The Voodoo Killings (38 page)

He was toying with me until he got bored and killed me. Considering how little I knew, how little I could feed him, I wouldn’t last long. “I’m not playing this game. You know who’s behind the killings and you’re not going to tell me. Fine, you win.”

The ghoul regarded me with the first sign of displeasure he’d showed me. “Shall we play another game, then? My protege needs another victim. Shall we guess who that might be? That’s one of my favourite games, you know, choosing a victim.” From the glint in his eyes, I could tell he meant it.

“They have figured out by now that they need to bind a true practitioner, the stronger the better,” he continued. “They’ve exhausted the available zombies, and they’ve tried enough normal people to know that won’t work—they pass out and die before the
bindings can set. They need someone with affinity for Otherside. That’s why they tried with the zombies first, but then they realized the victim needs to be living. Yes, someone who uses a great deal of Otherside but isn’t dead yet. Can you guess why that is?

“No point in trying to nod, Kincaid—you can’t. I can see from the way your eyes follow me you have no idea. It has to do with blood sacrifice. Toads and rats won’t do. In the case of a Jinn, you need something a little larger,” he added, almost wistfully.

Numbness was seeping into my face. I had to make anything I said count.

“So who, then?” he mused. “You are most certainly a candidate. Why didn’t Neon lure you to her master? If I was in his shoes, you would have been my prime candidate. So why are you off limits?”

“It’s called a scapegoat,” I said. “They need me to take the fall for the murders.”

“Who else in the city would suffice? Neon herself? I’m not certain the girl is bright enough to have seen that she is both proverbial fox and deer. There are not that many practitioners left in Seattle besides you. Unless…” The ghoul placed a bony yellow finger on his lower lip in mock thought. “I have to admit I never thought of using a medium. Your mentor Maximillian is a medium, is he not? A little old for sacrifice, mind you…”

Son of a bitch. Max was the strongest Otherside user in the city. If Neon’s boss got hold of him…

The ghoul’s smile fell and was replaced by undisguised malice. He grabbed my chin and studied me. I couldn’t move my mouth any longer. All I could do was stare back at the ghoul, unable even to close my eyes.

“You were so busy trying to hide your little zombie, you never considered he was one of the first victims, turned zombie by accident. Misdirecting murder and mayhem—it’s the oldest trick in the book. Why do you think I used to cut all those girls up after I was done with them?”

My time as a curiosity was up. The ghoul had got everything out of me he wanted.

“Don’t worry yourself too much, dear. You did a sight better than I would have expected a young thing like you to do. Better than that whore Lee.” He turned away and busied himself at the table. “Maybe I’ll turn you into a zombie? Or a ghoul? Or I have some more theories on poltergeists to test. How would you like to try that? Or maybe I’ll just kill you.” He advanced on me, eyes glittering as a white cloth came down over my nose and mouth.

I breathed in sweet chloroform.

—

“Pssst.”

I stirred. I was lying on something hard and I could hear a radio, a news channel—no, weather. Something about storms off the coast. But that hadn’t been the noise that woke me. It’d been more irritating.

“Pssst—”

There it was again.

“Jesus Christ, K, will you wake the hell up already?”

Nate. What was he doing here, and why was he whispering…and why was I so groggy?

My eyes flew open. I could see. I still had my eyes. Face, arms, stomach, heartbeat, lungs: everything was still where it should be, and as far as I could tell it was all working again.

I tried sitting up but hit restraints. I glanced down at my wrist, encircled by the same brown-stained leather straps that had bound Neon.

“I was worried you were going to stay passed out,” Nate said. He’d only bothered to form a face. Smart with a poltergeist floating around…

“Nate, what are you doing here?”

“When you didn’t show up, Cameron and I came looking for you. He followed your scent all the way to the city storm doors.”

Shit, Cameron.

“Shhh, K, it’s okay, he’s fine. He didn’t come down here. No zombieing out.” He glanced around the dock shed. “I don’t want to
be down here. Let’s get you the hell out before that psycho ghoul comes back.”

Nate produced a small key for the lock on the restraints. Never let it be said I didn’t value Nate’s kleptomania.

