Finn glanced at her and saw the terrified look on her face. He could guess what she saw. His eyes were still wrong. She grabbed his face and leaned in to kiss him. Finn couldn’t even feel her. But he could feel Michael.
He started to laugh.
Jazz pulled back, eyes wide, mouth open. It only made Michael laugh harder.
“Surprise,” he said.
She punched him in the throat. Michael’s hands went to his neck and he fell to the side, coughing and sputtering.
Finn let out a whoop inside Michael’s head. He had never been more grateful she let him teach her basics of self-defense. Sure, that was going to hurt like hell later, if he ever fully made it back to his body, but he didn’t care. It seemed like she had pulled her punch at the last second. Finn’s body would heal.
She scrambled to her feet, grabbed her phone from the table, and ran.
“Yes! Run, Jazz. Run!”
“We’re on an island, you idiot.” Michael’s voice was cold inside his head. “There’s nowhere for her to go.”
Michael pushed himself onto his knees, using the chair Jazz had been tied to for leverage. He hung there, breath rasping. Maybe she had hit him harder than Finn thought. Good.
“Veronica. Veronica!” Michael’s voice was hoarse. Finn hoped it hurt him to talk.
Who the hell was Veronica?
Michael had his eyes closed, so Finn couldn’t see anything. He couldn’t do anything. He was trapped in his body, watching as Michael drove it around.
“Tend me.”
Michael opened his eyes.
“What the fuck?”
The clearing outside the shed was filled with people. Women, more precisely. They milled about, clustered in groups, stared at Michael with terrified eyes. They looked almost solid, but Finn could see the faint outline of trees and brush behind them—through them. Sometimes they would sort of shiver and wink out, only to reappear somewhere else.
Michael laughed. “Meet my life’s work. It turned out even better than I imagined. I’m glad I had a chance to see them like this.”
One of the ghosts—and Finn was certain that’s what he was seeing—approached and knelt in front of Michael. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. Finn looked around through the windows of his body’s eyes. All the women had blonde hair. They were too far away to make out their eye color, but they had similar builds.
“I see you have a type.”
Michael laughed in Finn’s head. “I get nostalgic. I had a sister too. If I had known about ghosts and earthly remains, I might not have burned our house to the ground with her and mother inside. Then they could have joined us as well.”
“You sick—”
“It was better than they deserved,” Michael snapped.
Shit.
“Killing Rachel will be so much more gratifying when I use your body—your powers—to do it. Only she won’t get to cross over.”
Aloud, he said, “Rachel will be joining us. Right, ladies?”
The ghosts inched closer to the swamp, turning their faces away. All but the one right in front of them. Maybe this was Veronica?
Michael lashed out and grabbed her throat. He moved so quickly, Finn barely registered the strike. Michael stared at the ghost he was throttling.
“I want you to see.” Michael thought the words. It must be a special message just for Finn.
The ghost was whimpering, then she started making choking sounds. How could Michael choke a ghost? Where his hand touched her neck, the translucence of her skin became more opaque. There had been a shining quality to it, but it dulled and turned gray. Dark cracks appeared, centered on his hand.
“Stop it! You’re killing her.”
Michael laughed. “Idiot. She’s already dead.”
Dead or not, she was in pain. Finn tried to pull his hand away, to make Michael stop. He didn’t budge. After a few more moments of Finn screaming in his head, Michael let her go. She collapsed on the ground, flickering in and out of sight.
“That is so much better.” Michael moved his head from side to side, testing out his neck. His voice sounded fine.
“What did you do?”
“Used your powers.”
“I’ve never done anything like that.” Finn actually wasn’t certain what Michael had done, aside from hurt that poor ghost.
“Because you’re a coward who lacks imagination.”
Michael stood up and glanced around. Had he healed himself? What the hell…
“You have no idea what this body is capable of. You don’t deserve it.”
He took a deep breath, then let it out and said, “Let’s see if we can’t track down Ms. Zhou. I’d love to catch up.”
He walked into the sun, glancing around. A few yards from the shed, the remains of a huge bonfire smoldered. Finn could see a few shapes in the pile of charred wood at the center of the scorched earth. Animals.
Pops and crackles were still sounding from deep in the mass and cans of lighter fluid were piled nearby. Michael wrinkled his nose as the scent of chemicals drifted toward them. He shook his head and stepped away from it.
“Travis is so sensitive. Running the squirrels into his traps was genius on my part. You should have seen the terrified look on his face. And when he came home, I shifted his pieces around at just the right moments to have him out of his mind with fear. He gathered everything up—all his precious friends—and burned them.”
Michael sounded gleeful. Finn felt sick.
Michael walked to the edge of the water and looked out. “I have my own friends.”
Half a dozen alligators floated nearby. Their eyes were glowing blue.
“Shit! Shit fuck fuck!”
Michael laughed again. “Such language. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh wait, you haven’t met her yet. She’s an amazing woman, actually. I think after I’m done with Rachel, I’ll stop by for a little reunion.”
