one too,” Slingshot snorts. “God, I’m so good.”
I stare at the map on the table, knowing I’m not going to be much good. Jesus, not being able to read anything is making me feel worthless. When we get Daphne back, I’ll have her teach me. It’s something to look forward to.
“What, Seer?” Reaper snaps and starts to pace the area next to the sink, prowling like a caged animal. “I’m in the middle of a rescue mission here for my most vicious member who is barely hanging on to his sanity and only has one working arm while my fucking ol’ lady is healing from a stab wound. I have a mafia boss missing, his brother is a raging pain in my ass, and two of my members were pinned against each other and killed ten cops. So, stop yanking my fucking dick and tell me the news you have because I—” he holds out the phone and yells into it. “—Am about to lose my shit!” He places the phone against his ear, nodding until he freezes. “Is that so? Are you serious? Okay, yes, thank you. He’s expecting a gift. From you? He’ll know when he sees it. Yeah, I’ll tell him. Thank you, Seer. Again. I’m sorry for the trouble.” Reaper hangs up the phone and hands it back to Bullseye. “That was our favorite wizard. Tongue, you said it was a run-down brick building, right?”
“Yeah, Prez.”
“Seer just told me there is one close to here about five miles that way.” Reaper points to the map and then glides his finger across along the red line. “And guess what? It’s an old fucking looney bin and it’s up for sale. It’s been up for sale for a while and no one has wanted to buy it because apparently it’s haunted.”
“Yeah, don’t tell the NOLA guys that. They will come up here with sage and fucking voodoo bones or some shit,” Tool shivers in discomfort. “Freaks me out.”
“Anyway, Seer said he saw another glimpse of the place. You guys have to remember this building. It’s right off the side of the Loneliest Road. Kids go there all the time, dare each other to go in and all that shit. The Groundskeeper has her there. It’s the only rundown brick building close to us.”
“I know the place. It’s old. It’s falling apart. Who the hell would go there?” Poodle asks, scratching the top of Lady’s head as she lays her chin on his lap. She hasn’t been feeling too well lately and Poodle has been pretty sensitive about it, so we have let it go, but she’s old.
I’ll make sure to cut her tongue out for him when she dies. He’d like that.
“I’m about to make a call to the bank and buy the place. Cash. Because then not only can we get that asshole for kidnapping, but we can get him for trespassing and breaking and entering and whatever else we can conjure up. Plus, I think it would be a good place to have. Maybe we can fix it up and rent it out.”
“Isn’t a good reason to buy it,” Bullseye says, eating a banana to help bring up his sugar.
“It is if it stops the Groundskeeper from staying there. Give me your phone. I’m making the call to the bank. It’s up for auction, and I’m going to place a bid they can’t refuse, and I swear to fucking god, the next mother fucker to get buried will be the Groundskeeper. I’ll stake my damn life on it.” Reaper snatches the phone from Bullseye’s hand and stomps down the hallway, then slams his office door, shaking the floorboards.
“Does anyone know where this place is at?” I ask. “I don’t remember seeing it, but I don’t want to wait for Reaper. She’s been gone too long. She’s only been five miles away. I’m so stupid. I’m so goddamn stupid. I’m an idiot! A brick building. It’s old! It wasn’t hard to look for. I’m so stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid,” I bang my hand against my head, berating myself for being the person my Uncle said I would always be.
“Stop it, Tongue! You aren’t. We were all looking. We thought downtown, not remote. We will find her.”
I shake my head. I don’t want to hear anything he has to say. I deserve punishment. I run over to the fireplace that Reaper just had installed in the main room. It’s in the corner, wood-burning, and there are a few