Chicago, the Windigo City

by Mark Everett Stone

Overview

Kal Hakala is the Bureau of Supernatural Investigation's best agent, but even he needs a break after his last case, which brought him a hair's breadth from death and killed the fiancée of his best friend, a Mescalero Apache agent named Canton Asate. Kal's temporary desk-job is nothing less than leadership of the entire BSI. Now it is on his head to assemble teams of agents to fight the latest Supernatural incursions and man up if they fail. Windigo spirits in Chicago are possessing human beings and transforming them into ravenous cannibals. Canton is the natural choice for a team leader because of his knowledge of Native American lore. Is Canton, a legend with a knife, ready to strike again, so soon after his fiancée's death? What about Kal's own girlfriend, Jeanie? Can he stand to put her in danger and beyond his protection? Kal is forced to use the BSI's cutting-edge virtual reality system to see what makes them both tick. Will the experience of virtually living their lives afford him the will to send those he loves into danger? Can an emotionally damaged man who has never led a team and a woman who traveled through time from the 1940s make the cut? For Kal, the choice isn't easy, but for Canton and Jeanie, it could be deadly.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781603819299
Publisher:	Camel Press
Publication date:	01/01/2014
Series:	From the Files of the BSI , #4
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.65(d)

About the Author

Born in Helsinki, Finland (The Land of the Uncommonly Stubborn), Mark Everett Stone arrived in the U.S. at a young age and promptly dove into the world of the fantastic. Starting at age seven with the Iliad and the Odyssey, he went on to consume every scrap of Norse Mythology he could get his grubby little paws on. At age thirteen he graduated to Tolkien and Heinlein, building up a book collection that soon rivaled the local public library's.In college Mark majored in Journalism and minored in English. The newspaper business wasn't for him, so he did what every good writer does: find work in a wide variety of fields that included catering, bartending, and restaurant management. After getting married, he sold Hyundais (before they became popular) and, because he lives in Colorado, Subarus. Eventually he matured enough to be able to sit down and just write. Mark is feverishly working on his next book, The Judas Line, while his amazingly patient wife, Brandie, keeps

Read an Excerpt

He sighed. "Something about this case bothers me and I wanted to come here firsthand, pick their brains, get the lay of the land. Being at the scene helps me focus."

"Which has me wondering," Beinfort cut in. "Since this case hasn't been turned over to the Feds, why all the interest?" His glare encompassed both Ng and myself equally. Mills merely stood by patiently, a small smile on her homely face. "This case belongs to Chicago PD, not FBI or ICE."

Before Ng could answer, Beinfort raised his voice, staring over my shoulder. "Mister, go on now. There's nothing here that concerns you."

I swiveled my head in time to see an indigent--a short, stubby man with a graying, bushy beard and filthy clothes--walk toward us along the tracks. A bottle encased in a paper bag was clenched in one grimy fist and I could see, thanks to the nightvision, that his lips were parted in a smile of glee or madness. The rest of his face was obscured by a battered and grimy Cubs hat. Hmph … the Cubs. No accounting for taste.

"I done seen what shouldn't be seen," the bum crooned, his teeth surprisingly white. "I seen what no one should seen." He gave an odd little twirl as he moved closer. His black Converse sneakers were torn and tattered to the point I could see his long, black toenails and the weeping sores on his feet.

Ng held up a hand, palm outward. "That's close enough, sir. Turn around and go back where you came from, sir."

"Back where I came from? Back where I came from?" gabbled the bum, dancing a jig on the rails with remarkable grace. "Tra-la-la! There is no back home for me! I is home right here, right now. Life is good, life is sweet, life is best with fresh meat!"

"Great, another rum bum," muttered Beinfort, stepping toward the dancing indigent. "Listen, pal," he said loudly. "This is police business. Move along."

"What do you think I is doing? I is moving right along. Tee-hee! Fresh meat, so sweet, puts you right on your seat!"

"Jesus, pal. Get outta here!"

The bum was only a couple yards from the dapper Beinfort. "But I just got here! I think I'll stay. Because the meat is so sweet!"

And the suddenly the bum was there, in Beinfort's face, teeth flashing, mouth opening impossibly wide and arms, freakishly long arms, arms that extended so much farther than the sleeves on his filthy jacket, wrapped around the Lieutenant and there was a crunch and a slurping sound that reminded me of inhaling soup from a spoon and Beinfort screamed long and loud, a wail filled with anguish and rage. Blood, slick and black in my nightvision, sprayed into the air, an arterial spurt that coated the gobbling bum in coppery fluid.