“Leave her alone.”
Finn didn’t care about the things Jazz or even his dad had said. The woman was his mother. Finn would do his best to protect her.
“You misunderstand me. I think Lillian and I will get along very well, once I can get her attention. She could actually be quite helpful.” He turned and walked inland. “There are things going on in this town. I can feel it. I intend to be a player rather than a pawn. And you’ll have a front-row seat.”
A ghost flickered into view before them. Most seemed to be staying out of sight.
“Nicole.”
Michael reached up and ran his finger along her chin. She shimmered. When she spoke, her voice rippled and echoed, an audio accompaniment to the visuals that seriously creeped Finn out.
“She’s this way.”
“Fuck! No no no. Please, don’t lead him to Jazz.”
“She can’t hear you. And even if she could, she does as I say. Nicole doesn’t even fight me anymore. She’s learned her place. You will too, given time.”
“Thank you, my dear.” Michael gestured before them. “After you.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Bugs were crawling over her legs. Lots of them. Jazz didn’t care. She had run like hell from the shed and found a hiding spot, trying to figure out what to do next. So far, she had come up with exactly nothing.
Touching Finn wasn’t working. From what she could tell, it was as if Michael had completely taken over Finn’s body. She had no idea how to bring Finn back—if he was even in there anymore.
No. He was. He had to be. Dammit, Fate wasn’t an asshole. After her talk with Finn, she refused to believe that anymore. It wouldn’t bring them back together, really together, in a way they’d never been before, then take him away. Not like this.
She had to reach him. She needed help.
Checking her phone, Jazz choked back a sob of relief. There was finally
a signal.
She dialed Rachel’s number, praying with each ring. Please be there. Please be okay.
“Hello?” Garrett answered. Not Rachel.
Jazz started to panic. “Garrett? Where’s Rachel? Is she okay?”
“I’m here. I’m fine.” Rachel was safe. Not only that, she sounded strong, focused.
Jazz let out a huge breath. “Thank God.”
At the same time, they both said, “Listen to me.”
Jazz cut in. “Me first. He’ll find me any second.”
“Who will?” Rachel asked.
“Finn. I mean Michael. I don’t even know anymore! I’m losing him. He’s losing himself. Michael is possessing him.”
Jazz wiped her nose with the back of her hand. Her vision blurred with tears. Dammit, she didn’t have time to break down. She had to warn her friends of the danger they were all in.
“He’s coming for you and Elsa. You have to warn her. He’s going to kill you and…” She thought back to the female forms in the workshop. “You don’t want to know what he has planned then. If I can’t save Finn—”
Rachel interrupted her. “Stop. We’re saving everybody. And we’re taking Michael out in the process. Permanently. Where are you?”
Rachel had never sounded so strong. It bolstered Jazz, reminded her to hold tight to her hope. They were going to get out of this. All of them. They just needed to work together.
“I don’t know exactly,” Jazz said. “I was knocked out. But I’m in a swamp. Probably somewhere near Clearview.”
“Why Clearview?” Rachel asked.
“Finn and I were trying to find out more about Michael’s other victims. It’s Michael’s home town. We found the house where he grew up.”
“Listen to me carefully,” Rachel said. “I am certain that Michael’s body was cremated but there must be something of him left behind. Something acting as an anchor in the physical realm. With how powerful he is, it can’t just be a lock of hair. It has to be something with more substance.”
Knowing Michael, he would want to keep it close. He’d only recently re-obtained a body—and the first thing he’d done was take that pouch from Travis and hang it around Finn’s neck.
“I think I know where it is. What do I do with it?”
“Burn it,” Rachel said. “Can you do that?”
There was a bonfire right next to the shed. It looked like it had nearly burned itself out, but Jazz remembered smelling lighter fluid. If she could find some, she could get it going again fast. All she had to do was get the pouch from Michael and make it back.
Yeah, just that.
She would do it. No matter what it took, she would do it to save her friends. And Finn… How could she help him? Was he really beyond Jazz’s reach?
Rachel was the expert. Jazz almost didn’t want to ask, but she had to know if Finn was still in there. If there was still hope.
“Yes. But what about Finn?”
“Once you destroy the anchor, I’ll be able to take care of Michael and Finn will be free. We’ll be working from here to try to weaken Michael, but we need you to help Finn keep fighting.”
She could do that. She would do that. Finn was a fighter. Jazz had given up on him once before, she wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Garrett came on the line, his voice raw. They were best friends, he and Finn. Like brothers.
“Jazz, you have to reach him. Any way you can. He won’t be able to live with himself if he hurts anybody.”
“I know,” she said.
“Watch out for wildlife too,” Garrett said. “Michael can control snakes and gators and the swamp’s full of them.”
She remembered Finn talking to Travis about squirrels. Before Michael had taken over.
“It’s good if he’s spreading himself thin,” Rachel said. “The more fronts we can hit him from, the better. Work on your connection to Finn. Try to reach him and help him to hold on.”
