Max Helms: Curse of the Relic (Max Helms - Private Investigator Book 1) by Walter Hammett
Authors: Walter Hammett
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Prologue: The Streets of San Francisco - Friday, September 19, 1938
It was a cold September night in San Francisco. The kind of cold where a person’s words were visible as they were spoken. Sam had just finished a long shift on the docks and decided to head to John’s Grill for dinner.
He buttoned up his jacket as he exited the office. A n eerie feeling came over him, as if he was being watched. He walked down the street to his car. He pulled out his keys and nervously looked around but didn’t see anyone. He stuck the key into the lock and felt a small, round cold metal object being forced into his back. A raspy voice said, “This is a stickup! Put your hands up and turn around slowly!”
“ OK! OK! Just don’t hurt me!”
As he turned around, his stomach gurgled loudly as the gun was pressed into it. He hoped that the thief would leave him enough money to get a meal because he was starving. The thief took a deep breath and said, “Give me your wallet and--”
The thief suddenly burst into a violent coughing fit. He continued, “And--”
The thief continued to cough uncontrollably. Sam felt the pressure from the gun in his stomach suddenly decrease. He thought this might be his chance to escape. He got a good look at the thief and noticed he was extremely pale-looking. He was so pale that he was whiter than the white on his new wingtip shoes. The thief noticed Sam checking him out. “Don’t,” he coughed, “you try--” He coughed some more.
Sam noticed a gaping hole in thief’s chest which had no blood flowing from it. “You OK, pal? You don’t look so hot.”
Again, the thief coughed as he tried to answer, “I’ve been--” a raspy hack interrupted his sentence. “--through--”
T he thief coughed as if every bit of air in his body was escaping as he crumpled to the ground. Sam looked down at him and said, “Hey pal? Pal?”
Sam nudged the thief with his foot to see if he was still alive. The thief didn’t budge at all. He looked around to see if anyone had seen what happened, but no one was around. He reached into the thief’s pocket, grabbed his wallet, opened it up and pulled out all the cash. He stood up, threw the wallet onto the thief’s body and said, “Looks like dinner is on you, pal!”
He left the alley and proceeded on to John’s Gril l. He debated whether he should get the lamb chops with a baked potato and sliced tomatoes or a T-bone steak with the same sides. As he approached the front door to the restaurant, he finally made his decision: the lamb chops it was. His stomach gurgled louder than before as he entered the restaurant and was greeted by the maître d’. He got a table for one and sat down to enjoy his meal.
Chapter 1: All Aboard African Airlines - Thursday, September 25, 1938
As Don ran through the humid African jungle, he wondered what he had done to upset Mr. Heinrich and get this assignment. Everyone else in the organization was in much better shape and younger than him.
He stopped and leaned on a tree to catch his breath. He looked down at the burlap sack that he clenched tightly in his left hand. He hoped he would make it out of the jungle alive to give its contents to Mr. Heinrich.
He wiped the sweat f rom his brow and noticed that it was a little too quiet for a jungle. Suddenly, he heard a sound similar to an ax chopping into a tree. He looked to his left and saw an arrow stuck into the tree next to him. Startled, he took a deep breath and ran as fast as he could.
As he continued on through the jungle, he could hear his pursuers yelling. He glanced over his shoulder to see the tribe still hot on his tail. He knew they wouldn’t stop until either he reached the plane, or they caught him and got their relic back.
Over the noises of the jungle, the sound of his heartbeat and the war cries of the tribe, he heard the faint sounds of the plane as it approached. He thought that he must be getting closer to the spot where Tony and Charlie were to pick him
It was a cold September night in San Francisco. The kind of cold where a person’s words were visible as they were spoken. Sam had just finished a long shift on the docks and decided to head to John’s Grill for dinner.
He buttoned up his jacket as he exited the office. A n eerie feeling came over him, as if he was being watched. He walked down the street to his car. He pulled out his keys and nervously looked around but didn’t see anyone. He stuck the key into the lock and felt a small, round cold metal object being forced into his back. A raspy voice said, “This is a stickup! Put your hands up and turn around slowly!”
“ OK! OK! Just don’t hurt me!”
As he turned around, his stomach gurgled loudly as the gun was pressed into it. He hoped that the thief would leave him enough money to get a meal because he was starving. The thief took a deep breath and said, “Give me your wallet and--”
The thief suddenly burst into a violent coughing fit. He continued, “And--”
The thief continued to cough uncontrollably. Sam felt the pressure from the gun in his stomach suddenly decrease. He thought this might be his chance to escape. He got a good look at the thief and noticed he was extremely pale-looking. He was so pale that he was whiter than the white on his new wingtip shoes. The thief noticed Sam checking him out. “Don’t,” he coughed, “you try--” He coughed some more.
Sam noticed a gaping hole in thief’s chest which had no blood flowing from it. “You OK, pal? You don’t look so hot.”
Again, the thief coughed as he tried to answer, “I’ve been--” a raspy hack interrupted his sentence. “--through--”
T he thief coughed as if every bit of air in his body was escaping as he crumpled to the ground. Sam looked down at him and said, “Hey pal? Pal?”
Sam nudged the thief with his foot to see if he was still alive. The thief didn’t budge at all. He looked around to see if anyone had seen what happened, but no one was around. He reached into the thief’s pocket, grabbed his wallet, opened it up and pulled out all the cash. He stood up, threw the wallet onto the thief’s body and said, “Looks like dinner is on you, pal!”
He left the alley and proceeded on to John’s Gril l. He debated whether he should get the lamb chops with a baked potato and sliced tomatoes or a T-bone steak with the same sides. As he approached the front door to the restaurant, he finally made his decision: the lamb chops it was. His stomach gurgled louder than before as he entered the restaurant and was greeted by the maître d’. He got a table for one and sat down to enjoy his meal.
Chapter 1: All Aboard African Airlines - Thursday, September 25, 1938
As Don ran through the humid African jungle, he wondered what he had done to upset Mr. Heinrich and get this assignment. Everyone else in the organization was in much better shape and younger than him.
He stopped and leaned on a tree to catch his breath. He looked down at the burlap sack that he clenched tightly in his left hand. He hoped he would make it out of the jungle alive to give its contents to Mr. Heinrich.
He wiped the sweat f rom his brow and noticed that it was a little too quiet for a jungle. Suddenly, he heard a sound similar to an ax chopping into a tree. He looked to his left and saw an arrow stuck into the tree next to him. Startled, he took a deep breath and ran as fast as he could.
As he continued on through the jungle, he could hear his pursuers yelling. He glanced over his shoulder to see the tribe still hot on his tail. He knew they wouldn’t stop until either he reached the plane, or they caught him and got their relic back.
Over the noises of the jungle, the sound of his heartbeat and the war cries of the tribe, he heard the faint sounds of the plane as it approached. He thought that he must be getting closer to the spot where Tony and Charlie were to pick him
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