Apparition (The Hungry Ghosts) Read Online Free PDF Page A

in jeans, a sweater, and boots stood before Tess.
    “Ian’s in the truck with Wayra, Tess. Let’s hurry. Most of the Esperanza police force is out there and they’re closing off the neighborhood.”
    “Did you see it?” Tess asked as they loped through the playground, past swings that swayed slightly in the breeze. “The hideous, moving blackness?”
    “Yeah. It seems to be receding now. Or maybe it’s just waiting. But the hillside and at least half the deck are just gone, Tess. It’s as if someone took a gigantic eraser and rubbed it all out.”
    “Is it the work of brujos ?”
    “I don’t know.”
    If she and Wayra didn’t know, then who would?
    The sirens shrieked more loudly and several choppers now circled overhead, their bright spotlights cutting through the darkness. “Through here,” Illary said, and they dashed back into the trees. “Let’s stay out of sight.”
    “Shouldn’t we stick around and talk to the police?”
    “We’ll talk to Diego directly.”
    Diego, Wayra’s adopted son, was the chief of police.
    “We can go to our place,” Illary said. “It’s close. And we’ll get you home in the morning.”
    Tess’s phone belted out Esperanza Spalding’s “I Know You Know,” Maddie’s ring tone. “Maddie…”
    “Tesso? Jesus, we just heard that something went down at the café. Are you and Ian all right? Where should we meet you?”
    “We’re okay. If you’re close enough, meet us at Wayra and Illary’s.”
    “We’re on the way.”
    A yellow pickup truck roared into view, screeched to a stop. Wayra and Ian were hanging out the windows, motioning for them to hurry up. Tess climbed into the backseat with Ian. He immediately squeezed her hand. “I thought you were…”
    “I know. I thought it had gotten you, too.” She squeezed her eyes shut, blinking back the hot sting of tears that suddenly threatened to fall.
    “I tried to pull … Javier … out of the blackness.”
    “Javier the baker?” Tess asked.
    “Yeah. And another guy who was helping me … got sucked in. It’s like … a swirling vortex of blackness.”
    “And not a human construct,” Wayra said. “Of that much we can be certain.”
    The truck slammed across potholes and picked up speed. Tess was dimly aware of the ping of stones against the underside of the truck, of dust flying through the open windows. She leaned forward between Wayra and Illary.
    “Wayra, who’s Ricardo?”
    “Long story.”
    Illary looked sharply at Wayra, one of those looks that passes between couples who don’t have secrets from each other. “Well, shit, Wayra,” Illary snapped. “That’s hardly fair.”
    “Who is he?” Tess repeated.
    Illary, still glaring at Wayra, said, “If you won’t tell her, I will.”
    Wayra looked at Tess in the rearview mirror, his eyes now dark pools of misery. “Ricardo is Dominica’s brother.”
    Police cars suddenly appeared from the side streets, sirens at full tilt, the reflection of their spinning blue lights dancing against buildings, cars, sidewalks. Wayra swerved to avoid being hit by another car, Tess was thrown back against the seat, into Ian.
    What did Wayra mean that Dominica had a brother ? Was Ricardo Dominica’s brother during her last physical life in the 1400s? Or did Wayra mean that Ricardo was her brujo brother? Was there even such a relationship among ghosts?
    But before she could sit forward again to demand answers, Ian slipped his arm around her shoulder, holding her in place. “Let him drive, Slim. He’ll explain it later.”
    The truck sprang free of the cop cars, and sped into the dark hills.
    3.
    Wayra drove the back roads through the hills, past small villages, greenhouses, pastures, and barns. Fifty years ago, this area had been so dirt poor that electricity was nonexistent and clean water was scarce, except for what was drawn from the surrounding lakes. But then some local politician had realized that such poverty only fostered resentment and rebellion