Page 83 of Seer

CHAPTER 21

CAL

I’d goneinto the office yesterday for half a day, and I did the same today. I was glad it was Friday, because over the weekend I could focus on tracking the fog monsters without feeling guilty about missing more work.

On the other hand, by taking most of the week off, I’d inadvertently already started handing off my duties to Kurt. I spent most of my time today making sure he had superadmin rights to everything.

Before I left for the weekend, I met with Steve and showed him my idea for our new game.

“Yes!” he shouted. “I love it!”

I grinned. It was always fun working with Steve. He threw every ounce of his energy into whatever he was doing.

“Great. I’ll keep working up the storyline and specs. How’s the legal stuff coming along?”

“Good. We should have the next draft of our separation contract next week.”

“Now that’s cause for celebration.” I made a note in my phone.

“Soooo....”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes?”

“How are things going with Greg? Tonight’s the big date!”

I put my phone down on Steve’s desk and crossed my arms. “Last night we talked about the Wonders dying, but that’s it.” I’d also started a database of magic carriers and their contact information, but I’d encrypted it so no one could access it without permission.

“Well, that’s important,” he said in the same tone he’d use to tell me something sucked. Then he perked up. “Do you know whose house you’re going to?”

I shook my head. “I’m guessing it’ll be one of the Wonders he works with.”

Steve pointed a finger at me. “Don’t forget. Your mission is to find out whether he’s genuinely attracted to you.”

“I remember.” I’d spent a lot of time “remembering” with my right hand over the past two days, so I doubted I’d forget.

I left the office and took the truck to the car wash on the way home. It felt good to finally get that chore done.

When I got home I decided I needed to try calling a vision again. I was still scared to call one involving the fog monsters, but I was also uneasy with how long they’d gone without attacking anyone.

I sat down on the couch in front of Ms. Jackson, who’d taken to staying in their Ouija board form most of the time.

“Ms. Jackson, I’m going to call a vision. We really need to find those fog monsters, but when Edgar had a vision of them, he thought they could tell he was seeing them.”

Ms. Jackson flashedD-O-N-T-D-O-I-T.

I ran my hand over my beard. “Yeah, but we need to know what they’re doing.”

They flashedL-O-O-K-F-O-R-V-I-C-T-I-M.

I raised my eyebrows. “Like the next victim? Good idea. Then maybe we can intervene.”

I settled back into the cushions and focused inward. I needed to know who the next victim of the fog monsters would be and where the attack would happen. The vision came almost immediately.

It was night. I was standing in the back of a large parking lot, but the nearest working light pole was probably twenty yards away. A small sedan was parked next to a light pole nearer to me, but those lights weren’t on, leaving the car in darkness.

I turned to scan the area, and a Build Barn home improvement store loomed at the other end of the parking lot.

I woke up, jerking forward in my seat.