Ghost City Blues: Love and Death in the time of Corona Virus

Twenty

The Red House, Upstate New York. March.

Plague had gone and although there was no proof to back it up, Dylan knew she'd been taken by the same two creatures who'd been fought off by Anna's grandfather the first time. He spent two days looking for her, waiting, but it wasn't just the lack of her physical presence which convinced him she'd been taken, it was the lack of any presence. There was no anger or sadness, no frustration or pain, there was only absence of feeling.

This all meant he spent two long, painful days with his mother, listening to her theories of what Redmond was doing to him as well as opinions on his hair, clothes and the way he held his knife and fork. But as soon as she'd had Dylan to herself she'd also eased off a little, admitting that in a strange way lockdown was good as it meant they could spend some time together, which they hadn't really done in a year or so. They even talked about Dylan's father, although neither he nor Nora could bring themselves to admit they missed him. It was sad, they supposed, that he'd died, but the guy had never been a presence in either of their lives so it felt false to start crying crocodile tears now.

Night was the only time Dylan could really plan on working out what he was going to do about Plague and he got little help from Redmond, who said the gods worked in mysterious ways and told him to be patient. Redmond was sure Plague had been called away and that everything would become clear soon enough. He even explained away the images of the creature on the cameras, saying that what they'd seen was a marauding squirrel who'd burrowed under the house and chewed through one of the support cables.

It was only when Dylan told Anna this, on the third night, that she finally agreed to help him. "Man, bullshit! He saw those things that came the night my grandfather was here," she said. "Redmond must be scared, that's all."

Dylan was sitting at the window, in the nook, looking out at the moonlit countryside. It was a wonderful clear night, no clouds and few planes. Hardly anybody was flying these days – only cargo. "I know they took her. I know he knows they took her. The thing for me is, why did they take her and where?"

"We could ask my grandfather?" Anna suggested.

"You think?"

They went out into the cool, grey night together, Anna explaining that she'd never been able to find the old man unless he wanted to be found. "Normally he sends me some kind of message," she told Dylan. "Inside me?"

"I know what you mean."

Dylan couldn't help noticing that Ana's skin vanished and reappeared as they walked in and out of the moonlight. He had not manifested at all: he had no desire too, not unless they hit danger. No, this was a mission he was making as Dylan Kane, at least for now.

"You don't mind being," Dylan waved a hand at her skeletal arm. "Undead, or whatever you are?"

"Are you joking?" Anna scoffed. "Like you hate being a fireball?"

Dylan couldn't help laughing. He looked back. They were leaving the Red House far behind. "You know where you're taking me, right?"

"There's a tree just up over the ridge. He's normally there if he's anywhere." Anna yawned. " So what's the deal with your mom, dude?"

"What do you mean?"

"What is she?" Apart from an A-grade Asshat, she might have added.

"Some kind of spy, I think. She won't tell me the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

"CIA?"

"No. Black ops. Secret ops. Covert stuff."

"Oh, wow."