Page 23 of Written in Red

“Before he shoots you, I hope,” she said.

“That is my hope as well.”

Holly Hock approached her assignment wisely. She made her way over to the intruder from a different direction, making it far less likely that Mercury’s approach would be noted.

“He has traded ever so many ghosts,” Holly Hock was saying as Mercury inched close enough to begin overhearing. “I don’t think he has had a holiday since I arrived. Don’t you think it is a fine thing that he should get one now?”

“A man’s gotta have a rest now and then.” The man’s lower-class London accent was evident.

Mercury deftly untied the handkerchief around his neck, leaving it hanging loose.

“I think so too, at least I think I think so.” Holly Hock gave the impression of not being overly clever. Very good acting on her part; she was actually quite intelligent. “Will you come back when he is swapping again?”

Mercury was only a few steps from the man. He hunched a little low, tensed.

“I think you would like to meet Mr. Raine,” Holly Hock continued. “He is very interesting. And you could meet his ghosts. There are ever so many of us.”

Mercury lunged. The bounty hunter stumbled, then fell, sprawled on the ground, arms outstretched. His grip on the pistol was slack, and Mercury wasted not a moment snatching it away.

He used his handkerchief to bind the man’s hands behind his back. Only then did he let himself feel momentarily relieved.

“You’ve come to shoot Mercury Raine, have you?” Mercury asked as he pulled the man to his feet. “I’d assume the Forever Flame wants him alive.”

“I wasn’t going to kill him.”

Mercury forced the man to walk toward the house. “Hoping to injure him enough to keep him from fighting back?”

“The Forever Flame is growing impatient.” The man sounded almost panicked.

“He increased the bounty?”

They’d nearly reached the door leading down to the dungeon.

“Ain’t a matter of the bounty. The Forever Flame will destroy us. He don’t make idle threats.”

“Why does he want Mercury Raine so badly?”

“I don’t know, but he does. He’ll not stop until he has him.”

This felt like more than a money-hungry ghost chasing a reward. It had to be something more personal. And more personal, he felt certain, also meant more dangerous.

10

With effort, Mercury removed the heavy metal bar keeping the door to the third tunnel closed. He passed through and to the door of the cell the Vanns currently called home.

He slid open the panel and spoke through it. “Enjoying your stay?” he asked.

Mr. Vann tossed him a look of annoyance and stepped over to the window on the opposite wall. But Mrs. Vann crossed to the door. The look in her eyes was not panicked or angry. It certainly wasn’t penitent. It was shrewd.

“You offered before to release us if we could provide you with useful enough information,” Mrs. Vann said.

Mercury shook his head. “I said I would consider it.”

“What would you like to know?” Mrs. Vann asked. “If it’s something I can tell you, I will.”

“Why is the Forever Flame looking for me? I have no connection to him. No history with that particular ghost.”

“He recently learned something about you that made hunting you very lucrative. He’s not told any of us what that something is.”