Bound by the unbreakable ethereal chains Egon couldn't feel anything but a penetrating coldness that chilled him down to his bones. All he could hear was the deafening sound of his own heart pounding in his head with uncontrollably quick, painful beats. The acrid smell of blood filled the air as it collected in an ever growing puddle on the concrete floor beneath the suspended body of the abducted physicist.

A trail of blood trickled down from Egon's swollen lips and nose, staining his torn jumpsuit with dark spots of crimson. His left eye had swollen shut completely under the blackened bruise that identified the fractured orbit bone. The multiple deep lacerations that marred his chest, abdomen, legs and arms continued to seep blood from the painful wounds.

Tattered fabric from the jumpsuit and t-shirt clung pathetically by strands of fabric that covered Egon's body.

Immense blood loss and hypothermia caused Egon's weakened body to shiver, the rattling sound of the metallic links in the chain rang out like a dirge for the dying Ghostbuster.

'Had enough?' The siren toyed with Egon. Her long, icy fingers wrapped under his chin and lifted his face until he was forced to lock a single blurry eye on his spectral captor. 'I do so enjoy watching you suffer, but all good things must come to an end. Name your companions and save yourself.'

Egon blinked slowly as he couldn't hear her words. Reading her lips he found a renewed sense of resolve and lifted his head up and away from her touch. "I told you," the blood flowed from his mouth and spattered outward with every syllable. "I alone constructed the containment unit."

'Liar.' The siren reared her hand back and struck him across the face with a powerful slap. Blood flew from his mouth and rained over the floor. 'You are indeed brilliant,' she admitted in a hissing tone. 'but one man alone cannot possibly hold the responsibility. Name your allies.'

Tearing his gaze away from the siren Egon refused to give in, refused to endanger the lives of his friends.

'Then so be it.' The siren had grown impatient with her hostage and his stubbornness. 'I shall enjoy ending you.'

Egon didn't flinch at the threat and accepted his impending fate. Unwilling to give the siren the pleasure of seeing him squirm he took in a deep breath and prepared for the finishing blow.

The siren lifted her hand and presented it to Egon as her already long fingers stretched out into sharpened daggers of bone. Dragging her index finger across Egon's face she drew blood from his cheek and watched as it beaded on his skin.

Pulling her hand back she gathered her fingers together, forming a bundle of five daggers and hovered her touch just over Egon's chest, aiming directly at his pounding heart.

'Wait...' Her ghostly lover interfered. 'Egon will... become one of us...'

The siren sneered with hatred in her eyes as she kept her hand steady.

'Do not give... Egon a chance to warn... his allies...' The rotting ghost had regained some strength and his speech was less halting. 'There are drawing... near... I can sense it... They will... come for him...'

The siren lowered her hand and floated away from Egon. 'Indeed. Your death is insignificant.' She admitted bitterly. 'But for the moment your life is invaluable. Perhaps I shall keep you a little longer.'

Unable to resist any longer Egon's eye shut and his head fell as the sweet release of unconsciousness overtook him.

Ecto-1 raced frantically through the streets as Ray navigated the proper route to the warehouse from the backseat of the iconic hearse. Winston controlled the car with skill and precision as he wove down the lengthy streets to the abandoned building in Hell's Kitchen. Peter remained steadfast and uncharacteristically quiet as he watched the numerous buildings whirring by through the windshield of the hearse.

"It should be two blocks away and on the left." Ray instructed as he used the worn out city map to pinpoint the correct warehouse. "According to historical records about the warehouse it was once a hideout for various criminals, a speakeasy, an underground casino AND the scene of many 'accidents' from 1902 through 1937."

"Let me guess," Peter finally spoke up. "in 1937 there was an infamous, potentially unsolved murder and it involved our little ghost friend who took Egon hostage. Now it's a gateway to Hell."

"Right." Ray confirmed as Ecto-1 pulled up in front of the warehouse. "There was a murder that involved a crime boss known only as 'The Executive'. He had a powerful gang that controlled virtually every company, business and cop in the city."

As the trio exited the car and prepared their proton packs Ray continued the story.

"In order to keep his power over the city 'The Executive' demanded absolute loyalty from every member of his gang and didn't take kindly to his boys fraternizing with anyone outside of 'work'."

"Sounds like a real stand-up guy." Peter remarked as he helped Winston to slip on his proton pack. "Honorable, trustworthy... neurotic."

"On a rainy night in 1937," Ray resumed laying out the details. "the right hand man of 'The Executive', known as 'The Apprentice' was late to a meeting because he had spent the night with his 'lady friend'. When he finally arrived 'The Executive' had labeled 'The Apprentice' as a rat and decided he needed to go. After beating 'The Apprentice' half to death with his bare hands 'The Executive' shot him six times and threw him out on the streets to die."

Winston tightened the straps on his proton pack. "Sounds like the perfect setting for a haunting one justifiably pissed off ghost."

"But that's not where the story ends." Ray powered up the thrower on his pack. "Sometime in the night 'The Apprentice' disappeared from the street. His body was nowhere to be found, but there was blood everywhere. No one knows where he went or who took his body."

"What happened to 'The Executive'?" Winston asked as he, Ray and Peter cautiously approached the warehouse.

"He was found dead in the alley behind the warehouse hours later on the same rainy night. Someone shot him. His killer was never identified and no suspect was ever named."

Peter gave Ray an uncomfortable glance. "Creepy."

"Most legends and true horror stories are." Ray confirmed.

"Not the story Ray, I'm referring to that little twinkle in your eye that always shows up when you start talking about New York's shady past. I worry about you sometimes."

Winston shook his head slowly at the odd conversation. "Alright, this is the place." Switching on his own thrower he armed himself and prepared to kick in the boarded up doors of the ware. "Are you ready for this?"

Ray and Peter stood beside Winston outside the doors of the warehouse, no man knowing what the expect on the other side.

Peter unsheathed his thrower and powered up the device. "Ready. Let's find Egon and kick some ass!"

...to be continued...