Hellfire Publishing, all rights reserved 2011
A man who thinks he’s losing his soul, meets a man who has. Detective Michael Bailey is a seasoned homicide detective who can’t escape the deaths of twin girls that happened on his watch. Over the years, it had slashed at his sanity and sobriety, and now he stands at the crossroads of his life. The murder investigation of a young woman sends him over the edge.
George Graham is an antique store owner who has fallen for the wrong woman. When rejected and berated in public, George runs home to find a strange old man with an antique box wanting to make a deal. George buys the box and inside finds a matted scalp, a relic of untold power.
“Hell to Pay” is a haunting story about the loss of one’s life, redemption, and personal sacrifice. This supernatural thriller is strongly based in Joseph Campbell’s epic storytelling and mythology.
George Graham is an antique store owner who has fallen for the wrong woman. When rejected and berated in public, George runs home to find a strange old man with an antique box wanting to make a deal. George buys the box and inside finds a matted scalp, a relic of untold power.
“Hell to Pay” is a haunting story about the loss of one’s life, redemption, and personal sacrifice. This supernatural thriller is strongly based in Joseph Campbell’s epic storytelling and mythology.
Chapter 1
It was too hot and humid for early October, but the tendrils of an approaching cold front began to slice through the city. Detective Michael Bailey wiped the sweat from his eyes. The sweat chilled on his neck, forcing goose bumps as he looked around at the team assembled to take down one of the largest meth distribution points in town.
“It’s all gone to hell, hasn’t it, Detective?” Officer Sanchez asked.
Bailey’s days on the Narcotics team ended a long time ago with a transfer to Homicide, but here he was. The old crew dispersed for the exception of a few star players no other department would touch, due to rumor and accusations. All around Bailey were people he barely knew, who he avoided in his day to day work.
For this team, the case detective was out with two shots to the back and the possibility of never walking again. The victim of another bad bust.
“How long ago was the purchase made?” Bailey asked.
Officer Sanchez went into specifics as Bailey watched the alley behind him. The shadows shifted and congealed.
Bailey caught his breath, “Have we heard anything since. . .” His voice trailed off as he glanced back into the darkness. Cold green eyes glared back at him. His hellhound watched.
He felt the officers puzzled stares following him, then gaze down the alley. Bailey knew they wouldn’t see it and the talk about “Batshit” Bailey would come back. He shifted in his poorly fitting body armor and tightened the strap on his helmet.
“Bailey,” the voice whispered from the alley, taunting him.
“Get ready,” Bailey said. He pushed away from the van that hid his position and checked out the back of the house they were about to raid. Curtains were drawn in the upper level of the dilapidated Victorian house and the undercover officer inside was silent. The wind shifted from the north.
The hellhound’s fetid breath fell on his neck. He smelled blood and an odor that burned his eyes.
“Bailey.” It gurgled his name, the noxious breath made it hard to breathe and stung his nose. “I’m waiting. Go die for me.” It sang the words to Bailey like a lover.
“Detective Bailey,” Officer Sanchez slapped Bailey on the back. “Is that fucking ammonia?”
Ammonia, it wasn’t the hellhound.
“Beta Team, go,” tactical announced over the radio.
“Tactical” Bailey yelled into his radio, “This is an active lab site!”
It was too hot and humid for early October, but the tendrils of an approaching cold front began to slice through the city. Detective Michael Bailey wiped the sweat from his eyes. The sweat chilled on his neck, forcing goose bumps as he looked around at the team assembled to take down one of the largest meth distribution points in town.
“It’s all gone to hell, hasn’t it, Detective?” Officer Sanchez asked.
Bailey’s days on the Narcotics team ended a long time ago with a transfer to Homicide, but here he was. The old crew dispersed for the exception of a few star players no other department would touch, due to rumor and accusations. All around Bailey were people he barely knew, who he avoided in his day to day work.
For this team, the case detective was out with two shots to the back and the possibility of never walking again. The victim of another bad bust.
“How long ago was the purchase made?” Bailey asked.
Officer Sanchez went into specifics as Bailey watched the alley behind him. The shadows shifted and congealed.
Bailey caught his breath, “Have we heard anything since. . .” His voice trailed off as he glanced back into the darkness. Cold green eyes glared back at him. His hellhound watched.
He felt the officers puzzled stares following him, then gaze down the alley. Bailey knew they wouldn’t see it and the talk about “Batshit” Bailey would come back. He shifted in his poorly fitting body armor and tightened the strap on his helmet.
“Bailey,” the voice whispered from the alley, taunting him.
“Get ready,” Bailey said. He pushed away from the van that hid his position and checked out the back of the house they were about to raid. Curtains were drawn in the upper level of the dilapidated Victorian house and the undercover officer inside was silent. The wind shifted from the north.
The hellhound’s fetid breath fell on his neck. He smelled blood and an odor that burned his eyes.
“Bailey.” It gurgled his name, the noxious breath made it hard to breathe and stung his nose. “I’m waiting. Go die for me.” It sang the words to Bailey like a lover.
“Detective Bailey,” Officer Sanchez slapped Bailey on the back. “Is that fucking ammonia?”
Ammonia, it wasn’t the hellhound.
“Beta Team, go,” tactical announced over the radio.
“Tactical” Bailey yelled into his radio, “This is an active lab site!”
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Review by: Nichole P. Conard on Amazon
I purchased Hell to Pay on a whim for my iphone kindel. It was the first book , I ever downloaded for this style of reading. I quickly found I had made an excellent choice. Every spare moment I was tapping my phone to life so I could read. Even if I could only squeeze a paragraph or so....I wanted to know what Bailey (the lead character) was doing or thinking next. The author unfolded his tale in such a way that you always felt if you cold merely read just a bit more it would be okay to take a break...but that was never the case. Each bump in the road for Bailey kept me riveted to the point that I never wanted a break. In truth it seemed a perfect mixture of life and the surreal. Years and years ago, I watched a movie called Cast a Deadly Spell, yeah it was a B-Grade but it was good and more importantly I have never seen anything like it since. Hell to Pay brought back the felling of this movie but in no way was it the same. It is simply the only item out in my reading/watching that it compares too. But, like Cast a Deadly Spell has stuck with me all these years I believe Hell to Pay will do the same for it was so unique, original and fun to read. I would tell you more about the story but I am lousy at that and tend to give away plot. So let me simply say Bailey is the bad guy you love in a world that is cracking open at the seams which keeps unveiling one interesting idea after another. Go ahead read it...it is well worth your time.
I purchased Hell to Pay on a whim for my iphone kindel. It was the first book , I ever downloaded for this style of reading. I quickly found I had made an excellent choice. Every spare moment I was tapping my phone to life so I could read. Even if I could only squeeze a paragraph or so....I wanted to know what Bailey (the lead character) was doing or thinking next. The author unfolded his tale in such a way that you always felt if you cold merely read just a bit more it would be okay to take a break...but that was never the case. Each bump in the road for Bailey kept me riveted to the point that I never wanted a break. In truth it seemed a perfect mixture of life and the surreal. Years and years ago, I watched a movie called Cast a Deadly Spell, yeah it was a B-Grade but it was good and more importantly I have never seen anything like it since. Hell to Pay brought back the felling of this movie but in no way was it the same. It is simply the only item out in my reading/watching that it compares too. But, like Cast a Deadly Spell has stuck with me all these years I believe Hell to Pay will do the same for it was so unique, original and fun to read. I would tell you more about the story but I am lousy at that and tend to give away plot. So let me simply say Bailey is the bad guy you love in a world that is cracking open at the seams which keeps unveiling one interesting idea after another. Go ahead read it...it is well worth your time.