After/Life_Bargaining

by Scarlett Whispers

  “He didn’t ask for anything,” Sam said.

  “Then he will later,” Casey said. “It’s how these guys work.”

  “How did he know about all those personal things?” Sam said. “We never told anyone.”

  “He went online, did research,” Casey said. “Jesus Sam. You’re a police officer. You can’t afford to be this naive. You know what people are capable of. They know you’re weak and vulnerable right now, and they go in for the kill. That’s what predators do.”

  Sam nodded, but he hadn’t yet been completely convinced.

  “Give me five minutes online, and I bet I can find private information about you and Molly,” Casey said. “The same kind of thing this psychic told you. He probably went through your garbage too. There’s nothing someone can’t find out if they put their mind to it.”

  Sam hung his head.

  “It seemed so… real,” Sam said. “You know?”

  Casey’s hard expression broke. She became sad.

  “I’m sorry, Sam,” she said. “I don’t want to see you get hurt anymore. And these kinds of people, they’re the scum of the Earth. They scam old ladies out of their savings. I see it every day of the week.”

  “I know,” Sam said. “You’re right.”

  “No,” Molly said. “She’s not right. I’m right here! Please! Sam, trust your instincts. You’re right.”

  “You believe in things when you’re desperate,” Sam said. “Thank you, Casey. I could have made a big mistake.”

  “You’re welcome,” Casey said. “I’m glad you called me.”

  Molly looked out the window, at the world. A world less aware of her existence than if she were a stiff breeze. At least wind had an effect on the world. Molly couldn’t even do that. She couldn’t remember being in a more depressed mood. Every chance of getting out of there was gone. She would wander Earth for the rest of time.

  Her heart leaped into her throat.

  She backed away from the window. She edged forward and extended her neck, peering down at the sloping front yard. A dark cloaked figure, like Death without his scythe, approached the house.

  Had it seen her?

  Molly pulled back and pressed her back against the wall. The guard peered through the window and then moved on. Molly followed it around the room, keeping her back to the wall as she went. If it saw her, it would call more guards to this location.

  Only once it had drifted into the next door neighbor’s backyard did Molly relax.

  She took a moment to gather herself. The fact she was concerned at getting caught meant she still had some hope she might escape and get out of there. She had a few days left. She could decide what she wanted to do, where she wanted to spend her time. But first, she needed to keep Sam and Casey safe.

  “Did he tell you anything else?” Casey said. “Anything I should know about?”

  Sam shook his head.

  “No,” he said. “No, wait. There was one thing.”

  He reached into his back pocket and took out a scrap of paper.

  “This address,” he said. “He said it was Wayne Lopez’s criminal headquarters. He said I should give it to you.”

  Casey took the note and read the address.

  “He gave you this?” she said.

  “Yes,” Sam said. “Do you recognize it?”

  “It’s one of the addresses we raided in the past,” Casey said. “We’d got a tip-off he was there. When we got there, the place was empty.”

  “Do you think he’s really there?” Sam said.

  “I don’t know, Sam,” Casey said. “He could be in a million and one places. But I’ll tell you what. I’ll go check it out. That way you can set your mind at ease.”

  “Yes,” Molly said, growing excited. “Good, Casey.”

  “And even if this does turn out to be one of Lopez’s properties,” Casey said, “it doesn’t change the fact this psychic was trying to scam you. Stay away from him.”

  “I will,” Sam said.

  He picked up his jacket from the back of a chair.

  “What are you doing?” Casey said.

  “I’m going with you,” Sam said.

  “No,” Casey said. “I’ll go on my own. I’ll check it out, make sure there’s no one there.”

  “What if there is someone there?” Sam said.

  “There won’t be,” Casey said. “But if there is, I’ll call backup.”

  Casey moved to the door.

  “Where are you going?” Sam said. “I’m about to cook dinner, if you’re hungry.”

  “I already ate,” Casey said. “Besides, no time like the present.”

  “Thank you for doing this,” Sam said.

  Hope sprung once again in Molly’s heart. When Casey saw Lopez and his gang, when she knew O’Dell had been telling the truth, Molly would have both Sam and Casey on her side. It wasn’t over yet.

  “Good, Casey,” Molly said, following her partner out the door. “It’ll be like old times. You won’t be going alone. Though it might feel like it.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Molly sat in the passenger seat of Casey’s car. She drove at her usual high speed, cutting up cars and running red lights, dance music blaring. It was only because she was a cop that she hadn’t lost her license. She could flash her badge and get away with any traffic violations.

  Molly felt a thrill of excitement. They could have been on a mission together, like the hundreds of times they had done before. And for a moment, Molly could let herself believe they were going to bust some skulls.

