Guild Boss (Ghost Hunters #14)(35)

“Something wicked this way comes,” she quoted softly.

Gabriel gave her a knowing look. “You’ve got a weird idea of fun, lady. Let’s get out of here.”

Otis growled, reversed course, and raced back to Lucy. She scooped him up and plopped him on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “We’ve got about sixty seconds.”

“I’ve never liked the word about,” Gabriel said. “A little too vague for my taste.”

He grabbed her wrist. Together they plunged through the shimmering paranormal door that blocked the entrance to the building. There was some resistance, but the quicksilver door dissolved when they focused a little energy on it. The barrier re-formed immediately after they were safely inside.

Gabriel did not let go of Lucy’s hand. Otis crouched on her shoulder. The three of them pressed close together. There was strength in numbers when it came to dealing with dangerous paranormal energy.

The gray quartz walls glowed with an inner light, but unlike the pleasant, senses-lifting energy of the green quartz ruins aboveground and in the tunnels, the vibe was disturbing on several levels.

“Ever heard the old saying It feels like someone just walked over my grave?” Gabriel asked.

“I think so, why?” she asked with mocking innocence.

“That must be weather channeler humor.”

“Yep.”

“No offense, but it also sounds a lot like Guild boss humor.”

Lucy had spent enough time in the ancient metropolis to know that the structure in which they were sheltering offered life-saving protection. But no quartz wall could protect them from all of the senses-rattling effects of the storm.

Audio hallucinations whispered and howled in the alley on the other side of the quicksilver door. It was as if the specters of the vanished Aliens were shrieking at the humans, pleading with them, begging them to open the gate and let them inside.

Gabriel tightened his grip on Lucy’s hand. She leaned against his chest, pressing close. He put an arm around her. Nothing personal, she told herself. Physical contact was standard operating procedure for situations like this. Two auras were stronger than one. Three were even better. Otis’s small but powerful energy field added another level of protection.

The wailing became more fearsome. The ghosts were no longer pleading; they were demanding entrance. The door shivered and shimmered and trembled, but it did not give way.

An eternity that was, in reality, more like five minutes passed. The howling abruptly fell silent.

Lucy realized she was still crushed against Gabriel’s chest, his arm wrapped tightly around her. Their hands were still clasped. It felt good to be this close to him. It felt right.

After a moment, Otis fluffed up and chortled. He bounced down to the floor and immediately set about exploring the empty chamber.

“I like his attitude,” Gabriel said. “Deal with the problem when it hits the top of your to-do list. Forget about it as soon as it’s over.”

“Humans probably spend way too much time dwelling on what could happen and what almost happened,” Lucy said. “Then we worry about what might happen next.”

“That’s a good description of my job,” Gabriel said.

“Mine, too.”

Lucy discovered she did not want him to let her go. The fantasies she had allowed herself to indulge in during the last two months whispered to her. She had to concentrate in order to make herself face reality.

Not good. Not smart. You’ve got a job to do. That’s why he came looking for you. He needs your professional skills.

With a small sigh she stepped back. Gabriel released her, but she thought he did so with some reluctance. Probably wishful thinking.

“Never a dull moment in the Ghost City,” she said, going for a cool, professional vibe. “It should be safe outside now. I’ll go first to check the weather.”

“Right.” Gabriel studied the locator. “According to this, we should be very close to the doll.”

Tentatively, Lucy focused a little energy on the quicksilver barrier. It dissolved. She stepped out into the alley. The fog that ebbed and flowed through the streets of the Ghost City was once again calm. Otis rushed after her, ready for the next stage of the adventure. Gabriel followed, once again checking the locator readout.

“To the left,” he said. He took out his flamer. “Next intersection.”

She glanced at the weapon. “Do you think we’re going to run into that kind of trouble?”

“I doubt it,” Gabriel said. “If anyone else had found the clockwork toy it would be long gone. No one, including bad guys, can hang around the Ghost City for more than a few hours at a time. The paranormal environment is too harsh. That’s why Coppersmith is running several crews a day in short shifts. Why they set up the mining camp on the other side of the portal in the Rainforest instead of inside this place.”

“I heard they are working on vehicles and equipment that can protect the miners.”

“If any company can find a way to turn a profit down here, it’s Coppersmith. But I’m told it’s been one major technical problem after another. Here we go. Left again.”

They turned the corner into another narrow lane. The fog elsewhere in the city had been light, but now they faced a wall of gray mist. It was so thick that Lucy could no longer make out the buildings on the other side of the lane. She could barely see her own boots.