The Return (Haunted Series Book 21)

by Alexie Aaron

  “No, but the explosion blew me back into the veil. Although, I did get an energy burst at the same time.”

  “Shit!” Mia said, rising up on her wings. “Where’s Jason Jones?”

  “Why?” Murphy asked.

  “If you got an energy burst, then so did Jason,” Mia said, worried. “Gentlemen, we have a bigger problem than Blair right now. We have a super-energized ghost that can, and probably knows how to, operate that sniper rifle. I’ve got to get you guys out of here.”

  “No,” Lazar said. “If this Jason is armed, he may be set up to take shots at us if we try to leave here. I think these walls should keep us safe. Unless he gets above us. Murphy, go and see if you can see him or the gun out there.”

  Murphy nodded and disappeared. He came right back. “He’s on the ridge.”

  “Murph and I…”

  “No!” Ted said. “These are bullets. You’re not immortal, Mia.”

  “He’s right. You saw what the bullets did to the creature,” Tom said.

  “My wings stopped them,” Mia argued.

  “But you can’t fly unless you open them,” Ted said. “Stay here until I figure something out.”

  Murphy nodded. “I’ll go and see what I can do. Ted, may I have an energy cube or two?”

  “I thought you said you were energized by the blast.”

  “I am, but I think there are a few Frenchmen hanging around who I could enlist to track down Blair and help us with Jason.”

  “Here,” Ted said, pulling out two cubes from his pocket. “Just make sure whose side the ghosts are on before you energize them.”

  Tom managed to sit up. He felt bruised, but the sharp pain in his chest was gone. “Let’s see if we can work our way behind this building. We could split up. You were on the ridge, Ted. Why don’t you guide us to the…”

  A single shot rang out. Mia spread her wings and spun around, looking for where the first shot hit, in order to protect the men. She didn’t find anything.

  Above them, something was falling through the tree canopy. It hit the ground fifty feet from the house. Ted peered carefully out the window. “It’s the communication booster. Jason Jones shot it out of the tree using one shot.”

  Tom closed his eyes and shook his head. “We can’t risk any of us going out alone now.”

  “There wasn’t much of a blind spot. The ridge is too high. And besides, there’s the possibility of a sinkhole opening up in that direction,” Ted pointed out.

  “Let me OOB. I need to see what’s going on,” Mia said. “I’m useless in this form.”

  “You can’t hide from Jason. He’s a ghost.”

  “He can’t see me if I move fast,” Mia replied.

  “Mia, can he hurt you?” Ted asked.

  “Not with the sniper rifle. Now, if he picks up his spectral paintball gun, he could possibly tag me.”

  “Can you still change your persona?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” Ted said, drawing her close. “I think it’s time for Ethan to get a little of his own back.”

  “I could imitate Ethan,” Mia said. “But it would have to be dead Ethan. I won’t be able to touch much. This would make sense if I’m a ghost.”

  “Just keep him busy so we can get out of here and warn PEEPs that Blair is on the loose and Jason Jones is armed,” Ted said.

  Mia pulled in her wings. She lay down with her back against the thick concrete wall and closed her eyes.

  “I’ll watch her body. You two get out of here,” Ted said.

  “I don’t understand what’s going on,” Lazar admitted.

  “Mia just bilocated out of her body. She’s going to engage Jason…” Ted started.

  “I got why she’s doing this, but not how,” Lazar interrupted, trying to get Ted to be concise with his explanation.

  “Bilocation is when the soul leaves the body,” Ted explained. “Mia can change into any image she can remember well. She’s probably speeding to a position behind Jason and…”

  “You’re staying because her body is vulnerable?” Lazar asked, interrupting.

  “Yes. If her body dies, Mia’s stuck in the netherworld,” Ted said. “That’s why I’m staying.”

  “You staying makes no sense. You have two legs and no military experience. Braverman, give me a gun. I’ll stay and protect Mia.”

  Tom looked at Ted. “He’s right. Your long legs are more valuable heading for help than sitting here being pelted with gunfire.” Tom handed Lazar his private use handgun and pulled out his service revolver.

