Ryker, page 1
RYKER
TERESA GABELMAN
CONTENTS
GOOD VS. EVIL
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
About the Author
Also by Teresa Gabelman
GOOD VS. EVIL
Inside each of us, there is the seed of both good and evil. It’s a constant struggle as to which one will win. And one cannot exist without the other. –
Eric Burdon
The Protectors Series
RYKER
Copyright 2022 Teresa Gabelman
All rights reserved. The right of Teresa Gabelman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This is a work of fiction and any resemblance between the characters and persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Gabelman, Teresa (2022-9-25). Ryker (The Protectors Series) Book #23
Kindle Edition.
Created with Vellum
CHAPTER 1
Ryker lay completely still as he opened his senses to the surroundings. He knew exactly where he was. What he didn’t know yet, was who or what was around him. Every protective instinct he possessed raged inside him willing him to jump up and find Susan. His training prevented him from doing that. Her screaming his name echoed in his mind; the fear he heard was something he never wanted to hear leave her lips again. Ryker had grabbed onto Susan just before they transported. As they were swept into the void, he had lost his grip which meant he had lost her. Searing anger pumped through his body and he swore that if anything happened to her nothing in this forsaken place would survive his wrath.
Not sensing anything around him, Ryker opened his eyes slowly and scanned the area. He moved only slightly to make sure he was alone. What hid in the shadows of this place liked to play games, games that Ryker knew well and was good at. When nothing happened, he rose from the hard ground, picking up the machete he had been using while battling the Demons before tumbling into the void between Heaven and Hell. There was no sign of Susan nor the bastard who took her, his teeth clinched as he cursed silently.
He knew exactly where he was, where Susan was, and it pissed him off. The fucker who brought her here would die a slow painful death. The Demon Realm was not a place for humans. Most didn’t survive long, and the ones that did were never the same again. He needed to find her and find her fast. His eyes scanned the area once again. The landscape was like a black and white photo with a red hazy fog. No life anywhere that you could see. The trees stood looking dead, tired and beaten, the dirt beneath his boots a reddish brown resembling dried blood and the sky was a mix of darkness with grey and red fog. It was an eerie sight indeed.
Turning he glared at the stairway behind him. Many called it the stairway to Heaven or Hell. He called it…the way out. There were portals all over the Realm, he knew where most were. With a curse he began to walk, ready for whatever was to come his way and he knew it wouldn’t be long before his presence was known. The putrid smell of death filled his nostrils the further he moved away from the portal into a world more evil than anything the Human Realm could ever throw at him.
Ryker searched for any signs that Susan had been here. Seeing none he cursed again. During the transport he had lost his grip on her which sent him spinning out of control. When he passed through, he hit hard and must have been knocked out temporarily. The problem was he had no idea exactly how long he had been out. As he continued his eyes scanned the area seeing movement among the shadows of the dead trees. His hand tightened on the machete, his mind cleared of anything other than survival for himself and death to anything that stood in his way of finding Susan.
He knew what was hidden in the shadows watching his every move. Grotesque figures with sharp teeth and sharper claws waiting for the right minute to attack. He didn’t know what they were called, but that didn’t matter to him at all. Ryker didn’t need to know the name of the fuckers that he was about to send to hell. Some called them Dead Walkers. He had fought them before. This wasn’t his first time in the Realm.
The first one stepped into his path, but far enough away from Ryker thinking it was safe. “What are you doing in the Realm, Warlock?” As the thing talked, its razor-sharp teeth that overfilled his mouth gleamed. Its voice hissed after each word and saliva drooled from the corner of its mouth. Ryker knew there were more out there because the bastards ran in packs.
“Killing you.” Ryker answered with a humorless smirk. “Any more questions?”
The creature stared in confusion as if trying to compute what Ryker had just said. When its eyes narrowed Ryker snorted.
In the Realm magic was never certain. Sometimes it could work, most times it did not. Ryker didn’t need his magic to beat this thing, but it wouldn’t hurt once the others attacked all at once. Just as the creature opened its mouth to call out a warning to the others, Ryker threw the machete hitting the bastard in the face. Before it even knew what happened Ryker was there with his boot on the fucker’s chest and his hand wrapped around the hilt of the machete pulling it out of the creature’s face.
Turning quickly, he cursed as more of them came toward him. Their spastic gait picked up once they saw there would be no sneak attack against Ryker. Rolling his neck back and forth, Ryker grasped the hilt of the machete with both hands; he squatted into a ready stance waiting for the first fucker that wanted to die. Their bite hurt like a bitch, the saliva held poison that burned like the pits of hell, but it wouldn’t kill him. A human yes, but not a vampire.
Their gait and attack were spastic meaning it was hard to judge, but Ryker had fought them before and knew their thought process. The problem came when more than two attacked. The first to die came at him straight on which proved how stupid these creatures from hell were. The feel of his blade slicing into flesh was satisfying. The bastards gurgle of death even more so.
