Hard Mettle
Page 23
“Why have you come?” Rox leaned forward and he got the full intensity of her face. He looked away and then nervously at myself and Izzy.
“If you don't mind, I'd feel more comfortable speaking to them.”
Rox grinned and leaned back again. She made a “be my guest” motion with her hand.
“What can we help you with, Mr...?” I let the sentence inflection ask the question.
“My name's Bennett. I—I can't find my wife.”
“You're married?” I tried not to show my amusement.
“Not a lot of that around here,” Izzy added.
Anita gave us the look. She was the only one I knew in this place that had pulled off being married.
“We didn't have a ceremony or nothing,” Bennett continued defensively, “but we've been happy together.”
“Until now,” I added.
“Hey, wait a minute...”
“I'm just trying to get the story straight.” I raised an eyebrow.
“I need you to find my wife.”
“I bet you do.”
Bennett eased his chair back and looked at Rox.
“I think I'd rather talk to you.”
“People often do.” Rox winked. “What does your 'wife' do?”
“Do?”
Rox didn't say anything.
“She takes care of our house. You know, she takes care of my needs.”
“Ah,” Rox said mildly. “Your needs.”
“I need you to find her and bring her home.”
Rox leaned forward and I saw the darkness rise. “Here's how this will work. We’ll find her and make sure she’s okay. Whether she comes back to you is up to her.”
“That's not why I came here!”
“Your choice.”
Bennett was silent, almost sulky, but his desire to find the woman won out.
“So tell me where you think she might be.”
You get the idea. I'll get around to writing it up. Turned out that her relationship to Bennett was akin to sexual slavery and she had gotten lost in the casinos in Antanaria. It's funny. I used to observe that people did much worse things to each other here than even the demons did to them and not much has changed. I guess that was also true when we were alive. The detective agency cases seem to drag us up against that fact a lot, but Rox really enjoys the work.
“So, did we really change anything?” I lay next to Rox. It was really the same question I had asked Saripha in the jazz bar. I guess I was taking a survey.
Rox laughed and squeezed my face, making my eyes bulge. Then she lay down on my chest.
“You'll never get an answer to that question. Not the one you want. You're an optimist who wants to heal the world. There's your hubris.”
“Optimism is hubris?”
“You gave people back self-determination. That's a great thing. But you can't then expect people to make all the right choices with that self-determination.”
“Dang.”
“Even you won't always make the right decision.”
“Sure I will. I'll just have to rationalize some of those decisions after the fact.”
“That's why you love me. I do bad things so you don't have to.”
“And some of those bad things I really enjoy.”
“You had a chance to attempt creating a better world and you chose this. Do you regret that choice?”
“No. The operative word there was “‘attempt.”’ I would have fucked it up.”
“Then live with what you chose and stop asking meaningless questions that people really can't answer.
“And if I do?”
“You'll probably have more time for wild sex.”
“Amen to that!”
Author’s Afterward.
You have just completed the final volume in this series of novels about Quentin Case and his friends living in a world they call Hell. I wanted a chance to say a few words of goodbye before I left. First of all, thank you for reading these books, I appreciate your taking a chance on, let’s face it, an obscure author. I certainly hope you were entertained for your effort.
While I plan to move on to other writing projects and leave this world behind, I have a great deal of affection for this story and the characters I created. What’s funny is, when the idea for the first novel came to me back in 2008, I actually resisted it for at least 6 months. I wanted to write a novel and was looking for ideas. The notion of a man who dies, finds himself in Hell and becomes angry because he didn’t think he should be there came into my head. At the time it was that simple. I thought to myself “No way! That’s not going to be my first great fantasy epic.” Seriously, I tried to tune it out. Little did I know that, subconsciously, little wheels were spinning in my brain. When I realized the idea wasn’t going to let go, suddenly all these ideas flooded my head that I had been secretly already working on. Now, all these years later, it is actually a little sad to leave these characters behind. I suspect one day I will find my way back to this world.
I’m not one to explain what I was thinking when I wrote this series. Writing is a collaborative process with your readers and the story becomes what the reader makes of it. I am, however, always happy to talk with readers about my stories, so please email me at any time. I would love to hear from you
Send me email at hookstories@gmail.com I won’t spam you but I may occasionally let you know about my other projects.
Again, thank you for coming along on the journey. It was fun for me and I genuinely hope it was for you as well.
