Chapter 7
Claws like scythes rose until they loomed far over the heads of the huddled men. Brilliant bursts of ionized energy struck again and again as Peter continued his useless attack. Ruby eyes glittered dangerously in the moonlight, and then the creature staggered backward, affected for the first time by Peter's barrage.
Surprised, Peter jammed his elbow into his companion's ribs though not letting up on his assault for a moment. "Ray! It felt that!"
Stantz followed Peter's line of fire, sharp mind coming to the same conclusion as had Venkman. He fumbled in the dirt for his own thrower and thumbed it on with hands which trembled. "Something must have weakened it," he told the other, grinning with satisfaction when the creature wavered slightly, actually becoming insubstantial for a moment. "Full stream, Peter!"
"Who-HOO!" Venkman cheered, powering up.
M'Tumba backed away carefully, the dark matter making up its body wiggled under the assault as though possessed of a life of its own -- which, for all they knew, it was. The great head rose again and this time there was more than anger in its projected aura -- there was fear. It howled, turned and sped off, heading back in the direction from which it had come.
"We have to go after it," Ray gasped, struggling to stand. The tautness of his face and voice won him a sharp look from his partner.
"You gonna make it?" Peter asked worriedly, gaining his own feet. "Your back is bleeding again."
"So is your arm," Ray pointed out, gesturing to the soggy right sleeve. "He hurt you bad, didn't he?"
Peter spared him a thin smile. "If you're asking does it hurt," he pronounced carefully, "the answer is that that is a stupid question! Of course it hurts!"
Ray fished into a pocket of his coveralls, wincing as the movement irritated the torn-out sutures in his back. He emerged with a length of handkerchief and beckoned the other closer. "I'd better try to stop that bleeding." He wound the cloth twice around Venkman's forearm, then tied it off. "I'm sorry," he apologized when Peter yelped. "I'm trying to be careful.... We have to hurry...."
"It's okay, Ray." Peter forced a reassuring smile at the younger man's concerned expression. "And there's no rush; I know exactly where it's headed."
"Back to the lab?" Ray guessed, double checking his handiwork. "The bleeding's slowed anyway."
"The lab," Peter acknowledged, checking his arm for himself. "I think something happened to Marie."
"Maybe Egon happened to Marie," Ray added, enthusiasm returning at the thought. "We'd better go then." He took a single step forward, then stopped to peer around confused at the unfamiliar surroundings. "We're not even on the campus anymore," he remarked wonderingly. "Do you recognize this place?"
Peter shook his head. "College is that way, though." He jerked his thumb in the general direction into which the beast had disappeared. "Come on, I have an idea of how to get there quick."
Ray followed curiously as Peter trotted in the opposite direction from the campus. They searched in vain for a gate through a stone fence and were finally forced to help each other across the divider to the main street.
"What are you going to do?" Ray asked, looking up and down the silent thoroughfare for signs of life.
In answer, Venkman strode purposefully to the nearest vehicle -- an old brown Pinto missing half its paint. "We need transportation," he explained, trying the doors. "Neither of us are up to another run, and we can't catch that thing on foot anyway." Finding the car locked, Peter hesitated not a moment in unslinging his particle thrower and firing a short burst through the driver's side window. Glass burst inward, a thousand shards embedding themselves in the tattered upholstery. Peter stuck his head through the opening and let himself in.
"These old heaps are pretty easy to hotwire," he went on, brushing off the glass before lowering himself to the floor of the car. "If you know how, that is." He fumbled under the dashboard several seconds while Stantz tapped impatiently on the roof.
"Come on, Peter," Ray begged, poking his head through the window. "If you can't do it, I can; I built a car like this in shop."
The car chose that moment to roar into life. Peter reappeared head up, to shoot his younger colleague a grin. "Taxi?" he offered, waving Ray in.
Their uniforms got them through the police cordon and then they were running again, covering the short distance to the psych lab on foot.
"Be careful," Venkman cautioned, peering nervously up at the rooftops surrounding them. "It could be anywhere, waiting for us."
