The Night Beat, From the Necropolis Enforcement Files by Gini Koch

when you guys are reasonable. Okay, how’re we going to do this? We go against every code in the book if we separate.”
    Monty coughed. “I’ve called Dirt Corps in.”
    “Oh. Ah. Good.”
    “I know regular Enforcement doesn’t think much of them,” Monty said testily. “But they’re brave, dedicated, and fit the code requirements.”
    As he spoke a variety of the Corps arrived. Monty had apparently requested top of the line -- all of the ones before me were full bodied, which was a refreshing change. We had two mummies, three skeletons, two ghouls and a wraith. Not bad.
    “Okay, I want a mummy and a skeleton each with Hansel and Gretel. Our third skeleton and a ghoul with Ralph. Second ghoul and wraith with Ken. Monty, I assume you and Rover can get more support than I can contemplate for the underground trail, right?”
    “Right.”
    “Great. I want regular reports, in to me if possible, but the Count for certain. Edgar, are you okay staying here to man the portal?”
    He nodded. “Absolutely, and I’ll be fine alone. However, if it would make you feel more secure and if we have some other Dirt Corps personnel who wouldn’t mind playing some whist while guarding and waiting, I’d be amenable.”
    I shrugged. “Sure, why not? And, yes, I’d feel safer if you had someone around to back you up.” Even a young lich wasn’t easy to hurt or kill, but Edgar, like H.P., was special and I’d never forgive myself if either one of them got hurt due to my lack of vigilance or preparedness.
    No sooner agreed to than two eager-looking ghouls and one clearly excited ghost arrived, table, chairs and deck of cards in ectoplasmic hands.
    Monty gave some orders while I helped Ken recognize the aerial trail. This took some time -- vamps smell blood like nobody’s business, but otherwise their sense of smell isn’t anything to get excited about. However, they can see a psychic trail almost as well as a werewolf. Once Ken could spot what I smelled, he was able to confirm it had absolutely flown away, and that it wasn’t a trail from any vampire who’d been here earlier. There were other flying undeads, of course, but neither one of us could be certain of the species the trail belonged to.
    The aerial team took off and the ground teams left right after. Edgar and his group were already into their game. Monty draped Rover around his shoulders then gave me a long look. “What trail are you going to be following?”
    I shrugged. “My partner and I are going to follow the human ones.”
    “There’s more than one?” Monty asked.
    “I think we’re going to find there are a lot.”

Chapter 14
     
    I went back to human form and Jack and I got back into the sedan and started off. “Police headquarters first?” he asked me.
    “Yeah. We need to check in and, since I now find out the Chief knows all about me and Necropolis Enforcement, we need to let him know what’s going on.”
    “What is going on?”
    “Takeover bid. Standard, really. The Prince wants to control all the planes of existence. When he can do that, he’ll have enough power to destroy any and every god. Without a god, even if it’s one puny weak one, every living soul is in jeopardy.”
    “Why is that?”
    “Souls need a…higher source…to tap into. It’s how they work.”
    “Sounds like souls are kind of useless, all things considered.”
    I shook my head. “Souls are what powers the universes. All of them. There’s no power greater than that of a soul, let alone a combination of souls.”
    Jack was quiet for a minute or so. “So, an entity that controlled a lot of souls would be powerful?”
    “That’s the basis for gods, yeah. A god is a concentration of multi-universal energy with the focused power of belief from the souls it controls.”
    “Ugh.”
    I laughed. “It sounds gross, yeah, but it’s not. It’s kind of beautiful, really.”
    “So, the worshipper creates the god?”
    “Sort of. And the god creates the worshipper. Kind of