John and Kirsty were shown to the office computer and given a quick lesson about the Ghostbusters' favorite search engines by Egon, whom afterward drew a little more blood from John for the slime. In the other corner of Egon's lab, Ray was tinkering with the proton concussion grenades and muttering to himself about possible methods of attaching external detonators to grenades without activating them. Peter looked at his watch. Though the time indicated that their firehouse windows should have welcomed the morning sunshine from the east, there was only purplish darkness outside; that was very bad. After several long hours, everyone had finished their tasks except John and Kirsty. They were having real difficulties trying to find the other Lament Configuration. They had used up all their sources and, after calling each place, ran into only dead ends. Either all of the occult shops on the Ghostbusters' list had never heard of such a thing, or they were lying. Some were found closed in light of the recent apocalyptic events.
Kirsty wandered out to the lounge where Winston and Peter had chosen to nap on the couches, and Ray and Egon were munching on junk food. "I'm sorry Doctor Spengler, but we couldn't find anything in your database, and we're exhausted. Maybe there is some other way to track it down?" John appeared soon after.
"Well, perhaps we could retrieve my PKE Meter and use the information to track other Cenobites," stated Egon. "Didn't you mention that Angelique wanted the other Lament Configuration, Ray?"
"Uh, yeah… Yes I did," stammered Ray. "The only downside is that doing so may run us right into Pinhead and his cronies, as opposed to Angelique. Since all the Cenobites register basically the same ectopresence we won't know which we're tracking."
"Would you guys mind if we got a little sleep out here in the lounge?" asked John. "Kirsty and I have been out all night as well."
Egon retrieved his PKE meter and rigged it in his laboratory to hone in on other such energy signatures. The meter revealed three of them, a severe concentration near Jersey City, another lesser concentration in Brooklyn, and one more in the Bronx.
"I seem to remember a new occult shop opening in the Bronx very recently," stated Ray.
"Why don't we do this: you guys track the meter's ectopresence to the Bronx, as it will probably take awhile, and if you find the wrong Cenobites, call me and I'll search another area with Kirsty and John, who can stay here and sleep in the meantime."
"Okay, here are the vials of blood slime, more heavily concentrated," stated Winston, handing out little fiberglass flasks attached to boot strap necklaces. "Thanks again John."
"If you had needed a kidney I would have given it," replied John with conviction. "Anything to stop the Cenobites."
"Do you guys really think the packs will work?" Asked Ray to Winston.
"Well, we've got a better shot with them than we did with the Slime Blowers, since we know the slime does nothing. At least there's a chance our throwers will do damage. They did to the demons' creations," replied the fourth Ghostbuster.
Three of the four Ghostbusters gathered up their equipment and load Ecto-1. The giant ambulance busted through the firehouse entryway, lights flashing but sirens silent, toward the Bronx and the source of the Cenobite psychokinetic energy. Kirsty and John proceeded to lie down for a nap while Ray went into Egon's lab and closed the door as quietly as he could. They would need all the sleep they could get if they were to survive Ray's deal with the Cenobites… The Cenobites can have them just long enough for me to learn the secrets of Labyrinth from those books, then I'll use them to close the gate and banish the demons permanently, thought Ray as he sat down at the computer to compose Egon a message over e-mail. I just hope that my back up plan works if something goes wrong.
…
A chilly wind howled across the lightless daytime sky. According to a clock it was now almost noon, but the prevalent darkness blocked out any traces of sunlight. At least the Ghostbusters passed a few living people around the rearranged city skyline, all of whom seemed to be gathering survival supplies like jugs of water and flashlights. However, they also saw greater numbers of Cenobite creations. The sub-demons seemed to notice them as well. Many of them began stalking the silent ambulance, alarming the Ghostbusters. Inside Ecto-1, Doctor Peter Venkman sat uncharacteristically silent in the rear seat. Everyone inside the vehicle was rather silent. After what seemed like an eternity, Peter spoke:
"Guys, something's bothering me about Ray."
"You mean about his dream, right?" Asked Winston.
"Sort of. I think Ray's hiding something from us."
"What makes you think that?" Challenged Winston. "I've always known Ray to be honest, and he didn't seem possessed to me."
"The version he told you differed a little from the one he told me, and neither times did he mention what I heard from him in his sleep. He woke me up groaning about Angelique, but he also groaned Pinhead's name in his dream."
"Venkman, I think you're just worried," stated Egon. "I know him as well as do you and have a hard time believing that man would lie about anything. Plus, you and I both know he's a terrible liar. He proved it with the sorority girls back in college."
"Yeah, but that was personal; a 'little white lie'," responded Peter. "It was only about him. This concerns the fate of the city and the world."
"Well how did the story he told you differ from the one we heard?" Asked Winston.
