Part two: Thagards message
Winston didn't even bother to park the van let alone move it inside. It skidded to a halt in the middle of the road outside the fire station much to the annoyance of the other road users. It hadn't even stopped moving before the doors flew open and the boys leapt out.
"Hey!" A cab driver yelled out of his side window. "You gonna move ya stinkin' va..?"
He ducked down quickly as a blast of Peters pack ricochet off of his bonnet and cracked the windscreen. The Ghostbusters was in no mood to argue.
Peter reached the door to the firehouse first his heart in his mouth and horrifying images of Janine lying dead or injured shooting through his mind he yanked the door open and leapt through. The others followed closely, rods raised.
Janine was pinned against Winston's locker. A huge white guy built like a boxing champ was holding both her wrists above her head. She struggled, kneeing him where it would hurt the most but he didn't flinch. His eyes bore the same expression as the people at the hotel. His rolled up sleeves showed the burn of Thagard scorched into the skin of his muscled arm.
The tip of Egon's rod crackled as his finger grazed the trigger.
"LET HER GO!" He bellowed. The others had rarely seen him so angry. His pale cheeks were flushed scarlet, his hair drooped down onto his face and his eyes were alight with rage. Even Thagards thug looked weary, despite being twice Egon's size. It didn't last long though. After a moments hesitation the Thug grinned, turning back to Janine.
"You are the luckiest woman alive." He said softly stroking her cheek with his massive paw. She flinched at his touch. "You have the chance to save the world."
"I said let her go." Egon repeated menacingly.
The brute continued despite Egon's interruption. He leaned in close to Janine. "Show them that a life without you is no life at all." He urged "If they choose to let you go they will be giving up Thagards rule. He will protect us all. But they must choose quickly"
Janine didn't understand what was going on but the boys seemed to know what was going on. Ray shook his head as though trying to brush away some terrible thought
"How long do we have?" He demanded
"That depends, the longer you leave it the more people will suffer." The man replied without taking his eyes off of Janine.
As he finished speaking an unearthly voice rang through the firehouse making them all jump.
"If you do not come to me more will follow." It boomed.
"More what?" She trembled.
The man holding Janine gagged suddenly and let go backing away looking and frightened, he seemed to be swelling.
The disembodied voice laughed as the large man fell to the floor screaming. "No master!" he pleaded desperately "I have done what you asked. I delivered the message!"
He pawed wildly at his skin as though something was burning him. Then he exploded. Bone, blood, muscle and fat shoot in all directions staining everything in sight and covering all four Ghostbusters and Janine. They stared shocked for a moment before Janine sank to the floor in a dead faint. Egon rushed over and scooped her up.
"What was that about?" Peter asked he was very pale and clearly shaken.
"Thagard is growing in strength." Egon explained as he turned and headed for the stairs, the unconscious Janine resting in his arms. "He made that man explode and I should imagine that he will do it again and again until we decide."
The others didn't say anything at first, none of them wanted to even think about making that decision. It was an impossible choice.
"Will they come for her?" Winston asked, nodding towards Janine.
"They will need to prepare her as a sacrifice." Egon nodded "And I'm sure he'll want us to experience life without her before we reach our decision."
"Not necessarily," Ray called. He had brought with him the tome he had gathered his information from and was flicking through. He seemed very troubled. "There's something else."
"Good something or bad something?" Peter asked, he shouldn't have bothered.
Ray replied with a withering look. "We only have 30 hours from the pact being made to decide. After that Thagard gets everything, the world and Janine."
"Right so these are our options." Winston summarized. "If we don't make a choice we loose everything. If we choose Janine Thagard takes over. If we choose freedom we loose Janine. And all the while this is going on Thagard takes control of people and kills some of them to make us hurry up. It isn't fair"
"No" Egon agreed carrying Janine up the stairs to the bedroom "it isn't"
----
Walter Peck sucked his pen moodily as he sat behind his cheap assembly kit desk on his squeaky old chair. It wasn't fair. After years of crawling, extra hours put in, muffin baskets sent to the boss, he'd even bathed the mans dogs, where had it got him? Assistant to the head of sanitation... he was a glorified secretary!
It had been so different last year. He had been in charge of his own department, He had his own office, large windows, oak desk, personalized stationary. People looked up to him, and now? Now he was sharing an open planned office under cheap florescent light and sharing biros with morons who couldn't even remember his name.
This was all Venkmans fault. That whole business with the ghosts had got totally out of control. Venkman had provoked him. There was no way that he'd have reacted in such a way ordinarily, but that moronic so-called doctor had gone out of his was to obstruct every attempt Peck had made to make sure the city was safe.
And now look, the Ghostbusters were heroes while he was demoted. Angrily he spat the pen out and slouched off to the cooler. As he lifted the paper cup to his mouth a movement from outside the caught his eye. The office was at street level. A long glass window ran along one side of the room so that employees could see everything that happened outside and 'be amongst the people they were working for.'
The people they were working for seemed frightened. Several ran past screaming. Peck dropped his cup and ran outside to see what was wrong.
There was an army approaching. A mass of men and women of all colors and ages marched in step towards him, arms flat by their sides. Cars and other vehicles miraculously floated out of their way as though some unseen force was clearing their path bar.
As they moved closer Peck could see their eyes were glazed over. It didn't take a Ghostbusters to see that they were possessed. Peck ran or at least tried to. He couldn't work out how they were doing it but he didn't seem to get anywhere. The mob was on him in moments. They marched over him, treading on him, kicking him.
As he managed to rise to his feet the marching stopped. The mob formed a circle around him. He was trapped.
