Blood & Spirits (25 page)

“We’ll be safe here for now. Spirits can’t enter here unless I let them,” Sunny says as she gets out of the car. “Is Garrett with them?”

“How do you do that?”

“It’s just something I can do. You accomplish things with your crotch, I do it through sheer force of will. Is Garret with them?” Her voice is sharper than a razor’s edge.

“Yes, he’s with them.”

“That’s good, for your sake.” She walks to the back of the room and opens a door to a staircase. “C’mon down. It’s safer, and we all need some rest.”

MY RIGHT EYE IS IN LOVE.
I can see him again. Now if only I could see him with both eyes. Hold him, feel him. We sit opposite each other in the basement of the Mason’s hall with our hands out to each other, but we can’t touch.

His hand passes though mine making my flesh cold and the hairs on my arm stand up. This is torture, to have him safe and with me but be unable to touch him.

I’m tired and I know I should sleep, but he’s here, and I just can’t stop looking at him.

“Look, bitch, you can stare at him all day long but it’s not gonna make him solid again,” Sunny says as she walks into the room.

That little girl needs to watch her mouth. She hates me. She blames me for what ‘I’ve done’ to Garrett.

Her emotions are all over the place, and she’s as easy to read as a breather. I know her thoughts with little more than glancing at her.

“I know that it’s not going to help bring him back to this side, but I just want to be near him. Just back off.” I try not to let any of my venom from the last night seep into my voice. She’s already ready to pop, and I don’t want to hurt her.

“I want to be near him too, I’m not some new whore who’s decided to sink her white trash nails into his exposed flesh. I’ve been with him for years.”

“White trash? Really? Look, neither of us can really be near him while he’s stuck like this, we need to…”

“Stuck like that? Why is it he’s stuck like that? Because he was listening to you, bitch?”

I have had just about enough of her. She’s in pain, I get that. I am too, but I’m done with the attacks and the disrespect.

“Okay, I’m done with this. I can see you have Daddy issues. Believe me, little girl, I get that.” It’s not difficult at all to slide into her mind and force her to sit down while I talk. “But I’m older, and I’ve been at it a lot longer than you, so if you don’t have anything productive to say, shut your mouth. If you have anything you know of that can help the situation, I’m prepared to listen.”

The hate flowing off of her is almost thick enough to have substance. Her glare burns hot enough to light me on fire, but she says nothing.

“Well?”

“I’ve been trying to find a way to fix him. I was actually coming in here to find him, so I could ask him to join me in my room. I wanted to try a couple things that might work. I’m just not used to dealing with the particular brand of magic that this zombie thing is throwing around. It’s gonna take some time to figure out how to work around it.”

Finally, she really speaks. Now I know what I’m dealing with, at least on that front.

“I’ll leave you to it then. If there’s any way I can help, just let me know.”

Her contempt for me swells. She’s insulted that I even think I could be of help to her. That’s a fight that we don’t have time to have, so I just nod and walk out of the room.

The sooner she can get Garrett back to normal, and we can come up with a plan, the better. We have to stop Paco and get Rachel back. Whatever he’s doing now, it centers around him sacrificing her. I can’t let that happen.

Jules and Frank catch me in the hallway and pull me into a room full of storage lockers.

“We need to talk privately.” It’s Jules’ way of telling me that anything else I was doing can wait. Right now, I’m more than okay with that.

 Jules and I walk to the back of the room and face each other while Frank darts back and forth around the sides of the room making sure we’re alone and not being eavesdropped upon. He’s never adjusted to the fact that my kind can usually tell if there’s something like that happening.

It’s fun to watch him bouncing around the room though, after having to be anxious over him in the hospital.

Jules clears his throat and motions him over.

“What did you learn from your time with Paco?” Jules asks the question aloud, but I can feel him reviewing the answer in my memories. He’s shuffling quickly through everything that I’ve discovered. He asked for Frank’s sake.

“A lot actually, but I’m sure that’s no surprise for you. He’s the one that’s been behind most of the crap I’ve been drowning in. I learned that I should have listened to Frank. Paco was setting me up all along.”

