They get back to the city to find it in complete chaos. Police have several streets blocked off around Washington Square Park and hordes of onlookers crowd the sidewalks trying to get a look at the damage. Most of the spectators pull suitcases behind them, retelling their encounter with the malevolent ghost to anyone that will listen. Local news vans with reporters and cameramen descend on the area, itching to get the story.
The Ghostbusters are forced to park the Ecto-1 several blocks away, as quickly as they can, they race back to the central location, fatigue pulling at them the whole way. Pushing through the crowd, the first sign of the ghost's destructive path, is the blown-out windows on the fourth floor of The Waterford. They cross the street, heading straight for the front entrance. A few police officers start to call after them, but when they notice their jumpsuits and realize who they are, they let them pass.
Once they make it to the other side of the street, they spot the mayor and his assistant standing off to the side of two workers cleaning up the glass on the sidewalk.
"Finally decide to show up," the mayor shouts. "Buildings, ladies!" He extends out his arm for emphasis like a model at a car show. "Buildings that are reeking with paranormal activity, right here in front of me."
Abby adjusts her glasses with a sharp sigh, turning towards the mayor. "We are doing the best we can, mister mayor," she spits through gritted teeth. "He's a sneaky little son of a bitch and an expert at eluding us, but we will catch him." She steps into his personal space. "Now, if you are quite done pointing out the obvious, we have a crime scene to investigate."
With that she turns back around, leading the rest of the group through the lobby doors, leaving a speechless mayor on the sidewalk surrounded by debris. Patty gives her a congratulatory squeeze of the shoulder, once out of view.
The rest of the morning is a lot of the same. Hotel management and guests of all three hotels hit, mad that the Ghostbusters were unreachable and are just now showing up hours after the incident. While entering and exiting the buildings, reporters shove microphones in their faces, demanding a statement. They stay silent, the questions thrown at them going unanswered.
During their talks with hotel staff, they learn that the other undisturbed hotels in the area, have seen a surge in demand. Hotel owners taking advantage of the situation, increasing their rates as distressed tourists look for refuge, the Crane Luxury Hotel being one of the first to do so.
"What's our next move?" Erin asks, while heading back to the car.
Abby turns, looking at her friends. "I'm going home," she simply replies. "I'm tired of chasing this ghost, he always seems to get the better of us anyway. So, I'm going home and I'm going to sleep as long as I feel like it and then… and only then will we come up with a plan to trick him into come to us. Let it be on our terms next time."
Turning back around, she disappears onto the crowded sidewalk. The rest of the gang quickly tailing after her. Dani couldn't help but be surprised by Abby's statement. She had been so determined… determined beyond rationality at the Crane Estate. Now she seems placid about the whole thing. She figures it just the exhaustion taking over. Heavens knows they could all use a few hours of sleep, they are practically rendered useless at this point.
/
Dani remains worried about Abby, watching her just sitting in the living room, drinking tea and jotting things down on a notepad. When she is not doing that, she just stares off into space. Dani tries several times to engage her in conversation or ask her about when they will be returning to work, but Abby always replies the same.
"Not ready yet."
Patty and Erin are constantly calling and texting Dani about Abby, but her condition remains the same. They thought about meeting without Abby, but it just didn't seem right.
On the second day of limbo, Abby knocks on Dani's bedroom door.
"Come in."
Abby eases the door open slowly, a bright smile on her face. Dani hadn't seen her smile like that for some time and it dumbfounds her to see it now.
"I already called the girls, we start work again tomorrow. Okay?"
Dani shifts the laptop in her lap. "Great, I'm looking forward to it."
Abby nods her head enthusiastically. "Me too." Still smiling her starts to close the door, but hesitates. "One more thing, I'm fine… if you were worried.
"I wasn't worried," Dani lies. Hoping Abby doesn't notice her ears turning red. She has never been good at poker.
"Okay well, I just—well good night."
