Unholy Ghosts - Stacia Kane 12 стр.

So. Why dont we start talking now, aye? he said, after shed inhaled about half her bowlful. Hungrier than shed thought, and free food was free food.

She stiffened in her seat. Talk about what?

I guess you know what.

Umno.

Hmm. He leaned back, lit a cigarette, handed it to her and lit another one for himself. I been thinking we talk about airports, tulip. How you like that topic?

My name isnt tulip, you know.

I know.

So is there some reason you keep calling me that?

Maybe them tats interest me. Maybe one day you show me. He cocked an eyebrow while smoke wreathed his spiky head.

Maybe one day the Grand Elder will walk naked down the street.

Maybe he will, no telling. Or maybe one day Bump gonna reopen Chester Airport, what you say?

She sucked in a long drag of fragrant smoke. Not her usual brand, but nice. I wouldnt know anything about that.

Not what I hear.

Maybe you heard wrong.

Or maybe you lie to me, Cesaria. Only thing is, I cant figure out why anyone lie for a strut-speech like Bump. You got any ideas on that?

I dont lie for anybody. The filtered tip of the cigarette was tan, with little flecks of gold. They sparkled faintly when she turned it in her fingers.

Seems to me you lie every day. Less you been telling them at your church what you do on your off-hours, right. They know you into Bump fifteen grand? They know why?

When she didnt answer, he continued. I know you lying to me now, and I know you was out at Chester Friday night. I even know why you lie, causin you dont want Terrible down on you like a load of steel. But you aint hiding anything from me I dont know. And thats just fine. Got a deal for you, tulip. A deal you like right.

If Bump found out shed discussed his airport plans with one of Slobags men, hedhe might even have her killed. Even the spiritual dispensation offered by the Church wouldnt protect her.

Then again, if she didnt hear Lex out and agree to his deal, hed probably tell Bump shed come here offering information. What did he care? One dead Debunker wouldnt exactly bother him.

Ill listen, she said. Im not confirming anything about the airport, but Ill listen.

Good. Thats real good. He leaned forward and lit another cigarette. So check the tale, tulip. Bumps got you down there, disproving them ghosts, aye? Only maybe we dont want them ghosts disproved. We sure dont want them banished or exiled or whatever it is you people do. I gotta tell you why?

She shook her head. Bump being able to fly his drugs into his own private airport wouldnt be very good for Slobag.

So thats where you come in. You tell Bump theres ghosts in that airport, real vicious ghosts aint gonna go anywhere.

Hell expect me to Banish

But maybe you cant.

But I can. I mean, its what I do for a living.

He shrugged. You figure something out. I got belief, me. But Bump dont open Chester. Big trouble for you if he does.

The smell of the stew started to cloy. She pushed the bowl away. And if he doesnt?

Ah, good girl. If he dont, we got specials for you. How much you pay Bump? Them pills dont come cheap, aye? You visit the pipes, aint cheap. You do what we wants, you pay less. Like, nothing. Bump wants his money, we pays it. Then you come to us for what you need. All taken care of, tulip. Just for you. Brought to your door.

Free drugs.

She could actually hold on to money for the first time in three years. Get a new car, maybe, with her next bonus, instead of using them to pay Bump her arrears. New clothes. Real hot food more than once or twice a week instead of snacks and junk.

Of course, Bump would notice if she stopped buying from him. Maybe she wouldnt stop, not entirely. Bumps pipes were a hell of a lot more convenient to her apartment. But making him think she was cutting backMaybe that wasnt a bad idea at all.

She must be insane, to be even contemplating this. The thing to do was go to Bump, tell him what just happened here, and let him handle it.

How? By taking out Slobags entire tribe? That wasnt going to happen anytime soon. And if she told, and Lex or any of Slobags men found out about itHer life would be even more worthless than it was now.

Shit.

Lex watched her expectantly, his rangy body splayed back in his chair. A ragged hole in his Stiff Little Fingers T-shirt exposed a slice of tawny skin on his chest.

Ill think about it, she said.

Aye, you do that, tulip. You think hard. And when you decide, you let me know. He dug a scrap of paper from his back pocket and produced a pen from his boot. This my number. Private number, dig? Call me when you know what you wanna do. Or if you decide you wanna let me see that ink, aye?

Thats not going to happen. She took the number, folded it, tucked it in her pocket.

Youd be surprised, tulip, what happens when you not expecting it. Surprised, indeed.

Im not sure I want to go in there.

Safest way home, tulip. Lessin you want me to walk you down the middle of the streets. Only its hard to keep secrets, aye, when everybody seeing you.