"Don't kill me!" He wailed pathetically
A sallow skinned man stepped forward. His outstretched hand was on fire but it didn't seem to hurt him. Peck screamed in terror.
"Please no!" He yelled as the flaming hand ebbed nearer. "I'll get you whatever you want. I work for the mayor..."
The sallow skinned man stopped, the fire was inches away from Pecks skin.
"Ah," The man smiled "Then perhaps we have use for you."
----
Egon had placed Janine on his own bed. He stayed with her for quite some time before he was certain that it was just the shock that had caused her to faint and nothing more serious. Once satisfied she was not in any danger, at least for the time being he retired with Ray to the lab to try and find some way out of this impossible situation. None of them held out much hope for a solution but couldn't find it in themselves to voice their concern and state the obvious.
There was no way out of it; they would eventually have to choose.
Peter and Winston didn't leave her side. They sat in silence. The light slowly dimmed as the sun started to set. Dim golden light shone through the window making everything glow a deep orange.
Peter sighed looking at his wristwatch. It had been nearly eight hours since the deal had been struck and no solution had presented itself. They were running out of time.
The phones had been ringing off the hook all afternoon. After answering the first two Peter decided it wasn't worth the effort. Egon assured him that the rise in paranormal activity was merely a bi-product of the whole situation with Thagard. The ghosts would go wild for a few hours then everything would go quiet.
The scientist had been right. The phones had stopped ringing; everything was as quiet as the grave. There was not a ghost in sight.
A thought struck Peter; he hadn't seen Slimer in hours.
"Where's the spud?" He asked, breaking the silence so suddenly he made Winston jump.
"I haven't seen him." Winston shrugged rubbing his tired eyes with his palms
"Something frightened him." A groggy voice whispered from the bed. "He's hiding"
"Janine!"
The secretary sat up running her fingers through her short fiery hair and looking around for her glasses. Peter handed them over with a relieved smile.
"Lying down on the job?" He tutted in mock disappointment. "I'll have to dock your wages."
"You'd have to pay me first"
They all sat grinning at each other as Egon and Ray burst through the door. Ray ran over to the bed and hugged Janine tightly.
"You had us worried." He whispered softly in her ear. Then broke away perching on the edge of her bed.
Egon looked as though he longed to do the same but couldn't quite find the courage. He looked away, cleaning his glasses unnecessarily. His hands were shaking. After a moment to gather his composure he turned back to face the others.
"I'm so sorry." He told Janine sincerely
She looked confused and a little concerned. What had got the boys so agitated and what had that man meant earlier. Squeezing Rays hand for comfort she took a deep breath.
"What's wrong?" She asked fearfully. Not one of them could meet her eye. Ray, Winston and Peter turned to Egon who taking up his cue explained everything at great length. It took some time but Janine listened patiently. When he had finally finished she nodded her head solemnly.
"You all know what you have to do." She sighed.
Peters lip curled into an ugly contemptuous expression.
"Yeah, kick Thagards ass." He spat.
Janine noticed the fearful look Ray had just shot Egon. It was quite obvious that despite their best efforts they had not managed to find a way to stop this 'Thagard' guy.
"That doesn't seem to be an option." She shook her head, there were tears in her eyes now as she squeezed Rays had even tighter.
"We'll find a way." Egon assured her "There's still time."
Janine let go of Ray, who was more than grateful. He massaged his knuckles surreptitiously as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and treading softly padded her way over to Egon. She looked deep into his eyes.
"If anyone could have found a way out of this it's you." She said softly "But we don't have time to waste. He'll kill more people if we don't end this now."
"Please Janine," Egon pleaded "give us a chance to find a solution"
"But if he's growing more powerful then more people are endanger. More people are falling under his spell and the same thing will happen to them as to that man downstairs."
"Who we still haven't done anything about." Peter reminded the others, indicating their bloodstained clothes. "Perhaps the police should know a man exploded on our premises earlier!"
Janine blinked back her tears, "That man probably had a family. Someone cared about him and now he's dead. I can't let that happen to anyone else!"
To the others slight surprise Egon was also forcing back the tears welling up in his eyes.
He took Janine's shaking hands and looked deep into her eyes. "Please," He begged. "A few more hours. I don't want to loose you."
Janine buried her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "Oh Egon," She moaned "If you can't stop him then promise me you wont feel bad about making the right choice."
"I can't promise that."
"Then just promise me you'll make the right choice."
The scientist said nothing for a moment. He looked over the top of her head to the others, all of whom were resting their heads in their hands. Breaking away from Janine he looked deep into her eyes. "I promise." He said his voice cracking with emotion.
Peter leapt up clearing his throat loudly. "We'll then let's all get to work.. Ray, Egon you do what you do best. Read books. Janine we have to get you somewhere safe, they know where you are and will be coming for you. We'll put our heads together then Winston and I'll get you… what's that noise?"
There was a slow beat coming from outside. It sounded like thousands of footsteps marching in time along the street. The Ghostbusters and their secretary moved to the window. There was a whine behind them which made them all jump. Slimer shot from his hiding place under Peter's bed and wrapped his arms fearfully around Ray's leg.
They all turned back to the sight in the street, gasping in horror. A sea of people marched towards the firehouse Even from so far away it was clear they were all possessed. Torches burnt high above their heads illuminating their path through the city as the daylight dimmed and faded.
"What?" Peter sighed sarcastically "No pitchforks!"
(A/N: I know Peck isn't in the cartoon but I needed a slimebag on the inside and he fitted the bill. Besides the cartoon's based on the movie so what the hey!
Hope you all enjoyed it and are looking forward to Part three: Egons lie. (2nd Feb) Thanks for the reviews, please continue to let me know if you liked it.)
