“Were you attacked?” Cid asked, descending the stairs.
“Someone put a cold hand on my butt,” Gary said.
“I beg your pardon?” Cid asked.
“I was bent over and…”
“You’re sure it wasn’t Pete getting friendly?” Jesse asked.
“You should talk, living with Cid!” Gary spat.
“Cid always warms his hands first,” Jesse joked.
“You’re not helping,” Cid said, feeling a headache coming on. “There’s something going on down here. I can hear a lot of movement, and it’s not mice. Let’s pour a parallel line to them, making a safe passageway as we go.”
Cid turned and poured a line behind them to start. “One, two, let’s go!”
Gary kept his light trained on where he thought the stairway was. He almost crapped himself when Cid and Jessed burst into the light.
Faye pulled her nerves together but had only made it as far as the kitchen. Jon, no haitch, O’Connor waved her over and pointed to the door. “If I were you, I’d block this door open. They seem like nice men; I’d hate to clutter up the basement with any more nice men.”
Faye jammed a table against the open door. She sat on it. “Thank you.”
“I’ll be leaving you now,” Jon said, giving Faye a polite little bow before disappearing from the space he had been occupying.
Cid put Gary and Pete between he and Jesse as they made their way back. Two alarming things occurred to Cid as they approached the stairs. One: they forgot to protect the stairway with salt. And two: there was a strong draft behind him. He turned to see what could only be described as a small black cyclone. It kicked up enough wind to move the salt.
“We don’t have much time,” Cid said. “The black wind is pushing the salt.”
“You have to slow it down. I’ve got a problem up ahead,” Jesse said, looking up where four big bruisers, from a bygone age with fists drawn, stood on the stairs.
Cid tossed a few iron nails into the mass. It fell apart but not before opening the end of the salt passageway. Cid saw a ghost holding a very real chisel run towards him.
“DUCK!” Jesse shouted, pushing Gary and Pete aside with one arm.
Cid hit the floor just in time to hear something buzz over his head and imbed in the ghost briefly before it dropped to the floor with a ping. The ghost dropped the chisel as he dissipated. Cid didn’t know why he did it, but he picked up the tool and stuck it in his tool belt. He also pocketed the small iron ball that may have saved his life.
The bruisers on the stairs saw their brother-in-death fall and stepped aside and let the four contractors climb the stairs.
A large ghost shook the table Faye sat on. She appeared wearing a Carmelite nun’s habit and smacked the goon’s knuckles with a ruler. This quickly put a stop to the bruiser moving the table away from the swing of the door. “Get away from the door or I’ll feed your bones to the hounds of Hell.”
The man shrank back.
“Maybe I’ll just call a hellhound now…”
The ghost didn’t seem to understand what she said but didn’t like being confronted by an angry nun and disappeared.
Jesse slid by the table. “Sister,” he said, crossing himself.
Gary and Pete just looked at Faye with rounded eyes. Cid gave Faye a wink. She jumped down, and Cid moved the table, slammed the door, and poured a thick measure of salt down.
“We all better get out of here while we can. Something has them powered up.”
“Wayne and Carl had the big construction lights on,” Faye tattled.
“That would do it,” Cid said. “I think, after supper, I’m going to give everyone a refresher on how ghosts draw power.”
“Do you think they wanted to kill us?” Pete asked. He drew out the small stack of tiles from his pocket.
“I’m sorry, I really don’t know at this point. What do you have there?” Cid asked Pete.
“Replacement tiles for the study. The surround has three cracked tiles. These are worth a mint on eBay. They’re Edwardian.”
“I suggest storing them in the workshop. If you leave them here, the ghosts may take them to draw you back downstairs,” Cid figured.
“I’m beginning to think that this job isn’t worth it,” Gary said.
“Did you sign a contract?” Jesse asked.
“Yes.”
“Think long and hard before cutting and running,” Jesse advised. “In the meanwhile, we work only until sundown and never alone.”
Cid hung back to turn off a few lights as they left. Jesse waited for him at the front door.
Cid dug in his pocket and handed Jesse the small iron ball. “How did you launch this? Slingshot?”
“Nope, peashooter,” Jesse said, handing Cid the small iron pipe.
“You’re amazing.”
“I know,” Jesse said. “I’m a shit aim with guns, slingshots, and bows, but I can spit very accurately.”
“You have infinite potential,” Cid said, handing Jesse back the pipe.
Kiki met them at the door. “How bad was it really?”
“Bad. Did you talk to any of the previous contractors?” Cid asked.
“They wouldn’t answer my calls,” Kiki said.
“Do you have a copy of the contract?” Cid asked.
“Doesn’t matter, I signed it,” Kiki said. “Alan says there is only one loophole.”
“And that is?”
“Death of a contractor. And I have to prove it wasn’t accidental.”
“I’d like to look at it regarding leaving the ghosts be.”
“I told you, Clark, no messing with the ghosts!” Kiki growled.
“Kiki, if you want to finish that house, then we have to contain them. Right now, they’re all worked up and looking for blood.”
Kiki didn’t say a word.
“And if you’re waiting for one of us to die first, then I will make sure your remaining days on Earth are Hell.
