right.” as the paper boy gave the raccoon his paper the man walked away and started to read the front page.

“Ha ha, ha central arcade today… so he’s challenging me this Ghost fellow. He knows I hate crowds, crowds, people pushing, and getting in my way. All the noise of people talking, and shouting. I hate them so much… but I’ll show them, I’ll show that ghost fellow as well. I’ll fool them, I’ll fool them all, I’ll except the ghost challenge, I’ll be their in the central arcade, and the ghost will know that I was there, the hole world will know.” As this mad man laughed to him self no one heard his mumbling as he walked down the street. Else where the police chief stood in his office pacing as he thought about what was coming later that evening. After a few minutes Detective Lupe ran into his office bringing a smile to the chief’s face.

“Your orders have been carried out chief.”

“Good, there better not be any slip ups.”

“200 patrolman are stationed in the neighborhood of the central arcade, 50 picked officers, and bomb squad members, in plain cloths will be going through the crowd, if there is a crowd.”

“They’ll be a mob after the publicity, if I could get my hands on the ghost I would ring his neck for this.” just then the phone started to ring and both adults looked at it.

“Do you want me to take that call sir?”

“No I’ve been waiting for this, and if it’s who I think it is.” As the Chief of police picked up the phone he couldn’t hear anything on the other end of the line. “HELLO!”

“Hello chief.” it was the ghost on the other end of the line and the chief’s grip tightened around the phone.

“Listen to me Ghost.”

“NO Chief you listen to me.” The voice was cold and harsh, with a faint growl behind it. It sent chills down the chiefs back and mad his hand start to shake slightly.

“I’m listening.” Lupe was surprised, she had never seen the chief back down before. “Quick Lupe trace this call.”

“That wont do you any good chief you can’t trace this call. I’ve tapped a line, just like I tapped the speaker system last night.”

“You’re a fool ghost, you’ve just sent hundreds of people to their deaths.”

“Nothing will happen as long as you do as I tell you.”

“I don’t take orders from you ghost, your not running the police department.”

“I’m not giving orders, but I need your help. Just do one thing for me and you, not the ghost, will get the credit for capturing this mad bomber.”

“Really?… Well what do you want?”

“Just keep the crowd moving through that narrow arcade, keep them moving, everything depends on that.”

“What are you trying to do ghost?”

“Trying to find a needle in a haystack.”

“You don’t have a chance, the maniac wont come.”

“You over look that a dare is a power physiological magnet, that no egotistical crazed mind can resist, just keep that crowd moving chief and you’ll get your credit.”

“Wait ghost.” before the chief could say anything else the line was dead, and after a few minutes he slammed the receiver down on the phone and turned to Lupe. “Alright, I don’t know what this nut is up to but he wants us to make sure that the crowd keeps moving, so that’s what we’re going to do, inform all the officers that they have to keep the crowd moving no matter what.” Later that evening around 5:58 the chief and Lupe stood at the entrance of the arcade to make sure the crowd kept moving through

“Well sir you where correct it’s a mob alright, but at least the time is almost up.” Lupe pointed out as she looked at the chief hopping that it would help calm his nerves slightly.

“Yes, 2 minutes to six… This has been the longest hour of my life.”

“Can you believe how many people flocked here on the off chance that they would see someone get blown to bits?… and all the while watching one another like a bunch of hawks. This mad man has turned are citizens into a bunch of savages.”

“Don’t speak so harshly detective, these people are scared, and when a person is scared they’ll do funny things.” just then a clock chimed and a smile crossed the Chiefs’ face.

“Well the time’s up chief.”

“Thank heavens.”

“Any orders sir?”

“Just keep the men on duty until this crowd thins out, I’ll be going home now.”

“CHIEF!” an officer yelled out as he ran up to the chief of police. “Sir look it’s from the bomber.” the officer reported as he held up a piece of paper.

“Where did you get this?”

“From inside the arcade sir the bomber must have dropped it.” As the chief took the piece of paper he opened it up and started to read the note inside.

“Tell the ghost that I’ll kill a lot more people a 11 o’clock night.” an hour later as Rebecca just finished putting Molly to bed she had a surprised visitor on her balcony. As she walked out and looked at Shade she could see him looking out at the city.

“Shade?” Shade turned his head and looked at Rebecca.

“I’ve come here to request that you don’t go out tonight, and to keep your loved ones close.” as Rebecca listen to Shade’s dire warning she nodded.

“So I take it you know who this mad bomber is.” Shade turned, and looked out at the city.

“I do.”

“Have you told the police yet?”

“Ma-am this man is unstable, if I notify the police and they bungle things half the city could go up in flames… This is something I have to do alone.”

“But Shade you just said he was unstable, you might fail, he might kill you.”

“I wont fail, I can’t. The people of this city put their trust in me to capture this mad man, and I can’t let them down. Besides if I should fail it’s better if only I die than more officers of the law.” Rebecca opened her mouth in protest but stopped as she realized why Shade had come that night.

“You don’t think you can beat him do you?” Shade lowered his head, and smiled as he turned it towards Rebecca.

“You can see right through me can’t you madam.”

“So then tell me why you’ve come. If you think I’m going to say go ahead, your sadly mistaken, because I’m not going to, in fact if it wasn’t for the fact that I think you might jump off this balcony I would run up and tackle you to make sure you couldn’t go.” Shade’s smile only brightened slightly, as he walked up towards Rebecca.

“I just wanted to see you for some reason, I really don’t know why, I just wanted to see you.” with that Shade smiled, and then locked eyes with Rebecca for a moment before he vanished from her sight.

“Shade where did you go?” Rebecca asked, as she started to look around, while Shade walked away from her. As the bell to the elevator sounded Rebecca ran to it in just enough time to see the doors shut with Shade inside. “Why did you come here?” Else where two officer patrolled the streets looking for anyone that looked out of the ordinary.

“Heads up Frank here comes the chiefs car.”

“Yeah he’s plenty worried about this mad man’s threat to blow up another batch of people at 11 tonight. Although they’ll have a heck of a time trying since the Chief set that curfew anyone on the streets right now we’re supposed to bring in unless they have a good excuse.” As the patrol car drove past the two officers waved. “Hey speaking of people out on the streets here comes a guy now.” As a Raccoon walked forward humming a little melody. “Hey you!”

“M-me?” the Raccoon turned and looked at the two officers.

“Yeah you, where do you think your going?”

“Me, why I’m going to work.”

“Yeah? What do you do?”

“I’m a night watchman, I have to go to work”

“Yeah, what do you watch? Where do you work?” The raccoon laughed slightly as he looked at the officer.

“I watch things in the ground, down there.” the officers turned to look at what the raccoon was pointing at, an entrance to a subway that was under construction.

“I get it Frank he’s the night watchman for that new subway that the city is building.”

“Well all right, get on with you get with your watching.”

“Thank you sir, Joe is waiting for me so he can go home.” as the raccoon waved goodbye he made his way down the subway stairs. As he reached his office the raccoon smiled as he patter a badger on the back and smile. “Time to go home Joe.”

“Alright, have a good night Oswald.”

“Thanks Joe.” As Joe went up the steps Oswald closed the door to the office and smiled slightly. “All those people up there, always pushing, pushing me. But I’ll show them, I’ll fix them good, I’ll kill them. That Ghost fellow I’ll show him as well.”

“Please do Oswald.” the voice came from all around and Oswald looked around trying to find where it came from.

“Who’s there?”

“Do you hear my voice Oswald?”

“Sure, sure