/
It turns out all the writing and staring off into space was not a waste. Abby used the two days away from the fire station to formulate a plan. There is a light in her eyes, as she explains in detail how it will work. Warren T. Crane, a willing participant or not, will be used as bait to draw the ghost into a location of their choosing. Right now, they're task is to get everything ready to ensure the plan's success.
Holtzmann is in charge of finishing the portal reverser, Dani is running around town collecting supplies and lunch, Patty and Erin are mapping out their movements, while Abby is organizing the equipment they will need.
Everything is currently running like a well-oiled machine, but that doesn't keep Holtzmann from getting impatient. Her eyes constantly shifting to the watch around her wrist, when it becomes half past noon, she can't wait any longer. She clears her throat loudly, making the other three in the room turn her direction.
"Sorry," she chokes out.
She eyes Patty as the others start to turn their attention back to the work at hand. Patty gives her a small nod of understanding.
"You know what Erin?"
Erin looks up at Patty. "What?"
She pushes the papers on the table away from them. "We should take a break from this. Give our eyes a rest. I saw some prime scrap metal in the dumpster next door, let's go check it out."
Erin gives her a funny look. "Let Holtzmann do it. I don't wanna go knee deep in garbage."
Holtzmann bangs some metal pieces together. "Sorry, too busy. But it would be great if you guys could check it out for me." She gives Erin a sweet smile. "Maybe you'll find a couple pieces that will help me finish this damn reverser."
Giving Erin a small nudge to her shoulder. "Come on it'll be fun. I'll get in the dumpster, you can be the look-out."
With a roll of her eyes, Erin relents, heading for the side door to the alley with Patty right behind her. Patty shoots Holtzmann a thumbs up, before disappearing from the building.
Once outside, Erin maneuvers towards the adjacent building, peering in over the dumpster's edge. "Hey, there's nothing in here."
Patty leans against the brick exterior, crossing her arms. "Of course not, its trash day."
"Then why are we out here?" Erin rests her hands on her hips.
"Holtzy needs to talk to Abby privately. I just needed an excuse to get us out of the way."
"Oh." Erin removes her hands from their resting place, folding them across her chest instead, as she moves to lean against the wall beside Patty. "Why didn't you just say that?"
"Then Abby would know that she needed to talk to her. I think it's best to leave that up to Holtzmann, don't you think?"
With a shake of her head, Erin agrees. "How long are we supposed to stay out here?"
Patty frowns. "I don't know."
"Then how do we know when it's okay to go back inside?"
Patty sighs. "I don't know Erin. Maybe Holtz will come out and get us."
Erin leans her head back, staring up at the sliver of dark clouds she can see between the buildings. "Looks like it's going to rain."
Patty looks up as well. "Stop… you're gonna jinx it."
They fall silent for a second and it's momentarily peaceful, but then Erin has another question. "What did she need to talk to her about anyway?"
Patty gives Erin a hard look. "I don't know if I should say."
"Oh come on, we are all friends here."
Patty bites at her fingernails. "Okay, but you can't say anything to Dani." She points her finger at Erin. "Okay?"
Erin gives Patty a big smile, while tracing an imaginary X over her heart.
/
Back inside the fire station, Holtzmann puts down her tools. She wipes her hands clean on the rag from her back pocket, before slowly proceeding over to Abby's work station. She runs her fingers over her clothes, checking her hair, and removing her googles from the top of her head. She feels like a teenage boy about to have a sit down with his prom date's father. She just hopes she doesn't get the what are your intentions question.
"Abby," her voice sounding weaker than she expected.
"Hmm?" Abby doesn't look up.
Holtzmann shifts on her feet, suddenly not knowing what to do with her hands. She leans her arms against the chair beside the table, but it rolls out from under her, sending her crashing to the floor.
Abby finally looks up or rather down at Holtzmann sprawled out before her. "It's a desk chair, it has wheels," she tells her matter-of-factly. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I've been falling a lot lately." Holtzmann grabs onto the table, pulling herself back up "Eventually I'll stick the landing."
