The Ian Dex Supernatural Thriller Series: Books 1 - 4 (Las Vegas Paranormal Police Department Box Sets)

by John P. Logsdon

  “What is it?”

  “Eradication spell, from the looks of it.”

  “Oh, that’s sounds nice.”

  “It’s not.”

  “Obviously.” I chewed my lip wondering if I really wanted to know what an eradication spell did, aside from eradicate something, of course. I gave in to my curiosity. “What would it have done?”

  “Eradicate you.”

  I groaned. “I know that, Rachel, but how?”

  “Oh, it would’ve split you into dust like the nanites did to the zombies.”

  I gulped and looked around.

  There were a mass of worried faces, and they all belonged to Fred’s minions. Honestly, they looked horrified.

  I turned to Matilda and asked, “Do they know what they’ve done?”

  She nodded.

  “Did they have any control over it?”

  “No.”

  Good. That meant that most of these people were going to be let off without punishment. Matilda wouldn’t be one of them, of course. She’d already admitted that her wrongdoing was by choice. Chances were she’d get a couple of years in high-security and then would have to wear a magic-canceling anklet for a while.

  “Harvey?” said Portman as he approached. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  They went off into a conversation about things while Rachel and I explained the details of what had occurred to Griff, Chuck, Jasmine, and Felicia. Felicia was in full werewolf mode herself, which didn’t happen often. She always seemed self-conscious about it when it happened. I didn’t say a word.

  “Serena,” I called through the connector, “we’re all clear here. The necro is dead.”

  “And the zombies?”

  “Dead…again.”

  “Excellent. I’ll work with Portman’s folks and tell everyone that the show is over. We’ll take care of the logistics.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Anyone need healing?”

  “I think we’re good,” I replied. “We’ll be back soon.”

  Paula was in a daze when I approached her.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked.

  “Not great,” she replied, sounding like she was rather drunk. “That bastard kidnapped me, you know?”

  “I do, yes. But he’s dead now and you’ll be fine.”

  “Dead?” She gave me a glare. “You promised me an exclusive with him, Ian.”

  “Out of my hands, I’m afraid.”

  “Isn’t it always?”

  “Would you have rather I’d have let him kill you?” Her eyes shot open as she wobbled slightly in the chair. “That’s right, Paula, he was planning to make you a zombie.”

  “That would have been bad.”

  Her eyes were drooping, so I pushed her back gently in the chair and kissed her on the forehead.

  She fell asleep.

  I walked over to Cletus and Merle. These two had turned out to be dynamos. I honestly couldn’t believe how well they stood up to this level of chaos.

  “I have to say, guys, you two were pretty incredible.”

  “Aw shucks,” replied Cletus with a wave of his hand.

  Merle shrugged. “Just havin’ fun is all.”

  “Honestly, your skill with those guns was damn well on par with ours.”

  They looked at each other for a second and then started laughing. Obviously there was an inside joke going on. Or maybe I’d said something that could have been construed as toilet humor? I replayed my last sentence and couldn’t spot anything wrong.

  “We gotta tell ya something, buddy,” Merle said. “We ain’t a couple of guys with advanced degrees and such.”

  “You’re not?”

  “Nah,” Cletus piped up, “we both work at the Little Rock Paranormal Police Department.”

  “What?” I said, giving them both a more careful study. “But you’re normals, right?”

  “I’m an incubus, actually,” Merle replied with a wink.

  “You?” He wasn’t even close to standard incubus material. “Seriously?”

  “Don’t be judging this book by its cover, now. I got some moves that’ll keep the ladies purrin’ for weeks.”

  “Ew,” I said, not wanting to know that. “What about you, Cletus?”

  “I’m an incubus, too.”

  That hat. That t-shirt. That painted-on squint. “No fucking way.”

  “Yep. That’s why we come to Vegas on vacation a couple times a year. You’d be amazed how much of that ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’ stuff is due to us.”