Just then a brilliant flash of light lit the night sky; the source: their designated goal of the psych lab. "At a guess," Peter remarked drolly, increasing his pace, "I'd say it's over there."
"So's Egon," Ray added grimly, hurrying to keep up.
The heavens blazed again as Peter and Ray reached their destination. Egon stood braced, back to the building's main entrance and playing a steady stream of accelerated protons over the dark nether-being. M'Tumba howled furiously, occasionally striking out with its unsheathed claws, then staggering backward under the impact of Egon's weapon. The blond physicist looked up at his partners' appearance, white teeth flashing in a relieved grin.
"I think we can take it now," he yelled over the din of energy bolt and howling beast. "It's badly weakened!" These words seemed to be born out by the effect of Peter's and Ray's added assault; the ancient terror once used to frighten children in Haiti and far-off Africa, wavered, growing almost transparent as its power leached away. It howled furiously at its capture, yet was powerless in the energy web.
"We can trap it!" Ray's voice was shrill with excitement and triumph. "Egon, throw out a trap! Now!"
"Done." The tall blond unhooked one of the miniature containment vessels from his belt, tossing it under the creature with an expert flick of the wrist. "Trap open!" he announced, stepping on the activator pedal.
The darkness was dispelled as a fire brighter than the proton beams -- brighter even than the sun itself -- cascaded upwards, enveloping the entity in white brilliance. Slowly at first and then faster, M'Tumba was sucked downward into that glowing maw until finally, and with another furious scream, it vanished. The trap snapped shut.
"I don't believe it!" Peter Venkman blinked in the sudden absence of the light, having to squint several seconds before his vision cleared. "We actually got the sucker! I'm not sure how, but...."
"Easy." With a nonchalance usual to the man, Egon reholstered his particle thrower and retrieved the trap, holding it carefully by the long cord; he then laid it carefully to the side. "You mentioned that you believed M'Tumba was drawing strength if not actual existence from Marie D'Loeffier's mind. When I saw that she slipped into a violent dream state when M'Tumba appeared, I theorized it was that portion of her brain which the creature was accessing. Disrupting that...."
Venkman raised a hand, stemming his colleague's explanation before it gained too much momentum to stop. "I get the picture, Spengs," he said wearily. "We can talk about it later." He swayed on his feet and Ray reached a hand to steady him. Peter supported himself against his friend's arm, then had to make a quick grab for Ray as the younger man's legs buckled. He eased Ray to the wide steps, then sank down next to him, where the two sat leaning wearily against each other.
"The conquering heroes," Peter muttered disgustedly, cradling his arm. "I wouldn't mind seeing a doctor right now; what about you, Ray?"
Stantz nodded and unsnapped the buckle securing the proton pack to his waist, then allowed Egon to lift it off. The pack came away wet with the blood soaking his uniform.
"Seeing a doctor is an excellent idea," Spengler commented, having to prop Ray's sagging figure upright. "It looks like you both are going to need a couple of stitches."
"A couple?" Peter stared at Ray's back with something akin to horror. "For this," he said, raising his right sleeve, "we need a couple of stitches. For that, we uses a Singer!"
Ray smiled at him weakly. "It's not that bad, Pete," he protested. "I think it's stopped bleeding; your arm hasn't."
"You're both going to the hospital," Spengler stated firmly. "I will brook no argument on the subject." He broke off at the appearance of Samuel Cage at the building's door. Peter and Ray, drawn by his attention, also looked up. Cage peered cautiously around as though expecting an attack from any quarter.
"Bad guy go bye-bye," Peter told him laconically.
Cage stared.
"He means we've captured the M'Tumba," Egon translated, pointing to the blinking ghost trap. "It's safe to come out now."
Cage smiled his relief. "Good. I heard the sounds of the battle from inside, but I couldn't tell what was going on." He straightened his back, painting a sloppy grin on his face. "I just thought you'd like to know that Marie is waking up -- and she's all right."
"I'm glad one of us is," Peter sighed, laying his head in his hand. "Because I think I'm going to have to borrow her nurse for awhile." With that, he closed his eyes, refusing to say another word until the ambulance arrived and whisked him away.