Frank smiles. “Thank you.”

“Frank, I don’t know why I didn’t listen to you. I’m so sorry. You wouldn’t have gotten shot, and so many other things could have been avoided. You were right.”

He’s should be rubbing it in my face, but he’s not. Jules must have had a talk with him about it first or something.

“Well,” Frank begins. “We have some things we need to fill you in on, that we got accomplished while you were away. But first I think you need this.”

He digs around in the duffle bag he brought in from the car, and pulls out a bottle. I almost break down and cry, realizing that it was one of the last bottles of blood that Julie had preserved for me before she died. Even if she was a ghost now, and not completely lost to me, nothing would ever be the same.

I take a long well needed drink and I can feel my body energize as Frank continues to talk.

“Okay, first, we went and met with Lewis and after the half hour of questions on how I’m all better, we managed to give him enough information, facts with records and witnesses to back it up, that he’s gotten them to drop the warrants on you. The two blackmail victims are taking the fall for all of it on the police end. The murders, the false accusations, the arson, Julie’s murder. The whole pile.”

He holds up a newspaper with the two disgraced politicians’ photos, and the headline “City Leaders Charged In Murder/Blackmail.” I want that framed.

“That’s incredible. Where did you get all the evidence?”

“Don’t worry about things you don’t have to, Veronica, you’ll only cause yourself more trouble in the end.” Jules says it in a light tone, which means that he rearranged people’s memories to what they needed to be. Another reason I’ve missed having him around.

Frank can’t wait to continue, almost falling into me as he gushes.

“We were also able to, with the help of my friend Jay Fontana and the account numbers that Lewis ‘didn’t give us,’ drain all of the operational funds that belonged to Mr. Molder. He’s got some serious people he owes now who really don’t like it when they get stiffed. Teach him to go after my friends.”

“Paco is Molder, Frank. It was a cover that he used to move against me.”

“Even better then.” Laughter rips out of him, even as he puts his hand up to cover his mouth. ”Now Jay has enough cash to expand his business, and more importantly, I’ve already dropped a very large sum to have work started on the getting the house fixed. And, honey, it’s gonna take a lot.”

“Wow. He’s gonna come unhinged.” I almost laugh, but there are those who have given their lives for all this, and Paco needs to pick up the check now.

“By the way, in the trunk, I brought clothes for you. The ones you wear when you go out looking for a fight.”

He’s all smiles and giggles, and I’m more pleased than I thought I could be with where we are and why.

Jules puts on a more serious face now and looks at Frank. This brings a screeching halt to his more jovial update, and I begin to have a feeling of dread, that Frank had the good news, and Jules had the bad.

“I spoke to the Council in your absence, and in your stead. I discussed with them the matter of Paco. Learner was far more receptive to my take on the issues at hand than he was with yours. He has said that Paco’s life is mine to do with as I see fit.”

“But how did you know what all he was doing?”

“I didn’t. I assumed. As it turns out I was right and you kept him distracted so that I could act.” It’s all so matter fact from him.

“What would have happened if you were wrong?”

“If I was that poor a judge of character, and behavior, I doubt I’d have lived this long. You’d have seen this too no doubt, if you hadn’t been so caught up in your emotions for the spirit girl and Garrett.”

He’s right. I love him, more than I sometimes remember, but I hate that he’s never wrong.

“You’ll have to help Frank out a little more in the future. I let Learner know you’d be looking out for him.”

“What do you mean?” Now he’s lost me again. Why would learner care about a breather, let alone one that works for me?

“Well how do you think he got healed so quickly?”

My God, I must have really gotten dense. Why didn’t I see it before?

“Oh, shit! You mean…”

Looking at Frank and I can tell that he really just wants to be bouncing up and down, but he’s trying to stay as reserved as he can in front of Jules.

“You’s my sister now,” he says with a sly grin, showing far too many teeth, and two that are longer than before. “We’s family.”

As excited as I am for Frank, and proud of Jules, I can’t get past my fear for Rachel. I have a smile on. I’m wearing my happy face, but they can both see it.