Abby chuckles, relieving some of the tension that Holtzmann is feeling.
She softly clears her throat. "Abby," she begins. "Remember the other night, at the stake-out, when I wanted to talk about Dani, but you never gave me the opportunity?"
Abby puts down her pencil, directing her full attention to the obviously nervous woman in front of her. "What's going on?"
Holtzmann starts picking at the chips in the wood table, averting her eyes away from Abby's glare. She has never been very good at talking about her feelings with other people.
"What is it with you and Dani?" Abby demands. "I just don't understand this. What problem could you possibly have with her?"
Holtzmann bites down on her bottom lip hard, almost drawing blood. Still not being able to find her words or maybe it's just not being able to find the right ones.
"Dani is a sweet girl," Abby continues. "She's polite, hard-working, and a stickler for good personal hygiene. What's not to like? I mean really…"
Holtzmann closes her eyes tightly, her face scrunching up, as Abby continues to babel on. Her short fingernails dig into the wood table, her face heats up, and she doesn't even realize she is holding her breath.
"This is really starting to piss me off." Abby slams her hand down on the table. "You would be the last person I would expect this from. I'm really disappointed in you. I thought you were better than this. I thought-"
"I think I'm in love with Dani," Holtzmann blurts out. Her eyes widen, the declaration of love she just announced, surprising even herself. She gulps, staring at Abby, trying to gauge her reaction.
On the other side of the table, Abby stands in bewilderment. Her face evident of the pure shock from Holtzmann admission. Her eyes flick around the room, as her brain tries to catch up with the moment. This is certainly not where she thought this conversation was going. When did this happen? How did this happen? So many questions run through her mind, as she tries not to look at Holtzmann directly.
"I never disliked Dani, not in the least." Taking a slow deep breath, Holtzmann places her hands flat on the table, palms down. "She transfixes me and I find myself helpless before her. I have never felt such a pull, no one has ever had this kind of hold on me… on my heart." She licks her lips nervously. "And I don't know how else to describe it, other than I need her smile to give me hope, her laugh to warm my heart, and her touch to ignite me. I could be whole with Dani by my side and I can only pray it's the same for her."
The room grows silent, the only sound heard coming from the air flowing through the A/C vents. Abby reaches for her chair, pulling it up to the table and cautiously sits upon it. Her spine parallel with the chair back and her eyes trained on the assortment of items littering her work station. She runs her fingers along stacks of papers, straightening them. Picking up her pencil, she places it immediately back down again.
"Have you told Dani all this?" Abby's voice is slightly above a whisper.
Holtzmann shakes her head. "It was important to me to talk to you first."
"Why?"
"Because… you're my best friend Abby and Dani is your cousin. I need to hear you say you are okay with this." Holtzmann moves around the table, closer to Abby. "I respect you and look up to you, and so does Dani. How you feel on the matter is of importance."
Abby looks up. "Do you think she feels the same way about you?"
Holtzmann ponders over the question before shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know if her feelings are as strong as mine, but I know there are some sort of feelings there." She tries not to smile when she says the next part. "She kissed me."
"Wow," Abby exclaims. "She didn't tell me that. I guess we haven't been talking much lately."
"In her defense," Holtzmann urges. "I doubt she has told anyone."
"I'm different though." Abby quick with her retort. "I already knew that Dani is…" She waves her hand in the air, searching for the right word. Finally, abandoning it, she points to her own chest. "I was the first person she came out to, she trusted me. Why wouldn't she come to me now?"
Holtzmann places a hand on Abby's shoulder for comfort. "I think it's a bit confusing when for so long you were family and friend, to suddenly become boss too. It's hard to determine where the line is."
Abby smiles weakly, grateful for Holtzmann's words, even in a moment like this. "I don't have any problem with you dating Dani." She grabs onto Holtzmann's hand, that is still resting on her shoulder. "I couldn't think of a better partner for either one of you."
Launching unexpectedly forward, Holtzmann pulls Abby into a tight hug.