***
Claws like scythes rose until they loomed far over the heads of the huddled men. Brilliant bursts of ionized energy struck again and again as Peter continued his useless attack. Ruby eyes glittered dangerously in the moonlight, and then the creature staggered backward, affected for the first time by Peter's barrage.
Surprised, Peter jammed his elbow into his companion's ribs though not letting up on his assault for a moment. "Ray! It felt that!"
Stantz followed Peter's line of fire, sharp mind coming to the same conclusion as had Venkman. He fumbled in the dirt for his own thrower and thumbed it on with hands which trembled. "Something must have weakened it," he told the other, grinning with satisfaction when the creature wavered slightly, actually becoming insubstantial for a moment. "Full stream, Peter!"
"Who-HOO!" Venkman cheered, powering up.
M'Tumba backed away carefully, the dark matter making up its body wiggled under the assault as though possessed of a life of its own -- which, for all they knew, it was. The great head rose again and this time there was more than anger in its projected aura -- there was fear. It howled, turned and sped off, heading back in the direction from which it had come.
"We have to go after it," Ray gasped, struggling to stand. The tautness of his face and voice won him a sharp look from his partner.
"You gonna make it?" Peter asked worriedly, gaining his own feet. "Your back is bleeding again."
"So is your arm," Ray pointed out, gesturing to the soggy right sleeve. "He hurt you bad, didn't he?"
Peter spared him a thin smile. "If you're asking does it hurt," he pronounced carefully, "the answer is that that is a stupid question! Of course it hurts!"
Ray fished into a pocket of his coveralls, wincing as the movement irritated the torn-out sutures in his back. He emerged with a length of handkerchief and beckoned the other closer. "I'd better try to stop that bleeding." He wound the cloth twice around Venkman's forearm, then tied it off. "I'm sorry," he apologized when Peter yelped. "I'm trying to be careful.... We have to hurry...."
"It's okay, Ray." Peter forced a reassuring smile at the younger man's concerned expression. "And there's no rush; I know exactly where it's headed."
"Back to the lab?" Ray guessed, double checking his handiwork. "The bleeding's slowed anyway."
"The lab," Peter acknowledged, checking his arm for himself. "I think something happened to Marie."
"Maybe Egon happened to Marie," Ray added, enthusiasm returning at the thought. "We'd better go then." He took a single step forward, then stopped to peer around confused at the unfamiliar surroundings. "We're not even on the campus anymore," he remarked wonderingly. "Do you recognize this place?"
Peter shook his head. "College is that way, though." He jerked his thumb in the general direction into which the beast had disappeared. "Come on, I have an idea of how to get there quick."
Ray followed curiously as Peter trotted in the opposite direction from the campus. They searched in vain for a gate through a stone fence and were finally forced to help each other across the divider to the main street.
"What are you going to do?" Ray asked, looking up and down the silent thoroughfare for signs of life.
In answer, Venkman strode purposefully to the nearest vehicle -- an old brown Pinto missing half its paint. "We need transportation," he explained, trying the doors. "Neither of us are up to another run, and we can't catch that thing on foot anyway." Finding the car locked, Peter hesitated not a moment in unslinging his particle thrower and firing a short burst through the driver's side window. Glass burst inward, a thousand shards embedding themselves in the tattered upholstery. Peter stuck his head through the opening and let himself in.
"These old heaps are pretty easy to hotwire," he went on, brushing off the glass before lowering himself to the floor of the car. "If you know how, that is." He fumbled under the dashboard several seconds while Stantz tapped impatiently on the roof.
"Come on, Peter," Ray begged, poking his head through the window. "If you can't do it, I can; I built a car like this in shop."
The car chose that moment to roar into life. Peter reappeared head up, to shoot his younger colleague a grin. "Taxi?" he offered, waving Ray in.
Their uniforms got them through the police cordon and then they were running again, covering the short distance to the psych lab on foot.
"Be careful," Venkman cautioned, peering nervously up at the rooftops surrounding them. "It could be anywhere, waiting for us."
