Forces from Beyond (18 page)

“Maybe you should stay in the car, sweetie,” said Melody.

“There’s blood in the car, too,” said Happy.

“No there isn’t!” said Chang. “I had the upholstery dry-cleaned.”

“Moving on,” said JC, determinedly.

He hauled out a heavy key-ring and unlocked his garage. The door looked like all the others, but he opened it with a key made from human bone.

“It’s a skeleton key,” he said calmly.

“Whose skeleton?” said Latimer.

“No-one you’d know,” said JC.

He pushed the door all the way open and ushered them inside. The garage interior turned out to be a stone cavern, with curving walls and ceiling, lit by buzzing, overhead fluorescents. Boxes and crates were piled up everywhere, with only stencilled numbers on the sides to identify their contents. Along with any number of glass display cases, full of interesting items and curios. JC gestured grandly.

“Welcome to my lair. Weapons, devices, and a whole bunch of really weird stuff I’ve collected down the years.”

Melody grinned broadly, spoilt for where to look first. “Your very own Aladdin’s Cave! Why did you never mention this before?”

“Because he knew I wouldn’t approve!” said Latimer, openly outraged at the size of the collection. “You were supposed to hand over everything of interest you encountered or acquired in the field!”

“Man’s entitled to a few souvenirs,” said JC. “You kept yours in your office; I’m just a little more private.”

“Boys and their toys,” said Chang.

Melody helped Happy sit down on a nearby crate, then went scurrying up and down the narrow aisles, looking at everything. JC helped Happy stand up, moved him to a somewhat less dangerous crate, and sat him down again. Happy nodded understandingly. JC made sure he was comfortable, then turned back to Chang and Latimer.

“Please be careful what you touch,” he said. “And don’t try to open anything without asking me first. Everything here is protected, on all kinds of levels.”

He used his skeleton key to open a few of the display cases, to show off their contents. Starting with the Hand of Glory from the Brighton convention.

“How did that get here so quickly?” said Latimer. “You haven’t had time to get here and back again.”

“I know some useful short cuts,” said JC.

“You mean Kim does,” said Melody.

“There are some advantages to having a ghost as your girl-friend,” said JC.

“You do know that particular Hand of Glory was made from a Drood’s hand?” said Latimer.

JC looked at the Hand with new interest before placing it carefully back in its case again.

“Weaponised Drood body parts,” he said. “It doesn’t bear thinking about. I didn’t know they could be hurt like that.”

“They like to keep such information quiet,” said Latimer.

“But you know,” said Chang.

“Of course,” said Latimer.

“Perhaps I should send the Hand back to them,” said JC. “I could use being owed a favour by the high-and-mighty Drood family. You know, I once had a Hand of Glory made from a monkey’s paw. Now that was seriously powerful.”

“And utterly forbidden!” said Chang. “Banned by every civilised country and a few that don’t even come close! I’ve always wanted one . . .”

“Gone now,” said JC. “I used it up taking down a train full of demons in the London Underground.”

“And just like that, the world feels so much safer,” said Melody.

JC carefully opened one of the crates. Its contents turned out to be row upon row of glass phials, full of various enigmatic liquids, resting carefully side by side in protective packaging. JC took out one phial and held it up to the light. The colourless liquid glowed serenely.

“The Universal Nostrum,” JC said reverently. “The ultimate healing draught. No-one ever talks about what goes into it because if people knew, you couldn’t get anyone to drink it. Very good at repairing physical damage.”

He unwound the copper wire holding the cork in place, knocked back the liquid, and pulled a face at the taste. He shuddered briefly, then smiled slowly as all the wounds he’d taken from the Hound healed in a moment. He stretched happily and tossed the empty phial back into the crate. He hadn’t realised how tired he’d been until he didn’t have to fight the pain off any longer. He selected another phial and went over to Happy. Melody quickly came back to join them.

“I don’t know if this will help,” said JC. “But it’s got to be worth a try.”

“Of course,” said Happy. “You know me; I’ll try anything once. And twice if it’s free.”

His voice was firm, but Melody still had to hold his hand steady so he could drink the stuff. Happy handed the empty phial back to JC and nodded politely.

“Oh yes,” he said. “That feels much better.”

