Dreamcatchers (The Dreams of Reality Book 3)

by Gareth Otton

  “We can brainstorm that later,” Tad interrupted. “Kicking yourself isn’t helping anyone.”

  “Two people died, Tad. I had to break the news to Trevors that because of me he lost—”

  “Not because of you,” Tad protested. “You didn’t cause this, it was the nightmare. If it wasn’t for you, there would be a lot more people dead. It’s a tragedy, what happened to Nicky and Fredrick, but you couldn’t have known.”

  “I should have known,” Stella insisted.

  Tad sighed and put down the knife he’d used on the ham. He tried to catch Stella’s eye, but she wouldn’t look at him.

  “This wasn’t your fault, and you know that. You also know you’re deliberately overlooking the positives because you feel like you should punish yourself for Nicky and Fredrick. I’m obviously not suggesting you forget them, but don’t let this get into your head and undo everything you’ve achieved.”

  Stella didn’t answer, focusing her attention on the puppy in her lap.

  “Seriously Stella, we’ve done amazing things. You’ve set up an incredible team who deal with things no one has ever encountered before. You’ve worked night and day — literally thanks to your changes — and we’re making the rest up as we go. Personally, I’m surprised we haven’t had a setback before now.”

  “Maybe,” Stella said, though he could tell she wasn’t convinced. Her tone told him nothing he could say would help right now.

  She almost died yesterday. Her whole team nearly died. It’s no small thing to shrug off.

  Once again his internal monologue came in the form of Charles putting the clues together for him.

  Of course she found this hard to deal with, who wouldn’t?

  Putting the finishing touches on Jen’s lunch, he was about to speak again when suddenly the puppies started barking. It was hard to tell, but it sounded like Hawk was barking upstairs as well.

  Before either Tad or Stella could ask what upset them, the answer stepped into the kitchen.

  “Ugh, I hoped they’d be over that by now,” Tony moaned as Freckles jumped from Stella’s lap and the puppy by Tad sprinted at Tony, both barking non-stop. “Whose idea was it to bring these noisy disasters into our life?”

  There was a loud thudding on the stairs, then suddenly the barking came from three sources. Tony groaned and looked back into the hall.

  “Sorry about this,” he said to the empty doorway. “The little noise machines are new additions and I don’t know what their problem is.”

  “They don’t like creeps,” Jen said as she thumped her way downstairs. “Who are you?”

  Tad glanced at Stella and shook his head.

  “This again,” he mouthed and Stella just rolled her eyes.

  “Alright guys,” Tad said louder this time. “That’s enough barking, it’s just Tony. Yes, he’s a creep, but he’s our creep, so let’s give him a break.”

  As if they understood what he said, Freckles and the puppy Tad was starting to think of as his, both stopped barking. Hawk continued until Jen told him to stop. It made sense that the puppy obsessed with Jen would be the one who wouldn’t listen.

  “That’s better,” Tony said. “You know I—”

  “Who’s here, Tony?” Tad asked.

  “Huh. Funny you should ask that. I was just going for a walk and—”

  “Who’s here, Tony?” Tad asked again, more forcefully this time.

  Chagrined, Tony tried to answer but was interrupted as an athletic, young ghost stepped in. He looked to be twenty-five when he died, yet he already had the look of career military. From the way he held himself, the stubble on his head, the muscles under his t-shirt, and the boots peaking from under his jeans, everything screamed soldier. Tad concentrated a little harder and got a sense that he died less than a year ago, maybe even in the last six months.

  “That would be me, sir. My name’s Rodney. Rodney Jackson.”

  “Never heard of anyone called Rodney outside Only Fools and Horses,” Tad said, eliciting a smile from the man.

  “Yeah. My older brother’s called Derrick. My dad was a fan,” he agreed as he took another step past Tony and offered his hand.

