Read The Lingering Dead Online
Authors: J. N. Duncan
The Lingering Dead (27 page)
Oh! Let's go look!
Jackie felt her begin to pull from her head.
Rebecca! Stop. Now's not the time.
To her surprise, Jackie found that her mental act of restraint stopped the ghost.
We'll have time for that later. For now, just stay with me, please. We'll see Charlotte soon.
That Rebecca huffed but remained silent.
Rebecca! Stop. Now's not the time.
To her surprise, Jackie found that her mental act of restraint stopped the ghost.
We'll have time for that later. For now, just stay with me, please. We'll see Charlotte soon.
That Rebecca huffed but remained silent.
Five minutes later, Laurel came back with four more ghosts and a disconcerting piece of information.
“Someone just drove up the hill,” she said. “Most of the town though is heading toward the church.”
Even as Jackie pulled her phone out, Maddox called. “I heard,” Jackie said. “Anyone comes out that didn't go in, call me.”
“You got it, boss,” he said. “Three guys, I think, just walked in. I'm pretty sure a couple of them had rifles in hand.”
“Great,” she replied. “It just keeps getting better. Keep your eyes glued there, Maddox.” She dialed up McManus. “McManus, Charlotte just got company, so I'm guessing she knows what's going on down here on your end by now.”
“Figured it wouldn't take long,” he said. “How's it going there?”
“Up to eight or nine. Laurel is bringing them to me. Seems they would all like to see Charlotte.”
“Christ,” he said. “Poor girls. OK, I'm guessing twenty or thirty minutes to get this place filled up before we start bullshitting them for as long as we can. I'll try and drag it out as long as I can, and will let you know when it's time to get moving.”
Thirty minutes? Crap, that was going to be pushing things. “Just stretch it out as long as you can, please. I don't know how long this will take.”
She didn't know how long she would be able to handle being stuffed full of ghosts, either. Though there was no physical manifestation of discomfort, Jackie still felt swollen, almost like sinus pressure, except without the pain. At least for now. The Rebeccas, at least, were being relatively and thankfully quiet.
Nick stepped up beside her then, brushing against her arm. “Still doing all right?”
She shrugged. “Crowded. This is just really weird.”
“Understandable,” he replied. “If it starts getting to be too much, let me know. I might be able to help keep them quiet if it gets too noisy in there.”
She offered him a feeble smile. “More vampire mojo?”
He chuckled. “Yes, something like that.”
At the word vampire, the quiet murmur in her head swelled to a churning rumble of noise. Jackie sucked in her breath and closed her eyes, pressing a palm to her temple.
Girls! Calm down. Everything is fine.
The world “vampire” echoed around in her skull like a bitter, cold whirlwind.
Girls! Calm down. Everything is fine.
The world “vampire” echoed around in her skull like a bitter, cold whirlwind.
Nick's hand gripped her shoulder, and she felt a warm surge flow into her. The girls immediately began to quiet. “Jackie?”
“Sonofabitch,” she said. “Don't say the
V
word. Holy crap.”
V
word. Holy crap.”
“Stirred them up, did it?”
“And then some.” She let out a deep breath. “OK. I'm OK now. Thanks, Nick. That helped.”
“Let me know if you need more,” he said.
Jackie paced. There was little to do other than wait until Laurel was sure they had cleared the town. Another ten minutes, and she brought three more Rebeccas, then five, and then two more. After twenty-five minutes she returned with two in hand. After Jackie had let them in, she sat down on a chair.
“There are three who refused to come, but that's all I can find here in the town proper,” Laura said.
“Can you show Nick and Shelby where they are?” Jackie asked. “I guess they should try to talk them into it or handle things as needed. The girls and I will wait here.”
“You holding up OK, hon?” Laurel asked.
“I feel like an overstuffed Thanksgiving turkey, but for now it's all good,” Jackie said. “I'm more worried about the fact that there may be a dozen others up on the hill already.”
