by Justin Sloan
CONTENTS
Dedication
Legal
Series List
Social Links
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Author Notes - Justin Sloan
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
DEDICATION
From Justin
To Ugulay, Verona and Brendan Sloan
From Michael
To Family, Friends and
Those Who Love
To Read.
May We All Enjoy Grace
To Live The Life We Are
Called.
Justice Is Calling
Reclaiming Honor Team
Beta Editor / Readers
Dorene Johnson (US Navy (Ret) & DD)
Diane Velasquez (Chinchilla lady & DD)
JIT Beta Readers
Micky Cocker
Maria Stanley
Kimberly Boyer
John Findlay
Ginger Sparkman
Sherry Foster
Alex Wilson
If I missed anyone, please let me know!
Editors
Stephen Russell
Thank you to the following Special Consultants
for JUSTICE IS CALLING
Jeff Morris - US Army - Asst Professor Cyber-Warfare, Nuclear Munitions (Active)
W.W.D.E
Judgement Has Fallen (this book) is a work of fiction.
All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.
The Kurtherian Gambit (and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds)
are Copyright (c) 2017 by Michael T. Anderle
Complete Book is Copyright (c) 2017 by Justin Sloan and Michael T. Anderle
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Michael T. Anderle.
Version 1.0
Stories By Justin Sloan
CURSED NIGHT
Hounds of God
FALLS OF REDEMPTION (Trilogy)
Land of Gods
Retribution Calls
Tears of Devotion
RECLAIMING HONOR (A Kurtherian Gambit Series)
Justice is Calling (Audiobook available)
Claimed By Honor (Audiobook coming soon)
Judgment has Fallen (Audiobook coming)
Angel of Reckoning (April 2017)
MODERN NECROMANCY (Trilogy)
Death Marked
Death Bound
Death Crowned
ALLIE STROM (Trilogy)
Allie Strom and the Ring of Solomon
Allie Strom and the Sword of the Spirit
Allie Strom and the Tenth Worthy
Michael Anderle
Kurtherian Gambit Series Titles Include:
First Arc
Death Becomes Her (01) - Queen Bitch (02) - Love Lost (03) - Bite This (04)
Never Forsaken (05) - Under My Heel (06) Kneel Or Die (07)
Second Arc
We Will Build (08) - It’s Hell To Choose (09) - Release The Dogs of War (10)
Sued For Peace (11) - We Have Contact (12) - My Ride is a Bitch (13)
Don’t Cross This Line (14)
Third Arc (Due 2017)
Never Submit (15) - Never Surrender (16) - Forever Defend (17)
Might Makes Right (18) - Ahead Full (19) - Capture Death (20)
Life Goes On (21)
**New Series**
The Second Dark Ages
The Dark Messiah (01)
(Michael’s Return)
The Boris Chronicles
* With Paul C. Middleton *
Evacuation
Retaliation
Revelation
Restitution 2017
Reclaiming Honor
* With JUSTIN SLOAN *
Justice Is Calling (01)
Claimed By Honor (02)
Judgement Has Fallen (03)
The Etheric Academy
* With TS PAUL *
ALPHA CLASS (01)
ALPHA CLASS (02) Mar 2017
ALPHA CLASS (03) May 2017
Terry Henry “TH” Walton Chronicles
* With CRAIG MARTELLE *
Nomad Found (01)
Nomad Redeemed (02)
Nomad Unleashed (03)
Nomad Supreme Late Feb 2017
SHORT STORIES
Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 01 (7.5)
You Don’t Mess with John’s Cousin
Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 02 (9.5)
Bitch’s Night Out
Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 02 (13.25)
With Natalie Grey
Bellatrix
AudioBooks
Available at Audible.com and iTunes
The Kurtherian Gambit
Death Becomes Her - Available Now
Queen Bitch – Coming Soon
Love Lost – Coming Soon
Reclaiming Honor Series
Justice Is Calling – Available Now
Claimed By Honor – Coming Soon
Judgement Has Fallen - Coming Soon
Anthologies
Glimpse
Honor in Death
(Michael’s First Few Days)
Beyond the Stars: At Galaxy's Edge
Tabitha’s Vacation
Justin Sloan Social
For a chance to see ALL of Justin’s different Book Series
Check out his website below!
