Faith of a Monster Killer: Killing Forever Book 3

by David J. Phifer

  “Okay. I got it. Don’t touch your stuff,” he said, throwing his hands up to surrender. “Comprendo, kemosabe. Was that all you needed? To warn me about something you’re pretty sure I’m gonna do anyway?”

  Still on one knee, I opened the safe. “I don’t want Maya hurting herself while I’m gone.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “She’s a young girl. Why do they do anything they do?”

  “Good point.”

  “August.” He froze and gave a stupid look. I glared at him. “Remember: don’t touch my shit.”

  He scoffed and took off with Maya out the back door. The screen door slammed shut. In less than a minute, several gunshots went off in the field behind the house.

  They were target practicing.

  I opened the safe and pulled out a case of several crystals and gems, most made into necklaces as amulets. These have saved my hide more than once. Not knowing what situation I was going into, I didn’t know what I would need. But these gems brought forth certain energies I could call upon if needed. Whether I was fighting witches or demons, these objects would come in handy.

  I grabbed the magenta gem on a leather necklace. This would amplify any protection spells I created. I took out the necklace with the green crystal. This one would give clarity to knowing the most effective and efficient spell or action to use at the right time. I also grabbed a purple necklace. It enhanced my awareness of possible outcomes.

  There was no sense in taking unnecessary risks. Always have backups.

  I put on all three necklaces and tucked them under my vest. Some magical gems I wear quite a bit. But most are only for special occasions that they’re well-suited for. A lot of monsters are like bloodhounds. They sniff out magic like a dog in heat. It’s usually best to fly under the radar and hide your stench.

  I closed the safe and locked it. Marching out to the truck, I glanced at the text Wilcox sent me with the address.

  I was going to save Zac and find Karen.

  As if my life depended on it.

  Chapter 6

  Stowaways

  After plugging the address Wilcox gave me into my phone GPS, I drove for almost forty five-minutes on barren roads before reaching a dirt road surrounded by empty fields. But it wasn’t on any map. Even satellite maps. On the side of the road was a trail leading into a wooded area.

  I followed the two-track through the woods. When I hit the open fields, my engine died. As I rolled to a stop on the trail, something heavy rattled in the back of the Chevy. I got out and withdrew my Beretta.

  Before I opened the back door, a woman’s voice whispered, “Shhh. Quiet.”

  A male voice said, “I’m silent as a ninja. YOU be quiet.”

  Goddammit.

  I flung open the back door.

  It would seem I had stowaways. Augie and Maya lay face down under a blanket. I knew it was them because they’re morons.

  They stopped squirming and tried to be as still as statues.

  I sighed. “I can see you, idiots.”

  Augie threw off the blanket and pointed at Maya. “It was her idea.”

  I groaned. “I told you to stay at the house—”

  “You need us,” Maya said.

  I sighed. “I’m pretty sure I don’t.”

  “Did the truck stall?” she asked. “I felt the engine sputter. Maybe I can help fix it.”

  “Grab the tools behind the front seat,” I said. “Since you’re here, you might as well make yourself useful.”

  She jumped out and grabbed the red toolbox from the front.

  Augie got out and stretched. “I have to pee.”

  I pointed to the field. “We’re in mother nature now,” I said. “Pick a tree.”

  I raised the hood and took a look at the engine. Augie meandered off the trail, looking for a spot to piss.

  “Don’t go too far,” I said.

  “Don’t worry. I know you get scared without me,” he said. “But you’re a big boy now, you’ll be—”

  There was a long pause. He never finished his sentence.

  “I’ll be what?” I asked, checking out the spark plugs. “August?” I glanced behind me.

  He was gone.

  Maya covered her eyes from the rising sun. “Where’d he go? Did a beastie take him?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” I pulled out the Beretta and followed the same path he took.

  Maya raced past me. “I’ll find him first.”

  I reached out for her but missed. “Maya, no—”

  Before I could stop her, she ran ahead of me.

  And vanished.

  I walked further ahead and they were both back on the trail. Like nothing ever happened.

