Chapter One
Winston slowly descended the stairs early the next morning to see his three friends fast asleep on the couch; Egon's feet were propped up on the coffee table, his head resting gently against the back of the couch, his arm around Ray's shoulder. Ray's head leaning against his shoulder, beside Ray was Peter, fast asleep against Ray's burley chest, his feet also propped up on the table, an arm on the back of the couch, as if both Egon and Peter were attempting to protect Ray.
Winston hated waking them, he understood how badly they all would need each other, for whatever this Austin fellow would throw their direction. He stood tall and strong, he would help protect them, his friends, his family. He wouldn't let them get hurt. He was about to wake them when the alarm for a bust went off, causing all four men to jump. Winston bolted down the pole, closely followed by Peter, then Ray and finally Egon, who still wasn't very fond of the pole.
"What bozo planned this," asked Peter as he took the slip of paper from Janine, their redheaded secretary who was a big help to all of them. Peter joined the others as he climbed beside Winston in the front seat.
"I'm not sure I really like this," stated Winston as he drove towards the harbors, where the warehouse was located.
The four men slowly climbed out of the Ecto and looked up at the large warehouse. Peter shook his head.
"Anything Egon?" Ray asked watching his friend's face.
"No, perhaps this isn't such a good idea," Egon stated.
"Now I know I don't like this," Winston whispered.
"Let's get out." Peter begin.
"Wait, I'm picking up a class three, it's moving," Egon said as the antenna moved on the PKE meter.
"We were so close," whispered Peter as they made their way into the old must warehouse. Boxes covered the floors and area, big wooden crates.
"Remember, stay together guys, Ray your with me, Winston and Egon, you two watch each other like hawks," Peter said looking at his two best friends.
"Be careful Pete, Ray, don't do anything dumb okay, keep your head on your shoulders okay," Winston said, not wanting anything to happen to his friends. ****
The tall man smirked evilly as he watched the four Ghostbusters split up, they were doing just what he wanted. His grin turned into a sneer as another man approached him, the man had graying brown hair and looked at him.
"You're sure about this sir?" The man asked. Austin rolled his eyes and smacked the man harshly in the shoulder.
"You twit, of course I'm sure, it's time to get revenge on Venkman and Stanz for what they put me through, and I'll be damned if I'm going to allow them to get away. Get the van ready!" with that he disappeared into the dark hallway. ****
"Damn we lost him again!" Hissed Peter as he and Ray continued to wander through the long almost catacomb hallways that seemed to twist each and every way.
"Peter, slow down," Ray called, he knew it would do no good for them to run themselves ragged. Although he was quickly wondering what they were still doing here, he hadn't picked up any readings since they had split up. Something was very wrong here, and he didn't know what yet.
"How you doing Tex?" Peter asked, as he moved ahead another corner. Suddenly Ray felt a hand clasp his mouth tightly shut and pinch his nose closed. Spots danced in Ray's vision as his brain and lungs were deprived of their oxygen. He had no time to yell out and he wanted to warn Peter.
"Hiya Ray, remember me? You're worst nightmare? Of course you do, you had one of me just this morning didn't you?" Ray's eyes grew wide as the words penetrated his fogging head.
"Let's go find Petey," the man spoke in a menacing tone, his deep voice shaking him to the core, unlike Egon's deep voice which only brought comfort. Ray shook his head wildly, hoping to dissuade this man from the idea, no such luck.
"Oh trust me, I've got all this planned out Raymond, I have for nearly twelve years."
"AUSTIN!" Yelled Peter, from just in front of them, Ray had no time to react, a minute later Peter was on the ground, bleeding from a wound on his temple, and Austin was holding a smoking gun. ****
Peter had been horrified at the sight of Ray being captured by David Austin, he glared at the man, eyes full of a different rage, a protective rage.
"Payback's a bitch Venky!" With that Austin withdrew a 9mm, keeping Ray directly in front of him, he took aim and pulled the trigger. ****
Egon and Winston jumped at the sound of a gun discharging. They both looked at each other in horrified expressions.
"Peter!" They heard Ray's scream.
"Oh god!" Egon yelled taking off at a run. Winston taken by surprise.
"Egon wait we." he didn't get any further words out, a second later the butt of a gun slammed into his left temple, causing darkness to enthrall his world. ****
"Damn, my head is killing me," Winston stated as he slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself in a vertical position, the familiar smell of disinfectant pointing out that he was located in a hospital, somewhere, on a wing. Nothing was making sense to him, he tried to look around, but moving his head brought new bouts of pain he wasn't aware of existed until now.
"Winston?" Janine's soft and worried voice helped clear his fuzzed mind.
"Where?" He had yet to establish long sentences, other than his first.
"Oh thank goodness you're okay. Dr. Powell said you were hurt, he wasn't sure if you'd be all right. He said you didn't have a skull fracture but you'd have to wake up before we knew if there was permanent damage."
"Well.other than a permanent headache, I'd say I'm fine. What.I heard a gunshot! Egon, Ray, What about Peter? Are they all here too? Are they all right!?" The escalating pain didn't help him because he was quickly feeling ill.
"Slow down, all I know is, I got a phone call five hours ago from some cop saying you and Dr. Venkman had been found, unconscious in a warehouse. The police are searching, they haven't found Egon or Ray yet. Dr. Venkman is going to be fine, the bullet skimmed the side of his right temple, no real damage, they'll let him out tomorrow if he isn't running a fever. They said the same about you if you woke up today."
"Janine, did they find any sign of Austin?"
"No, nothing, don't worry Winston, we'll find them, we have to. We couldn't do the job without them," Janine didn't say the unspoken thought, but it was obvious what she was thinking.