Jazz heard a twig snap nearby. She lowered her voice as much as she could while still being heard.
“Hurry.”
She ended the call.
Holding her breath, she scanned the area in front of her. She was lying under a saw palmetto, flat against the sand. Its sharp leaves poked her legs. They were easier to ignore than the bugs. She was never leaving the city again after this.
Something particularly big crawled onto her thigh and she jerked reflexively, swatting it away.
Shit…
She looked back out at the clear space in front of her. Nothing.
Suddenly, the leaves above her bent away, leaving her exposed. She looked up to see Finn standing over her. His face seemed to blur as he grabbed her and lifted her from the ground.
“Hello, darling.”
She kicked at his knees, punched, clawed, even tried to bite him. He was too strong, too big. He held her at arm’s length while she flailed, exhausting herself.
“Are you done?”
“Let me go.”
He laughed. “Why on earth would I want to do that? Travis is an amateur, but he did hit on an interesting concept. It would be a shame to waste those forms, don’t you think?”
He tucked her against his chest, pinning her arms at her sides and keeping her facing away from him. She tried to head-butt him with the back of her head, but he swerved out of the way.
“Ah-ah-ah. None of that.”
He headed toward the shed. That was a good thing. The fire was there. She held still, building her energy, coiling it within her so that she could lash out when they were close. If she could grab the pouch as he dropped her…
Who was she kidding? Finn had always been strong and fast. Michael was somehow even faster, stronger. Inhumanly so.
She needed Finn’s help. She needed to reach him, to help him fight, like Rachel and Garrett had told her to.
“I would think that you of all people would be happy to sacrifice yourself for art,” Michael said. “Then again, I suppose you’ve always been more of a merchant than anything else. I do appreciate your believing in me, though. For that, I’ll make sure you’re unconscious before I drown you.”
“Thanks.”
“Of course.”
“I’d rather have a moment with Finn, though.”
He laughed. “I don’t think so.”
“You don’t have to give him control. I just want to talk to him—for him to hear me. There’s something I didn’t get a chance to explain.”
They were back at the shed. Jazz could see Travis lying on the floor inside. She hoped he was still alive. At this point, she counted him among Michael’s victims. The guy needed help. And Garrett was right—Finn wouldn’t be able to live with himself if his body had been used to kill someone. Even if he wasn’t in control when it happened.
Michael walked with her to the water’s edge. As if the thought of drowning wasn’t terrifying enough, six huge alligators were floating nearby. Their eyes were glowing blue.
What the hell…
She looked away. If she thought about the water, she was going to panic. Panic wouldn’t help anyone.
“You were one of the most talented painters I’ve ever met.” It was a revolting truth, but one that might help her. He had twisted his talent so horribly.
“Thank you. But I already knew that.”
“Branching into a new medium can be difficult.”
He laughed. “It won’t be new to me. Who do you think introduced Travis to his little hobby?”
She was grasping, trying to find any way to keep him talking, to give her a chance to reach Finn. If Michael killed her quickly, Finn would lose his hold on himself. She was sure of it. Physical touch couldn’t help him anymore, but emotionally she still had a chance to reach him.
“I don’t get why you’re so scared of me, though.”
&nb
sp; He stiffened. “What makes you think I’m afraid of you?”
“You won’t even let me talk to you—to Finn. You’re so afraid of what I’ll say that you want to just knock me out and drown me.”
“I am a little busy right now. I regret to tell you that you don’t hold my undivided attention.”
“Of course. I don’t need it. This is a done deal. We both know it. Can you blame me for wanting a little more time?”
He set her down on her feet. She craned her neck so she could look at him. His eyes were glowing, just like the alligators’.
Shit.
She pushed down her fear.
“I suppose not.” He smiled at her and it actually looked semi-genuine. “You know, I always liked you, Jazz. You’re remarkably calm. Even in the face of this, it’s just another business transaction. That’s probably why it didn’t work with you and Finn. He’s so emotional.”
That was it. She’d found her in.
“I am a businessperson first and foremost. So you can understand why I’d rather not go out with a debt that I can resolve.”
“What do you mean?”
“I owe Finn information.”
He frowned. She pushed forward.
“All I’m asking is for you to stand there and listen to me for two minutes. I gave you a chance at the gallery. Can’t you give me one now?”
“I know you’re trying to manipulate me.”
“Do you think I actually stand a chance of doing so? Come on. I’m good, but not that good.”
He grinned. “All right. This should be entertaining at the least. He’s practically having conniptions in here at the moment.”
Jazz could only imagine. But that was good. Finn was in there. Michael had just admitted it. And Finn was already worked up, already fighting. He just needed more ammo, a line to grab on to. She had a feeling she knew just the one to cast.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Something was happening to Finn. Something he didn’t understand and didn’t like at all. If he could still feel his body, it would probably resemble a panic attack. With only a sense of his energy, he felt like he was made up entirely of fireworks that were starting to burn out, one after another.
Lingering Touch: The Summer Park Psychics, Book 3 Page 21