The Ghost Hunters and The Familiar Strangers

They froze as their eyes met those of Carlos and Tessa. "What's going on here?" Tamara asked. "And don't tell me it's who I think it is." She said pointing at Carlos.

"Yes, baby... it's me," Carlos said walking towards them.

"He talks and walks??" Tamara asked hiding behind Jason.

Carlos smiled as he continue walking toward them. "It's me. If I am a ghost, Tamara..." He points to her. ".. You won't be able to see me and so will Jason because you guys aren't wearing my Ghost-revealing glasses." He stopped in front of them. "If you don't believe me, you can feel me." He stretched out his hands as the four of them slowly went closer to him to feel him and when they felt he was real, they pulled him close and hugged him sucking the life out of him. "Um... guys... am choking..." He tried to find his words. When his friends finally let him go, he coughed as they all laughed.

"Sorry about that. It's so good to see you again." Norman said.

"It's good to be back," Carlos said. Tamara tucked her arms around Carlos' hand walking him to the sofa as they all sat to listen to his story.

Carlos explained how and why he created the equipment and how Riele is Rose and what happened to the real Riele. He also talked about how he killed one of the ghosts in charge of him. "What about Chloe?" Clarissa asked. "I was just getting there," Carlos said as he began.

***flashback***

He waited for a while and when he heard a knock at the door he knew Chloe was suspecting so he opened the door and whispered to Chloe. "He needs you here," Carlos told her as Chloe moved nearer to the door.

"Zinc, are you in there?" She asked but there was no reply from Zinc. Chloe gave Carlos a weird look which he shrugged too. Chloe walked inside slowly immediately she turned her back to Carlos, he grabbed her by the mouth and shove the knife to her side as the ghost dissolved.

He was glad when he peeped and he saw that Link was really engrossed in what he is doing and Dalton wasn't back there. He ran to the room where Tessa is in and opened the door. Tessa was about to speak when he signaled her not to. He showed her the key he made and he worked his magic on the chains. The key didn't seem to work with the chains.

"Where is everyone?" They heard Dalton's voice walking in their direction. Carlos continued to twist and turn the key on the chains, his hands were shaking because he knew what would happen if Dalton catches him and now that Link has an idea of how the Transformation equipment worked, Dalton would kill him.

Dalton's voice kept getting audible with each step he took but that didn't stop Carlos from trying his best. "I don't think we can get off here," Tessa whispered to him.

Carlos ignored her as he continued with the locks. "And who do we have here?" Dalton appeared in front of them clapping his hands.

"If I tell you now, I need you to touch me and disappear," Carlos whispered to her as Tessa looked at him not getting his point.

"I knew you couldn't be trusted," Dalton said walking closer to them. He was a foot away from them when the chains unlocked.

Carlos looked at Tessa and screamed, "Now!". Dalton didn't understand but when Tessa touched Carlos and they disappeared with the chains falling to the ground he later found out what they now meant. **Reality**

"That was how we got here," Carlos said.

"Why didn't you guys disappear straight into the house?" Amelia asked.

"Tessa was weak. She did a good job getting us at your doorpost." Carlos looked at Tessa. "She is one hell of a strong ghost." Tessa smiled. "Why are you guys here?" Carlos asked the four friends that recently joined in. Tamara sighed. "It's Xen and his girlfriend." She said. "He has changed a lot ever since this Riele Rose girl came into the picture."

Carlos smiled. "Have you ever been in love before like deeply in love?" He asked Tamara.

"No, but if this is how love can make someone stupid, I will pass," Tamara said.

"Love is unpredictable sunshine," Carlos said. "I am sure very soon, he will realize his girlfriend isn't his girlfriend."

Amelia turned to them. "What happened? Did he request you guys to do anything?" She asked them and this time it was Devon that answered.

"He told us to take away every ghost weapons that Carlos created," Devon said.

"What?" Carlos, Clarissa, and Amelia chorused in shock.

"What?" Everyone chorused in shock.

"Is he out of his mind?" Amelia asked.

"Out of his mind in love with Riele, I suppose," Tamara said sarcastically.

"We agreed not to save Carlos because he said it was a risky thing to do and that we needed more ghost seers to help out, we get that part but getting rid of the weapons?" Jason said shaking his head. "It was quite too much." "Did he tell you why?" Carlos asked trying to suppress the hurt he was feeling inside.