  “But I’m…” Ted stopped. He saw the wisdom of the plan. He hated to leave her, but he knew that he was making the right move.

  Blair stumbled into the shallow creek. He knew he had to stay in the water to stay safe from the creature. The water was cold. He wouldn’t be able to stay in it long, but he needed time to think. He lowered the backpack, balancing it on his knee while he rummaged through it. He found two more hand grenades, which he pocketed, and two clips from the M110 which he tossed. They were useless to him now. He had neglected to pick up the box of bullets for his handgun when Sean dumped the packs. He only remembered using one bullet, so he was alright. He had a few bottles of water and Deb Booker’s phone that he needed to plant at Ethan’s. Rory would have to be found and dealt with. Thinking back, he didn’t understand the feather shield Rory had or where it come from. The creature had moved in front of Rory before Blair could see what it was.

  He heard a single shot echo through the woods. Maybe a signal. Did someone survive the grenade blast? Did they have the M110 now? If so, that may just be a game changer. He had to get out of the woods and do it now.

  Mia, in her guise of Ethan, drifted up the hillside. “Fucking hell, what’s all the noise? You’re giving me a hell of a headache. Or is it this hole in my head?”

  Jason whipped around and stared. Ethan stood there looking a bit dazed as brain matter dripped down the back of his head.

  “What the hell happened to you, dude?” Jason asked.

  “That fucker Blair shot me in the head and left a suicide note pinning Rory’s murder on me.”

  “Rory’s not dead, dude.”

  “Not yet. Blair killed me this morning. He’ll do it.”

  “How come you’re here?”

  “How come you’re here?” Mia pointed at Jason.

  “I died here.”

  “Good point. I don’t know why I’m here. Maybe because this is hell, my hell.”

  “It was hell for me before I got me this,” Jason said, pointing at the sniper rifle.

  Mia moved forward and swiped a hand through it. “I can’t touch it. What good is it?”

  “I can touch it. It’s better than that lame marker.”

  “What marker?”

  “This one,” Jason said, lifting the strap off his head and handing it over.

  Mia concentrated to make her hands hard enough to hold the paintball gun. “You still got yours. Was purple your color?”

  “I don’t remember, but it’s the one I got stuck with.”

  “Where’s Keith?” Mia asked.

  “Gone, maybe he got away.”

  “How does he do it? I not only got jailed, but I die and get sent here, and Keith gets a ride with Elijah.”

  “Who the fuck is that?” Jason asked.

  “Some old testament dude. I had plenty of time to read in juvie.”

  “Why were you in juvie?”

  “Because of you and Keith dying and us kidnapping Rory. Blair, Sean, and Vince didn’t even get a hand slapped.”

  “I saw Sean and Blair here. I tried to talk to them, but they blew me off. You didn’t kill me, dude. I don’t think you killed Keith. Did you?”

  “I think it was that creature.”

  “That bitch is still around. You got to stay away from her or you’ll lose all your power.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “No really. She fed on me.”

  “Bullshit, you can
touch things. I don’t see you having any trouble with power,” Mia baited Jason, keeping a firm hand on his paintball gun.

  “You’re touching my marker.”

  “That’s what she said,” Mia joked.

  Jason started laughing. “Dude, even dead you’re funny. I’ve got real people pinned down in those houses.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “I don’t know what happened, but one minute, I’m dry as my mouth after a joint and then I’m bursting with energy.”

  “Take me to your supplier,” Mia said, studying the paintball gun.

  “Can’t. Blair’s gone.”

  “Blair? That fucking murderer gave you power?”

  “He tosses a grenade. It exploded in the air, and next thing I know is, I’m like solid. So, I run over and claim the M110 he was using. Finders keepers.”

  “You’re fucked up.”

  “Yes, but I’m armed.”

  “Me too,” Mia said and shot two paintballs into Jason’s chest.

  “You, asshole,” Jason said. “Now I’m purple.”

