in the crate and bond with him. There must be an energy transfer. What did you think I meant by bondmate?”

  Monty crossed his arms and looked at me defiantly. “I’ve grown fond of my hands, thank you very much. You want him—you bond.”

  “Has he been fed?” I asked. “I mean recently?”

  “A moment ago you were willing to fight me to your repeated death. Now you’re telling me you’re scared of a little dog?”

  “Little dog?” I said, looking in the crate again. “I don’t see anything little about him.”

  “What’s the worst that can happen? You die?” Hades asked with a smile.

  “When you put it like that,” I said and stuck my hand in the crate.

  TWENTY-TWO

  “I CAN’T BELIEVE you, Monty,” I said as we drove uptown. “You couldn’t just add more runes to the office?”

  “Your vampire seems to find a way around the rune defenses. No matter how many times I change them.”

  “Maybe stronger runes that could contain any unwanted visitor,” I said. “You can do that.”

  “I’ve used my strongest and they don’t work because of your connection to her,” he replied. “Besides, now I won’t need to. The creature—”