To Hunt Monsters

By Gareth Lewis

Amid tense peace talks between vampire and werewolf factions, a werewolf councillor is murdered.

Recently adopted into the clan, Jason is assigned to investigate, and forced by politics to partner with a vampire, his former girlfriend who he didn't know had been turned.

Faced with a vampire assassin, an old family enemy, growing fanaticism among the clan, and the threat of losing control, Jason must solve the murder before his new life falls apart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gareth Lewis
• Release date: Jan 18, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452309453

Gareth Lewis

Gareth Lewis has written a number of novels and shorter works in a few genres, including fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers. A programmer, he has a degree in computer studies, and lives in South Wales.

Book preview

To Hunt Monsters

Gareth Lewis

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2010 Gareth Lewis

Smashwords Edition, version 2.0, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Any piracy of this work shall result in the forfeiture of the pirate's soul to the author. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Prologue

The sudden silence halted Jason's struggle against the weight pinning him. With his left arm trapped, he lacked the leverage to move the cabinet. The growing numbness in his pinned legs offered scant hope they'd join the effort.

As the sound of battle choked away in the next room, his gaze swept around as much of his surroundings as his vantage allowed. Night had barely begun to fall, yet the place was shrouded in shadows. It wasn't helped by the layers of dust or dirt, and the heavy curtains set to keep the place dark through the daylight hours. His own weapon had skidded out of reach, and those of the fallen he could see in the dull light were too far away. He had a stake in his belt, but out of reach.

Even as his gaze swept the bodies, he knew there'd be no signs of life - or movement from the vampire inhabitants of this dump. Both his team and their prey lay strewn, their strategy having gone bad quicker than he'd have thought possible. While they'd tried to adapt when on realising they were expected, it was already too late.

He considered changing. While the strength of his wolf may let him free himself, being new to this he lacked the control. The wolf would lash out, damaging itself as much as the cabinet. If the survivor of the fight next door proved not to be one of his, he may have little choice.

Jason's eyes darted to the doorway as the survivor emerged. His outline didn't bring any relief. A long coat drifted behind as he stepped into the less murky darkness, identifying him as definitely not a member of the team. He approached Jason with a casual step.

Despite the roundabout path, Jason knew he was the target of the stranger's attention. Playing dead would be useless. He tensed, running through his dwindling options and giving the cabinet a final, fruitless, shove.

'Is da poor widdle doggy twapped?' The voice held aloof amusement at his struggle, which set his nerves further on edge.

Abandoning his attempt to shift the cabinet, Jason focussed on the figure.

'Please don't bother rising, Jason.' The man glided closer, his elegant movements a match for his tone. 'There's no need for formality.'

Jason didn't hide his suspicion.

'Yes,' said the looming figure. 'I know who you are. I'm an old friend of your father.'

Jason gave the proclamation a dubious glare.

The stranger inclined his head. 'Well, maybe not friend, but we did try to kill each other on a regular basis.' Smiling, he sat near Jason's prone position, offering the first real view of his face.

The features confirmed his suspicion. 'Adam Vaage.'

Adam inclined his head in greeting. 'A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.'

Jason remained silent, his gaze flickering to the blade twirling between Adam's fingers. What he saw of the carvings on its ebon hilt matched the pictures, and the faintly curved blade glinted a threatening shade of silver.

Adam glanced about as he spoke. 'I suppose you're wondering...'

Jason grabbed for the knife. Adam didn't even glance back as his grip on the weapon shifted. Its blade snapped around to greet Jason's hand.

Jason held back his pain as best he could, the sting of the slash cascading into agony as the silver boiled his blood. It took a moment for the burning to die away enough that he could concentrate. Looking up, he saw Adam finish his survey and glance down with a wearied smile.

'If you've gotten that out of your system? Good. Now please don't worry, I've no intention of harming you. Not at this time, leastways. I'd hardly have invited you if I did, now would I?'

'You?' Jason didn't hide his doubt.

'I gave your people the tip about this nest of unaffiliated vampires,' said Adam. 'Yes, yes, deplorable, I know; I'm so ashamed; moving on.'

Jason glanced at the dead - or rather inanimate - vampires. Their clothes and shabby appearance were a marked contrast to Adam. 'This wasn't your nest.'

'Please don't mistake me for one of them. You think I'd live here?' He glanced about with obvious distaste.

'I didn't mistake you for something that lives anywhere.'

A more genuine smile greeted him this time. 'No, I had nothing to do with them. Other than selecting them as a suitable target for your people, and warning them of your attack.'

'Why?'

'Why set them up, or why tip them off?'

'Either.'

'To facilitate this meeting, of course.'

