by India Kells
Urban Justice
A Chicago Vigilantes Novel: Book 2
India Kells
License Notes
Copyright © 2020 by India Kells
Editing and proofreading by Black Opal Editing
Cover Art by Moonstruck Cover Design & Photography
All rights reserved.
ISBN 978-1-989354-16-2
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
www.indiakells.com
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
Sneak Peek: Night Justice
Sneak Peek: Lost Bastard
Sneak Peek: To Fool an Assassin
Also by India Kells
About the Author
Follow India Kells
About this book
As Chicago is dragged even deeper into darkness, the Vigilante must push through the fear. Only one man can help her save innocent souls, and salvation can only be found deep underground.
Sloane Friday is fearless. Once a cop, she now works with a few select men guarding her new home as the Vigilante. Despite their best efforts, the deadly drug Phantom is spreading, claiming more deaths each time the night falls. The mission calls to Sloane, triggering a piece of her past she believed she’d put to rest.
A former Marine and passionate about urban exploration, Professor Luke Radcliffe encounters the Vigilante one night, and when the Vigilante approaches him for help, he’s dragged back into a world of violence he thought he’d left behind. He quickly realizes there’s much more at stake than dealing with criminals, and the team of unique individuals fighting in the shadows gains his admiration. In particular, Sloane, the pink-haired woman with a wild streak that calls to him.
Love blossoms in unexpected places, and deep underground, Luke, Sloane, and the rest of the vigilantes put their own lives on the line and come together in a common goal—to save the people of Chicago before more lives are lost.
Will their love survive the darkness and addiction, or will the violence surrounding them smother any possibility of a future?
Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you learned it. ⁓ Maya Angelou
We can make ourselves miserable or we can make ourselves strong. The amount of effort is the same. ⁓ Pema Chodron
Chapter 1
“I swear, man, if we end up falling into a bottomless pit, I’ll make sure I land on top of you.”
Luke rolled his eyes at Eddie, who was following him into the dark tunnel with only their headlamps shining the way. “There isn’t a drop where we’re going. And if you wanted something risk-free, you should’ve gone with your mom to play bingo.”
Choice curses echoed through the damp walls, but it confirmed his friend was being an annoying asshole as usual. Luke lived for urban exploration, or urbex, as those in the know called it. It was his drug of choice, but doing it solo wasn’t a good idea. Unfortunately, Eddie was the only one of his friends who’d been available at short notice. He could’ve waited for a more willing partner, but his own impatience dictated otherwise.
After several searches, Luke had discovered a clue about a chamber linking to an unexplored network of tunnels. The Illinois Tunnel Company had dug most of them more than a hundred years ago. Mostly forgotten, the possibility of a new discovery was the holy grail of urbex nerds.
The area they were in was a well-known intersection dividing two other tunnels. Luke knew that if he chose the left, he’d arrive at the high-ceiling chamber often used for underground parties. However, it was the one on the right he wanted to explore.
“Man, slow down. I think I stepped in shit!”
Eddie had complained nonstop in the hour since they’d entered the maze. Luke was tempted to tell him to shut up. Logically, he should turn back, leave, and try to find someone else to be his wingman, but he clenched his jaw at the idea. Anticipation and the possible confirmation of his theory messed with his usually cool head. He needed to keep going. His instincts demanded it; too bad it wouldn’t be possible with Eddie tagging along. Even if it was best practice to have a second person, this once he didn’t mind continuing alone.
“Shut up, would you? You want to leave? Then, go! I thought you wanted to come underground.”
Eddie groaned. “Come on, man! I thought it would be more glamorous than scouring stinky hell-holes and crawling through vents.”
They hadn’t accessed any really disgusting parts so far, and Eddie would probably cause more problems than not if he continued to tag along, so Luke had to think fast. “Do you think you can walk back alone? It’s a straight line from here. And you came in your own car.”
For the first time, Eddie stopped his whining and appeared genuinely concerned. “Didn’t you tell me it wasn’t safe to do this alone? Wasn’t that the reason you called me?”
“Yeah, but there’s a possibility you’ll probably tread through more shit. You continue, you shut up. Otherwise, you can go home and be on your couch in an hour.” The hesitation told Luke that Eddie had already made his decision but was considering his friend’s safety. “Don’t worry, Ed. I’m used to it. I’m just going to check a theory, nothing more. If I’m right, I’ll organize another expedition. I know the way, so there’s no surprises and no risk.”
There were always risks, but Luke told the little white lie to get rid of him. Within minutes, after an equipment transfer and a final handshake, Luke was pleased to see Eddie disappear from sight. Tension loosened between his shoulder blades.