  “Who isn’t a fan of that show?” Tad asked as he shook his hand. “It’s a classic.” Looking at Tony he sighed and said, “Look. Rodney. I don’t know what Tony told you but—”

  “Hey now. Don’t go assuming the worst. I met Rodney out and about and we just hung out. There’s nothing more to—”

  “He said you might be willing to Proxy for me,” Rodney interrupted, making the teenage ghost roll his eyes.

  “That wasn’t the plan, Rodney,” Tony complained.

  “I never agreed with your plan.”

  “Let me guess,” Tad asked. “The plan was to introduce you as Tony’s friend, keep you around long enough that I grow to like you, and when you have troubles without a Proxy to help, I would offer my services. That sound right?”

  “Got it in one, sir.”

  “Less of the sir stuff. Call me Tad. You didn’t like that plan?”

  “No, sir… I mean, Tad. I’d rather just lay it out there and be up front with you.”

  “I appreciate that,” Tad said, shooting another glare at Tony who looked like he would flee were Jen not standing behind him. “Unfortunately Tony has picked up a new hobby recently. He seems to think it’s long past time I took on new ghosts, whereas I’m of the opinion that if I ever do so again, it’s up to me, not him. I’m afraid my life is too crazy right now for—”

  “But Tad. Rodney was training for the SAS. He’s a military prodigy. Think what those sorts of skills could do for—”

  “That’s not why I pick ghosts. Remember? I’m not Joshua King. If I was, why the hell would I have put up with you so long?”

  “Because I’m a handsome, funny, musical genius,” Tony answered in all seriousness. “Listen, Tad. I know we’ve been over this, but—”

  “No buts,” Tad interrupted. “I’m not doing this again. Enough is enough. I told you before, if I want another ghost, it’ll be on my terms. You can’t force me to do this.”

  “Fine, be that way,” Tony snapped, suddenly furious. “I don’t know why I even try. Come on Rodney, let’s get out of here. I know when we’re not wanted.”

  He stormed from the room, walking through the wall rather than the door just so he wouldn’t have to deal with Jen.

  “Sorry about him,” Tad said to Rodney. “He shouldn’t have put either of us in this position. I can put you in touch with another Proxy who I know is looking for—”

  “No, that’s alright, sir. I’ll hang tight for now.”

  “I won't change my mind, no matter what Tony said,” Tad reasoned.

  “Even so. If I can’t Proxy with you, then I don’t see the point in going with anyone else.”

  Tad frowned and though he knew he’d regret it, he asked, “And just why is that?”

  “I joined the army because I wanted to make a difference, help people, and my skills ran in that direction. Unfortunately, I died in a training accident and never got to put those skills to use. I’m just looking for a way to do that even though I’m dead, and I think you’re the right direction for me. I understand if you’re not interested. I can make my peace with that. But, I might just hang around a little longer if it’s okay with you.”

  “Rodney!” Tony called from somewhere deeper in the house.

  “I should go, I’ve disturbed you enough. Sorry about that. It was good to meet you all.”

  Before they could answer he followed Tony out the kitchen, only he used the door. He smiled and nodded at Jen, which got her blushing all over again. She stared after him until Tad sensed Rodney had left the house, then she looked in the kitchen to find Tad and Stella watching. Her blush deepened.

  “My lunch ready?” she asked in a rush.

  “It’s on the counter,” Tad said. He reached out to hand it to her, but she rushed over and snatched it before he could.

  “Al
right. I’m off to school. See you later.”

  “You’ll be early.”

  “That’s okay, I’ll meet my friends off the bus. Bye.”

  She vanished, no doubt to avoid any awkward conversations. A moment later Hawk rushed into the room and whined when he realised she was gone. Then he stuck his head in the air and sniffed once, before wagging his tail and vanishing as well.

  Tad groaned. He knew exactly where the puppy went, and mentally started counting down the seconds until a teacher called to ask why there was a dog with Jen at school.

  “How do they know where to go?” Stella asked.

  “I don’t know. Thank God Jen can’t repeat that trick though. If she could figure out how to follow me when I dreamwalked we’d never have been able to keep her from half of the nightmares we’ve dealt with.”