  “Damn, you are. Here,” she said, handing him the marker. “You fire at me.”

  “Charity? You’re giving me, the best paintball player in the world, charity?” Jason growled. “Start running. I’ll give you thirty seconds.”

  Jason watched Ethan run down the hill towards the swamps. He didn’t notice Tom crawling up the ridge after working his way around. Jason loaded his marker, oblivious to the hand that reached up and grabbed the tripod, pulling the rifle slowly towards the edge of the rise. “I’m coming for you,” Jason said, forgetting about the M110 entirely. The game was a foot.

  Tom pulled the gun down and ran, jumping into the house, narrowly missing landing on Mia.

  “Here, I take it you can dismantle this,” he said to Lazar.

  “Maybe,” Lazar said. He started working on it. “I thought you were headed for help.”

  “Ted’s probably there now. He’s one fast sonofabitch.”

  “That’s husbandofabitch,” Mia said, opening her eyes. “Damn, that was fun.”

  “Your nose is bleeding,” Lazar pointed out.

  “Not again. I had this problem before,” Mia said.

  “As I remember it, that’s how you ended up outing Angelo as a birdman,” Tom said. “So, is it another aneurism?”

  “I hope not. Damn, I pretty much cut my ties with the Aerie. Looks like I better go see Doctor Walters.”

  “Can’t you heal yourself?”

  “Nope, not how it works. I heal fast, but this is different.” Mia tilted her head back. “Give me a moment, and then let’s get the hell out of here.”

  “What about Blair?” Tom asked.

  “He’s got weapons. We had one, but now it’s...”

  “Garbage,” Lazar said as he hurled the magazine down into the sinkhole. “The weapon isn’t stable unless it’s stationary. I mean, you could use it, but your shoulder is going to feel it for weeks.”

  “I’m armed, but I’d hate to use it. Too much paperwork,” Tom said, tucking his county handgun away.

  Mia got up. “Are you here officially?” she asked.

  “No.”

  “Don’t use it. We’ll get him another way.”

  “What about Jason?” Tom asked.

  “He’s chasing a ghost down through the swamps,” Mia said.

  “But that ghost was you.”

  “Yup, but he doesn’t know that. He’s headed towards one of the biggest accumulation of spirits I’ve ever seen. He can exhaust himself shooting at them. They’re circling the drain anyway.”

  “These aren’t the Frenchmen, Murphy was talking about?” Lazar asked.

  “Yes, and other victims of the creature and the woods. I used to think the woods and the creature were one and the same, but I could be wrong. I used to think the creature was male and, yes, Pumpkin Head. She’s not either.”

  “What is she?” Lazar asked.

  “I was hoping your grandmother could tell me,” Mia said honestly.

  “I’m worried about her. You haven’t seen Babcia, have you?” Lazar asked.

  “Not since she distracted Blair so I could get Sean out of the picture.”

  “Wait, your grandmother is wandering the woods alone?” Tom asked, flabbergasted.

  “Yes. She’s a bit stubborn.”

  “Mia?” Tom questioned. “How could you let this happen?”

  “She wanted to pick mushrooms. Who was I to say no?”

  Blair could not believe his luck. There she was, the little old lady. He needed a hostage to get by the cops, and here she was. He couldn’t be more pleased if he had ordered her himself.

  “Excuse me.”

  “I see your manners have improved, złej krwi.”

  “What did you just call me?”

  “Złej krwi. It’s polish for bad blood.”

  “Well, that’s disappointing. I was going to let you go, but now I’m going to have to insist you accompany me,” Blair said and pulled out his handgun.

  Babcia looked at him and shook her head. “Not until I fill my basket.”

  “I don’t believe you have a choice,” he said, taking aim at her basket and pulling the trigger.

  The basket shattered, and the contents rained down on Babcia’s feet. She pulled out a handkerchief, bent down, and gathered the undamaged mushrooms into the handkerchief. “You’re a spoiled child,” she said.

  “What are you doing?” Blair asked, incredulous.

