Earthbound : A gripping crime thriller full of twists and supernatural suspense by Fynn Perry (audio ebook reader .TXT) 📕

“You’re doing a fine job, Cath,” he growled, not looking at her. John figured that if he could recognize the sign of possession in the surgeon’s eyes then it would be reasonable to assume that the spirit inside the surgeon could tell that his host’s assistant was also possessed. She nodded in compliance, thankfully still keeping her head down. She was so used to the routine that she could work on autopilot, no matter the speed required.

Each organ, once removed, was subjected to a thorough inspection before being put into an ice-cold preservation solution in a sterile container. The packaged organ was taken away, presumably to a dispatch rider.

After the heart, kidneys, lungs, and corneas had all been removed, the nurses and technicians were dismissed once all the life support machinery was powered down. The doors were locked and all the windows onto the room went from clear to opaque at the press of a switch. Only John’s host and the surgeons remained.

Schwartz unlocked a cupboard and wheeled out a trolley carrying a lidded plastic container. She opened it and, to John’s amazement, started to hand out small, clear-plastic packets of the Spider’s Bite pills to the surgeons, who inserted them into the cavities where the organs had been. Surgical pads were placed over the packages to smooth out the resultant bumps before the body openings were stitched closed.

The surgeons exited the theater and John’s host was left to clean up the body. When she was done, she left the room, made sure the door bolted shut behind her, and walked along the corridor. She used her access code to pass through a farther security door before entering a fire escape stairwell and descending the staircase to gain access to a secluded area of lawn in the hospital grounds. She took out a slim Marlboro, lit it, and took a drag.

John seized his chance to escape and exited, just as he was beginning to feel a nicotine high. Schwartz collapsed like a telescope onto the grass, dropping her cigarette. She was unburnt, and he hoped, unhurt.

He passed through a fence and bushes and made his way around the building to the main entrance and parking lot. A number of signs confirmed the name of the hospital as Hargreave Merciful and he committed it to memory. A small crowd of spirits was circulating outside the entrance, as before. New arrivals, he thought. In most cases, they looked horrified or lost. He wore an appropriately forlorn expression and paced back and forth, trying to fit in and to not draw attention to himself as he waited for a suitable ride from a mortal to start his journey back to Jennifer.

Finally, he saw a middle-aged couple, who he followed at a distance like the spirit of a departed son. They walked up to a large old Jaguar sedan. The ride was sedate, almost regal. Two car changes more and he was one bus journey away from Jennifer’s house.

He took his leave from his last ride about twenty yards from the bus stop. The street was deserted and lined with shuttered shopfronts except for a distant 7-Eleven, which had some mortal and spirit activity outside it. As he walked toward the bus stop, John couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was being watched.

Sixteen

Feeling a presence behind him, he turned around, suddenly fearing he would face Santiago’s spirit, but there was nobody there. He walked faster and turned another corner.

Standing in front of him, to his surprise, was Nikki, the spirit of the girl in the biker jacket and boots that he had met before.

“Hello, John.”

“What the hell are you and what do you keep wanting from me?” John asked, remembering how her eyes had rolled back and she had instantly disappeared after their last meeting.

“I’m just an observer,” she said.

“Jesus! What does that mean? An observer of what?” John demanded.

“Ah, yes. Jesus!” She paused and gave an incredulous laugh. “How that narrative has endured. A true masterpiece!”

“What do you mean by tha––” John started to ask but he was cut short.

“There are two types of spirit who can’t let go and therefore stay on Earth, John. Both types want answers, but one is too passive to ever find them. Then there’s the other type, the type that makes changes. Guess which one I’m interested in, John?”

A flare of orange, like a glint of light, appeared in her eyes. “The second type, John,” she said impatiently. “They’re the ones who can affect The Game. Think of me as a sort of talent scout.”

“The Game? What game?”

“Had you decided to move on to the afterlife, you would already know all about The Game, John. It’s truly wonderful! You could say it’s humanity’s greatest achievement… humanity in the afterlife, that is!” Her tone rose with an air of excitement.

“I don’t understand. What are you talking about! What humanity in the afterlife?” John quizzed, frustration clearly evident in his voice.

“For you to understand The Game you would have to see it, and for you to see The Game, John, requires a much higher awareness and intelligence than you possess. However, because I can see you have the desire and capacity to change things, and that’s what I’m looking for, I will help you to see it, John, by lending you some of my intelligence. Just enough for you to view The Game in all its glory. All you have to do is take my hand and hold on to it. I will do the rest.” She extended her hand toward him.

John hesitated, guarded and untrusting.

“Don’t be afraid, John,” she soothed, giving him a smile that he found intoxicating. “When you left your body, you were given a sample of the powers needed to view The Game. Your field of view expanded and, for that brief moment in time, you saw and understood everything that was happening in the world at once.