Abby chuckles softly into the fabric of Holtzmann's shirt. She then turns her head towards her ear. "You never needed my approval, but you have it."
Pulling away, they smile at each other, Holtzmann's eyes misting up in the process.
"So how are you going to go about telling Dani all this?" Abby teases.
Holtzmann ducks her head, a light blush spreading across her cheeks. She pushes back a few loose tendrils of hair from her face. "Jeez, I don't know. The thought of exposing my heart to her, scares the shit out of me."
May I give you a little insight?"
Holtzmann nods. "Please do."
"She likes daisies," Abby divulges. "Not the big Gerbera daisies, but you know… those little white ones."
"Good tip." Holtzmann smiles back.
Abby opens her mouth to speak again, but the side door opening hinders her from doing so. They both turn towards the intrusion. Across the room, enters Dani followed closely behind by Erin and Patty.
"Look whom I found standing out in the alleyway… in the rain." Laughter lacing it's way through Dani's voice.
Patty and Erin walk past Dani, their shoulders hunched over and frowns on their faces. They head towards the restroom, in search of towels to dry off their soaked bodies. Dani shakes out her black-n-white polka dot umbrella by the door. Holtzmann remains in place, just watching her, completely mesmerized. She drops the umbrella on the ground, proceeding to run her fingers through her dark locks, shaking out the droplets that managed to get pass the barrier of her umbrella.
Abby observes Holtzmann as she continues to stare at her cousin. She notices the way Holtzmann's eyes lighten and the way her chest rises and falls at a quickened pace. She smiles to herself in disbelief, disbelief that she could have missed the signs. It all seeming so clear to her now.
Dani walks over, her eyes briefly meeting Holtzmann's, before setting her attention on Abby. She drops a bag full of tacos on the table, then a bag of parts Abby asked for. "I was luckily able to get everything on your list, but it wasn't easy."
She moves way, heading back to her desk with a pile of papers in her hand.
"What's that?" Abby asks, pointing to the stack in her possession.
"It's nothing. Just something for me," Dani replies back nonchalantly. She opens her bottom drawer, placing the papers inside, before quickly closing it again.
Abby thinks nothing of it, reaches for the taco bag, but Holtzmann frowns. She only saw part of the top page, but it looked like a job resume.
Erin and Patty exit the bathroom, Patty wiping the towel against her clothes, Erin wrapping hers around her hair. Looking less drenched, Erin crosses the room, smiling all the while at Dani.
"Why are you smiling at me like that?" Dani asks, checking her dress self-consciously for any stains or tears.
Patty nudges Erin, who quickly shakes her head, folding her lips to hide her smile. "I'm just smiling because I'm happy." Her eyes move quickly to Holtzmann before she grabs a few tacos and retreats to her chair.
Holtzmann glares at Patty, knowing exactly what is going on here. But Patty pretends not to notice, busying herself with reducing the water from her jacket.
Beep…
Holtzmann recognizes the sound as her notification alert. She reaches into her pocket, pulling out her phone.
Four more beeps simultaneously filter through the room, making everyone else reach for their phones as well.
"He's there," Holtzmann shouts. "One of the meters went off at the Crane Hotel."
"Which one is it?" Patty asks, staring at her phone. "I can't read this damn thing."
"Meter number six," Erin offers. "That's the one in Crane's office."
There is moment were they all stand frozen like statues, just staring at their phones, but then the situation registers and they start to scramble about. Dani moves out of the way, for fear of being run over as the others head for the dressing area. She waits by her desk, watching the suit-up process, specifically Holtzmann.
Erin, Abby, and Patty maneuver towards the car as Holtzmann jogs back over to her work station, passing Dani along her way. She grabs her yellow tinted googles from the table, positioning them in place around the top of her head.
Saddling herself beside Dani, she leans in close. "I'm gonna bring you home a ghost."
Dani can feel her breath against the side of her neck, the goosebumps erupting on contact. She turns her face to look Holtzmann in the eye. "Then you better not come back without it." She breaks out into a smile, dampening what seemed like, at first, harsh words.
