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Chapter Eleven
Tucker was still asleep when Danny woke. The Ghost Boy made his way down the hall and took a quick shower. He had a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Desiree was the type of creature who tended to make herself known pretty quickly. The fact that she hadn't made him worried.
He hoped beyond hope that the ghost was wondering around the city granting wishes in her own hideous way. She'd be reveled pretty quickly if she was. If she wasn't, then Danny wasn't sure what to do next.
He finished with his shower and had just pulled his tee shirt over his head when his ghost sense went off. He spun around and came face to face with Sam who was smirking at him.
"What are you doing?" he asked in shock as he made sure the bathroom door was locked. He took a deep breath and Sam shook her head.
"Sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to startle you. I waited until you were dressed to come in if that makes you feel any better.
"Gee thanks Sam," Danny said as he brushed off the fogged mirror with his forearm. "That makes me feel much better." Sam sat down on the edge of the bathtub and watched as Danny brushed his teeth.
"What are you doing today?" She asked.
"Looking for Desiree," Danny answered through a mouthful of toothpaste.
"I think she went back into The Ghost Zone," Sam said as she leaned back and smiled. Instead of falling she floated. "Why didn't you ever tell me how cool floating is?"
Danny spit out his toothpaste then rinsed and looked worriedly at Sam. "I never thought about it," he answered.
"Danny?" Jazz called as she knocked at the door. "Who are you talking to in there? Are you all right?" She wiggled the knob. Danny and Sam looked at each other fearfully.
"I'm in the bathroom Jazz," Danny complained. "Can I have some privacy please?"
"You're talking to yourself," Jazz said as she pressed her face against the door. "I'm worried about you." Sam covered her mouth and snickered.
"Shhhhh," Danny chastised her.
"She can't hear me," Sam answered. "I'm not powerful enough to manifest myself in the living world. You see me because you're ghostly yourself." She wiggled her fingers and said, "Oooo." Danny sent her a pained look.
"How do you know this stuff?" he asked.
Sam shrugged her shoulders. "You'd think I was making it up as I go along, but no. There are some things I just seem to know. Instinctively."
"Why don't I know stuff instinctively?" Danny asked warily as he watched Sam. She seemed to shimmer and her presence grew faint for a minute.
"I don't know," she said weakly. "Probably because you're not full ghost." A nauseated look crossed her features.
"Are you okay?" Danny asked as he reached toward her. His fingers phased through her and she shook her head.
"I have to go back to The Ghost Zone," Sam answered. "I'll be back though I promise."
"Do I need to say be careful?" Danny asked.
"No," Sam laughed. "I'm ghost now. There are things I know now that none of us knew before," she paused and smiled wickedly. "We'll talk about it another time." With that she blew a kiss at Danny and disappeared. Danny shook his head and opened the bathroom door.
"Finally," Jazz said as she looked in the bathroom and then looked at Danny. "What were you doing in there?"
"Brushing my teeth," Danny answered as he gave Jazz an exasperated look.
"Do you always talk to yourself while you brush your teeth?" Jazz asked as she followed Danny down the hall and into his room.
Danny rolled his eyes. "Do you always have to be such a pain in the butt?"
"Yes," Tucker said from underneath the covers. "She was in here bugging me before she realized you were in the shower."
"So what are your plans?" Jazz asked. "Where are you going to find Desiree?"
Danny sat on the edge of his bed and tried too look thoughtful, as if the idea had just occurred to him. "I think she went back to The Ghost Zone."
"Oh great," Tucker groaned. "Good luck finding her there."
"Too bad you don't know someone who can hunt her down," Jazz said as she shook her head and walked to the door. "Like some master hunter or something."
Danny and Tucker looked at each other, "Skulker!" They said together then laughed.
"But how are you going to get him of all ghosts to help you?" Jazz asked as she smiled slightly.
Danny sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know. We'll figure out something. I'll give him my right arm if it means we get Sam back."
"Don't tell him that?" Tucker said urgently.
Danny gave Tucker an impatient glare. "Do I look like an idiot to you?"
Tucker thought for a moment and smiled. "Yeah, sometimes." Danny threw a fake punch at Tucker who ducked out of the way and ended up falling off his cot and laughing.
"It feels so good to be able to laugh again," Tucker said on a deep sigh.
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"You want me to what?" Skulker laughed. He shook his head then calmed himself. Looked at Danny and began laughing again.
"I need your help," Danny said seriously.
Skulker stopped laughing suddenly and said, "No!"
"Why?" Danny asked. "You don't think you can do it? You can't find one puny little ghost?"
Skulker shook his head. "Don't try to play tricks on me ghost child. What would be in it for me?"
"The title of greatest hunter in the Ghost Zone?" Danny asked weakly.
Skulker shook his head, "Sorry I already own that one. Try again."
"What do you want?" Danny asked. He paused a moment. "Other than my head mounted on your wall or something like that?"