Winston slowly descended the stairs early the next morning to see his three friends fast asleep on the couch; Egon's feet were propped up on the coffee table, his head resting gently against the back of the couch, his arm around Ray's shoulder. Ray's head leaning against his shoulder, beside Ray was Peter, fast asleep against Ray's burley chest, his feet also propped up on the table, an arm on the back of the couch, as if both Egon and Peter were attempting to protect Ray.
Winston hated waking them, he understood how badly they all would need each other, for whatever this Austin fellow would throw their direction. He stood tall and strong, he would help protect them, his friends, his family. He wouldn't let them get hurt. He was about to wake them when the alarm for a bust went off, causing all four men to jump. Winston bolted down the pole, closely followed by Peter, then Ray and finally Egon, who still wasn't very fond of the pole.
"What bozo planned this," asked Peter as he took the slip of paper from Janine, their redheaded secretary who was a big help to all of them. Peter joined the others as he climbed beside Winston in the front seat.
"I'm not sure I really like this," stated Winston as he drove towards the harbors, where the warehouse was located.
The four men slowly climbed out of the Ecto and looked up at the large warehouse. Peter shook his head.
"Anything Egon?" Ray asked watching his friend's face.
"No, perhaps this isn't such a good idea," Egon stated.
"Now I know I don't like this," Winston whispered.
"Let's get out." Peter begin.
"Wait, I'm picking up a class three, it's moving," Egon said as the antenna moved on the PKE meter.
"We were so close," whispered Peter as they made their way into the old must warehouse. Boxes covered the floors and area, big wooden crates.
"Remember, stay together guys, Ray your with me, Winston and Egon, you two watch each other like hawks," Peter said looking at his two best friends.
"Be careful Pete, Ray, don't do anything dumb okay, keep your head on your shoulders okay," Winston said, not wanting anything to happen to his friends. ****
The tall man smirked evilly as he watched the four Ghostbusters split up, they were doing just what he wanted. His grin turned into a sneer as another man approached him, the man had graying brown hair and looked at him.
"You're sure about this sir?" The man asked. Austin rolled his eyes and smacked the man harshly in the shoulder.
"You twit, of course I'm sure, it's time to get revenge on Venkman and Stanz for what they put me through, and I'll be damned if I'm going to allow them to get away. Get the van ready!" with that he disappeared into the dark hallway. ****
"Damn we lost him again!" Hissed Peter as he and Ray continued to wander through the long almost catacomb hallways that seemed to twist each and every way.
"Peter, slow down," Ray called, he knew it would do no good for them to run themselves ragged. Although he was quickly wondering what they were still doing here, he hadn't picked up any readings since they had split up. Something was very wrong here, and he didn't know what yet.
"How you doing Tex?" Peter asked, as he moved ahead another corner. Suddenly Ray felt a hand clasp his mouth tightly shut and pinch his nose closed. Spots danced in Ray's vision as his brain and lungs were deprived of their oxygen. He had no time to yell out and he wanted to warn Peter.
"Hiya Ray, remember me? You're worst nightmare? Of course you do, you had one of me just this morning didn't you?" Ray's eyes grew wide as the words penetrated his fogging head.
"Let's go find Petey," the man spoke in a menacing tone, his deep voice shaking him to the core, unlike Egon's deep voice which only brought comfort. Ray shook his head wildly, hoping to dissuade this man from the idea, no such luck.
"Oh trust me, I've got all this planned out Raymond, I have for nearly twelve years."
"AUSTIN!" Yelled Peter, from just in front of them, Ray had no time to react, a minute later Peter was on the ground, bleeding from a wound on his temple, and Austin was holding a smoking gun. ****
Peter had been horrified at the sight of Ray being captured by David Austin, he glared at the man, eyes full of a different rage, a protective rage.
"Payback's a bitch Venky!" With that Austin withdrew a 9mm, keeping Ray directly in front of him, he took aim and pulled the trigger. ****
Egon and Winston jumped at the sound of a gun discharging. They both looked at each other in horrified expressions.
"Peter!" They heard Ray's scream.
"Oh god!" Egon yelled taking off at a run. Winston taken by surprise.
"Egon wait we." he didn't get any further words out, a second later the butt of a gun slammed into his left temple, causing darkness to enthrall his world. ****
"Damn, my head is killing me," Winston stated as he slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself in a vertical position, the familiar smell of disinfectant pointing out that he was located in a hospital, somewhere, on a wing. Nothing was making sense to him, he tried to look around, but moving his head brought new bouts of pain he wasn't aware of existed until now.
"Winston?" Janine's soft and worried voice helped clear his fuzzed mind.
"Where?" He had yet to establish long sentences, other than his first.
"Oh thank goodness you're okay. Dr. Powell said you were hurt, he wasn't sure if you'd be all right. He said you didn't have a skull fracture but you'd have to wake up before we knew if there was permanent damage."
"Well.other than a permanent headache, I'd say I'm fine. What.I heard a gunshot! Egon, Ray, What about Peter? Are they all here too? Are they all right!?" The escalating pain didn't help him because he was quickly feeling ill.
"Slow down, all I know is, I got a phone call five hours ago from some cop saying you and Dr. Venkman had been found, unconscious in a warehouse. The police are searching, they haven't found Egon or Ray yet. Dr. Venkman is going to be fine, the bullet skimmed the side of his right temple, no real damage, they'll let him out tomorrow if he isn't running a fever. They said the same about you if you woke up today."
"Janine, did they find any sign of Austin?"
"No, nothing, don't worry Winston, we'll find them, we have to. We couldn't do the job without them," Janine didn't say the unspoken thought, but it was obvious what she was thinking.