The Detective Games: #2: Beyond Chivalry

By Zechariah Barrett

Join Detectives Leor and Jean as they journey through France by helicopter – seeing the beauty of the land and listening to the sound of an accordion, fading into the night. Peaceful as it is, they quickly find that France is home not only to love and lights, but to peril. The detectives visit Giverny and coincidentally disrupt a diamond heist. They visit Paris, but there's a maniacal man waiting at the Notre Dame. In Ireland, Detectives Joe and Aedus hunt down their enemy, but they don't realize the traitor in their midst. The Detective Games continue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zechariah Barrett
• Release date: Jul 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310251245

Zechariah Barrett

About the AuthorIn the heart of the midwest, we're surrounded by cornfields, soybean crops, and wheat galore. The prairie is tranquil. Dreamlike.Yet I've always had a great desire to travel the world. The prairie is home, and much of the world can seem so alien in comparison. Being far from the ocean, I was awestruck the first time I took a plane overseas and when I walked along the shores of the Emerald Isles. It was so beautiful and refreshing. I've wanted to see more. I've wanted to see as much of the world as I can.This desire to travel has often been coupled with two of my other greatest desires: to write and to be part of something greater than myself. I love to write, because even when I can't travel, a world can be created with just a pen and some paper.The concept of the Detective Games series, for example, was something that really excited me, because of how diverse it could be. I envisioned detectives all across the globe, traversing exotic locales, and with thrilling cases to be solved.With the desire to be a part of something greater than myself, I'm driven to make a difference in the world through writing, charity, and through the day to day of life. As my writing career expands, I'll be taking an active role in charitable causes and investing in those things which make way for a better tomorrow.It's a privilege to have this community of readers. Thank you.

Book preview

The Detective Games

#2 - Beyond Chivalry

Zechariah Barrett

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2015 Zechariah Barrett

License Notes

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Chapter 1: A Diamond from the Sky

The Butlers’ house, situated on the coast of eastern Ireland, had been left unattended for a couple of weeks. Tonight, however, there was a stirring on the grounds. A detective had arrived only a half hour before, to investigate the current owner of the house, Aedus Butler. Closely trailing him was a group of mercenaries, who had expected to eliminate the detective rather easily. They didn’t know that the owner and his friend had returned that afternoon.

Aedus wiped his sword clean, and placed it back on its stand. He then accepted his gun from the man next to him.

What's the gun for? the man asked.

There's one left, and he's a marksman. Aedus checked his ammo, and then held the gun up as if to fire it. She's all set. 

And you're going to take on a marksman with a handgun? 

Yes, detective. Now how about you dance around and get him to take aim? 

Joe moved his feet, as if starting a jig. Like polka? 

Aedus laughed. I was thinking tango.

I was thinking salsa.

The two men turned around to face the person who had spoken, a woman named Rose.

Salsa? Joe doing the salsa? Aedus laughed hard until he was out of breath. That’s hi—

Suddenly, Aedus dropped to the ground, and rolled to the side. Where his head had been, there was now a bullet hole. I just refinished that wall! Aedus cried. From his position on the floor, he fired off a few rounds through the banisters, causing a hail of splintered wood. Aedus smirked, That needed replacing, anyway. There was a thump, a click, and the sound of footsteps running across the floorboards.

Our marksman is on the move! Aedus called out. You two get out of the way.

Joe and Rose each drew their own weapons. No, they echoed. I’m staying here.

Rose looked over at Joe and smiled.

The group formed up and proceeded down the hall, each watching at a different angle.

The police should be here soon, Aedus murmured.

Joe looked down the stairwell as they passed by, and then towards the dining room ahead. It hadn’t been terribly long since he had been in this sort of situation. The last time had been three years ago, when he was on a joint investigation with Detective Leor. They had been up against a single armed man in a shabby old mansion. The trouble was, Leor was a terrible shot. He could hardly hit a target three feet in front of him. Perhaps that was because of his kind disposition. Whenever he pulled the trigger, he considered who was on the receiving end. That was dangerous reasoning in a firefight.

Joe grunted. He had been guilty of the same disposition. However, when it had come to their case, he wasn’t able to pull the trigger, and as a result… as a result… Joe shook off the thought. My focus must be on the case at hand. That’s what Sherlock would do. About three days ago he had met with Leor again. They discussed some loose ends from their prior case, regarding suspected tampering. They had concluded that an organization called The Order, involved at some level of government, may have either attempted to cover up certain details of the case, or possibly motivated the murderer.

Joe had suspected Aedus of having membership in The Order, and Leor followed his own leads, each determining that they would solve the mystery before the other. Joe wondered how far Leor had progressed. What leads could he have failed to