The Golem: A Montague & Strong Detective Novel (Montague & Strong Case Files Book 10)

The GolemA Montague & Strong Detective Agency Novel


Orlando A. Sanchez


Description
It’s uncomfortable between a rock and a hard place.
When the NYTF reports that a golem, a large rock creature, is terrorizing parts of the city and destroying hubs of power, Ezra calls on Montague & Strong to investigate and stop the creature.
Their first reaction is to refuse.
Except there’s one problem.
No one refuses Ezra, a personification of Death, without grave consequences.
Now, Monty and Simon, together with Ursula of the DAMNED, must uncover how the golem was created and who would use it to destroy hubs of power, without being crushed in the process.
What they uncover, will have them face a power beyond their abilities and make choices with dire consequences.
Consequences they may not be ready for...yet.


“When you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, blow up the rock.”—Uncle Dex
“What is misunderstood is feared, what is feared is eradicated. The supernatural and normal world can never co-exist without a veil between them. To think differently is foolish and naive; to work toward this end, self-destructive and fatal.”—Connor Montague


ONE
Monty’s phone rang as we drove downtown to meet Ezra. He handed me the keepsaker box as he reached for his phone. With the press of a button, he connected the call, sending it to the Dark Goat’s Bluetooth system.
“Prepodavatel—teacher. You need to come to building. Now.”
It was Olga. An agitated, angry-sounding Olga.
“What did she call you…preposition?” I asked under my breath. “She sounds heated for an ice-queen.”
“Stronk,” she said with her usual name-mangling. “Good, you are there. Bring Cece teacher to building—now. You have problem.”
She ended the call abruptly.
“When she says, ‘You have problem’, she means the royal you, right?”
“I think she means any ‘you’ that doesn’t include her. Turn us around. She sounded quite upset.”
“You’re concerned because she sounded upset?”
“Do you recall how you referred to Olga when she convinced me to take on Cecelia as an apprentice?”
“You mean when she threatened to deep-freeze The Moscow?”
“Yes. It was a subtle demonstration of her power.”
“Subtle?” I asked with a shudder. “I remember her freezing most of the table without so much as an eyebrow wiggle.”
“She doesn’t seem the type to fluster easily,” Monty said. “Anything that gets her disturbed warrants paying attention to.”
“Disturbed sounds about right,” I said with a nod. “I remember that convincing session. She turned her office into a fairly passable meat locker.”
At the mention of the word meat, Peaches, who was snoring in the backseat in a mega-sprawl, opened an eye and perked an ear.
<Are we getting meat?>
<No. Is that all you listen for? Is that your entire focus—really?>
<Is there anything more important than meat?>
<We’re going to the place soon. Go back to your nap.>
Peaches went from semi-alert to full-devour mode, including the drool.
<The place? Are we really? It’s been so long since I’ve eaten. I’m so hungry.>
<I guess we’re not going to count the several pounds of meat you ate an hour ago?>
<So long ago. An hour. I’m hungry. Will the old man have meat for me?>
I didn’t bother answering because I knew where the conversation was headed. Monty cleared his throat to get my attention. He somehow always knew when I was “speaking” to Peaches. Must be a mage thing.
“You referred to her as the ‘ice-queen building owner’, which, in retrospect, seems to be quite accurate.”
“You’re saying she is the ice-queen?”
“Not the ice-queen, rather an ice-queen or dignitary,” Monty answered. “I’m still waiting to hear back from my contacts at the Golden Circle. It does make sense, though, considering her level of power and the fact that she owns a substantial amount of prime real estate in this city.”
“Which would require serious wealth.”
“More importantly, considerable influence. No one who has approached her to sell has been successful. She must be connected to the Jotnar in some way, or they never would have entrusted Cecelia to her care.”
“Olga doesn’t seem like the type to fold under strong-arm tactics,” I said, making a U-turn on the Westside Highway at 23rd Street. “To own The Moscow, and keep it—she’s either a very effective business—woman, or dangerous. Or, more likely, both.”
“Indeed. Which means we have a problem.”
“You realize we’re putting Ezra on the back—burner to address this problem with Olga,” I said, stepping down on the accelerator.
“I’m afraid we don’t have a choice,” Monty said, glancing at me. “Ezra will have to wait. Hurry.”


TWO
We were two blocks away from The Moscow when I felt the chill in the air.
“What the hell is that?” I asked with a shudder. “Feels like we just drove into the Arctic.”
“I believe that is our problem,” Monty answered, pointing ahead. “Not quite the Arctic, but close.”
<It’s the cold girl.>
<Excuse me?>
<The one who finds me beautiful. It smells like her.>
<You can smell this…? Really? I thought your sense of smell was set to meat and little else.>
<Her guardian smells better than meat from the place.>
I almost turned in surprise at this statement.
<Better than meat? Are you feeling okay? Not a sentence I ever expected to hear from you.>
<Can we go to the place now?>
<After we deal with this situation.>
“Stop the car,” Monty said. “Bloody hell.”
I stopped the Dark Goat about half a block away. My eyes were registering the image, but my brain was having a hard time processing it. There was ice everywhere.
“Is that our building?”
“Yes. It would seem it has undergone some alterations.”
“Alterations? We now live in the Fortress of Solitude. Are you telling me little Cece—?”
“Cecelia, apparently, is only little in stature, not power,” Monty said. “This is a significant shift.”
“Significant, how?”
“She is an ice mage from a Jotnar bloodline,” Monty said, peering at The Moscow. “I didn’t expect a shift of this magnitude for at least two or three decades.”
“Decades? Are you saying she’s going to get even stronger?”
“Quite,” Monty said with a nod. “Jotnar ice mages can achieve Archmage levels early. I just didn’t expect it this soon.”
“Are you telling me Cece is an Archmage?”
“No, don’t be daft. If