The Date A Montague & Strong Detective Story: Montague & Strong Case Files

by Orlando A. Sanchez

  “I’m never going to live this down, am I?” I asked as Robert raised the partition with a tip of his hat. “Do you think this will blow over?”

  “Are you asking if this date night will fade into memory?”

  “Yes—exactly that.”

  “Well, it depends.” Monty rubbed his chin. “The Dark Council has a destroyed high-profile neutral zone. The Consortium will certainly remember your involvement with their troll assassin. Piero and the vampire community won’t forget the devastation of Flat Earth—it was a hot spot for them.”

  “Forget I asked.”

  “Not to mention Ramirez, the NYTF, and the city now have a major reconstruction plan underway due to your evening of frivolity.”

  “So, no—it won’t fade away,” I asked, knowing the answer. “And there was no frivolity, none.”

  Monty closed his eyes and shook his head slowly, the hint of a smile still on his lips. “I think it’s safe to say this date will be with you for quite some time.”

  THE END

  AUTHOR NOTES

  IT WAS MY pleasure writing this story for you.

  I want to thank you for reading this short story and joining me in this adventure. Many of my readers have been asking about the infamous date mentioned in the books. I hope this story answers some of those questions. Of course, this story may raise more questions than it answers. I encourage getting the next books in the series to answer some of them.

  If you enjoyed this story and would like to see more of Monty & Strong-please do me a HUGE favor and leave a review. It’s really important and helps the book (and me).

  I really appreciate your feedback. Let me know what you thought by emailing me at: www.orlando@orlandoasanchez.com or join the Facebook group titled Montague & Strong Case Files.

  You can also find my other books at:

  www.orlandoasanchez.com

  I also wanted to give you a little something extra for getting this story. Included is the first chapter of Tombyards & Butterflies—the first full-length novel of the Montague & Strong Detective Agency. Enjoy!

  TOMBYARDS & BUTTERFLIES

  A MONTAGUE AND Strong Detective Novel

  ONE

  What’s more exciting than chasing a rabid werewolf in the middle of the night? Chasing that rabid werewolf in Downtown Manhattan in the middle of the night. The Village, as a neighborhood, was a warren of intersecting streets and dead ends. We had already been at it for thirty minutes and we were closing in.

  “This is what the English did,” I said as we ran down Sixth Avenue. “Who lays out a city like this? A grid, Monty, would it have killed them to use a grid?”

  “The Dutch were here first,” he said. “The English didn’t arrive until 1664. That’s how you get the name New York.”

  We chased it down Minetta Lane off Sixth Avenue. The wet-dog smell punched me in the face as soon as I turned the corner.

  “There’s something wrong with that smell,” I said. “God, he reeks!”

  “I didn’t realize you were a werewolf scent expert,” Monty said as he caught up, his long legs making it easy.

  “I’m not, but this guy smells like he hasn’t bathed in a year. And did you see his eyes?”

  “I did,” Monty said. “He seems to be suffering from some kind of reaction.”

  “Reaction? He tore that poor woman in half. That’s not a reaction. That’s a full-blown infection.”

  “It does seem like he’s unstable,” Monty said as he looked up and down the street.

  “Just a bit, yeah.”

  We followed the scent to the end of Minetta and on to Macdougal Street, when a large, furry blur shot past us.

  “Shoot it, Simon! Shoot!”

  “What do you think I’m doing?” I said as I fired several times.

  “Shoot it harder!”

  We jumped behind a parked SUV. The license plate read RUFFRDR. The truck was one of those huge things that wasn’t quite a tank but could never pass for an ordinary car, either. I figured there was enough vehicle to protect us from the Were’s razor-sharp claws. That theory evaporated, though. We jumped to the side as it sliced through the metal and plastic with ease, rendering our cover useless. The SUV fell apart like blocks of LEGO and I couldn’t help thinking that RUFFRDR was going to wake up in the morning and have a very bad day.

  “Really, that’s what you’re going with, Monty? ‘Shoot it harder’?”

