Bring The Pain_An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure

by Michael Anderle

  That was a dick move. I think I’m gonna enjoy beating you assholes down.

  “Everyone down. After that, if anyone moves,” the first man said, a rusty-haired man with an offset nose, “they fucking die.”

  Nose been broken a couple of times, asshole? I’m seeing another break in your near future. Not your lucky day.

  The gathered crowd all dropped to the floor, several whimpering. James remained standing, but apparently they hadn’t seen him since they didn’t do anything.

  Redhead grinned and gestured with his gun toward the cashier, a tiny pale woman. He reached with his free hand into his pocket and pulled out a small black cube. “Log into your account and connect this to your terminal. It’ll do everything else, sweetheart. Easy as shit. You just have to stand there.”

  James snorted. He’d read about this sort of thing but had never seen it firsthand before. This was another problem with all the fancy technology in the world. It made protecting yourself harder, and in some cases made crime simpler and less risky. The assholes didn’t even have to go into the vault.

  Lazy-ass criminals. At least King Pyro actually melted his way into vaults.

  James grunted. It was time to end this little game. The bounty hunter took several steps forward.

  One of the men pointed his gun at James. “Didn’t you hear my boy, you ugly sonofabitch? I’m being nice already by not shooting you for not hitting the floor, but you look a little stupid so I’m trying to be nice here.”

  “I’m gonna give you one chance to surrender,” the bounty hunter rumbled. “After that, if you end up dead it’s on you, fucker.”

  “Get a load of Mr. Hero here. Doesn’t even have a gun. You know what, asshole? I’m gonna give you five seconds to get on your knees and beg me to not—”

  James cut the man off with a fist to the face and the robber flew backward. The bounty hunter didn’t wait for the man to hit the ground before he charged the second-closest robber.

  The criminal had just enough time to rip his gaze from his falling friend and squeeze off a single round. The bullet whizzed by James’ head and the heat and air displacement tickled his ear.

  Yeah, that could have hurt.

  The bounty hunter reached the second robber and bent his arm backward until it snapped with a loud crack. The man screamed and James knocked him out with a headbutt.

  The man dropped and his gun clattered when it hit the tile floor.

  “Geeze, this is almost too easy!” James laughed. He spent most days going after level-three or higher bounties, and recent weeks had been filled with assaults on Harriken strongholds or magical foes. Taking down three standard-issue bank robbers was barely a workout. He almost felt sorry for the little shits.

  Redhead fired several rounds but James zigzagged, avoiding the bullets until he could slide behind the counter.

  Okay, one round at the beginning, three just then. That’s four.

  “You fucking piece of shit,” the robber yelled. “No one had to get hurt, but now I’m gonna enjoy seeing you bleed.”

  “It’s good to have dreams, asshole. Just remember that most people never achieve their dreams.”

  “I’m going to fucking bleed you out shot by shot, you cocky sonofabitch.”

  James’ hand went to his .45, but he shook his head and slowly let his hand drop to his side. If they started trading much lead, someone who didn’t have it coming might get hurt.

  Shit. This is why I don’t like playing hero. It’s never fucking simple.

  “Give it up, asshole,” James shouted back. “Even if you get away, your buddies there will give you up to the cops. Just surrender. It’ll go easier for everyone, especially you. You keep this shit up you’re gonna end up dead, or at least busted up and even uglier than you already are.”

  “Fuck you, prick.” Several bullets ripped through the wood of the counter in front of James. “You ain’t shit.”

  Five, six, seven.

  James shook his head. Nobody ever takes the easy way out. He looked at several desks lining the side of the room next to him and sprinted toward the nearest, then slid behind it.

  Redhead squeezed off more shots, but he couldn’t hit the fast-moving bounty hunter.

  Eight, nine, ten, eleven.

  The robber continued firing, perforating the desk, the computer monitor, and shattering some poor bank employee’s mug that read I Hate Mondays. A few shards of ceramic landed on James’ head.

  Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen.

  “You fucking get out right now,” Redhead yelled, “or I’ll put a bullet in one of these bitches.”

  James didn’t get a great look at the man’s gun, but the fact that he was now throwing out threats and not firing suggested one strong possibility: the bastard was out of ammo. The bounty hunter didn’t remember seeing anything that looked like an extended magazine.

  He grabbed the comfortable-looking chair behind the desk and, jerking upright, threw it straight toward the robber.

  Sorry to whoever rides this desk normally. Now you’re gonna hate Saturdays too.

  The criminal’s eyes widened and he turned to run, but the chair smacked into him and sent him sprawling. James leapt over the desk and sprinted toward the criminal.

  When Redhead pushed the chair off him there was blood trickling down his forehead from a cut. His hand went to his gun just as the bounty hunter’s booted foot landed. His yelp was cut off as James punted him with his other foot. The robber smashed into the counter a few yards away, embedded in the cracked wood. He groaned before falling unconscious.

  James sighed and reached down to pick up the robber’s gun. He strolled toward the robber, aimed at the man’s leg, and pulled the trigger.

  Click.

  “Yeah, thought you were out.” The bounty hunter smirked. “Next time bring some extra ammo, asshole.” He tossed the gun to the ground. “If you’re gonna be a criminal, at least put some professionalism into it.”

  James frowned as he spotted Alison hiding behind a potted ficus on the other side of the room—or trying to hide, at least.

  Several NYPD officers rushed through the front door, guns drawn.

  “Hands up. On the ground, asshole!” one of the officers shouted.

  James grunted. At least it wasn’t a trigger-happy AET team. He dropped to his knees and put his hands behind his neck.

  “I’m not the robber,” he told them. “The assholes I knocked out were.”

  “Shut your mouth,” the cop yelled. He kept his weapon trained on James and another moved to cuff him.

  It’s just like the witch sang in Wicked. No good deed goes unpunished. Maybe I really am a misunderstood green nerdy Witch.

  James chuckled.

  “What’s so funny, asshole?” the cop cuffing him asked. “You think twenty years in prison will be fucking funny?” He reached underneath James’ jacket and pulled out his .45. “Oh, I bet a fucker like you doesn’t have a permit for this bad boy. Maybe it’s our lucky day and it’s also stolen.”

  “You’re making a mistake. I’m a bounty hunter.”

  “Didn’t hear about any bounty on these guys. Everyone knows bounty hunters don’t do shit without money involved.”

  Several more cops surged into the bank, guns drawn, and spread out like an angry swarm. Several pairs ran toward the hallways leading to the bathroom and the back.

  “He stopped them,” a timid female voice interjected into the din.

  James glanced toward the voice. It was the cashier.

  “Ma’am?” the cop asked. “What are you saying?”

  “That man...with the tattoos and the weird face.” The cashier gasped and put a hand over her mouth before giving James an apologetic look. “Sorry.”

  James grunted. “Not news that I have a strange face.”

  “He confronted the robbers. Told them to stop. They refused, so...he beat them up.”

  “Wait,” another of the cops exclaimed, stepping toward James and looking him up and do
wn. “I know this guy.”

  The cop with a weapon on him sneered. “Bounty on him?”

  The other cop laughed. “Hell, no. He’s James Brownstone. Licensed class-six bounty hunter. He’s the guy they paid out to for taking down every Harriken in LA by his damned self.”

  James shrugged. “I had some help on the first batch. Friend of mine.”

  The cop who cuffed him pulled out James’ wallet and flipped it open. “Yeah, looks like it.”

  “Uncuff me now, please?”

  The two cops closest to him exchanged angry glances, but the first nodded to his partner and uncuffed James, handing his gun back.

  “Thanks.” James looked at the three unconscious robbers, now all flat on their backs and cuffed. “So, no bounties on those assholes?”

