The Edge Of The Cemetery Read Free Page A

time?”
    I frowned. “Now that you mention it, no, I didn't see it. But it happened pretty fast and we got backed into an alley, so it could have been around.”
    “Someone has to be pulling the strings, right? I mean, ghosts and demons don't work in groups, not without someone encouraging them to do it. It's like they're trying to lure us to them….”
    She was right, it did feel like that. Normally the ghosts and demons hunted on a solitary basis, and aside from the surges that Vokkel had called in, we didn't see multiple demons or ghosts working together. Not only that, but most demons weren't able to possess their victims for more than a minute or two at a time. However, in the last week or so, we'd encountered attacks that were clearly organized, and more importantly, the demons were in full possession of their victims for ten minutes or more; in many of the recent cases, much longer, depending on how long it took us to eradicate the demons. In our world, there are levels of both ghosts and demons and ghost killers. It couldn't be a coincidence that powerful demon attacks were happening in the backyard of two of the most powerful ghost killers.
    “Yeah, I don't know what to make of that. They were pretty damn strong, and Pete had a lot of trouble keeping up…he almost got his head bashed in. I'm glad you're feeling better, because I
obviously
could use your help,” I said with a sarcastic grin. She glared at me and I laughed in return, causing her eyes to take on a threatening hue. “Come on, you need to get out for a bit; go get dressed.” My tone didn't invite argument, and for once, she didn't put one up.
    It was almost lunch time, so I thought I'd drive her down to Louis' Restaurant out by the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. After lunch I thought we'd go find some ghosts to kill. What better way to spend a sunny San Francisco afternoon?
    I loved Louis'; not only did it have a spectacular view of the Pacific, but it had a friendly ghost in residence. I didn't know her name, but based on her apparel, she died in the 1940s. She's featured in one of the many old pictures hanging on the wall, too. I asked the waitress about her once (referencing the photo on the wall, not the actual ghost), but all she could tell me was that she thought she worked there many years ago. I think she hangs around to keep an eye on the place, to make sure they continue to run it like they have for the last eighty-plus years.
    Although most ghosts are bad, some are not…they just didn't manage to keep going when they died. Many good ghosts gesture to us (ghost killers) to send them on, but some don't want to go. Louis' 1940s ghost is one of those.
    After lunch I gave Billy the option of hitting the San Francisco Veterans Hospital or the large private hospital closer to home. Hospitals (along with unsavory neighborhoods like the Tenderloin) tend to have more than their share of ghosts, either looking for victims or already haunting victims. She was feeling patriotic, so we hit the SFVA and visited the various outpatient and ambulatory clinics, as well as portions of the hospital, managing to take out several ghosts. Some vets went home wondering why they'd been there in the first place, (once a victim is relieved of their ghost or demon, they don't remember being sick or disabled).

Chapter 3
    The following evening….
    From somewhere to my left came Billy's scream of frustration and anger, but there wasn't much I could do about it. I'd spent the last ten minutes getting pummeled by a possessed man; he was about my age, but much bigger and much stronger. Linebacker comes to mind. I had managed a few well-placed round-house kicks and a series of body-blows, but he just kept coming. As big and strong as he was, he was also pale and sickly. I'd seen him vomiting earlier, but none of that mattered because his illness was caused by the demon that had complete control of him, and that demon would force the unwitting man's body to fight to