by Leo King
The spear disappeared, and Tania fell to the barge’s surface. The sounds of the Mississippi were a peaceful contrast to the war they just endured.
Thank you, Sister. Everything was going dark.
“No. Thank you.”
Will we live? Sounds were becoming far away.
Tania felt Violet’s arms around her.
“Live or die, we’ll do it together. As sisters.”
As the world went black, Tania could swear she felt a kiss.
Tania’s Epilogue
Her Sister Was Home
Date: Friday, June 13th, 1997
Time: 3:00 a.m.
Location: The Mississippi River, Somewhere North of Baton Rouge
“Wake up, Tania. You’ve overslept again, dummy.”
Tania opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was how clear the sky was, the moon in its half-waxing phase. Then, as her eyes adjusted, she realized someone was sitting beside her.
It was Violet’s ghost.
Sitting up, Tania glanced around. Except for the mask, her Blind Moses costume was gone. She was only in the bodysuit, with her wounds dressed and bandaged. The medical kit was opened to the side, nearly empty.
Violet’s ghost sat there, legs in the water, smiling at her. It was the first time in too many years that Tania could remember seeing her sister smile.
“What—what happened?”
“While you slept, I took control and dressed your wounds.” Violet’s ghost could only speak in a whisper.
Tania examined the bandages. Violet had done a great job. “I appreciate this. By why exit me? You know you’ll vanish to the spirit world if you’re outside of me for too long.”
With a wink, Violet’s ghost said, “I wanted to see you. And I wanted you to see me. Just this once.” Leaning over, she pressed against Tania. It felt like cool mist.
Tania reached up to put an arm around her, but without Violet’s power, it just passed right through. But it didn’t matter. Although they couldn’t touch, they were truly connecting.
“Sister,” Tania said. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Vincent forced a lifetime of abuse upon you. I was so stupid, all I could do was pretend everything was OK.”
“Oh, Tania.”
“I guess what I mean is… I’m sorry I couldn’t save you, Sister.”
Once more, Violet’s ghost smiled. “Stupid. You did save me.”
“I did?”
“You saved my soul.”
The moonlight sparkled off Tania’s tears. She sat with her sister until the twilight of the dawn began and Violet was forced to possess her again. But Tania felt that that was where Violet belonged.
Her sister was home.
Chapter 42
The Conference
Date: Saturday, June 14, 1997
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: GEIST Headquarters
Southern Arkansas
Whiskey bottle in hand, Sam strode into the conference room with Aucoin. Every important person in GEIST was there, including some members who had been on long-term assignments. There were even people she didn’t recognize.
Meyer was with Abel near the front of the room, leaning over a transparency projector. Hakim was deep in conversation with Tania, who was in normal street clothing. Victor was sitting alone in a corner, oiling his revolver. Misty and Lester, the two teenagers from Evergreen Sanatorium, were busy setting up equipment for the meeting. And near a podium, a young woman with short, red hair was typing on a clunky laptop computer.
“Everyone and then some are here,” Sam said as she gulped down a few swigs. She’d been drinking since last night to celebrate Tania finding her children, but she was hilariously sober. Even mixing up a “Sara Special” couldn’t get her drunk. Her excitement was so great that she was just burning the alcohol away.
Aucoin leaned over her shoulder. “Keep drinking that much and your liver will fail.”
She made a wet buzzing sound with her lips. “Back in September of 1994, both my livers died after a sixteen-day binge. I woke up two weeks later in a bus depot somewhere around Monroe, everything good as new.”
“Morbid,” he said, pinching the bottle out of her hand. “Well, these people are here for you, so act grateful. How about this—when the meeting is over, I’ll share a drink with you for old time’s sake.”
That got her attention. He hadn’t drunk since before Evergreen. It was a touching gesture, and her cheeks warmed. “All right, mister. You’re on.”
He tossed her a pack of Tic-Tacs. “And here. Suck on these. No nice way to say it. Your breath reeks.”