  Casey pulled to a stop across the street from Lopez’s house. It was nighttime and the lights were on on the second and third floors.

  Casey reached into the glovebox and took out her pistol. She checked it was loaded and tucked it into her waistband. She got out of her car and locked it.

  Molly stepped through the door. No amount of security controls could stop her. They crossed the street. A gang of boys ran, chasing a beaten-up football.

  “Be careful,” Molly said.

  Casey couldn’t hear her, but it made Molly feel a little better.

  Casey entered the house, Molly in tow. The first floor housed regular homes for regular people. They were quiet, save for a few blaring TVs.

  The second floor was a knocking shop. Most of the rooms were already occupied. A couple of drugged-up floozies with squinting eyes waved Casey over to join them. Casey ignored them and proceeded up the second flight of stairs to the third floor.

  Casey withdrew her pistol and edged up one step at a time. She crouched and stretched her neck to peek above the banister.

  Molly ran up first and saw the scene.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “They’re distracted by their video game.”

  Again, Casey couldn’t hear her. What an advantage Molly would give law enforcement if she could only communicate with them! Criminals wouldn’t stand a chance.

  Lopez wasn’t with his gang. Molly suspected such frivolities were beneath him. His tastes were more refined. The gang roared with laughter as a player crashed and burned.

  Casey flinched, thinking they had spotted her. Relieved they hadn’t, she came up the final few steps and approached the gang from behind.

  “Hands up!” she said. “Where I can see them!”

  Lopez’s gang raised their hands, eyes wide with shocked expressions. They stiffened and turned in Casey’s direction.

  “You want to tell me what’s going on here?” Casey said.

  Molly’s heart was in her throat.

  “Playing some games,” Jesse, one of Lopez’s soldiers, said.

  “I can see that,” Casey said. “What do you think you’re doing playing without me?”

  She lowered her gun and tucked it back in her waistband. Jesse spread his arms and welcomed Casey in with a hug. The others pumped fists.

  “Here, Case,” Jesse said, tossing her a beer.

  “Cheers,” Casey said, pulling the tab and taking a swig. “Move over. Give me a g
o.”

  Casey took a seat on the sofa and picked up a control pad.

  Molly felt weak to her knees. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She couldn’t maintain balance. She felt sick to her stomach. Her heart thumped in her ears and the entire room spun on its axis.

  Casey was in cahoots with Lopez. It didn’t make sense. He had threatened her, along with Molly, the day she had gotten shot. Or had he?

  “Let’s not spoil the fun,” Lopez said.

  It was Casey who said a snitch of theirs had revealed where Lopez was going to be, Casey who told her the SWAT backup team were on their way.

  A thousand tiny glances Molly hadn’t taken notice of before, a thousand little inflections of voice, a thousand things that ought to have given Casey away, but had instead flown under Molly’s radar.

  Because she trusted her.

  The bedroom door opened, admitting Lopez onto the happy scene.

  “Casey, dearest,” Lopez said. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “Hey Lo,” Casey said, getting to her feet and embracing Lopez. “I got word someone’s been blabbing. Came to my ex-partner’s house and started going on about all this ghost shit.”

  “Ghosts?” Lopez said.

  “Yeah, it’s nothing to worry about,” Casey said. “Just doing a con job. But they let slip about your little headquarters here.”

  “A grass?” Jesse said. “Do you have a name?”

  “Only a surname,” Casey said. “O’Dell. Male.”

  “O’Dell?” Jesse said. “There’s about a thousand of them in this district alone.”

  “Do you think you can get a first name?” Lopez said to Casey.

  “I can try,” Casey said. “But I’d suggest you start searching in the meantime.”

  Lopez glanced at Jesse and nodded.

  “I’ll get onto it now,” Jesse said.

  He flipped open his phone and stepped away.

  “We’ll deal with him,” Lopez said. “How about our cover here?”

  “It might be wise to up sticks,” Casey said.

  “You think I need to move?” Lopez said. “Damn it. And I just got settled in here too.”

  “That would be the safe play,” Casey said. “And I know how you like to play it safe. I’ll tell the relevant parties I came here, checked it out, found nothing. They’ll probably leave it there, but I can’t say for sure what they’ll decide to do.”

  “I get you,” Lopez said. “You want me to move tonight?”

  “There’s no rush,” Casey said. “By tomorrow lunch is fine.”

  “No need for me to lose my beauty sleep, huh?” Lopez said with a wink. “How’s the investigation coming along?”

  “It’s ongoing,” Casey said. “This Lopez guy is like a ghost. Every time we get close to him, he up and vanishes.”

  “Mysterious,” Lopez said.

