The lights flickered. The banging against the door ceased. Mosh realized that Holly’s breath was visible as steam. A tingle of dread rolled down his spine. He began to shiver uncontrollably.

“It’s too late.” Dr. Blish sounded utterly defeated. “He’s found me.”

“Crap. He’s here!” Holly sprang into action. She grabbed onto the shelf that was keeping out Paranormal Tactical and began pulling it aside. “Help me, Mosh!” Potentially getting shot by angry Hunters, but maybe having help, sounded a lot nicer than being stuck inside with the nightmare monster. The metal of the shelf was cold to the touch.

The lights died.

There was a new presence in the storage room with them. Mosh could feel it, only a few feet away, standing dark and cold over the wheelchair that held the cowering scientist.

I remember you…The words pounded their way into Mosh’s thoughts.

“I’m sorry.” The doctor’s voice cracked. “I’m so sorry for what we did to you, Marcus.”

It’s too late for apologies.

Mosh screamed as the world was swept away.

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Mosh!

I was Owen Zastava Pitt again.

It all hit me in fast succession, leaving me with what felt like the worst ice-cream headache ever. “Oh, man.”

Sam Haven took his ghostly hand away from my head. “Yeah, that looks like it really hurts. But soak that shit up quick. I need you motivated. This is a job for the living. And since you’re the guy with all the connections between worlds, you got the job. Congratulations. That’s getting to be a habit with you. All us dead Hunters have nicknamed you Short Straw. Believe it or not, we mean it in the nicest way possible.”

I was still being overwhelmed with information, and as it came grinding to an end, I realized with a shock that my brother was in danger. “The Nachtmar’s got Mosh!”

“Among others. It’s spreading out into Vegas, looking for minds to raid. So you need to hurry up and waste it before it’s too late.”

“How—”

Sam pointed up like I had seconds before.

“God will smite him?”

Sam laughed at me. “I was pointing at the roof. Get to the chopper. Power’s out. You up to twenty flights of stairs?”

My wife was up there. Damn right I could take the stairs. “Ankle’s buggered, but I can do it.”