Holtzmann smiles back, giving her a flirtatious wink, before taking off towards Ecto-1. Dani feels her stomach flip with excitement, but immediately berates herself for her lack of self-control. Heading back to her desk with a sigh, she opens the bottom drawer again, reaching inside for the stack of papers, she just tucked away.
/
Quickly it becomes apparent that no one knows how to drive in the rain. Holtzmann beats the palm of her hand against the steering wheel, as she stares at the endless line of red tail lights in front of her. It seems as if making a run for it on foot may be faster, but decides against it. Since leaving essentially a nuclear reactor in the middle of a busy New York street, wouldn't be the smartest idea.
Abby spends the whole car ride, fretting over whether they will make it in time or not. Every few seconds she refreshes the app page, monitoring closely the energy level surrounding the meter.
"Come on… come on… come on," she shouts at the phone screen.
Holtzmann finally catches a break in the traffic, taking an alternate route that Patty suggested, they arrive at the Crane Hotel, a short time later. They waste no time descending on the lobby entrance. Holtzmann and Erin experiencing some trouble with the revolving doors, both trying to squeeze into one compartment. But once inside they race to the elevator, just as the doors open.
Patty holds her arm out to the guests that had been initially waiting for the elevator. "Sorry, you'll need to take the next one."
There's a few groans, but she doesn't address it. They all pile in the small space, heading up to Mr. Crane's office, hoping they are not too late. Adrenaline races through their bodies, as they realize this could be it, the nightmare they have been living in, could be over very soon.
Abby checks the app again. "He's still there."
The ride up feels like an eternity, but when the doors finally ding open, the gang files out like a troop of soldiers entering combat. Powering up their packs, they swiftly pass by Charlie's desk, heading straight for the office door in front of them.
"Wait, you can't just walk in there," Charlie weakly shouts after them.
He reaches for his phone, trying to alert his boss of the uninvited intruders, but Holtzmann flings the door open before he has the chance.
They assembly into the room, lining up like a barricade in front of the door. Nothing gets in and nothing gets out.
Mr. Crane stands from his chair, palms resting firmly on the desktop, his brows knit and his lips tight. "What is the meaning of this?"
Charlie pokes his head over Erin's shoulder. "I'm sorry sir, they just barraged in."
The four pair of Ghostbusters' eyes move around the room. Abby leaves her position; the others move in closer to fill the gap. She looks under tables and behind curtains, moving with quick steps. After a full search of the room, she shakes her head. "Nothing."
The others sigh, rolling their eyes. How do we keep falling for this?
Abby pulls her phone back out. "Yeah, I'm only picking up left over energy now. He's gone."
Mr. Crane slams his fist on the table. "Someone needs to start making sense."
Abby walks towards the angry hotel owner, reaching under the elegantly crafted desk, she pulls out the mini P.K.E meter and drops it on the table.
His nostrils flare, as he stares down at the tiny device. "You bugged my office?"
There's a light chuckle that comes from the doorway. "We bugged your whole hotel," Holtzmann gloats.
"How did you-" He lets out a breath that is shuddering with anger. "That bitch!"
"Don't be angry with Dani, she was only following my orders," Abby encourages. "Besides, it's not a mic. It's a Psychokinetic Energy Meter, in layman's terms… it tracks ghosts."
He straightens his suit jacket, fastening the top button. "You still have not explained why you are here in my office in such a completely unprofessional manner."
Abby starts to get a bit testy. "While I thought it was pretty self-explanatory, when I said it was a ghost tracker. We got a reading that he was here." She stomps her foot and points to the ground. "The ghost was right here in this room with you moments ago. You didn't see him?"
"I am the only one here, aren't I?" He then smirks at her. "Your little toy must be broken."
Abby is furious and it is evident, evident to everyone in that room. His words cut right through her. His lack of respect for her and for the field of study she holds so dearly, it pushes her over the edge. Her fists clench at her sides, her face turns red with anger, she is tired. Tired of this ghost, who always seems to get the better of her, tired of the mayor who demands results, but no support, and tired of this asshole's condescending tone.
