Bridal Jitters Read Online Free PDF Page B

a time.”
    “Why?”
    “Because it’s not really one large ghost. It’s composed of a number of smaller UDEMs that have been linked to create the waterfall effect.”
    “Aha. That makes sense. Whoever did this also figured out how to anchor it in place, too, like an illusion trap. I’ve never heard of a ghost that didn’t just drift aimlessly.”
    Sam moved a little closer to the waterfall. “It’s old. Very, very old. Probably been here for eons.”
    “I can believe it.” Virginia shivered. “I’m sure the ancients knew a lot of Halloween tricks that we humans will uncover the hard way.”
    “Might as well get to work.” Sam walked slowly across the width of the tunnel, as though measuring the breadth of the waterfall. He came to a halt at one side.
    Virginia felt the invisible rush of human psi energy. A lot of it. She had seen Sam work before but never on a project that demanded so much para-talent. She took a respectful step back, not wanting to get in his way or disturb his concentration. De-rezzing this monster ghost was going to take a great deal of focused psi power.
    Silence hummed for a few minutes.
    Waterfall light flared, glinting off Sam’s strong cheekbones. The green glare transformed the hard planes and angles of hisface into an eerie, menacing mask. He gazed, seemingly riveted by the waterfall.
    It was probably because he was concentrating so intently on the job at hand that she was the one who heard the high-pitched whine of the utility truck’s engine first. She glanced back over her shoulder, surprised to see that Leon had braved the corridor, after all.
    The small truck barreled toward where she stood with Sam in front of the waterfall. It was moving quickly; too quickly. She put up a hand to warn Leon to halt.
    Then she realized that Leon was not at the wheel. No one was in the open-sided truck. Someone had rezzed the engine, slammed it into gear, and sent it hurtling down the narrow corridor toward Sam and her. It was a tight fit. Assuming the vehicle continued to travel in a straight line, there would be only a foot of clearance on either side. With a sickening sensation in the pit of her stomach, she realized that even if they could flatten themselves into that small space, it would do them no good. When the truck slammed into the energy waterfall, there would be an explosion. The flashback of ghost energy would crash over them. If they survived the experience, the tide of raw alien energy would fry their brains. She and Sam would not be able to do much more than sit in front of a rez-screen watching sitcoms twenty-four hours a day for the rest of their lives.
    If they survived. And that was a very big if.
    “Sam.”
    He swung around, taking in the situation in a single glance. “Sonofabitch.” He scooped her up in his arms. “Hang on. Tight.”
    She wanted to argue, but there didn’t seem to be much point. There was no place to run. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest, filling her senses with the scent of him one last time. If they weregoing to go, she couldn’t think of anyone she would rather go with than Sam.
    “I love you,” she whispered into his shirt.
    But she knew that he had not heard her. For one thing, the utility truck was almost upon them now. The fully rezzed engine was screaming too loudly to make even normal levels of conversation possible.
    The second thing that made a dramatic farewell impossible was that Sam was projecting an enormous amount of psi energy. She could feel it enveloping her as he held her tightly against his chest. So much power required the use of all of his internal resources, both physical and paranormal. The last thing he could do at that moment was pay attention to what she had muttered into his shirt. It was a wonder he had the strength to hold her in his arms.
    She heard the whine of the swiftly advancing truck, felt Sam tighten his arms fiercely around her, and then, impossibly, she was suddenly