When DEAD calls

Chapter 10

JOSEPH XAVIER'S POV

'This is not my ringtone', he said frightened and assuringly.

'What, can't you hear? It's playing in your phone', I said.

'But the phone is shut. No caller. Just playing the song', Amanda said with certainty.

'So what are you going to say for this, this time?', I asked.

'The ghost is tricking us... again', she was stuttering.

My head started to roll over, 'Oh my God, Seriously! This so lame!', I raised my voice so loud with fury and irritation burning in me. I am going paroxysm.

'Yeah. And dangerous, because the song relates our scenario', she said, 'We are on the highway to chernobyle. Chernobyle is hell'.

'Yeah right, that's accurate. By the way, thanks for the tip which is way more than awesome', I said, changing my tone from anger to blithe. I was too exhausted from these antithesis. 'I am too tired to keep going. Let's stop in some restaurant to fill our stomach', I said finally, knowing it was futile.

'Are you nuts or kidding? Don't you know that we are on case? And our friend are stuck-', she said but I cut her off.

'Yeah, but don't you think we are humans, for God's sake? I'll rather be killed by the ghost than of starvation', I turned my voice stronger.

There was a long pause.

Officer Gorblachev broke the silence,'Don't worry agents. There is a resaurant nearby. We will stop there for some time. For some relaxation', he said and started walking past us. We follwed him.

It's one past quarter and now we are seated in a restaurant. The corner table looked peaceful to me. The waiter took our orders and we just waited for about 10 min, when Gorblachev got up of his place.

'Where are you going?', Amanda asked.

'Nature calls', he said and walked hastily to the restroom.

'That's why he seemed all pressing and shaking. I guess the call was urgent. I could see it in his walk', I sniffed out a loud giggle, but subdued immediately because I saw Amanda looking daggers at me and I thought I'd better shut up. She is still mad st me. But I don't want her madness grow even bigger, so I decided to just drop it.

Our food was served beautifully, blue cheese salads, buttermilk-ranched soups, large burger. And a Pepsi bottle for garnishing our table. Gorblachev will miss this if he don't come soon. By the way, where is Gorblachev? He is taking too long.

I hardly touched my food when Amanda spoke out, 'Where is Gorblachev? He is taking too long', she said, reading my mind exactly, which I hate a lot in her.

'Trying to find a good place to sleep in the batroom or.... already found and is sleeping peacefuly or.... making a home in the bathroom or.... trying to escape-'.

'Shut up Jos, I'm serious. C'mon, let's go and check out', she said and pulled me off the table, the fork slipped off my hand and clinked on the floor. I was fed up.

'Fine, let's find him and kill him for not letting me have my food', I said stubbornly.

I walked into every section of the bahroom but there was no sign of him. I checked completely, double checked, triple checked, but failed to find him. I came out of the bathroom to where Amanda was standing, wondering. The look in my face clearly explained to her what was going on in my mind. Her face turned shocked and pale, too.

I asked her a futile question, 'Did he just backed off the case and took a flight?'.