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<center>This is Episode 5-7 of a serial urban fantasy & paranormal story.</center>

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# <center>Part 5-7: Revenant</center>
Mike beelined to the front door, cutting jagged troughs through the blanket of shredded boxes. Wire decorations swung in his wake. He stood before the entryway, sucked up a lungful of air, and bellowed.

“Go away!” he suggested.

I watched from a few paces behind him, genuinely amused with the idea of the cops having to deal with all this crap.

“Mister Nijinsky, this is the police,” came a curt reply. “Can you come to the door, please?”

“Go. Ah. Way!” Mike repeated.

“Sir, there’s been a serious call about a threat to this neighborhood, I need you to speak with us for just a moment.”

“Good bye,” Mike said, and stormed away.

“Wacko knows his rights, it seems,” I said to the crew.

The police elected to violate them. After a silent moment or two, the door exploded open, splinters flying from the chain lock and latch. Persi and I both ducked out of instinct, and Mike let loose a high pitched keen and fled down the hall.

Two male officers stepped in, faces stony and grim. One had a taser, the other had his pistol. They clicked on flashlights (I supposed the red light I could see was invisible after all) and recoiled at what the beams showed them.

“Get him,” said a third officer, a woman. And as the first two moved further into the place, I saw her. Crisp, fresh uniform. No nameplate. Arms folded. Expression neutral. Hair, expensive. Steel shined curls, all of them big and beautiful, swaying like a gentle wind chime with her every movement.

“Oh, oh shit,” I said.

“What’s going on?” asked Deluxe.

“It’s the woman, the one that watched my interrogation this morning. The detective called her, um, Terradyne, I think. They forced their way in and I think things are about to go bad for Mikey.”

I was quite correct. As Terradyne and two more “officers” moved into the space, sweeping flashlights over all the madness, there was a strangled shout and a heavy thud from the direction of the room. No gunshots though.

“Fergus’ plan worked well,” said Persi, as we watched.

“Too well,” I said.

“Perhaps the woman from the interrogation room is an ally,” she said.

I seemed to remember her attitude being far from friendly. But that didn’t preclude her from being on our side. And I was keenly aware of what is said about the enemy of one’s enemy.

“Perhaps,” I allowed.

“Ma’am, you’ll want to see this,” called an officer. One remained by the door as the rest filed down the hall. We followed, and ended up back in the bedroom.

Mike was facedown in a corner and cuffed, the twin wires of the taser curling up and out from underneath him. He shook and heaved in silence as one officer kept close watch on him. The others and Terradyne stood around the bomb. She knelt, hooking her arm around her knee, and stared at the machine.

“What’s the reading in here?” she asked.

A policeman who had not participated in the Mikey-takedown unclipped a mini-tablet from his belt and poked at it.

“Wireless output is positive for Code Revenant,” he said.

“Traceable?” she asked, as Persi and I shared a startled glance. They were picking up something that wasn’t regular wifi. Us?

“Algo’s been cooking upon detection, ma’am. Doesn’t look like it’s making headway.”

“That phone tip came in behind some real jacked up crypto—cross it through whatever you pick up. I don’t suppose the Sheriff has an EOD unit handy?”

“No ma’am, they do not.”

“Fuck it,” she stood up. “Run what you can and as long as it’s not about to go nuclear I want it secured—c-black—and on a truck to central ASAP.”

“Right away.”

I wondered how long it might take them to discover that our rogue signal also originated from Bannerman Drive, if they hadn’t done it already. Deluxe had figured it out almost immediately, and I forgot how, but either way, friend or foe, I felt like we needed that place to stay sacred and free of prying eyes.

“Brace for wifi,” I said, and let the diamonds back into the squares.

“Gals,” said Deluxe, “Need you back now. It’s Fergus.” I could also hear a dog barking. It sounded like Lobster.

“Go, Persi. Give me ten seconds.”

I couldn’t tell if she left or not, because all the deep redness of the place had succumbed to the old familiar biting fog.

It took less than ten seconds for my suspicion to be confirmed. A few moments after the wifi came back, the officer with the tablet said, “Ma’am, Code Revenant’s gone dark. No trace.”

“Sorry bud,” I told him.

“Sorry bud!” screeched Mike.

I snapped back to the condo, smirking.

The smirk died on my lips as I saw Fergus. Deluxe and Persi had surrounded him, trying to console the man as tears ran down his eyes, sweat poured out of him, and his frame rocked side to side.

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<center>*Continued in Part 5-8*</center>
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<center>*Thank you for reading. I own the license for all images in this post. Episode 5 cover art was made with a Canvo Pro license & a Midjourney AI art prompt. Follow me or the #huntingmidnight tag so you don't miss new parts! I can also @ tag folks to alert you, just ask in the comments to join the readlist.*</center>