Just then a brilliant flash of light lit the night sky; the source: their designated goal of the psych lab. "At a guess," Peter remarked drolly, increasing his pace, "I'd say it's over there."
"So's Egon," Ray added grimly, hurrying to keep up.
The heavens blazed again as Peter and Ray reached their destination. Egon stood braced, back to the building's main entrance and playing a steady stream of accelerated protons over the dark nether-being. M'Tumba howled furiously, occasionally striking out with its unsheathed claws, then staggering backward under the impact of Egon's weapon. The blond physicist looked up at his partners' appearance, white teeth flashing in a relieved grin.
"I think we can take it now," he yelled over the din of energy bolt and howling beast. "It's badly weakened!" These words seemed to be born out by the effect of Peter's and Ray's added assault; the ancient terror once used to frighten children in Haiti and far-off Africa, wavered, growing almost transparent as its power leached away. It howled furiously at its capture, yet was powerless in the energy web.
"We can trap it!" Ray's voice was shrill with excitement and triumph. "Egon, throw out a trap! Now!"
"Done." The tall blond unhooked one of the miniature containment vessels from his belt, tossing it under the creature with an expert flick of the wrist. "Trap open!" he announced, stepping on the activator pedal.
The darkness was dispelled as a fire brighter than the proton beams -- brighter even than the sun itself -- cascaded upwards, enveloping the entity in white brilliance. Slowly at first and then faster, M'Tumba was sucked downward into that glowing maw until finally, and with another furious scream, it vanished. The trap snapped shut.
"I don't believe it!" Peter Venkman blinked in the sudden absence of the light, having to squint several seconds before his vision cleared. "We actually got the sucker! I'm not sure how, but...."
"Easy." With a nonchalance usual to the man, Egon reholstered his particle thrower and retrieved the trap, holding it carefully by the long cord; he then laid it carefully to the side. "You mentioned that you believed M'Tumba was drawing strength if not actual existence from Marie D'Loeffier's mind. When I saw that she slipped into a violent dream state when M'Tumba appeared, I theorized it was that portion of her brain which the creature was accessing. Disrupting that...."
Venkman raised a hand, stemming his colleague's explanation before it gained too much momentum to stop. "I get the picture, Spengs," he said wearily. "We can talk about it later." He swayed on his feet and Ray reached a hand to steady him. Peter supported himself against his friend's arm, then had to make a quick grab for Ray as the younger man's legs buckled. He eased Ray to the wide steps, then sank down next to him, where the two sat leaning wearily against each other.
"The conquering heroes," Peter muttered disgustedly, cradling his arm. "I wouldn't mind seeing a doctor right now; what about you, Ray?"
Stantz nodded and unsnapped the buckle securing the proton pack to his waist, then allowed Egon to lift it off. The pack came away wet with the blood soaking his uniform.
"Seeing a doctor is an excellent idea," Spengler commented, having to prop Ray's sagging figure upright. "It looks like you both are going to need a couple of stitches."
"A couple?" Peter stared at Ray's back with something akin to horror. "For this," he said, raising his right sleeve, "we need a couple of stitches. For that, we uses a Singer!"
Ray smiled at him weakly. "It's not that bad, Pete," he protested. "I think it's stopped bleeding; your arm hasn't."
"You're both going to the hospital," Spengler stated firmly. "I will brook no argument on the subject." He broke off at the appearance of Samuel Cage at the building's door. Peter and Ray, drawn by his attention, also looked up. Cage peered cautiously around as though expecting an attack from any quarter.
"Bad guy go bye-bye," Peter told him laconically.
Cage stared.
"He means we've captured the M'Tumba," Egon translated, pointing to the blinking ghost trap. "It's safe to come out now."
Cage smiled his relief. "Good. I heard the sounds of the battle from inside, but I couldn't tell what was going on." He straightened his back, painting a sloppy grin on his face. "I just thought you'd like to know that Marie is waking up -- and she's all right."
"I'm glad one of us is," Peter sighed, laying his head in his hand. "Because I think I'm going to have to borrow her nurse for awhile." With that, he closed his eyes, refusing to say another word until the ambulance arrived and whisked him away.
***