He wasn’t fooling anyone; but they all pretended to believe him. JC put the empty phial back in the crate and closed it again. He didn’t want Happy to see how angry he was. He’d really hoped the Nostrum would work. He’d been counting on it. He was tired of seeing Happy look so bad, tired of having to make allowances for him. He considered leaving Happy behind or sending him home; if only so he wouldn’t have to worry about the telepath when he had so many other more important things on his mind. But he couldn’t do that. Happy wouldn’t be safe anywhere now, away from the group. Any number of interested parties would risk anything to grab him, so they could use him to put pressure on JC and Latimer. And if Happy went, Melody would insist on going with him; and there went the team. Besides . . . JC just knew that at some point he was going to need Happy. To do the things only he could do.

“This is all very interesting,” said Latimer, “not to mention incriminating; but what exactly are we doing here?”

“I came here looking for something to give me an advantage,” said JC.

He opened another crate with a handy crow-bar, revealing dozens of assorted guns and boxes of ammunition.

“You didn’t pick those up on any Ghost Finders case,” said Chang, looking the weapons over with an expert eye.

“I wasn’t always a Ghost Finder,” said JC. He smiled at Melody. “Help yourself.”

She was already rummaging through the contents, grinning broadly. “You know how to show a girl a good time, JC!”

He left her to it and used his skeleton key to open a small, black-lacquered box. Inside was another box, made from intricately carved rosewood, that he had to open with a combination code and a muttered password from a language no-one spoke any more. He looked at the contents for a long moment.

“This . . . is what I came here for,” he said slowly. “Something really special. You’ve heard about genetic engineering—where they make goldfish that glow, or a mouse with a human ear on its back. This is the supernatural community’s equivalent.”

Latimer and Chang leaned in close for a better look. Inside the box, nestled in tissue paper, was a small furry object not much bigger than a man’s thumb. They both looked at JC.

“It’s a rabbit’s foot,” said JC. “One that has been crossed with lucky heather and a four-leafed clover. And a few other things, best not described out loud. It might not look like much; but supposedly in a time of troubles, this can change the odds completely in its owner’s favour. Just the once. I’ve never had a good enough reason to use it, until now.”

“That’s it?”
said Chang. “That is what we came all this way for? I thought you wanted a weapon!”

“I wanted something to make me feel safer,” said JC. “And this fits the bill nicely.”

“How can you be sure it does what it says on the tin?” said Latimer.

“I can’t,” said JC. “Another reason I haven’t relied on it before.”

He lifted the rabbit’s foot out of its box, hefted it a few times, then tucked it away in an inside pocket.

“Can we go now?” said Latimer.

“Don’t you want to help yourself to anything, Boss?” said JC.

“There’s nothing here I need,” said Latimer. “I’m dangerous enough on my own.”

“Never doubted it for a moment,” said JC.

“A rabbit’s foot,” said Chang, shaking her head. “Can’t say I ever believed in them. I mean, didn’t do the rabbit any good, did it?”

“I don’t have anything capable of destroying the Flesh Undying,” JC said patiently. “I’m not sure anyone has. So when I do eventually have to go up against it, I want something capable of turning the odds in my favour at just the right moment. Never under-estimate the importance of a lucky break.”

“Let’s go,” said Chang. “Before you decide you need to study your horoscope.”

Melody came over to join them. She now had two different handguns holstered on her hips and was stuffing handfuls of grenades, incendiaries, and other useful items into her pockets.

“Guns? Against a living mountain,” said Latimer.

“It’s a start,” said Melody. “And we might need them to use against someone else.” She glared pointedly at Chang.

“We have bigger, better weapons at the Project Armoury,” said Chang.

“Of course you do,” said Latimer. “And I’m sure you’ll be happy to share your toys with us, at some point. I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”

“No you bloody haven’t,” said JC.

“True,” said Latimer. “But I am very interested in seeing the Project’s Armoury. While they’ve got a reason to open it to us.”

“Good point,” said JC.

Chang smiled haughtily. “You wouldn’t believe what we’ve got . . .”

“Yes I would,” said Latimer. “I saw last month’s inventory.”

“You only think you did,” said Chang. “We leaked you a fake inventory deliberately, as disinformation.”

