The Adventures of Lazarus Gray Volume 5

By Barry Reese

The Winds of Change Blow for Everyone...Even Lazarus Gray.
THE ADVENTURES OF LAZARUS GRAY VOLUME FIVE by Barry Reese continues the tale of the man once without identity and now filled only with purpose! Forming an alliance with other lost souls, Gray and his team stand as Assistance Unlimited and now face their greatest threats ever!
Thrill along with Gray and Assistance Unlimited as they face new dangers, battle old foes, and even cross paths with Ron Fortier’s mysterious undead avenger—Brother Bones!
And Lazarus Gray begins the greatest adventure of his life, one that will change everything...
Also Included is SECRETS OF THE DEAD, a comic strip origin sequence by Reese and artist George Sellas.
Prepare yourself for the unexpected as you return to Sovereign City and THE ADVENTURES OF LAZARUS GRAY, from Reese Unlimited and Pro Se Productions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pro Se Press
• Release date: May 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311309082

Book preview

by Barry Reese

Published by Pro Se Press

Part of the Reese Unlimited imprint

This book is a work of fiction. All of the characters in this publication are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. No part or whole of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing of the publisher.

Copyright © 2015 Barry Reese

All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Secrets of the Dead

The Felonious Financier

Shadows and Phantoms

Stare of The Basilisk

Immortals

Wedding Bells

Timeline of the Reese Unlimited Universe

About the Author

The Felonious Financier

An Adventure Starring Lazarus Gray & Assistance Unlimited

By Barry Reese

Chapter I

The Players Take the Stage

1937 – Sovereign City

The blood that splattered onto the pavement quickly mixed with the rainwater, rushing down the storm drain and vanishing from sight.

Nicholas Camby was on hands and knees, his life running out from a wound in his throat. His vision was swimming but he could see his reflection in the glossy black shoes of the man who had wounded him. Those shoes were directly beneath Camby’s heaving face and he couldn’t help but try to bleed on them just a little. That’d show the bastard, he mused.

Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating the grisly scene that was taking place in the dark alleyway. Paul Grisamore – known far and wide in the underworld as Pauly – cupped his hands together as he lit a cigarette. After shaking out the match and tossing it away, he took a long drag and stared down at Camby. Rainwater dripped steadily from the brim of his hat, splattering on the injured man’s head.

I’m gonna ask you one last time: Where’s the map?

Camby coughed, blood dripping from his neck. In a hoarse voice, he answered, Nowhere you’re ever gonna find it, you bastard.

That’s ain’t nice, Pauly replied. Not at all. Kneeling in front of the other man, Pauly said, Look. Between you and me, this situation ain’t completely broken yet. We had a spat, you and me. It happens. But the boss… he don’t understand these kinds of things. He gets real funny when it looks like somebody’s tryin’ to pull somethin’ over on him. So I gotta get the map back for him, ya understand?

Assistance… Unlimited….

Pauly leaned in closer. What’s that?

Gray, Camby hissed, swaying. He fell forward and Pauly jumped out of the way, lest blood end up on his fine suit.

Pauly cursed and kicked Camby in the head, ruining both his shoes and his pants leg. He had waited too long and allowed the other man to lose too much blood. The only way to save him would be to take him to the hospital and that wasn’t going to happen.

What had Camby meant? Had he sent the map to Lazarus Gray? Was the leader of Assistance Unlimited aware of the importance attached to the gems?

In the end, there was only one thing to do.

Pauly was going to have to get back the map, even if it meant going toe-to-toe with Sovereign City’s most famous defender. If it came to it, Lazarus Gray was going to end up just like Camby – face down in the gutter.

*****

The headquarters of Assistance Unlimited was located at 6196 Robeson Avenue. Lazarus Gray had purchased all three of the buildings that lay on this city block, transforming what had once been an unassuming neighborhood into the beating heart of his enterprise. The centerpiece of his holdings was a three-story structure that had once been a hotel. Gray’s three associates used the first floor, while the second had been gutted and converted into one large room that was used for meetings, briefings and research. The third floor was off-limits to everyone but Gray himself and was his private domicile.

Across the street were several storefronts owned by Lazarus, all of which had closed down at the dawn of the Great Depression.

On this particular evening, the building was mostly quiet, with only a few lights illuminating the cavernous interior. Lazarus was seated in the team’s briefing room, a tattered piece of paper spread over the surface of an oversized table. It was held down on each corner by heavy knickknacks that he’d accumulated since his arrival in Sovereign City: a small fertility statue, an urn containing the dusty remains of the undying Egyptian Princess named Femi, a reproduction of a jewel that had been dubbed The Devil’s Eyepiece and a scale model of Thunder Jim Wade’s famed Thunderbug vehicle.

The only person with him was Kelly Emerson, who was sitting very closely beside him. One of her slim hands was resting on his shoulder, her eyes intent on the map before them.

