Ghostbusters by Nancy Holder

Author:Nancy Holder
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780765391148
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

14

At the world headquarters of the Conductors of the Metaphysical Examination, Erin and her three colleagues stood around the table admiring the array of Holtzmann’s latest accomplishments. She was scaling down the proton cart into a portable pack and working on a few other ideas. Basically, everything she had made was smaller, lighter, more mobile, more powerful—she had definitely upped her game and their arsenal. The phone rang from the other side of the dining room. Erin shot their fifth wheel, AKA Receptionist Kevin, a questioning glance, and on the fourth ring he dutifully picked up the phone.

Yay, she thought. Progress.

“Hello?” he said, and then paused, apparently listening to what the caller had to say.

Erin’s enthusiasm immediately faded a bit. Kevin had forgotten to mention the five-word name of their organization. All those hours of training apparently had been for nothing.

“Not with me, you don’t!” he said, and hung up the phone.

Erin frowned. “Uh, Kevin, who was that?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t like him.”

Good grief, he’s like a dog that can’t be housebroken. She considered pointing out the incident to Abby, but realized she’d just turn things around and claim he was “using his own initiative.”

Meanwhile, Holtzmann was continuing her debriefing. She seemed perkier than usual.

“So based on our findings from the subway field test, I added an amplifier using microfabricated dielectric laser accelerators to speed up the particles before entering the DLA device. Portable and wearable for maximum flexibility. And we’re just getting started.”

Holtzmann gestured at the inventions-in-progress on her banquet table workstation and was about to continue when Erin jumped in. “Okay, well, one life-threatening device at a time, please. So it fires. Then what?”

Abby picked up the ghost trap they had attempted to use in the tunnel before things got totally out of hand. “Then we add the reversible tractor beam with Holtz’s hollow laser inside this guy, and wah-lah. We are gonna catch us a mother-effin’ ghost!”

Abby and Holtzmann proceeded to do a high-five ritual as complicated as any cheerleader routine. This was their thing, their we-have-worked-together-forever statement. Erin looked on glumly, aware that if Kevin was the fifth wheel, then she was the third.

Patty didn’t seem to care that she was being left out—if anything, she was amused—but Kevin slid Erin a comforting glance and said, “Don’t worry. We can have our own high five.”

He started high-fiving her. It was crazy and Hulk-like with immense arms, impossible to follow. All she could think about was living through it and avoiding permanent injury. The sequence ended with him lightly slapping her neck.

“Okay, I’m good, thank you, Kevin,” she said, her head reeling, fighting to remain upright. He didn’t seem to be aware of his own strength.

Holtzmann patted her on the back. “I’ll teach it to you later,” she promised.

Erin was touched by their efforts to make her feel included, misguided though they were. Kevin was a plug-in night light in terms of brilliance, Holtzmann was a certified genius, but both were kind at heart.

The TV was turned on, but set to mute.

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