Town Lore: Hunters for Hire, #2

By Jonathan Yanez

His last hunting job came with a price.
Now, its toll is making him less than human.

While John Hunter isn't bad at this whole monster-hunting thing, he's still learning the ropes of leading a team along with Shannon Van Helsing and Evan, his vampire best friend.

Events soon turn deadly as Hunters for Hire is contracted to solve a case so twisted and mysterious, it makes every conspiracy theory you've heard of sound like just another episode of Golden Girls.

But crossings paths with this Fallen angel bent on unleashing an ancient archdemon is soon par for the course for a Tuesday. As they close in on the case, a rival monster-hunting faction threatens to derail their efforts.

If Jonny can keep his head in the game and not on the mysterious dark-haired hunter, then the team may be able to stop a power-hungry madman from sacrificing an innocent girl.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jonathan Yanez
• Release date: Aug 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223812326

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Previously in the Hunters for Hire Universe…

John Hunter was your typical struggling model in downtown Los Angeles. He was content paying his dues, picking up the odd jobs where he could, and attending casting calls.

When Evan, his roommate, turns out to be a vampire, and a hunter of the supernatural named Shannon moves into his apartment complex, things take a turn for the weird.

Soon John discovers monster hunting pays well, very well. Sign twirling doesn’t have anything on tracking down the supernatural.

Guided by a Watcher from the Court and his two best friends, John takes on a coven of vampires. Tracy, his former fiancée, is turned into one of these vampires and joins the coven. During the final battle, she flees, and John decides not to give chase.

One of the two Watchers from the Court, Michael, has agreed to train John and Shannon. But it seems Michael has a past of his own that haunts him.

When the coven of vampires is destroyed, Evan has the bright idea to start their own monster-hunting company called Hunters for Hire…

ONE

Run! Run, just run! Shannon yelled, streaking from the back of the house.

Panic seized at my heart as my eyes moved from Shannon to the dark house she just bolted from. Adrenaline rushed through my body like water in a fire hose.

What, what is it? I asked, practically jumping. Why are we running?

I was wrong, Shannon gasped. Reaching me, she grabbed my black duffle bag and continued heading deeper into the massive backyard. The salt, do you have the blessed salt?

I still wasn’t positive what we were running from, but if it had Shannon in this much of a state, I was pretty sure I didn’t want to meet it.

Yeah, in the bag, I said, running alongside Shannon while looking over my shoulder. I still didn’t see anything coming out of the back door.

My lungs burned as we headed around the estate’s pool. Cardio; why did it always have to come full circle back to cardio?

Shannon slid to a stop on the other side of the pool. She threw the duffle bag down and ripped open the zipper, searching for the salt.

Extra rounds, zip ties, hand grenade, Shannon said, throwing the items in the bag over her shoulder as she searched for the salt. Jonny, is this underwear?

I tore my eyes away from the back door to see Shannon picking up a pair of my tighty whities. Just in case. Don’t judge me. Be careful with the grenades. Don’t throw them around like that.

Awww, here it is, blessed salt, Shannon said, grabbing the smaller plastic bag inside the black duffle.

So do you want to tell me what’s going on? I asked, still panicked. I thought you said it was a—

A scream came from the house so high-pitched and intense, I thought for sure my eardrums were going to blow out.

I clamped my hands over my ears and looked back at the house. A spirit or a ghost or whatever you want to call something that you could see through and floated, wafted from the rear of the house.

Shannon, I said, swallowing hard. I’m going to need that underwear.

One hour before…

When we get inside, let me do the talking, Shannon said, clearing her throat and rolling her shoulders back. Remember, the less we tell them about what’s really going on, the better.

Right, right, I said as we stood in front of the house’s front door. It was after dinner and I found myself at the next contracted job Evan booked for us. Apparently, a family was having an issue they couldn’t explain and reached out for help.

Judging by the size of the house, however, the family made money; they were doing well. A long driveway led up to double doors on a two-story building in a well-to-do neighborhood.

Shannon rapped on the door.

We both held our black duffle bags of gear beside us. Early on, we discovered that it didn’t send the best message showing up armed to the teeth. One of our first jobs, we made that mistake and nearly gave the poor woman a heart attack when she saw Shannon pull out her katana.

The door opened and a clean-shaven middle-aged man in a suit greeted us.

Oh, you must be them, he said with a genuine smile. I wasn’t sure who to expect. I’m not really sure what’s going on, you see. My wife didn’t want me to call, but nothing else we’ve tried has worked.

I was getting used to the awkward stares, the bumbling welcomes, and explanations. I mean, no one in their right mind would think they had a monster in their house, much less look on the internet to hire hunters to kill or remove said monster.

It’s all right; we’re here now, Shannon said, motioning with her chin deeper inside the house. May we come in?

