PRAISE FOR FIREWALK
“A haunting thriller in which ancient evil and modern tech intertwine in streets of a dying city—and where the darkness hides things much older and more frightening than the darkness itself.”
—Richard Kadrey, New York Times bestselling author of Sandman Slim
“[A] gripping supernatural thriller . . . Terrific pacing and detailed police work mixed with supernatural elements will serve well horror and urban fantasy fans alike.”
—Library Journal, starred review
“Smart, tough, and scary as hell. Roberson delivers authentic-feeling police action while spinning us down into a pit (or mineshaft) of horrors.”
—Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy
“A novel that’s part True Detective and part Lovecraft. . . . The plot is engaging, and Roberson really shines in building the relationships and dialogue. . . . The end will have horror fans ready for the sequel.”
—Publishers Weekly
“As entertaining as can be, filled with humor and a satisfying depth of plot. Peering around the corners in Recondito is wicked good fun.”
—Shelf Awareness
“Lefevre, Tevake and their supporting cast, not to mention the fictional location Recondito, are compellingly drawn . . . . memorably creepy and tense.”—RT Book Reviews Top Pick (4.5 Stars)
“Firewalk turns the police procedural on its ear. Recondito is a simmering melting pot of diverse characters and long-buried evil.”
—Michael J. Martinez, author of The Daedalus Incident and MJ-12: Inception
“Fans of the Agent Pendergast series will find a lot to love here, but Roberson takes things a few steps further: by introducing an inclusive cast of characters, and by bringing together Haitian Voodoo, ancient Mayan mythology, cosmology, and even a South Pacific cargo cult. If you’re looking for a cop story with a heavy dose of the supernatural, Firewalk is the book for you.”—Matthew Sturges, author of Midwinter and The Office of Shadow
“Firewalk is X-Files for grownups: weird doings in Lovecraftian caverns, Mayan mythology coming to life, and more. A spine-tingling treat from a consummate pro.”
—Dennis O’Flaherty, author of The Calorium Wars
“Chris Roberson is always surprising you because you thought you knew where he was going and what he was going to do, but his plots are always a bit deeper than you thought, the knife a bit sharper. In Firewalk, he twists that knife like a drill.”
—Paul Tobin, author of Prepare To Die!
“A scorching thriller that expertly blends horror, science fiction, and urban fantasy, Firewalk is an excellent launch to what promises to be a spellbinding series.”
—Richard Cox, author of The Boys of Summer
ALSO BY CHRIS ROBERSON
NOVELS
BONAVENTURE-CARMODY
Here, There & Everywhere
Paragaea: A Planetary
Romance
Set the Seas of Fire
End of the Century
Book of Secrets
CELESTIAL EMPIRE
The Dragon’s Nine Sons
Three Unbroken
Iron Jaw and Hummingbird
Further: Beyond the Threshold
COMICS
Cinderella: From Fabletown
With Love
Cinderella: Fables Are Forever
with Shawn McManus
iZombie
with Michael Allred
Memorial
with Rich Ellis
The Mysterious Strangers
with Scott Kowalchuk
Sovereign
with Paul Maybury
EDISON REX
with Dennis Culver
Hellboy and the BPRD
with Mike Mignola and
various
Copyright © 2018 by Chris Roberson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Night Shade Books, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.
Night Shade Books™ is an imprint of Start Publishing LLC.
Visit our website at www.nightshadebooks.com.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Roberson, Chris, author.
Title: Firewalkers : a Recondito novel / Chris Roberson.
Description: New York : Night Shade Books, [2018]
Identifiers: LCCN 2017052763 | ISBN 9781597809122 (softcover : acid-free
paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Government investigators--Fiction. |
Police--California--Fiction. | Paranormal fiction. | GSAFD: Fantasy
fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3618.O31527 F58 2018 | DDC 813/.6--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017052763
eISBN: 978-1-59780-594-0
Cover design by Claudia Noble
Printed in the United States of America
PROLOGUE
The young woman was Mexican, and from her dress I took her to be a housekeeper, likely returning from a day’s work cleaning one of the miniature mansions that lined the avenues of Northside. She was sprawled on the pavement,one shoe off, arms raised to shield her face. Two men stood over her, Caucasians in dungarees, workshirts, and heavy boots. The older of the two had the faded blue of old tattoos shadowing his forearms, suggesting a previous career in the merchant marines, while the younger had the seedy look of a garden-variety hoodlum. With hands clenched in fists and teeth bared, it was unclear whether they wanted to beat the poor girl or take advantage of her—likely both, and in that order.
The hoodlum reached down and grabbed the woman’s arm roughly, and as he attempted to yank her to her feet she looked up and her gaze fell on me. Or rather, her gaze fell on the mask, which in the shadows she might have taken to be a disembodied silver skull floating in the darkness. Already terrified by her attackers, the woman’s eyes widened on seeing me, and her shouts for help fell into a hushed, awestruck silence.
The prevention of crime, even acts of violence, is not the Wraith’s primary mission, nor did the situation seem at first glance to have any bearing on my quest for vengeance, but still I couldn’t stand idly by and see an innocent imperiled. But even before springing into action my Sight caught a glimpse of the tendril which rose from the shoulders of the tattooed man, disappearing in an unseen direction. No mere sailor down on his luck, the tattooed man was possessed, being “ridden” by an intelligence from beyond space and time. And protecting the people of Recondito from such incursions is the mission of the Wraith—and if the Ridden was in league with those whom I suspected, vengeance might be served, as well.
“Unhand her,” I said, stepping out of the shadows and into view. I Sent as I spoke, the reverberation of thought and sound having a disorienting effect on the listener that I often used to my advantage. “Or answer to me.”
The two men turned, and while the hoodlum snarled at my interruption, there glinted in the eyes of the
