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

the way back to some witchcraft nonsense hundreds of years ago.”

“We have a man in custody that wrote letters for them, trying to scare the families into submission. The Order of the Phoenix is going after both the Williamson and Dench families,” I continued his train of thought. But I spent days pondering these things. I knew the ins and outs of everything, even without anyone trying to give me a freshen up on it. There was nothing, these people didn’t exist apart from on paper, but the threats were so real.

“They don’t even leave fingerprints or hairs at the scene. Even the letters didn’t have Oscar’s prints on them, and he doesn’t strike me as the kind of man to care about those things,” I said, grabbing for my box of Lucky Strikes on the table.

“There can’t just be nothing,” Aaron replied, I could see the frustration on his face.

“Sometimes, you’re just shit out of luck, right? Look at the Zodiac killings, some bad men just get away with it.”

“I’m not going to accept that,” Aaron spouted. “I’m not going to believe that we’ve lost this one. There’s got to be something we can do...”

Aaron paused as my cellphone began to ring.

“Jack Mercer speaking,” I answered.

“I need you to get over here right away,” I heard Jane’s voice on the other end. “There are people outside my house.”

She spoke in hushed tones, but I could hear the fear in her voice.

“I’m on my way,” I replied, jumping out of my seat.

“That gun you keep under your pillow at night,” I turned to Aaron. “You have that on you now?”

“I do, what’s going on?” Aaron jumped to his feet, following me out. He walked over to his table in the main office, grabbing his gun, jacket, and hat.

“I think it’s about to go down,” I replied. “And we don’t have much time to stop it.”

Had it been up to me, I’d have never brought Aaron with me. But I knew that I needed backup on this thing, and I didn’t know if Gwen would be around for it. In some ways, I knew that Aaron was ready to join me in the field, and that he’d be the perfect partner stopping crime. But even this, something he’s dedicated the past few weeks to, I wasn’t sure if he was ready.

Did he have what it took to stand up against those who oppressed him? Could he pull the trigger if it was necessary? He started as a beat cop with the NYPD and rarely saw much other than a few robberies or drug dealings. There was never a life and death situation. Working as a P.I, every interaction was risking your life, never knowing if you’d come out on top.

I didn’t want to be the man that brought his career—hell, his life—to an end.

At least I knew he was ready at the drop of a hat.

We rushed through the building to my car and drove at lightning speed to Jane Dench’s home. The second we turned onto the freeway, I gave Gwen a call.

“Gwen, I need you down at the Dench home. It looks like we’re about to come face to face with the Order,” I said.

“I’ll be there,” she replied.

Now, it was a race against the clock to make sure Jane and her family stayed safe.

Chapter 22

Jack

We arrived at Jane Dench’s home, pulling into the driveway. The front door was open and I immediately expected the worst. A group of men coming to her place, hiding in the shadows, what else could I think?

I hoped I wasn’t too late, that the family was still safe, but knew how the Order of the Phoenix operated. They were out for blood, and they’d stop at nothing to get it. Their threats, their horrors, all culminated to this point—a family left in tatters.

“Are you ready for this?” I asked Aaron, getting out of the car.

“Ready as I can be,” he replied.

Gwen hadn’t arrived yet. I didn’t expect her to be there before us, not with the distance she had to travel and dropping whatever she was doing at a moment’s notice.

Drawing my pistol, I approached the house. Aaron did the same. We moved quickly through the well-maintained garden onto the patio that led inside.

The house was deathly quiet when we entered. A sign of what was to come, I thought, making my way through to the entry foyer.

“Jane?” I called out.

I cleared corners, stepping deeper into the house. Most lights in the house were turned on downstairs with none on upstairs.

“We’re in here,” Jane shouted.

Relief washed over me that she was still okay. Following her voice, Aaron and I rushed through the living room, towards the dining room.

There was a long sliding door that blocked off our entry into the dining room. It was closed, and I couldn’t help but fear whatever waited behind it. Jane Dench was alive though, and if I wanted to make sure she survived, I had to act. Pointing to the wall on the right of the sliding door, Aaron understood my instruction. He pressed his back against it, holding the gun up in the air, ready to take the corner and fire if the need arose.

I took a deep breath, clutching the small brass nob on the door, twisting it back. I half-expected to be met by a bullet just then.

Swinging the door open, I pulled myself into cover on the left side of the door. I didn’t peer into the dining room, once more expecting bullets to reign down through it, but they never came. There was only whimpering from the Dench family. Not only Jane and Lance, but the children too.

They huffed and groaned, and the children fought back tears. I swallowed hard, taking the corner