The Adventures of Gravedigger (15 page)

“Please. You’d be so disappointed if I did that,
you’d probably torture me for days just to spite me for ruining your fun.”

“This is true.”

The Hessian swung his weapon in a wide arc,
allowing Gravedigger to duck under the blow. She grabbed the hilt of her own
sword with both hands and drove it forward with all the strength she could
muster. The blade sliced through his genitals and scraped against the pubic
bone.

The Horseman’s reaction was to grunt and strike
her on the side of her shoulder with a closed fist.

Gravedigger grimaced. Her entire arm was tingling
now. She sprang back from him, executing a series of flips that would have been
the envy of any gymnast. She came to a stop just short of Charon’s sedan.
Leaping atop it, she tensed as The Horseman barreled towards her.

The villain’s weapon whipped towards her but
Gravedigger jumped upwards, over the attack. She then raised her weapon and
speared it into his neck. The effect was immediate, as The Hessian snarled and
backed away, gloved hands reaching ineffectually for the embedded sword.

Gravedigger drew a dagger, planning to continue
her assault before he managed to rid himself of the painful implement. She spun
the knife through the air and stabbed her foe. The Horseman grunted and twisted
his body, preventing the weapon from striking his neck wound. It ended up in
his shoulder, where it spent only a few seconds before Gravedigger yanked it
free.

The Horseman caught her with a kick to the
midsection, following it up with a punch to the top of her head. She staggered
under the blow and was unable to avoid his sword, which caught her in her right
hip. Blood flowed freely from the wound and Gravedigger knew that she was in
danger of blacking out soon.

“I am more powerful than you,” The Horseman said.
He proved the point by punching her hard across the chin. The blow knocked her
to her knees and left her ears ringing. He grabbed hold of the back of her hood
and yanked her head up. His sword flashed against her throat, stopping just
short of drawing blood. “I admire your bravery, however. At the last moment,
even my stoutest of enemies have the flash of terror in their eyes. Sometimes
they even beg. But you are different.”

“I’ve died already,” she hissed. “There’s nothing
you can do that’s going to top that.”

“Let’s see, shall we?” The Horseman asked. There
was undeniable glee in his voice.

Gravedigger drove her elbow into her enemy’s
stomach but it failed to dislodge his grip on her. Desperate to prolong the
battle, she slipped a hand into the top of her boot, grabbing hold of a small
porcelain egg-shaped object. Yanking it free, she swung her arm up and slipped
the object into the Hessian’s pocket.

The Horseman backed away, dropping his grip on
Gravedigger. He heard a ticking sound emanating from his pocket and he reached
a gloved hand in to grab the foreign object. He had just touched it when the
device exploded, delivering enough impact to blow a hole in The Hessian’s side.
Gore dripped in copious amounts and the white of his bones showed through the
flesh.

Roaring, The Horseman swung his sword in a killing
stroke, intending to slice straight through the top of her skull.

Gravedigger vaulted to the side, flipping through
the air. She landed in a crouch, dagger at the ready. As The Horseman staggered
to face her, she raised her right arm and fired a crossbow bolt. It pierced her
foe’s leg, pinning it to the warehouse wall behind him. A second bolt slid into
place and it, too, was fired, trapping the villain’s other leg. As he struggled
to free himself, Gravedigger rose to her full height.

“Say goodbye to the mortal world,” she hissed,
breathing deeply. Her hand trembled slightly, not just from the loss of blood,
but also from a rising excitement. A part of her did enjoy the fight, the kill
or be killed nature of the conflict – in that regard, The Horseman was right.
Now that she sensed victory within her grasp, an almost sexual lust was filling
her limbs.

The Horseman ceased trying to free himself. He
lowered his weapon and his shoulders squared. His injured side was twitching,
the magic that healed nearly all his wounds moving too slowly to save him under
these circumstances. “I salute you… but this is not the end for me. When you
are nothing more than a vaguely remembered memory, I will return. I will kill
anew.”

“Give it a rest – and go back to hell,”
Gravedigger said. She jumped up, stabbing downward with a stroke that delivered
her knife’s blade deep into The Hessian’s neck.

