“Were you the one trying to get them to stand down earlier?” James said.
“Yeah.” Mack snorted. “Next time use a damned bathroom to change, Brownstone. We didn’t need to see your junk.”
James could only chuckle at the absurdity of what had just unfolded. He leaned against his truck. “Well, AET didn’t light me up, so that’s good.”
Mack shook his head. “You were going after a bounty. Fair game, and all that.”
“Is Adams dead?” James frowned. “Because if he’s not, I need to finish him off.” His voice made it clear he wouldn’t argue about it.
The cop gestured toward King Pyro’s body. Several paramedics surrounded him, chatting and gesticulating, and four of the AET team had their weapons trained on the prone form.
“Yeah, he’s dead. Kind of hard to live after having your skull caved in like that.” Mack turned back toward James. “Look, I know you played a little stunt getting the bounty going. Not even sure if it’s all that legal.”
“So what happens, then? Am I going to be hauled in?”
Mack shook his head. “Nope. At least not today. The bounty’s out there, so it doesn’t make much sense for us to arrest you. Plus, I don’t think anyone is all that hot on the idea of risking a major shoot-out with the guy who just took out King Pyro.”
“I don’t know, those AET folks seemed like they really wanted to take me on.”
The cop stepped forward and looked over his shoulder at the AET guys. “Look, I’ll be honest. Not everyone in the department likes having someone like you around.”
James grunted. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had a few run-ins with cops before. It was why he’d spent years with little gifts like the donuts. He wanted them to understand that he was on their side.
Of course they were going to be afraid. Maybe Pyro was right, and he was a monster. He didn’t fucking know anymore.
Mack held up a hand. “Don’t sweat it, Brownstone. Most of us get that you’re on our side. That asshole Adams killed cops getting away, and that’s on top of everyone else he killed. You don’t worry about AET or anyone else. Me and some other guys will make sure this all goes away in terms of the paperwork. There’s just one thing I need from you.”
“What?”
The cop gestured to the ground. “Pick up all your burnt rags, or I’ll have to cite you for littering.”
The men shared a laugh.
27
A few days later, James pushed through the door of the Leanan Sídhe. The Professor had been busy since his return from Mexico, so the bounty hunter’d had no chance to meet with him and receive his payment for helping Shay retrieve the Green Dragon Crescent Blade.
He spotted Shay and the Professor in the back and made his way over there, everyone parting to provide him a path despite the heavy and raucous crowd. A few people gave him a polite nod, but no one gave him stink-eye.
The bounty hunter sat beside Shay across from the Professor. “Long time no see, Professor.”
“You’ve been busy, lad,” the Professor said with a grin. “A necromancer and a pyromancer. I’m sure there’s a joke in there, but I’m not drunk enough to figure it out yet.” He winked. “But get the music going and the booze flowing, and I’ll give it a try.”
“We’ve both been busy.” James nodded to Shay, ignoring the Professor’s antics. “Hi, Shay.”
She placed a briefcase on the table. “All three of us have been busy.”
He eyed the briefcase. “That the jade from the Green Dragon Crescent Blade?”
Shay shook her head. “When you were busy running around beating up the Flame King or Ember Boy or whoever, I ran a few errands. Kind of a follow-up to Mexico. Something I worked out with The Professor.”
James glanced between the two of them. “It was King Pyro, not the Flame King, and he didn’t have a partner.”
He noticed a bandage on the tomb raider’s arm, but decided not to press the issue. Shay would tell him whatever he needed to know. For that matter, so would the Professor. Bounty hunting and field archaeology only occasionally needed to overlap.
The Professor accepted the briefcase and set it beside him. “You’ll find your account has received a rather sizable deposit, Miz Carson.” He slid a small jewelry box to James. “And this is for you, lad. You’re lucky. It’s not always easy to find one so easy to use. It took me a lot of effort.”
James snorted. “You probably pulled it out from underneath your couch.”
“Maybe,” the Professor offered in response.
The bounty hunter opened the box. A silver necklace lay inside. It was elegant enough, but not too fancy. He cared less about the aesthetics than the magical potential.
Shay peeked over at the box, and he held it up. Her brow raised in question.
“It’s a gift for Alison,” James said, before tucking the box into a pocket. “I’ll explain later.”
“Okay,” Shay said, content to wait.
The Professor rose and gave them both a nod. “Lad, Miz Carson, I have a few things to take care of at the bar.”
“Like acquiring beers?” James asked.
“Aye, lad. Exactly. I’ve only had one tonight, and that’s just horrible, isn’t it?” The Professor winked, picked up the briefcase, and walked to the front.
Shay watched the Professor disappear into the crowd. “That parents’ weekend thing is coming up, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Want to go? I can buy you a supersonic ticket if you don’t want to spend the money. Let’s just fly out this weekend to Virginia together. I’m sure Alison would love to see you.”
Shay grinned. “Free is a very good price. Sounds like fun. It’s a date.”
James stared at her for a second, deciding not to bother asking if she was serious about her use of the word “date.”
