“Okay, I’ll help. I don’t have anything better to do anyway.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
***
You would think the home of the Grim Reaper would be a dark and creepy place. That it would be shrouded in shadows with winding trees draping the property and ominous-sounding nightlife to warn you away if you dare get to close.
Nope.
The Grim Reaper I knew and hated had his house lit up like the fourth of July on a hot summer night. It’s like he stuck lights in every possible crevice and corner of his home. You would thinkhewas scared of the dark. Of course he wasn’t because whatever else went bump in the night had never met a man that could kill with a single touch.
“There’s more security here now than earlier. And what is up with all these lights? This ain’t New York City,” Storm said from beside me.
“It’s because he’s not home. He’s expecting me to pull something after last night.”
“What the hell happened last night?”
“We had a little confrontation.”
“Geez, man, we need to go. You should have known better than to come here.”
I stood against the side of a four-car garage on the neighbor’s property across the street. This house wasn’t filled with light so the yard was dark, creating a lot of concealment. “No, that’s exactly the reason we should stay.”
“What?”
“He knows I’m pissed and won’t go down without a fight. He expects me to try and pull something. So I do it now, while he thinks everything is on lockdown and I can’t get in. I won’t get caught and he’ll never know I was here. Hell, if I’m lucky, he won’t even notice anything’s missing until I’m long gone.” I paused and then added. “Besides, it has to be tonight. He’s sending me out of town tomorrow on another job.”
“Damn, a double?” Storm said, I looked in the direction of his voice, but I couldn’t make him out in the night. He completely blended in.
“Yeah, so let’s do this.”
“What exactly do you think you’re going to find?” The skepticism in his voice made the challenge of what we were about to do even more appealing.
“A weakness,” I murmured.
He made a non-committal sound.
“Here’s how this is going to work. You’re going to go first, unlock the front door from the inside. On your way through the foyer, flick the porch light off and count to three, then flick it back on. Then get to G.R.’s office. I’ll meet you there.”
“You think you’re going to walk through the front door?” He scoffed. “And if you think three seconds of darkness out there will be enough, you’re a few chips shy of a Pringle can.”
“Just do it.”
“Fine. But if you get caught, I’m not going to play Cinderella to your Prince Charming.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“I’m not really sure,” he muttered.
“Can we just do this please?”
“Fine. Be ready.”
He didn’t say anything else and I didn’t see him move. I didn’t hear the rustle of grass or feel the ripple in the air from a body cutting through it.
“Storm?” I whispered, but he wasn’t there.
When he was in complete ghost form, he was pretty good.