With a snort, she popped a dozen or so in her mouth and crunched on them.
Then someone behind her said, “Oh, hey, Sam! How goes it?”
She spun around to see a woman in her early twenties with unkempt, black hair and a chest that could cause a concussion. She was wearing a cream blouse and a dark-brown leather corset with black straps, the kind you’d get from a Renaissance fair. She was also wearing tan cargo pants and a large black belt with two rapiers hanging from her flared hips. Black leather boots and gloves finished the ensemble. She looked like a Victorian swashbuckler.
However, Sam immediately recognized her. “Alexia LeBlanc, right? Michael’s sister.”
“Correct!” Alexia’s smile was cheerful as she shook her hand. “I’m just glad to finally meet you when you aren’t covered in filth. How have you been?”
Sam felt her cheeks heat up. At least Alexia was genuine. “I’ve been as well as I can be. How about yourself? When did you join GEIST?”
Now it was Alexia’s turn to blush. “I’m not a part of GEIST. Well, not yet. I wanted to finish college first. I have a scholarship to the University of Copenhagen, and it just so happens that the Eversoll Institute is based there. Dr. Lazarus needed my best friend’s computer skills for the operation, so I came with her and Leona.”
That was a lot for Sam to take in at once, but she nodded along. “So, why are you dressed like that? Putting on a play or something?”
With her hands on her hips, Alexia winked. “This is my fighting outfit. It’s the only thing I can wear that keeps my chest from getting in the way.”
“Your fighting outfit?” Sam didn’t like the sound of that. “Why are you wearing a fighting outfit?”
“Because, goofball, I’m helping out. You saved my life that day. And remember, I did destroy Lord Dooley. Ya know, ‘destroy’ as in, he cannot come back because his energy was broken down and returned to the spirit world? So like it or not, I’m doing this.”
“Um, I don’t think someone your age should—”
But Alexia tugged her through the room. “Right, because I’ve got no experience struggling against impossible odds? Whatever. Anyway, come with. Patty would never forgive me if I didn’t personally introduce you to her.”
“I’ll keep your seat warm, Sam,” Aucoin called out.
As she was towed to the front of the room, Sam couldn’t help but feel good about Alexia. Not only was she Michael’s little sister through and through, but she also had a lot of the same traits Sam had when she was her age. And despite the pushiness, Alexia exuded an honesty that was refreshing. But Sam did feel sorry for the guy who would fall for her someday. He would have his hands full.
Alexia stopped in front of the redheaded girl on the laptop. “Patty, this is Sam Castille. Sam, this is Patty O’Brien.”
Patty spun off her chair and scrutinized Sam, poking at her with the eraser end of a pencil. “So, you’re the immortal Samantha Castille? I’ve read a lot about you.”
Sam swatted the pencil away. “Hey, stop that! So you’re Alexia’s best friend, then?”
“Patty E. Coyote, super genius,” she said. Then she put her arm around Alexia. “This girl is my soulmate. I love, love, love her so damn much.” She waggled her eyebrows and then smooched Alexia on the cheek.
Alexia said, “Ack!” and pushed Patty away, wiping o
ff the kiss. “Sorry about that, Sam. Patty loves teasing me, but with how she acts, sometimes I wonder if she really is queer.”
Leaning forward, hands on her knees, Patty made kissy faces at them both. “Only for you, Alexia, baby!”
As Alexia groaned in exasperation, Aucoin’s voice rose above the clamor of the room. “Everyone, the director is on his way with Leona Eversoll and the operation’s commander. Please take your seats.”
Patty yanked Alexia over to some chairs. “Come sit with me! Nice meeting you again, Sam!”
“Kids these days,” Sam said with a shrug. She then made her way back to Aucoin and sat next to him. “So, who is the operation’s commander?”
Aucoin seemed pleased. “You’ll see.”
Suddenly, Abel said, “The director has arrived.”
The door to the conference room opened. Camellia pushed Dr. Lazarus inside with Leona next to him. Behind them both was Dixie.
