Vampy: I apologize for taking so long to update. I lost motivation for this story and had no idea how to continue. But I have once again been visited by Inspiration and will write until my fickle mistress decides to once again abandon me. Enjoy this looooooong overdue chapter, and I will hopefully update sooner for the next one! I don't own anything from Ghost Hunt. Race Against Time is brought to you by sugar, caffeine, and the multiple people who hunted me down, threatened my chocolate, then watched me type this. Thank you.

This is a rewritten/edited version.

Gene/Ayumu

dreams

thoughts/Shi's P.O.V.

Regular P.O.V.


John looked up at the massive, run down building before him with a sense of dread. He felt as though the house itself was alive and watching him through the empty second floor windows.

"It's almost as if the house is watching us. . ." Ayako shuddered as she spoke John's thoughts aloud.

Masako nodded in agreement, a delicate sleeve covering her mouth "There is so much evil here. . . And so much sorrow."

Her boyfriend resisted the urge to pull her into a protective embrace. Instead, John looked up at the house again, noticing a figure in one of the windows. "I suppose we should go inside and get this over with, then. Though I have a feeling that it's going to be a lot more difficult than we think."

The other two nodded grimly and the trio entered the building with a sense of foreboding. Even with Ayako's charms and John's holy water, they couldn't help but wonder if they were prepared to handle what was ahead of them.


Mara watched as the Australian looked up at the window. She knew he could see her. She wanted him to see her. The spirit was aware that these three SPR members were here to exorcise her. Well. . . They could try.

The priest, the miko, and the medium entered her house. Mara could feel the medium reaching out with her senses to find the ghost's location.

With a smirk and a giggle, she disappeared from the window and materialized in the kitchen.

"She's in the kitchen." Mara heard the soft voice of the medium. She listened to their footsteps, drifting over to the gas stove when they drew closer. Her husband had told her to get rid of the evidence if something were to happen.

All of the cupboard doors opened at once as she searched for anything flammable. A large fire started on the stove while she created a pyre of oil, cooking spray, etc. on it. Soon the entire kitchen was ablaze.

Mara took a few flaming rags to drop around the house, cackling insanely as she manifested herself at a door, then a window, then another door; locking each to prevent the group of invaders from escaping while dropping the burning cloths to make the fire spread even more quickly.

"Run run run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!" She sang out as the medium tried find her location.

She could hear the priest start reading from his holy book. "Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name."

How funny. He thinks his God will have any effect on me? The ghost thought to herself before letting out a laugh that echoed through the whole mansion.


John looked up from his bible as the mansion began to laugh. Giggles came from the walls, chortles from the stairs, and the tables and chairs began to guffaw.

"Agh!" Ayako jumped when the lamp next to her began to snicker.

"John, what's going on?" Masako stepped closer to him, one hand holding a kimono sleeve over her mouth as the other hand clutched her boyfriend's coat.

The Australian glanced at her before continuing with the exorcism. Suddenly, everything went quiet. The SPR members looked around warily.

"Is she gone?" Ayako asked

Masako shook her head. She could sense Mara was close. As she reached out to see where, her eyes widened. "John. . . she's right behind you!"

John was suddenly thrown forward into a wall, his forehead smacking painfully against it. Stars lit up behind his eyes as he crumpled to the floor.

"John!" Both Masako and Ayako screamed in concern.

Mara was suddenly leaning over top of John. "It's not going to be that easy to get rid of me, little priest," she whispered in his ear. "I will leave for now. It's time for me to find my husband. We'll meet again!"

Then, she was gone.


Masako ran over to John, coughing as she inhaled the smoke that was beginning to fill the room. The blonde sat up carefully with his girlfriend's assistance. "Masako, you and Ayako get out of here. I'm going to finish this exorcism."

The medium hid her frown behind a kimono sleeve, her brow wrinkling at the smell of smoke in the fabric. She cast out her senses, trying to find Shi's wife. "She is gone. There are no ghosts here anymore."

Ayako threw her hands up in the air. "I am so done! I'm going on a vacation after this, and I'm taking Mai with me!"

She stomped over to the door and attempted to open it, but the knob wouldn't turn. "It won't open!"

"So we're trapped in here?" Masako asked in a somewhat higher voice than usual. The smoke was in the front entrance room now and was thickening by the minute. She looked down at her kimono and frowned. It would be impossible to get the smell out.

Ayako started coughing as the smoke burned her lungs. "Well, I'm not about to suffocate to death in here from all this smoke!" She began ramming her shoulder into the door.

Neither of the females noticed when John picked up a chair. They didn't notice when he walked over to one of the windows. They didn't notice him lift the chair above his head. But they did notice the sound of shattering glass. Turning, they stared at the priest in disbelief as he dropped the chair.

"Ladies first."


Lin tilted his head at what he heard from the mental link he shared with his shiki. "Oliver, my shiki have found her. They are bringing her to us. She can see them." He couldn't keep the surprise and wonder out of his voice as he murmured the last part.

Naru nodded. He, Lin, and Monk were currently walking sown a forest path in search for Mai. "In which general direction are they? "

The two paused so they could figure out where to go so they could meet up with the shiki and Mai to make sure she would be safe.

Monk was further ahead on the path and glanced back at the two, frowning when he saw that they had stopped walking in order to talk. Surely there wasn't a conversation important enough to cease walking when Mai was still out there! He was anxious to look for Mai, worried that they'd be too late if they delayed any longer.

What will I do when we find Mai? His foot paused in its tapping at the thought. Hug her? Ruffle her hair? Continue to be the big brother figure? Act as though every moment that she was in that bastard's clutch wasn't like a knife to my heart?

Monk cringed. He didn't want to pretend that his feelings were only like that of an older brother. They weren't. Shi knew that, Naru probably knew that. Heck, the whole team probably knew! Except for Mai. Monk was pretty sure that Mai was oblivious to the fact that his heart belonged to her.

With a groan of frustration, the monk kicked a stone into the woods.

"Ow!"

Naru, Lin, and Monk all looked up with a start when they heard Mai's voice. Mai came out onto the path, rubbing at the bump that was forming on her head.

"Jeez, I get kidnapped by a psychopathic killer and this is the kind of reception I get?! Really makes a girl feel missed."

Monk's jaw dropped in surprise and he rubbed his eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him.

Mai grinned despite the dirt, blood from her multiple cuts and scrapes, and her exhaustion. "Keep making that expression and your face will stick that way!"

The next thing she knew, Mai was being swept up into a bear hug by the man she was crushing on. For once, she didn't mind having her oxygen cut off.

I missed you too, Monk. More than you will ever know.


Shi fell to his knees on the earthy floor of the forest, coughing up blood and vomit as the mark of Failure etched itself into his soul. His fingernails dug into the dirt and he cursed. The souls! The 12 souls he had so painstakingly collected were gone; released by none other than the one he was trying so hard to capture.

"Damn!" His fist hit the ground. Now he needed to start from the beginning!

The beginning. . . Yes, yes, his plans could still play out. He would let Mai-chan go for now and start over again. Mai-chan needed to be the 13th. She was the only one who could bring Mara back.

Painfully, Shi pushed himself up. He would leave for now. He'd kill another dozen girls, leaving a trail for SPR to follow over the span of a year. 12 girls for 12 months. But he'd be back- oh yes- he would most definitely be back.

Mara appeared by his side, her features smooth of emotion. His wife looked nothing like the rotted corpse that she was. But soon, she wouldn't be a corpse; rotting or otherwise.

"Have you gotten rid of the evidence?" Shi asked.

"Yes, my love."

"Good. Come, Mara. We must move our King before the White Queen announces 'checkmate'. "