“You only thought it was a fake,” said Latimer. “One of my people inside your organisation substituted the real thing, at the last moment.”

“Well,” said Chang. “You would think that, wouldn’t you?”

“Spy games,” said Happy. “Head . . . hurting . . .”

And then they all looked around sharply as they realised Kim had joined them at some point and was standing before one particular crate, studying it thoughtfully.

“How long has she been here, watching us?” demanded Chang.

“Why?” said JC. “What have you been doing that you didn’t want anyone to see?”

Kim ignored them, staring at the crate in front of her. “JC . . . Why is this calling to me? Why do I feel it’s important?”

JC moved over to join her. “I was wondering when you’d turn up again.”

“I had business to attend to,” said Kim. “The living can’t walk the low road without consequences. But that’s all taken care of now.”

Melody looked at Happy. “Don’t ask.”

“Wasn’t planning to,” said Happy.

“How did you know to find me here?” said JC.

“I always know where you are,” said Kim. “All places are the same to the dead.”

“What does that even mean?” said Melody.

“You’re better off not knowing,” said Kim. “Oh, hello, Happy! Your aura’s looking a lot better.”

“Thank you,” said Happy. “I think.”

Kim looked to JC, then back at the crate.

“Inside that crate is something I acquired from the Nightside,” JC said quietly, giving all his attention to Kim. “A place where you can, after all, find absolutely anything. And somebody ready to sell it to you for an exorbitant price.”

“JC,” said Kim. “What have you done? What have you bought?”

JC opened the crate, and brought out a dusty old bottle half-full of a murky liquid that seemed to stir and heave with a life all its own.

“Supposedly,” he said carefully, “this very special potion makes it possible for a living man to have sex with a ghost. I’ve been saving it for a special occasion.”

Kim looked at him for the first time, her face radiant. “Oh my love . . . How much did this cost you?”

“Cheap at half the price,” said JC.

Kim raised a hand and caressed the air as close to his cheek as she dared to get. She couldn’t risk her hand passing through his face, that would spoil the illusion.

“Later,” said Kim.

In the background, Happy started singing. “Where do I begin, to tell the story . . .”

“Hush, dear,” said Melody.

JC put the bottle back in its crate and turned to look thoughtfully at Natasha Chang. “All right, put it back.”

“What?” said Chang, innocently.

“Put back what you took,” said JC.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Chang.

She broke off as Melody stepped forward and stuck the barrel of a Smith & Wesson .45 in Chang’s left ear.

“If we can’t trust you,” said Latimer, “you’re no use to us. And this alliance is over. Feel free to explain that to your superiors.”

“Oh, all right!” said Chang, pouting. “I just wanted a souvenir. Or two.”

She emptied out her pockets, and piled up a series of small but interesting pieces on top of a nearby crate. JC looked her over carefully, and so did Kim. Chang sighed heavily and produced two more objects.

“There!” she said loudly. “That’s it! Satisfied now?”

JC nodded to Melody, who lowered her gun and holstered it again. Chang glared at her.

“I won’t forget this!”

“Neither will I,” Melody said cheerfully. “Most fun I’ve had all day.”

Latimer shook her head. “Even in the face of the coming end of the world, I still can’t get you kids to play nicely together.”

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They left the garage, and JC locked it up carefully. There was still no-one around. Somewhere along the way, Kim disappeared. JC didn’t say anything, so everyone else took their cue from him. Apart from Chang, of course.

“What is the matter with her? Why does she have to keep vanishing on us?”

“Maybe it’s the company,” said Melody.

“I think she gets car-sick,” said JC.

They all piled back into the limousine, and the chauffeur drove off at speed, racing through the London streets with even more disregard for the rules of the road than before, as though determined to make up for lost time. Even if he had to drive right over the cars in front of him. Melody produced a flick-knife and carved her initials and Happy’s, surrounded by a heart, into the expensive leather upholstery. Chang pretended not to notice. Happy looked out the side window, but JC couldn’t tell what he was looking at. Or even if he was looking at something in this world. More and more it seemed to JC that, between his lucid patches, Happy was becoming increasingly distant. JC looked to Latimer, but she was lost in her own thoughts again.