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“What the hell was that?”

“I have no control over the doors.”

“You’re running this whole show!”

“Actually, I’m just here to be your ghostly coordinator. I have no control over supernatural effects.”

Gritting my teeth, I straightened my shirt and looked for another exit. They couldn’t keep me trapped here. It was illegal, even in this dreamworld.

“You know what? I’ll just call Cash. He’ll sort this all out.”

“Sure,” he snorted. “You do that.”

I reached for my phone, but my pockets were empty. “I just had it…” Tossing chairs around, I searched the entire area. Surely I had just dropped it on the ground…

“Where the hell is it?” I shouted.

A buzzer sounded, and Zoe marched out, clapping her hands. “People, let’s get moving! We’re on a tight schedule, and this little fiasco has already set us five minutes behind!”

“No,” I snapped, marching over to her. “Your last little trick was a fun little trip down memory lane, but we’re not doing this again. No more. I want you to let me out of here right now!”

“Oh, I’m not holding you back,” she chuckled. “No, if you want to get out of here, you’ll have to see HR.”

“And who’s in charge at HR?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“That would be Max.”

“Max? The man is barely holding his life together!”

“Actually, he attends church regularly with his wife, and he hardly gets drunk off the communal wine anymore,” Zoe grinned.

“He smokes in church!”

“Well, he can’t be completely reformed. That would put a damper on his whole personality.”

“Fine, whatever. Just tell me how I get to HR.”

She held up her hand, snapping her fingers. The whole room shifted to the right, and suddenly I was sitting in an office.

At the beach.

“Where the hell are we?” I groused.

“Paradise,” Max grinned, kicking his feet up on the desk. Sand spilled from his sandals, leaving grains all over his desk. “So, you wanted to have a meeting about something you’re caught in?”

“Yeah, Lock has me trapped in some weird dream. He has a checklist!”

Chuckling, Max poured himself a drink. “Yeah, that sounds like Lock.”

“So, can you get me out of it?”

“Ooh, that’s tricky.”

“Why is it tricky? Zoe said you’re in charge.”

He nodded, taking a sip of his whiskey. “That’s very true, my friend. Unfortunately, they don’t really give me any power out here. This is more of a courtesy title to keep me out of trouble.”

“They stuck you on a beach with whiskey and cigars!”