Peter wandered through the city with his body on autopilot as Alvis's influence was too strong to resist. The powerful specter forced Peter to walk from the safety of the firehouse and return to the infamously haunted Sedgwick Hotel several blocks away. Slowly Peter's own mind and sense of self returned as Alvis relinquished his total control over the psychologist's mind. Despite being freed from Alvis's dire influence Peter didn't stop walking.
The thick traffic was loud and obnoxious but it provided Peter with cover as he tried to make his way to the hotel with as few people noticing him as possible. It'd also delay any intervention if Egon or Janine or anyone else wanted to try to stop him.
"Remember our deal." Peter thought to himself, hoping that Alvis could hear him as he made his way to the long standing hotel. "I do this and you leave Winston alone."
Standing in front of the entrance of the hotel Peter looked up and took in the bleak sight of the old hotel and the dark history contained within.
Steeling his nerves Peter stepped inside the hotel and made his way toward the elevator. Very few guests were staying in the hotel, not only as a result of the previous night's activity but in response to the increasingly aggressive ghosts that plagued the guests.
Using a staff entrance to the kitchen Peter located a secondary corridor that was lined with storage closets as well as access to the employee only stairwell. Step by step Peter ascended the stairs, slowly. While he had no intent of backing out of the deal Peter knew he didn't have to rush. Perhaps if he took his time someone could intervene and keep him from making a mistake he'd never be able to atone for.
"Guys... If I've ever needed you to keep me line, now is the time..."
Janine had followed Egon's instructions and called the hospital. Ray was baffled by the call but listened carefully to what Janine had told him and of the events that had taken place during his absence from the firehouse.
Ray chose however to keep the phone call a secret from Edward as he didn't want to upset the older gentleman. Seeing your son on life support was painful enough, the last thing he needed to hear was about Peter showing questionable motives and behaving oddly. Putting on a brave face Ray returned to Winston's room and kept his attention on Winston's father.
"Water?" Ray asked as he handed a cup of cool water for Edward. Ray had excused himself from the room when a nurse came and whispered in his ear, he hoped by returning with the water it would keep Edward from asking questions.
"Thank you Raymond." Edward took the cup but didn't drink any of it, he just sat it down on the small table next to the bed. "I appreciate everything you and your friends have done for us."
"It's no problem. We know Winston would do the same for us."
"He would." Edward gave his son a nod of respect. "Winston was always the first one to volunteer whenever anyone needed help. He was also the first one to throw a punch whenever a bully threatened a kid or tried to push someone around. Fortunately the Marine Corp helped him to quell his anger and gain discipline over his emotions."
"I can't imagine Winston ever having a temper." Ray admitted. "Then again I didn't know him when we were kids."
Edward smiled a little. "He was a good kid. You two would've been the best of friends."
"I wouldn't doubt it." Ray thought back to his childhood and his positive demeanor quickly faded.
Ray was only twelve years old when his parents were killed in a car accident. His older brother and older sister were never fond of his their little brother and his 'weird' personality, which meant after their parents passed away the family was torn apart. Ray went to live with his Aunt Lois while his older siblings went to boarding schools and left him behind.
Moving in with his Aunt Lois gave Ray a stable home but it also tore him away from all of his childhood friends and made it difficult for him to find anyone to hang out with. It wasn't until college that he found friends he get close to by befriending both Egon and Peter. When Winston joined their group after Ghostbusters had been founded Ray quickly formed a strong friendship with the former Marine.
Winston's open mind and open heart made him the perfect fit for the team as both a professional investigator and as a trustworthy teammate.
Teammate.
Winston completed the team. If they lost him the team would never be complete again.
"Raymond?" Edward could see that Ray had suddenly become lost in thought. "Are you alright son?"
"Yeah. Just... Just thinking."
"You be careful doing that." Edward wisely cautioned. "Too much thinking about what could have been and what could happen can stop a man from experiencing everything that can be and will happen."