  “Or Pendine last night,” Stella agreed, her mind getting back on the topic that had bothered her all morning. He suspected that even Tony’s brief appearance hadn’t distracted her from thinking about Pendine Sands.

  “What time did you say Norman was coming in for our meeting?” he asked.

  “Half nine.”

  “Then we should probably get ready.”

  Stella looked at the clock then hopped off her stool, nodding in agreement.

  “You mind dropping me at home? I could do with a change of clothes.”

  Tad opened his mouth to make his usual comment about leaving clothes here so she didn’t have to always pop home, but made the unusual decision to think before he spoke.

  “Sure. Give me five minutes to change and I’ll jump us both over there. Why don’t you make yourself useful and make us some coffees while I get ready.”

  “Make myself useful?” she asked darkly, her mind finally turning to something different. “I take it you're looking for a special coffee this morning?”

  “Uh, you know what? Why don’t you leave mine. I’ll make it while you’re getting ready.”

  “Yeah. That’s what I thought,” she said as she picked up Freckles, who was clawing at her legs to get her attention. “He likes to act so big and tough, but we know better, don’t we, Freckles?”

  Despite the content of her words, Tad grinned as he left the kitchen and headed for the stairs. If there was one good thing about these puppies, it was hard to stay in a bad mood around them.

  Hearing a thump behind him, he soon found his own was clumsily trying to follow him up the stairs and he couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Alright little guy, just this once you can come with me. Maybe you can help me find a shirt,” he said as he picked the puppy up.

  “Can’t do a worse job than you normally do,” Stella called from the kitchen.

  Tad laughed again before rushing up the stairs with a happy puppy squirming in his arms.

  6

  Monday, 04th July 2016

  09:22

  “They’re here.”

  “What?” Stella asked as Tad tried to hold in his unmanly yelp. The last thing he expected was to be a cryptic phrase uttered from nowhere the moment he dreamwalked into Stella’s office.

  “The Prime Minister and his aide,” Denise clarified. “I’ve tried stalling them, but they’re waiting in the conference room.”

  Stella frowned.

  “I thought they weren’t coming until half-nine?”

  “That’s what it says here,” Denise said, reversing her iPad to show the meeting confirmation. “But they’re early.”

  “Shit. I should have been here,” Stella moaned, rushing around her desk collecting papers. Denise hurried to help while Tad stepped back and watched the chaos unfold with a bemused expression.

  “Why should you have been here?” he asked. “They said they’d be here at nine-thirty, it’s not nine-thirty, so why do we care?”

  “It’s a classic power move. They arrived early to make us seem late,” Stella said. “They’re trying to put us off guard.”

  “But surely that only works if we let it,” Tad said, not getting this. “Why does it matter if we turn up on time?”

  “It’s not about that. They came early expecting us to be here preparing for them and to throw us off our game. Instead, we weren’t even at the office.”

  “Of course we weren’t. We were both up until God knows what time helping with the rescue effort. If anything, they should have postponed the meeting.” He swallowed hard before committing to his next words. “I think you’re over-reacting.”

  “Tad, it doesn’t work like that,” Denise said slowly as though explaining the world to a slow child.

  “Why not?” he asked again.

  “Well…”

  Denise’s words trailed off as she struggled to answer. When no words came, she looked at Stella for support. Stella struggled for a few moments, then shook her head and sighed.

  “For some reason I can’t explain it, maybe my brain isn’t working,” she said. “But it’s a problem, trust me.”

  “Can we just take a breath,” Tad said, trying to stop their frantic rush. “We had a busy night last night, went above and beyond to save lives, and while we didn’t stop the nightmare, we saved a lot of people. Now, the sky was getting brighter when we called it a night and we’ve barely slept since thanks to this stupid meeting. Can either of you give me a good reason why we should go in there all flustered because they pulled a power play and turned up early?”