  August was pissing in the bushes.

  He glanced back my way. “Are you guys pervs? You need to see what a real man’s junk looks like?”

  Maya glanced at me, a confused look on her face. She turned back to Augie. “But… you disappeared.”

  He chuckled. “I’m shaking my willy in the woods. I didn’t disappear, I’m right here.”

  I looked back at the truck.

  It was gone.

  Maya ran her fingers through her hair. “What happened to the truck?” She ran back up the trail and vanished.

  Augie buckled his pants and stepped back on the trail “Whoa.” He turned to me. “What just happened?”

  A second later, Maya manifested back into existence, appearing in front of us, mid-sentence. “-don’t understand how the truck just appeared like that.”

  Augie shook his head. “The truck didn’t disappear, you did.”

  Maya scrunched her face. “What are you talking about?”

  Augie ran up the trail. He disappeared into thin air.

  Maya took a step back. “What happened to him?”

  He came back through the invisible barrier. “-raaazy.”

  I grabbed his shoulder “August, freeze,” I said. “Don’t move. Neither of you.”

  “This is crazy shit,” he said.

  “Whatever it is,” I said, “it affects both light and sound.” I stuck my hand through the spot where Augie appeared. My arm vanished.

  Maya’s eyes got huge. “What the holy Hell, man?”

  “It’s a thin spot in the veil between worlds,” I said, feeling the looseness in the wind. “The air has a different texture. It’s subtle, but it’s there.”

  “Like the missing 411 cases?” Augie asked. “Where people disappear for days and search parties never find them, even though they’ve scouted the area twice?”

  I pulled my hand back into existence. “Most 411 cases are when the victim walks into a sideways dimension,” I said. “A pocket universe. It’s almost always by accident, but most never find their way home.”

  August asked, “Are you saying we’re in a different dimension right now?”

  I slid the Beretta into my holster under my jacket. “Exactly.”

  Maya shuffled up to the barrier. “How does no one know about this? If there’s some kind of portal here, everyone would know. Wouldn’t they?”

  I looked up at the rising sun. It was almost completely up. “Not necessarily,” I said.

  A warm breeze blew over us. I felt something snap inside me. Something that wasn’t supposed to snap. It left me with a hollow feeling that left as quickly as it came, riding on the tides of the wind.

  “Well, I’m naked without a weapon,” Augie said. “If we’re going dimension-hopping, I need to grab a Glock or blade from the truck.” He walked past me. But didn’t vanish. “What’s the deal?” he asked. “Why don’t I see the truck?”

  “The sun is up,” I said. “The dimensional shift must only work in twilight. That’s why it’s gone undiscovered. That’s why people can’t find their way out.”

  Maya’s voice quivered. “Are we stuck here?”

  “The veil could open again at dusk,” I said, feeling the thick air. The veil was gone. “Or not until morning. It depend
s on the nature of the veil.”

  Augie threw up his hands. “Wonderful. We’re trapped here. It’s probably a fucked-up world where handsome men like myself are killed on sight for being too good-looking.”

  Maya rubbed her temples. “Are we on a different planet?”

  I looked down the trail. “Same planet. Different dimension. The frequency is different from our world.” I pointed to the spot where the two-track was. “The two-track is gone. It’s now a dirt road.”

  Maya walked back to where the truck was supposed to be. “Are we still in Chicago or not?”

  “In this world, there may not even be a Chicago,” I said. “All we can do is head down the road and see where it leads. Eventually, we’ll probably find this Cult of the Evolving Lord. Zac is there somewhere.”

  I unstrapped the sheath from my back with the demon blade and tossed it to Augie. I still had the Beretta in my holster and butterfly knife in my pocket.

  “Hell, yeah, dude,” Augie said, taking the blade.

  I turned to Maya. “You’ve been practicing with the prop knife for a reason,” I said, handing Maya the butterfly knife. “You’ll be just as good with the real thing. Don’t slice off any digits.”

