The Vigiles Urbani Chronicles- Year One

by Ken Lange

  As I got out of the vehicle, an attractive, dark-haired woman wearing battered leather armor was being ushered toward the front doors by two rather unpleasant looking men. They wore matching disdainful expressions when their gazes fell on Cole. The sunlight glinted off the purple streaks in the woman’s hair as she stepped into the open, but one of her companions caught her arm and pulled her back toward the house.

  Her remaining companion stormed over, glaring at Cole. “You should’ve called.”

  Cole shrugged. “Sorry about that, Steve, but you know as well as I do that cell reception outside town is shit. So, I did the only sensible thing and brought him here as soon as we crossed the city limits.”

  The big man frowned as his gaze landed on me. “When did you get here?”

  Last thing I wanted was to get Cole and his wife into more hot water, so I lied. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I came through the gate early this morning, commandeered the first Archive member I could find, and now I’m here.” Taking a deep breath, I said, “And that’s the last question I’ll be answering until I meet Lewis or one of his brothers. If that’s unsatisfactory, I’m gone.”

  His haughty expression faltered, and beads of sweat popped up around his graying hairline. “No…the Grants are waiting to meet you.”

  I waved him ahead of us. “Then by all means, show us the way.”

  Steve’s annoyed expression said he wasn’t thrilled with my presence, but that was all right by me, since I wasn’t happy about being here either. He pivoted on the spot, and lumbered through the entrance with us in tow. Several twists and turns later, we arrived at a set of intricately carved doors. He knocked but didn’t bother waiting for a response before pushing them open.

  In the center of the room was a large solid wood desk. The man seated in the leather chair behind it wore a tailor-made black suit with silver cufflinks. He appeared to be in his fifties, but since he’d founded this city, he was much older. His dark hair had only the slightest hint of gray in it, and his brilliant blue eyes stood out against his tanned skin.

  Judging by his position at the desk, this had to be Lewis, and the two men standing to either side of him were his brothers.

  He got to his feet and gestured at me. “So, you’re the infamous Gavin Randall.”

  His condescending tone grated on my last nerve, but I was in his house so I probably needed to at least try to be polite. “That’s right, and the three of you are?”

  He waved a hand at the small sickly blond man to his left. “This is my brother John, I’m Lewis, and this is Angus.” The latter was a slightly less attractive version of himself. “Have a seat, and tell me what I can do for you, vigil.”

  I meandered over to the nearest chair and plopped into the seat. “I’m sure you’re aware that Martha O’Neil was murdered last year.”

  Annoyance crossed his face. “I’d heard rumors, but nothing definitive until this moment.”

  Clearly, he was all broken up about it. “Well, since the area is currently without a vigil, I’ve taken it upon myself to tour the territory and make sure everything is as it should be… With that being said, is there anything around here I should be aware of?”

  Lewis frowned as he shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

  John leaned over and whispered something in his ear.

  The man’s eyes lit up, and he grinned. “My brother has reminded me that there’ve been some strange reports coming out of Highland Meadow.” He turned to Cole. “The abandoned bridge by the old Route 66…you’re familiar with the place, aren’t you?”

  Cole nodded. “Yeah.”

  Lewis continued. “Great, then you can do what your people are best at and guide your betters, or in this case, somewhat better to where he needs to go.” His gaze landed on me. “That way you can get the hell out of my town as soon as possible.”

  The arrogance was strong with this one. Biting back a nasty retort, I managed to keep my tone civil. “Care to be more specific about what’s happening?”

  Shrugging, he said, “If I could, I would. Perhaps you’ll find out when you get there.” He put his elbows on the desk, and his expression hardened. “After that, I’d appreciate it if you kept moving. Maybe the res could use your help, but the rest of us are fine.”

  Craning my neck from side to side, I sighed. “I suppose this is your polite way of telling me to get out of town before sunset. That’s a bit of an old west cliché, isn’t it?”

  He wagged a finger at me. “Boy, if I wanted you gone, I’d throw you out. What I’ve offered you is a bit of friendly advice.”

