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“Huh, that’s weird. I could have sworn it would work this time–”
Spooks yelped as a mass of gloop fired from the gun, catapulting him hundreds of feet into the distance. The force of the shockwave sent Zoe stumbling into the clearing, until she spluttered on the rotten stench of the Ecto-3000 smoke. She staggered to her feet, only for her stomach to lurch as the newcomer’s voice filled the clearing.
“Zoe?”
Zoe cursed as she was greeted by a flawless smile of overly-whitened teeth. It was a smile that never failed to make her blood boil. A smile that told her she wasn’t the only one interested in the Underworld’s treasure. She gritted her teeth, until she met the newcomer’s gaze with a frosty glare.
“Swindleton. What an unexpected surprise.”
10
Since arriving in the Underworld, Zoe had come face to face with a spectrum of spirits, had plummeted into the depths of Tartarus, and been chased by a clacking pair of cursed castanets. But she would gladly choose to face them all compared to spending another minute with the man before her.
“Swindleton.” Zoe’s lips curled in distaste. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Can’t Chthonic Power Solutions’ employee of the month stop by for a visit?” Swindleton flashed Zoe with a sneering smile, before his nose shriveled at the stench of Spooks’ Ecto-3000. “What is that awful smell? I know you’ve been on the road, but you could at least stop for a shower.”
“Hey, that’s not me! It’s… well it’s a little hard to explain.” Zoe fixed Swindleton with a stern glare. “How did you even find me? And what are you doing here?”
“Oh, Mr. Gravesend monitors the location of our trackers at all times. All I had to do was engage in some light corporate espionage to get your coordinates, and it led me straight to you. And I thought I would bring Gus along for the ride.”
A large, bumbling man stumbled out of the car, before he shot Zoe a toothless smile. With his squared jaw, stocky physique, and deep wrinkles, he reminded Zoe of a bulldog. As the hired muscle of Chthonic Power Solutions, for years he’d used his brawns to support Swindleton’s devious business practices. And together, they spelled trouble.
“Uh, boss, this place gives me the creeps.” Gus glanced warily at the barren landscape, and repressed a shiver. “It feels like a ghost town here. And I mean that literally.”
“I won’t entertain such ridiculous superstitions, Gus.” Swindleton dismissed the brute with a flick of his hands. “Besides, I doubt there’s anything special about this town at all.”
Zoe folded her arms, and fixed the pair with a scowl.
“Well, don’t let me keep you. I’m sure there are plenty of innocent landowners elsewhere for you to con, with your tall-tales of kitten orphanages, and organic peacock farms.”
Gus broke into a gormless smile, while Swindleton paced around Zoe, like a predator circling its prey.
“If you must know why we’ve come here, a little birdie told me that you found a new site. A site with enough power to keep Chthonic Power Solutions running for decades.” Swindleton gazed at the landscape beyond. “So, I thought I should check it out for myself. I’m not sure Mr. Gravesend could bear the disappointment if this turned out to be just another one of your hare-brained ideas.”
“If you think I’m going to believe you came here out of the goodness of your heart, you must think I’m a fool.” Zoe’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You’re just worried I’m going to give you competition for the promotion. And we both know that if my readings are accurate, this site will be the biggest opportunity the organization has ever seen.”
“Even if there is power here, we both know you don’t have the guts to pull this off.” Swindleton scoffed disdainfully. “To succeed in business, you have to do whatever it takes to seal the deal. But time and again, you’ve always let your heart get in the way. It’s always been your biggest weakness.”
“It will be different this time.” Zoe drew an angry breath, only for the cloying scent of Swindleton’s aftershave to fill her nostrils. “You might have stolen Spring Valley from me, but I won’t let you do it again. This job is mine.”
“Until you find the source of this land’s power, it’s fair game. So maybe I should explore this backwater town for myself, and see if I can beat you to it.” Swindleton broke into a reptilian smile, until he studied the vista of the town below. “Perhaps I should start with that rundown motel over there.”
“No!” Zoe cursed as her voice rose into a panicked falsetto. “Trust me, that’s not a good idea.”
Swindleton’s eyes narrowed, detecting something was amiss. “You’re hiding something.”
“I’m not hiding anything.”
“I know every lie and con in the book. And I know when someone is trying to pull the wool over my eyes.” Swindleton broke into a cruel smile, before he stepped closer. “Now, what’s really going on here?”
“It’s nothing…” Zoe shrank from the intensity of Swindleton’s gaze, while her mind reeled in panic. “It’s…”
“Hiya fleshie!”
Zoe yelped as Spooks appeared in a puff of blue smoke, with Cerberus happily trotting by his side. She glanced fearfully at Swindleton and Gus, knowing that her secret had been rumbled. But there was no scream of horror, no registering of shock. There was simply… nothing.
“Zoe?” Swindleton looked at her in confusion. “Are you quite alright? You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.”