His bewilderment apparent, Jason felt his exasperation grow. 'And now we've met? What are you going to do to me?'

'Do to you?' False shock overwhelmed him. 'Whatever kind of monster do you take me for?'

'A blood-sucking abomination of nature.'

An indifferent shrug conceded the point. 'One who has no intention of doing anything other than leaving you for your back-up units to rescue.'

'So why go to all this trouble?'

'Oh, it's no trouble.' Adam met his gaze before glancing about again. 'You know, I miss your father. Did he ever tell you about our fights?'

'No.'

Adam seemed disappointed. 'Never?'

Jason kept his tone steady, but couldn't hide his unease at the path of the conversation. 'No.'

Adam shrugged. 'I enjoyed them. It's so rare to find a decent enemy these days. Someone you can respect. Then he met your mother, left the life, became a...' he glanced about, searching for the word. 'Pedestrian. And died a pedestrian death.' He dropped his gaze to Jason. 'Of that I am truly sorry.'

Jason said nothing.

'Then I heard you'd joined the Hunt, and knew I had to meet you. To see whether you could possibly live up to your father.' He ran a disappointedly appraising gaze over Jason. 'I suppose you're still new to the game, so I'll give you some time to grow into it.' Adam stood.

'So, what? Because you and my father were enemies, now we are, too?'

'Oh, we're not enemies. Not yet, anyway. We've only just met, and I've yet to find something admirable about you.'

'Admirable?' said Jason.

'Of course. One must always admire something about one's enemies. Otherwise they're not really enemies. They're just obstacles.' With a smile he turned to leave.

'That's it? Everyone here killed, or rekilled, just so we could meet?'

'And for the fun of it.' Adam flashed a grin as he turned and strode away. 'You be a good little doggy now.'

Jason bit back a retort as Adam faded into the darkened doorway, the sound of his departure quickly overtaken by the back-up team moving through the building.

Chapter 1

The wolf fought for release. Jason felt it struggle against his hold as he embraced the change. A torrent of rage broke against him. He strained to keep it in check, to maintain his focus. Even running through meditation techniques, he found the waves of sheer aggression almost overwhelming, always clawing for his attention. Uncertain of his ability to hold it back, he released the change and pushed the wolf back down.

He calmed his thoughts, recalling happier memories to relax his mind. Inevitably he went to the time before he'd been forced into this world, when he was still in college, still with Sophia. His thoughts calming, he put the memory away. He should find a new memory to relax with. This one reminded him of what he'd had to leave.

Opening his eyes, Jason realised he'd been shaking, and noticed the sweat trickling over his brow. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his irritation. Coming so late to this, he lacked the control those who'd grown up with the techniques could manage. He couldn't safely assume the full wolf form without the rage taking over, let alone manage the more useful hybrid stage. His lack of control made him a liability on intensive combat missions, so he'd found himself limited to investigative jobs. Which held a certain interest, but he felt he should be doing more.

Stretching his back and neck, he turned as the door opened. The sounds of the pubic part of the gym drifted through the door. Ostensibly serving the nearby financial district, the clan owned the gym. At least a third of the floor space was restricted for their use, either single exercise rooms like this, or larger ones for group combat training.

Recognising his uncle's barely discernible tread before he saw him, Jason stood, coming to attention.

'Jason.' Robert Miller came to a stop before the practice mats. He exchanged a cursory nod with the trainer seated off to Jason's side, the taser at hand as he supervised the exercise.

Jason no longer found himself put off by the presence as he initially had. Everyone had to have a supervisor when learning the control exercises, and he found the presence eased his concerns that he'd lose control. The anxiety made control harder, so after the first few sessions the supervisor had become a reassuring safety net.

Robert focussed his attention on Jason, a quick glance seeming to take in how the session had gone. 'I've got a job for you. It's urgent, so you'll have to cut short the session.'

Jason nodded. 'Should I grab a quick shower first or do you want to brief me here?'

'Get cleaned up and presentable, but don't take too long. I've a car with me and I'll brief you on the way. I'll wait outside.'

Wasting little time, Jason soon got in the car with his uncle. Robert was head of the Hunt, the unit the clan' assigned to police themselves and hunt any vampires who acted against them.

Robert pulled into traffic before speaking. 'Have you heard about Councillor Nicholas Reilly?'

'I heard he's dead. There's a rumour he was murdered. Someone said a vamp, but it didn't sound like they knew anything.'

'He was found dead early this morning. It looks like murder. Nothing I'm aware of to indicate vampires, so don't go repeating the rumour. Since you'll be investigating, you keep any information between us.'

Jason nodded. 'Will it just be me?'

'You'll be lead,' said Robert. Something about his tone gave Jason pause, but he didn't get a chance to question it.' What do you know about Reilly?'