  When I clenched my hand into a fist, several of my knuckles popped. “I’m not big on being told what to do…especially by the likes of you.” The moment his brothers started to move, I was on my feet. It was all I could do to contain the Grim as he begged to be let loose. “You two really don’t want to try my patience today.”

  Lewis held up a hand, and they both stopped. “Easy now. This is a friendly conversation, and I’m sure Gavin here will see reason.” He pointed at the door. “Look into the situation at the bridge, and then go. If you don’t…” He waved a hand at his brothers. “I’ll let them have their way with you.”

  I laughed. “That’ll be a lot less fun for them than you might think.”

  He snorted. “You really should get going. You’re not the only one running low on patience.” Lewis held up a finger. “And one more thing.”

  Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I blew out a long breath. “Yes?”

  Lewis got to his feet, and while he was tall, he was still a few inches shorter than me. “Don’t come back unless you’re invited.”

  The doors opened, and six armed men stepped into the room.

  I glanced at them then Lewis. “I’m beginning to get the feeling you don’t like me very much.” He started to answer, and I held up my hand. “That’s okay. The feeling is mutual. But you should know something.”

  He chuckled. “And what’s that?”

  My tone hardened. “If I come back to this place, invitation or not, you won’t like the way it turns out.”

  The guards fell in beside us and escorted us to the drive.

  Steve stood next to Cole’s truck with a smug look on his face. “You’d do well to remember that your kind isn’t welcome here.” His gaze drifted over to me, and he spat on the ground. “That goes double for you, half-breed. I don’t care who you are. If you show up here again, I’ll bleed you out slowly and leave you in the desert for the coyotes.”

  I smiled. “Pleasure to meet you as well…Steve.”

  He flipped me the bird. “Go on, get, before I change my mind about letting you leave.”

  Cole slipped into the cab of the truck, and I made my way around to the other side to do the same. The gate swung open, and we idled out onto the road. My anger dissipated as we got further away from the Grants. What a bunch of assholes.

  Cole cleared his throat. “You all right?”

  I nodded. “Better with every mile we put between us and those arrogant, racist pricks.”

  He laughed. “That sums them up nicely.”

  Turning to him, I put my shoulder against the door. “Who was the woman they were taking into the house when we got there?”

  Cole frowned. “That was Jessica… She’s supposedly Lewis’s daughter.”

  I cocked an eyebrow. “What’s that mean?”

  He shrugged. “Well…Lewis sort of showed up with her as an infant in late November of 1970.”

  Cocking my head to the side, I blinked. “That’s an awfully specific thing to remember…month and year.”

  He chuckled. “I guess it is, but for me it marked the end of several months of peace. Lewis and his brothers had been out of town, and it was the first time for as far back as I could remember that any of us could breathe easy. That all ended when they showed up with Jessica. Everyone around here has speculated that she’s some sort of love child, but the mother’s never shown up, and as you c
an tell, they aren’t exactly the talkative type.”

  Weird, but not unheard of. “Not to mention protective as hell. I thought the guy was going to have a stroke when she stepped toward us.”

  He took his hand off the wheel and patted me on the shoulder. “We should be so lucky. That guy is a massive prick. Same with his buddy Steve.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I got that feeling.” Gesturing out toward the road, I asked, “Where are we headed?”

  He sighed. “Highland Meadows. It was the next stop on our list anyway.” Glancing over at me, he said, “I’ve heard of a few people from town going missing in the area and wanted to check it out.”

  I yawned. “Sounds like we’re in for a long day.”

  Cole bobbed his head in agreement. “Probably, but we’ll try to rest after we make camp.” He gestured at me. “You’re welcome to catch a few winks while I drive.”

  Highland Meadows was a speck of a town fifty miles outside Grants. I leaned against the truck to take him up on his offer, and fell asleep almost instantly.