The next one came from the side, but Ryker was ready. It wasn’t until he killed a dozen or so did they get smart and start attacking as a group. Ryker fought like a man possessed. At times it was as if he left his own mind and was watching himself from the sidelines slaughter the large group of creatures. It wasn’t that he came out of it without injury. He was sliced by claws and bitten multiple times. The pain only sparked his rage until at last he stopped to look around to see nothing but death around him.
His eyes scanned the ground where they surrounded him seeing one trying to crawl away. Ryker walked over the dead, reached down and grabbed the only one alive by the oily hair. Picking him up he stared into its eyes.
“Where is Anibus?” Ryker growled, giving the bastard a shake.
“Fuck you.” The thing hissed snapping its teeth at Ryker.
“Wrong answer.” Ryker replied, taking the machete across the creature’s throat in one solid slice; he then tossed the grotesque head behind him.
Ryker ripped off his shredded shirt to check his wounds. Scratches and bite marks littered his body. Throwing his shirt on the ground he continued on his way. The Realm was like walking in the human world, but more…sinister. Ryker snorted at that thought. The human world was definitely heading in this direction the way things were going with all the crime and evilness above him. If it wasn’t for the deadness of everything he passed he wouldn’t really know the difference. Seeing dim lights ahead he emptied his mind of all thoughts other than survival.
The buildings appeared through the dense fog. He passed the first one and knew he was being watched, but he kept his eyes straight ahead. No doubt word of his presence had already been spread throughout the Realm. Good. The more they knew he just wiped out a whole horde of creatures the better. He didn’t have time to fight every hound from hell that came for him. Maybe another day, but finding Susan was his top priority.
“You want a good time?” A female voice cooed from his right side. Only his eyes moved her way before he dismissed her. Succubus were female Demons known as the lover Demon. Usually they came to human men in their sleep, but down here the rules were different. They were beautiful creatures that knew how to fuck a man, make him want to give up his soul and the Succubus would take it.
Ryker didn’t respond. He’d had many dealings with Succubus in his past, some he wasn’t proud of. But at present there was only one female he was concerned with, and it wasn’t the one dropping the top of her dress as she played with her huge tits.
“You don’t know what you’re missing…Ryker.” The Succubus’s sexy voice had his cock stirring. She was good, he’d give her that, but not good enough. He continued without even looking her way as she continued to aggressively play with herself. “Bastard!” She shouted after him but stayed where she was. Good thing because Ryker had no problem killing a Succubus, they were evil beings that brought hardships to any man fool enough to fall for their tricks.
Other Demons lined the street openly watching him, but none made a move to stop him. Good choice on their part. Maybe the drying blood and fresh healing wounds on his skin warned them that he wasn’t in the mood for talking. Even though his eyes were straight ahead he knew exactly how many Demons were keeping tabs on him and where they were. Turning slightly, he walked up two steps and slammed the door open to a rundown bar front.
All action inside stopped as everyone stared at him. He didn’t give a shit. His eyes scanned until they landed on who he was looking for. Knocking Demons out of his way he purposely walked toward Anibus. The Demon was huge, freakishly tall, and muscular. He looked human in body, but his head was that of a jackal. It was a very odd combination to say the least, but once you’ve been in the Realm a time or two it seemed pretty damn normal.
“Ah, Ryker.” Anibus said as if he had been expecting him. “What can I do for you old friend?”
“I’m not your friend, have never been your friend and will never be your fucking friend so cut the shit.” Ryker growled walking straight up to him. Even though Ryker had to look up at Anibus, everyone in the Demon bar knew exactly who had the bigger balls so to speak. Yeah, that was Ryker. Anibus was who anyone and everyone came to if they needed information. He knew the comings and goings of everyone, who was on Satan’s shit list and made sure the Realm stayed a dirty little secret from the humans. “I’m looking for a female, human female.”
Anibus’s eyes narrowed but let Ryker’s rude friendship comment go. “There are no humans allowed in the Realm.”
Ryker struck out hitting Anibus in the stomach, then grabbed his throat when he doubled over before slamming him on the ground. Screams, gasps, and hisses sounded behind him.
“If one motherfucker touches me while my back is turned, I will snap his neck and then kill you.” Shuffles of footsteps reached his ears, but no one touched him. His black eyes never left Anibus. “Now, I’m going to ask you one more time. What do you know of a female human?”
“Nothing.” Anibus wheezed and Ryker could feel him try to swallow, but with his large hand wrapped around the bastard’s throat he knew that was difficult and he didn’t give a fuck.
Ryker squeezed even harder. “Does Louis Maxwell ring a bell?” Ryker leaned closer, his eyes missing nothing. As soon as the name left his lips Anibus’s eyes gave him away. “His son took a human and transported her here.”
