Ghostfinders 03 -Ghost of a Dream

There were too many of them, layer upon layer of people pressed upon people…Voices determined to be heard.
    And slowly, one by one, then in small groups, heads turned to look at him. Faces focused on him, becoming aware of his presence. They could see Happy because they weren’t memories, they were dead. Ghosts of people who’d died in the lobby, or the theatre, or returned there because it had special memories for them. They drifted slowly, implacably, towards Happy, passing inexorably through all the other presences in their way. Drawn to him like moths, to the bright light of his living soul. Happy looked about him desperately, but everywhere he looked there were more, coming right at him, their dead faces distorted by an awful, endless hunger.
    Happy slammed down all his shields at once, forcing his mental defences back into place, until every last bit of his telepathy was shut down and he was as blind to the world as everyone else. Until he couldn’t have seen a ghost even if it walked right up to him and glared into his face. Or, at least, he hoped so. He stood very still, breathing hard. He could feel cold sweat on his face. When he finally lowered his hands, they shook violently. Happy looked quickly around the lobby. JC was still wrapped upin himself, but Melody was looking at him steadily. She came out from behind her instruments, walked over to Happy, and put her arms around him. She held him close, while he hung on to her like a drowning man. She patted his back gently, giving him the warmth of her body to drive out the cold of the dead. Giving him her steady presence to anchor him in the world again.
    “Bad one?” she said, her voice carefully calm and neutral.
    “Bad enough,” he said, when he could find his voice. “My own fault. I should have known better than to lower my guard in a place bound to be soaked in people and memories. Still…”
    “Yes?” said Melody.
    Happy took his arms away from her, and she immediately let go of him and stepped back. Beyond a certain point, Happy didn’t like to be fussed over.
    “That…didn’t just happen,” said Happy. “That felt much more like an ambush. Which means we’re not alone here. Someone, or Something, targeted me.”
    Melody studied his face carefully. “You need some of your little chemical helpers, don’t you?”
    “No,” said Happy. “I’m stronger than that, now. I don’t need them. You showed me that.”
    “But you still want them,” said Melody.
    “Oh, God, yes, I want them,” said Happy. “Luckily, I want you more.”
    “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” said Melody. “I really wish it was true.”
    And then they looked round sharply, as the maindoors slammed open and their theatrical guests arrived. A man and a woman, both well into their forties, both clearly fighting for every inch, both of them that little bit too deliberately glamorous. Because they felt it was expected of them. They stopped directly inside the doors, realised they had an audience, and immediately fell into flattering publicity poses without even realising they were doing it. There was a pause, as everyone looked at everyone else, then JC strode briskly forward to stand with Happy and Melody, to present a unified front in the face of civilian outsiders. The two actors looked the Ghost Finders over and gave no impression of being in any way impressed.
    “Are you the…experts?” said the woman, in a rich clear voice.
    JC gave them both his best professional smile. “We are, indeed, the experts. Allow me to introduce your team for tonight. I am JC Chance, ghost finder extraordinaire, exorcist without portfolio, and leader of the pack. Despite everything I can do to get out of it. The short sulky thing on my left is Happy Jack Palmer; team telepath, portable psychic, and general pain in the arse. Feel free to ignore him or throw things. We do. Finally, this sweet and very dangerous young lady is Melody Chambers, geek girl nerd technician and
Take That
fan. Don’t get too close, she bites. Do not be fooled by the way we look; we are in fact very experienced and very efficient.”
    “So…ghosts don’t scare you?” said the man, in a mellifluous, carrying voice.
    JC grinned. “Hell no…ghosts are scared of us.”
    “I’m not sure whether that makes me feel any safer, or not,” said the woman.
    “Lot of people say that,” said Happy.
    “Only because they know us,” said Melody.
    “I’m Benjamin Darke,” said