"Well, in the version he told me, he said the meeting place was going to be his bookstore, not Janine's apartment. Also, he never said anything to me about Janine or I being under threat of torture."
Winston and Egon exchanged glances. Truth be told, they were worried about Peter being right. He was an expert at reading people. It was what made him good at sweet-talking clients, law officers, and the general public. And Ray seemed tremendously under duress. They had simply chalked it up to the apocalyptic situation at hand. But now that they considered it, Ray usually walked into situations like this as a child walked into a new playground. It was like he was mentally carrying something.
"You think it might have something to do with Ray almost getting possessed by Vigo down in Labyrinth?" Asked Winston solemnly.
"That's exactly what I was thinking. Like, he's planning to use Ray – a telepathic pathway he'd already created – to bust him out of Labyrinth and to re-enter our world," murmured Peter.
"Well I can always call him to find out. Now that we have left headquarters, if Vigo plans to strike now's a pretty good time." Egon dialed Ray's cell phone from his own. After a few dial tones, he received his colleague's familiar 'what's up?'"
"Ray, listen carefully to me. When you were down in Labyrinth and you got possessed by Vigo, did he tell you to do anything?"
"Well I remember something about 'walking into the machine, force the other one'… it's all pretty fuzzy though now. At the time it was overpowering yet distant," replied Ray via phone. Peter tore the phone out of Egon's hand and proceeded to talk.
"Ray, what was the thing that made you unable to bag that sorority chick Dianna Krall back in our university days?" Asked Peter.
"C'mon Pete, do you have to bring that up again? You and I both know it was because her father was a dean at our school and didn't like me. If he found out I slept with his beloved daughter he'd expel me for sure," sighed Ray. "I still think she's the one that got away."
Peter lowered the phone. "Well, guys, he's not possessed by anything. He just answered a question no ghost could possibly know the answer to." He handed the small device back to Egon.
"Have you guys found the box yet?" Asked Ray through the phone.
"No. We're still on our way to the source of the psychokinetic energy," replied Egon. "Talk to you later." The bespectacled scientist ended the call. Though it was clear Ray was under his own influence, no one in the car liked the results of Peter's little experiment. They still had to solve that mystery without offending their colleague.
Ecto-1 pulls up to the curb just a few blocks from Yankee Stadium. Egon checks his PKE Meter to confirm that the entity's signal is still strong. The boys in gray exit their vehicle and grab their equipment. Like at the nightclub, there is only eerie silence where large crowds of people should be. But, there are very few cars to be found anywhere along the street. A cool breeze shoots between the old apartment complexes, tussling the Ghostbusters' hair. All of them can hear moaning. Peter commented:
"I've heard moaning like that before; when we went to rescue Janine. Saddest sound you ever heard in your life. Let's go boys."
The Ghostbusters powered up their packs and cautiously followed Egon as he traced his PKE Meter's through the maze of buildings that appeared more like gray stone monoliths, until they gathered out in front of the occult shop. With its vivid neon green and purple storefront, the shop stood out from the dingy gray of the surrounding buildings. In the dark silence of the outdoors the parapsychologists could hear movement from within the shop. The three Ghostbusters exchanged glances before slinking to the doorway like secret agents.
…
John and Kirsty groggily wandered out from the firehouse television room, John rubbing his neck and Kirsty rubbing her eyes. Their footfalls drew Ray from Egon's lab to greet them:
"Good afternoon! I brewed a strong pot of coffee for you guys. You hungry? Want some toast or something?"
"Coffee would be great," said John, with Kirsty nodding in affirmation.
Ray went to the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with two full mugs. "Listen guys. I just remembered that I left something we need at my bookstore across town. But I don't feel comfortable leaving you guys here, because the Cenobites are likely still searching for you. So you should come with me." John and Kirsty nodded. "We don't have to leave quite yet. I'm still working on a few of those PCGs just in case we run into anything…" Ray trailed off lost in thought a few seconds before resuming. "Feel free to watch TV until I'm ready." He wandered back into Egon's lab and closed the door abruptly.
…
Winston cautiously pushed open the thin wooden door of the occult shop. The rummaging suddenly ceased. "Wiiiinston," a beautiful breathy feminine voice softly purred. The three Ghostbusters backed up cautiously, proton guns at the ready. "Do you really want to hurt me? I don't think he would appreciate it."
A small man stepped forward from the darkness of the shop into the soft amber glow of the streetlight. Decorated in a skintight black leather leggings and panel top, a full mask covered his head which was linked to his outfit by silver cone collar. Peter recognized him by his tan brown Bostonians, decidedly out of place with the rest of his outfit. "Louis, are you hurt? Are you still human?" The small accountant simply bared his teeth at them. Egon scanned him with PKE Meter. The small device nearly went into convulsions.