  “Strong,” rasped the creature on the other side of what used to be a perfectly functioning mode of transportation. “I’m going to rip out your intestines and eat them while you watch.”

  “Wow,” Monty said. “He’s pissed. What did you do to him?”

  “Now would be a good time for magic,” I said. “You know, a fireball or two? Or some Were-melting spell?”

  “Can’t—he’s wearing a null proximity rune,” Monty said. “But I don’t understand why the silver ammo isn’t affecting him. You did switch out for silver ammo, right?”

  “Silver…ammo? Of course I packed the silver—shit.”

  I forgot to switch the ammo.

  “You forgot, didn’t you?” Monty said, exasperated. “We’re out here fighting a werewolf, Simon.”

  “I know,” I said. “It’s a little hard to miss.”

  “I’m going to die,” he said as his voice hiked up an octave. “Out here on the filthy street, alongside you. Wonderful.”

  “No, I just misplaced it,” I said with feigned indignation. “Hey, I had to pack all the bags while you did your meditation thing to charge the magic you’re currently not using.”

  Monty narrowed his eyes and glared.

  “Are you saying this is somehow my fault?”

  “I’m just saying a little magic would make this go smoother, especially since I forgot to pack the silver ammo.”

  The werewolf shoved the debris of the SUV to one side. Saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth as he snarled loudly enough to rattle some of the windows. I jerked my head to one side to let Monty know that tall, dark, and fangy was about to shred us.

  “Monty? Werewolf!!” I said, pointing at the large, angry creature closing on us.

  Monty turned, opened his hands, and formed two large spheres of air in his palms. They were the size of basketballs and whirled with tremendous force, kicking up the detritus around us.

  He let them go and they slammed into the werewolf, smashing it into the building across the street with enough force to dislodge a wheelbarrow full of bricks. The Were bounced off the wall and fell to the street face-first, unconscious. I holstered my gun, Grim Whisper, and ran over. The Grim Whisper was a custom designed and runed M&P Shield 9mm adapted to hold ten rounds plus one in the chamber. It had enough power to stop most supernatural threats, especially with modified ammo. For everything else, I had Monty.

  I put a pair of silver restraints, individual bracers designed to prevent transformation, around his front legs, and he slowly morphed back to human. Now we stood over a naked man in the middle of the street.

  “Did you bring the extra set of clothes?” Monty asked as he looked around and brushed the dust off his suit. He kept his shoulder-length hair loose and moved a few strands out of his face. His eyes gave off a subtle yellow glow, which happened every time he used magic.

  I reached into my pack and pulled out a pair of jeans and a large T-shirt. It was one of my old ‘I love New York’ shirts, where the ‘love’ is replaced with a large red heart.

  “I hope you know this shirt is a collector’s item,” I said as I dressed the Were. “You can’t get them anymore.”

  “Unless you take a stroll around Times Square,” Monty said and shook out his hands. “Hurry up, Simon.”

  “I thought you couldn’t use magic on it?”

  “I couldn’t, I used magic around it.”

  I pulled out my phone and dialed the one number I knew would be working at this hour of the night.

  “NYTF, Lieutenant Ramirez speaking,” answered the voice. />
  Angel Ramirez had been with the NYTF for the last five years. He was rough around the edges, tough as hell, and a loyal— if not slightly crazy—friend. The only person I trusted more was Monty.

  The New York Task Force, or NYTF, was a quasi-military police force created to deal with any supernatural event occurring in New York City. They’re paid to deal with the things that can’t be explained to the general public without causing mass hysteria.

  “I want my dinner at Peter Luger’s this weekend,” I said. “On you.”

  “Simon, el fuerte, you got him?” Ramirez asked. “No way!”

  “Of course I got him,” I said as Monty scowled and raised an eyebrow at me. “Well, Monty got him, but I tracked him.”

  “Then maybe Monty should get Luger’s, not you. I’m sending a bus over. Where are you?”

  “Macdougal and Minetta.”

  “Is he silvered?” Ramirez asked. “Or are we walking into a shitstorm?”

  “We wouldn’t be having this conversation if he weren’t.”