In Sovereign City, she was often dismissed as the museum curator’s daughter, but she was in fact a much more impressive figure than that would suggest. A graduate of Sovereign University, Kelly held doctorates in archaeology and anthropology. She stood nearly six feet tall and possessed flowing red hair. Her size and beauty were reminiscent of a modern Amazon, with enough curves to unsettle even the most ardent of playboys. Her glittering green eyes and full lips had warmed Gray’s heart when he’d first met her and their love affair had been the talk of the town. It hadn’t lasted very long and was, in fact, best described as a fling… but the passion had burned so brightly that it had threatened to consume the both of them. In recent months, Lazarus had given in to his lingering feelings for her, reaching out to tentatively renew their relationship. She’d helped him out on a number of adventures, most notably the Die Glocke affair and his various encounters with The Darkling. Not an official member of Assistance Unlimited, she was in an ever-growing ring of allies and occasional employees, like Doctor Hancock, Abby Cross and the vigilante known as Eidolon.

What do you think? Lazarus asked.

Well, it’s quite a find, I’ll grant you that. How did you come across it?

A man named Nicholas Camby had drinks with Morgan the other night. They had ties back in Morgan’s mob days. Camby told him that he had something that he wanted passed on to me.

He just gave this to you? Kelly asked in shock. There’s got to be more to it than that! If he’d looked at this, he’d have known how valuable it might be.

Might being the operative word, Lazarus pointed out. Besides, Camby probably doesn’t have the wherewithal to mount an expedition like this. I can only assume that he believes I’d share in whatever bounty the map might bring in. If it turns out to be nothing, he’s invested nothing substantial in the search.

That makes sense, she conceded. But you’re saying you haven’t talked to him at all? I’d want to know where he got it from, for one thing.

I’ve tried but he seems to have vanished. His landlord says he hasn’t been home in a couple of days. Morgan put the word out on the street that he wants to hear from him. Hopefully one of his contacts will come through.

Kelly stood up, arching her back as she stretched. She wore a white blouse and navy skirt, both of which hugged her figure. Reaching up to massage the back of her neck, she said, I’m exhausted, Lazarus. A hard day at the museum has wiped me out. Her eyes fell over the urn that contained Femi’s ashes. Can’t believe you haven’t dumped those into the fireplace.

If I know where her remains are, I can feel safe that she’s not going to be revived again.

Kelly shook her head, not quite understanding. If it were up to her, she would have gone out of her way to destroy the undead witch. She had never forgiven her for the role she’d played in Kelly’s kidnapping and torture during the Die Glocke adventure. Do you feel like grabbing a bite to eat? Donatello’s kitchen is open until midnight.

Lazarus started to automatically decline but caught himself. He was notorious for working himself to exhaustion, not giving up on a case until he had all the questions thoroughly answered. But Samantha had been riding him about making a more honest attempt at a relationship with Kelly and he thought her ideas had merit.

To Kelly’s obvious surprise, Lazarus stood up and gave a brief, fleeting smile. I’d love to, he said.

*****

The two stepped from the room, hands interlinked. The map that they left behind fluttered in the breeze created by the opening of the door, knocking the model replica of the Thunderbug to the floor.

Had anyone remained behind, they might have seen the yellowed paper, covered as it was by hand-drawn black lines, and wondered what it was that had so captivated Lazarus Gray and Kelly Emerson. The map was of the Sovereign Harbor and the small islands that lay just beyond the coast: Helfer Cove and the dramatically named Skull Shoals.

The words scrawled on the lower right of the map, partially obscured by the stored remains of Femi, would have provided the best clue: Site of Hendrik Van der Decken’s Treasure.

As any schoolchild in Sovereign could have told you, Van der Decken¹ was one of the most terrible pirates to have ever sailed the seven seas. During his lifetime, he had raped and plundered his name into infamy. So great were his sins that he was eventually cursed to wander the seven seas for all eternity, never allowed the peace that came with death. The crew of his damned vessel, The Lucky Seven, was condemned alongside him, serving him throughout eternity.

Equally famous was his treasure horde. It was said that its value was more than enough to buy a nation many times over – but Van der Decken had continued to ply his trade as a pirate because he enjoyed the killing. According to legend, Van der Decken had split the treasure in two, hiding the bulk of it on an island hidden somewhere off the Coast of Sumatra. The rest was placed on Skull Shoals, though none knew exactly where. Reportedly, many attempts had been made to scour the small island but no trace of gold had ever been found.

Of course, no one had ever possessed Van der Decken’s map, drawn by his own hand….

Until now.

*****

She was a dangerous woman, with killer curves and a smile that made men weak in the knees.

Samantha Grace was dressed to impress, wearing a little black dress with a plunging neckline. High-heeled pumps that emphasized the sway of her hips with every step helped draw attention to her stocking-clad legs.

Blonde and blue-eyed, Samantha looked like a Nordic dream. She exuded just the right mix of flirtatiousness and demureness to keep all of her suitors intrigued and it was obvious that she was the most popular figure at the party, which was being held at the Sovereign Ballroom.