  Maya took the knife and it danced in her hands as she opened it. “Hells bells. I’m a badass.”

  “If anyone asks, we’re a family. I’m your dad, Steve. And you’re brother and sister, got it?”

  Augie scoffed. “Brother and sister? Because it worked out so well last time?”

  Maya shoved him. “Shut it, dickwad.”

  I had two bickering children on a mission where two seasoned monster hunters disappeared. What could possibly go wrong?

  “Come on, family,” I said, checking my ammo in the Beretta. “Let’s join a cult.”

  Chapter 7

  Steve, Adam, and Eve

  We walked a mile down the dirt road before we saw any sign of civilization. And I wouldn’t call it civilization. More like old war bunkers built in the sides of the hills. This land was definitely not in the Chicago we knew. It looked like it was prepped for war.

  It wasn’t a normal town as there were no real houses. Several people hung outfits on clotheslines. Some people were splitting wood. It would seem we stepped one hundred years into the past.

  “Remember, we’re a family,” I said. “Our last name is Robertson.”

  Augie sneered. “Robertson? That’s lame. Can’t we have a cool last name? Like Xavier? Or Black?”

  I scowled. “It’s Robertson, goddammit. It’s nondescript. Basic. We don’t want to stand out, that’s the whole point.”

  Alongside a grassy knoll was a cement garage. It was a bunker built into the hill. The door opened and out came a man who instantly gave me the creepy vibe. He looked like the little guy in school who got picked on at lunch.

  Greeting us, he adjusted his round silver glasses. “Hello, friends,” he said. I knew that was trouble right there.

  When strangers call me their friend, I want to punch them in the face.

  With my Chevy.

  But ignoring my first impulse, I acted polite. “Hello, sir,” I said. “Our truck stalled about a mile back. I was hoping there would be a town around here—”

  “I don’t know if it’s much of a town,” he said. “There’s no 7-Eleven or McDonald’s, but we’re here.”

  I reached for a handshake. “My name is Steve Robertson,” I said. We shook hands. I nodded to Augie. “This is my son, Adam.” I gestured to Maya. “And this is—”

  “Eve,” she said, shaking his hand. Leave it to Maya to come up with a contrived codename. Clueless.

  Augie pulled her close to him. “She’s my girlfriend.”

  He just wanted to get close to her. He was probably hoping they might share a tent or room here, giving him a reason to sleep with her.

  My illegitimate children were making this incredibly difficult. If this excursion didn’t kill them, I would.

  Maya pushed him away. “You’re disgusting, bro.”

  The man chuckled. “You are definitely siblings, I can tell.” He turned to me. “Adam and Eve? You have a flair for the dramatic, Steve.”

  I grinned. “It was their mother’s idea. She thought God would bless them if their names were the original biblical icons.”

  The man smiled. It was an unnerving smile. The corners of his mouth curled upwards. “If I recall, that story didn’t end well and cursed the whole world.”

  “Try telling that to my ex,” I said, shaking my head.

  “My name’s Buddy,” he said. “Buddy Redmann.” That was another bad sign. Buddy was usually a nickname. Someone who wanted you to feel like you were friends before you got to know each other. Psychological warfare in a way. It did not sit well with me. The guy had slime all over him.

  I glanced at the cement hatches and bunkers within the hills. “What is this place?”

  “This is our slice of Heaven,” he said. “Separated from the rest of the world. We call it… the Island.”

  He pointed toward some mountainous areas in the distance. A forest with cliffs touching the horizon. Not something you’d expect for the Chicago area. There wasn’t a city, a building, or a smokestack in sight.

  “Are those war bunkers?” I asked.

  “Let me give you the tour,” he said. He took us down the road and pointed at the hillsides. “The bunkers were built during World War II,” he said. “You may not have noticed, but when you walked on to the Island, the world behind you disappeared. There is a veil between worlds separating this glorious place from Chicago. You, Mr. Robertson, are quite literally in a new world.”

  Augie chuckled.

  Redmann glanced at him. “Is something amusing, young man?”