  “Hang tight, they’ll be there in ten.”

  I ended the call only to have my phone ring again. Santana’s “Black Magic Woman” played and I seriously considered not picking up.

  “Answer it,” Monty said. “You know she’ll just show up if you don’t.”

  Bracing myself, I answered the call.

  “Chi, what a surprise.”

  “You know I hate that name,” she said. “Where are you?”

  Actually, I did know. That’s exactly why I always used it.

  “I’m kind of in the middle—”

  “Save it. Your office, twenty minutes,” she said and hung up.

  I looked at the phone for a few seconds before dropping it in my pocket.

  “I think she’s fond of you,” Monty said with a smile. “Certainly sounds like it.”

  I gave him my best ‘I’ll stomp you silly’ glare.

  “What’s wrong with your face?” he asked. “Are you injured, or constipated?”

  “Hilarious.” I waved him away. “You going to be okay here with Scooby?”

  “Who?”

  “The Were,” I said, pointing. “The guy we just caught?”

  “You’re the one going to meet a vampire and you’re asking me if I’m going to be okay?”

  He had a point.

  Thank You!

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  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I’m finally beginning to understand that each book, each creative expression usually has a large group of people behind it. This story is no different. So let me take a moment to acknowledge my (very large) group:

  To Dolly: my wife and biggest fan. You make all of this possible and keep me grounded, especially when I get into my writing to the exclusion of everything else. Thank you, I love you.

  To my Tribe: You are the reason I have stories to tell. You cannot possibly fathom how much and how deep I love you all.

  To Lee: Because you were the first audience I ever had. I love you sis.

  To the Logsdon family: JL your support always demands I bring my A-game and produce the best story I can. I always hear: “Don’t rush!” in your voice.

  LL (the Uber Jeditor) your notes and comments turned this story from good to great. I accept the challenge!

  Your patience knows no bounds. Thank you both.

  Arigatogozaimasu

  The Montague & Strong Case Files Group AKA- The MoB(The Mages of BadAssery)

  When I wrote T&B there were fifty-five members in The MoB. As of this writing there are 267 members in the MoB. I am honored to be able to call you my MoB Family. This story mostly came about because you kept asking for it. I hope you enjoy it.

  Thank you for being part of this group and M&S. You each make it possible.

  THANK YOU.

  WTA-The Incorrigibles

  JL,BenZ, EricQK, S.S., and the Mac

  They sound like a bunch of badass misfits because they are. Thank you for making sure I didn’t rush this one. My exposure to the slightly deranged and extremely deviant brain trust that you are made this book possible. I humbly thank you and it’s all your fault.

  Deranged Doctor Design

  Kim, Darja, and Milo

  You define professionalism and creativity. Thank you for the great service and amazing covers.

  YOU GUYS RULE!

  To you the reader:

  Thank you for jumping down the rabbit hole with me. I truly hope you enjoy this story. You are the reason I wrote it.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Orlando Sanchez has been writing ever since his teens when he was immersed in creating scenarios for playing Dungeon and Dragons with his friends every weekend. An avid reader, his influences are too numerous to list here. Some of the most prominent are: J.R.R. Tolkien, Jim Butcher, Kat Richardson, Terry Pratchett, Terry Brooks, Christopher Moore, Piers Anthony, Lee Child, George Lucas, Andrew Vachss, and Barry Eisler to name a few in no particular order.

  The worlds of his books are urban settings with a twist of the paranormal lurking just behind the scenes and generous doses of magic, martial arts, mayhem, and mischief.

  Aside from writing, he holds a 2nd and 3rd Dan in two distinct styles of Karate. If not training, he is studying some aspect of the martial arts or martial arts philosophy.

  He currently resides in Queens, NY with his wife and children and can often be found in the local Starbucks where most of his writing is done.

  Please visit his site at OrlandoASanchez.com for more information about his books and upcoming releases.

  This 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 and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2017 by Orlando A. Sanchez

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.

  Published by Bitten Peaches Publishing NY NY

  Cover Design by Deranged Doctor Design

  www.derangeddoctordesign.com