  It wouldn’t hurt to try and squeeze a little money out of the situation.

  “Nah, these are some local boys who’ve been trying to up their game recently.” The cop smirked. “Would probably have gotten a bounty after this job, but... Guess you’re out of a payday, Mr. Brownstone.”

  “It wasn’t a tough fight anyway. I’ve run into stray cats who put up worse fights.”

  The cops chuckled.

  “Stick around for a few minutes,” one of the cops requested. “We’re going to need you to answer a few questions.”

  “Sure.”

  The cops near James stepped away to help corral the scared bank customers. The tiny cashier waved at James with a grateful smile.

  The bounty hunter didn’t care about any of that right now. He had a bigger problem. He stomped toward the corner where Alison remained crouched behind the potted ficus.

  The girl stood as he approached.

  “What are you doing here?” James asked.

  The teen shrugged. “Watching you kick butt?”

  “How much of it can you even see? It’s not like guns have souls.”

  Alison shrugged. “I could see your and the bad guys’ souls, and I could hear everything.”

  James groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, I stopped these guys, and that was a good thing, I guess, but you shouldn’t be putting yourself in danger. Not yet. Not until you learn the toad spell or whatever.”

  “’Toad spell?’”

  “I don’t know. Something to turn a guy into a toad.”

  Alison laughed and lifted her pendant. “Besides, I have this if I need protection.”

  “That should be a last resort, not an excuse to charge in after me when I’m dealing with three armed men.” James pointed toward the downed criminals. “And I got lucky that they weren’t tougher and didn’t have magic or grenades or something. For all you knew, these guys could have been like King Pyro on steroids.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’m getting better at seeing that sort of thing. If they had that kind of magic, I would have been able to see it in their auras.”

  James scrubbed a hand over his face. “I just don’t want you putting yourself in danger.”

  “But aren’t you wanting me to be more independent?”

  The girl planted her hands on her hips, her face defiant.

  Guess all dads of teens have to deal with this sort of shit eventually. Well, maybe not telling your teen to avoid potential firefights in banks, but same idea.

  The bounty hunter let out a defeated sigh. “I’ve got to talk to the cops for a bit. Stick around, and don’t go running into any more danger.”

  “Yes, sir, James.” Alison gave him a bright smile.

  Fuck. I really wish Shay were here to talk to about this shit.

  4

  The rest of the weekend continued without James having to punt anyone else into counters or estimate magazine sizes. No criminals were stupid enough to commit any crimes right in front of him, so he didn’t feel any pressure from Alison to go all Brownstone on them.

  The bounty hunter and the teen didn’t do anything more dangerous than ride in a suspicious Lyft and try some street food. James had to admit seeing the Statue of Liberty up close was cool, even though he hadn’t realized until they’d taken the ferry over to the island that Alison suggested it only for his benefit. Statues aren’t of great interest to blind people.

  James reflected on recent events in silence as he barreled down I-95. Their weekend of family fun had taken its toll, leaving the girl exhausted and napping on their way back to her school.

  I think I’m almost as tired as when I was escaping all those hitmen.

  He chuckled quietly. It wasn’t that long ago that his weekends consisted of him kicking ass, spending time at confession, or relaxing with his dog and watching a few cooking shows. Between Alison, Mack, and Shay, the bounty hunter was starting to have something resembling a social life.

  Not only that, he also held an important gift for Alison. Her Drow mother had entrusted him with her legacy—a wish—to bestow on her daughter when the time was right. That wish had drawn the Harriken’s interest to both the mother and the daughter. James controlled the wish now, which bound him to the girl even without the emotional connection.

  James took the time to think about what had happened in the bank. He’d ignored it for most of the weekend, but now couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been wrong about what had been bothering Alison.

  He’d assumed the issue was that she was scared of him having such a dangerous job. That she’d prefer if he quit and took up barbeque professionally or something. The stunt in the bank made him wonder if the opposite were true; if he was making the dark job seem cool and alluring.