Editorial Reviews

11/11/2013
The fourth Bureau of Supernatural Investigation (BSI) book is a fitful compromise between short story collection and novel. Still recuperating from injuries suffered in a previous episode, field agent Kal Hakala is relegated to a desk job—and then asked to serve as the temporary head of BSI (a revelation that Hakala incongruously refers to as “Hiroshima big. Two kilotons and no waiting”). Confronted with an unfamiliar leadership duty, Hakala uses the virtual reality suite built into his desk to relive the adventures of his associates. Meanwhile, an army of flesh-eating windigos is slowly assembling in Chicago, and if unchecked, the creatures could consume the world. The heroes’ cynical but steadfast bravery is undercut by their casual disregard for civil liberties. Stone eschews such luxuries as complex characterization to better focus on action and angst, and the black-and-white nature of the conflict avoids ethical and moral complications. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"Chicago, The Windigo City is jam packed with action but the heart of the story is Kal's love and concern for his girlfriend and his best friend …. An original and refreshing tale that leaves me wanting to know more about Kal, Jeanie, BB, and Canton. I look forward to reading the other books in the series."

--Debbie Wiley, Fresh Fiction

Urban fantasy infused with Native American legend takes an excursion into the bloody horror genre in this fast-paced, exciting story.

Soul abduction and human cannibalism on the streets of Chicago lead the Bureau of

Supernatural Investigation on a gruesome chase into the city's deserted underground passages, creepy places where few would care to venture. As a frightening disease spreads through this major metropolis, victims are of two types: the consumed and the possessed. Once controlled by a windigo spirit, a person turns into a flesh-eating monster known as a Skinwalker. Similar to stories of a zombie uprising or a werewolf attack, this spine-tingling tale offers a new and

welcome approach to a familiar situation. Tight prose, a meticulous plot, and good editing set this book apart from countless competitors.

Stone has written a novel difficult to put down. Endless tension along with well-implemented action make the reading experience a necessity, not an option. Even a jaded critic will shudder over descriptive passages that bring to life the ghastly crime scenes, and certain explanations may unsettle a few stomachs: "In the center of the clump of long grass were bones, a good sized mound of them--grayish white and stripped of flesh, not a single shred remaining,

not even the pale white of ligaments. Bare and stinking, they lay as if carefully, almost reverently, placed there with the skull on top grinning at the two cops. But what made the scene grisly was not the bones themselves, but what had been done to them. Each one had been gnawed clean and then broken so that the marrow could be extracted."

The novel is divided into two parts and is told from the dual perspectives of investigative partners Kal Hakala, who is the BSI's best agent, and Canton Asate, a Mescalero Apache who is chosen to lead the team because of his special knowledge. Though essential details are conveyed via dialogue and situational narrative, development of these crucial characters does not reach a depth often prevalent in more pondering fiction. This is not a flaw, for the intended impact is

predominantly visual, not contemplative. The mood is ominous, and by the end, this sickening metro affliction comes into grotesque focus.

An innovative cover depicting high-rise Chicago through the end of a tunnel, while a

shadowy figure of a man stands brandishing a long knife, will capture an audience through its artwork alone. A hint of the Native American theme can be seen in the feathers dangling from the lettering.

A native of Finland and current resident of Denver, Stone has been a fan of mythology since he was a child, and this lifelong obsession has enabled him to create a unique blend of urban fantasy and literary legend.

Julia Ann Charpentier, ForeWord Magazine, Spring 2014

"This delightful Catholicism-infused quest fantasy stars a likable and original duo. Fr. Michael Engle, a pragmatic Catholic priest, and Jude, who has a considerably more uncertain relationship with God, are unlikely friends, but when a blood-covered Jude runs into Mike's church asking for help, Mike listens to him, believes him, and joins him on a quest to find the Holy Grail, which Jude hopes will help him destroy a legendary and dangerous family heirloom. Along the way they encounter Cain, the Norse gods (drinking and watching Bridge over the River Kwai), and a Valkyrie with the requisite 'chainmail-covered pillowy breasts.' When Mephistopheles shows up, Jude manages to label him an Arch-Fiend of Hell without irony and without irritating the reader. Stone's depiction of magic is realistic and intelligent and his treatment of Catholicism refreshingly informed and three-dimensional. Even the obligatory near-apocalyptic ending is coherent, surprising, and exciting."

--Publishers Weekly Starred Review

"Mark Everett Stone has hit another home run …. The Native American magic/folklore addition gives new insights into Canton's character and puts an interesting twist in the world that Stone has so expertly crafted. The action is non-stop, and the magical/technical gadgets are incredibly imaginative. Fans of this series will not be disappointed. The BSI series remains one of my absolute favorites, and I'm looking forward to the next installment."

--M. E. Franco, author of the Dion Series

From the Publisher