2015-


    Mark Hadron and Jane Hillsmierer frowned at the big screen set up in the lab part of


    the building. They had plugged in the various sensors that Hadron and his friends had


    designed to measure the ambient energy in the air. They frowned because that energy


    was higher than what it should have been according to readings done the year before


    when the Lamplighters were in business.


    “What do you think is causing this?” Jane waved at the loci represented on the screen.


    “I don’t know.” Hadron rubbed his temples with both hands. “Only the gate for the


    Mark’s tower looks steady. Every other point is going up. It might be another event


    on the way.”


    “Another Destroyer?” Jane had been with the team then. They had forced a monstrous


    being back across a dimensional border to its home address. It had taken everything


    they had to deal with the monster.


    “It looks like.” Hadron turned from the screen. “Something is trying to reach us from


    outside. No wonder Nobody issued a warning.”


    “How do we stop it?,” asked Jane. “What happens if it actually reaches the city?”


    “It starts changing reality and eating the citizens of New York.” Hadron shrugged.


    “I’m glad that’s not my problem.”


    “It will be your problem if we can’t nip this in the bud, mister.” Jane wanted him to


    face her, but he refused to look at her with his one surviving eye.


    The doorbell rang. Milton had installed the closest thing he could find to ‘Shave And


    a Haircut’ to be obnoxious. The five notes had quickly gotten less funny as the years


    rolled on.


    “I wonder who that is.” Hadron made no move to check who was at the front door.


    “Are you going to answer it?” Jane put her hands on her hips.


    “We’re closed,” said Hadron as the doorbell rang again. “Fine. I’ll see what these


    people want.”


    Hadron walked down the central steps to the ground floor. The bottom floor was for


    the Lamp Mobile, and its maintenance, and the office space the business required.


    The car had been lost when he lost his eye. The office was covered in dust from


    disuse.


    He opened the door for people beside the garage door. He looked out at four women.


    He took a moment to absorb their features and dress. Then he said, “Go away.” He


    slammed the door in their faces and turned to walk away.


    One of the women pressed the doorbell again before he could take a step back to the


    central staircase.


    He opened the door and looked out on the women. One of them smiled at him,


    waving her hand. The other hand was close to the door bell.


    “We’re closed.” Hadron glared at the woman and her hand with his single eye. “Do


    not press that door bell again. Go away.”


    “We really do need your help, Dr. Hadron.” The woman dropped her hand. “I’m


    Patty, that’s Kathy, Jean, and Lin. We have a major ghost problem in San Fran and


    our first thought was to talk to you, but the phone is dead, and we couldn’t find


    anywhere you used an email, or Facebook, or Twitter. So we came here in person to


    ask you to help us.”


    “The answer is no.” Hadron started to slam the door again, but the woman had pushed


    against it to keep it open. “Do you mind?”


    “We need that help, Dr. Hadron.” Patty pulled out her phone. “I feel that when you


    see the footage, you will understand why we came all this way. We just want five


    minutes of your time, and maybe some technical guidance on how to stop the thing.


    We want to go into business as Lamplighters, and this could be the first chance we


    get to do that.”


    Hadron couldn’t close the door with her standing in the way. He wondered if he


    should punch her in the mouth so she would back up.


    “Being a Lamplighter killed my friends and cost me an eye.” Hadron bunched his


    hand into a fist so he could punch her. “Are you sure you’re willing to lose the


    same?”


    “Something has to be done.” Patty looked at her friends. They nodded at her to


    continue. “You’re the only one with experience who can help us.”


    “Let’s see your footage.” Hadron opened his hand and held it out to her. He knew he


    was letting himself in for trouble. He couldn’t help the impulse.


    She pushed the button for the phone to play the video before she handed it over. The


    screen was full of screaming people, and a laughing ghost dressed like a pirate. He


    waved his sword to direct ghost sharks into the crowd.


    “I wondered where he went after our last blow-up.” Hadron dialed the video back and


    froze it. “When did this happen?”


    “Two weeks ago.” Patty looked at her friends for support. “We have been trying to


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.get in touch with you ever since. Finally we drove out here. Took turns, drove


    through the night to get here.”


    “This is the ghost you want to take on for your first case?,” asked Hadron. “Are you


    sure about that?”


    “We wouldn’t have come all this way if we weren’t.” A Hispanic lady with short


    parrot colored hair and a tattoo of a star on her face spoke. “How tough can this be?”


    Hadron smiled at her. The group stepped back. The smile didn’t suit the scarred face


    or the trace of gray in his hair.


    “Come in.” Hadron stepped out of their way. “Wait right here.”


    He left them inside the empty space for the car. He whistled as he jogged up the


    stairs, pulling himself along with one hand on the rail.


    “Hey, Jane! These idiots want to take on Crenshaw!” drifted from the upper floor.


    “Where did I leave the old Fireflash? Do you remember?”


    “I ain’t no idiot.” The Hispanic Jean glared at the staircase.


    “Who’s Crenshaw?,” asked Lin. She was slighter and shorter than her three friends,


    dark hair in a bun, worried expression on her face. “What are we getting into here,


    Patty?”


    “I have no idea, but I am sure it’s not really that dangerous.” Patty shrugged. “These


    are ghosts. We should be able to stop this one with the right equipment.”


    “This guy didn’t seem like he thought it was harmless.” Kathy waved her hand at the


    staircase. “He acted like he was going to enjoy sending us into the lion’s den.”