“We'll be back as quickly as we can,” Nick said. “Any problems, you call, Jackie.”
“Yes, Mr. Anderson,” she replied, and pushed him away. “Go. We need to hurry this up.” Her phone rang again and Jackie clicked it on. “What's up?”
“Agent Rutledge!” Margolin's cheery voice rang in her ear. “Back in town with your boys now, I see.”
“Margolin,” Jackie snapped back, “you shouldn't be here. This is not a safe situation for you to be in.”
“Interesting times,” he replied. “You get to check out my article in today's paper?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Remind me to bloody your smarmy lip next time we meet. What do you want? You're going to get yourself killed out here.”
“Only way I'm getting myself killed out here is if you guys do something stupid,” he said.
Jackie clenched the phone tighter. “Philip, what did you do?”
“Me?” He laughed. “Other than keep my eyes and ears open, not a damn thing. Whatever it is you Feds are up to, though, gets to stop tonight. These people have suffered enough.”
Jackie bit off her remark. “You've been chatting with Charlotte again, haven't you, Phil?”
“And she would like a chat with you as well,” he replied. “Here at her house. She wants your team of ghosthunters out of her life and out of this town before sunrise.”
“Christ,” Shelby said. “He's up there with her.”
“And what would she like to chat about?” Jackie could hear Charlotte's muffled, young voice in the background, restless once again at the sound of her name.
“A deal,” he replied, “that will allow all of us to live our lives.”
Jackie waited for “in peace,” but it never came. “What assurances do I have she isn't going to just kill me when I walk up to her door?”
Charlotte's voice came through clearer now. “She doesn't, but it's going to be a lot worse around here if she does not.”
All of the Rebeccas erupted in a cacophony of voices.
Girls! Damnit. Hush!
She reached for the nearest piece of furniture to steady herself, her head swimming in a dizzy rush. Jackie sucked in her breath when Nick's hand gripped her arm once again and the voices gradually settled.
Girls! Damnit. Hush!
She reached for the nearest piece of furniture to steady herself, her head swimming in a dizzy rush. Jackie sucked in her breath when Nick's hand gripped her arm once again and the voices gradually settled.
“Hey, you still there, Rutledge?” Margolin chided.
She slowly let out the air in her lungs. “Phil, why don't you put Charlotte on the phone.”
“Why don't you quit messing with the lives of all these good people,” he said. “Thirty minutes. Come alone.”
Jackie slammed her thumb down on the off button. “Asshole. Nick, go find those other three. I'll let McManus know.”
He gave her a hard look, and then nodded. “All right. Shel, let's go. Call if you make any plans before we get back.”
Jackie snorted. “You think I'd go up there by myself?”
“No,” he replied. “Even your charming recklessness has limits.”
Jackie laughed. “Screw you. Let me know when you're done.” Nick and Shelby headed out the back door with Laurel, and Jackie dialed up McManus. “McManus, we have thirty minutes.I just got a call from our favoriteâreporter, who is up on the hill,and he told me you-know-who wants to have a chat about resolving things, or else.”
“Damn,” he replied. “What's that reporter doing up there with her?”
“Hell if I know. I think she charmed him into causing problems for us. We also have that issue Nick was just talking to you about, so please be careful here.” The girls were getting antsy, shifting around and whispering away. She swore there was a bucket of hissing snakes slithering around inside her head. Tip it the wrong way or kick it too hard and they would all come clamoring out.
“Yeah, I got that,” McManus said. “Makes it a bit difficult, but hopefully we can work around it. I think we can be ready to move from here in twenty. I'll leave one of the guys here to spout off about the finer points of the federal government getting into their lives. We'll meet up behind that pharmacy building on the road up to the house.”
“That sounds fine. Any brilliant strategies on your end yet?”
“Jack, I think our job is going to be backup and containment. If this turns into something big, we aren't equipped for it. You guys are the pros with the ability to handle the Charlottes of the world. Whatever you need us to do, we'll try to do it, but I hope we can keep it to something that doesn't pull in every news van within two hundred miles of here.”