  Chapter 6

  The sound of the truck door clicking closed woke me. I wiped my eyes and squinted in the bright light of the mid-morning sun. The landscape reminded me how different the world could be. All deserts were barren wastelands, but this one had more greenery than most, giving the area a unique beauty and a sense of agelessness.

  I stepped out of the cab and stretched before making my way around back to find Cole. He was busy cranking the hitch for the trailer, so we could set up our basecamp.

  Gesturing at the ravine behind us, I yawned. “Is this the spot everyone is so hyped about?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, this used to be part of Route 66, but they cut this section thirty or forty years ago.”

  The rickety bridge spanning the crevasse was barely holding itself together. There were numerous planks missing, dry rot had long since set in, and the entire thing was in danger of collapsing at any moment.

  I wiped the sleep from my eyes. “So, we’re making camp here?”

  Cole shrugged. “I can’t think of a better place. Being here will give us an opportunity to scout the area, and with the townsfolk too spooked to come out this way, we’ll have the place to ourselves…hopefully. But for now, I thought we’d get a few hours’ rest and see what pops up after the sun sets.”

  I frowned. “That’s the extent of your plan?”

  He grinned. “Yep.”

  Honestly, I couldn’t come up with anything better, but sitting out in the open waiting for something to show itself wasn’t my idea of fun.

  Resigning myself to the situation, I rolled my shoulders. “All right. How can I help?”

  He pointed at the end of the trailer. “Make your way down there and drop the stabilizers.”

  It took another thirty minutes to set up the solar array atop the Airstream, and with it active, the lights flickered to life.

  Inside, Cole pointed at a door at the opposite end. “You’ll be in the guest room, which is back there.” Thumbing at the door behind him, he said, “I’ll be up here. The kitchen is fairly well stocked with the basics, but we’ll probably need to find a local grocery later to pick up a few items.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I’m going to get some sleep, and I’d suggest you do the same.”

  Stifling a yawn, I nodded. “A little more sleep sounds really good right about now.”

  He turned on the spot and disappeared into his sanctuary. I was obviously more tired than I’d thought since it took me several seconds of standing there alone to realize that the conversation was over.

  I made my way down the length of the trailer, pushed the door open, and locked it behind me to make sure I wasn’t disturbed. What I found was nearly enough to shock me awake. Nearly, but not quite. There was a queen bed in a surprisingly spacious room, along with the rest of my gear. After taking off my boots, I moved the comforter onto the floor and placed my rucksack at the far end before curling between the wall and the box springs. I needed to get some decent rest, and, even now, this was the best way for me to do that.

  It wasn’t long after that I drifted off to sleep. The gentle swaying of the trailer and the sound of sand beating against the metal skin of the Airstream woke me. My watch read 4:35. I rolled over and got to my feet, my body doing its version of the snap, crackle, and pop song. I grabbed a clean set of clothes and stepped into the hall to find the head. Thirty minutes later, I was clean, dressed, and in the kitchen, quietly searching the cabinets for a glass. Which was more of a chore than you’d think because most of the dried goods were actually bags and bags of habaneros.

  I was starting to think Cole was a little obsessed with the things.

  There was a brilliant flash of lightning in the distance, quickly followed by a low rumble of thunder that caused the trailer to vibrate. I shivered at the thought of being caught in a major sandstorm in this thing. Maybe they weren’t terrible here, but in some spots of the world there were serious consequences when one of them rolled in…such as having your skin sandblasted off your body.

  Over the following two hours, the storm moved in, and the sand pelting the trailer was replaced by a steady rain. Cole stumbled out of his room a half hour later and silently made his way to the bathroom.

  I pulled some eggs and bacon out of the fridge to whip up a late breakfast. It was his good fortune that Cole meandered out of the bath just as I was finishing.

  He pointed at the table. “That for me?”

  I inclined my head. “It is.”

  A big smile crossed his face. “You, sir, are a godsend.”

  Snickering, I shook my head. “You might want to wait to taste it before you pass judgment.”

  Ignoring me, he opened a cabinet, grabbed a bottle of tabasco, and doused everything on his plate. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, and even if it’s not, there’s always more hot sauce.”

