Ghosts clawed at the guards and ripped their clothing, tearing out hair and raising bloody welts on faces and arms. The mobster’s top boss might be a witch, but these soldiers clearly had no ability with the supernatural and had not made any preparations to protect themselves from powerful paranormal threats.
Erik stifled a gasp as one of the ghosts tore out the throat of a Bratva operative, letting the body fall in a spray of blood. A spectral hand clawed across another mobster’s eyes, blinding him with blood before the ghost reached into the man’s ribcage and then dropped his corpse to the floor.
The four remaining Russians tried to fight the ghosts, who seemed to be toying with their victims. The spirits attacked from one direction and then another, scoring bloody slashes. One man fell to his knees, praying and begging. A ghost passed right through the supplicant, who stiffened and then fell face down, dead. Another man’s neck suddenly twisted with an awfulcrack,and he tumbled to the floor.
The main door to the warehouse flew open, and six new mobsters charged in. Erik could see enough to know these weren’t Bratva reinforcements. The Newark Mob had arrived to retaliate with a show of force.
“What the fuck?” The Newark goons’ guns jammed, and as they took in the horrific scene in front of them, the ghosts turned their attention and ire on the newcomers.
A tide of ghosts encircled the men, cutting off retreat. The Newark men tried to bludgeon the spirits with their now-useless guns, but the revenants tore the weapons from their hands and threw them into the shadows. Whatever protective medallions they might have worn did them no good as the spirits closed ranks, enveloping the men in an undulating gray storm.
Voices screamed in English and Italian. Through the gauzy haze of ghostly forms, Erik saw the ghosts ripping the mobstersapart, and a growing pool of blood flowed across the concrete floor.
He hoped that Alessia and Haley could control the spirits, so they didn’t become the next targets.
With the soldiers down, Erik darted out to drag Ben the rest of the way to safety and cut through his bonds. “Are you hurt?” He was unable to see much in the limited light.
“Roughed up a little, nothing serious,” Ben told him.
“I’ll be right behind you,” Haley assured him. “Just making sure the ghosts get to have some fun.”
Erik sent a pre-written text to Chief Hendricks.
Erik:They’re all yours. Ben is safe.
“Let’s get out of here,” Erik said to Alessia and Haley. He couldn’t tell if the ghosts had left any of the mobsters alive.
“Thank you,” Haley told the ghosts. “Keep the bad guys down, but don’t hurt the cops. I’ll come back tomorrow and send anyone on who wants to go.”
The spirits didn’t acknowledge, but Erik felt sure they heard.
They were already in the SUV and a couple of blocks away by the time police cars streamed past them, sirens blaring and lights flashing. He wondered what Hendricks would make of the scene he was going to find and figured he would get the connection to the magical protection of Trinkets’ security system once he saw the incapacitated mobsters.
“You came.” Ben sat in the passenger seat, and Alessia was in the back with Haley and their gear. Erik blasted the heat since they were all soaked from the storm.
“Of course we came,” Erik replied. “I’m damn glad you had that dog tag. It helped me convince Hendricks. But Haley’s ghosts and Alessia’s magic are the real heroes.”
“Kudos all the way around,” Alessia said, “but especially to the ghosts.”
“Lucky for us, the ghosts were itching for some payback,” Haley added.
Just as they reached Alessia’s house, the streetlights lit up. “Perfect timing.” Erik was glad that the darkness from the power outage had made Ben’s rescue a little easier.
“Be careful,” Alessia warned as she and Haley got out. Their clothing clung to their skin, and Erik figured he and Ben didn’t look much better. She turned to Haley. “Why don’t you stay over with me?”
“Sounds great,” Haley agreed. “Safety in numbers.”
“You got rid of the henchmen, but the bosses are still out there,” Alessia reminded them. “If you need magic, just let me know.”
“Same here,” Haley assured them.
“I’m trying not to think about that right now,” Erik admitted. “One problem at a time.”
“Thank you,” Ben said. “I owe you.”
“Pfft. That’s what friends do.” Alessia said. She and Haley headed inside. Ben and Erik watched until they were sure the door was closed and the lights turned on.
“Do I need to take you to the Emergency Room?” Erik asked. There wasn’t enough light in the car for him to get a good idea of whether Ben was seriously injured.
