Guarding Gus: The Gus Chronicles, #1

The Reviews are In!

I appreciated how well the author described my kitchen. Have you seen it? I recently added a lazy Susan to hold my appliances in this blind cabinet. So the way it works is that the lazy Susan is on rails, and you mount the rails to the cabinet shelf, pull out the lazy Susan, and voila! You can access the back region of the cabinet! I put my seldom used appliances back there like the dehydrator. It's useful in the summer when I want to dry fruit for baking, but I don't need access to it all the time. Have you tried one of my new oatmeal gargoyle cookies? I started a limited edition series for the cookie truck. There's been a line 30 people deep for these! I won't tell you the secret ingredient...but you can guess. Go on, guess. Oh, right, you haven't had one yet! Anyway, yeah, the book is great. Gus is a real rascal. — Brant

These guys are awesome. The book captured the dance club atmosphere really well. I kind of wish we'd seen that bar, though. It sounds dope. I hear it's based on a place in Toronto? That's wild. Anyway, that weird little dog is cool, too. We had a killer time in Multnomah. Definitely will come back. — Patrice

Everyone keeps asking me questions about Gustopher, the little Tomme de Savoie! I am as in the darkness as the rest of you! Where did he come from? Je ne sais pas. How old is he? Je ne sais pas. Did I know him from before? Ah bon! Now you are in the fascinating country! Who can say...who can say? I do think that the author was cruel in her description of me, though. A little touch of malice on her part. It's not as if I didn't help the boys along with my hints. I just know that when Gus gets bigger — La vache! I was not supposed to tell you that! — Remi

Gustopher is extremely cool, and I am happy I got to meet the little one right away. The author did a great job describing his first words! I am getting choked up just remembering it. I do wonder if it will stay teacup-sized, though. Because if Gus is going to get bigger, it's going to be hard to find clothes. — Xavi

Listen. I know in my gut that those freaks work for The Volcano no matter what they claim, but I have to say, I respect their attack strategy. They have access to arson weaponry, they laid down some great cover fire with that fire-lizard-type creature. You know who would be really interested in that kind of firepower? The military. Maybe I should make a call. Excuse me. — Captain Angry Ballet Dancer

I feel REALLY drawn to the bi-colored eyes on that little bearded dragon. I didn't catch the name, but I thought I heard them call it Gus? That's one cute kid, let me tell you. Maybe I should try and get in touch with them, see if they need any help. — Big Black bouncer at dance club, The Golden Knight

"burbling, growling noises" — Gustopher

I mean, this book did a decent job with the guys and that little possum thing, but I noticed that she really didn't describe the bachelorette party or the bride and groom very well. There was a LOT more to that story. Let me fill you in. Okay. So the CRAZY thing about this wedding, right, is that I actually met Brandon FIRST, way before Holly ever met him. And he liked me first, because, you know, he has good taste, and we actually got serious for a while. But like, suddenly he wasn't as into Jell-O shots and paintball and Steven Seagal movies anymore, because Holly comes along with her progressive polyamory ideas, (big whoop) and cool art festival stories and suddenly, Brandon had gotten with her! I mean, the nerve! So anyway — [review cut short by arrival of police] — Bachelorette No. 6

Copyright

Guarding Gus, by Karryn Nagel

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places,

and incidents either are the product of the author’s

imagination or are used fictitiously. Any

resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,

events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

––––––––

Copyright © 2023 by Karryn Nagel

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced or used in any manner without written

permission of the copyright owner except for the

use of quotations in a book review. For more

information, address: [email protected]

Cover design by Indicreates

Editing by Crab Editing

Book Formatting by Painted Wings Publishing Services

Typography by Amphi Studio

––––––––

ISBN 978-0-9893-4517-0 (paperback)

ISBN 978-0-9893-4518-7 (ebook)

www.promisepress.org

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my cousin, Denise, my sister, Sierra, my other sister, Lisa, and my best friend Deepika. If anyone knows the profound value of a good man, it's these four.

This book is also dedicated to all the good guys out there who are practicing positive masculinity, looking after our veterans, and embracing our trans men.

Content Warnings

(** items are referenced, but not explored in detail)

Aftermath of a gun-shoot out (no deaths)

Transgender ftm topics such as passing etiquette, Latino family dynamics

Criminal underground, threats of injury and gun violence (one minor injury)

Vampires

**References to veteran PTSD/military

**Death of a grandparent

**Gambling environment (casino)

Treasure Hunt Map

Our characters visit a total of 7 locations in the book, Guarding Gus. Each of these locations correspond to a real place in Portland, Oregon. Follow the below link to visit each one. The treasure lies in the delight of finding out where you might go next!

Disclaimer: Not every location is a mirror image of what's in the book, but there are surprises and delights in store. I hope you enjoy the adventure!

Check out the map!