  “True that,” said Merle with a laugh. “I gotta say them zombies is a new one on us. That was fun.”

  “What about the lottery?” I asked, feeling somewhat perplexed by all of this.

  “That bit was true, actually,” answered Cletus with a big grin. “Gonna stick with the force, though. It’s just too much fun not to.”

  Rachel stepped into our midst and looked them both over for a few moments.

  “Each of you is an incubus?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” replied Merle.

  “We sure is,” agreed Cletus.

  She walked around, slowly sizing them up. Then she began nodding.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  She gave me an evil grin, put her arms around the shoulders of the Little Rock PPD boys, and said, “Planning my next two days.”

  Chapter 47

  The good news was that the impending zombie apocalypse was squashed by my very capable team. The bad news was that I had to go and meet with the Directors about it.

  “We were pleased to know that Ms. Rose was retrieved successfully,” said O, “though it’s a shame you couldn’t have brought the necromancer in. Interrogating him would have proved beneficial.”

  “Agreed, O,” said Silver.

  That was odd. They only tended to agree with each other after some verbal jousting first. Maybe they’d had a conversation to clear the air? I kind of hoped that wasn’t the case. I’d rather they be at each other’s throats than at mine.

  “I gave him the opportunity,” I explained, “but he wouldn’t have anything to do with it.”

  Unfortunately, I didn’t have any of Fred’s remnants to prove my argument because I’d taken a shower before my meeting this time.

  “And you said that the rest of those involved were under some type of controlling spell?” asked Zack.

  “Yes, sir. Well, most of them anyway. There were two who weren’t. One is dead and the other is in custody.”

  “We should put everyone else through post-traumatic care,” O noted. “Being under the control of an evil wizard is quite horrific.”

  “I would imagine that to be true, O,” said Silver.

  I furrowed my brow at this, being that it was the second time they agreed without fuss.

  “I would also think the one they brought into custody would do well to have counseling, no?”

  “Agreed, Silver,” O replied. “I think that’s an excellent suggestion.”

  “Are you douchebags dating now or something?” EQK piped up. “Or maybe you’ve gone to couples counseling? By the Great Pixie, it’s starting to make me sick.”

  I had to cover my mouth at that one. Leave it to EQK to say what I was thinking, most of the time anyway. Sometimes he went overboard, which was saying something coming from me. This time, though, he was dead on.

  “We’ll always have our differences, EQK,” O said, “but we’re a team and so we had a discussion to work things out.”

  “Did this discussion include wine, moonlight, and a Barry White album playing in the background by chance?” Then EQK grunted and said, “Blech! I’m gonna puke.”

  “All right, EQK,” Zack said sternly, “that’s enough. You’re the cause of the majority of the problems in this group, and you know it.”

  “Yeah, so? What’s your point?”

  “My point is that these two are trying to make things better for everyone and you don’t like that.”

  �
��Again, not understanding where you’re going with this,” EQK replied after a few seconds. “Maybe you’re just having fun stating the obvious?”

  Zack growled. “I’m saying that it would serve you well to learn how to be more diplomatic like they have.”

  “Oh, I see,” EQK said. “Do you really think so?”

  “I do.”

  “Huh. I’ll have to think about that.”

  Why did I have the feeling that an outburst was coming? I’d been reporting to these guys for way too long and there was no way that little pixie was going to play nice. At least not that quickly. But the others were gullible. Well, O and Zack anyway. Silver was likely thinking the same way I was. Of course, he may also have been wearing rose-colored glasses at the moment considering how he and O were getting along.

  “Maybe we could work together,” Zack suggested. “Like O and Silver did.”

  “Would you really do that?”

  “Of course. We’re a team, EQK.”

  “Hmmm. I’ll tell you what, Zack.” Here it comes. “I’ll go ahead and do this little meeting with you as soon as you’ve found your balls. How’s that sound?”

  “My balls?” Zack sounded genuinely confused.

  “Yeah, those tiny orbs you used to have dangling between your legs, you girl.”

