The Adventures of Gravedigger by Barry Reese Read Free Book Online Page A

Wings of Black
     
     
    Max Davies stepped off the train, adjusting his
hat as he did so. He cut a dapper figure, with his handsome face, olive
complexion and slightly wavy hair. At thirty-seven years of age, he could
easily pass for a man ten years younger.
    The son of a crusading newspaper magnate, Max’s
fortune was ensured from an early age. His good looks combined with his wealth
to make him Atlanta’s most eligible bachelor for a period, though he had
recently given up that status in favor of marriage to the actress Evelyn Gould.
    Max flashed a winning smile to a couple of
newspaper photo-jocks. They were eagerly taking his picture, shouting questions
about what business had brought him back to Sovereign. He moved on without
answering, knowing that the gossip columns would be buzzing with guesses of
their own, no matter what he said.
    What they didn’t know was that Max Davies was more
than just a philanthropist. He was also the masked vigilante known as The Peregrine,
driven by visions sent from beyond the grave by his dead father. Using those
oft-unpredictable bouts of precognition, The Peregrine had battled monsters
both human and demon for well over a decade. During that time, he’d met many
important people, some of whom became his close friends.
    Just two years prior, he’d visited Sovereign for
the first time. The incident had led to a partnership with Assistance
Unlimited. Since then, he and Lazarus Gray had maintained a steady contact.
    But it wasn’t Lazarus Gray who had brought him
away from his new bride.
    This time, it was Josef Goldstein.
    Max had met Goldstein in Germany back in the early
1930s, before the rise of Hitler. Their mutual interest in justice united them
and they became fast friends, calling upon each other periodically when the
occasion arouse.
    Unfortunately, that would never happen again.
    Stepping out to the street outside the train
station, Max’s eyes scanned the rows of cabs waiting for their fares. When he
caught sight of Mitchell standing next to Josef’s old car, he buttoned his
overcoat and headed over, a sad smile on his face.
    “You look like marriage is treating you well
enough,” Mitchell said, shaking Max’s hand.
    “It’s made a new man out of me.” Max slid into the
backseat of the car when Mitchell opened the door for him. “I’m glad you called
me.”
    “I’ve spent most of the day making those kinds of
calls. Hasn’t been easy, mate, I’ll tell you that.”
    “I’m just glad I had business in this part of the
country – the train ride only took a couple of hours.”
    Mitchell got behind the wheel and within seconds,
the car was navigating the rain-slicked streets of Sovereign. “Charity is
expecting you,” the Englishman said.
    Max stared out the window, his gaze sweeping all
the way to the docks. He could see The Heart of Fortune anchored just
offshore and he reminded himself to take Evelyn to the gambling vessel
sometime. “She doesn’t mind me being here?”
    “She wants to find the man who killed Mr.
Goldstein. She’s willing to take any help she can get.”
    Turning to look at the back of Mitchell’s head,
Max asked, “Does she know the truth about me?”
    Mitchell smiled to himself. It never failed. Every
masked vigilante in the world liked to believe that the mask was their true
face, while the one they were born with was nothing more than a façade.
Sometimes that was true enough but for the most part, it was nothing but a
conceit.
    “I only told her that you were part of the network
of informants that Mr. Goldstein sometimes called upon.”
    Max nodded, pleased with the response. He closed
his eyes, calling up the memories of what he’d seen on the way over. The
painful wave of visions had nearly caused him to double over in his railway
car, their intensity so strong that it had shocked him.
    He had seen the woman that he knew must be
Charity, garbed as The Gravedigger. She had been standing amidst a wave of
demons, their gnarled