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“My patience is waning,” Gerald growled. “TED! SHOW YOURSELF! DO YOU REALLY WANT TWO DEATHS ON YOUR CONSCIENCE?”

“Oh, so we’re outright threatening murder now. Not more hiding behind handbooks and contracts about liability,” Ryan drawled.

The scent of dark rot seeped closer and I shifted on my feet, looking around.

“I didn’t force you to sign it. What happens after that is on you. It says so in the terms of the contract,” Gerald said, high and mighty. “Maybe you should have contacted a lawyer.”

“You didn’t force anyone to sign, but you purposefully took on people who were desperate or overeager so you could use them as fodder to make a quick buck.”

“You’re quite melodramatic.”

“Says you,” Ted said from the doorway.

I saw Popty’s shadow hanging behind him. I knew he must have been frightened, but clearly he was more worried for Ted.

I glanced around for any more signs, biting my lip as I looked up at the ceiling. The blackened goo was spreading in tiny little rivulets along the white paint. Like a spider web. Like veins carrying death instead of life. A droplet splashed behind Gerald, but he was too preoccupied.

“Ah, Ted. There you are,” Gerald said brightly, but it was hiding a wealth of molten anger. “I think you slipped out with something of mine.”

Ted raised an acerbic brow. “Did I?”

“I thought we had a better relationship than that. I didn’t think you’d steal from me.”

“I didn’t think you’d try to sell me down the river, but here we are.”

“It would have blown over! You didn’t have to take it so seriously and act out.” Gerald tutted. “Now, if you’d like to hand over the flash drive, I’ll be out of your hair for good.”

“Sure,” Ted said. “It’s in the lower cupboard behind you.”

Gerald narrowed his eyes. “That was remarkably easy.”

“You don’t want it?”

He didn’t move. “What’s the catch?”

“No catch. Everything you deserve is right behind you.”

Andrew phased through the wall just as Gerald turned around.

“Hello, Gerald.”

He held up the gun. “How do you know me?”

Andrew laughed. It was raspy and tight. I could see it was taking everything Andrew had to keep control. “You don’t recognise me? It hasn’t been that long. Do you not remember those of us who were there from the beginning?”

I watched Gerald take Andrew in, his clothes and demeanour. “Andrew?”

All hell broke loose.

Whatever control Andrew had managed to maintain snapped when Gerald said his name. The shape we had come to love and care about morphed into the vengeful facsimile he kept locked beneath the surface.

His mouth opened wide and a black abyss screamed from within as his shape dispersed into jagged edges and sharp pieces.

Ryan raced over to me as Gerald took his first shot at Andrew, grasping my hand and pulling me out of the firing line.

“Nice job,” Ryan said to Ted.

“Yeah, well, it’s not over yet.” The ceiling fixture fell and smashed on the floor as Andrew swiped out at Gerald. “Let’s not become collateral damage.”