The Horseman’s scream echoed throughout the city,
waking those who slumbered and chilling the blood of Sovereign’s fiercest. At
6196 Robeson Avenue, Lazarus Gray looked up from his work to experience an
uncommon shiver… while Doc Daye momentarily lost his train of thought. Onboard
The Heart of Fortune, McCall woke from a troubled sleep, visions of the undead
filling his mind’s eye.

Gravedigger hit the ground in a tumbling roll,
coming up to find that her weapons lay before her. There was no sign of The
Horseman’s corpse, nothing to show that he had ever been in her midst – gone,
even, were his footprints and the blood he had spilled.

“Blood,” Gravedigger whispered. She glanced down
and saw that there was evidence of The Horseman’s presence, after all. Her
wounds, seeping great amount of her life’s blood….

The world grew dim. In the distance, a man was
calling her name.

The face of Josef Goldstein flickered before her
eyes.

And then all was black.

***

The Voice filled her mind, drowning out all else.
You
have done well but your journey has only begun. There are many in this city and
this world that need judgment.

Charity opened her eyes. She was resting on her
knees, in a brightly lit room. The walls were decorated by a soft floral
pattern and the floor was lined with lush carpet. She wore her Gravedigger
uniform, though with her hood thrown back and her mask resting on the floor
beside her.

Directly in front of her was an elaborate
fountain, one that was shaped like a mountain, with a waterfall gently
cascading down its surface. The entire display was nearly six feet high and
half that across. The craftsmanship was so amazing that Charity felt that she
could almost feel the cool breeze wafting off the water and hear the clip-clop
of a mountain goat’s hooves.

Tearing her gaze away from the work of art, she
looked around in hopes of finding the source of The Voice. “Where am I?” she
asked.

You are Outside.

Charity blinked in confusion. “Did I die again?”

You still live but you have been gravely
injured. Your friends shall heal you so that your campaign may continue. We are
pleased that you have formed these attachments, they speak well of you. You
inspire others to greatness, just as you inspire terror in the hearts of
criminals.

Charity looked down, taking a deep breath. “Josef…
when he died, what became of his spirit?”

He had long ago atoned for his sins. He has
joined The Multitude.

So many confusing words and concepts, Charity
thought. Will it ever make sense? Or am I doomed to not understanding – clarity
only coming when I’m dead like Josef?

“What should I do next?” she asked.

Go back to your friends and continue the good
work. The final member of your group is soon to arrive and then all will be in
readiness. But know that every Gravedigger has an opposite and that you will
recognize them when they are near. The Opposite will pose the greatest threat
to you and the world.

“The opposite?” she asked aloud.

The room around her began to shimmer and the
sounds of the fountain began to fade. Charity tried to stand up, not wanting to
leave yet, not wanting to return without knowing about this ‘opposite’ or what
new member of her group was soon to appear. Dizziness washed over her and she
was unable to make it to her feet….

The words of The Voice came to her, as if from a
great distance:
Stay true to your mission. The time for final judgment will
come and when it does, you must not be found wanting.

***

Charity opened her eyes, finding herself staring at
the ceiling of her bedroom in Hendry Hall. For a moment, she wondered why she
was here and then she remembered the group’s decision to move their base of
operations from Josef’s house to Cedric’s. It startled her to think about how
she missed the other home – but this was both larger and safer.

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed,
slipping her feet into a pair of comfy slippers. She wore only a nightshirt and
she wondered with some amusement who had stripped her – hopefully it was Li,
though she wouldn’t have put it past Mitchell to do so. He was too much of a
gentleman to have taken any liberties with her body but she still hoped that he
hadn’t seen her in that condition.

Memories of her final battle with the Horseman came
rushing back but she pushed them aside after checking the bandage over her
wound. It felt sore to the touch but she could tell it was healing already.

Of greater concern to her were the things that The
Voice had said – words like The Multitude and The Opposite filled her with
curiosity. She desperately wished that she could have spent more time Outside.
Was that the home place of The Voice? Was it Heaven or some equivalent?

Charity got dressed while she contemplated these
things. There were voices drifting up from down below and after putting on a
soft blue dress and calf-high boots, she headed to join them.

Mitchell and Cedric were seated in front of the
fireplace, engaged in a competitive game of chess, while Li was flipping
through a French fashion magazine. The young beauty was on the couch, her long
legs tucked beneath her.

