'Pain Without Tears' by C.J. Henderson

Depressed at how his life has become nothing but a succession of frightening encounters with vampires, werewolves and energy beasts, and faced with the prospect of yet more grisly death and horror, reporter Carl Kolchak heads for a bar and proceeds to drink himself into oblivion. During his liquid breakfast, Carl encounters a young Chinese girl, Yitt Feng, who encourages him to unburden his troubles on her; after pouring out his life story to the attentive and sympathetic girl, Carl is surprised to find himself feeling much better. But this happiness is short-lived upon the arrival of two groups of men – a trio of sinister corporate ‘Men in Black’ and two Asian thugs - who try to take the Chinese girl away by force. While Kolchak’s attempts to protect Yitt only result in him being beaten up, Yitt somehow manages to evade her pursuers, and she disappears into the night. Realising that he has fallen for the girl, Kolchak turns to Tony Vincenzo for help in finding Yitt; using the newspaper’s resources he eventually tracks the girl to a nunnery. Here, Carl learns from the mother superior that Yitt is an empath, capable of healing people by absorbing their pain into herself. Reunited with Yitt, Carl encourages her to come away with him; but as they leave the convent but they are once again faced with the trio of Men in Black – and Carl is promptly shot dead…

Illustrated by Denis Calero
Cover by Denis Calero

Notes:
*Featuring Carl Kolchak

*Published by Moonstone