Page 138 - Hunter the Vigil - Mortal Remains

CONsPIRACy: KNIgHTs OF sAINT ADRIAN

The Lord works in mysterious ways. The Knights of Saint She turned him down. No way in hell that sounded like a
Adrian aren’t one of them. In fact, they’re blunt and to the good idea.
point: demons are out there, creatures of darkness and corrup- Which made it a little weird when she met another strang-
tion who consume the souls of the innocent. And there just er in the same bar the next week. He wanted to know about the
ain’t enough angels in Heaven to stop them. In a word, the first dude, and Casey recognized the kinds of questions he was
angels need contractors. Folk that can stand against the forces asking. She asked him what the deal was. Dude con him out of
of Hell and push them back with the sharp tip of a sword. Or some money? Maybe some money that wasn’t earned in a one
the end of an ax handle. hundred percent legitimate way?
Casey Howard was a skip tracer back in the 90s. No, no, the new stranger said. It was
It was good work, and she was good at it. simpler than that. The target was
She was built like a fire truck and had an enemy of God. Then he paused,
the patience of a monk, equally at home and asked if Casey could track him
confronting bail jumpers and sifting down. She said sure, but some-
through the mountains of paperwork body else would have to strangle
involved in locating a fugitive. the guy. And that was when the
Then she went and got her angel healed her arm, no price
arm broke. Dumb accident. attached.
Wasn’t even an angry jumper, The angel made good.
just a damn surfing accident. Eight years later, not only
She didn’t go to the doctor does Casey’s arm work better
fast enough, and the arm never than ever, but she’s got her
healed right. She couldn’t quite own business. On paper, How-
dish it out like she used to. ard Investigative Services hires
Her employers were understand- out its brains and muscle to bail
ing. She’d always been good at research bond agents. On the road, they’re
and stakeouts and everything else, so the Knights of Saint Adrian, patron of
they kept her on. But they kept her behind guards and soldiers. They do the Lord’s
a desk. Stuck by herself all day, with her main work, hunting down the devil and earn-
social outlet making intel-gathering phone calls under ing a heavy commission for their trouble.
assumed identities, her famous patience started to wear thin. The Knights are tough customers — the toughest, really,
Bluntly put, Casey wanted to get back out and kick some ass. thanks to the tattoos in angelic script that let them get as good
One boring lunch hour, a stranger in a bar offered her just as they give. They’re a close-knit group of bounty hunters hunt-
that. He said all he wanted was her memories of a friend she’d ing fugitives from the Almighty.
had right after she left the Army.

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