One look at his watch told him he’d lost precious time if he wanted to finish his investigation before dawn. Not only had he broken his cardinal rule of not going into a new territory alone, but he’d exceed the time he normally spent underground. “I’m just finding the entrance, nothing more. Then I can come back with more people.” His voice reverberating through the dripping concrete walls steadied him, and he continued on.
Being alone in such a place was surreal and something he almost never did, although he loved it. It allowed him freedom and time to appreciate the truly unusual beauty of his surroundings. From a different era, the tunnels showed signs of deterioration, a reminder from nature to humankind on how inconsequential their time on earth was. His trained eyes also saw notches and depressions on the walls, marks from the workers who built this structure and who hoped to never be completely forgotten.
It would be so tempting to become lost in contemplation, but that would open the door to mistakes he couldn’t afford while alone during this exploration.
Mentally revising the map of this section, Luke remembered that at the upc
oming intersection on the left was a vast reservoir, now empty of water, but not of building waste thrown there by the city in the fifties. The entrance he was searching for was probably on the right, although it wasn’t as obvious as he expected.
As soon as his beam of light aimed to the right, the reverberation of a man’s screams pierced through him. Panic almost seized his mind until he realized it wasn’t Eddie, as it wasn’t coming from the direction his friend had gone. It was from the reservoir area.
Unmoving, Luke asked himself if the sound had truly been a voice or if it had been one of the many unexplainable noises that traveled so easily through the concrete and metal structure.
His answer was the sound of gunshots. This time, it was unmistakable. The shots and yells were coming from the reservoir.
Years of survival training as a Marine kicked in. He was alone and in danger if he stuck around. He needed to find a way out.
Just as he considered a probable route, he heard another male shout, but this time, it was laced with pain, followed by the familiar rattle of an automatic weapon.
The resonance made it difficult to detect its origin. Was it really coming from behind him, or was it from the tunnel he’d just left? Or maybe even in front of him?
Hesitating, Luke touched his holster. He never advertised that he kept a gun on him during his explorations, but experience told him that being prepared could save his life.
Torn, Luke heard more voices accompanied by footsteps and loud bangs. Drawing his weapon, he peeked back at the intersection, but it was clear. Very carefully, he retraced his steps, but instead of heading toward the exit, he decided to check the reservoir. It was dark, and that was the first clue something strange was going on.
Normally the rusty steel door was wide open and hanging half off its hinges. Reaching it, he could see it was back on and closed. When he attempted to pull open, it didn’t move. The ruckus didn’t stop on the other side and Luke remembered seeing an access point to the reservoir via a ladder. Sprinting back through the tunnel, he turned the corner, and there, just before the access point he wanted to explore, was a hole on the ceiling. After holstering his weapon, he took a few steps back for momentum and jumped. Pure luck allowed his fingers to wrap around the first rung, and he hauled himself up with brute force until he could reach the bottom step and climb up.
Glad to see that the hatch was open, Luke pulled himself into the small room filled with useless pipes and levers before shutting off his headlamp. Open grids at the top of the reservoir allowed filtered light through from the streetlights above. It allowed Luke to see movement but few details. The protective window in front of him had been shattered long ago, and the sound of gunfire and yells were deafening through the open space. Carefully, Luke peered below and saw three individuals, likely male, armed to the teeth, firing at a small hill of junk.
The main door was directly under Luke, and the attackers didn’t try to run to it. Had they locked themselves inside, or was it the opposite and they were desperately trying to get out? Before he could figure it out, one man fell, wounded in the leg, and the two other men rushed to his side to pull him behind what seemed to be a concrete block.
He saw a shadow shivering in the distance, until it became a human form walking on top of the pile of junk, most probably trying to get a better angle on the three guys below. It was difficult to distinguish anything other than a vague hooded silhouette clad in dark gear that almost seemed to absorb light. Luke remembered a special operations team that had used a similar fabric for their combat uniform so they could pass undetected. Was this person a former service member? As the shadow moved, it was possible to distinguish a hood concealing his head and it clicked. The Vigilante.
The rumor of an individual fighting criminals in Chicago had reached his attention, even if most of the media dismissed the rumors as fabrication. Social media had different views, as blurred images and videos reported sightings of the mysterious figure everywhere.
The legend fascinated Luke on so many levels. His breath caught at seeing him in the flesh. From his angle, it was clear the Vigilante didn’t have a direct view of the three men, but Luke did. The wounded man wasn’t moving much, but while one of his companions crouched by him, gun out, ready to shoot, the third one had disappeared.
The silence hurt his ears more now than the gunfire as he watched the progress of the Vigilante toward two of the armed men. Where was the third one? He got his answer when a new shadow shifted from around the far-right wall. Unaware of the situation, the Vigilante would soon be caught in a trap.