Yes, yes, of course, the man said, waving us in. He extended a hand. I’m being rude. My name is Jacob."

Shannon shook the man’s hand as he hid a wince.

My, such a strong handshake you have there, he said with a forced smile.

Shannon just grinned.

I shook his hand next as he showed us inside.

I’m not really sure what qualified as a mansion, but I was sure I could fit a hundred of my apartments in this house. A massive staircase started on the other side of the front room with halls leading off deeper into the house on either side.

Jacob showed us to the hall on the right, where a living room area with a fireplace and sofas that looked like they’d never been used before greeted us.

Nice place, Shannon said, going over and staring at a painting on the wall. Is this a Pollock?

I had no idea what or who Pollock was. It looked like a canvas with a lot of red paint spattered around the fabric.

Yes, yes, in fact it is, Jacob said, taking a step back and looking at Shannon with newfound respect. I see you appreciate the arts.

I don’t have much time to paint anymore, but it’s a hobby I enjoyed in my formative years, Shannon said, taking a seat on one of the couches.

Yes, please, please take a seat, Jacob said, motioning to the couches with open arms. I’ll just go and get my wife and son.

Close your mouth, Shannon said, not looking at me at all. Instead, she stretched her arms over the back of the couch and leaned her head back, staring at the ceiling.

Since when did you get all cultured? I asked, taking a seat next to her. You never told me you painted.

I used to paint, Shannon shared with a shrug. Not a big deal. I was a teenager back then. Besides, you’ve known me for all of what? Four months now? We’re still finding out things about each other.

I guess you’re right, I said, drumming the tips of my fingers on my right knee. Even though we own a business together now, we’re still relatively new friends. Crazy to think how much can change in the course of a few months.

Don’t do it, Shannon said, shaking her head. She leaned over and started going through her duffle bag.

Don’t do what? I asked.

You know, don’t get all emotional on me right now, Shannon said, looking over at me with a raised eyebrow. About how far we’ve come and the friends we’ve made.

I wasn’t going to do that, I lied. No, not me. Why would I do that right now? So unprofessional.

You also talk a lot while you’re lying, Shannon said, removing a blade from her bag, checking the edge and then placing it back inside. You should work on that.

I was about to tell her how wrong she was. I was a great liar as far as I knew. I never got the chance, as Jacob returned with his family. A curvy middle-aged woman with short hair and pearl earrings forced a smile at us. Between the parents was their young son, no more than six or seven.

I didn’t really have a lot of experience with guessing kids’ ages, but he looked like he was the right size to be into video games and cartoons.

Shannon, John, Jacob said, introducing his family. This is my wife Heather and my son Jacob Jr.

It’s nice to meet the two of you, Heather said with another of those forced smiles. Actually, I think she had work done on her face; her eyes didn’t move when she smiled and her lips looked so large, they might pop.

Hello, Jr. said.

Hi, Shannon and I both said as we rose from our seats on the couch and shook Heather’s hand.

So how do we begin? Jacob asked as he and his family took a seat on the couch opposite us. A coffee table between us separated the two couches. We’ve never had to do anything like this before.

Right, Shannon said, steering the conversation in her take-it-by-the-horns kind of way. Evan briefed us on the events going on here, but we’d like to hear it from you, firsthand.

Right, Jacob began, clearing his throat and sitting up straighter in his seat. It started a few weeks ago now. In Jr.’s room. He started hearing a moaning or wailing coming from his closet. Not every night, but most nights. At first, I wrote it off as nightmares, but then Heather and I started hearing the sound as well.

My eyes opened wider as I sat on the edge of my seat. Sure I had faced down vampires, befriended hellhounds, and rubbed shoulders with a witch, but whatever this was didn’t sound like any of that.

You didn’t bring anything new into the house? Shannon questioned. Maybe a new piece of furniture, a painting, a clown doll, or something?

No, Heather stated, shaking her head. We’ve lived here for years without an issue.

It’s a monster in my closet, Jr. said, swallowing hard. I know it is. It only comes out at night while I sleep. I’ve moved into one of the other rooms now. I don’t want to be in there with it.

I don’t blame you, I murmured under my breath.

And have you ever seen it? Shannon asked Jr. Anything you can tell us might be helpful. Did you hear paws on the ground or see red eyes from your closet?

The little boy shook his head, his eyes growing wider.

No, it’s never come out, Jacob answered for his son. We’ve called everyone from the police to our local priest and we are either dismissed or written off as crazy.

Don’t worry, Shannon reassured the family. We don’t think you’re crazy. Trust me, We know the supernatural exist. I’ve decapitated and disemboweled my fair share of vampires. You would not believe the amount of blood—

What Shannon’s trying to say is that we’ve handled things like this before, I cut in as Jr. went pale. We can take care of it.