But its a tunnel.

I do know what it is.

Safest way home, tulip. Lessin you want me to walk you down the middle of the streets. Only its hard to keep secrets, aye, when everybody seeing you.

But its a tunnel.

I do know what it is.

Her skin crawled just looking at the narrow opening. Pale greenish light glowed from farther down the path, but whether it was safety bulbs or phosphorescent mold she didnt know, and didnt particularly care to find out.

Didnt figure a Churchwitch to be a claustrophobe.

Im not! Her voice squeaked. She cleared her throat. I mean, Im not. But being undergroundIts, um, a respect thing. The City is underground. Wasnt the entire truth, but close enough.

He nodded. Right. I get you. Still dont have no choice, but I see the origin. His warm hand circled her upper arm. Them walls got iron bands, no worries. Lets us go.

She let him lead her through the slender mouth and down a long flight of cement stairs that gritted and scuffed under their feet. The temperature dropped as they got farther down, the air thickening with rot and smoke and something else, the pungent scent of cooking Dream.

Theyd gone only half a block or so when the source of the odor presented itself. The needle lay on the dank pavement, its own er draped against the wall with his eyes half closed. By his bent leg rested the rubber catheter, the dented and oxidized spoon.

Lex nudged the crumpled form with the toe of his boot. Aint supposed to be down here, Big Shog. You know these tunnels aint for shooting.

Big Shog mumbled something and shifted position. His mouth hung open, dried spittle caked white in the corners. Chess looked away.

What are these tunnels, anyway? Ive never heard about them.

Lex gave Big Shog one last glance, then started walking again. They been here years. Since BT. The Church blocked them off, dont want nobody sneaking around. You know.

When did you open them back up?

He thought for a moment. They were farther down now, the ground sloping gently. Every thirty feet or so a weak fluorescent bulb in a metal frame fizzed at them from the ceiling. It made the whole experience even more unreal to Chess. She was actually walking underground on purpose, in a cold, dank cement tube that stunk of mold and offered no protection against anything. It was hard to remember the walls were banded with iron when it felt as if they were closing in on her, as if they could swallow her and turn her into another rust stain on their gritty faces.

Three years past, four? Convenient. Nobody see where you heading, nobody know where you are.

Do they go all the way under the city? I mean, everywhere?

Now you asking for secrets. Secrets you dont need.

Unless she wanted to find out how someone could have disappeared from Chester Airport so quickly the other night. I just wondered. Curiosity. Maybe Id need to come talk to you, sometime.

You need to talk, you call. He paused. Lessin you want to give me a secret, I tell you what I know. The gleam in his eye was definitely not related to the airport; in spite of herself, a little trickle of excitement worked its way up her spine. He was, after all, just her type: handsome, arrogant, and totally self-centered, as bad for her as her Cepts and just as appealing.

Forget it.

Your choice, tulip. He kept walking, forcing her to catch up. He may not have been the safest company in the world, but their footsteps echoed in the small space and she was overly conscious of how far underground they were.

The tunnel split into three separate shafts. Lex took the right-hand one, not breaking stride as he turned.

How do you know where youre going?

He started to whistle. Right.

They made another turn, a left this time. It was like a rabbit warren, but spookier. Her neck started to ache with tension. How long are we going to be down here?

Until we get where were going.

Thats not very helpful.

I aint a helpful guy.

She rolled her eyes. At least hed stopped whistling.

Maybe that wasnt such a good thing. As the sound of their feet grew muffled by moss and slime covering the ground, Chess became aware of another noise. A low humming sound, burbling like distant laughter.

Whats that noise?

He stopped. You want to chat, or you want to get you home?

I want to go home. Buthold on. Her fingers closed around the hard muscle of his left arm as he started to turn away. Is that a normal sound down here?

I dont hear nothing.

That gurgling noise, like somebody talking.

It was louder now, as though whoever was making it was getting closer. Her skin prickled.

Sorry. Not hearing it. He turned again, took a couple of steps. The next bulb they would pass under was burned out, casting that section into blackness.

Damn it, will you stop a minute? Just listen. How do you not hear that?

He shifted on his feet, his gaze in the dim light shifting up and down the tunnel.

Well?

You said be quiet, so Im being quiet.

But do you hear anything?

I hear you.

No, thats not

The rattle broke into her speech, the spine-crackling sound of dead vocal chords trying to live again.

Chess turned, her heart pounding an alarm in her chest, and saw the ghost staring right at her.

Chapter Nine