"Since you are able to interact with the living world without some irritating ghost kid sucking you in that damnable thermos before you can get anything done," Skulker started as he eyed Danny a moment. "There is something you can do for me."
"What?" Danny asked as he smiled slightly.
"There is a woman." Skulker began. "She travels around with a carnival. Her name is Madam LaRouche. Claims to be psychic or such nonsense."
Danny raised his eyebrows at Skulker. "You need a psychic?"
Skulker gave Danny an irritated look. "No I do not need a psychic! She has something. A rare something I want."
"Oookay," Danny said. "What is it?"
"It's a little green horse figurine," Skulker said. "And before you try to make one of your witty remarks, it houses a creature I have been trying to capture since before you cut your first teeth."
"Why haven't you just gone and got it yourself?" Danny asked.
"Because I can't!" Skulker growled. "Some ghost boy keeps throwing me back in The Ghost Zone, like I told you." The hunter eyed Danny for a moment. "That and she repels ghosts. I can't get near her."
"So if I get you this horse thing," Danny said. "You'll help me find Desiree?"
Skulker laughed. "I'll not only help you find that ghost, but I'll leave you alone for the rest of eternity."
"Wow that's a great deal!" Danny said as he laughed.
"But I'm warning you," Skulker began. "Fail to retrieve the horse and I'll make sure you never find Desiree, and you'll lose your little girlfriend forever."
"What?" Danny asked in shock.
"I can see her out there wandering around trying to pretend like she's not interested in what we're discussing." Skulker said. "I can also tell she's fading away. She's not one of those ghosts who have to stay in The Ghost Zone long, she'll be called away soon."
"To where?" Danny asked as his heart began sinking to his feet.
Skulker only smiled. "And once she's there," he continued. "Not even Desiree's little wish magic will be able to bring her back."
"How long does she have?" Danny asked. He was trying not to panic.
"You'll have to ask her. Surly she knows." Skulker replied.
"I'll be back," Danny said. "With the horse." Skulker said nothing as he watched Danny go.
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Danny flew out of Skulker's lair as quickly as he could then looked around for Sam. She appeared behind him and smiled.
"What did he tell you?" she asked. "Will he help?"
"Yes and no," Danny answered as he looked at Sam. He felt like crying. He felt like grabbing her and holding on to her for dear life, but of course dear life was something she no longer possessed. He felt miserable and sick.
"What does that mean?" Sam asked impatiently.
"He wants me to get something from him. From Madame LaRouche." Danny answered.
"Who?" Sam asked.
"She's a psychic. Travels with carnivals. Ring a bell?" Danny answered.
Sam grimaced. "How are you going to find her and what does Skulker want with a psychic?"
Danny laughed, "Well he doesn't want his fortune told that's for sure." Sam rolled her eyes and followed Danny.
"So all we have to do is find the carnival," Sam said. "How long do you think that will take?"
Danny stopped and looked at Sam. "How long do we have?"
"Until the Sh'loshim is over," Sam answered.
"What?" Danny asked in horror.
"It's a period of mourning, 23 days," Sam answered calmly. "But I think we have less, like maybe 15 or so. How long have I been dead?"
"I don't know!" Danny yelled. "How should I know. I haven't been a part of this whole thing very long!"
Sam moved forward and put her hand on Danny's shoulder and looked into his face. "Calm down," she said soothingly as she smiled and brushed his hair from his eyes.
"It's fifteen days. That's a long time really. We'll probably have everything back to normal by tomorrow."
Danny nodded his head then pulled Sam into his arms and hugged her. He didn't feel as optimistic as Sam. He had a bad feeling that his mission wasn't going to be as easy as going to some psychic's house and talking her into giving them some ghostly artifact.
"I don't even know where to start." Danny said. "How do you find out where a carnival traveled to?"
"Don't they have to file permits with each city they go to?" Sam asked. "You can probably track them that way. Besides, they probably haven't gone very far."
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"It will be four to eight weeks," The woman at Amity Park City Clerk's office. "Fill these papers out in triplicate and go over there." She pointed to another window down the way. "There will be a thirty dollar processing fee."
"Why does it take so long?" Danny asked in horror. The woman simply shrugged her shoulders then handed Danny a pen.
"Dude,' Tucker said. "This reminds me of that move Big where they were looking for that fortune teller machine to change Tom Hanks back into a boy."
Danny shook his head as he looked down at the papers in his hand. "We don't have four to eight weeks Tuck," he said. "More like fifteen days."
"What?" Tucker asked. "Why?" Danny looked at his friend and sighed. He didn't want to have to tell Tucker the whole story. He also didn't want to tell Tucker about Sam.
"Just trust me, if we can't find Desiree within the next fifteen days then we'll have lost Sam forever." Danny said.
"Crap!" Tucker said as he looked around frantically. "All they have to do is look this up in the computer. Big deal!" A light bulb seemed to go off over Tucker's head.