  “Tad. We can’t just…” Stella’s words trailed off, then she tried again. “I mean… We can’t throw away… Uh… I mean…”

  Suddenly she caught Denise’s eye and the two of them shared a brief mental conversation that resulted in the same slow smile.

  “It could work,” Denise said. “Don’t act apologetic and when they don’t immediately thank you for your hard work, pretend you’re surprised they’ve even got a problem. It’ll put them on the back foot instead of the other way around.” Denise turned to Tad with a new, appreciative look. “Nice idea. Just when I thought you were a lost cause.”

  “Oh… Thanks, I guess,” he answered, confused

  Denise snorted and touched his arm whilst adopting a sympathetic expression.

  “You were so close,” she said before letting go and turning to Stella. “You need anything before I head back to my desk?”

  “No, I’m good. Thanks, Denise. I’ll come find you after the meeting.”

  Denise nodded and left, leaving Tad looking after her, wondering whether they were speaking in code. When he turned back, Stella had a small stack of papers in her hand and had come around to his side of the desk with the clear intention of leaving.

  “Don’t worry about it,” she told him. “Be glad you don’t need to understand and just keep being you.”

  “But… What?”

  Stella laughed and marched out the office. Shaking his head and already not liking how today was going, he rushed after her.

  The Dream Team headquarters had evolved over the last few months. Between Miles’ tech requirements, Trevors’ security concerns, and the genuine need to function as a headquarters, the building was always under modification. The most recent incarnation had split the space into three. Downstairs was mainly tactical with some interview rooms and holding cells, all of which were locked away from the rest of the building. Most of upstairs were offices for the investigators and technical staff. What space remained allowed for a communal eating area, more interview rooms, a reception of sorts, and a large conference room.

  It was to that conference room that Tad was lead and where he found Norman Geller and his aide waiting impatiently.

  “Finally,” Norman said the moment they came through the door. “For people who can move around the world with a thought, I expected you sooner.”

  “Are we late?” Stella asked with a straight face, looking at the clock on the wall. “I thought we said half-past. We’re five minutes early.”

  “We’ve been here since nine,” the Prime Minister pressed.

  “Oh, that’s not like
Amelia. She must be slipping with your schedule.” To Amelia she added, “Are you alright?”

  The stoic woman didn’t show much outward reaction, but Tad knew her well enough to recognise the tightening of her lips as the frustrated rage it really was. Feeling like that was a win, Tad smiled and shut the door before sitting next to Stella.

  “Well?” Norman asked when no one spoke. “Out with it. What the hell happened last night?”

  Stella blinked in apparent surprise just as Tad got what she and Denise were talking about. The Prime Minister was not normally so hostile. Something had thrown him off his game.

  “There was a nightmare in Pendine Sands that created abnormal weather,” Stella explained. “We arrived as soon as possible, but couldn't discover the source of the nightmare so we—”

  “I already know that,” Norman interrupted. “What I want to know is how the hell we let this happen? Forty-five confirmed dead with another sixty on the critical list. And you lost two members of your tactical team. I want to know who to bla… I want to know what happened right now.”

  Neither Tad nor Stella missed his slip up, but only one of them lacked the political insight not to call him on it.

  “No, you meant blame,” Tad accused.

  Norman frowned and leaned back, glancing at Amelia before coming to some kind of mental agreement and staring Tad down.

  “I don’t like your tone, Holcroft. I think—”

  “My tone,” Tad snapped, struggling not to rise out of his seat as his blood boiled. “You come in here throwing blame around because we failed to stop a nightmare for the first time while still saving countless lives, and you don’t like my tone. Just what were you doing while we risked our lives to rescue those people, huh? Were you even awake?”

  “Tad,” Stella whispered, laying a hand on his arm to back him down.

  Realising he was on the verge of shouting at the Prime Minister, Tad felt foolish. It suddenly struck him just how far he had come. The Tad of old wouldn’t argue with a student so ferociously, let alone the Prime Minister of Great Britain.