Sam gasped and ran to her. “Oh, God, Dixie!” she exclaimed, pulling her into a tight hug and squeezing as hard as she could without hurting her. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you.”
Dixie put her one good arm around Sam and hugged back. “I’m glad to see you, too, Sam. We’ll talk more after the meeting is over, I promise.”
A few snickers around the room drew Sam’s attention. She had just wanted to rekindle the friendship with Dixie that circumstance kept trying to squash, not make a scene. Now blushing wildly, she slipped back to her chair.
“That was adorable,” Aucoin whispered.
“Oh, shut up,” Sam muttered.
Dixie, Dr. Lazarus, and Camellia headed to the front of the room as Leona sat with Alexia and Patty. Once Dixie was at the podium, she tapped the microphone a few times and then said, “Members of GEIST and the Eversoll Institute, my name is Dixie Olivier Eliopoulos. I used to be a lieutenant for the New Orleans police. I am now a captain up in New York City. I am also one of the detectives who worked the new Bourbon Street Ripper case.”
Sam squeezed her shoe charm several times. Michael. Rodger. Richie.
“We’ve all been briefed on the situation concerning the Knight Priory,” Dixie said. “We all know the threat they pose. I’ve been asked by Dr. Lazarus and Professor Mathias to head up this operation. We’ve discussed it at length and have come up with what we believe is the best battle plan.”
She then nodded to Abel, who dimmed the lights and turned on the projector. An image of an oil rig in the middle of the water appeared on the screen.
“The Knight Priory has been meeting in secret since the Evergreen incident. Thanks to the efforts of operative Tania Patterson, we have learned that their meeting place is the Deepwater Olympus oil rig in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. They will be gathering there tomorrow night to induct a new member, the mayor of New Orleans, Marc Morial.”
Abel replaced the slide with a new one that was split into four images.
“These four people are the high-value targets of the Knight Priory. The first is Marc Morial. Their support helped him secure his victory in the last mayoral election. Once he joins, they will be poised to take over the state government. The second is Harry Connick Sr. He is seen as their leader but is just a puppet. We know that at some point, someone forced the high loa Papa Ghede inside him. This is a very unstable possession that needs to be carefully removed or it could kill him and irreparably harm the loa.”
Recalling Tania’s debriefing from last night, Sam nodded. The only way something that powerful could safely possess a human was through fusion.
Dixie continued. “The woman is Caroline Saucier, who has been identified as the real leader of the Knight Priory. She is in possession of a grimoire that gives her undetermined levels of power. She is the one who put Papa Ghede inside Connick.”
Sam glared at Caroline’s image. She never would have guessed just how dangerous that woman would end up being.
“And then there is Dr. Ignatius Kindley,” Dixie said. “He’s a pureblood who has acted as a liaison for most of the Knight Priory activities. He has used the grimoire to create talismans from the souls of his patients.”
Now I hate him even more, Sam thought, her lips tightening.
Waiting until similar murmurs of disgust died down, Dixie said, “The last person, we don’t have an image of. He’s called the Oracle. His role in the Priory is unknown. We do know that he’s the one who introduced Vincent to the tkeeus, setting all that’s happened into motion. We also have reason to believe that he is fused like Sam.”
A hum of surprise rippled throughout the room.
“Are we certain of that?” Alexia asked.
Shaking her head, Dixie said, “We don’t know for sure. Fused people are nearly impossible to detect. Only Tania has ever faced him.”
Tania then spoke up. “He was immensely powerful. Even if he’s not fused, he’s easily the strongest person in the Priory.”
Another mutter spread around, with lots of talk as to who should actually confront the Oracle. The volume was just starting to rise when Dixie slapped her hand against the microphone. The room settled back down.
“So we have three objectives. Abel, if you please?”
He changed slides to show a map of the Deepwater Olympus.
Leaning on the podium, Dixie said, “First, we are to go in and detain the members of the Knight Priory. The police will assist with this. Every one of them will be turned over to the FBI. Second, we’re searching for two small children, Alice and Eugene Castille.”