"Dude," Tucker whispered as he looked around. "You're a ghost, we can just like, break in here after everyone's gone home and get the information we want."
Danny sighed. "Yeah that's true. Tonight?"
"Yeah," Tucker said as he took the papers out of Danny's hand and threw them in the trash. "Let's get some lunch. I'm starving." Danny said nothing as he followed, he didn't think he could eat. He just wouldn't feel good again until Sam was back where she belonged.
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Danny and Tucker waited impatiently until the clerk's office closed. Danny changed into his ghost form and phased Tucker into the office.
Tucker ran over to a computer station and turned it on. "This should be pretty simple," he said. "All we have to do is look up the information and we'll be good to go."
"Good," Danny said as he floated over Tucker's shoulder. They watched as the opening screen popped up then Tucker opened up a file which read. City Permits. A big screen appeared asking for a log in name and an authorization code.
"What?" Tucker asked. "Why does this information need to be protected?"
"I don't know," Danny answered irritably as he watched the Techno Geek try to hack into the computer.
"Man! What do they have protecting this computer?" Tucker asked. "I've done everything I can, and still nothing works!"
"What about these files?" Danny asked as he pointed to rows and rows of filing cabinets.
Tucker sighed. "Why don't you look and I'll keep trying to break into this damned computer." Danny nodded his head and then floated over to the first cabinet. It was labeled with a numeric code. Danny rubbed his face in irritation then looked at the next and the next and the next. All the cabinets were labeled with numeric codes, it was going to be impossible to tell which cabinet held the information they needed. He flew to the permit desk and looked for some kind of list that would tell him which cabinet to look through, but he had no luck.
Tucker growled expletives then slapped the side of the monitor. "This isn't working Danny. The whole system is too well guarded. I need like some kind of controlled virus or something to get me in."
Danny sighed deeply then floated toward Tucker. "Technus," he said. "Technus could do it."
Tucker grimaced. "There's no way he's going to help you," the Techno Geek said. "I mean you need this information as a result of something Skulker needs. What is Technus going to request as payment?"
"I hope nothing too big," Danny said, knowing that he would do absolutely anything necessary to save Sam, even give his own life if he were asked.
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"You want me to what?" Technus barked as Danny stood before him.
"I need you to break into a computer and get some information for me," Danny said. "It should be easy for a genius such as yourself."
Technus smiled. "Of course it would be easy for me child, but what do I get out of helping you? Why should I help you?"
"Because," Danny said searching for a good reason. He had none. "Because I need help," he offered lamely.
"Ahh! Such a convincing argument," Technus laughed. "But no, I'm sorry. I can't help you."
"Please," Danny begged. "This is a matter of life. You'd be saving someone's life. Do you want to doom them to a ghostly existence?"
Technus gave Danny and annoyed look. "There is nothing wrong with a ghostly existence, and besides if it's your little girlfriend, then she's not stuck in the Ghost Zone long. She'll move on and be glad she did. She'll go to a much better place."
"But I need her here with me!" Danny half yelled then calmed himself.
Technus gave him a pitying look. "Humans and their silly concerns," he said to himself. "All right. I need an upgrade."
"An upgrade?" Danny asked hopefully.
"Yes," Technus answered. "It's called FFTech 3.1. Bring me the disk and I'll help you."
Danny thought for a moment. "All right," he said. "I'll bring it to you as quickly as possible." Technus nodded his head and watched as Danny flew out to the Ghost Zone and met Sam. The ghost shook his head and commented that human's were silly.
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"FFTech 3.1!" Tucker shrieked. "That's not even going to be available to the public for the next three months!"
"No!" Danny growled as he ran his fingers through his hair. "We don't have three months Tuck!"
Tucker nodded his head as he paced back and forth. "Axion Labs," he finally said. "Axion labs should be using it already."
"Oh yeah," Danny sighed. "So now we break into Axion Labs and find a disk?"
"Doesn't Valerie's Dad still work there?" Tucker asked. Danny laughed bitterly as he sat down and put his face in his hands. It would figure that Valerie would have to play some part in this.
"What are we going to do?" Danny asked. "Go up to Valerie and say. Hey remember the ghost boy? Well I'm him and I need your help to save Sam."
"Yeah," Tucker said. "I mean, no." He sighed heavily. "You do what you have to do to get the disk, so we can get the information, so we can get the horse, so we can find Desiree and get Sam back!" He paused. "Man this is so complicated."
"Too complicated," Danny agreed. "But you're right, we do what we have to do. We can't lose Sam Tuck."
"I agree," Tucker replied. "Life without Sam sucks."
"Big understatement," Danny said. He hated himself. He wished he'd never made the wish. He wished he hadn't been so selfish, stupid and shallow. Of course normal people never had to deal with situations like this either, and that realization made him despise himself even more.
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Look! A plot! And it doesn't even involve Vlad! Fancy that! HA! So review. Because I NEED the review. Reviews make me happy. You want to make me happy right? Right? Then REVIEW!