Have Spacecat, Will Travel: And Other Tails by John Hartness (top ebook reader .TXT) 📕

instead of returning, but the school was in use for a good five years before closing down in 1999. There were reports of unusual activity throughout its operation, and plenty since it closed.”

“What kind of activity? Is it a haunting, a poltergeist, vengeful spirits? What do we know?” Sam looked up at Mike standing over her at the computers. “We’re kinda flying blind here, boss, and with Jess not feeling real cooperative, we could have some problems.”

“It’s mostly noises, crying, an occasional scream heard late at night, but there’s been some destructive activity, too.”

Billy focused the camera tight on Mike’s face, the high-definition camera catching the furrows in his brow as he continued. “There were trophy cases smashed, some computers wrecked, the PA system in the gym was destroyed several times. The first few times it was chalked up to vandalism, but after they installed the CCTV security system and the damage continued with nothing on the video, the administration agreed with the local parents to close the school. They repurposed an old middle school into a temporary high school, shipped a bunch of kids across town to another school, and built a new building a few miles away. It’s been open since 2001 with no problems.”

“And this place? Why didn’t they just tear it down?” Sam asked.

“Parents of the dead kids can’t agree on what to do with it, and a lot of them hold a lot of sway in Jackson. Half of them want to turn this place into a memorial, and half want to bulldoze it flat and never look at the place again,” Mike said.

“I know where my vote would go.” Jess’s voice came from out of the frame. Billy panned left and caught her walking back into the library. “Which one of you assholes locked the doors?”

Mike winced at the profanity. That would have to be edited out. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. What do you mean, locked the doors?”

Jessica walked up to him and got right in his face. “I mean locked the fucking doors, you son of a bitch. And don’t even fucking think of saying anything to me about the goddamn network and my fucking language because I will rip your dick off and shove it in your fucking ear. How’d you like that, Billy? Get all that in the fucking shot, pal?” She turned to the camera and gave it the finger before going over to a stack of cases and bags and starting to rummage through gear.

“Jess, please.” Mike went over to her, hands palm-out in front of him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Nobody here locked any doors. Hell, I don’t even think we could—they’ve all got those crash bars on them. We’d have to wedge them closed from the outside, and we can’t exactly do that, can we?” He put his hands on her shoulders, then took a step back as she whirled on him, rage filling her eyes. “Baby, look, I know you’re upset. I knew coming back here would bring back a lot of memories, but I didn’t know how bad it would be. I didn’t know you were on the cheerleading squad. Now I do. And we can go. We don’t have to stay here tonight. We can bail. Fuck the money—it’s not worth it if it’s going to do this to you.”

Jessica looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes. “Really? You’d throw away that much money? It must be like fifty grand.”

“Seventy,” Mike confirmed.

“And we can just walk away? Really.” Jessica looked around at the rest of the team. Seventy grand was a lot of money, more than they usually got for three full-scale investigations.

Sam nodded. “Just being here is tearing you up, babe. We can load up and be out of here in no time.”

“Yeah, who needs a new camera?” Billy said. “Say the word, and we’re gone.”

“As long as we can leave,” Mike said. “What were you saying about the doors being locked?”

“Mike, don’t fuck with me now. You’re being so sweet, don’t spoil it,” Jessica warned.

“I’m not, baby, I swear to God. I don’t know anything about any locked doors. Let’s go check it out.” He motioned for Billy to follow them and headed to the door. Halfway there, he stopped and turned back to the desk. He reached in his pocket and handed a business card to Sam. “Sam, keep an eye on us on the monitors, and if the doors are really locked, call the number on this card. This is the guy who hired us, and if it turns out he locked us in here on some kind of practical joke, I’ll break his nose.”

“What’s his name?” Jessica asked as the trio went through the doors and turned right into the hallway. As was their norm, Mike and Jess walked ahead with Billy following behind filming them. Each member of the team wore a small lavaliere microphone, all feeding back to the portable mixer Billy wore around his neck.

“Whose name?”

“The guy who hired us,” Jess prodded.

“Jared Winstead.” Jess stopped cold at the name. “What is it?”

“Jared Winstead is Carlton Winstead’s dad. Or was, until the accident.”

“Who’s Carlton Winstead?” Mike asked.

“Carl was the starting point guard. He died in the explosion. He was…we went out a few times. I’m sorry, I just…I haven’t thought about Mr. Winstead in a long time. This whole thing is bringing back a lot, you know?”

Mike nodded. “Let’s just check these doors and get started loading out. How’s that sound?”

“Like the best thing you’ve said since we left Phoenix.” Jessica gave him a quick hug, and they continued to the end of the hall. The double doors opened with standard fire marshal approved crash bars, designed to pop right open once someone hit the bars, but when Mike gave the right-hand bar a light push, nothing happened. He pushed harder, but there was no give in the bar. The mechanism that released the catch felt jammed