Lady Jessica, Monster Hunter: Episode 2: Troubling Times

By Keith Dumble

England, 1889.

Lady Jessica McAlpin is the commander of The Black Diamonds, the Great British Empire's covert monster-hunting division.

With her crew of criminals, misfits and desperadoes, Lady Jessica soars above the land in the airship HMS Zephyr, tracking down the diabolical foes of the Empire.

The Black Diamonds are called to investigate a strange haunting at Priory Manor, the country estate of Major Carruthers. They uncover intrigue, danger and mystery: not least the fact the Major is being plagued by the ghost of himself...

Troubling Times is the second episode in a series of action and character driven steampunk adventures featuring Lady Jessica and The Black Diamonds.

Short in length, each episode is designed to be standalone: though they are linked by an overall story arc which will develop as the six-episode 'season' progresses.

Lady Jessica will return in Episode 3: Dark Waters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Keith Dumble
• Release date: Jan 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310632587

Keith Dumble

I am a writer from Edinburgh, Scotland.I write history, mystery and speculative fiction, focusing on the sci-fi and fantasy genres. As an indie author, I regularly publish short stories, serials, novellas and longer works of fiction on the main e-book platforms.

Book preview

Lady Jessica: Monster Hunter

Episode 2: Troubling Times

by Keith Dumble

Copyright © 2014 by Keith Dumble. All rights reserved.

Cover copyright © 2014 by Keith Dumble.

www.mcalpinpress.com

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Reproduction in whole or in part of this publication without express written consent is strictly prohibited.

Thank you for purchasing and supporting my work. If you have enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review wherever you bought this book.

Keep up to date with the ongoing adventures of The Black Diamonds at

www.ladyjessicamonsterhunter.com

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

LADY JESSICA: MONSTER HUNTER

CHAPTER ONE

Leaving the Capital

The skies over Sussex, 1898

THOUGH LONDON WAS far behind her, she still felt its choking grip.

Something about their last mission had seemed wrong. Jessica couldn't say exactly what, but the thought troubled her, like a dull ache from a long forgotten wound. Whatever the reason, she was glad to be airborne again.

She watched the countryside slip past below. The day was cloudless with only a light breeze; the drone of the Zephyr's propellors was almost deafening. Nevertheless, little could affect Jessica when she was here, soaring hundreds of feet above the earth. Here, close to heaven itself, she felt immortal.

'Not far now.' Flint stood at her side, peering ahead through his tinted monocle. 'I can see the house, about twenty miles away.'

'Your eyesight certainly has improved, William.'

'Thanks to that vampyre bitch. I suppose everything has a positive, Jessica.'

'And you are still feeling well?'

'I actually feel better now than I have in years.' Flint reached across to the bulwark, lifting the Gatling from its casing with one hand. 'See? Strong as an ox.'

'And with almost as much intelligence, I'll wager.'

'Brains are more Cottingley's department. Give me superhuman strength and the ability to spot a sparrow from three hundred miles away any day of the week.'

'Ma'am?' The navigator's voice crackled from the brass mouthpiece.

'Yes, Atsu?'

'Ten minutes to our destination. I shall instruct Thomas to initiate the landing procedure.'

'Thank you. Out.' Jessica made a small adjustment to the steering wheel. Atsu was learning fast. She was The Black Diamonds' most recent recruit, and had already proven herself to be not only an expert navigator, but a brave and loyal addition to the crew. The girl's ability to sense what others were thinking was practically a bonus.

'I think you may want to see this, Jessica.' Flint handed her a brass telescope, extended to three feet in length. She placed it in the notch on the prow and swivelled it towards where Flint was pointing.

'Any idea what that might be?' he said.

Jessica was accustomed to sharing the airways with others. From the small pleasure cruisers piloted by rich ladies and gentlemen to the mighty warships of the Empire's Armada, the skies above the United Kingdom were filled with ships of all shapes and sizes. She often thought there must be more people in the air than in the cities and towns below.

The object she was looking at was not one she recognised, however. Little more than a speck in the distance, its flight was unlike anything she had ever seen. Whereas most craft flew in steady, predictable paths, this was swooping high and low, flying in graceful arcs through the sky.

'What is it?' She felt like a child again, holding her father's hand and gazing up at the first airship she'd ever seen.

'No idea,' said Flint. 'I can't make it out.'

'The way it soars, William. It's as if it was born in the air. It's beautiful.'

'Until we know what it is, it's dangerous if you ask me.'

'You think it may be a beast?' Jessica found that hard to believe. The Queen's Guard possessed a pair of griffons, presented as a gift from the Ottomans, but they were seldom allowed to fly. They were only granted their freedom on special state occasions, and even then they were tethered by thick metal chains and flanked by gunships.

'There are none capable of flight, at least not in England.'

'Then what is it, William?' The object was smaller now, tracing an effortless spiral through the air as it reduced altitude.

'Some new-fangled machine, I'll bet. The laboratories in London are constantly churning out things we never get to hear about.'

'I'm not so sure. No machine would be capable of such manoeuvres.' She watched as the object disappeared from sight. 'It has gone, William.'

'Then I suppose we will never know its identity. Had we not best prepare for landing?'

'You are right, William. We have a duty to uphold the safety of the Empire, after all.'

'Bugger that. We have a duty to strap ourselves in so we don't get sent sprawling by this ramshackle old ship's attempts to get us back to earth in one piece.'

'I heard that,' said the Zephyr, her voice sounding in dire need of an oiling. 'But, as someone of far better breeding than you, Mr Flint, I shall choose to ignore it.'

Flint made a rude gesture towards the Figurehead at the prow of the airship. 'Apologies, old girl. I meant no offence. As I've said before, I hope I'm able to get certain parts of myself airborne as easily as you when I get to your age.'

Jessica sighed, then followed Flint below deck. The safety of the Empire was in their hands.

It was a wonder it hadn't been overrun by demons months ago.

CHAPTER TWO

The Landing

'COME ON, ZED, you can do it.' Tommy's tone was soothing.

'I'm doing my best, Master Pike.' The Zephyr, on the other