I’m just glad you called us when you did, Shannon said, rising from her seat. I mean, I’ve been doing a lot of studying on the supernatural over the last few months. You’re lucky it didn’t already kill you or possess you. I’ve been reading about something called a shape-shifter that can—

Shannon, can I have a word with you for a second? I interrupted, standing up and motioning to her to follow me a few steps away near the painting she pointed out earlier. Over here near the Pllomuck.

It’s Pollock, Shannon corrected. She didn’t look pleased about being interrupted, but she walked over to the side with me anyway.

You’re scaring these people to death, I whispered. Look at that kid; he’s going to need therapy after you’re done with him.

We both took a moment to lean over and glance at Jr. The little boy was holding his mother, wide-eyed.

All right, okay. Shannon sighed. I’ve just been diving deep into some grimoires Mrs. Grundy lent me to study up on supernatural beings. Let me tell you, there’s some pretty messed-up stuff in there. I was trying to decipher this one passage. I think I might have called Cthulhu last night.

Please tell me you’re joking, I said, looking back from Jr. to Shannon.

Shannon shook her head.

Great, well, do you trust me to take the lead on this one now? I asked. Let me jump in and at least try to handle this family with kid gloves. I think—"

A wail that felt like an icy finger down my spine drifted to us from the second story.

TWO

The sound was unlike any I had heard before. It was sad maybe at first but ended with a promise of menace. It came once and that was it. My heart beat so hard in my chest, I could hear it in my ears.

I looked over at Shannon. Our eyes met and she motioned with both her hands back to the living area. The stage is all yours.

Right, right, I said, walking back into the living room.

You heard that, right? Jacob asked. That’s it. That’s the sound.

Can you help us? Heather asked, holding her son close.

Yes, of course we’re going to help, I assured, trying to find a way to backtrack from monsters and the supernatural. And who’s to say it’s not a squeaky board or a loose pipe somewhere. Sometimes it’s not what goes bump in the night at all.

I wasn’t fooling anyone here. Still, I had to try. The last thing I wanted was for Heather to be put on a steady stream of medication once she told her shrink about this little incident.

What you’re going to do is go out for a nice dinner, maybe order some appetizers and dessert, I announced, finally coming up with a plan that might work. You’re going to enjoy yourself, splurge a little on the diet plan, and just have family time. Once you get back, we’ll have taken care of the problem.

You think so? Jacob asked. You really think you’ll be able to do it that fast?

Maybe grab a movie while you're out, Shannon added as the wail came once more from somewhere on the second floor. I heard there’s a good one out with the girl who has that magical pet and doesn’t know she’s a princess but along the way finds true love. You know the one.

Okay, Jacob, that sounds nice, Heather said, rising from the couch. We’ll just go out for a night and this will all be over once we’re home. Grab your coat, Jr.

As the family prepared to go, Shannon and I headed up the stairs together.

Nice move, getting them out, Shannon whispered. We wouldn’t want any collateral damage.

Well, I wasn’t exactly thinking that, I said as we crested the last step on the stairwell. Below us, Jacob ushered his family through the front door.

Thank you again. It’s the last door down the hall on the left, Jacob called, rushing to get out of the house himself. The door closed behind him.

At the same time, Shannon dropped her bag and began removing her gear. She placed on a black vest with the high collar for protection against vampires. On her back, she wore her katana. Lastly, she produced a compact assault rifle with the stock folded in toward the body of the weapon. Opening this made her rifle nearly twice as long. She flipped a flashlight on under the barrel of her weapon.

I did the same with an identical armor vest. My weapons, however, consisted of Blood Rage. The firm weapon in my hands, half axe and half sledgehammer, gave me a sense of peace.

I’d been training with the weapon for three months now since I started down the road of monsters and myth. I felt comfortable with it now more than ever. My sidearm was another story. The Smith and Wesson .500 Magnum with the augmented barrel that was a circle of UV light around the weapon was still a beast.

I’m not going to come out and straight say I’m a bad shot, but being honest, I’m a pretty bad shot. I holstered the sidearm and chose to go in with Blood Rage and a flashlight for the moment.

So what are you thinking here? I asked as we finished our last-minute checks. Are we dealing with a ghost, a spirit, a demon, a—well, I’m not really sure what other options there are. But after that hunt last week, my mind’s pretty open.

I don’t want to talk about last week, Shannon said with a shake of her head. That one’s like Vegas; let’s just leave it where it was.

Who would have thought you’d be afraid of giant mutated spiders, I replied with a shrug. I mean, put you in a fight with vampires and you’re all about it, but those spiders were—

Enough, enough, Shannon blurted, shivering as if the thought gave her the chills. I’m glad we took the job and dealt with it. Let’s just not talk about it anymore.

I decided this wasn’t the time to press Shannon’s buttons. We maneuvered down the hall, weapons in hand. Besides the two wails, there was nothing now. Our booted feet sounded much louder than they actually were in the quiet home.