  “That’s a little far-fetched, isn’t it?” Augie knew we were in a different dimension. He played his fake cynicism well. It was quite the talent to be an ass even when you’re faking it.

  “You’re merely a child,” Redmann said, peering at Augie over his round glasses. “I neither expect you to believe, nor understand, such complicated manners. You’re juvenile, even for one so young. I suppose your sarcasm suits you, but make no mistake, young man, this is indeed the new world. Or rather, an incredibly old one.”

  I pointed to one of the bunkers. “What is this place, Buddy?”

  “During World War II,” he said, “Americans built bunkers in the hillsides and mountains. At the time, Germany hadn’t yet attacked Pearl Harbor. It looked to the Allies like there was no escape from the German onslaught. This fantastical place, taken out of time, in the middle of Chicago, became an escape ground. The last place Americans would defend our country should the Germans invade America.”

  “There’s no evidence of our Chicago,” I said. “This is a parallel reality. Isn’t it?”

  “Very astute, Mr. Robertson. In this reality, America was planning on defending this place at all costs. The entire Island is populated with World War II paraphernalia. Tanks, jeeps, and cannons all protrude from the mountainsides.”

  “How did we get here?” I asked. “One minute, I was driving. The next, my truck stalled and we were here.”

  It’s not easy to act ignorant for the sake of acting like you don’t have a clue. It’s harder than it looks.

  Redmann cast a light smirk. I could tell he enjoyed teaching and explaining things. It probably made him feel superior.

  “The veil between worlds only thins in the morning twilight for fifteen minutes,” he said. “In the ’40s, it was unlikely anyone else would find this location, but if they did, the Americans were prepared to defend it. America’s last stand, if you will.”

  I stared at several rail guns coming out of a bunker in the mountainside in the distance. “It was quite an impressive undertaking,” I said.

  “You have no idea,” Redmann said. “We still trip over bunkers from time to time. It’s quite magical, don’t you think?”

  Maya shivered and rubbed her arms. “It reminds me of war and
death,” she said. “There’s nothing magical about it.”

  I gestured toward Maya. “Mr. Redmann, you have to understand my children are a little sheltered. I try to keep them away from society’s poisonous influences as much as possible.”

  Redmann smiled. “Are you a religious man?”

  “I used to be,” I said. “But as of late, sometimes I wonder if there is something bigger to believe in than the God I worship. He seems to get smaller every day.” I cast a wide smile. “Sometimes you just need something to believe in.”

  Cult leaders, of any kind, believe they have the answers. I wanted to give Redmann a sense that I was searching for change. Looking for answers that he thought he could provide. If he really did run a cult, he would know I was open for enlisting.

  He gave a slimy grin. “We do have worship services on the grounds,” he said. “The Church of our Evolving Lord. We believe that enlightenment, true advancement, is the result of evolution. Of our body, mind, and soul.”

  “That’s interesting,” I said. “I’d like to hear more about that.”

  “In time,” he said, walking down a path through the woods. “Let me take you inside and show you around.” He gestured toward Maya and Augie. “The children may come, if you see them fit.”

  They followed as I walked with Redmann. I didn’t see any ASL trucks anywhere on the premises. No signs that they were involved.

  “How long have you been here?” I asked.

  “Nearly twenty years for myself,” he said. “Less for others.” We approached a cement structure with stairs leading down into the ground. “You’ll find entrances to bunkers all over the area,” he said. “They connect to underground chambers and halls. Please be careful if you explore them. It’s easy to get lost.”

  “What’s down there?” I asked.

  “Tunnels and empty rooms mostly. Not too exciting, I’m afraid,” he said. We continued down a path toward a bridge stretching over a giant chasm. It was nothing more than boards and rope. It looked like I stepped into an Indiana Jones movie. The bridge could collapse at any time.

  Redmann turned to us, his hands interlocked like a wise sage. “Most of the living quarters are in the bunkers. Every room has bunk beds. We don’t cohabitate here with members of the opposite sex. Even siblings. I’ll point you to your rooms when we return.”