Website: http://JustinSloanAuthor.com
Email List: http://JustinSloanAuthor.com/Newsletter
Facebook Here: https://www.facebook.com/JustinSloanAuthor
Michael Anderle Social
Website: http://kurtherianbooks.com/
Email List: http://kurtherianbooks.com/email-list/
Facebook Here: https://www.facebook.com/TheKurtherianGambitBooks/
CHAPTER ONE
Restaurant in Old Manhattan
Valerie breathed deep to take in the scent of lilacs and spring drifting over from the indoor waterfall. Surely, such a place as this had never really existed in the outside world. Too much of the world was barren, too much of her life full of darkness and misery.
Sitting here, feeling the high life some had at their fingertips while others struggled to avoid starvation or to get a roof over their heads, she was reminded why she had to change all that.
Why she had taken a stand to see that justice had its day.
A small part of her mind reached into distant memories, a youth long gone, when a scent like this meant a visit to a cottage in a mountain. Memories of long days spent swimming in a lake and evenings wearing a flowing, flowery dress spinning as she danced with her mother.
But those days were barely memories at all. She would reach for them in the dark hours of the night, hoping beyond hope. When she would wake up, she remembered the futility of trying to grasp a complete picture of what life had been like before
she had become a vampire.
So she blinked the thoughts away, focusing instead on the meal before her, and this beautiful setting.
The restaurant had been set up to please the CEOs when they were in town, before Valerie had scared them off and then executed their attack dog, Commander Strake. Looking around to her left, she could certainly understand why they loved it here—the walls were set up to look like slick rocks interspersed with tropical flowers, while the ceiling was painted orange and purple to feel like a sunset.
"You haven't touched your food," Jackson mentioned as he pointed to her plate with his fork. He sat across from her with a half-eaten grilled lamb on his plate and a glass of amber ale in his other hand, watching as she took in the scene.
She smiled. "I'll taste it, but…" She glanced around at several other couples eating, noticing more than one set of eyes darting her way as she leaned toward him just a bit. "Is all this extravagance necessary?"
"Is this what you wanted?" he asked. "Has it, what, fed the flames, as you put it?"
She nodded, but her mind was on the nearest couple, the ones between her and the door. As an old woman glanced over and smiled, a sensation swept over Valerie--one that burned of hatred, even nearly made her shake, she felt it so strongly. And one word, murderer.
Jackson noticed the change in her expression, so she put on a mask of ease and cut into her steak. When she lifted the tender, overly red meat to her mouth and bit into it, she moaned. He was right, it was delicious. Almost enough to make her forget her problems.
Almost.
The thought of a hungry child pulled at her gut, telling her that what they had achieved so far simply wasn’t enough. Too many people in this city were struggling to survive, and she could no longer stomach the situation.
It was time to make a change.
In the week since defeating Strake, all she could think about was how they could rebuild the city. How to get food to those in need, and roofs over the heads for the people. They needed medical supplies and so much more just to keep them alive.
And of course, they needed security in case the CEOs made a return.
So far, at least, there had been peace here in the city.
Speaking with the former Enforcers that were held in cells back at HQ, she gathered that most of the military work had been conducted by Commander Strake, though it was financed by the CEOs. That meant that, while they would be able to build up a force again, it would take them time.
So, Valerie had a little time to relax for the moment, but she wanted to build up the city as much as possible, and that included knowing where the city stood. Who were the elites of the city, and what allowed them to continue their existence as such? Had they been part of the CEOs' network? Were they still part of that network?
Jackson was watching her face devolve back to a worried expression, but she gave him her best attempt at a smile and took a sip of the beer. Compared to blood, a taste she'd grown to savor, it was like muddy water.
A sudden dizziness came over her, followed by what could only be described as a tingling that ran up her body as emotions swept over her and words and thoughts that she couldn’t quite place were coming from her surroundings.
She shook her head and looked around the room, realizing that the thoughts were somehow coming from the other people there, though trying to understand them was like walking through a dense fog.