  “Hey now,” said O in a dire voice, “let’s not have any of that in chambers!”

  “Oh, go play with your wand,” EQK shot back.

  Silver laughed out loud at that. I could tell it was an unintentional laugh due to the snort that preceded it, but that only made it more pronounced.

  “What the hell are you laughing at, Silver?” O demanded.

  And that’s when they started up their bickering again. Everyone but EQK, anyway. While I couldn’t see him, I had the distinct feeling that he was sitting with his arms crossed and a triumphant look on his face.

  Chapter 48

  The Three Angry Wives pub was a welcoming reprieve from the events of the last few days. Drowning my memories in glasses of bourbon wouldn’t take it all away, but it’d at least provide a bit of a vacation. What I needed was sleep, and I’d get it…later.

  Right now I was dealing with the fact that Rachel was currently rolling in the hay with a couple of incubuses. I frowned. Maybe the term was “incubi?” Either way, I didn’t like it. I don’t think I was jealous…or maybe I was? Shit, I don’t know. I just didn’t like it.

  I groaned and drained the contents of my glass.

  “Glad to see you again,” said the voice of a familiar man. It was Gabe. “Mind if I join you?”

  “It’s a free country,” I replied, motioning for him to sit.

  He took the seat on the other side of the table. Tonight he had on a charcoal gray suit with a black shirt and gray tie. The guy knew how to dress.

  “Nice suit.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Your Flashes thing worked,” I said while signaling the waiter to bring me another glass full. “Sort of.”

  Gabe didn’t say anything. He merely looked at me questioningly.

  “First off, I didn’t even know it was a thing until I bumped into Shitfaced Fred and it launched itself. Made me wobbly as hell.”

  “Yes, that’s how these things work, I’m afraid,” he said almost apologetically. “They reveal themselves as needed and you learn to control them.”

  I found it interesting that he didn’t flinch at or question the name I’d given the necromancer. Did he know the guy? If so, he’d have to have known him well enough to be familiar with the nickname.

  “Did you know Fred?”

  He nodded. “When we were younger.”

  I studied Gabe again. He had the look of a man in the middle years. Fit, yes, but mature. That didn’t mean anything, though. Griff and Serena were both hundreds of years old, but nobody who didn’t know their personnel files would have any clue about that.

  Obviously Gabe wasn’t going to provide any more details.

  I grunted. “Anyway, you said last time that you were around to help me or something like that.”

  “Yes.”

  “Aside from dumping magic words on me that cause weirdness to happen while making me fuzzy and unbalanced,” I said holding up my glass, “what can you do for me?”

  “There is a path that must be followed, Mr. Dex,” he answered, “and I’m going to lead you down it.”

  “Can’t we just skip to the end of the path?” I asked as the effects of the alcohol began taking hold. “I’m a pretty resilient guy, you know?”

  “Unfortunately, no. Dumping everything on you at once would kill you, regardless of how tough you are.” His eyes met mine. “You’re needed here, Mr. Dex. There are more of these ubernaturals coming and you must stand against them. Nobody else can.”

  I didn’t know if that last bit was true. My team had done a pretty bang up job of fighting these last two sets. Yeah, I had special skills that helped our cause, and I suppose it was fair to say that the vision crap Gabe laid on me did make it so we could knock out Fred in the end. But couldn’t the little Flashes thing be installed in anyone?

  “How do you know about all this, Gabe?”

  He smiled and looked away. “I can’t tell you that.”

  “Why not?”

  “Time will reveal all things, Mr. Dex,” he said, looking at his watch. “And time is one thing we don’t have much of.”

  He stood up and grabbed his coat as the word “time” echoed through my skull. Damn it, he was doing it again.

  “You just sat down,” I said in confusion, “and you’re already leaving?”

  “Again, Mr. Dex,” he replied, “time is not on our side. There is much to do.”

  “What the hell do you keep emphasizing that word for?” I called out as he walked toward the exit. “I know it’s going to screw with me somehow, but how?”

