Title: The Disapeared 2/2
Author: ShadoutCarver
Disclaimer: Jim Butcher and used to be SciFi channel but they threw it away so :p
Book or TV verse: TV
Summary: A strange new case turns up for Harry, people are missing and the police don't care
Spoilers: The entire series, just to be safe, though I don't know how much
Author's Notes: I never thought I would bring an original character back. Oh well. Just goes to show.
----
After the emergency personnel police were gone, I filled Harry in on what had happened. He had found a notebook in her pocket. He put on some gloves and took it out. She had taken notes on her progress in the search for her roommate and her observations of the old apartment building. He copied the contents and returned the notebook to her pocket before calling the police.
Lieutenant Murphy frowned at the notebook.
"Another student missing. What do those guys in missing persons do all day? Turn down cases?" She frowned. This makes no sense, what is 'third-eye'?" she asked. "Demons guarding the building? Was she mental?"
"This is something from my side of the street." said Dresden. "and you don't want to know who uses that drug. You can't use just anybody to make it, they have to have to be smart. I'm betting he's done this in other cities, and moves on before the number of missing grow too much for even the cops to notice."
Murphy groaned.
"And if we try to raid the place? What are we going to find?"
"Demons." Harry said.
"I don't want to hear that."
"Really large and nasty dogs."
"All right, Dresden. I'll see who I can put together to check this place out. I'll give you a call before we go." Murphy said as she turned to leave.
-.-.--.-.-.-.
She called the next morning.
Harry was getting ready, gathering what he would need. I stood watching him.
"Take me along, Dresden."
"What are you talking about, Bob?" Harry looked a bit frazzled.
"Take me with you, I want to be there." I insisted.
"You can't do anything."
I winced.
"I know. Take me with you."
"Bob, I don't have time for this. Get in your skull."
"Please, Harry. Take me with you."
"Thats a command, Bob. Now." He was getting angry.
I resisted the command. Defying a direct command was searing agony. Harry stared at me. I had always obeyed him before and he had never seen this. I could not hold out long, I had very little time.
"Please. Harry. Please." I managed to get out.
He hastily grabbed my skull from the desk.
"Alright, alright I'm taking you."
I surrendered to the pull of the command and felt cool relief as I dissolved and entered my skull.
-,-,-,--,
Much of what happened was muffled. I was inside the bag Harry had put me in. There was gunfire and yells, the heat of fire from Harry's hockey stick, the roar of demons and the screams of young people. I felt Harry running up stairs.
He took me out of the bag and put me on the floor as he broke into a room on what must have been the top floor. I emerged to see him facing off with another man, a wizard. Several young people were tied in a circle around him. Enrique among them.
The other wizard was sneering in true cartoon villain fashion. The kids were still, sitting with their eyes glazed over, faces contorted as if staring at something too horrific to turn away from. He had given them waking nightmares.
"You plan to fight me with a hockey stick and a ghost?" the man jeered. "Where are your police friends?"
"I told them not to come up." Harry spoke quietly, seething with anger. "They can't stop me from killing you that way."
The other man laughed and pointed his carved staff at Harry. He never even got to say anything. Harry pointed his hockey stick, power crackling through it, and directed all the force at the wizard. The evil bastard was dead before his staff left his hand.
I moved more quickly than that. I reached and grabbed the man's emerging spirit before he could get to hell. I held him with all my strength to keep him in this plane as a ghost. Then I transmitted agony. All the pent up grief at the death of Melinda, all the pain of being unable to help her, all the torment of resisting Harry's command. I transmitted all of it. The ghost of the wizard howled. I finally let him go and he disappeared, no doubt on his way to hell.
"BOB!"
Harry was calling me, horror in his voice. I looked around and saw the kids looking at me, some in fear, some with almost satisfaction. Enrique was smiling at me. Harry was just starring open mouthed.
"Get back in your skull before the cops get up here." he said softly. I obeyed.
That was at least two weeks ago. It's hard to tell time in here. I haven't come out since, and Harry hasn't called me out. I think he's ashamed of me. I do not know. I am not sorry. With all the misery he has caused that wizard deserved more than a moment's taste of my hell.