'He was a councillor. And a businessman. Ran some of the clan companies. That's about it, I think. I don't know that I've ever met him.'

'Probably not. He was heavily involved in the peace talks.'

Robert glanced at him as he said this, probably looking for a reaction. While not happy the council even entertained the idea of making peace with the vampires, Jason avoided showing it.

'Peace talks in which the council are heavily invested,' said Robert. 'And which they wish to see continue. So this murder is politically charged, and needs to be resolved quickly. Hopefully without spreading rumours of vampire involvement.'

'If it turns out there's vampire involvement?'

Robert exhaled slowly. 'We'll deal with that when it occurs, but I need you approaching the case with an open mind. Don't go in looking for a vampire killer.' He pulled a folder from beside his seat and handed it over.

Taking it, Jason scanned the contents.

He felt his uncle's gaze still lingering, and knew he was considering his choice. Given Jason's newness, that he was being assigned to something so high profile was incongruous. He was good at his job despite his limited experience, but it seemed likely his newness was viewed as an advantage. Maybe his lack of longstanding enmities made him more acceptable.

Not that he didn't hate vampires. Then again, few members of the Hunt didn't.

Robert's tone when he continued was guarded, delivering bad news. 'Due to the political situation, you'll have to work with an agent from the other side.'

Jason's avoided reacting too loudly, but couldn't keep an edge of incredulity form his voice. 'You mean a vampire?'

'Yes.'

'Why? If it has nothing to do with...'

'Because the councils have decided this investigation deserves close scrutiny, due to the explosive effect rumours could have if allowed free rein. We don't need premature retaliatory strikes setting off another war, so the situation is to be closely supervised.'

Jason made sure his response was calm. 'Who am I working with? Someone from the Order?'

'Not sure, but I don't think so. They're just there to observe. I suspect the Order'll have someone conducting their own investigation out of sight. If the killer turns out to be one of them, they'll hope to get to them first.'

'Assuming their council isn't behind it.'

'Assuming that, yes,' said Robert. 'Still, working with them means we get access to their assets in the police. We'll get their findings quickly, and they'll be prompted to treat this as a priority case. We'll also get access to the murder scene.'

Jason looked back to the file in his hands. 'Do we know if he had business enemies outside the communities?'

'None that I know of. I'll debrief the senior staff, and let you know if that raises anything. He did have a loud disagreement with an associate yesterday morning. Leonard Markham, the Director of Acquisitions and Mergers at the company. I've got him available for questioning, along with Reilly's secretary, Michelle Grant. They're both of the clan.'

'And we're willing to let the vampires learn what they know,' said Jason. 'If only to give the impression of cooperation.'

'If any other staff know anything related to the case we'll share, but otherwise there's no need to offer up all our secrets.'

The politics of the situation already irritated Jason. 'Do we have anything else on Markham?'

'Nothing of note. What we have is in the back,' he nodded at the file. 'I've skimmed it and nothing seems relevant. I'll have people look into him, if you think it worth it after speaking to him.'

Jason nodded, without looking up. 'Am I just investigating for PR purposes?'

'No, you're the lead. Consider this freeing up your time for the main avenues of investigation. I can assign manpower to areas you want looked at.'

'Why me? For something this high profile wouldn't you be better assigning someone more experienced?'

'You're a good investigator. Apart from which you're diplomatic...'

'Diplomatic?'

'Poker-faced may be a better description. You can keep your cool and hide your feelings, and you're more even-tempered than some. Since this investigation could lead into either community, I need someone who can work it without treading on too many toes. Discreet investigations aren't what we're used to.'

Jason said nothing. He could see the reasoning, even if he didn't agree with it. 'What about Reilly's personal life? Anything not covered by this?' He held up the file.

'Single, no long-term relationships, but he enjoyed socialising, and being seen out and about at the big events and popular clubs.'

Glancing at the streets, Jason realised they were going the wrong way. 'I thought he was murdered at home?'

'He was. The police are all over it at the moment. Since that's where any forensic evidence would be, it was decided to let their people get what they can from it first.'

'Decided by the vampire council?'

Robert gave a reluctant nod. 'They argued for it, and it was decided it'd make things easier.'

'So by the time we get there, any scent the

Reviews for To Hunt Monsters

[darcia_10 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have to admit that I'd been suffering vampire burnout. Gareth Lewis changed that for me. To Hunt Monsters is much more than an ordinary vampire and/or werewolf novel. This book has mystery, action, suspense, drama and a tinge of romance. The plot unravels in a world dealing with overt prejudices and blind allegiance. The hero is far from infallible and his faults and insecurities made me love him more. This is a well written, fast-paced book that kept me interested from beginning to end.