People in the room glanced toward Sam.
“They are being brought by Caroline to give to the Oracle. We are to intercept and take the children with us.”
Despite having heard all this last night, Sam still felt her blood get hot and her pulse quicken. Those were her babies.
Then Dixie said, “And our third goal is to attempt to destroy the silver pen that links Vincent Castille to the physical world.”
A loud rumble of voices again spread. Sam leaned over toward Aucoin. “Did you know about this?”
“No, not at all.” His brow furrowed. “This is troubling. I thought Julius said the energy release would be like a nuclear bomb.”
“He did.”
Once more, Dixie slapped the microphone until everyone settled down. “After conferring with both Julius and Professor Mathias, we believe that Deepwater Olympus offers the best chance to do this. It is equipped with a plasma-cutting boring device—the only one of its kind. After we accomplish all other objectives, a select team will set the pen in the basin of the device and activate it. It will need to be on a special timer, because it’s believed the explosion will be akin to a nuke.”
“Glad they thought that out,” Sam said.
Aucoin hummed. “More like a desperate gamble.”
“Smartass,” she said with a smirk.
Meanwhile Dixie scanned the room. “Any questions?”
“Yes,” Hakim said. “This one would like to know who will be carrying the pen.”
Without even thinking, Sam said, “I will. We need to cut Vincent off from this world. It’s my father. It’s my burden.”
Once more, mumbling rose around the room. From his wheelchair, Dr. Lazarus said, “As you wish, Sam.”
Leaning over, Aucoin whispered. “You better come back, or I’m taking your room.”
Despite the situation, she chuckled. It was good to have him banter with her.
Dixie cleared her throat. “So, for the operation, we’re going to leave the port of New Orleans in a squadron of helicopters. Once on the rig, you will split into seven teams. Please hold all questions until after I’ve assigned the teams.”
Everyone in the room listened attentively.
“Team One, Kyle and Victor, will apprehend Caroline. Team Two, Gavin and Curtis, will seek out the children. Team Three, Chase and Noelle, will apprehend Mayor Morial. Team Four, Tania and Amelie, will apprehend Dr. Kindley. Team Five, Meyer and Hakim, will apprehend Connick. Team Six, Sam an
d Alexia, will apprehend the Oracle. Team Seven, Sebastian and Sheeree, will locate and prepare the boring device.”
Clearing his throat, Meyer asked, “What do you want us to do with Connick?”
“You invoke kabbalic magic, right? And Hakim has a spirit guardian. He can distract Connick while you try to separate him and Papa Ghede. If that fails, subdue him. We’ll place him in quarantine back here.”
“Just don’t dive into his mind,” Tania said. “That will open up a direct link to Vincent.”
“With respect, Lady Patterson,” Hakim said, “this one has no intention of doing that.”
“Of course,” Tania said. “So Dixie, for my team, do we have any intel on Dr. Kindley’s actual abilities?”
When Dixie shook her head, Tania sighed. “Fine, then. We’ll manage.”
Sam felt bad for her. She was still recovering from her ordeal in New Orleans, and now she was being asked to deal with a foe no one knew anything about.
Then Victor spoke up. “I have a question.”
Everyone turned to him, as he rarely spoke. “So this Caroline woman is carelessly slinging around black magic and spirits. If she can’t be subdued, can we kill her?”
“I hope so,” Aucoin muttered. Sam was certain no one else heard him.
Dixie scowled. “We’re not murderers. Defend yourself, but only kill if there is no other choice.”
Victor nodded and returned to oiling his gun.
Standing up, Sam said, “Dixie, I mean no disrespect to Alexia, but why is she paired with me? If the Oracle is fused, she could easily die.”
Dr. Lazarus spoke up. “Sam, I can personally attest to Miss LeBlanc’s abilities. Not only did she destroy a powerful greater spirit by herself, but since she joined the Eversoll Institute, she has continued to prove herself on the field. She is the only person I feel safe pairing you with.”