BURDEN OF AN ANCIENT OATH by Joshua Brown (early reader books TXT) 📕

little in the way of breaking composure. Every action she took and step she made hid the emotions apart from subtle microexpressions or ticks across her face. This news, however, that she had a brother out there in the world, left feelings sprawling across her features.

They were a mix of happiness and sadness, all blended into a weak smile. Her eyes told a thousand stories, betraying any attempt to keep calm. She twisted and turned, back and forth between the kids and me, and her body gave away another hint of doubt.

Jane Dench was terrified, she was sad, and this whole ordeal took everything out of her.

“We’re going to find the people doing this, Jane,” I said, extending a reassuring arm, tapping her shoulder. “Nothing’s going to happen to you or the children. That much I can promise.”

She forced another fake smile, but once more, her eyes betrayed her. She didn’t believe a thing I was saying.

“Thank you, Jack,” she was almost whispering. “I have full faith in you and your agency.”

~

I arrived home that night intending to get into bed with a whiskey bottle, drinking until I fell asleep. After making my ascension up the four stories by elevator, walking down the hall to my corner unit, I saw it.

On the door handle into my apartment, a taxidermied squirrel hung. Unlike the one from Jane Dench’s house, this one was dressed more like me than a witch from the 17th century. The small coat and fedora sent shivers down my spine. Clutched inside the squirrel’s hands was an envelope with what I presumed was another threatening letter.

Removing the squirrel and getting inside, I took the letter with me to my home office. Switching on the desktop, I scoured through the footage from my front door camera.

The footage displayed the same fat man in his mail delivery outfit stopping outside my door. His face, this time, was covered in a single wrapped scarf. He hovered over the door, attached the squirrel, and walked off. The hallway was empty after that until I arrived over an hour and a half later.

That was good, I thought. No one else had to witness the atrocities of what was happening here.

Once my investigation at the front door was complete, I went through the letter. Scared to open it at first, with the possibility that there might be some unknown, lethal substance on the paper, I tossed it over in my hands. Finally, presuming that these men wouldn’t have done this had they wanted me dead—knowing full well that they could’ve finished that off at Jane’s place—I pulled the letter open.

Once more, inside the envelope, was an off-white sheet. Soft to touch, yet firm, I saw my name inscribed on the outer page. Opening it, I was greeted by the madman’s beautiful calligraphy:

Detective Jack Mercer.

There comes a time in every man’s life, a pinnacle point in the long-standing traditions of his history—life and death, flight or fight, stand strong or cower. You’ve been given a simple choice, Jack Mercer.

Will you stand up against us and die? Will you stand up against us and lose everything? Will you believe in a greater good and succumb to the greatest evil?

You’ve been warned, Detective.

The letter, much like the last, meant little. It said no more than it had to, but still, they delivered it to my doorstep. Another attempt at a scare tactic.

But what these men didn’t know about me was that I rarely backed down from a fight. And if they were going to make these threats, they better have had a damn good plan on how to bring me down.

The following morning, I managed to get access to the apartment complex’s cameras. No one questioned my authority once I showed my badge. The doorman managed to speak with the man, if only briefly. Still, he didn’t catch a name or reason for being there other than to deliver a significant parcel.

Not asking too many questions, he let the delivery man up.

The deeper I delved into it, the more interesting I was finding this case. From nothing at all to personal attacks, this network of assailants managed to sneak by and operate both day and night.

But as interesting as it was, I knew the others weren’t going to share the same excitement as I did. They’d be terrified of the men threatening their lives.

Chapter 9

Jack

After my morning adventure, going through the footage and finding out more, I went to the agency office.  To my surprise, Gwen was already sitting there, chatting with Lauren, both of them holding a cup of coffee.

After the previous night’s adventure, I thought she might’ve wanted out. I knew Gwen, and I knew how little patience she had when moving forward on a case. I wouldn’t put it past her to find my slow and steady methodology tedious. Yet, having her there that morning set my mind at ease. She was in it for the long-haul, not wanting to break out independently and instead work with a team.

Maybe it was her age; going solo these days was a near-impossible task. That’s something that pained me to learn, knowing I had to bring someone else in. That’s why Aaron formed part of my team now, anyway. Still, the thought of putting someone else’s life at risk never sat well with me.

Though he knew what he was getting into, if anything happened to Aaron in the field, I’d be to blame. I knew that was a gentle approach to a situation that wasn’t as severe as I made it out to be. Still, I was used to always doing this my way, where the only person that could get hurt was me.

I guess that’s why I rarely took him into the field, too. Stationing him behind a desk, doing the mundane desk