"Peter, he's possessed," stated Egon frankly.
"Yesssss," continued the feminine voice. "I wanted him for my new toy. Something just soooo sexy about a man with a brain." Egon swallowed hard at this. She too emerged into the streetlight's amber glow. Beautiful raven hair draped over her soft round shoulders. Down to her bust was only supple firm skin, the perfect shade of peach. A black leather corset interrupted the erotic journey downward, yet somehow enhanced it. Likewise, her lower regions were hidden within a tight black leather dress that extended halfway down her calves. The guys could only imagine the prize beneath that dress. They were trying hard to keep their resolve as their eyes continued downward. Black-laced leather spiraled down the leg, revealing small sections of fishnet and skin, down to full black leather boot, revealing only a small peek of red toenail at the very tip. The boot's thick heels elevated her greatly.
"Angelique, I presume," said Peter coyly. She giggled. "And you would be searching for the other puzzle box, right?" She giggled again.
"Do you boys really want to shoot lil' old me?"
"No," they all mumbled. Nevertheless they kept their guns trained on her. Winston started a makeshift interrogation.
"Tell us a little about your deal with our absent colleague."
"What deal?" Angelique replied. Her answer was not going to fool anybody.
"You know what deal we mean. You offered to end this apocalypse if Ray brought you both Lament Configurations. He told us you were going to meet him at Janine's apartment in about a half hour from now," continued Winston.
"Well, you're right about one thing: I left him with a lot to think about," purred Angelique.
"What does that mean?" asked Winston.
"I never agreed to meet him anywhere. I can summon him whenever I want him."
Just then, Egon's PKE Meter chirped to life and registered a similarly powerful empty ectopresence as Angelique. Stalking down the street behind them was a hideous cenobite dressed in similar fetish clothing as Pinhead. It was a being of two torsos, joined together in several places but most notably by a large cylinder to which skin of both their heads was tightly wrapped. One face was distorted in a hideous grin, the other in a hopeless frown.
"If you'll excuse me, gentlemen," commented Angelique. "I have to retrieve someone at your firehouse. You can play with the Wire Twins here. Come, Tully." She then began her sly walk down the street toward Lower Manhattan and the Ghostbusters' firehouse.
The Wire Twins shot chains toward the trio, only to watch the chains snap back, repelled by the same invisible force as were Pinhead's chains at the mental hospital. The Ghostbusters just shot each other disgusted glances as if to say "they never learn" and opened fire on the Wire Twins. The Cenobite simply absorbed the proton fire and advanced toward them. Surprised and worried, they could only retreat.
"If anyone has ideas, I'm all ears!" commented Peter.
"Sorry, Venkman. I'm terrified beyond capacity for rational thought," remarked Egon.
"Run!" shouted Winston. All three men broke into a wind sprint back toward Ecto-1. Doctor Egon Spengler was keeping a strict eye on his PKE Meter and the presence slowly stalking them. But he also happened to notice something that made him speak.
"Winston, Peter, look at this. In addition to the ectopresence following us, and the presence just a few minutes down the street, there is another more powerful concentration of the same presence heading toward Brooklyn."
"Brooklyn… that's where Ray's occult bookstore…" trailed Winston.
"Oh Shit," commented Peter. "Quick, call Ray's cell phone. I think I know what's going on here." Egon tried Ray's phone, only to get his voice message.
"He isn't picking up," commented Egon.
"Call the firehouse," suggested Peter. Egon tried that and got only the company message machine.
"We've got to get to Ray's Occult before he does," said Peter. The guys piled into their company car as fast as they could, and sped off down the street. Along the way they saw Angelique and Louis walking – hovering – along the avenue. As they passed Ecto-1 slowed, the windows descended, and two proton guns aimed out the window at the mysterious woman. "Going my way," deadpanned Peter. "Get in." He said with menace.
"Egon, do you want to tell me why I've got Little Miss Apocalyptica and her protégé at gunpoint here in the back seat?" Asked Peter.
"You said Peter that Ray moaned two names in his dream. Angelique, and Pinhead. When we got here, Angelique seemed to be searching for the second Lament Configuration, like us. You also suspected Ray of lying about something. My guess is that whatever he's lying about has something to do with that tremendous energy concentration in Brooklyn, and it will happen at his bookstore," reasoned Egon.
Angelique and Louis sat completely silent, but the expression on her face told Peter that she could read the expression on his face perfectly. If she wanted to escape she could and he knew it. But she seemed content to ride along with them. "This is a gorgeous vehicle," murmured the mysterious woman. "Be a shame to wreck it…" Ecto-1 cruised toward Brooklyn and Ray's Occult.