AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jason screamed and ran from the door deeper into the room. Knight pivoted toward the light and the scream,shooting with little aim. The lights strobed around him as three out of four bullets met a target. Jason’s howls were deadened by the booming gunfire as his body thudded to the ground.
Mel peered down at his friend’s body. Anastacia glanced from the safety of her hiding place. She couldn’t see much, but she knew a new soul had reached the end of their time in the living world. Between the flashes of lights and gunfire, she had seen enough to know who it was.
A single bulb flickered on to a dull light as Jason’s spirit stood on the other side of Mel, gawking at his own body.
“Was it worth it?” Mel asked him.
“I need more time.”
Mel looked him over, the darkness seeping from the new wounds on his friend’s soul stood out. Mel stepped between Jason and Anastacia’s hiding place.
Anastacia sank lower once she saw the darkness flooding the front of his form. It would be drawn to her, but there was no way Jason was going to have any chance at her. A large, black circle formed behind Jason. An expansive head popped from the portal. The slick black of its eyes gave a single glance at Mel and then to Anastacia before it jerked forward, catching Jason’s soul in its jaws. The Gatekeeper pulled the soul into the shadows, the portal closing quickly after it receded into its depths.
“Bye, Jay,” Mel mumbled and turned to Knight, who was swinging his gun around in panic. Mel flickered the lights as far from Anastacia as he could.
“Didn’t you know I was there the whole time?” Mel taunted from the top of one box. Another two shots from Knight.
Anastacia began to move. She needed to get to the door.
Mel jumped to the floor and scrambled onto another stack of boxes away from her direction. “Good plan putting yourself as head of the investigation. Thatwas your plan, right? Lure me into the jurisdiction of your precinct so that you could take the case?”
Another two bullets before the light went out again.
When the lights came back on, Mel appeared right behind Knight. “Did your partner know you planned to kill me, or just that you’re nothing more than a gun for hire?”
“Stop it!” Knight turned and shot again as his breath puffed out. The window coverings above opened again and just enough sunlight lit the room.
Just enough for Knight to see Anastacia pushed against one stack of boxes near the door.
He raised the gun, his hand trembling. “You will die.”
Stumbling toward her, the gun focused on the center of her chest. Knight pulled the trigger.
A click echoed through the room.
“Forget to count your shots?” she asked. “Used your Glock 22, right? Fifteen round magazine plus one in the chamber. Sixteen shots. Sixteen wasted shots.”
Knight levitated, his toes barely scraping the floor beneath him. A powerful hand held his front collar as, piece by piece, a face and body appeared under him.
“You won’t touch her. You won’t touch anyone ever again.”
Knight tried to pry the fingers off his collar but felt only cold air where the solid hand should have been. “What are you?”
“Your victim.”
The door to the side burst inward as Knight dropped back onto his feet. Mel faded, leaving Anastacia trembling in front of Knight.
The first officer to rush into the room side tackled Knight, both landing on the ground with a hard thud. Anastacia sidestepped away from the scuffle as she watched Knight’s gun slide across the floor out of his reach. Two more officers came to the aid of the first, folding Knight’s arms behind him and tightening cuffs on his wrists.
Anastacia scanned the room. Officers were surrounding Jason’s body as Baker laid a hand on Anastacia’s shoulder. “Good idea with the Bluetooth. Thanks for the heads up. Your instincts lead you here, too?”
“Not only instincts.” Anastacia exhaled in relief.
“Who knew a consultant would break open this case so well? I’ve been working hard to get a foothold on Quint’s murder and Knight’s possible involvement. Then here you come like a ghost out of nowhere and solve the damn thing for me.”
“Didn’t mean to steal your thunder, Baker.” Anastacia gave a weak half-smile to the detective.
“You okay?” Baker glanced over at her.