--John Hook
Read how it all began in the first volume of the Quentin Case saga!
Hard Case
Available exclusively as a Kindle eBook:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0054DW2ZO
“The heat was off again. What a stupid little problem to end your life with.”
Quentin Case is a writer of pulp fiction and action heroes in New York City, but mostly his life involves getting to the next rent check. All that changes when he dies and finds himself transported to a world that seems to be Hell. Literally. However, something changed in Quentin when he crossed over. He is angry at being where he ended up and he plans to fight demon and devil alike to hang onto his small piece of humanity.
Hell seems deceptively—normal. Nonetheless, this is a world where human souls are the torture toys of demons and manipulated by psychotic magical beings. Many lost souls have withdrawn to being little more than tormented automatons. Somehow, Quentin has found a small group of souls living precariously off the grid. He has found companionship, even love.
There is pain, sudden violence and dark magic here. Quentin is determined to mount a revolution and take the fight to the devil himself if he has to. However, unless Quentin can learn this world's secrets, he and the small group of souls he has allied himself with will learn that there are worse things than dying.
A blend of horror, science fiction and high adventure, this is a gritty fantasy story with character, humor and twists and turns that will intrigue and astonish you.
The Rebellion Continues:
Hard Corps
Available Exclusively as a Kindle eBook:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AG2ESL4
Quentin Case is getting restless. That usually means trouble.
Trapped in a world of torture and magic that might be Hell or simply a hellish world, the "Citizens" of Rockvale have managed to carve out a sanctuary under the protection of a mysterious Manitor. Quentin is not satisfied with this momentary lull. He is still angry. Reluctantly, he has been trying to keep the peace while Kyo builds up Rockvale’s defensive force. However, when one of Rockvale's own goes missing, Quentin runs headlong into the unknown.
Exploring this world, making more enemies than friends, Quentin sets out to raise an army to go up against a giant Demon King, a new Manitor and his psychotic Shade, as well as the strange angel-like being that seems more powerful than all of them. What he will do when he faces them isn’t clear, but long range plann
ing has never been his long suit. He will need magic of his own. Quentin doesn’t trust magic. The trouble is, unless he can learn the true nature of his power, those closest to him --Rox, Saripha, Izzy, Kyo, and the new arrival Blaise-- are at terrible risk.
Quentin stumbles upon a tantalizing secret. In the midst of this world of both ordinariness and pain is a place where people are left alone, allowed by the powers that be to live unmolested. Quentin is skeptical, and rightly so, but that is where the path to the missing person leads. What Quentin discovers is so terrifying it will change the Citizens’ lives immeasurably.
This is a world where few choices are good ones. Maybe, in such a world, making the right choice is even more important.
A rousing blend of high adventure, science fiction and horror, this sequel to Hard Case will thrill and surprise you!
The war with the Angels!
Hard Corps
Available Exclusively as a Kindle eBook:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LIEMEI8
When the end came, it came swiftly, leaving nothing and no one on the scorched earth that had been Rockvale.
Quentin Case knew after their last battle in which he freed people trapped in the strange torture tower and Guido slew the rival Manitor, that there would be consequences. What he hadn’t known was how swift and absolute they would be. Rockvale is gone, Rox has been taken prisoner somewhere unknown and no one can figure out what has happened to Guido. With the Citizen uprising reduced to a wandering diaspora, Quentin’s only hope is to discover how to use the power he absorbed. Unfortunately, the magical beings in this world that might be Hell or just a hellish world aren’t going to give him time before pulling out all the stops.
Now, without the aid of their protective and powerful Manitor, Quentin, Saripha, Izzy and the rest face their greatest challenge in a race to stop a plan to create an even worse Hell than the one they are in. Luckily there are new allies in Quentin’s corner, including a dimension hopping cat and an ancient demon. However, none of it may be enough if Quentin can’t take full control of his powers.
A thrilling blend of Fantasy, Horror and High Adventure, Hard Reign will reveal startling new secrets while keeping your heart racing!
About the Author
John Hook is the pseudonym of John Warner who started out as a freelance magazine writer and editor in New York City in the 1970s and early 80s, right out of high school. He later picked up a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology. He spent the next years doing research and teaching as both an assistant professor and an adjunct professor. He now works as a policy and program analyst. Although everything he has done has involved a good deal of writing, he has only recently begun producing novels.
He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife, two dogs and a cat (Bandit, not Rooni).