She launches herself over the desk, clawing across the wood surface, a primitive growl vibrating from her throat. The others act quickly, reaching for Abby, trying to pull her away. Mr. Crane backs himself as far back as he can, but Abby is still able to reach his tie, pulling on it hard.
Pens and papers scatter the floor, the girls lift Abby from the desk, moving backwards, but she doesn't let go of his tie. He ends up face down on the desk, coughing and struggling. The others shout for her to let go, but she doesn't hear them, her anger cutting off the sensible part of her brain.
Finally, Charlie wakes from his paralyzing fear, races to the situation, grabbing a pair of scissors from the desk, he cuts the tie in half. Mr. Crane falls back, hands reaching up to remove the remaining piece of cloth around his neck, coughing all the while. On the other side of the desk, the Ghostbusters find themselves tumbling to the floor. Abby spread-out across the other three.
Abby scrambles off of them, pulling herself up, using the edge of the Crane desk. Her face still wrought with genuine hate, she looks as if she is going to attack again. Mr. Crane grabs the scissors out of Charlie's hands, holding it up in means to defend himself.
A notification beep from Abby's phone, which is now discarded on the floor, stops her from continuing. More beeps follow, everyone reaches for their respected phones.
"It's meter five," Holtzmann reads out. "Two floors below."
Abby gives Mr. Crane one last hard look before getting to her feet. She exits the room behind the others, forgoing the elevator, they head straight for the stairs. Slowly pulling the nineteenth floor's door open, they try to even their rapid breathing. Holtzmann sticks her head around the door-frame. She spots the ghost at the other end of the long hallway, legs spread, knees bent, and back hunched. His stance looking like that of a sumo wrestler.
Holtzmann ducks back around the door. "Okay Patty, you follow me. Abby… Erin, you wait here, but be ready. If we all try to pile into this hallway, we will either cross streams or one of us will get hurt."
Abby and Erin both nod in agreement.
Holtzmann sticks her head around again. The ghost has moved closer. "He's closing in."
Patty steals a glance, before ducking back quickly. "Okay, I know I chopped off one of this dude's arms. What is he doing with two again?"
Holtzmann takes another look. "I don't know, but we don't have time to theorize about it." The ghost now only a few yards away. She switches on her pack, Patty follows suit. "Now!"
Holtzmann springs from the doorway, shooting her proton gun at the fast-moving target. He bounces around, trying to avoid the stream of positively charged ions. Patty joins her, blasting a second stream at him. He panics, straightening out his body, hands above his head, he pushes himself off the ground. His body leaning forward at the same time, as he swan dives through the floor and out of sight.
They cut off the streams, racing to the spot where the ghost just vanished from. Erin and Abby follow after them. They stare down at the small gathering of green goo on the carpet in front of them.
Beeps start to resound from their phones again. They quickly pull them out, checking the new location of the ghost. But it proves to be difficult to determine where exactly he is at. Meters one through four are all going off, causing the readings to spike.
"Ah man, he is bouncing all over the place," Patty groans.
"I got it." Holtzmann claps her hands together. "Everyone check your breast pocket."
They all unbutton the pocket, sliding their fingers inside.
"There is a wireless intercom for each person inside." She reaches into her own pocket, pulling the small device out. "Make sure it is on channel two, then just place it around your ear, and adjust the mic near your mouth."
"This is perfect," Erin exclaims, placing the device securely around her ear. "Now we can split up."
"Yeah." Holtzmann position the device around her right ear. "After the fiasco at the Crane Estate, I thought it would be a good idea to have them."
"Good thinking. Now, I'll take meter four," Abby announces. "Holtz three, Patty two, and Erin you take one."
They break from their huddle, splitting off between the stairwell and elevators.