Chapter 1

Thursday  6 pm

Nico was standing in the gardening section of the cozily cluttered hardware store, considering a pair of stainless steel Satsuki shears for his personal bonsai plants. He had just picked up a pair by the teardrop handles that looked respectably sharp when he heard the unmistakable sound of gunshots outside. When Nico had entered the hardware store in the late September afternoon, the sun slanting across the parking lot, he made a point to note the entrances and exits — which was something he always did when he entered a new building. Dropping the shears on a nearby shelf, his heart pounding with anxiety, he raced down the aisle. Nico had a stocky build, but he stepped as deftly as a dancer around the trash cans of rakes, maneuvering past the towering, rotating display of seeds and the buckets of multi-colored pool noodles. He mentally thanked his security training as he bolted toward the front door. Heavy footfalls could be heard immediately behind him, and he instinctively turned, making eye contact with a muscular stranger whose friendly face had crinkled into the same concern.

Nico opened the door quickly and quietly, scanning the street. The stranger was close behind him but fanned out slightly to his right, hovering at his shoulder. It was clear that the conflict had just ended as the street was quiet, but only by a few seconds. There was a sour and angry smell in the air of discharged weapons, fear, and frustration. Nico and the stranger took cover about eight feet away from the hardware store entrance behind a city trash can.

The stranger, crouching down beside Nico, turned to him with a huge grin on his face, his green eyes vivid from the adrenaline. You know what I said to myself this morning? he said, somehow managing to sound soft but quite friendly. His voice had a tenor tone with a slight rasp. He continued on, I said to myself, 'Self, what this afternoon really needs is a good old-fashioned shoot-out in the middle of the street.' What is this, the Wild, Wild West? Ridiculous.

Someone could be hurt. Nico whispered urgently.

Exactly my point, said the stranger, amused. What on earth is out here that's worth risking human life for? A hardware store, a typewriter repair shop, and a couple of Hondas parked in the street? This doesn't make any sense.

As Nico scanned the street up and down, he reluctantly nodded his agreement that the scene in question was truly puzzling. His heart was still pounding a mile a minute, and the adrenaline made every detail sharper. He noticed a dirty sedan across the street that was parked at the curb, and there were two men running away from it towards a nearby alley. The stranger behind him leaned into his shoulder and said decisively, I'm going after those guys to try to get to the bottom of this.

Nico only nodded, noticing that the huge arms and broad shoulders of the man revealed undiluted strength. He had the upper body build of an amateur weightlifter, a slender waist, with legs that matched his arms. He was a white guy in his late 30s and was growing a few days' worth of beard stubble. His hair was a sandy brown, cut short and neatly brushed. If he felt capable of handling those two men, then who was Nico to argue? The stranger took off like a shot on powerhouse legs at a surprisingly springy pace.

Nico was left alone and panned his vision to the left again. He noticed a navy blue SUV parked just a few cars down on his side of the street and saw that the tires had been shot out. The SUV was otherwise unmarked, which was strange. Was the intent of the attack to injure someone or to take them alive? As Nico swiveled back and forth looking for other threats in the road, he cautiously emerged from behind the trash can. He had determined that it was safe to approach the SUV, so he pulled out his cell phone to dial 911 in case anyone inside was injured.

Nico walked slowly towards the car, listening intently for any signs of distress from someone inside. His eyes continued to scan the street a few more times as he approached the back-left passenger door. The stranger was nowhere to be seen, so Nico braced himself for whatever he might find.

He opened the driver's door, but there was no one inside. Nico's heart was hammering, his vision had narrowed. Since he could see no one in the front passenger seat, he decided to move to behind the driver's door.

He opened the door gently and stood still in perfect disbelief. Sitting in a car seat, securely belted in, was a baby gargoyle. It was fast asleep.

Chapter 2

Thursday  6:15 pm

As Nico was standing in disbelief at the open passenger door, the muscled stranger rejoined him, slightly out of breath, to see what Nico had found. The stranger looked inside the SUV, looked back at Nico, and looked back inside the SUV.

Oookkaaay. You don't see that every day, he said wryly.

Nico looked at the stranger and said, Oh, good. You see it, too?

Oh, sure. That’s a baby gargoyle, the stranger said confidently. He wore the same bemused expression from earlier.

Have you seen many baby gargoyles in your life? Nico asked calmly, though his insides were screaming at him, THAT’S A MYTHICAL CREATURE.

Well, no, but I do believe they exist, so why not here, and why not...now, I guess? the stranger said with a reasonable nodding of his head at his logical conclusion, absurd as it was.

Right. Right. Nico said, pretending to stroke his chin thoughtfully. And what do you suppose a baby gargoyle is doing in this car seat? Since you seem to have some insight on the matter. He deadpanned, gesturing with his hand, pointing to the situation as if they were discussing a tricky oil change.

The stranger ran a hand through his hair, Well, the gargoyle thing is new to me, I'll admit. But ever since the vamps, werewolves, and fae came out last year — is that the right term, 'came out'? He shrugged noncommittally. He didn't seem nearly as fazed as Nico. "I've met a few. Some of them