  Alison didn’t seem like the kind of person who would want to become a bounty hunter, but his stomach tightened and his heart rate kicked up as he thought about their similarities. He’d been young once as well, and it wasn’t as if he’d been told from his earliest days that he’d become a bounty hunter.

  Both Alison and James were orphans with unusual abilities, and they had both been left completely alone in the world by acts of violence, even if other people had later decided to look after them.

  Am I a bounty hunter because that’s what I do best and it allows me to give back? Or is all this shit just revenge for Father Thomas? Or hell, for my parents. Some fuckers probably slit their throats.

  James sped up after checking for any sign of the highway patrol.

  I don’t have magic myself, but I’m stronger than any man should be, and I can move shit with my mind if I want. Was I born this way, or did the amulet make me this way?

  James grunted at the thought. He was strong and fast—that much was true. But he could have used his physical abilities in a number of jobs: cop, soldier, bodyguard. Even sports.

  Instead, he’d chosen a career that pointed him straight at the worst parts of society. Even the police didn’t always have to deal with pieces of shit. No one offered a bounty for helping people; they only paid for taking down criminal scum.

  Revenge, huh? Probably. Is that a bad thing, Father Thomas? I normally try not to kill them…and they’d just hurt more people if I didn’t take them down.

  Alison…she’s half-Drow, and even without the wish she’ll probably grow into a powerful woman. She’ll be way more powerful than me. Maybe she’ll want revenge against the darkness too. Would it be a bad thing if she used her abilities to stop those who would abuse theirs?

  James’ hands tightened on the steering wheel and he took several deep breaths. The idea of the girl leaving school to follow in his footsteps set his stomach churning.

  Shit, what the fuck am I thinking? I shouldn’t even remotely want her anywhere near this job. Just because I’m fucked up doesn’t mean she shouldn’t grow up less fucked up. She’s got me and Shay to help her, and her friends at school.

  I need to protect her, not lead her toward shit.

  James spared a glance at the sleeping girl. The white in her hair had grown since he last saw her, even if dark hair still dominated. The white indicated her heritage and the power within her small body.

 
You don’t have to make the same mistakes I did, kid. You can be better than me. And I want to make sure you will be.

  Alison yawned and stretched several hours later as James pulled into the circle drive at her school.

  “We’re here, kid,” James rumbled. “I’ll get your sh...stuff out of the back.” He hopped out of the Toyota and hurried to the back to pull out her suitcases.

  A frown spread on his face when he spotted Top Hat Ferret about twenty yards away. The world’s most fashionably-dressed mustelid stood there, his little furry hands under his waistcoat. He glanced James’ way with something like a smirk, but it was hard to tell, then turned and waved at a nearby girl before wandering off.

  Fucker. Now you have a vest too? What’s the point of the vest if you’re not gonna wear anything else besides the hat?

  James tried to shake his ferret concerns out of his head and lifted Alison’s suitcases to the curb. “Do you need me to take you to your room?”

  “No, I’m good.”

  Quick movement caught his attention, and the bounty hunter resisted the urge to grab his gun before Top Hat Ferret or some witch or wizard blasted him with a spell.

  For all he knew, guns didn’t even work on campus. The memory spells that redirected people who showed up without permission proved the kind of power floating around on the campus.

  Instead of drawing his weapon, James slowly surveyed the area around him. He spotted several people hurrying away from the circle drive, some even running. A few moments passed before he realized it wasn’t people running, but specifically boys. The various girl students walked or chatted around the circle drive with no concern at all. A few pointed and laughed at the boys.

  “What’s going on? Do all the boys have some special meeting or something?” James asked. “They are all running like a dragon’s gonna bite their ass.”

  Alison laughed. “No, they don’t have a meeting or anything” She smirked. “It’s kind of my fault, actually.”

  “Your fault?” He glowered. “They hazing you? If so, they better f... I’ll go have a talk with them.”