"Good advice."
Egon drove Ecto-1 down the streets, having to wait for traffic to clear, as he made his way toward the hotel. It was at the hotel where everything had taken a turn for the worse: Peter's behavior suddenly changed, Winston had become injured and the ghost that had been the origin for their call had seemingly vanished without a trace. It was here that Egon knew he'd find his answers and perhaps Peter as well.
Working on a bust alone was against protocol but Egon's options were limited. Fortunately there was a back-up trap always kept in storage in the rear compartment of Ecto-1. The trap alone would have to suffice as all of the proton packs had been overheated and unable to charge properly for almost twenty four hours.
Parking Ecto-1 just outside the front of the hotel Egon exited the vehicle, retrieved the single trap and slung it over his shoulder.
"Venkman, you had better not be doing anything regrettable."
Peter made his way to the destroyed penthouse on the twelfth floor with slow, heavy footsteps. Bright yellow police tap had been placed like an 'X' over the door and the door had been locked by hotel security.
"Go inside." Alvis hissed as he emerged from the floor behind Peter. A small puddle of ectoplasm had pooled where Alvis had been. "Find the box and open it."
Peter tore down the yellow tape and tentatively put his hand on the locked doorknob. He tried to open the door but the lock did its job and stuck fast.
"Do not try to weasel your way out of my bidding." Alvis cautioned using an illusion to push Peter forward.
A large cockroach began scurrying down the wall beside the door frame. Peter saw it and froze in place. The sound of the atrocious bug scratching along the wall as it walked was enough to make his feel queasy.
"Go inside." Alvis pressed as he created the illusion of more cockroaches that swarmed the walls and now the floor at Peter's feet.
Peter began pulling harder on the doorknob while trying to turn but the lock wasn't budging.
The air turned icy cold and Peter felt a pair of eyes watching him. He turned and caught sight of an impossible massive cockroach barreling down the corridor directly toward him. The cockroach was as wide and tall as the corridor itself, it's bulging black eyes were focused on Peter and its antennae were reach for him as its six legs hurtled the giant bug body directly at the cornered psychologist.
"Oh... Damn!" Peter began panicking. With fear induced adrenaline now coursing through his veins Peter had gained quite a bit of strength in his hands and managed to turned the locked knob, breaking the old lock in the process.
Throwing open the door Peter ran inside and slammed the door shut behind him. He pressed back against the door and breathed deeply and quickly as he tried to calm himself. The large hole in the floor was still just as dangerous as it had been the night before, no repairs or barricades had been set up around it.
"Find the box." Alvis demanded as he fazed through the door and through Peter's body, sending an icy chill through Peter's core.
On trembling legs Peter forced himself to take a step inside the room, careful not to get too close to the hole, and made his way to the large closet in the rear of the room. Opening the door Peter pressed his hands along the interior walls of the closet and began knocking on the surface in an attempt to find a loose panel.
"Find it..." Alvis snarled impatiently. "Find it. Open it."
"I'm lookin'! I'm lookin'!" Peter snapped in a frustrated tone. "If this was so easy you'd have handled it yourself years ago!"
There was an oddly dull 'thud' beneath Peter's knuckles as he finally found the false wall hidden within the closet. Pressing down with his hands Peter found a square panel that covered a concealed compartment secretly constructed inside the close decades prior. The panel caved inward under Peter's hand and opened slightly. Pushing the panel in as far as it could go Peter spied a small metal box covered in a layer of dust sitting on a small shelf behind the panel.
"Found it..."
"Open it." Alvis urged with a twisted glee in his voice. "Open it now."
"Chill. I'll get it open when I get it open." Peter snipped as he pulled the metal box from the closet and held it in his hands. "Have the key?"
Alvis shot Peter an angry glare. "The key was buried with my body. Force the lock."
"Sure... Why not? I've already broken one lock today, let's go for two."
...to be continued...