Order of the Four Sons


Available on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers

Reviews
"Enthralling... An excellent, excellent read." -Jason Crawford, Beyond the Curtain of Reality review site

"I greatly enjoyed the book. It has very clever writing, fleshed out characters, and a gripping story. It perfectly blends elements from sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and adventure. The best part of the story is how real it all feels. No matter how fantastical and surreal it can get, it always feels very plausible. The writers really did their research to intertwine bits and pieces of history to add to the believability of the world. The story is told from varying perspectives, but it always easy to tell what setting is and who is narrating due to the unique forms of writing for each character and setting that makes them highly recognizable. All the characters feel like real people you come to know over the course of their journey, and you want to see them make it out of it all alive. Over all, The Order of The Four Sons is an excellent book, with an intriguing story that will certainly leave you wanting more." -Smashwords reader

"I found this to be action-packed and interesting. The banter between the teammates is natural and often humorous. The setting in Excelsior Springs, including the history involved, is also impressive. I was surprised and pleased with the historical fiction aspects of the story, many of which involved this little town. It was clever to link a famous historical figure with O4S, though I don't want to say who the figure is due to spoilers. The old hotel and the alternate old hotel are both extremely creepy, especially due to the creatures and ghosts that inhabit them." -Amazon reader

“This has become one of my new favorite series. The plot and settings are very original, and it has a big cast of very colorful characters. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but the Colonel and Murphy are at the top of the list from the original, though all of the cool girl heroines are certainly commendable. I just gave Book I a re-read and it gets better with each successive reading, and if you think this one is good, just wait. This book sets up everything that’s to come. I notice the writers sow in plenty of clues about the following books, so it’s very thought out and well-researched. Can’t recommend these books highly enough.” -Barnes & Noble reader  


Excerpt

...they came to a door. JD opened it cautiously. His flashlight revealed a corridor even narrower than the one they were in now. There was a sharp corner, to the right. “Everybody still with me?”

There was a chorus of affirmations.

“Just checkin’. Tighter’n a bull’s ass in fly season. Can’t turn around to look for ya, so stay close.”

The flashlights revealed wooden walls here. There were also--

“More doors,” Murphy said glumly.

JD sighed. “Well, shit.”

“After you, sir.”

“Cecil?”

“Looks clear, sir.”

“All right, then.” JD opened the first one, found another corridor, another set of doors. “Well, shit again.” He shut it.

Murphy re-opened it. “Huh. Swings outward.”

JD paused. “Huh. I didn’t think about that. Ain’t nothin’ in this place right.”

“No, but—” Murphy reached into a pocket and pulled out a rubber doorstop.

“You carry doorstops?” Kate asked.

“It’s a SWAT tactic.” He dropped it to the floor and kicked it into place.

“But I mean... really?”

“Really.” He tugged at the door handle to demonstrate. It wouldn’t budge. “It won’t stop someone who’s really determined, but it will slow them down.” She looked so impressed that he smiled wryly. “Don’t applaud, just throw money.”

They continued down the hall, checking doors. Some of them led to empty rooms. Others led to more hallways. Every door that led to a hallway, Murphy secured with a doorstop.

Kate sniffed. “Anybody else smell that? Smells like burnt hair.”

Everyone froze. The scent seemed to hit them all at once—burnt hair and burnt flesh.

Doug’s voice was quiet. “You know what that means.”

“Eretics,” JD looked around. “Looks like we’re in the right place.”

Murphy’s flashlight was pointed at the floor. “What is wrong with our lifestyle, that the smell of roasted undead means we’re in the right place and-- oh look. Blood.”

A smear of it. He knelt down, touched a droplet. “Still sticky.” There were larger splashes ahead.

No one said anything as they crept along, still trying doors. Then they found on an old black telephone. The wall it was mounted on was awash in blood. Beneath it, more blood pooled on the floor.

“Movement,” Cecil said. He raised his gun but couldn’t fire because everyone else was in front of him.

Kate followed where his gun was pointed with her flashlight and accidentally shined it right into JD’s eyes. He threw up a hand to shield them, “Get that damn thing outta my face—”

The phone rang abruptly, piercingly. Kate shrieked, leaping back against the wall, away from it.

Movement!” Cecil shouted.

“I can’t see shit!”

“There it goes—”

Colonel, down!” Murphy raised his shotgun.

JD dropped to the floor and Murphy fired, but the creature at the end of the hallway was too quick. It disappeared around the corner. The shot pierced the wall.

“Fuck,” Murphy pumped the action. “Guess we know now what happened to Rios.”

“Could he still be alive?” Kate asked anxiously.

Murphy looked again at the blood stains. “Maybe.”

She pointed to the blood trail. “They dragged him off!”

“And we’re goin’ after him, Katie. Just hold your horses.” JD picked himself up, blinking away the flashlight’s after-glare. “Nice shootin’, Murphy.”

“Thanks. We going after him?”

“Well, we sure as shit ain’t leavin’ him behind.”

Murphy hesitated. “Okay.”

They followed the blood trail around the corner, where the eretic had retreated.

More hallway. More doors. More blood.

Kate looked up, marveling. “It’s on the ceiling.”

Murphy nodded. “That happens with major arterial damage.”

The trail led to a doorway on the left. The door had been ripped from its hinges.

“Cecil, any movement?” JD asked.

“Neg—wait. Yes, very slight. And some heat.”

Kate looked hopefully from Cecil to JD.

“Murphy,” JD said. The detective nodded and the two of them went into the dark room, beaming their flashlights around.

Fernando Rios lay on the floor. He was on his side, his back to the wall. His eyes were open. “Socorro,” he whispered.



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