About Last Night
Page 10
He’d been contaminated.
No wonder he’d felt so different all day. He was still possessed, and now Donny was inside his body, making himself at home, and rifling around in places he shouldn’t be.
Eli fought the urge to retch. All of his insides felt wrong, and something terrible was happening to his consciousness. He was being pushed out, like those nights Brenda kicked him in her sleep and stole the bedcovers, sending him to the couch. Soon his body would no longer be his body.
Bile came up the back of his throat. He coughed it up into his mouth. Taste that, Donny. This is what you get for trying to steal my body.
The three of them rushed in through the door, and Eli charged back into the darkness, demanding to know where the decontamination shower was. He tripped over a chair and fell forward, catching the chair’s back in the solar plexus.
Coughing up more bile, he wrestled with the chair in the dark until Khan and Valentine each grabbed him by one arm and helped him up.
“Stay calm,” Valentine ordered.
“Think happy thoughts,” Khan barked.
“Happy thoughts,” Eli repeated.
They dragged him into a dark room that echoed like it was covered in tiles.
“Close your eyes,” Valentine instructed. “Don’t look in the mirror. Don’t look at yourself.”
Eli clamped his eyes shut. A light went on, but he saw only the red of his eyelids. He tried to think happy thoughts.
For one thing, he’d done a good deed. Mr. Quentin was on an airplane right now, on his way to better days. That made him happy.
For another thing, he’d made it back to the Harts before it was too late for him. This ordeal wasn’t going to kill him. In fact, his body had never felt stronger. Once he had this decontamination shower and got Donny out, he was going to get a gym membership. He was going to be the biggest, toughest, strongest version of himself.
His father would be even more proud.
Something wet splashed down from above. Eli opened his mouth and roared.
He still had his clothes on, because there hadn’t been time to get them off. The cold liquid felt good as it soaked his head and clothes. Refreshing.
And then, after a few minutes, it was just cold.
He kept his eyes shut and waited for further instructions. The decontamination shower had no scent, and felt exactly like regular water.
“Um, guys?” he asked.
“Let it all out, Eli.” Khan began slapping him on the back, the way you might assist someone who was choking. “Get out of there, spirit!”
Now the water was really cold. Eli’s teeth began to chatter. He felt around inside himself and found no trace of Donny.
Valentine giggled.
Eli opened one eye and then the other. He was standing in an ordinary shower stall, in an ordinary bathroom. Valentine was leaning against the wall near the toilet, reading a magazine.
“Feel better?” she asked.
Khan gave him a final whack on the back. “All clear,” he pronounced.
Eli stepped out of the ice cold spray.
“This isn’t a decontamination shower,” he said.
Khan twisted the handle and shut off the water.
“We may have jumped the gun,” Khan said. “But look at it this way. You’ve already been initiated, so when you start work on Monday, you won’t have that hanging over your head.”
Valentine closed her magazine and set it aside. “You are starting work Monday, aren’t you? We’ll match whatever you were making for the delivery company, plus perks.”
Eli pulled the front of his shirt away from his body and twisted the fabric to squeeze out some of the water.
“What perks?” he asked.
The two looked at each other for a moment.
“We’ll figure out something,” Khan replied. “How do you feel about space rabies?”
Eli shook his head. “No, thanks.”
“Is that no to the job offer?”
Eli’s teeth chattered one last time, then his jaw relaxed. He looked from Khan’s face to Valentine’s. A week ago, he’d never heard of a ghost hacker, and now he had a job offer to become one.
He thought of all the things he enjoyed about being a delivery driver.
And then he thought of all the things he didn’t enjoy about being a delivery driver, which took a little longer.
He considered how ticked off Brenda would be that she would no longer be his supervisor at home and at work.
“Monday,” he mused. “What time do I start?”
Khan handed him a towel.
“Welcome to Ghost Hackers, my man.”
THE END of BOOK 1
The adventure continues in Ghost Hackers Book 2, Bring on the Poltergeists! Book 2 and Book 3 are available for sale right now. Would you like a FREE reviewer copy of books 2 and 3? If you're a fan of Eli and the gang, we'd be thrilled to have you join our reviewer team! All you need to do is post a review of book 1 (which you've just read) on Amazon and then contact us using this page on our website: http://www.ghosthackersbooks.com/p/advance-reviewers.html.
GHOST HACKERS SERIES
About Last Night - Book 1 www.amazon.com/dp/B00KTV547Y/
Bring on the Poltergeists - Book 2 - www.amazon.com/dp/B00LLMHBZS/
Call of the Wild - Book 3 - www.amazon.com/dp/B00N5HSHB4/
Author's Note
Hello! I hope you enjoyed Eli's adventures in Ghost Hackers! I write and publish in several different genres, and my books are found under a few different pen names. I have plenty of other books and series, which I hope you'll check out if you enjoy my writing style!
GHOST HACKERS SERIES
About Last Night - Book 1 www.amazon.com/dp/B00KTV547Y/
Bring on the Poltergeists - Book 2 - www.amazon.com/dp/B00LLMHBZS/
Call of the Wild - Book 3 - www.amazon.com/dp/B00N5HSHB4/
If you love mystery series, check out my new Stormy Day Cozy Murder Mystery series, which is published under my mystery pen name, Angela Pepper. These are true "cozy" mysteries, set in a quirky small town, featuring an enjoyable cast of characters, with no gore or violence, and although they are books for an adult audience, they are "clean" with no sexual scenes or swearing. Like all of my books, there's plenty of humor and a gripping plot that will keep you turning the pages!
STORMY DAY COZY SERIES
Book 1 - Death of a Dapper Snowman - www.amazon.com/dp/B00O3TTKFK/
Book 2 - Death of a Crafty Knitter - www.amazon.com/dp/B00PVHLFQU/
Thank you for your support!
T. Paulin (a.k.a. Angela Pepper)