Jackson looked around, before turning back to her, “Something’s bothering you?” he asked, and she wanted to say yeah, no shit, but instead she clutched his hand and grimaced, blocking out the strange sensation before letting go.
“Let’s get out of here.” She whispered, then stood and was glad to hear him stand up and follow her.. She could feel the eyes of many on her as they left, she was heading towards the elevator in the hallway.
Again the sensation hit her, like she could feel annoyance coming from one place, hatred from another, confusion from the majority. Was this what Akio meant by reading minds, or would it become clearer as she became accustomed to it?
“You don’t look well,” Jackson murmured close to her ear.
Her head was spinning. Why couldn’t they just get out of there? What was taking so long?
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed the button at the elevator.
When the doors dinged open, she nearly collapsed. Luckily, he had her. His muscles tensed as he pulled her close.
“What exactly is going on?” He asked, but then he released her, stepping back, face pale in shock. Shrieks sounded from inside the restaurant, and Valerie felt her energy returning, her mind clearing. The doors closed and they stood there, Jackson looking at her with terror and confusion.
She was doing it again, she realized. Breathing out, she focused on releasing any negativity stored in her mind, and was relieved to see Jackson’s color return.
He stood, wobbly on his feet, and pressed “L” on the elevator panel, to head down to the lobby.
“Well, damn.” He shook his head again, glanced her way, and then looked down at his pants. “At least I didn’t piss myself, or worse,” he said as he pretended to wipe down his legs.
She laughed and covered her mouth. “I’m—I’m sorry. That’s only happened once before, when I was fighting Strake.”
“Pissing yourself, or that crazy fear thing that I can only assume was you?”
“Real funny. The fear.”
“Judging by the shrieks we heard, I’m guessing this is some sort of fright power you can push out to those around you?”
With a shrug she said, looking around the elevator, “Your bet’s as good as mine.”
But it wasn’t, not really. She knew that. As close as they’d become over the last week, going on dates and seeing the city, both the high life of it and the low, she hadn’t told him about Michael, or about how the ancient vampire’s blood had apparently given her extra energy.
And given her more than that, she thought with a glance down at her cleavage.
Before meeting Michael, she was pretty damn sure those things were only half the size—nothing to scoff at, but nothing so eye-grabbing either. Part of her wasn’t sure she liked it, but the part that enjoyed Jackson’s lustful accidental glances in that direction was pleased.
As for the ability to scare others, she had only ever seen that from Akio. Now she wondered where she ranked with these others. What powers did she have, exactly? A vampire that could walk in the sun, cause fear to strike at the people in the vicinity and, apparently, sense their emotions or … thoughts perhaps?
That last one was still throwing her for a loop, so she decided to ignore it for now, or at least try.
“You know I’d never hurt you, right?” She took him by the hand and pulled him close, putting her body up against his. The thought of what he’d said hit her, and she too was glad that the fear hadn’t caused him to piss his pants, considering the fact that she was so tightly pressed against them at the moment.
“Then how do you explain my sore back?” he asked with a wink. “I’m pretty sure that was you.”
“I’m pretty sure that was you being stupid.” She pinched his butt and smiled at the way he lurched forward and snuggled up even closer to her.
The elevator door dinged open and they heard someone clearing their throat. They turned to see an old lady and two teens waiting.
“Excuse us,” Valerie said, separating herself from Jackson before squeezing past them.
One of the teens didn’t move, so that her breast brushed against his arm. The little shit did it on purpose, she thought as she turned, considering whether she should teach him a lesson. Jackson had noticed, however, and shook his head.
“The city has bigger problems than a horny teen,” he winked, bringing her sense of humor back as the door shut behind them.
“But that doesn’t mean I won’t knock him on his ass if I see him again. And don’t try to stop me,” she glared at Jackson.
“Me?” He scoffed. “I wo
uldn’t dream of it.”
He took her hand and moved to lead her away from Enforcer HQ, the towering building with the blue stripe up its side.
“Date’s not over,” he said. “Just because you got all emotional or something.”
“Watch it.” She pulled him back, noticing someone watching behind a dumpster at the next street down. When they darted away, she was certain. “One of yours?”
He looked to see what she had noticed, but frowned to see nobody there.