On the first try he fumbled and the key clinked through his fingers to the floorboards. He cursed, but managed to grab it before it slipped through a crack.

A scream shattered the silence, coming from beyond the closed door. Neon.

Nate swore a blue streak and tried to fit the key in the lock again. His fingers shook. “I’ve been listening to that on and off the last half-hour. He’s coming for you as soon as he’s done with her. Come on, you stupid, no-good key, get in the lock.”

“Nate, you’re doing fine,” I said.

Even as the words came out of my mouth, he dropped the key again. It had passed right through his hand. Nate had used up so much energy, he was almost out. Not only was the lock old, it was heavy. Even if he got the key into the lock, how would he turn it?

“It’s not your fault, Nate, anyone could have dropped it.”

Anger and fear played across his face. “K, shut up before the psychos hear you.”

Another ear-piercing scream came from behind the door.

Nate was really shaking and flickering now. He could barely hold the key, so he abandoned it. Instead, he tried to hit the lock with his fist. “Give, you stupid, goddamn lock.” It barely rattled as his fist passed right through.

“Nate, we’ll think of something else,” I tried, keeping my voice calm.

Nate looked at me, almost completely done in. “What the hell good am I if I can’t get a stupid goddamn lock open? Huh?” He reached for the wrist restraint. I watched his hand pass right through me.

He stared at it as if it were some kind of cruel trick.

My heart broke watching him. I closed my eyes. “Nate, it’s okay, I’ll think of something.”

He opened his mouth to reply, but he never got a chance before he faded back to the Otherside.

A tear slid down my cheek. At least Nate wouldn’t have to watch.

“Now, Miss Kincaid, I’m not the one who went looking for ghouls and serial killers, am I?” The ghoul was back and was still wearing his apron, though now it was covered in blood. “You really have no one but yourself to blame, so no need for tears. I see the neurotoxin has worn off.” He searched around the table, then in his apron pocket. “Where did my scalpel go? I used to be a surgeon—did Lee mention that? No, I suppose she didn’t.” He sighed and headed for the back room. “Anna, dear, do you have my scalpel?”

As soon as the door shut, I tried my restraints. The leather squeaked as it stretched against the board, but it didn’t give.

“You know, Kincaid, I don’t think you’ve quite grasped the concept of ‘Try not to get yourself killed.’ ”

I opened my eyes. Gideon stood beside the table holding a silver scalpel in his hand. If he didn’t look so pissed off, I’d almost be glad to see him….

“How the hell am I supposed to collect on our bargain if you keep ending up in situations like this? That’s, what, twice in one day?”

His voice was loud and I glanced to where the ghoul had disappeared.

“Don’t worry, they’ll be searching for this scalpel for quite some time. They’ll find my distraction first.” He frowned at me. “I expected you to be happier to see me.”

“I still haven’t figured out whose side you’re on.”

He seemed to think about that. “Fair enough. How far would getting you out go?”

“If you loosen the straps, I’ll tell you.”

“That won’t do you much good if I don’t show you a way out. It’s a labyrinth down here, and there are an awful lot of zombies and ghouls who are nowhere near as civilized as the ones you’re used to in the upper city.”

“Will you lay off the sarcasm? Of course I know what the zombies and ghouls down here are like. I’m going to be dead as soon as
that
one finds another scalpel, so get me out.”

Gideon frowned. “For someone in your position, I expected you to be more gracious.” With a flick of his hand, the straps opened. I rolled off the table, rubbing my wrists, then leaned over to massage my feet. They were still numb from the neurotoxin the ghoul had used.

I eyed Gideon. He didn’t strike me as the good-Samaritan type. “Why are you helping me?”

“Because, contrary to what you believe, I don’t make a habit of beating up defenceless practitioners. I’m trying to make up for what I did to you. Though considering your attitude towards me, I’ll be damned if I know why.”

I just stared at him.

He sighed. “All right. How will I get payment if you get cut up by the ghoul? I was serious when I said I needed someone to run errands for me.”

This I actually believed. Now for Neon. She needed serious medical attention, but if I could get her out…I headed for the side door.

Gideon materialized in front of me. “You can’t do anything for her.”

I tried to dodge past him, but he only materialized again.