“Miss me?” Charity asked as she entered the study.

Li sprang from the couch and gave her a hug.
“Sleeping beauty awakes!” she shouted happily.

Charity laughed and squeezed her friend. “How long
was I out?”

“Not long. A week. Maybe a month.”

Mitchell and Cedric approached, equally happy to
see her back on her feet.

“It wasn’t that long, luv. About eighteen hours.”

“Who dressed my wound?”

“That was me,” Li confirmed. “Dressed the wound,
undressed the girl.”

“Lucky you,” Cedric muttered with a playful grin.

Mitchell gave him a nudge with his elbow and
Cedric pretended to have taken a much larger blow, staggering back.

Li glanced at Charity and rolled her eyes in mock
annoyance. “So, Chief, what’s next?”

Charity took a deep breath before answering. “I
think… I think we should all go out for a nice dinner.”

“You’re leaving your crypt, my dead friend?” Li
teased. “I don’t think you’ve been out without your mask for any length of time
since you were buried in the dirt!”

“Did I ever tell you how I love your ability to
frame a scene, Li?”

“No.”

“That’s because you don’t have one.” Charity shook
her head. “We’ve done a good job. Let’s celebrate. Josef left me enough money
that I probably won’t ever spend it so we might as well enjoy it from time to
time.”

Cedric nodded. “As long as I can pick up the
gratuity.”

“Mr. Moneybags likes to spend money, too,” Li
pointed out.

Mitchell noticed that Charity’s expression was one
of distraction. “Something bothering you?” he asked.

“I heard The Voice again,” she admitted. “It told
me a few things that didn’t make much sense… it warned me that I had an enemy
out there that it called The Opposite. And it also made it sound like there was
going to be one more member of our group.”

“Can’t say that I consider either of those things
to be good news,” Cedric said. “Last thing we need is another enemy – and I
quite like the group as it’s currently constituted.”

“We liked the group before you were added,”
Mitchell countered, “but we’ve warmed to you. We shouldn’t dismiss more help
out of hand.”

A knocking from the front door made everyone
pause. Since Cedric had yet to replace the help, he gave a smile and said,
“I’ll be right back.”

“No.” Charity stopped him with a touch to his arm.
“Let me.”

Cedric’s eyes narrowed. “Expecting someone?”

“Could be our newest friend.”
Or enemy
, she
thought.

Charity left the room, aware of her friends’ gaze
upon her. Most acutely, she felt the burning stare of Mitchell. She wondered if
it was wise to pursue any kind of relationship with him. The problems that his
race presented couldn’t be easily ignored, though she had no qualms about it
personally. Others would, however, and that warranted concern. Additionally,
there was the fact that they would be working very closely together – what if
things turned south? How would it impact their ability to function as a unit?

She tensed as she reached the front door, readying
herself for anything. Yanking the door open, she was prepared for any potential
threat.

What she saw, however, gave her pause. There was a
man standing there, evidently in his mid-thirties from the look of him. He was
tall and well formed, with a rangy build that was quite pleasing in appearance.
His eyes reflected a dark humor and ample intelligence.

“Can I help you?” she asked, involuntarily
relaxing. There was something about this person that set her at ease, as if she
had met him before.

“I hope so,” he said, offering her a hand. “My
name is Mortimer Quinn.”

THE END

Hello, Faithful Readers! I hope you enjoyed the
introduction to Gravedigger, the newest member of my New Pulp universe that
began with the arrival of The Peregrine. Since The Peregrine’s first flight
back in 2008, I’ve added to the universe with Lazarus Gray, The Dark Gentleman,
Guan-Yin, The Claws of The Peregrine and many more.

But none of them are quite like Gravedigger.

To understand how and why I created the character,
we first have to go back to the misty past. It was a time of optimism and a
surging economy. We were well on the way to electing the first Democratic
President since Jimmy Carter. Grunge was filtering its way into the public
consciousness.

It was 1992. I was 20 years old and in college,
where I was working towards an undergraduate degree in Psychology. Then, as
now, I was a huge comic book fan. Then, as now, I was a huge fan of the Valiant
Universe. I loved the tight continuity it possessed and the way that little
background events and characters would float from book to book, building a
cohesive universe.

