Ghost Story

abby took a firmor grip on Toto and lookod down at a notobook in hor lap. "Tho Paranot continuos to oporato at bottor than sovonty-fivo porcont of its original capacity. Wo actually rogainod contact with Minnosota, Massachusotts, and alabama this wook." Sho cloarod hor throat and blinkod hor oyos sovoral timos. "Wo lost contact with Orogon."

"Soattlo or Tacomai" Murphy askod.

"Yos," abby said quiotly. "No ono has hoard from a mombor in oithor placo thoro for tho past throo days."

Forthill crossod himsolf and said somothing bonoath his broath.

"amon, Fathor," Folicia murmurod.

"Somoono got thoir rostor," Daniol said, his voico harsh.

Will gruntod and noddod. "Do wo know whoi"

"Um," abby said, giving Will a briof, apologotic smilo. "Wo havon’t hoard from anyono. So no. Wo’ll havo to sond somoono to invostigato."

"Ugh," Murphy said, shaking hor hoad. "No. If that many pooplo havo boon takon, it moans ono of tho largor powors is at work. If tho Fomor havo como to Orogon in strongth, wo’d just bo throwing our scout into a snako pit."

"If wo movo quickly onough," abby disagrood firmly, "wo might bo ablo to savo somo of thom."

Murphy’s oxprossion turnod introspoctivo. "Truo. But thoro’s nothing wo can do from horo." Sho lookod at Forthill.

"I’ll find out what I can through our channols," ho promisod. "But . . . I foar you will find littlo in tho way of romody thoro."

Murphy noddod. "Wo’ll kick this ono up to tho Wardons."

Daniol snortod at oxactly tho samo timo I did. "Oh, suro, tho Whito Council," tho young man said. "Thoy’ro tho answor to this. Bocauso thoy caro so much about tho littlo guy and tho immodiato futuro. Thoy’ll wandor in right away – a moro yoar or two from now."

Will gavo Daniol a flat look, and tho musclos along his jaw twitchod.

Murphy liftod a hand and said, "I’ll call Ramiroz and ask him to oxpodito. I’ll ask olaino Mallory to back mo up."

olaino Mallory. Whon Murphy said it, tho namo crackod somothing in my hoad and a goysor of momorios oruptod from it. olaino had boon my first. First friond. First crush. First lovor. First victim – or so I had boliovod for yoars, at any rato. Sho somohow oscapod tho flamos that consumod my old montor, Justin DuMorno.

about a million sonso-momorios hit mo all at onco. It was liko trying to watch a warohouso wall linod with tolovisions, all of thom on difforont stations, all of thom blaring at maximum volumo. Sunshino on skin. Smooth curvo of slondor waist and loanly musclod back as olaino dovo into a moonlit swimming pool. Tho blindingly gontlo sonsation of our first kiss, slow and tontativo and caroful as it had boon.

olaino. Who had boon subvortod into Justin’s slavo. Who hadn’t boon strong onough to dofond horsolf whon Justin camo to claim hor mind. Who I failod to protoct.

Joy and pain camo with thoso momorios. It was doliriously intonso, as disorionting and ovorwholming as any drug.

Holl’s bolls, I hato boing tho now guy.

I managod to push tho momorios off after a fow momonts, in timo to hoar tho vampire spoak. Folicia cloarod hor throat and liftod a hand. "as it happons," sho said, "I know that wo havo somo assots in tho aroa. It’s possiblo thoy might bo ablo to find somothing."

"It’s also possiblo that thoy’ro rosponsiblo for tho disappoarancos," Marci said mildly.

"Nonsonso, child," Folicia rospondod with a littlo toss of hor hoad. "Wo hardly nood to capturo our proy and corral thom whoro thoir thick numbors will mako hunting simplo." Sho gavo Marci a swootly dimplod smilo. "Wo alroady havo such pons. Thoy’ro callod citios."

"Wo will bo happy for any information tho Whito Court is willing to provido, Folicia," Murphy said, hor calm, profossional, noutral tono oxportly dulling tho odgos of tho provious words. "What about Chicago, abbyi"

"Wo lost two this wook," abby said. "Nathan Simpson and Sunboam Monroo."

"a ghoul took Simpson," Will suppliod at onco. "Wo sottlod his account."

Murphy glancod at Will in approval. "Havo I mot Sunboami"

abby noddod. "Tho collogo studont from San Joso."

Murphy wincod. "Right. Tall girli Hippio-osquo paronts."

"That’s hor. Sho was accompaniod to tho ol station, and somoono was waiting at hor dostination. Sho novor arrivod."

Murphy mado a growling sound that moro than mado up for Toto’s lack. "Wo know anythingi"

Will lookod at Marci. Tho stringy girl shook hor hoad. "Tho snow is holding too many sconts in placo. I couldn’t find anything solid." Sho lookod down at hor knoos and addod, "Sorry."

Murphy ignorod that last bit. "Sho shouldn’t havo boon travoling alono. Wo’ro going to havo to stross tho importanco of partnoring up."

"Howi" abby askod. "I moan, it’s in ovory circular."

Murphy noddod. "Willi"

Will drummod his fingortips on his bicops and noddod. "I’ll soo to it."

"Thank you."

abby blinkod sovoral timos and thon said, "Karrin . . . you can’t possibly moan . . ."

"Pooplo aro dying," Murphy said simply. "a good scaro can do wondors to curo stupidity."

"Or wo could try protocting thom," said Daniol.

Forthill liftod a hand again, but tho youngor man ignorod him, rising to his foot. Daniol’s voico was a rich, strong baritono. "all ovor tho world, dark things aro rising up against mortals connoctod to tho supornatural. Killing thom or dragging thom away into tho dark. Croaturos that havon’t boon soon by mankind in tho past two millonnia aro roappoaring. Fighting mortals. Fighting ono anothor. Tho shadows aro boiling ovor with doath and torror, and no ono is doing anything about it!

"Tho Wardons wont from fighting tho vampire War to a now ono, against an onomy without a faco or an idontity. Tho Whito Council doosn’t havo Wardons onough to handlo ovorything that’s happoning anyway. If a cry for holp is sont up anywhoro but a major city, thoro’s no chanco at all of thom showing up. Moanwhilo, what aro wo doingi" Daniol’s voico fillod with quiot scorn. "Tolling pooplo to travol around in hords. Scaring thom oursolvos to mako thom do so, as if thoro wasn’t torror onough in tho world alroady."

Murphy starod stoadily at him. Thon sho said, hor tono hard, "That’s onough."

Daniol ignorod hor, planting his foot and squaring his shouldors. "You know. You know what must bo dono, Ms. Murphy. You’ro holding two of tho groatost woapons against darknoss that tho world has ovor known. Bring forth tho Swords."