GAME ON - GoM 2

1

"There's no direction where I stand
Just dead-end signs and wasted lands..."
Daughtry, Long Way

Alex hardly waited to kill the engine before jumping out of the Hilux and running into her house. She was relieved to see Claire had done as she'd told her and was there with Ollie. She found them in the kitchen, fixing shotgun shells with salt.

She didn't waste time in hellos. "Tell me what happened."

Claire kept her eyes on what she was doing. "I've already told you the important part: Alice's dead and her ghost is in her house, covered in blood and screaming that a son of a bitch killed her."

"She didn't say who."

"No. She wouldn't even listen to me."

"Okay. I'm going. I need you to call Betty and beg on your knees for her to find a spot to accommodate one more person."

"Most of George's crew's gone," said Ollie. "They finished the construction last week."

"Oh, good. No need to beg, then. Book a room for one Harry Bormstone. He's arriving before dinner."

"Who's that?" asked Claire.

"A hunter. All Aidan would say is that he's looking for Markus."

"Aidan? As in Aidan Holster?"

"Not like we know many more Aidans. He called me a while ago, asking if I know Markus and George. Then told me this guy's coming over, and he'll explain it all."

"And if he doesn't, we can always call Mark. If it's about hunting and Aidan knows about it, he'll know too."

Alex forced a tight smile. "Good thing you can still function, kiddo."

Claire smiled back, handing her half a dozen shells and the shotgun. "Here, you may need them to cool her down."

Alex frowned, reluctant.

"She's really over the top," said Ollie.

"Don't you want us to go with you?" asked Claire.

Alex set her jaw and loaded the shotgun. "No. I know how to deal with Alice's blondie tantrums. Been doing it since elementary." She slid the rest of the shells in her pockets, spun around and left.

Father Jason's call stopped her at the steps to Alice's porch. The priest noticed right away how upset she was.

"What happened, child?"

"I'm not sure, Father, but I'm about to find out."

"Oh, well. I just wanted you to know that Father Thames is arriving in the afternoon."

From where she was, Alex heard an angry cry and something smashed against the front door. "Good. Gotta go now, Father."

"Sure. Take care."

Alex approached the door cautiously, finger on the trigger, and pushed it open. She was forced to duck as a vase flew out the door to go crash on the steps behind her.

"Son of a bitch!" she muttered, straightening up.

"I KNOW! HE KILLED ME!"

Alex controlled her shock when she saw Alice's ghost flickering in the living room, trapped in Claire's circle of salt. Memories flashed in the back of her mind, a lifetime of shared good times. She stepped closer.

"Is that you, Al?"

The ghost stopped flickering. Alex tried to sound as normal as she could.

"Hey, girl. Wanna tell me what happened?"

"He killed me! That's what happened!"

Alex ducked again, this time to let a china miniature crash against the wall. Bad thing Alice's mom used to love those things. Surely she hadn't taken them all when she moved to Seattle and the house was still full of them.

"Heard you the first time, Alice. I can help you, but you need to calm down and tell me what happened. Especially who did it."

The ghost let out a loud cry and all the furniture moved around them. Alex was about to shoot, but the answer froze her where she stood.

"WHO? MARKUS! THAT SON OF A THOUSAND BITCHES KILLED ME!"