Shannon took point as we headed for the door. We passed other open doors along the hall that led into large rooms and restrooms. Our door was closed, however, allowing our imaginations to dwell on what might be waiting for us on the other side.

You never answered the question on what it might be, I said as we reached the door and I put my hand on the cold handle. Just tell me. I can handle it. What do you think we’re dealing with here? A dwarf, mage, gnome?

Probably some kind of spirit, Shannon said, staring me dead in the eye. They’re troubled entities that can latch onto the soul of living. We should be careful with this one.

I stood there in the hall just blinking at her for a few seconds.

You don’t want to go back to sign twirling, you don’t want to go back to sign twirling, I told myself out loud.

Truth be told, monster hunting was extremely lucrative. In the last three months since we signed on to work as contractors for Mrs. Grundy’s Court, we had more work than we could handle and my bank account didn’t even seem real anymore. I got a kick out of looking at all the digits.

Open the door, Shannon said after giving me a minute.

I obeyed, gritting my teeth as I jerked the door open and stood to the side. If Shannon was about to let loose with a spray of bullets, I wanted to give her a clear shot.

I held Blood Rage, ready to go in after her, swinging for the fences. Although if this was some kind of spirit, I wasn’t sure how good any kind of physical weapon would be against it.

Following Shannon into the room, I was pleasantly surprised to find no spirit, but instead, a room of superheroes waiting for us. Apparently, Jr. was into the genre. From Superman bed sheets to posters of Batman on the wall, the kid had done good for himself.

Shannon swept the room with her weapon then flicked on the lights.

So far, so good; it was even pretty clean for a kid’s room as well. On one side, a dresser rested against the wall; on the other, a bookcase full of books and action figures.

The closet in question rested against the far wall. Two sliding doors were closed at the moment. When I took a step closer, they shuddered.

Easy now, I said more to myself than whatever was in the closet. We just want to help this family and you need to get going. You don’t have to go home; you just can’t stay here.

Are you trying to reason with a spirit? Shannon asked, keeping her weapon trained on the closed closet doors.

It was worth a shot, I said. I—

The closet doors trembled again. More disturbing, I swore I heard a giggle from somewhere deep inside the closet. Not a fun giggle like someone telling a secret and trying to hold in the laughter, but a creepy little kid clown-like giggle.

Nope, nope, I’ll go back to auditioning for hair loss billboards, I muttered, taking a step back from the closet door. Nothing is worth this adventure.

Ah come on, Hunter, Shannon said, using my last name. You really want to go back to wearing that chicken suit on the street corner?

How dare you. I told you that in confidence, I said in a rush. Vampires, chimeras, and spiders are one thing, but little possessed kids? I’ve seen those movies; it never ends well. I open this closet and some girl with dark hair over her face crawls out. I’ve seen the Ring; I know what happens.

Open the door, Shannon stated, aiming down the barrel of her weapon. In those movies, they never had an assault weapon ready to greet them.

I don’t want this adventure, I repeated.

We’re getting paid enough to cover our rent for a year with this one job, Shannon ordered with cold steel in her voice. Jonny, open—the—door.

At that moment, something slammed into the inside of the closet doors, sending my heart into my stomach. I had just enough time to jump back as Shannon opened fire.

THREE

Oh, you heard me right. In front of the Superman sheets and Batman posters in the little boy’s room, the echoing crack of rounds being fired lit up my eardrums.

And it’s not like in the movies, kids. Gunfire is so loud without protective earwear, it leaves your ears ringing. I really needed to ask Mrs. Grundy if there was something we could do about that. Some spell or tech the Court had so we could preserve our hearing.

Right now, in the small room, each round leaving Shannon’s rifle sounded like cracking thunder.

She stopped only after a dozen holes were left in the closet doors.

We both stared past the smoke wafting from her barrel.

I don’t know what’s in there, Shannon breathed. But it’s not happy.

What in Baba Yaga’s name is wrong with you! a tiny voice screamed from the closet. Are you two mental!?

The closet doors were thrown open in a rush. A tiny pixie, or at least what I imagined a pixie to look like, zipped out, aided by four blue wings. He couldn’t be larger than my hand, but boy, did he curse like a sailor.

I’m serious, here, the tiny male pixie said, zipping in the air in front of us as he inspected each of us from head to toe. What in the Ancient One’s name is wrong with you hunters these days? I’m going to file a claim with the Court. You best believe that. I’m going to sue them for endangerment, wrongful eviction, and targeting a minority.

I just blinked at him, trying to bring any form of rationale to the moment. Shannon was quicker with her words.

What are you doing here? she asked, still aiming her weapon at the flying pixie. Why are you harassing this family?

Harassing? the pixie scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Who’s harassing who here, you oversized piece of flesh? I’m just trying to live a quiet life until my parole