Abby is the first to reach her position, she readies her pack in preparation for the ghost's appearance, her phone beeping out of control in her pocket. She breathes in and out heavily, her eyes wide, scared if she even blinks she will miss her opportunity to bag him. She feels a slight vibration under her feet. She looks down, the ghost surges up from the floor below her, knocking her down on the ground.
From her place on the carpet, she fires at him, but he is too agile. He mocks her with a throaty laugh, as her stream takes out a wall sconce. A second later he is gone, disappearing through the guest door in front of her. Wasting no time, Abby gets to her feet, hearing the muffled cries for help coming from the other side of the wall. She slams her body against the solid door repeatedly, knowing very well that it will cause some major bruising by tomorrow.
"Open the door!" Abby shouts as she rams her side into again.
Finally, it slings open, an elderly woman runs pass Abby screaming, as if she didn't even see her standing there. Crossing the threshold, Abby enters the hotel room. The ghost inside, jumping up and down on the unmade bed, laughing hysterically. She starts to fire at him again, but he sinks straight through the bed. Dropping to her knees, she looks underneath to find only the remnants of his presence, green slime.
"Holtzmann, he is on his way down," Abby shouts into her comm. "Be ready."
Holtzmann hears Abby's words, but is confused by them. She is already in full jog chasing after the ghostly figure, who just rounded the corner. "I'm on it," she breathes into the mic.
Skirting the corner herself, particle thrower stretched out in front of her, she is met with the sight of a hotel staffer holding a room service tray. He gasps, dropping the tray to the floor, littering partially-eaten food and cutlery everywhere. His hands lift up into the air in the form of a surrender. "Please, don't shoot!"
"Did a ghost come through here?"
Hands still in the air, he shakes his head back and forth vigorously.
A scream comes from the opposite end of the hallway, Holtzmann spins around, taking off towards it. A door near the end of the corridor opens, two figures run out, the female with just a sheet around her naked body, and the male with a pillow covering his manhood. When the female sees Holtzmann, she jumps up and down pointing to inside the room. Holtzmann makes it to the door just before it closes, her foot sliding into the door jam.
She gives the under-dressed couple a nod. "Sorry to interrupt your afternoon delight." Before throwing the door open with a bang.
The sliding glass door is open and the troublesome ghost is balancing on the iron railing of the patio. He tips his bowler hat at Holtzmann, jumping off the railing, sailing to the sidewalk below. Holtzmann races outside, hanging the top half of her body over the railing, watching as he falls further and further. He hits the ground, landing on two feet, racing back inside.
Holtzmann clicks on her comm. "Erin… ground floor, he's walking straight through the front door."
Erin sprints from the ballroom, where she thought she heard strange noises, back to the lobby. She spots him quickly, as he knocks over a few guests, who are trying to escape the building, on his way to the hotel restaurant. She raises her particle thrower to blast him, but he is too far away and there are too many people in-between. She takes off after him on foot, as the restaurant erupts into chaos. Screaming dinner-goers knock over tables, and push people out of the way, as they run for the exit. Erin fights her way through the crowd, but the pushing and shoving makes it difficult.
A shadow moves across the restaurant's floor, Erin looks up to see a large chandelier swaying on its chain, with the ghost sitting upon it. She raises her particle thrower again, but he starts pelting her with crystal pendalogues and prisms, that he picked off the chandelier. He hits her in the head and chest, one after another, not letting up. She shields her head with her arm, shooting off her blaster blindly. The stream pushes her backward, she has never tried to do this one handed before. Uncovering her eyes, she watches the crystal fixtures rain down and the chandelier's chain snap, sending it tumbling to the tables below. The ghost leaps from his position, flying up and through the ceiling.
"Patty…" Erin warns. "He's pissed and he is heading right for you."
"Great, I can't wait," Patty replies sarcastically.
A noise comes from the corridor in front of her, with quiet steps, she goes to investigate. Peeking around the corner, she finds it empty, void of any persons or ghosts. Patty spots the tell-tale slimy residue produced by the ghost, in the middle of the hallway. Walking closer, she listens for any strange sounds coming for the rooms, near his entry point, but all is silent.
