Part 34 (1/2)
”In the house.”
Reed made an aggravated sound. ”This whole thing is f.u.c.ked all around. We don't have the time or resources to baby-sit them.”
The unmistakable sounds of gagging preceded the abrupt appearance of the French Mark-Claire, the fas.h.i.+onista-lurching from around the corner.
She paused at the sight of them, swallowing hard. ”I never thought I would wish for the ability to vomit,”
she said.
”What's wrong?” Reed's gaze lifted to the side of the house she'd emerged from.
”The E.P.D. investigators are examining R-Richens's body.” She bent over and clutched her knees, inhaling and exhaling carefully.
The urge to puke was all in her head, but like the Novium, knowing the cause didn't make the phantom feeling seem any less real. Reed sympathized. He wasn't fond of cadavers either, especially grisly ones.
”I have to leave,” she said. ”I hate this place.”
”We're trying,” he murmured, also sympathizing with whichever handler ended up with her. She was going to need a lot of help acclimating to the mark.
”I hated him, too,” she said.
”Who?”
”Richens. He was an a.s.shole.”
”Aye,” Callaghan agreed.
”And now I feel terrible to have thought about him in that way,” she muttered. Reed smiled.
”How much longer do we have to stay?” she asked.
”As soon as they go,” he gestured across the street with a jerk of his chin, ”we can go.”
”What do they want?”
”To prove or disprove that there is paranormal activity in Anytown.”
”Where is a tengu when you need one?” she groused.
Reed paused, considering. A sense of deja vu washed over him, as if he was meant to think of the idea that popped into his head. ”Good idea.”
”Excuse me?”
”Why wait for them to figure it out for themselves?” He looked at Callaghan. ”Let's go with them now. We'll rig something to give them the proof they want, then there won't be any reason for them to stay.”
”They dinnae want proof of it,” Callaghan said. ”They're here tae disprove.”
”I watched the video they gave Hollis,” Claire said. ”Mostly it was nothing for the first half an hour or so. Then they went to the video store and there was a shadow that looked like a DVD case floating in midair.”
”Perfect. So we give them a reasonable explanation for what the other crew saw and they're done here.”
”Can I accompany you?” Claire asked. ”I cannot go back in that house. Not now.”
”Where's Hollis?”
”Helping Edwards. He is worse than me. He liked Richens.”
”And Hogan and Garza?”
”Hogan is fine with the corpse. Better than the rest of us. Garza accompanied Hank back to Anytown. He had to carry the equipment.”
”Let's keep Hollis out of this.” Eve was safer surrounded by her cla.s.s, the guards, and the E.P.D. investigators than she was anywhere else.
”Callaghan.” Reed looked at the Scottsman. ”Offer to accompany the ghost hunters to Anytown, then lead them around to the video store. Claire and I will go on ahead, and set things up.”
”Will do.” Callaghan set off across the street.
Reed turned his attention to Claire. ”Are you ready to go?”
She nodded. ”I'm ready.”
”Good. Let's get-”
A wolf howled. A long, drawn out cry followed by excited yips.
The rapid whirring of an approaching helicopter's blades shouldn't have bothered Reed, not considering the number of military installations in the area. But the wolf-far from indigenous to the area-sounded almost . . . joyful at the sound. Welcoming. Its tone set off alarms. Reed listened to them.
”Callaghan.”
The Mark turned back. ”Aye?”
”Get the redhead in the house, and keep the rest of the kids in there.”
The urgency of his tone brought a gleam to Callaghan's eyes. The Mark nodded grimly and stepped up his pace.
”I will go with him,” Claire offered. ”At least there are no dead bodies in their house.”
”Yes, go. No one comes in or goes out until I say otherwise.”
She took a step forward, then looked at him with blue eyes wide behind her trendy black-framed spectacles.
”I'm scared,” she whispered.
He reached out to her, touching her shoulder in a silent offer of comfort. ”You can do whatever needs to be done. G.o.d would not have chosen you otherwise.”
Seemingly rea.s.sured, she jogged after Callaghan.