by Alexie Aaron
“Is the building salvageable?”
“I think the building would be able to weather a class five tornado, but you can’t remodel it until you get rid of the problems in the parking lot.”
“What do you need to do this?”
Ted looked over at Burt and asked, “May I?”
Burt nodded.
“My colleague, Mia Cooper, and I have a plan, but it’s going to cost money. Plus there is only the guarantee that the majority of the paranormal activity will cease if we are successful. I have a presentation, if I could hook into your video system?”
One of the members stepped outside and returned with a young man who aided Ted with their machinery. Soon the shades were drawn and Ted started his presentation.
“Here are a few shots of what we are up against,” he said as a collage of pictures and video stills showed the berserkers in the parking lot. “We see two rival gangs here. Their number builds every day. I think with every death of these aging bikers they migrate to be with the gang they rode with. Perhaps this is their idea of heaven.”
He let the pictures speak for themselves. He heard murmurs of, “Is this real?” and “Look at that hog,” from a few of the polo-shirted crew.
The next pictures were of the stone building. Ted displayed a mockup of the blueprint and pointed out the entrances and exits. He tossed a laser pointer to Mia.
“We know that the mortar of this building is making it impossible for your trapped ghosts to leave. We’ll not waste time with why at that moment, but believe me it creates a barrier that they cannot cross. This spot right here is the weakest part of the foundation. We think that we can breach this by jackhammering away enough of the foundation and insulating it with a thick rubber slab. Maybe around the whole doorway. This will give us a fighting chance to remove your spirits from the building.”
“How many spirits?”
Ted put up a graphic with the estimated count between the deaths of the bar fight to the massacre in 1926.
“This is just an estimation.”
“I’m sorry, but this incident in 1926… What the hell are you talking about?” the head honcho asked.
Mia looked at Burt who passed around copies of the grim history of the place.
There were more murmurs between the polos and the suits.
“If you can solve this problem, why hasn’t it been done?”
“The costs are beyond us,” Burt stated.
“We can cover the jackhammer and this rubbery stuff. Go ahead with your plan.”
Ted looked at Mia, and she informed them, “The problem is we can’t presently get to the building without the jeopardy of human life.”
A silence fell over the room.
She continued, “We need a helicopter. We know from the teenager that the roof is safe. We need to land a few people on that roof. We’ll distract the crowd of maniacs in the lot while the crew opens up the building. Once inside they will have to deal with a few undesirables, but that too is manageable.”
“Is there any other way?”
“Blow the building up. But there is no guarantee that you will get the best result, but you will save the town,” Mia finished.
Ted shut down his presentation. Burt collected his stuff.
The CEO asked, “Could you three step out while we talk this over?”
They did as requested. Mia went to the bathroom, and Ted went in search of coffee. Burt just sat there in the waiting area with his teeth set.
Mia emerged to find Burt sipping coffee, more relaxed that before. She walked up and asked Ted, “Did you drug him?”
“No. I found him sitting there and laughing when I came back with the coffees. Yours is on the end table.”
“Cool beans.” Mia picked up her cup and sat down next to Burt and asked, “Why the turn around? Happy Burt is back, where did Grump Burt go?”
“I realized what the fuck? What was the worst thing that could happen? And it wasn’t so bad. The pressure is not on us. They…” he nodded in the direction of the closed doors. “They have the police and the insurance companies to deal with. A dead child isn’t going to be good publicity for this company. So far, they’ve managed to keep the bad info out of the press, but sooner or later it’s going to hit the internet, via Twitter or Facebook, and it’s going to go viral. They signed papers absolving PEEPs of all responsibility. Mike did his homework, and all the i’s were dotted and the t’s crossed.”
“Bravo, Mike,” Mia said and raised her cup. Ted did the same, and Burt followed suit. They tapped Styrofoam and sipped the potent brew.
“Mr. Hicks.” The secretary walked over and informed him, “The board will see you now.”
Mia squeezed Burt’s hand. He got up and smoothed his Dockers down with his hands, more to wipe the sweat off his hands than to smooth the wrinkles in his trousers. He walked into the room.
He stood just inside the door. The CEO looked up. “Have a seat Burt,” he said with a decidedly friendlier tone.
He sat down and asked, “Have you come to a decision?”
“Yes. After much discussion of the pros and cons. The cons are the expense, the loss of time, and of having a non-producing property on our hands. Versus, the pros. There’s the notoriety of the building. We had no idea of the gangster element or of the speakeasy downstairs. Added to this is the publicity of a PEEPs investigation. We will have not only a viable income-producing restaurant bar on Route 66 but a destination stop over for the baby boomers. We may even put a hotel on the adjacent property.”
Burt sat a little straighter in the chair. “I can’t guarantee the place still won’t be haunted. Mia tells me there is a fella in there she doubts will leave.”
“That’s better than we could hope for. Ghosts are in.” The CEO looked at his watch. “I’ve got a golf tournament to attend. I will leave you with these capable gentlemen to arrange for the helicopter and whatever else is on your list.” He nodded to the rest of the polo shirt crowd, and they left the boardroom together.
Burt looked at the suits and smiled.