  The door shut behind him.

  I sighed as the TV caught my eye.

  It was Paula Rose, but she wasn’t the one doing the interviewing. Someone else was asking her questions. That meant she was acting on behalf of The Spin and not the news on SN-50. I guess that made sense seeing that I was sitting in a restaurant intended for normals. Obviously the booze was working its magic.

  “…and it was a great success,” Paula was saying. “So much so that Post Apocalyptic Unlimited will be officially opening its doors in thirty days. Customers will be able to spend a fun-filled night using paintball guns to hunt ‘zombies’ and everything. I’ve been asked to be a member on the board of directors as well.”

  I gave a quick chuckle into my drink while shaking my head.

  “Good for you, Paula.” I drained the glass. “Good for you.”

  Blood Bane Tower

  Chapter 1

  I used to despise going to see Dr. Vernon, the psychiatrist for the Las Vegas Paranormal Police Department (PPD), but that changed today.

  As I was lying back on the couch going over the details of the last mission, describing how that old fart, Shitfaced Fred, had built up an army of zombies bent on attacking the Strip, a shadow fell over me.

  I looked up and saw Dr. Vernon’s amethyst eyes staring down at me hungrily.

  She’d taken off her glasses and her hair hung along the sides of her dark-skinned cheeks. She was unbuttoning her blouse, which caused me to stop telling her about the mission.

  “Don’t stop,” she said in a sultry way. “Tell me more.”

  “Telling you about zombies is turning you on?”

  She paused and squinted at me. “No. Hearing about how you take matters into your own hands does.”

  “Oh,” I said as thoughts of You should probably leave right about now ran through my head. Unfortunately, thoughts of You’re not going anywhere, flyboy ran through that piece of anatomy that often controlled my patterns of thought. “The Admiral” seemed to do most of my thinking, after all. And, yes, that was the pet name I used for my junk, which was—interestingly—a name given to it by my partn
er on the force, Rachel Cress. This was before I was chief, of course.

  “Tell me how you used your gun,” Dr. Vernon whispered as she lowered herself onto my chest.

  “Whoa,” I said, pushing her away. “Couldn’t you lose your license for this?”

  She tilted her head. “Nope, but I appreciate your concern.”

  “Really? I thought that—”

  “You’re a supernatural, Ian. I’m a normal. My license only prohibits me from having relations with patients who are normals.” She traced my face with her index finger. “My uncle is a friend of one of the Directors, which is why I work with the PPD. I do it as a favor. Well, that, and to collect a nice chunk of change on the side.”

  “So you can bone anyone on the PPD, even though you know our deepest, darkest secrets?” I was perplexed by this. “Don’t you see that as a problem?”

  “With most of your crew, yes. With you? No. You’re never going to change your horndog status, and it’s frankly not my job to try and help you change it either.” She stopped her seductive play and pulled away slightly. “Unless you want me to help you change?”

  “Not even a little bit.”

  “There you go.” She nestled back into place. “I’m here to make sure you and your crew remain fit for duty. That’s it. I’ll help you resolve any internal issues in order to keep you ready for duty, too, of course, but I’m not trying to fix anything else.”

  “This is kind of...fantastic.” I gave her a quick look. “We still have that doctor-patient confidentiality deal, though, right?”

  “Probably.”

  “Good enough for me!”

  We started getting busy, when another thought struck. I pushed her away again.

  “Wait, which Director is your uncle’s friend?”

  “EQK,” she replied.

  “He has friends?” I started, but her kissing interrupted my train of thought.

  The Admiral had taken over and things were progressing quite nicely, when the word “time” came to mind.

  It was the word that Gabe had said to me at the Three Angry Wives Pub. I remembered because he said it in a way that made it impossible for me to forget. This was the same thing he’d done to me with the word “flashes,” where I ended up seeing a bunch of information about Shitfaced Fred. Turned out to have helped a lot when we’d reached our showdown, but the side effects of that Flashes thing rocked me to my core.