To Kill a Ghost

The first shot rang out as he walked into the fresh air, but he never thought the bullet would be whizzing past his head. Linox ducked and swirled around to face the gun wielding man. He was even more surprised to find it wasn’t some devil that Dedra described. It was the man with the playful eyes.

“You shot at me!” Linox exclaimed. His brain wouldn’t give me concrete words to say, so he settled for the stupidity overwhelming him.

“No shit, Captain Obvious.” The man laughed. He twirled his gun around his finger once before took aim at Linox’s head again. “The question is, am I going to miss again?”

“We both know that bullet missed me on purpose. You want something from me, or you wouldn’t be here.” Linox’s heart raced in his chest, but he channeled his inner calm. The man lowered his gun to his side and grinned as he shrugged.

“Ten points to the non-gun carrying assassin. You know, that’s really stupid. Not carrying weapons.” His smile made Linox want to punch him, but he lowered his gun.

“Who says I don’t carry weapons?” He stepped back as the man stepped forward. This guy seemed to know too much, and Linox didn’t like it. However, now that the cocky scumbag thought he knew a truth that wasn’t true at all, it made things interesting.

“I’ve seen you with the girl. She’s good, I admit, but what’s your purpose?” The man asked.

Linox smirked. “I’m the researcher, the eyes and ears. Don’t you know what it takes to find someone?” His hands slipped into his jeans pockets, he took hold of the warm folded metal.

“I get a phone call with coordinates. It’s simple, doesn’t take a lot of work.” He retorted. His feet moved shoulder length apart while his and fiddled with the trigger on his gun.

“Such a good soldier,” Linox cooed. “Who are you supposed to be anyway? G.I. Joe?” He held onto the knife as if it was the only lifeline he had, letting the strength of the metal pulse through his body.

“I’m sure you know my name, Research. Didn’t Sammy Boy give you a photo?” His smirk grew wider as he stepped forward. Linox ignored his movements.

“Jones. Right? Eli Jones?” His brow scrunched as he remembered the name.

“Ding, ding, ding. Looks like someone’s a winner. Let’s see what your prize is.” Eli raised his gun again, pointing it at Linox’s chest.

Linoxed smiled at Eli as he pulled the metal from his pocket. “You didn’t research me well enough, Jones. You and your buddies might have Kirk and D. pegged, but you don’t have a clue.”

Eli’s brow furrowed. Linox’s words confusion took over Eli’s dumbfounded face long enough for him to flick the knife open and sling it at Eli’s hand. The gun fell to the ground. Eli’s hand began pouring blood. Linox dove for the gun.



Dedra’s bullet missed Wes’s head by centimeters. He held his hand over his ear, but his gun was still aimed at her. She didn’t wait to see if he’d recover from the loud noise that ricocheted passed his year. Instead, she turned to run when Sam stepped out of the room.

“I don’t have time for your game. Move!” She growled. Her gun moved to her jeans as she prepared herself to shove passed him. He surprised her, though, by doing as he was told.

Dedra made her way to the bike downstairs. She needed answers. If she had an aunt why hadn’t the woman tracked her down before? Lies kept piling up between this Wes guy and Kirkland. She just wanted the truth for once in her life.

What did he mean her mom didn’t want her too? Her mom always wanted her. She sang lullabies, and rocked her when she cried. Her mother told the best bedtime stories. However, Dedra did remember her crying a lot as she got older. The more she asked about her father the more she cried. Sometimes guilt overwhelmed her, but her curiosity often outweighed the guilt.

She parked the bike without a care in front of the office. Through the tinted windows she could see a woman with ebony colored hair pacing back and forth. Her suit looked like it came straight from the 50s. A new client wasn’t what she needed now. Dedra entered the door code and ducked inside.

“Kirkland!” She called. The woman spun, nearly falling off her heels. Her dark blue eyes locked onto Dedra.

“Jane?” She whispered. “You’re dead?”

“Funny. Where’s Kirk?” Dedra asked as she moved toward his office.

“He said to give him a few minutes.” The woman yelped. Dedra ignored her completely and threw open his office door.

“Who in God’s name is Wes Morgan?” She bellowed. The woman who fantasized herself as a 50s movie star followed Dedra, standing in the doorway as she yelled. “Why does he think he helped make me?”

“Sweetheart…” Kirkland started, but the woman gasped. Dedra turned toward her.

“This is her!” The woman hissed.

“Dedra, this is Sarah Wilson. Better know and Katherine Callahan, Jane’s younger sister.” Kirkland motioned to the delusional woman. “She’s your aunt.”

“How could you take her in? After all that happened!” She growled.

“What’s she talking about?” Dedra demanded in the same tone.

“Wesley Morgan thinks he helped make you, Sweetheart, because he is your father.” Kirkland explained.

“He is an evil, demented, demon! That man is the devil himself. First he raped my sister, and then he murdered her!” Katherine cried.

“What?” Dedra gasped.

“You are the product of a rape.” Kirkland sighed. “There is so many other ways to do this.”

“Please tell me you didn’t know?” Dedra sobbed. “When you adopted me, please, Kirkland, tell me you didn’t know he was my father?”

“I knew your mother,” he said, moving to touch her shoulders. Dedra flinched away from him. “I met her on a train. If I knew Wes was going to hurt her, I don’t think I would have ever mustered the courage to talk to her. The first time you shot your gun, I knew who he was.”