  “We’re following all possible leads yadda yadda yadda,” Casey said.

  “Sounds like you’re on the verge of a major breakthrough,” Lopez said.

  Casey chuckled.

  “How’s the new compound coming along?” she said.

  “Faster if we had the shot glass,” Lopez said.

  Casey dropped her head and stared at the floor between her feet.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m doing my best.”

  “Remember our agreement,” Lopez said. “You find that shot glass, intact, and all your debts are wiped clean.”

  “I know,” Casey said. “I’m sorry it’s taking so long.”

  “It’s all right,” Lopez said. “So long as you find it soon. You want to see how it’s going? Come take a look.”

  He led Casey into his bedroom. Casey passed through Molly on the way. She felt like a dagger in her heart.

  A couple in their early thirties lay in the middle of the floor. Clearly drug users. Their bodies were emaciated, clothing torn, hanging in strips. They had large open sores over their faces and arms.

  “Take a seat,” Lopez said. “I gave them the latest test batch. My eggheads are trying to recreate the substance my idiot-genius cousin came up with. They’re getting closer, but still not good enough. It lacks potency. The finished product will give a real out-of-body experience. Even better, it doesn’t leave a trace. And gives a completely mellow high.

  “I can’t let it fall into someone else’s hands. It could be the next big thing. And then your office found it. The only trace of it we had. We were ready to go into mass production. My idiot-genius cousin didn’t think it necessary to create more of it. So now, we’re reduced to this weak replica. No matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to get the level of potency we want.”

  Something odd began to happen to the unconscious drug users on the floor. They began to move, but not in a way discernible to Lopez and Casey. Only to Molly.

  The opaque incarnations of the users rose out of their bodies, floated a foot, then two, then three, above their host’s body.

  They flickered, like bad reception on a TV screen. They looked at each other, held each other’s hands, and performed a little dance. They pushed off the floor and performed slow circles, spinning in mid-air.

  The female apparition’s smile froze. The male apparition caught sight of it and glanced in the direction she was looking in. They were looking at Molly. Their eyes widened, mouths falling open. Then they fell back to their bodies. They blinked, eyes opening.

  “How was it?” Wayne said.

  “Awesome,” the guy said.

  “A real mellow high, man,” the woman said. “A real out-of-body experience.”

  “We saw somebody standing right over there,” the guy said.

  He pointed in Molly’s direction.

  “A woman,” he said. “Hot, you know?”

  The woman slapped the man on the arm.

  “Not as hot as you, of course, babe,” the man said.

  The woman beamed, showing her rotten teeth.

  Lopez and Casey looked in the direction the man had pointed. To their eyes, no one was there. Lopez turned to Casey.

  “I need that shot glass,” he said. “I need it. Get it, and we’re quits. Then we can put this whole sorry business behind us.”

  “Trust me,” Casey said. “I’ll find it.”

  “I’ve learned from hard experience never to trust anyone,” Lopez said. “Especially gamblers.”

  Casey pursed her lips.

  “Four days,” Lopez said. “Then I’m coming for you. Or your precinct will be getting a little video of someone shooting their partner in the back.”

  Casey’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets.

  “I’ll get it, I promise,” she said.

  “You’d better,” Lopez said.

  All pretense of friendship was gone from Lopez’s voice. Molly, still reeling from the latest revelation, didn’t feel a stitch of sympathy for her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Molly stumbled out of Lopez’s building, full of rage and disbelief. After everything, after everything they had been through, Casey had been the one to stab her in the back. Stab her in the back, and twisted. She had taken her life from her. Her dreams. Sam. Everything.

  Casey hopped down the steps and crossed the road to her car. The security lights flashed as she approached.

  Molly ran at her in an attempt to knock her over. She sailed right through her. She got up and kicked, punched, clawed, spat, and did everything she could to inflict harm on her. She wanted to tear her apart. All to no avail.

  It was because of Casey she was dead. Because of Casey, she was on the run from the guards. Because of Casey, she stood to face an eternity alone.

  Because of Casey.

  “How could you do this to me?” Molly screamed. “I could have helped you! We could have got through this together! Instead, you shot me in the back!”

  Casey felt and cared for nothing. She got in her car and drove away, never aware of the figure she had left behind.

  �
�You murdered me!” Molly said. “You murdered me!”

  A subway train rattled over an overground section of track, clattering and screeching. Molly hung her shoulders.

  “I’ll get you back,” she said to Casey’s departing car. “I don’t know how, I don’t know when, but I’ll get you back.”

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  About the Author

  Scarlett Whispers writes breathtaking stories readers love. They’re jam-packed with action, humor and, of course, passionate romance;)*

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