Chapter Thirty-six
The ride back was a noisy one. Ted and Burt were on the phone making arrangements. Burt was delegating tasks for Mike and Beth to attend to. Mia crawled over Ted and into the third seating area. She dialed Whit.
“Hello, Whit can’t come to the phone right now as he is playing poker with Murphy. At the tone…”
“Cute,” Mia said. “Careful, Murphy cheats.”
“I gathered that. How’d the meeting go?”
Mia told him about the meeting and the results. She also informed him about another meeting with the State Police that evening. She suggested that he may want to attend as a law enforcement professional.
“I’ll be there. Mia, I had a strange visit today. Doc, from the party, cruised over on his motorcycle. He was looking to talk to you but didn’t have your number, and Burt wasn’t answering his phone.”
“K. Go on?”
“He would like to know if you would be available to come to the hospital before supper time and talk to the two teens that survived the biker attack.”
“I guess so. But I’m not a substitute for a priest or pastor.”
“No, but you’re a hot blonde with a sympathetic ear.”
“Damn, I thought you were going to say, I was a hot blonde with nice tits.”
“I can’t find anything wrong with that statement. So shall I give Doc your number?”
“Could you make the arrangements for me? Pretty please. I’ll be back in a half hour if it can wait until then.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you, Whit.” Mia sighed. “Now tell me what you’ve been doing?”
“Hanging out. Mike noticed a horseshoe court and challenged me to a game.
“Hmmmm, how’d you do?”
“He won hands down. I’m just happy to be invited to play in the reindeer games.”
Mia smiled. “Me too. I better get going. See you soon.”
“Why?”
Ted turned around in his seat and looked at Mia. “Why what?”
“Do people call me, hon?”
“Because Tits Magee takes too long to say,” Ted said and turned back around.
Mia took his hat off his head. Turned it inside out and jammed it back on his head. Ted launched himself over the seat and started to tickle her. She laughed so hard, she started hiccupping.
“What the hell is going on back there!” Burt shouted as the SUV swerved with the change in weight distribution.
“We’re just having sex. Wanna join us?” Mia invited him, in between hiccups.
“Ah gee, it sounds nice, but I’ll keep on driving.” Burt heard himself and shook his head, determined not to be the old man in the group. He teased, “Ted, do you know what you’re doing?”
“Why?”
“She doesn’t inflate,” he said.
This caused Mia to scream with laughter. Ted groaned.
Burt eyed the two of them in the mirror. Mia may have settled for the wrong guy. Ted was worth fifty Whits. Ah, women, he’d never understand them.
~
Whit watched as Mia pulled a comb through her hair. She was happy to get out of Beth’s business suit and into jeans. She was lost in the other woman’s attire. Mia’s look was a bit rumpled but sexy. She always looked like she just had been made loved to. Her full lips, green eyes and messy hair haunted Whit many a night while he was away. He wondered what effect she had on the other gentlemen of the PEEPs team.
“Here,” Whit said as he handed her a cardigan.
“No, this needs the tank underneath,” Mia went to look for it in her bag.
“No it doesn’t. Allow me.”
Mia stood still and let Whit put the sweater on her and smiled as his big fingers clumsily buttoned the front. The vee neck just skimmed over the tiny white flower of her bra. Mia looked at herself in the mirror. She did look good but… “Isn’t this a bit much for the hospital?”
“Listen, you are going to be counseling two teenage boys. They have been traumatized and probably won’t make eye contact. You’re just giving them something to focus on.”
“Okay, pimp daddy. I’ll take your word for it. Come on, we’re going to be late.”
Whit followed her out of the room. He gazed at her behind and wondered which was the better view, fore or aft?”
~
Dave was slumped in the chair in the corner of Richie’s room. The psychiatrist wanted the two of them together. They were going through the same thing. They should support each other, and several other bullshit platitudes that the shrink chose to use.
Richie just cried. Dave cried on the inside. He didn’t shut his eyes much. Things came to him in the dark. They pulled him down, touched him, hurt him. Manny was dead, and they left his corpse to rot in the sun. Things were too out of control and dangerous for the cops to retrieve him. This must be what war felt like.
He heard a small, “ahem,” at the door. He looked over, and a good looking blonde with a killer body walked in the room.
“Lady, you must have the wrong room,” he said and jammed his hands in his lap.
“Are you Dave and is that Richie?” she asked sweetly.
“Yes.”
“Doc sent me to talk to you. Thought you may want to unburden yourself, or just talk shit.”
Dave swung his head around and looked at Richie. Richie was looking at the blonde. “Who are you?”
“Mia Cooper. I’m part of the PEEPs team. We’re trying to get Manny’s body back. His mother needs to grieve. She doesn’t need to see what those fuckhead bastards did to him.”
Dave was surprised. Richie just sat there and stared.
“Don’t mind him, he’s on morphene. Me, I’m fucked up, but not by anything remotely good.”
Mia just shrugged and stood at the door.
“Are you for real? I mean… This is all bullshit.”
“The guy that grabbed me and busted my ribs had on a faded black, jean jacket with the arms cut out. He had a chain with the image of a woman being mounted by a goat around his neck… Do I need to go on?”