Jackie slowly let out her breath. She figured it would come to that. This had
big
written all over it. “Make sure you tell our guy in the church to be ready to bail. If things go badly, we have no idea what those people are capable of doing. She's got her web woven pretty damn tight over them.”
big
written all over it. “Make sure you tell our guy in the church to be ready to bail. If things go badly, we have no idea what those people are capable of doing. She's got her web woven pretty damn tight over them.”
“I figured as much,” he said. “We'll have the cars running and pointing north toward Dubuque. Shit hits the fan, we run and regroup.”
“McManus,” Jackie said, “you realize that if we fail, it's possible we may not have anything left to regroup for.” If Charlotte realized her gambit was up and her secret made public, she might just wipe the entire slate clean. Of course, she might have decided that already, and this was the beginning of her effort to end everything.
He was silent for a moment. “Yep. That thought crossed my mind, Jack. Let's see if we can get it right the first time.”
Chapter 26
Having twenty anxious teenage girls in one's head was not a hell Jackie would wish on anyone. She wanted to scream. It was not that they were doing anything bad or wrong, but the simple fact was they were there and could not stop talking. They were quiet for a bit, at least, after she finally yelled at them to keep it down, but it felt like she was having the biggest sleepover ever, and the moment one whispered something, others would join in. It was twenty channels of daytime television running in unison on a continuous loop.
Nick, Shelby, and Laurel finally returned after an hours-long fifteen minutes. They had one Rebecca with them.
“The other two?” Jackie asked.
“Dealt with,” Nick replied solemnly. “We moved as quickly as we could. Any more phone calls?”
“No. We should get over to the pharmacy, though. The team should be there anytime now.” She stepped over to the last Rebecca and offered her hand. “Rebecca? I'm Jackie. I'm going to take you to see Charlotte if you're ready.”
The Rebecca looked down at the hand and then up to meet Jackie's gaze. “Will she say good-bye?”
The question caught Jackie off guard. That was the last thing she expected from any of these girls. “Um, if that's what you want, I'm sure she'll be willing.”
“She doesn't want to,” the Rebecca said.
Jackie understood her far too well. “I know how hard that can be. We'll talk to her together, how's that?”
She took Jackie's hand, eying her reluctantly. “We'll see.”
Laurel stepped up to her then. “You need me to help maintain things in there?”
“God, yes. Please,” Jackie said with a sigh of relief. “They're driving me insane. I can't hear myself think, and I swear my head is several sizes larger now.”
“Need any more help?” Nick asked.
“No. I'm good for now,” she said. “If Laurel can't deal with them then I'll have you do that mojo thing again.”
“Works wonders, doesn't it?” Shelby said. “You always had a knack with that stuff, babe” She stepped over and leaned in close to Jackie. “It works wonders in all kinds of ways.”
“Seriously, Shel?” Nick said. “Must you always?”
She laughed and turned toward the door. “I must, I must. We should get going. McManus's probably waiting for us.”
Jackie had been about to offer up a snide remark to Shelby, and then noticed the look on Nick's face. Was that embarrassment? Really? She gave him a questioning look, curious, but she was not about to ask about such things now.
Nick shook his head. “Another time. Let's go, before Ms. Mouth over there makes another stupid remark.”
She tried to make a mental note to ask about it later, but realized there was likely no room in her head to store it. “Don't worry; at this point, my brain is incapable of remembering much of anything.” The cacophony, at least, was beginning to die down as Laurel worked to soothe their excitement, and the one Rebecca, the last to arrive, sat silently in her little corner of Jackie's head.
The team stood crowded under the awning that stretched over the back door of the drug store. A Ford SUV was backed up to them with its rear door swung open. Inside were a variety of crates that team members were in the process of unloading.
“There you are,” McManus said. “All situated with your ghosts, Jack?”
“I'm good,” she replied. “What all do we have here?”
“Well, first off, we're going to wire you up and give you a vest.”
