Ghost of a Chance

Gray suit opened his right hand and let the cigarette he was holding fall to the ground. Alex’s eyes followed it for half a second and he didn’t see the symbol burned into the man’s palm.

He felt the rune activate before he saw it, then a wave of force hit him and knocked him off his feet. Alex rolled into a ball to avoid hitting his head on the ground but ended up flat on his back nonetheless. Pain exploded through his side when he tried to rise.

Broken rib.

At the end of the alley, gray suit was clutching his arm. He hadn’t been braced when the force rune or whatever had been on his hand went off. The way he was holding it, the backlash had broken his wrist. He scrambled with his left hand to get the gun in his right pocket, finally jerking it free, then he rushed down the alley toward Alex.

Alex didn’t hesitate. He raised the 1911 and fired twice. The first bullet hit gray suit in the shoulder but didn’t slow his charge one bit. The second hit him square in the center of the chest and he faltered. Taking a stumbling step, he collapsed next to Alex, his gun skittering away on the concrete.

Rolling onto his knees, despite the screaming pain in his side, Alex pointed the pistol at gray suit’s prone form, but the man didn’t move. He put the barrel of the 1911 against the side of the man’s head, then checked for a pulse with his other hand, ignoring the protestations of his ribs.

Dead.

Looking around, Alex tucked his 1911 back into its shoulder holster. Two gunshots were bound to bring the police to the scene and Alex did not want to be nearby when they arrived. He was already on Detweiler’s short list and he didn’t want to give the man any more leverage.

Working quickly, Alex turned out Gray Suit’s pockets. In the inside jacket pocket he found his own red rune book, and a black baked book filled with strange picture runes in it. Pocketing both, he kept looking. The dead man’s pants pockets yielded a ring of keys and a brass compass whose needle pointed right at Alex’s building.

Something tickled against Alex’s senses. He’d felt the same thing right before the force rune had cracked his rib and put him on his back. Standing up as quickly as he could, Alex backed away from the body. Magic erupted from the dead man and a sudden flash of fire burned a hole in his shirt front from the inside. Fire spread from the hole, enveloping the body in seconds.

Alex was forced to move back as waves of intense heat assaulted him. Shielding his face, he nearly tripped over the burning man’s revolver.

Alex bent down and picked up the gun, shoving it in his own jacket pocket. His side burned where the force rune had hit him, but his attention was focused on the immolating body.

In less than a minute, the flames died down and burned out, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ash, a scorch mark on the ground, and the rank odor of burnt flesh.

13 The Breakdown

Police sirens were wailing in the distance when Alex knocked on the locked door of his office.

“It’s me,” he said.

A moment later, Iggy opened the door and let him in.

“Are those sirens for you?” he asked.

“Not anymore,” Alex said.

Hannah sat on one of the beat-up couches along the wall with Leslie holding her hand. Both looked up as he came in.

“Did you find him?” Hannah said, her voice urgent.

Alex hated to dash the hope in her eyes. He wanted to say something soothing, but nothing came to mind. In fact, he had a splitting headache and he couldn’t move his left arm without searing pain.

“Yes,” he said.

“We heard gunshots,” Iggy said, looking out into the hall to make sure no one was with Alex. “And what was that flash in the alley?”

Alex moved to Leslie’s desk and put the dead man’s book, gun, keys, and compass on it.

“I got the drop on him real slick,” Alex said. “But he had some kind of force rune on his hand. Knocked me down.”

“He got away?” Hannah squeaked.

Leslie had her arm wrapped tightly around the girl’s shoulders and Alex wondered if that was the only thing keeping her up.

“No,” Alex said, his headache suddenly flaring up to a thumping inside his skull. “He… he rushed me, and I put two bullets in him.”

Leslie gave him the once-over, clearly looking for wounds.

“What’s wrong with your arm?” Iggy asked, noticing that Alex was holding his left arm across his body.

“Force rune hit like a truck,” he said.

“What happened to the other fellow?” Iggy said, moving to probe Alex’s side.

“Ow!” Alex winced as Iggy pressed one of his ribs.

“I’ll say it hit hard,” the doctor said. “This rib is broken.” He pulled his chalk from his pocket. “Don’t move while I get a sling and some bone restorative.”

“But, what happened to the man who was following me?” Hannah insisted.

“He’s dead,” Alex replied. “Second shot took him right in the heart.”

“Did you stash the body in your vault?” Iggy asked, drawing a door for his own on the back wall of the office.

Alex shook his head.