  Horrified, I stammered, “Ah…wow…Christ, I already put a few ghost peppers in there to spice things up. What are you, half dragon?”

  He crumbled a few more of the dried peppers over the dish and chuckled. “Nah, nothing as fanciful as that. Not in my opinion, anyway.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Hey, don’t stop there. Now you’ve got to explain yourself.”

  Wiping his mouth, he snorted. “I don’t fall into the standard categories within the Archive… My father is Haashch’eezhini, and my mother is Na’ashjéii Asdzáá, or at least that’s what I’m told by the tribal elders.”

  Even with my limited knowledge of the Navajo, I’d heard those names. They were powerful deities in their pantheon…and here I was, possibly talking to their son. “I’m sorry? Did they just drop you off at the elders’ doorstep or what?”

  He wobbled his hand back and forth. “Not exactly. An ancient advisor to the tribal elders, Łééchąą'í, carried me out of the desert and presented me to them. According to him, I was birthed by the earth and given form by the universe.” His voice turned hard. “Which is way nicer than saying that my parents abandoned me at birth…”

  I jumped when a heavy thud of something striking metal sounded outside, and a shiver ran up my spine as the wind howled. I glanced over at Cole, who still had his mouth open.

  He closed it and got to his feet. “Guess it’s time to get to work.”

  I leaned over, grabbed the gladius off the counter, and clipped it onto my belt. “Let’s go then.”

  When I stepped out of the trailer, it was already dark, and the rain had changed to snow. I scanned the darkness. The only thing out of place was the raised hood on the truck. Between the snow, haze, and general lack of light, it was impossible to tell if anyone was standing there. That put a little extra oomph in my step as I made my way over to the vehicle. After checking the immediate area to ensure I was alone, I inspected the engine. While I wasn’t a mechanic, I knew enough to see that someone had removed the distributor cap and done a number on the spark plug wires.

  This wasn’t exactly the work of the supernatural, bu
t it was sure as hell inconvenient.

  Dozens of footprints in the damp earth were starting to freeze, and a faint trace of decay hung in the air. Cole strolled up next to me, wearing a thick brown leather duster and matching gambler cowboy hat. He frowned, and his eyes turned scarlet as he scanned the horizon. The sound of shuffling feet came from the nearby ravine, and the Grim tugged at my consciousness.

  Cole pointed toward the bridge. “There’s a lot of movement out that way.” He gave me a once-over then thumbed back at the trailer. “Want to grab a jacket before we find out who’s come calling?”

  I shook my head. “Nah, I’ll be fine.”

  He gestured at a nearby crevasse. “Give me a minute to get on the other side of the bridge then push whoever’s there toward me.”

  I gave him plenty of time to get into position before making my way down into the gully. Unfortunately, I was less than stealthy about it as the thin layer of ice cracked beneath my feet with every step. By the time I reached the bottom of the ravine, the lingering scent from earlier had become an overwhelming wall of death.

  A half second later, the ground crunched behind me. I spun on the spot, and recoiled as three bloated corpses sped my way. The very sight of these things made my skin crawl, and I did my best to put distance between us. But all I managed to do was clumsily stumble backward as I pulled the gladius from its sheath. My eyes adjusted to the evening gloom, painting everything in shades of crimson. Well, not everything. The undead appeared as black silhouettes highlighted with gray mist.

  Finding my footing, I lifted the sword and brought it down quickly, nearly cleaving the first one in two. The moment the blade pierced the creature’s flesh, a putrid odor made me gag. I kicked it in the chest, causing the motionless thing to fall back and hit the ground with a dull thud. Swinging the blade to my right, I caught the next one in the head, slicing through its skull at eye level. A cold, viscous fluid ran down the hilt onto my hand, and bile caught in my throat. The third hit me hard in the gut with its shoulder, lifted, and drove me into the rocky wall. As I was already about to lose the contents of my stomach, it was all I could do to keep from vomiting on the thing’s back.