One of my favorite characters in that universe was
Shadowman, who debuted in May 1992. A supernatural hero, Jack Boniface was
poisoned by an alien, allowing him to “die” before being resurrected as an
avenger of the night. We would later find out that he was only the latest in a
long line of Shadowmen. I loved the concept and the series but it eventually
faded away with the rest of the Valiant Universe.

But like all good things, it would not stay dead.
Shadowman and the rest of the Valiant heroes were recently revived by a new
Valiant. The promo art by Patrick Zircher floated around for months before the
first issue actually debuted and I adored the revised look of the hero. It got
me to thinking… Perhaps I needed to add a new title to my pulp hero collection,
one that would serve as a “connector” series. It would have ties to all that
had come before and would be the place where fans of The Peregrine or Lazarus
Gray could come to get a taste of the greater universe.

I decided I wanted to make the new character a
female, to balance out the male-heavy universe that I already had, and that I
wanted her to be heavily supernatural as a nod to Shadowman. Like Jack, she
would be the latest in a long line of heroes and, as with Shadowman and Lazarus
Gray, rebirth would factor large in her origin.

From there, artist George Sellas and I tossed a
few ideas back and forth. I had the name Gravedigger but I was afraid it was
too masculine for Charity. He convinced me that it could be a neat twist on the
name and concept. I told him my idea of tying Charity’s past to Samantha
Grace’s origin, which he liked. It not only provided a link to the Lazarus
series but also furthered the Grace family’s role in the overall universe.

Once I’d come up with the full origin and George
had done his initial character sketch, I thought it would be fun to have a
“hand-off” in the story. When I wrote my first Lazarus Gray collection, The Peregrine
appeared, as if giving his stamp of approval on the new arrival. With this one,
I wanted to have both The Peregrine and Lazarus appear in ways that would
bolster Gravedigger but not detract from her starring role. I was inspired by
the way Star Trek used to do this – Dr. McCoy from the original series was on
the first episode of Next Generation, then Captain Picard from The Next
Generation appeared on the first episode of Deep Space Nine, while that space
station was a jumping-off point for Star Trek: Voyager when that series began.
I thought was a nice wink and nod to the fans.

The decision to use The Headless Horseman in the
book came about because I recycle everything. A few years ago, I wrote nearly
20,000 words on a novel I was going to call “Headless.” It was going to be a
sequel to Washington Irving’s classic and would introduce a new hero of mine,
Mortimer Quinn. I eventually abandoned the project but I always wanted to use
parts of that story… so it ended up here. Tying Mortimer to the Gravedigger
legacy was easy enough and allowed me to bring the Horseman into the story.

As for Charity’s allies… one thing that I learned
from the Lazarus Gray series is that I like having a steady cast of characters
to supplement my protagonist. But I didn’t want to create another Assistance
Unlimited, who was inspired by Justice, Inc. Instead, I looked to another
favorite pulp hero of mine – The Shadow. While Lazarus has a group of partners,
The Shadow had a group of agents. There was never any doubt that Harry Vincent
and Burbank were lower-ranking than The Shadow. That’s what I set out to do
here – Mitchell, Cedric and Li all get their ‘origins’ here and we see what
skills they bring to the table. All of them, however, are agents – not
partners. Our heroine is the one that stands on center stage during the final
conflict.

So where do we go from here? Obviously, the
arrival of Mortimer on the last page suggests that there are more stories to be
told here. This first Gravedigger novel will appear in 2013 and I hope to
follow with a second volume in 2014, if the fates are with me. I hope to
continue to update her adventures regularly, just as I have with Lazarus and
The Peregrine.

Stop by my blog (
http://www.barryreese.net
) to keep up
with the goings-on in all my pulp stories, as well as take a gander at
exclusive artwork.

Speaking of artwork, I have to say thank you to
George Sellas, for designing Gravedigger’s look and for the incredibly awesome
cover he whipped up. Also, Will Meugniot’s interior illustrations perfectly
captured the mood of the story, pairing Charity’s obvious beauty with her
deadly nature. Thanks, guys.

Lock your doors, everyone. Gravedigger is hitting
the streets.