“Nonsense, you have a husband,” Mrs. Brewster said.
“Who I have to leave every morning to serve breakfast to others!” she pointed out. “I can’t tell you the last time I was able to cook Paul a decent meal. He doesn’t complain…”
“Millie,” Burt interrupted. “What do you mean, you’re not sure you haven’t died in this inn?”
“I’ve been thinking ever since you told me what year it is. It doesn’t add up. Where did the time go? I assumed I left this place after lunch service and had gone home, but I don’t remember actually leaving.” Millie pounded on the dough. “All I know is baking…”
Burt turned around and addressed Mrs. Brewster, “How about you? What do you remember?”
“I remember fireflies and putting my feet up after the guests have retired for the night. I remember a gin and tonic. I remember summer…”
Burt watched as a change came over her. Her face went from soft remembrances to a model of efficiency.
“Time to get the wash in. If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Hicks, I have linen to change. Millie, don’t forget to use up the apples before they go soft,” she said and turned on her heel and pushed her way through the kitchen doors.
Burt turned back to Millie. She had abandoned her bread and was now peeling apples. She looked up from her task. “Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Hicks?”
“I… You… No, I’ll just continue to stretch my legs. Mind if I use the back door?”
She looked around puzzled. “We don’t have a back door.”
Burt walked through the kitchen, and sure enough, there was no longer a back door. He rushed through the kitchen, through the dining room and into the foyer. The front door had not reappeared.
“Hello, can I help you?” Mrs. Brewster asked, appearing behind the desk.
“I was looking for a door. I wanted to get some fresh air.”
“Fresh air is overrated, Mr. Hicks. I suggest you go back into your room, and I’ll bring you up some fresh coffee.”
Burt walked up the stairs dutifully. He didn’t seem to have any other choice in the matter. He reached the landing and turned around to address the hostess but found she had vacated her post. He saw to his amazement the front door was open. He decided to leave his stuff and make a run for it. He took a step, and the staircase fell away from under him. He clung to the banister and managed to climb back to safety. He pushed his back against the wall of the hallway, panting from the exertion.
“Careful, Mr. Hicks, that second step could kill you,” Mrs. Brewster’s voice echoed through the inn.
Chapter Five
Mia smiled as she prepared to oob. The days of double socks on her hands and feet were gone. Ted had bartered with a mountain climbing company for a state of the art artic survival bag and gloves. He in turn gave them access to his GPS heart monitoring equipment to try out. Mia pulled on a special balaclava over her head. Its soft but dense fibers clung to her face. Ted felt that this added layer of protection would keep Mia out of danger of frostbite should they lose power in the truck.
“I feel like I’m being prepared for an Egyptian burial,” she said as she lay in the bag suspiciously resembling a hooded coffin.
“Nah, I haven’t extracted your brain yet,” Ted said.
“He couldn’t find it,” Cid joked.
“That’s because half of it went missing, and the other half’s out looking for it,” Ted teased.
Mia was going to join in the good-hearted joking but remembered that time wasn’t on their side and prepared herself. She pulled on the gloves and let Ted zip her in. The last thing she waited for was for him to kiss her. His warm lips would be the last earthly thing she would feel for some time.
“What persona are you bilocating in?” Ted asked, bending over her.
“My normal cargos and hoodie,” she answered. I want Burt to be able to recognize us. It’s been a while since he’s seen Murphy.”
“Good thinking. Good luck and good hunting,” Ted said. He bent down and said, “I love you, Mia Martin. Come back to me.”
“I will,” she promised.
Ted kissed her. Mia closed her eyes and was soon up and out of her body. She found Murphy just outside the truck, soaking up some energy from the second of the two cubes Cid had activated for him.
“You’re looking dapper this evening,” Mia said, admiring the subtle change in his attire. “I thought you couldn’t change your appearance.”
Stephen Murphy blushed. He had used some of his energy to put on the appearance that he was wearing company clothes. He was pleased that Mia noticed, but his intention in the change of appearance had more to do with not being turned away from the inn as some poor dirt farmer than impressing Mia.
“I approve. Let’s get moving,” she said.
Murphy did his best to stay with Mia. In a bilocated state, she could move six times his speed. She was careful and slowed down for him, but sometimes she forgot in her excitement and left Murphy in the dust.
Paul stood at the edge of the frozen field. He looked at the shimmering line and back at Mia and Murphy several times. “Are you sure this is a safe thing?”
“No, and what if it isn’t? You’re already dead,” Mia pointed out. “Just stand close. I’ll go in and pull you and Murphy in after me. The line has an intelligence to it. If you concentrate and think ‘Bring me to Millie,’ it will. But if you panic and think you’re going to hell, well…”
“I understand.”
Mia looked at Murphy. “Are you ready?”
He nodded.
They walked closer to the shimmer. Mia backed inside and reached out with both hands, grabbing a ghost with each and pulling them towards her.
This line was different. There was a two way flow. Mia worried that they may waste time going the wrong direction.
Paul Swanson said something that was swallowed up in the spectral wind. Mia smiled at she read his lips. He said Millie, and the line began to pull him forward. Mia grabbed ahold of him, and Murphy clasped his arms around Mia. They shot forward. Mia tried to calculate the direction in which they were moving but couldn’t be sure. She prayed that they would encounter the house before it reached the next stop.
Cid pulled the command truck over and watched Mike and Audrey pass by them in the van. The plan was that Mike and Audrey would drive around pretending to be lost and periodically stop at the crossroads where Burt had predicted the inn would stop. Cid and Ted would monitor them via the long range ear coms. When they entered the inn, they would reposition the truck behind the van.
Cid shook off his feeling of being inadequate for the leader position. He knew Ted had his back and would guide him if he fell into a fit of indecision. Cid wasn’t the newest member of the group, Audrey was, but he had never worn the mantle of leader before.
He pulled up the back door and looked over at Ted who was adjusting Mia’s body.
“How is she?”
“According to the computer, she’s bilocating, and that’s all I can say. Her body temperature is maintaining that of a normal resting person.”
“Good,” Cid said. “Have you ever thought to learn to do that oobing stuff?”
“I’m not sure I can.”
“Mia seems to think that anything is possible if you try hard enough,” Cid said as he activated his com link with Mike and Audrey.
Ted nodded his head and thought about it a while. “I think that it wouldn’t be bad to learn as a safety measure, but I think my talents are more technical than oobical.”
“Hey, that’s a new word. Ten points Ravenclaw.”