City of Ghosts (Part 4)

Midnight Mystery Vol. 3

City of Ghosts (Part 4)

by Bernie Gonzalez, Wes Locher

Roland Blackwood tried to escape death when he was dying. He hoped that the Sleepless, a group founded by Lazlo Bancroft, would be able to help him but they refused. They knew he wanted to cheat death. One of the sleepless was the man named Lark. He was willing to help Roland.

Millicent explains to Zeke King about her quest to save her nephew, Conrad. She tells him about the events that led up to the night in the greenhouse when he thought Roland was killed. She also tells him about how she pushed through and escaped the fire in the greenhouse.

Lark found out and then revealed to Roland the location of the relic that the Sleepless were keeping from him. Lark has the code to open the thing. Lark has served his purpose so Roland kills him along with everyone else in the nursing home.

Ambrose reveals to Zeke that he is a member of the Sleepless. He is working with Millicent, who is not a member of the Sleepless, to stop Roland. She just wants to save her nephew. Ambrose and a team of men are getting ready for a strike on the place where the story began, the mansion of Roland Blackwood. They want Zeke to join them.

Conrad learns that Roland isn’t just in his head. He has also been using his body when he thought he was sleeping. He’s the one behind the brainwashed, zombie-like men.

Zeke, Ambrose, and a group of men split up and search the mansion and the carriage house. Zeke finds something. He radios Ambrose but it is too late. The trap is sprung. Ambrose and the others are killed. Zeke alone survives to find the object that Roland’s men stole, a portrait of Vlad Teppes.

Thoughts

There are three lines that Roland quotes when he is talking to Conrad, trying to motivate him. They all sounded familiar but I had to look them up, find out where they came from.

I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. - from Kenneth Branagh‘s 1994 film Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more! - from Henry V (Act 3, Scene 1) by William Shakespeare, spoken by Henry V

Some are born mad, some achieve madness, and some have madness thrust upon ‘em. - this is an altered form of a quote from Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare where mad and madness have replaced great and greatness

I continue to love the way this story unfolds. I like how it jumps back and forth between Zeke on the one hand and Roland and Conrad on the other.

Is Millicent truly as altruistic as she claims? I have my doubts. I’m sure she would like to be restored to her former self and maybe she has other schemes that have yet to be revealed.

Maggie and Gus are not in this chapter.

This is not the final installment of Midnight Mystery. This volume ends with the promise of another, which has yet to be published. The ending of this volume is not fully satisfying but it whets my appetite for more. I hope that I won’t have to wait too long before the next installment is available.