The Love-Haight Case Files
Page 34
Gretchen got out her cell phone and dialed the callback number, then held the device up to his ear to make up for the fact Thomas still couldn’t touch or hold anything himself—a ghostly handicap that Gretchen and Evelyn and Pete were all doing their best to help with.
Someone picked up on the first ring. “Nika Rondik. Psychic Extraordinaire.”
“Nika, Brock. Thomas Brock. You called?”
“Mr. Brock, thank the spirits you called. I hope it’s not too late.”
“Too late for what?” Thomas reflexively looked at his wrist, but his watch had stopped when he died and he couldn’t wind it, reset it, or even take it off.
“I had another vision about your firm, Mr. Brock. A long, complicated series of flashes. Past, present, and future. I … I don’t know how to cushion the blow, so I’m just going to say it. I know who ordered your murder, Thomas.”
Thomas could feel himself becoming more insubstantial, as if he wanted to hide from the news. “I see.” He steeled himself for the information, forcing his form to firm up and manifest more corporeally. “Who?”
“Your father, Thomas. Your father ordered your death.”
Thomas heard Gretchen gasp. Holding the phone for him, he knew she couldn’t help but overhear the conversation. Thomas was at a loss for words. True, his father hated OTs, using his law firm to champion cases against them. They hadn’t spoken civilly since Harry’s murder, though his father had made his disdain for Thomas’s law practice clear. Could this psychic possibly be right?
“I … er … Thank you, Ms. Rondik, for your … insight, but I’m confused. While I appreciate your communication, you said it was urgent. You said you hoped it wasn’t too late.” His mind was awhirl as he did his best to keep the conversation professional. “I’ve been … well, dead for a long time now. What’s so urgent?”
“Your father, he is an evil man. In my vision I saw him order a subordinate to arrange for you to be … dispersed. Cast out of this reality.”
There were days, certainly there were nights, when Thomas wished he’d never become a ghost, that when he was murdered, he had simply died and moved on. But lately, things had been looking up. The firm was beginning to get on more solid footing. And it was clear that he and Evey were helping people, especially OTs. OTs were people, too, even though the courts hadn’t said so yet. He didn’t want to be dispersed. He would fight it, if he could only figure out how.
Nika was apparently patient. She waited for him while he took a few moments to process this new information.
“Thank you. Thank you for the warning.”
“There’s more.”
His father wanted to disperse his ghostly existence and obliterate him from reality. How could there possibly be more?
“More?”
“He said he didn’t want any halfway measures this time. This time, they not only eliminate you, they need to be sure to get Evelyn and Gretchen at the same time. He even ordered them to bash your gargoyle to pebbles.”
Gretchen gasped again. Even though he was floating, Thomas somehow felt lightheaded and weak in the knees. Evey. His father had ordered some thug to kill Evey.
Gretchen looked up at him. Yes, there was fear in her eyes, but there was also determination.
“Thank you, Ms. Rondik. I will take every precaution.” He looked Gretchen square in the eye as he finished the call. “Trust me. I will do whatever is necessary to stop my father. Anything. I will do anything to stay in this world.”
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Author Bios
Jean Rabe
USA Today bestselling author Jean Rabe has penned 32 fantasy and adventure novels and more than 70 short stories. When she’s not writing, which isn’t often, she edits ... two dozen anthologies and more than a hundred magazine issues. Her genre writing includes military, science-fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, mystery, horror, and modern-day action. She lives in central Illinois near train tracks that provide “music” to type by, and shares her office with three dogs and a surly parrot. She is a member of the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers, International Thriller Writers, and Novelists Inc. Visit her website: jeanrabe.com.
Donald J. Bingle
Donald J. Bingle is an oft-published author in the thriller, science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, steampunk, romance, comedy, and memoir genres, with four other books (including Frame Shop, Net Impact, Forced Conversion, and GREENSWORD) and more than 50 shorter stories, primarily in DAW-themed anthologies and tie-in anthologies. Many of Don's stories are electronically available, individually or in his Writer on Demand™ collections by genre, including “Tales of Gamers and Gaming,” “Tales of Humorous Horror,” “Tales Out of Time”, “Grim, Fair e-Tales,” “Tales of an Altered Past Powered by Romance, Horror, and Steam, “Not-So-Heroic Fantasy,” and “Shadow Realities.” He is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Horror Writers of America, International Association of Media Tie-In Writers, Gen Con Writer’s Symposium, Origins Game Fair Library, and St. Charles Writers Group. He was also the world’s top-ranked player of classic roleplaying games for about fifteen years. Find out more about him at donaldjbingle.com.
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