Adrenaline flowed through his system so fast, Luke reached for his gun without realizing it. Who were the good guys and who were the bad guys? Should he help or not intervene, and if he fired, who would be his target?
Unless he made a decision, the Vigilante would be dead within seconds. Just as the black-hooded figure attacked, Luke fired.
It turned into carnage within seconds. When the Vigilante leaped to drop the first two men, Luke killed the third with a bullet to the head. The Vigilante whipped his head in Luke’s direction for an instant but returned to the task at hand. Luke was stunned by the attack—everything happened so fast. The Vigilante was precise and ruthless until the noise within the reservoir reduced to complete silence leaving three bodies on the ground.
The Vigilante looked toward Luke once more. The distance meant it would be impossible for the masked man to see his face or get to him, but Luke would be a fool to stick around and confirm his theory.
With as much speed as he could muster, he dropped through the hatch to the lower level and ran. Only the keen memory of his surroundings allowed him not to trip and fall on his face in the almost complete darkness. He didn’t dare switch on his headlamp and instead relied on the faint streams of lights coming from outside through the cracks and grids. If the Vigilante had trouble opening the steel door and Luke could reach the outer one in time, he might make it out alive.
Just as he saw the light streaming from the exit, his stomach dropped. A feeling he knew too well from the tours he’d done overseas as a Marine made him skid to a stop. He wasn’t alone anymore.
Despite being only a few feet from the exit, he turned and lifted his gun to see the Vigilante had done the same. The faceless figure was standing just outside the shadows, gun aimed at him.
For the longest moment, they remained there, facing each other, neither willing to stand down.
To Luke’s surprise, it was the Vigilante who slowly lowered his weapon. Luke did the same but remained on guard.
In the weirdest, most astonishing moment of his life, Luke saw the Vigilante bow his head, maybe in acknowledgment or thanks, before stepping back into the darkness and disappearing. Only the faint sound of footfalls disappearing in the distance told him what he’d seen wasn’t a figment of his imagination.
Chapter 2
As soon as the safety door locked behind her, Sloane Friday pulled off her hood and removed the mask from her face, finally drawing in a breath of fresh air. The mask’s design had been considerably improved since the first time she’d put it on, but it was still hot as hell under it. Pushing away her mess of deep pink hair from her face, she made her way into the lair’s command center and wasn’t surprised to see her friend and boss, Lance Sorenson, waiting for her.
The Viking of a man scanned his blue eyes up and down her form in that cold, analytical way he had, searching for wounds or injuries, and when he found none, his shoulders dropped a bit.
“I’m fine, big man. Just like each and every other time it’s been my turn to head into the field. It pisses me off that you’d think otherwise, Lance.”
It was early morning, and as usual, the other members of the team who’d been on support had gone upstairs to sleep or gone home as soon as Sloane confirmed that everything was under control and she was heading back to base.
As she moved to the gear area to discard her suit, Lance followed. “Drop the attitude, Sloane. You’re very c
apable, as much as anybody here, but you’re not invincible. That little trip had a lot of risks and what happened is proof I’m right. Not only that, but if that stranger hadn’t shot the other trafficker, we would’ve had to remove a bullet from you.”
With her body aching from fatigue, she peeled the suit off, not bothered that Lance was scolding her while she was in her underwear. “Our suits act as body armor, so you wouldn’t have had to remove a bullet from me.”
Lance shook his head, touching his side. “I know first-hand that our suits aren’t foolproof. We can’t maintain full mobility and complete protection at the same time.”
With a nod, Sloane examined her equipment to make sure everything was operational before putting it away. “And that’s exactly why we keep the risk to a minimum and prepare as much as we can for each mission. Exactly as we did tonight. As you can see for yourself, there isn’t a single scratch on me, and we have three dead drug traffickers that won’t be distributing their shit all over the city.”
Shit was a light word for something much more dangerous than what could generally be found in Chicago nowadays. The new compound known as Phantom had hit the street less than a month ago, tracking a bloody path through the population. So far, it was mostly addicts who’d been found dead due to an overdose, but what was even more concerning was the number of unexplained deaths they’d finally linked to the strange drug. Every suspicious death was tested for drugs, and in every case, Phantom had been detected. The fact they couldn’t link a reason for the deaths to Phantom both baffled and frustrated the authorities. Some victims jumped off buildings, others threw themselves in front of a train, others simply shot themselves in the head. All suicides, all with Phantom in the victims’ bloodstream, but there was no way of knowing why they’d so suddenly and quickly decided to end their existence.