“How do you know she was transported here?” Anibus had relaxed somewhat as he stared up at Ryker. “She could be anywhere.”
“Don’t make me kill you in front of witnesses, Anibus.” Ryker growled. “Because I will, but the paperwork above will be a bitch which means it will be a slow death for you. Might as well make all that paperwork worth it.” Ryker had never filled out any paperwork after killing a Demon, but this bastard didn’t know that.
“I swear I don’t know anything.” Anibus sputtered and choked out. “I would tell you if I did.”
“What do you know of Louis Maxwell’s son?” Ryker didn’t loosen his hold on Anibus. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. Time was running out. He needed to find her before the Realm took her or that bastard did something he would greatly regret. The bastard was already a walking dead man in Ryker’s mind, but the suffering he was going to put on the fucker depended on how long it took him to find Susan.
“Nothing.” Anibus cried out when Ryker squeezed even tighter. “But I can find out. Please let me go.”
Ryker cursed as he shoved off Anibus allowing him to get up. When he was too slow to stand, Ryker grabbed him picking him up himself. “If I don’t find her soon, I will call down every single Dark Guardian along with the VC Warriors. We will tear this fucking place apart and kill anything that gets in our way.”
Time in the Demon Realm was different than human time. He had been here for maybe an hour give or take, but in the Human Realm it had been a week already. That was another reason it was dangerous for humans to stay within this Realm for a long period of time.
“Louis Maxwell doesn’t have a son.” A man’s voice broke the silence.
“And you know this how?” Ryker’s eyes scanned the room looking for the speaker. A man stepped forward. “You a Demon?” Usually, Ryker could tell a Demon from a Warlock, but whatever this person was Ryker wasn’t sure.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” The man said as he glanced around at the creatures surrounding them. Some looked somewhat humanish while others didn’t hold the human form well. “I prefer my human…suit, rather than my natural Demon state while in the Realm, unlike some of my peers. I’m Tarek.” He held his hand out to Ryker.
Ryker’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the Demon’s hand before looking back into his eyes. One thing he learned quickly was never trust anything that came from hell. “What do you know, Tarek?”
“The Demon you are looking for is Pyro.” Tarek informed him with a cocked eyebrow.
“Demon of falsehood.” Ryker added, then frowned. “How did he end up with Maxwell?”
“Money, the promise of life outside of the Realm, power, endless souls to take…everything a Demon wants.” Tarek said as a matter of fact. “Should I go on?”
“No.” Ryker noticed that everyone had pretty much gone back to their own business. If there wasn’t chaos, they grew bored very quickly. “Why should I trust you?”
Tarek laughed leaning against the bar as he looked first at Anibus, then at the crowd surrounding them. “You shouldn’t. I’m a Demon.” Tarek replied, then turned serious very quickly. “Let’s just say Louis Maxwell and that fucker Pyro took something very special to me. I owe them both a one-way ticket to hell.”
How Ryker knew he didn’t know. “Ms. Maxwell.” Ryker watched the Demon very closely. Demons were sly fuckers and could lie with the best of them. “It was you?”
Tarek didn’t look like he was going to answer. He had glanced away, but when he glanced back at Ryker his eyes were that of a Demon, solid black. “I loved her.” Tarek growled. “Yes, a Demon in love with a human. Maxwell paid me well to seduce his wife, but I am the one that was seduced. We planned a life together. The night she died with our child was the night I was to take her away from that bastard.”
Ryker was a pretty good judge of liars, but when dealing with Demons you could never be sure what was truth and what was lies. It was forbidden for Demons to mate with humans, but Ryker knew of a few instances that it had happened. “Where does Pyro come into the picture if you were the one Maxwell paid to produce a Demon child?”
“Maxwell couldn’t control me.” Tarek replied, his eyes starting to shift back to normal. “And he knew it. When I returned the money is when everything changed. Maxwell did his best to hide Delilah from me and if it wasn’t for this hellish place, I would have been there that night. Pyro was Maxwell’s bitch boy, was paid very well to play the part of his son and the bastard wanted Delilah for his own. Pyro has an appetite for beautiful women, human women.”
“Fuck!” Ryker cursed as his protective instincts overwhelmed him with the need to find Susan.
“I’ll make you a deal.” Tarek said watching Ryker closely, a little too closely sending warning bells off inside Ryker’s head.
“I don’t do deals with Demons.” Ryker answered without hesitation. A deal with a Demon never went according to plan and right now Ryker didn’t have time to watch his back more than he already had to.
“Fine, then good luck finding her on your own.” Tarek took a long drink before setting his glass back on the bar. “But time is running out for the human female you seek. You know this as well as I. The last Demon you want with your female is Pyro, Warlock.”