No, don’t say anything. She’ll just say something about me being gay or some shit.
He forced a smile and rubbed the back of his neck. Women could complicate the simplest things.
Alison waved happily from a table in the lunchroom as James and Shay tried to make their way through the thick crowd of kids and parents.
“Look at this place,” James exclaimed, gazing at all the elegant wooden tables and booths. “This looks more like a fancy restaurant than a school cafeteria.”
At least he didn’t see that pretentious ferret.
“Nothing wrong with a little class.” Shay grinned. “Not everyone can survive off hole-in-the-wall barbecue. I can’t believe you drove four hours there and back for it.”
James grunted, regretting having told Shay about his trip to Jessie Rae’s. If she’d just go to the damn place, she’d fall in love with the flavor just as he had—along with all the contest judges.
People shouldn’t talk shit about stuff they didn’t understand.
Some teen bumped into James, and he resisted the urge to glare at him.
“Sorry!” the kid exclaimed, and scurried off.
The bounty hunter had promised Shay he wouldn’t try to intimidate anyone while they were at the school, but it was taking all his self-control not to stare down the punk kids and their parents and get them to scatter.
Crowds were annoying. Every time he was in one, he thought about the disadvantage he’d be in if a fight broke out—let alone a fight at a magic school.
The pair finally arrived at the table. Alison got up to give James a tight hug, and then followed up with Shay.
“Aunt Shay, Mr. James!”
“’Mr. James?’” He arched an eyebrow.
“Well, it’s kind of between Mr. Brownstone and James. It felt weird calling you James, because you’re old and all.”
Shay laughed.
James grunted. “I’m not old.”
The girl shrugged. “Older than me.”
“Just use ‘James.’ ‘Mr. James’ actually does makes me sound like an old man.”
Alison nodded. “Okay, James. It’s still weird, but whatever you want.”
&n
bsp; They sat down at the table.
Shay glanced around. “How are your classes going so far? This is your first time with formal education, isn’t it?”
Alison shrugged. “They told me that in terms of my academics I’m really advanced, so lots of lower-level college courses already. They’re having me do a lot of that online.” She sighed. “If only everything could be like that.”
James and Shay exchanged glances and the bounty hunter asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Magic’s a whole different ballgame. I’ve been tested, but I’m like messing up all their normal ways of checking for that kind of thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“They know I have magic, but for some reason it isn’t showing up right. The way they explained it to me, I have really high capability but little ability, or something. I don’t quite get it, and apparently they don’t either.” She sighed and shook her head. “So I’m not going to be doing much magic for a while.”
Shay reached out to pat her hand.
James shrugged. “Magic’s complicated. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.” He didn’t want to suggest that it might be better if Alison didn’t have to worry much about magic. After all, magic not only represented power, it also represented her link to her dead mother.
“The headmistress said she expects it’ll change as I get older.”
“There you go, then.”
A meek-looking girl in glasses passed them, and Alison waved at her. The girl waved back but hurried along.
“That’s one of my friends, Julia,” Alison explained. “She’s got an affinity for air magic. She’s still figuring what she can do, but she’s got great hearing because of it.”
Julia was already deep into the crowd at that point, but she turned and waved to the table with a grin.
“See?”
James chuckled. “It sounds like you’ve settled in here, then.”
The teen looked down for a moment before nodding. “I guess I have. I’m still kind of getting used to it, but I’ve been making friends, and I like a lot of the teachers. Not all of them.”
“There’s always one,” James said. “For me it was Sister Emily.” He grunted.
Shay poked him with her elbow. “Don’t put your baggage on her. And give Alison her present already.”
James pulled out the jewelry box and opened it, revealing a jeweled pendant on a silver chain.
“Oh, that’s so pretty,” Alison exclaimed.
“And functional.”
“Huh?”
“It’s called an ‘Aegis Pendant.’ It’s a kind of shield. You activate it by wanting to be protected and saying ‘Aegis aeon.’ Once you do that, it’ll form a magic shell right around your body. It can take a decent punishment, magical or physical, but I wouldn’t stare down an angry dragon.” James tapped his head. “It’s important to have both the words and the intent when you use it. It won’t work without both.”
Alison furrowed her brow. “I don’t understand.”
“You have to really want to be protected.” James glanced over his shoulder. That air girl was probably hearing everything he said. Fucking magic. “It’ll last for one hour once activated, unless it starts pulling energy from you. It has to be recharged.”
“How exactly?”
“It’ll automatically do it over a day, but the point is, don’t play with it unless you need it. It draws on background magical energy or some sh— Stuff.”
Shay chuckled. “Talk about overprotective.”
“I love it,” Alison replied. She hopped up and rushed over to pull him into a hug, and tears ran down her cheeks.
James blinked. “Why are you crying if you like it?”
Shay rolled her eyes. “Don’t be such a doof, Brownstone. She’s crying because she’s happy.”
Alison nodded quickly. “I’m going to go show my friend.”
“Okay, you do that, kid.”
Shay waited for Alison to disappear into the crowd. “What’s the deal, Brownstone?”
James frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“You showed me that the other day and it was just a silver necklace, not some fancy expensive pendant. That cost a lot of money.”
He shrugged. “I had that added, so others will see that necklace and know someone cares about that young woman. There’s no money I can spend that will help her as much as others telling her how pretty she is.”
Shay shook her head. “You’re a damn enigma, Brownstone.”
“Huh?”
“Clueless one second, wise the next.”
Epilogue
A week later, James moved toward a park several streets down from his house. High chain-link fences surrounded the entire perimeter of the park, and the only access was through a single gate.
Trey and several of his boys sat at the front, next to a series of keyed lockers. Their colors were on display, but they had no obvious weapons. The only people in the park with weapons were Sergeant Mack and a few other police officers. Even though they were all in casual clothes, they had their guns and badges.
The cops stood near two large wheeled barbeque pits, smoking up a storm and cooking up a fucking feast. A band on a small wooden stage played some rock song that sounded vaguely familiar.
Children rushed around, laughing and playing. Bounce houses and bounce obstacle courses littered the park.
A family stepped into the park. Three gang members came right after, their colors showing they weren’t Trey’s boys.
The gang leader held up a hand. “Hold up, homies.”
The other gang members squared their shoulders. “This park ain’t your turf, bitch. You don’t tell us what to do.”
“No, but this is a community event, which means y’all can come in, because you members of the community. But this is about chillin’, not killin’.” Trey gestured to the locker. “So guns go in there.”
The other gangbanger narrowed his eyes. “How do I know that shit is safe?”
“Because, bitch, this shit is protected ground. Like some fucking sanctuary where some hunchback can go and shit.”
The other man looked toward the cops.
“Nah, not the cops,” Trey said. “Cops ain’t shit. This place is protected by real power.”
“By you?”
“Nah.” The gang leader lifted his shirt to make it clear he wasn’t armed. “See, I ain’t carrying either. This is a Granite Ghost party. Motherfucking James Brownstone. No one goes in packing but him or the 5-0.”
“What’s to stop me from poppin’ your ass right now?” The gang member smirked. “Not trying to be mean, bitch, just curious.”
Trey looked past them, grinning as he caught sight of James. “It’d be motherfucking righteous. People would be talking about Trey forever. It’d be like, ‘Yo, bitches, you heard about how Brownstone killed all the Harriken because they iced his dog. And then, you bitches, you heard about how Brownstone killed all the gangbangers who thought they could cause trouble at his party?”
James stepped forward. “Trey’s right,” he rumbled. “I take it personally when people mess with my family. Ask the Harriken and King Pyro.”
All the gang members turned around, visibly swallowing.
“Trey’s your family?” the first gang member asked, shock on his face.
“When you are inside these fences with no weapons, you’re my family. At least for today.”
The gang members all pulled their guns out and hurried over to the lockers to deposit them.
“Today we family,” Trey agreed. “Tomorrow shit is real again, motherfuckers.”
They pulled out their keys and headed through the gate.
“How the hell did you do that?” Trey asked once the others were out of earshot.
“Do what?”
“Show up right as I was talking.”
“I’m blessed, Trey.” James shrugged and grinned. “Any trouble so far?”
“Nah, Mr. Brownstone. That was about the
most heat we got all day.” The gang leader grinned. “Except for all them kids pushing on the bounce houses. They the real thugs here.”
James surveyed the park with a small smile. “I’m glad you were willing to accept this as payback for your favor.”
Trey looked at all the family and friends in the park playing and enjoying themselves. “It ain’t nothing, Mr. Brownstone. It ain’t often that pigs will come to cook the pork for us.” He grinned. “For one fucking day, we all know life will be safe.”
James looked around. “That it will, Trey. That it will.”
FINIS
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
Written April 19, 2018
First, THANK YOU for supporting this new series about Mr. James Brownstone, a man who just wants a simple life of bounties and barbeque. At least, that is how I think of James Brownstone. One reviewer described him as a ‘Catholic Bounty Hunter’ and I thought that was unique.
Not that I had intended to write about a Catholic bounty hunter. My intent was to point out that the orphanage helped his life when no one wanted ‘that little boy with the messed-up face’ except those who were willing to see beyond his disfigurement and take care of him.
Now he is all grown up, and like so many of us he is a product of what we watch, feel, and learn as we grow up from the adults who help (or hurt) us as we attain adulthood.
Brownstone isn’t any more or less religious than many in life. He is not sure if capturing bounties is a get-out-of-jail card—or maybe a pass on the greased slide right down to the fire.
Either way, he won’t be changing his life’s work.
He will find out the results at the end, so to speak.
Then we have Shay, who we learn more about in this book and the next Brownstone, but more importantly in her own series being worked on called I Fear No Evil which is being worked on as I type.
When Martha (Carr) and I were discussing what to name the series, we came up with it and figured it could be taken both ways:
The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone Boxed Set One (Books 1-3): Feared By Hell, Rejected By Heaven, Eye For An Eye (The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone Boxed Sets) Page 40