    Kathy was the tallest, and had been on several fitness magazine covers. The chance


    to change jobs for something more interesting was sharing space with not wanting to


    rush into danger. Not rushing into danger was winning by her expression.


    Hadron returned with several boxes of equipment. He put the boxes down on the


    floor. He was still smiling.


    “Ordinarily I would never send a bunch of rank amateurs against someone like


    Bloody Bill Crenshaw, Demon Pirate.” Hadron grinned at them now. “In your cases,


    I will make an exception. This way none of you will bother me again.”


    “This is a common sensor.” Hadron opened one of the boxes. A device with a handle


    and a spot for a laser pointer rested inside. He took the sensor out of the box. “Point


    and press the button. A reading will show up. Crenshaw is in the eight range.


    Anything over that is not Crenshaw.”


    He pressed the button on the handle. A blue flame shone from the other end. He


    showed them the reading. They were all twos and threes like he thought.


    He put the sensor back in the box. He opened the next one and pulled out a lamp. He


    lit the fuse inside. Blue flame glowed inside the cylinder.


    “This is the power box that operates all the weapons that I have loaded for you.”


    Hadron tilted the lantern so they could see the plug on the bottom. “You hang it from


    a support belt and let it do the rest.”


    “What happens if the fire goes out?,” Kathy asked.


    “Depends.” Hadron blew the flame out and put the lamp back in its carrying case. “If


    I were you, I would be more worried about what happens if the flame is


    overpowered.”


    “What happens if the flame is overpowered?,” asked Lin.


    Hadron made a poof noise and spread his hands to mimic an explosion.


    “Now this is the Fireflash.” Hadron opened two of the boxes. He pulled out the parts


    and fitted them together. “Just point and shoot.”


    The Fireflash was as long as Patty was tall. She looked at it with a wince.


    “Do you have something smaller than this?” She waved at the huge rifle. “Do we


    need a bazooka to take on this Crenshaw?”


    “Have you ever taken on a ghost that can summon a swarm of sharks that can chew


    you to pieces in a matter of seconds?” Hadron held the weapon out for her to take.


    “What do you think is going to happen when he gets mad that you’re in his way?”


    He made a chomping noise with his mouth.


    “Now I’m going to help you load this up, and send you on your way.” Hadron


    gestured for the Fireflash. “Good luck with Crenshaw. Don’t let him take you


    prisoner. He likes the ladies.”


    “Likes the ladies?,” Lin asked.


    “A lot.” Hadron took the Fireflash. He took it apart and stowed the pieces in their


    boxes.


    “He’s a ghost.” Jean frowned at Hadron. “What do you mean he likes the ladies a


    lot?”


    “He’s a pirate, and he likes booty,” Hadron straightened. “Make the connection. You


    can do it.”


    “Mark, can we talk?” Jane descended down the stairs. “Over here.”


    “Sure, Janie.” Hadron put on a smile. “These ladies stopped by to borrow equipment


    to take on Bloody Bill Crenshaw, Demon Ghost Pirate. Ladies, this is Jane


    Hillsmierer. If you want someone to inform your families what happened and pay for


    your funerals, talk to Jane before you leave.”


    “Mark, are you serious?” Janie glanced at their visitors over his shoulder. “Crenshaw


    will eat them alive. You can’t send them out after him. You have to look into this.”


    “My dance card is booked, Janie.” Hadron didn’t keep his voice down. “Crenshaw is


    a perfect starter case for some new Lamplighters. They’ll be fine.”


    “I’m putting my foot down, Mark Hadron.” Jane glared at him. “You know what


    Crenshaw does to women. We’re not sending a bunch of women after him.”


    Hadron made a face.


    “You’re wrecking my ploy of scaring them away and leaving things to professionals.”


    He kept his voice down. “I don’t want them facing Crenshaw either. I also don’t want


    to be around them.”


    “You need a back-up team.” Jane rubbed her forehead. “This could be it.”


    “I don’t need a team since we’re closed for business.” Mark reverted to his loud


    voice. “And these ladies live far away, thank goodness.”


    “I want you to go with them.” Jane held up a hand. “You need to get back into the


    groove. I’ll look around for locals to build another team. We’ll get things started back


    up again.”


    “Recruits will have to be given tests.” Mark did not clench his hand into a fist.


    “Otherwise, they won’t be able to use the equipment.”


    “You were going to send them out without the tests.” Jane waved her hand at the


    visitors. “What is that?”


    “They have twos and threes on the scale.” Hadron looked at the floor. “The Fireflash


    will work like a charm for them.”


    “You ran a sensor scan on them to make sure you could send them to their deaths?”


    Jane squinted at him with her displeasure. “Seriously?”


    “When you say it like that, it sounds bad,” said Hadron.


    “I expect better out of you, mister.” Jane shook her head. “I love you like a brother,


    but sometimes, I just want to punch you in the face.”


    “And what do you think we should do with these problem children?,” said Hadron.


    “We give them a chance.” Jane shook her head. “A fair chance.”


    “Ladies, pull your car into the bay here.” Jane waved a hand. “We’ll get things sorted


    out for you.”


    “I don’t know if we want to be all that much trouble.” Patty wrapped her hands


    together to keep from wringing them. “Maybe we should go. That way it won’t be


    much of a bother.”


    “Pull the car in.” Jane’s voice was iron. “We’ll negotiate the rest over takeout.”