“That’s him. That’s the fuckwad.”
“You could see them. I knew it! That’s why you survived,” Mia said. “Richie only could run. He will never be the same. He will be afraid of the dark always. But you both can survive this. I can help you.”
Richie had tears streaming down his face.
“Do you mind if I close the door?” she asked. “I don’t think anything we say here needs to get jotted down on a chart anywhere. You don’t have to watch your language. Mine is probably worse. I’ll be honest with you. Be careful what you ask because I will tell you the truth.”
“Close the door,” Dave said. He walked over and got into bed with Richie. Mia sat on the end of the bed.
“Hey Richie, you’re missing it. Our first three way, and you’re missing it.”
Mia laughed. “Dave, you do know that Richie saved your life.”
Dave nodded.
“He ran until his heart almost burst to get help for you and Manny. He faced the dark, the demons and busted up his knees when he fell, but he got up again and ran for help. I for one would want him on my side. Sometimes surviving is running away and not fighting. I ran, Ted and Burt, my teammates, ran. My best friend Stephen Murphy fought until he had no more and had to run too. But by running, Richie got to the diner, and the cops where able to get to you. So don’t pity Richie. He’s tough. It’s okay to cry, kid, the girls will think you’re sensitive,” Mia said to Richie.
Dave watched as Mia’s words sunk in. Richie’s face softened, and some of the stress eased.
“Now you. You got balls. I saw the film. You sit there surrounded by berserkers on the frickin roof, and you pull out a joint and smoke it.”
“Yeah, I’m getting a stint in rehab for it.”
“Who cares, that was amazing. So how’d you know?”
“What?”
“How’d you know to get on the roof?” Mia asked.
“I saw what those creeps were doing to Manny. I fought them but couldn’t land a fucking punch. So I ran like a crazy fool and got into the house. Some of them tried to get in the house to get me. I just stood inside the entry, and they fucking bounced off. I didn’t stay though. Something was in there, creeping behind me. Touching me in the privates. I waited my chance and pulled myself up on the porch by the gutter, and then I was on the roof. I got a good look at the mob scene in that lot. They had the building surrounded. I knew that I wasn’t going anywhere. I didn’t see the cops right off, or I would have warned them. I was on the back side of the building when I heard the gunshots. I crawled over in time to see the car explode and the wild men dancing in the flames.”
“How old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
“How long you been seeing ghosts?”
“Pretty much all my life. You?”
“Since I was born. I had a ghost that used to watch over me.” Mia shared her experience of her ghost mother with Dave.
He nodded his head, taking it in. “The kids are mean. They say you’re a liar.”
“Called me a freak. Refused to play with me,” Mia commiserated.
“Manny was the first one to talk to me, I mean really talk. He and Richie were friends. He said I was guano loco. But they were loco too, just not guano loco,” Dave pointed out.
Richie looked at him and repeated, “Guano loco.”
“What the hell do I do now?” Dave asked.
“Stay away from the bar. Mourn Manny. Don’t expect to see him, but you might. Some just go right away. Don’t be offended, he needs to go. He isn’t leaving you. They get loco if they stay too long.”
“Can I call you?”
Mia looked at him. “Yes, but I don’t date dropouts.”
“Whoa, sister, I’m not hitting on you.” Dave raised his hands and looked sheepish.
/> Mia laughed. “Make it through school. Look at your options. We can always use a guy with eyes.”
“School’s tough.”
“I know, but the paper helps to open doors. “I had a champion when I was a kid. He took care of the bullies, it’s the only way I made it to graduation,” she admitted.
“Wow. You could have lied to me. Telling me oh you got yerself through school with A’s and college too. But you didn’t. That’s solid.”
“Richie, Dave, I have to get going. I have a meeting to attend. We’re going postal at the bar tomorrow, and I want to make sure I have my facts straight.”
“Look out for Manny.”
“Do you want me to send him to you if I see him?”
“He won’t be all gross like… you know.”
“He will look pale maybe, but not gory. He will be confused and won’t remember his death, not for a while, sometimes never,” Mia explained.
“Yeah, I’d like to say goodbye.”
Mia nodded. She slipped off the bed. She walked to the door and opened it. “Look out for each other. Doc will have my number. Put up with the unbelievers.”
She walked out the room and Dave looked at Richie, and Richie said matter-of-factly, “I’d tap that.”
Chapter Thirty-seven
Mia was exhausted. Her day had started with bilocation and ended with a crazy meeting of the minds. PEEPs, bikers, firemen, and cops all came together to strategize on how the hell they were going to pull this off. All were under pressure. Everyone had a role. Fast Eddie shot his hand up for the most dangerous of assignments. Doc even turned up, to return the favor Mia did for him. All this would start in the morning. They had adjourned the meeting with a prayer. Even the staunchest atheist didn’t mind the believers asking for help. They were all going to need it.
All day something nagged at Mia. Something that she forgot? She went down her list and all was in order. She called Ralph and Bernard and told them she loved them, as she did before a particularly dangerous investigation. She reflected on how this investigation had helped the one in the museum. That was it. Something about the museum? She couldn’t quite grasp it.