Free Scary Dead Things - 02 by Rick Gualtieri Page B

started to sound like a minor argument for a few minutes; however, it finally abated, and I could hear the truck start up again and drive off. I patiently waited for what would happen next, hoping against hope that there wasn't a ‘ Do not open until X-mas ’ sign on my new home.
     
    For the first time in over twenty-four hours, though, luck was with me ( don't ever ask me about the whole needing to go to the bathroom thing! ). I could hear the top of the crate being pried off. Now all I had to do was hope that it wasn't high noon outside. The top began to move, and I could see bright light starting to stream in. Oh shit! As it was lifted off, I gave a yell of panic and reached up to shield my face with my arms.
     
    A second or two passed, and I finally noticed I wasn't going up like wood shavings covered in gasoline. I slowly lowered my arms and realized the light was artificial. As my eyes adjusted, I made out the face of James, as well as a few others looking in at me. Most of the new faces looked bemused, no doubt at my little panic attack; however, James' expression was more one of confusion.
     
    “Dr. Death?” he said with his Bostonian accent, using my old coven name. “What are you doing here?” Despite his confusion, he reached down and offered me a hand. I took it, as being wedged into a tiny box for over a day doesn't exactly leave one all that limber.
     
    As I slowly peeled myself from my wooden prison, I replied, “You sent for me. I'm here.”
     
    “No. I didn't.”
     
    “Yeah. Sally told me you did. I just spent the last day wedged into that thing because I thought it was an emergency.”
     
    “Why didn't you just book a private charter, like we normally do?” he asked, still confused.
     
    “That was an option?” I asked, starting to feel a different kind of smoldering going on behind my eyes.
     
    “Of course. This isn't the eighteen-hundreds you know. We only do that vampire in a casket thing on short hops or emergencies anymore. Ghastly way to travel.”
     
    “Yes, it is,” I agreed dryly. “Let's back up for a second. You didn't send for me?”
     
    “Why would I? I shot Sally a message asking you to contact me, but I was expecting a call or maybe an email. Certainly not you arriving all gift wrapped like this.”
     
    “But Sally said...”
     
    “She must have heard incorrectly,” he said dismissively. Somehow I doubted that. “Oh well, I guess you can stay for a bit. But there's dangerous work afoot here. I'm afraid no more than a day or so, and you'll have to head back.”
     
    “Please tell me you're not stuffing me back into the box.”
     
    “Of course not. As long as you have your passport, it shouldn't be an issue.” I was silent for a moment, and then averted my eyes. “You didn't bring your passport, did you?” I quickly shook my head. He chuckled, and then patted the top of my packing crate. “Well then, I'm afraid we'll probably need to hold on to this.” He then turned to the others and said something I couldn't understand, probably in Chinese. A round of hearty laughter followed.
     
    “I assume that was at my expense,” I said.
     
    “Sorry, my friend,” he replied with a smile. “But things have been pretty stressful here. I'm afraid we take our laughs as we can get them.”
     
    Speaking of here, I finally took a moment to look around. I was in what appeared to be a large circular tent. It was mostly bare except for some other crates off to the side. Apparently, this place was for storage. James was dressed warmly in what I guessed was native garb. His three companions, all males of distinctly Asian origin, were dressed similarly.
     
    “Care to introduce me to your friends, James?” I asked. He raised an eyebrow at that. “I abolished that rule months ago,” I explained. “I didn't think you went by Ozymandias anywhere else.”
     
    “Oh, yes. I heard you had overthrown Night Razor. Congratulations on that, by the way. Oh well, I suppose