The Ghost

Chapter 21 - Up in flames

"Hey chief, you wanna get in here. Looks like we've got a problem."
Captain Steve Jackson walked up the marbled steps and entered the house. "What the hell happened here? Looks like a hit. But who'd target old man Jenkins? Is he safe?"
He's dead sir. Over there. Looks like some kind of animal finished him. Pretty gruesome." The detective ushered Captain Jackson through the room towards the staircase. The scene was as the detective had warned. Jenkins was slumped against the wall at an unnatural angle. His head was still attached.
"This body alone, I say bear attack. But the lack of fight shown by any of his security detail is puzzling. These guys were dead before they knew what hit them." Jackson rubbed his tired eyes and slowly shook his head. "What a mess."
Meanwhile, Ghost sat silently as Lexi drove. The only noise was the hum of the engine. It was 3am when she finally pulled over but something wasn't right. The curtains in the living room were drawn. She never drew them on. "Hey, Ghost."
He recoiled but she reassured him. "Look. What just happened back there. I get it. I'm behind you Ghost. Don't shut me out. When you're ready to talk I'm here. But for now, just know I'm here."
"I'm gonna check out the house Lex. I sense you are worried."
With that, he was gone.
Ghost crept up to the house and listened to the men inside. He guessed only two or three. Easy to take out if he wanted.
"C'mon man. There's nobody here. Might aswell head home."
"Yeah. Don't think the boss'll be too happy though. He's really got his knickers in a twist over this dude."
As the two men headed towards the door Ghost hid behind the bins. He watched the men get into an armoured Bentley that had been parked out of sight. The first man opened the driver door and took the wheel. The second made towards the rear of the vehicle. As the blacked-out window rolled down there he was. Falconi! Rage grew inside his stomach and he fought to control it. He wanted nothing more than to tear him limb from limb but something wasn't right. He sensed another inside the car, but this one wasn't human. Or at least a 'normal' human. He was like him. A hybrid. Suddenly the man in the vehicle turned around and Ghost knew they were watching him. As the man began to draw his weapon Ghost turned and ran. As fast as he could.
"Ha. So our boy is alive after all." Falconi roared with laughter. He slapped the figure sat next to him on the shoulder. You've got competition.  Hope you're ready. The glowing red eyes responded as Falconi expected.  He clapped his hands together excitedly. "Tommy. Take care of the house. Ivan, drive us back to the facility."
Lexi had watched on intently as the men left the house. She was surprised they even got out alive given what she had recently been witness to. Through her thermal monocular she had picked up Ghost immediately. He didn't move a muscle whilst the two men were exiting the building or when they stopped by the vehicle to talk to the two figures inside. As she turned her scope back to Ghost he was gone. Then the car sped off. The 6.0L Twin Turbo W12 engine echoing through the quiet streets. She watched as the man left behind carefully made his way back up towards the house. Within a few seconds the house was ablaze and people were shouting and running into the street as flames engulfed the building. Fighting the urge to run and help, she got back inside the car and headed toward the flashing red dot on her tracker. She needed Ghost.