Page 43 of Dead Vengeance

But suddenly, he’s gone too.

Maybe he ran out of energy. Who even knows?

All I do know is that seeing Liam is about the only ray of sunshine that’s going to warm my life any time soon.

fifteen

Senior Spirit Extraction Specialist

Liam

Iput on my ‘uniform,’ but maybe I shouldn’t have. I have the worst feeling I’m about to be fired. I’ve taken a change of clothes in case. That will probably be worse, ultimately, having to get changed there and give it back. But maybe they’ll take one look at me wearing these too-large overalls and think, ‘Nah, keep him. He takes his shit seriously.’

I don’t know exactly what I’ve done wrong, but I can hazard a guess. Raul probably woke up and told Gerald how useless I am. That I sat there holding my tea while a ghost attacked him. That I showed myself to be a coward and a detriment.

But there’s no point putting this off, so I’m here, ExorSquad headquarters, seven a.m. on the dot, my hand landing on the doorknob, honestly expecting to find it locked, because seven a.m. is actually early as fuck.

But the knob turns, the door swings open, and Ted settles the most malevolent glare I’ve been given in months on my almost definitely anxious-looking face.

He twists sharply, walks to a cabinet, pulls a drawer open, and reaches in. A second later, his hand slaps down on the desk, placing a white envelope in front of me. Probably some kind of severance papers.

I reach for it, but before I can get my fingers on the paper, his other hand slams a gun down on top of it—one of those toy-like guns Raul had yesterday.

I stare at Ted, hoping he’ll tell me what this is all about.

He gets the message and responds first with an eye roll, then a tsk of his tongue. “I assume, judging from the uniform, that you’re not quitting, then?”

“N-no. I’m not quitting. Did you think I was?”

“Most of them do.”

“Well, I’m not most—”

“So you’ll need a gun. And there’s your bonus from Gerald.” His top lip arches sharply with what looks like disgust. “He’s given you a bonus. Or, should I say, he’s had me come in here at seven a.m. to give you a bonus while he sleeps in.”

“A bonus?” I eye the envelope, trying to judge by its heft how much money might be inside. “Is that… I didn’t know you did bonuses like that.”

“We don’t do fucking bonuses like that,” he spits back.

“Well…” My fingers hover over the envelope. “Why do I get a bonus?”

“How the fuck should I know? But there it is. There’s your seven a.m. bonus.”

“Um. Okay. Thank you.” Gingerly, I pull it out from beneath the gun and put it directly in my pocket so I don’t seem too desperate checking it.

“And the gun,” he sighs out, as if I’d forgotten it.

“I don’t know how to use it. I’m sure Raul can—”

“Raul’s quit,” he says sharply, as if that’s my fault. “Gone to join the police force, apparently.”

“Oh. Right.” I shudder at the thought of him with a real gun.

“Which means you are now the most experienced team member on the job today.”

“I’m the…” My breath catches in my throat, followed by a small choking and an explosion of coughing. “I’m the what?”

“Senior Spirit Extraction Specialist.” His eyes remain on me, deadpan. “Do you expect a badge or something?”