Suddenly, she feels a tap on her shoulder. Patty pivots around on her heels to find nothing behind her. "What the hell?"
Another tap hits her other shoulder and she pivots around again. Nothing. "Don't be playing with me," she yells out into the empty hallway. "I am not in the mood for this."
A chilling breeze brushes the back of her neck and she shivers involuntarily. Her eyes widen and her mouth goes dry, as she slowly turns to find the ghost standing only inches away from her. "You've never heard of a personal bubble, have you?" Patty jokes nervously.
The ghost smirks and Patty shots a proton stream at him. But once again, he proved to be too quick and jets himself straight up and through the ceiling. Patty doesn't let up, even after he disappears above her, she continues to blast the ceiling, as plaster rains down on her.
"Going up," she finally shouts into her comm.
"Thanks for the heads up," Holtzmann replies, out of breath, as she races around the corridor.
"Wait… I got him," Abby almost whispers into her mic.
She feels the vibrations again, coming from the floor below her. She gets her particle thrower ready, pointing it at the carpet, feet planted firmly. Abby focuses hard, the floral print of the carpet starts to shift before she eyes. Blue swirling light emerges and the ghost's form pushes its way through.
Her fingers are itching to pull the trigger, she almost concedes, but her brain kicks in, stopping her. She patiently watches as more and more of him is revealed: his face, shoulders, waist. When he reaches knee level, her brains signals the okay. The stream blasts from the thrower, wrapping itself around the ghost, surprising him. He whips back and forth, howling in his struggle to free himself.
Abby chuckles, as she holds on tight. "Holtz… get up here. I got him."
There is a moment of static. "Roger that."
His struggle becomes violent, smacking continuously against the walls of the hallway. Framed paintings fall to the floor, blast marks from the proton stream cascade down the walls, Abby grits her teeth and holds on with an iron grip. She is determined not to lose him this time.
Someone opens their room door, investigating the ruckus on the other side.
"Get back inside," Abby screams at the occupant of the room. "Can't you see it's not safe out here?"
The door quickly closes again, she turns her attention back to the ghost fighting a losing battle at the other end of her stream. She's got him this time, she knows it. Her stream's hold much greater this time, completely wrapped around his arms and upper body. There is no way he can grab onto anything and wiggle his way out.
The stairwell door flies open, Abby looks over her shoulder to see a flushed Holtzmann racing towards her. Holtzmann reaches behind her, sliding the ghost trap from its resting place, below her proton pack. Setting it on the ground, she kicks it towards the thrashing ghost, stopping just a foot away from him. She positions the petal at her feet to open it, raising her particle thrower, she traps the ghost with a second stream. Her right foot steps down on the petal, causing the door on the trap to swing open. The ghost lets out a frustrated grunt, as he fights the suction emitting from the trap. Abby and Holtzmann carefully begins to walk backwards, bringing the ghost completely over the device.
Feet first, he gets caught in the suction, slowly his ethereal form begins to disappear into the ghost trap. Once his head is completely within, Holtzmann slams down on the petal again, closing the trap. Their streams die out, as they shake with excitement. Holtzmann jumps up and down, fists raised in the air, as Abby lets out a deep breath. Finally, feeling all the tension inside of her release.
The elevator dings and Patty and Erin exit, packs still on and ready to fight. Holtzmann runs over to the trap, lifting it above her head, waving it around.
"Mission accomplished," she cheers. "We got him!"
The same excitement takes over Patty and Erin, they run towards the others, pulling them into a tight embrace. With arms around each other in a huddle, they laugh and jump for joy, basking in contentment over the capture of their greatest tormentor. Happy tears leak from Abby's eyes, she can't believe that it is actually all over.
The elevator dings again, the girls turn their attention to the steels doors, as they slide open. A very disgruntled Warren T. Crane steps out with two police officers behind him. He reaches up, running his fingers over the angry marking around his neck, before setting his sights directly on Abby.