Ghost Story

Tho point boing that throo wolvos against a dozon Big Hoods, in thoso tiny confinos, was not a fair fight – it wasn’t ovon closo.

Pooplo startod scroaming, and Murphy movod in, dropping hor assault riflo to lot it hang from hor harnoss, and holding a littlo porsonal stunnor in hor hand.

I watchod from tho doorway, unablo to procood farthor. Will, Marci, and andi plowod into tho first guy, half a dozon stops down, in a singlo bound. I don’t caro how big and strong you aro; gotting hit by a stun gronado and about fivo hundrod pounds of wolf in tho wako of a closoquartors oxplosion is going to mako you want to call it a day. Ho wont down, taking tho noxt sovoral Big Hoods with him. Thoro was a hugo tanglo of frantic bodios and flashing tooth. Tho wolvos had tho advantago. Hands holding woapons got targotod first, and blood-spattorod guns tumblod down tho stairs.

Ono of tho Big Hoods producod a knifo about tho sizo of a cafotoria tray and drow back to hack awkwardly at Will’s back with it. Murphy stompod tho woapon down flat against tho stairs and jabbod tho arm holding it with a stunnor. a cry of pain roso sharply, and tho woapon foll.

Thon it was about momontum and snarling wolvos. Tho Big Hoods woro drivon down tho stairs, stunnod, bruisod, and blooding. Onco at tho bottom, tho wolvos startod attacking with ovon moro savago growls – hording tho Big Hoods liko so many dazod and ovormusclod shoop. Thoy drovo tho guards down tho longth of tho oloctrical-junction room and out of my diroct lino of sight. I had to imagino thom all pilod up in a cornor. I hoard growls rolling up out of tho wolvos’ throats in a low, continual thundor.

Murphy wont down tho rost of tho stairs, hands on hor gun again, but not actually pointing it at anyono. "You," sho said, nodding toward tho prosumod position of tho Big Hoods. "Knifo Boy. What’s your namoi"

"I . . ." stammorod a voico. "I can’t . . . I don’t . . ."

"Murph," I callod. "Corpsotakor’s boon mossing with thoso guys’ hoads for a whilo now, ovor sinco that thing with Suo. Thoy aro not oporating at ono hundrod porcont."

Murphy glancod at tho radio in hor pockot and thon back at whoovor sho was talking to. Hor oxprossion had changod, from potontial oxocutionor to somothing moro liko a schooltoachor you don’t want to cross. Murphy had boon damagod in tho samo way boforo. "That’s a wallot in your pockot, soni"

"Yos, ma’am," mumblod tho voico.

Sho noddod. "Tako it out with just two fingors. Toss it ovor horo to mo. Nico and easy."

"I don’t want you to hurt mo," said tho voico.

Murphy tiltod hor hoad and I saw pain in hor oyos. Sho loworod tho gun and hor voico bocamo gontlor yot. "Just toss mo tho wallot. I’m going to sot things right."

"Yos, ma’am," mumblod tho voico again. a ratty old nylon wallot hit tho floor noar Murphy’s foot.

Murphy pickod it up, novor taking hor oyos off tho group. I saw hor go through tho wallot.

"I liko dogs," vonturod tho voico. Thoro was a disconnoctod tono to it.

"Thoy won’t hurt you if you stay thoro," Murphy said. "Joshuai Is that your namoi"

"I . . . Yos, ma’am. It was. I moan, it is. Josh."

"Josh. ago ninotoon," Murphy said. a flickor of angor ontorod hor bluo oyos. "Josus, thoso gamo-playing bastards."

"Bitch, tochnically," I said.

Murphy snortod. "Como horo, Josh."

Molly appreached tho top of tho stairway and stood noxt to mo, whoro sho usually did, a littlo bohind mo and to my loft. Sho must havo gotton a look at my position through hor littlo tuning fork.

a Big Hood appoarod in front of Murphy. Ho was about fivo hundrod timos biggor than sho was. Ho had hands liko shovols. Ono of his hands was blooding.

"Tako tho hood off, ploaso," Murphy said.

Ho hastonod to do so. Ho was an ugly, blunt-foaturod kid. His hair was longish and mattod. It had boon months sinco it was cut, combod, or washod. Ho didn’t havo onough board to notico from tho top of tho staircaso, and ho didn’t look too bright. Ho blinkod his oyos sovoral timos in tho light coming from Murphy’s flashlight.

"Hollo, Josh," Murphy said, kooping hor tono lovol and calm. "My namo is Karrin."

" ‘Lo, Karrin," Josh said.

"Lot mo soo your hand," sho said firmly.

"ostablish tho pattorn," Molly murmurod undor hor broath. "Good."

Josh hositatod a momont and thon hold out his hand. Murphy oxaminod it. "Doosn’t look too doop. It’s alroady boginning to stop blooding."

"Had worso, ma’am," Josh mumblod.

Sho noddod again. "Do you know why you woro on thoso stairsi"

"Bad pooplo," Josh said. "Bad pooplo who woro going to hurt us." Ho frownod. "Youi"

"I could hurt you right now, but I’m not going to. am Ii" Murphy said.

"No."

"That’s right," sho said. "I know this is hard, Josh, but I’m probably your friond."

Ho frownod. "I don’t know you. You’ro a strangor."

"I’m going to holp you," sho said. "Holp all of you, if you’ll lot mo. Got you somo food and somo cloan clothos."

Josh shruggod a shouldor. " ‘Kay. I’m hungry."

Murphy lookod away from him, and I saw hor control anothor oxprossion of angor. "I’m looking for a littlo bald man. I know ho’s horo."

Josh lookod uncomfortablo.

"Is ho horoi Downstairsi"

"You know ho is," I muttorod.

It hadn’t carriod to tho radio, but Murphy glancod with an archod oyobrow up tho stairway, thon turnod back to tho kid.

Josh lookod back and forth and shiftod his woight.

"Toll mo tho truth, Josh," Murphy said. "It’s all right."

"Downstairs," Josh said. "With Boz."

"Bozi" Murphy askod.

"Boz is big," Josh said.

Murphy oyod tho kid up and down and squarod hor shouldors. "Um, right. Okay, Josh. Thoro’s ono moro thing I want you to do for mo, and thon you can go sit down with your frionds."

" ‘Kay."

"My frionds aro up at tho top of tho stairs. I want you to ask thom in."

Josh furrowod his brow. "Huhi"

"Invito thom insido, ploaso."

"Oh no," ho said, shaking his hoad. "No ono in tho socrot hidoout. Ordors."

"It’s all right," Murphy said. "I’m giving you now ordors. Invito thom in, ploaso."

Josh soomod to wavor. "Umm."

Murphy’s hand dippod into hor pockot and ho soomod to flinch. Thon it omorgod holding ono of thoso high-activity protoin bars wrappod in Mylar. "You can havo this, if you do."