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"Said the weapons are really dangerous and they shouldn't be kept in the hideout. Amelia's mom did help talk to him we don't know if he has agreed or not. We got angry and left because he wasn't being reasonable at all." Norman said. Carlos stood up as he thought about it. "I think Rose is doing something to him. The Xen I know wouldn't be stupid enough to agree to something like that." He turned to face everyone. "We need to do something and fast or we might end up losing him."

"I think you guys should take your time and think about this. Dealing with someone like Rose is going to need two or more heads working together. Rose can be very manipulative and deceitful." Tessa explained as they all nodded. Amelia stood up. "Anyone got any idea." She looked around as everyone went into thinking mode.

~~~

Riele was having her normal call with Dalton updating him about the situation on the ground. "That's good," Dalton told her with a frown on his face. "But we have a situation."

Rose looked confused. "What situation are you talking about." She asked.

Dalton showed her the room Tessa was in and the chains on the ground. "Where is Tessa?" Rose asked after she scanned the room and couldn't see her.

"She and Carlos got out." Said Dalton turning his focus back on Rose.

"What?" Rose asked. "But how? I thought Link was in charge of them."

Carlos tricked him but we know how to use the transformation now. All you need to do is to convince Xen that now is the right time to save Carlos. I will make more bodies while you get the other ghosts in your possession prepared since they are our ghosts. Make sure every one of them is prepared."

"There is a problem," Rose said.

"Which is?"

"Amelia's mother is in the way. She talks him out of most things I tell him. I am sure if I tell Xen that we should go on the rescue mission, If she finds out she will try to stop him. She is becoming a thorn in my flesh." Rose complained bitterly. "Well, you know what to do," Dalton told as she nodded. "The moment we have Xen in our grasp, I know we will have other ghosthunters."

"Alright, Dalton." Rose ended the call as she got ready to leave.

Xen had been listening to the conversation. He was going to spend time with her when he couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation. The moment Riele ended the call and was about to leave, Xen found a place to hide and when Riele left, he came out of his hiding place. He felt stupid all of a sudden. "What the hell am I going to do now?" He asked himself. Everyone had left him because he allowed his emotions to cloud his judgment. How was he going to sort things out? He remembered the part where Carlos and Tessa escaped. "There is only one place they can be." He said to himself as he grabbed his coat and left without anyone knowing.

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~~~

Dalton was very angry with Link for being careless, thoughtless and above it all, stupid. "How can you let such a thing happen?" He came closer to Link pulling by his neck.

"I am sorry sir... it will never happen again." Link apologized but Dalton was too heartless to get won over by an apology.

"It will never happen again because there won't be the next time." Dalton was about to kill Link when one of the ghosts came to his rescue.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

"Permission to speak?" The ghost in her latest fifties asked.

"What is it, Roma?" Dalton asked in anger.

"We need him.. he is the only one who knows how the transformation works, killing him is bad timing," Roma answered with her knees to the ground. "Please, Link has been your faithful servant... please!" She pleaded.

Dalton looked at Link and threw him to the ground. "Show me." He commanded. Link quickly got up and showed him how the transformator works. Dalton was impressed and because of that, he forgave him. As Link was working on the transformator, he remembered something that Carlos told him while teaching him.

***Flashback***

"The transformator is very powerful. It can work on any dead body depending on how long the person has been dead. If the person died recently, the body will be perfect and last a long period when it has undergone the transformation process but if the person died years ago, the body won't be able to last even if there's a ghost in the body." Carlos explained.

***Reality***

"Permission to speak." Link said. Dalton nodded and gave him the go-ahead to speak. "I heard from some ghosts that one of the ghost hunter's mother died a year ago. If we can get her body before it starts decaying, she might be of use to us." Link said.

Dalton placed his hand on his chin thinking of it. "A year ago?" Link nodded. "Can we still use her?" He asked.

Link nodded. "Carlos told me while he was explaining things to me that the transformator is very powerful. It can work on any dead body depending on how long the person has been dead. If the person died recently, the body will be perfect and last a long period when it has undergone the transformation process but if the person died years ago, the body won't be able to last even if there's a ghost in the body."

Dalton nodded to the suggestion. "Find out who she is and bring the body to me. I am sure her ghost has left her body already and is perhaps roaming about somewhere."

Link nodded as he bowed his head. He took some ghosts along with him to look for the body.