A vest was a waste against someone like Charlotte, but against the gun-toting townsfolk, it might come in handy if things turned ugly. “Nothing suspicious about that, but I guess I don't have much choice in the matter.”
He smiled. “No, you don't.”
Nick stood beside her, hands thrust in his pockets. “This is too risky. If she's walking into a trap, Charlotte could kill her before we even get up the hill.”
“I have leverage,” Jackie said, though to be honest, she had no idea how she was going to use it. It was also possible Charlotte would not care less. “And if things go badly ... well, I have my emergency escape button.”
“You think Nix won't be waiting for you on the other side?” Nick asked.
McManus paused, the wire device in hand. “Who is Nix?”
“It's that thing on the other side that Charlotte won't go near,” Jackie said.
“Ah. I didn't know it had a name,” McManus said.
“I can't pronounce its real name. Look, can we just get on with this please? I'm supposed to be up there in five minutes.” She removed the rain slicker so that she could be fitted with the vest and wire.
We need to hurry,
Laurel said quietly.
The girls are starting to ask questions.
Laurel said quietly.
The girls are starting to ask questions.
What kind of questions?
Like why there are all of these guns and why they share the same name.
Shit. OK, I'm hurrying. Just keep them distracted for a few more minutes, Laur.
“Move it along here, McManus. My aces in the hole are getting antsy and are wondering what the hell we're doing.”
“Move it along here, McManus. My aces in the hole are getting antsy and are wondering what the hell we're doing.”
“Trying,” he said and tapped the top of the vest. “Video is built into the collar here. Try not to cover it up.” He handed her a little ear bud. “Put this in; mic is with the video, so we'll hear and see most of what you do. Try and get us a good visual of the inside when you get there and pinpoint Jessica for us. If you can locate the others in the house for us, that would be helpful.”
Pernetti hefted out a large barreled rifle from one of the crates and popped a canister of ammo into it. Tear gas would flush out Carson, Margolin, and the others, but Jackie doubted it would do much against Charlotte or maybe even Jessica. The voices kicked into overdrive when Pernetti moved toward Jackie with the teargas launcher. Jackie turned quickly away, looking up through the rain and the faint lights of the Thatcher house.
She's up there, girls. We're about to go. Just hold on a couple of minutes.
“Am I set here? My leverage is going bonkers and it feels like my head is about to pop off of my neck. Just keep me informed and give me heads up when you're about to play ball.”
“Am I set here? My leverage is going bonkers and it feels like my head is about to pop off of my neck. Just keep me informed and give me heads up when you're about to play ball.”
Nick's hand settled on her shoulder, and the familiar warmth flooded into her. It was scary how soothing it was in such a short time, hitting her nerves in just the right way. The girls immediately calmed down. “Get out of there at the first sign of trouble, Jackie. If Charlotte is playing an end game here, trying to get Jessica is irrelevant. You're more important.”
“So, I don't get to play the tragic heroine?”
“That's my job,” Shelby said. “If anyone gets to go down guns blazing, it's me. You do something stupid, Jackie, and I can track you down no matter where you are.”
“These warm fuzzies are going to make me cry,” Jackie replied. “Look, I'm going in, finding out what she wants, what the place looks like as much as I can, and using my leverage to get out if I have to. Ten minutes tops.” Plus or minus the eight million things that might or could go wrong.
“You do what you need to do, Jack,” McManus said. “Just come out in one piece. OK, you're up and running and good to go.”
Jackie tucked one of the available Glocks in her waistband and put on her leather jacket before pulling the rain slicker over her head. She gave Nick a grim smile and walked over to one of the cars. At least it would be a short trip.
The tires of the car crunched on the gravel drive as she drove slowly up the hill. Her hands were getting slick on the steering wheel; she tried to wipe them off on her pants, but they were damp as well from the rain. Her head was bouncing, or at least it felt like it was, as many of the girls recognized the house as she pulled into the circle drive in front. The conversation was a garbled symphony of voices.