  “Picking up my mushrooms. Now I have to mend my basket.” She took the basket and wove a few sticks through it. “It’s not what it once was, but it will serve,” Babcia said, laying the kerchief in the basket. “Now I have to find more. Go away.”

  “NO! I have the freakin’ gun here!”

  “You also have a monster at your back,” Babcia said.

  Blair spun around, his heart in his throat, and saw nothing. He turned back, and the old woman had disappeared.

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Murphy had found the French trappers. They were, once again, circling a large sinkhole caught up in a spectral breeze with other dead men from other eras. He contemplated them a moment. Was this a good idea? They spoke only French, and Murphy wasn’t sure how much they could understand of his English. Last time, they spent more time bothering Mia than they did anything constructive. But he knew their motivation. The other men were outfitted as hunters, and Murphy could not be sure which side they would be on.

  A snap of a twig alerted him that he wasn’t alone. The creature had pulled herself out of the ground. She had regrown part of her lower body, but she was weak. She advanced towards Murphy. He held up his axe and said, “NO!”

  She stopped, pointed to the ghosts, and frowned.

  “You came here to feed, but they are empty. You can’t feed on me.”

  The creature formed a little wooden man, and she rocked him in her arms.

  “Rory is fine. Mia…” Murphy mimed wings with his hands. “She took him away.”

  The creature seemed to relax.

  “The bad man is still here,” Murphy said.

  Her head jerked. She pulled herself towards the spectral wind. Murphy knew she would drain what was left of the ghosts dry in order to get enough energy to purge the woods of Blair or seek out the humans and feed on them.

  “Here!” Murphy called, turning on the energy cube and laying it on the ground. “Feed here, not on me,” he motioned.

  The creature let a fingerlike twig caress the glowing box before she smiled. She picked it up, brought it to her mouth, and swallowed.

  “I guess that’s one way of doing it,” Murphy said.

  The creature’s lower limbs thickened, and the roots curled with health. She grew larger, and her thorns grew hard and sharp.

  Murphy withheld the last cube. He may need it for himself if the creature got greedy.

  He was struggling with how to explain to the creature that they had to find Blair, and hold him, unti
l Tom could take him into custody. That was a lot of words to mime.

  A purple ball of paint whizzed by Murphy and hit one of the floating specters. He quickly moved away from the side of the sinkhole and flattened himself to a tree.

  The creature looked at the dripping paint and growled. It was very evident that she remembered Jason Jones. She moved quickly in his direction.

  Murphy watched as his newly energized help disappeared, following the fleeing Jason. He drew out the cube and called, “Hey, purple man!”

  The spectral painted Frenchman tapped his chest. “Moi?”

  “Yes… I mean, oui.”

  Murphy reached out his axe, and the purple Frenchman caught it as he passed. His two compatriots came with him as if they were a matched set.

  “Food,” Murphy said, putting his hand in his mouth and then touching the cube.

  He activated the cube, and the French trappers fed on it. He heard them murmur their thanks. “Merci, mille fois merci!”

  “I need your assistance.”

  “Notre aide?”

  “Oui.” He encouraged them to come closer. “Bad man…” he stuck his nose in the air and strutted holding his finger out like it was a handgun.

  “Anglais, bad man,” the purple trapper said.

  “I guess so?” Murphy said uncertain.

  “Anglais, Anglais, English?”

  Murphy smiled. He thought Blair would pass for the titled English in their time period. “Oui. We must protect Mia from the Anglais.”

  There was a spark of recognition in one of the trapper’s eyes.

  Murphy mimed big breasts, and the other two said, “Mia! Oui! Mia!”

  “Come on!” he said, and the four headed off in search of Blair, and of course Mia.

  “My ears are burning,” Mia said as they headed towards where Tom assured them the PEEPs trucks were parked.

  When she had asked Tom to lead the way, he questioned her, “Haven’t you been there twice already today?”

  “But I was flying. I could see them,” she said. “On the ground, all these trees look alike.”

  “Honestly, Mia, you’re a conundrum,” Tom said and took the lead.