“I can imagine what’s going through your head, Kincaid. Allow me to be the bad guy. You don’t have time to rescue anyone. They know the tunnels better than you or I do, and there’s the small matter of the psychotic poltergeist to deal with.”

A scraping noise followed by a howl of pain startled us both.

“I’d start running,” Gideon said. “My distraction appears to have arrived early.”

“Zombies? Your distraction was zombies?”

Gideon shrugged. “Some ghouls as well. I work best with the tools at hand.”

“How many?”

He regarded me. “You really don’t want to know the answer to that.”

“Then you better hurry up and help me get her out of here!”

Silence.

I swore. “Fine, I’ll do it myself.” I tried to push past Gideon, but I found myself held in place. I glanced down and saw Otherside bindings wrapping my feet.

“Out of my way, ghost!” I snarled, trying to release myself from the bindings.

We both heard Anna Bell’s shriek as she presumably discovered the distraction of ghouls and zombies Gideon had cooked up.

Gideon said, “Take the lefts all the way to the sewer ladder. There’s a pressure valve with the combination twelve, ten, thirteen—use the north-pointing arrow. I’ll hold off the poltergeist.”

“If you can fend off the poltergeist, why can’t you help me save the other girl?”

Gideon’s eyes grew cold. “Because some people don’t deserve saving.”

“No one deserves
that
!” I said.

More noise echoed across the water as it lapped against the underground dock. Ghouls and zombies, packs of them. With all the Otherside in the world, I couldn’t drop a pack on my own. I stared at the door through which Neon had been taken.

“Take it or leave it,” Gideon said. “You try to save the girl and I
will
leave.”

Gideon was evil, cruel and probably a hair away from being a poltergeist. He’d do it.

I said a silent “sorry” to Neon, not that she’d care what I thought, but still…Then I took off and didn’t look back until I’d reached the pressure valve. My hands shook as I went through the Otherside lock, hoping to hell I’d picked the north-pointing arrow—I suck at directions. Thank god I didn’t have to pull a globe to do it.

I climbed out on the surface in a waterfront alley. I pulled out my pocket mirror and called Nate as soon as I could hazard it. He might just have enough juice left to show his face. I didn’t want him trying to get back to me and getting caught in Gideon and Anna Bell’s crossfire.

Nate materialized out of the mirror and threw his arms around me in a weightless bear hug, icing me in the process. “Oh my god, K!”

Not that I didn’t appreciate it, but the ice was a bit much.

“Where’s Cameron? Were you able to check on him?”

“Waiting at the all-night coffee shop. Brains finally kicked in about an hour ago. He smells a bit, but we used Aaron’s old cologne.”

I pulled out my phone to dial Max. It was a sheer miracle I still had it on me. Shit—the clock read 5 a.m. I’d been underground a long time. His voice mail picked up. As I started jogging towards the coffee shop, a conversation we’d had many times played in my head.

“Kincaid, you can’t use sea urchins,” Max had said.

“Why not? They work ten times better than a chicken or a rat, and I don’t feel bad about it!”

“That is not the point. You need to learn and master the proper methods before you change them!”

Other things Max had said to me over the years rushed through my head.

“Kincaid! Will you please stop pestering me with questions? Read the textbook. That is what it’s for.”

“Kincaid, stop forwarding me invitations to these seances! I will not raise the dead for someone’s amusement, I do not care what it pays
.
”

“Finally, you replicate my bindings without changing them. This is a momentous occasion that deserves tea.”

“I don’t care if your way is faster! These slower traditional bindings will teach you patience—which you are sorely lacking.”

I clenched my fists and told Nate, “We need to grab Cameron and get to Max’s now.”

“Whoa, no.
You
need to go home. You can deal with Max later—”

I held up my phone. “Max isn’t answering.”

“Like he ever answers?”

I shook my head, trying to bite back the tears. Why is it always at moments like this that I remember there are only a handful of people in this world who care enough to put up with my personal brand of bullshit?

“We need to get there now. He’s the next victim.”

CHAPTER 23

OTHERSIDE BOUND

“Kincaid, this is a really stupid idea,” Nate hissed at me for the third time.

Nate was still smarting from failing to rescue me, but he had a very good point.