We all talk a little further about how Frank will be trained, and how Jules plans to take him back to Chicago for a while but I’ll get him back, but when the conversation turns to talk of our impending assault on Paco to get Rachel back they both see my pacing and excuse themselves to take stock of our assets.

That’s a nice way of saying that they think I’m too emotional to be involved in the planning.

For the first time, I think I’m ready to give in a little and agree with them for tonight. For now.

I have got to find a place to lay my head down and get some sleep. It’s been too long since I’ve gotten any rest, and I’m exhausted.

***

Garrett leaves Sunny cursing and throwing things around her little research room. She’s been trying unsuccessfully for a little over two hours to undo what Paco has done. Unfortunately, she has no point of reference and her magic, if you could call it that, isn’t a practiced art like his. Hers is a more like an internal manipulation of the world around her.

She’s failed to bring him across so far, and needs to prepare before trying again. That’s Garrett’s nice way of telling her to stop throwing a tantrum and concentrate on what she needs to do, and how to achieve it.

Everyone here’s on edge now, all too aware that they’ll be facing Paco and his minions in a little over fifteen hours. Tense doesn’t begin to describe the mood throughout the whole of the old lodge, while people try to rest, if they can.

He knows from his studies into the restless dead and their habits that the mood of a place, and the people in it, both have a drastic effect on what that place is like in the spirit world. This is more of a firsthand look at how just how drastic people’s moods can physically affect a spirit than he ever wanted to have.

Lucy and Julie are in the garage discussing the sanctuary nervously when Garret stumbles upon them. It’s tempting to eavesdrop on them, as he’s been so used to doing with spirits over the last hundred years. This is different though, considering his situation, and as much as he’s been through with these two, he feels he owes them more respect than that.

“Hello, ladies. I can assure that none of Paco’s spirits can enter here. We’re safe, for now. Even if the place doesn’t seem so,” he gestures to the dark and ominous overtones of the building, “friendly?”

“You’ll have to excuse me. I don’t think of anywhere that I’m trapped inside of as a friendly place.” Julie says sharply.

He hadn’t considered that Sunny’s barrier to keep spirits out might also trap them inside.

“I can talk to Sunny about that, if you need to go somewhere. I don’t think it’s very safe out there though.”

“Julie is young and recently passed. You’ll have to excuse her lack of patience with the world. It comes with time.” Lucy obviously agrees with her, but doesn’t approve of her approach to the topic.

“Look, I’m sorry if I snapped a little. I don’t want to go anywhere. Veronica’s here and I really want to stay with her. I’m just having a hard time with the whole being dead and not gone thing.”

“I’ve been dead, by way of this disease, for one hundred and twenty-four years this August. What I’ve learned is that it’s something you never really get used to.” Garrett puts his hand on Julie’s arm and she pulls back.

“I get that you’re trying to be nice, but don’t. Okay? I just don’t want it right now.” She turns and walks to the far side of the room.

Garrett watches after her, wishing there was some comfort he could give and knowing there really is none.

“Paco used her,” Lucy says softly. “Forced her to betray and harm those she loves. He killed her. She has a lot of bitterness to deal with, and she wants to be there right now destroying him.”

“I can only imagine what she’s going through. I’ve had some situations over the years that were seriously difficult and trying, but…”

“Like the one you’re in now?” Lucy interrupts him, asking the question with a biting edge.

He looks at her with his mouth open for a moment then narrows his eyes. He didn’t know how much she knew about his current situation. It’s easy to take for granted that people only know what you let them, until you meet someone like Lucy.

“I can see your life-force ebbing. When you die there will be no spirit life for you, but you know that don’t you?”

“The rarity of someone infected like I am being able to cross over is one thing, but to die from the entropic forces of the spirit world will rip apart any soul I might have to cross over. I’ve been studying spirits for more than a century, and I’ve learned a few things. I don’t want to worry the others. But it’s a mystery to me how I’m still here.”

He sounds so completely baffled that Lucy chuckles a little at him. He raises an eyebrow and smiles back at her, still puzzled.