Hon? We may need to be a little wary here,
Laurel whispered to her, away from the others.
Laurel whispered to her, away from the others.
No kidding. I feel like the damn fly in the spider web.
Not that. One of the girls here, the quiet one at the end, is definitely not excited to be seeing Charlotte.
OK. Why should that make me more wary than anything else going on here?
Just that she might try something after we get in there. I'll help you keep the girls here as much as I can, but the hard part is going to be containing them all.
Girls!
Jackie shouted.
Please listen up for a second.
The babbling continued, only marginally quieter. “Hey!” she shouted out loud. This time it had more effect. They stilled enough to where she could actually distinguish voices. “Charlotte is inside, but so are a couple of men who may not be nice guys. I want you to stay with me until after we get inside. If you have a question, I'll try to ask Charlotte for you. Do not leave me until I tell you it's safe. OK? Do we all understand each other?”
Jackie shouted.
Please listen up for a second.
The babbling continued, only marginally quieter. “Hey!” she shouted out loud. This time it had more effect. They stilled enough to where she could actually distinguish voices. “Charlotte is inside, but so are a couple of men who may not be nice guys. I want you to stay with me until after we get inside. If you have a question, I'll try to ask Charlotte for you. Do not leave me until I tell you it's safe. OK? Do we all understand each other?”
There was a murmur of assent, so Jackie opened her car door and stepped back out into the rain. The porch light did little, other than cast a slick, yellow haze over the front steps. In the front window, the curtain pulled back a few inches before falling back seconds later.
“Maddox?” Jackie said. “Anything?”
“You look clear from here, Jack,” he replied. “Someone peeked at you out the window, but I think everyone is in the house.”
“McManus?”
“You've got three of us coming up the hill now; should be in place within two minutes.”
“OK, sounds good,” she replied. “I'm moving in then; tired of getting rained on.”
Jackie half expected Charlotte to open the door and step out before she even knocked, but apparently she decided going through the formal hassle was worth the effort. On the second knock, Margolin answered the door.
“Ms. Rutledge,” he said, “I figured you the type to refuse negotiations.”
Jackie stepped up to him and elbowed her way into the entry, satisfied with the painful grunt she received. “Circumstances require a certain bending of the usual rules, Philip. I'm sure you get that much, even if you are stupid enough to be here right now.”
He rubbed at his stomach. “You're a real bitch sometimes, you know that?”
“Glad we're on the same page. Soâ”
“Jackie Rutledge,” the familiar voice of Charlotte said with demure charm. She stepped through the living room archway and into the entry. “You look surprisingly well given the last time I saw you.”
She tried to smile and keep from wincing at the effort it was taking her and Laurel to keep the girls in check. They clamored over one another to talk to Charlotte.
Nobody is going to say anything until you're all quiet!
“I'm alive,” Jackie said, “no thanks to you.”
Nobody is going to say anything until you're all quiet!
“I'm alive,” Jackie said, “no thanks to you.”
Charlotte stepped closer. “You should be more polite in my house.” Her head cocked curiously to one side as she studied Jackie. “Your friend is with you. I believe I said to come alone.”
Jackie steadied her breath, avoiding the itch to reach for her gun and trying to keep her eyes away from Charlotte's. “Do you see anyone else around?”
“Jack,” McManus whispered in her ear, “try to get out of the entry. We need to see more of the house.”
Charlotte's head cocked to the other side, staring intensely at Jackie. “You're different today, more ... powerful. How interesting.” She finally broke off and turned to Margolin. “Philip, why don't you go bring the tea into the living room so Ms. Rutledge and I can have a chat.”
“Sure thing, Ms. Thatcher,” he said and hurried off.
Jackie watched him walk off through the opposite archway that opened into a dining room and then turn toward the back of the house. Then her heart jumped into her throat when a gray, translucent figure stepped out of the wallâanother Rebecca, who ignored her stare and blithely drifted by them and into the living room.
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