Morgan Watts sat alone in the corner of the grand room, nursing a scotch on the rocks. Like every other man, his eyes were fastened to Samantha’s every move. He knew that she was beginning to lose interest in the festivities. The light shining in her eyes was beginning to dim as she realized that none of these men were her equal in intelligence. She was fluent in a handful of languages and had traveled the breadth of the globe multiple times.

Once, not all that long ago, Morgan had carried a brightly burning torch for the young beauty. But he was nearly twenty years her senior and, he was forced to admit, he wasn’t any more capable of truly carrying on a lengthy conversation with her than the rest of these brutes.

Having had his hopes for a love affair dashed, Morgan had retreated to the proper stage of viewing her as a little sister.

Still, there were times – like tonight – when she was simply too lovely to maintain entirely familial affection towards.

You realize you’re practically undressing her with your eyes?

Morgan took another sip of his scotch and ignored the man who had spoken. It was Eun Jiwon, the final member of Assistance Unlimited and probably one of the few men in Sovereign who was immune to Samantha’s charms. That was because Eun preferred the company of other men. His boyfriend was present at the party, too, though he’d ended up becoming embroiled over an argument about the Sovereign baseball team’s chances in the pennant race, leaving Eun to his own devices.

The young Korean stepped in front of Morgan, blocking his view. Like all the males in attendance, Eun was dressed in a suit and tie. The look seemed out of place on him, Morgan thought. Eun usually looked like a street tough, which was what he really was. The son of a grocer who had fallen prey to a protection racket, Eun had been forced to become a vigilante to defend his family. That had led him to the attention of Lazarus, who found the young man’s martial arts skills to be worthy of respect.

Are you listening to me or have you drunk yourself into such a stupor that you can no longer hear?

Morgan sighed loudly and gestured to one of the empty chairs at his table. Sit down.

Eun grunted and grabbed a chair, sitting in it backwards so that he could continue facing his friend. Tell me again why you didn’t bring a date?

You brought a date and you’re still alone, Morgan pointed out.

Edward’s enjoying himself. There’s nothing wrong with that.

I’m enjoying myself, too.

You look like you’re halfway to passing out.

Morgan adjusted his tie and sat up straight. Always priding himself on his dapper appearance, he smoothed out his pencil-thin moustache and then stared hard at Eun, lowering his voice, I can handle my liquor. You’ve never seen me drunk and you never will.

Eun looked over his shoulder, noticing that Samantha was headed to the ladies’ room, with a bevy of friends in tow. Most of them were really just acquaintances since, like everyone in Assistance Unlimited, Samantha had trouble finding kindred spirits who could understand the life she led. Samantha’s role in the team included being a resource on the ins and outs of society life, however, so she was forced to cultivate these superficial friendships.

I thought you’d moved on from this, Eun muttered.

From what?

Her.

I’m just looking out for her. Lots of sharks in these waters.

Please. She’s like a living harpoon. Any man dumb enough to mess with her would get a swift kick to the privates – if he was lucky. Eun turned his attention back to Morgan, noting the dark circles under his eyes and the way he kept tapping his fingers on the tabletop. This isn’t really about Samantha at all, is it? he asked.

Are you Sigmund Freud all of a sudden? You’re supposed to be good at hitting people not psychoanalyzing them.

Eun chuckled, knowing that Morgan was just trying to push his buttons. We’re friends, old man. Tell me what’s eating you.

Morgan sighed, hanging his head. Camby’s dead.

Who?

Nicholas Camby. An old buddy of mine. A few days ago, he called me out of the blue and gave me this map that he wanted me to pass on to Lazarus. After that, he vanished. About an hour ago, I heard from Inspector Cord that Camby had been found in an alley, his throat cut.

I’m sorry.

Me, too. He was a good guy… Well, let me rephrase that. He was a thief and a liar. He swindled money from broads old enough to be his mother and then he blew it all on prostitutes and booze. Despite all that, though, he was a standup guy when it came to his friends.

Let’s dump this joint, then. We can head to the crime scene and start investigating on our own.

It’s my fault he’s dead, Morgan muttered. He snatched up his scotch and drained the last of it, pulling a face as he did so. He set the glass back down with a loud clunk.

What are you talking about?

Last time I saw him, I knew something was wrong but he wouldn’t talk about it. So I let him walk away. I should have insisted he come back to HQ with me. He’d still be here if I had.

You don’t know that.

Morgan stood up, swaying somewhat. You’re right about one thing – I should go investigate this mess.

Not in your condition, Eun said, rising quickly. He reached out and grabbed hold of Morgan’s arm, steadying him. He spotted Samantha returning to the party and he gave a quick signal with one of his hands, summoning her to them.

By the time she’d reached the two men, she’d obviously surmised that Morgan was a bit tipsy. Shall I drive him home? she asked, assuming that Eun would be leaving with Edward.

I’m fine, Morgan slurred.

Eun ignored his outburst. "A friend of Morgan’s was murdered earlier tonight. Would you