2 Corruption

by John O'Riley

  Chapter 1

  Josephine, Helen, Alice, and Mark each had a mug of coffee resting on the dining room table in front of them as Josephine shuffled the playing cards so they could play their morning game of rummy. The sparkling crystal chandelier provided an abundance of cheery illumination in the room. Josephine hadn’t owned this large, spacious, pink two-story house for very long and she still found herself admiring the many beautiful features incorporated in the sound structure. When she’d first come to look at it, the dead lawn and the pink colored exterior had put her off just a bit; however, those were things that could be easily fixed and pink houses were pretty common in Sarasota, Florida. The other drawback to the home was that it was cursed and black magic always harbors side-effects. Fortunately, the dwelling was situated on a mini vortex which was a rare phenomenon and Josephine was virtually always plugged into it which was an ability only category six wizards possessed.

  The three elderly women were all in their seventies and up but because they were immortal, they’d always enjoy the vibrant health and youthful beauty of a woman in her early twenties. Josephine was the only natural immortal because she was born a six while Helen had been cursed with immortality and transformed into a succubus. Alice was a former vampire but had been cured with a praesentia infinitus enchantment which basically allowed her to live for as long as she could resist the enticing lure of the afterlife. Once Alice decided she wanted to pass on, the enchantment would transform her body into energy and her corporeal existence would end. Alice had put her fiery, red hair in pigtails this morning and applied a glossy crimson shade of lipstick to her luscious lips. She wore pink spandex shorts, a pink blouse, matching colored shoes, and long pink dangly earrings. Helen and Mark both sported casual outfits while Josephine worked today so she’d dressed up a bit with black pants and a cobalt-blue dress shirt. Josephine was gifted with a slender frame, long legs, and a gorgeous face. Her silky black hair was confined in a pony tail.

  Josephine passed out the cards and her boyfriend, Mark, took his turn. Mark was eighteen years old and Josephine had been torn with indecision on whether to date a guy so much younger than her but in the end, she’d discovered they were well-suited for each other.

  “Is there any news on the Valituras?” Alice asked.

  “Not a peep,” Josephine responded.

  “I knew they would continue to lay low and just keep on living in secret. I think the only thing people like that know how to do is play it safe,” Alice said.

  Mark ended his turn by discarding a queen. Josephine and Alice eyed the card with consideration and longing as Helen picked up a card from the deck.

  They played in silence for awhile as the discard pile grew. Josephine became tense as she was very close to being able to score some big points. She and Alice leaned forward and fierce expressions dominated their faces as they waited for their chance to make a move. Mark and Helen lounged in their chairs in a relaxed manner as they weren’t very competitive and could care less who won. When Alice’s turn came, she picked up the entire discard pile which elicited a growl of frustration from Josephine who planned on doing the same thing. When Alice played three queens and four kings, Josephine slammed the palm of her hand against the top of the dining room table with frustration.

  “I knew you were hogging my queens!”

  Alice’s lips curved in a satisfied grin as she arranged her cards.

  “I’m not looking forward to going to work this morning,” Josephine grumbled.

  “Is something happening today?” Helen asked.

  “I have to see Lorcan and try to figure out that stupid amnesia spell. They’ve got all kinds of experts and other OC enforcers working on the memory problem. I don’t see what difference I can possibly make.”

  “You’re the one who captured him both times,” Alice pointed out.

  “I had a lot of help, too.”

  “There aren’t very many category six wizards who work as enforcers and I think you’re even stronger than most,” Helen said.

  Josephine leveled a warm smile at her friend. “Thanks, Helen.”

  Alice finally ended her turn and they continued playing a new hand.

  “I was thinking since you’re both immortal now like me, you should think about joining the workforce. I don’t see why I’m the only one that should have to suffer,” Josephine remarked.

  “I don’t know if my nerves could handle it,” Helen said. “I’d probably end up drinking too much and doing a bunch of crazy stuff and the next morning I’d wake up not remembering what happened. Kind of like that old movie with the three guys at that bachelor party called The Migraine.”

  “I never heard of that movie.” Josephine regarded her with bemusement.

  “She means The Hangover,” Alice advised.

  Josephine nodded in acknowledgement as she picked up a card to take her turn. It was just what she’d been waiting for – an ace. Josephine slapped down four aces and discarded which ended the game. Alice squealed with outrage as she was stuck with a handful of cards.

  “Maybe we should mix it up and try playing something different one of these days,” Mark suggested.

  “Like what?” Josephine asked.

  “How about Bingo?”

  “No way! That game is for the elderly. I’m too hip for that kind of thing,” Alice said.

  “I think it sounds fun,” Helen interjected.

  “Check out my new smart phone.” Alice whipped out a sleek, maroon phone and showed it to her friends.

  “That’s so cool!” Mark exclaimed.

  “What does it do besides make calls?” Helen peered at the phone with curiosity.

  “The question is what DOESN’T it do? This thing has over a hundred apps. I could even watch television on it,” Alice boasted.

  “Why would you want to watch shows on a screen that’s so small?”

  “It’s called being mobile. You can take it with you anywhere – unlike a television,” Alice explained.

  Josephine fixed an earnest look at Helen. “Now that you’re a six like me, I strongly encourage you to join the workforce. Working for the police has given me a sense of purpose in my old age. This country needs more OC enforcers.”

  “I could never do what you do,” Helen protested.

  “Right now is the perfect time to start. They’re desperate for sixes. You could choose to work in the manufacturing field. I know you can make advanced enchantments because you’ve helped me before.”

  “I don’t know. I’d still be an enforcer and a backup for police work, wouldn’t I?”

  “That’s true but if you’re only backup, chances are you’ll never have to do any of that stuff,” Josephine explained.

  “There’s also the issue of traveling. Enforcers often get assigned special projects out of state. Power vortexes don’t grow on trees, you know. I’m lucky to have an accessible one at Siesta Key beach and then there’s the one here at your house but if I’m forced to work somewhere where there aren’t any around, I’ll start getting succubus urges again.” Helen grimaced with displeasure. “I remember how horrible it was to suddenly get this uncontrollable urge to smooch and make out with random guys in public. There’s no way to know when it would happen. I’m still embarrassed over some of those unfortunate incidents.”

  Alice snorted with derision. “You don’t see any of those men complaining, do you? At least you don’t have to drink blood like I used to. I don’t see what the big deal is.”

  “You were possessed the whole time you were a vampire.”

  “I know but I could still see and hear and feel everything that my body was doing.” Alice threw Mark an appreciative glance. “Your skin was so soft and your blood was especially delicious.” Her expression turned apologetic. “And I’m very sorry that I attacked you and drank from you.”

  “You were possessed. It wasn’t your fault.” Mark’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Please don’t mention it anymore.”

  “I’m sorry. I
can’t stop thinking about it and all the other terrible things I did. Although drinking from Dale and those jerks who were bothering Josephine was sort of justified.”

  “We all realize you weren’t responsible for your actions when you were a vampire. Try not to dwell on the past,” Josephine advised.

  “I’ll try.” Alice’s lips curved in a sad smile.

  Josephine focused on Helen again. “You should apply for work as an enforcer.”

  “I’ll think about it.” Helen clearly harbored misgivings about giving up retirement.

  Josephine fixed her attention on Alice.

  “You should think about it too. There’s no reason I should be the only one suffering,” Josephine said.

  “Oh, no! I’m too old for adventure and saving the world. You’re one of a kind.” Alice’s emerald colored green eyes conveyed her adamant refusal to engage in this course of action.

  When Josephine left for work, she made a brief call on her cell to the police station to report she was on her way to the Clearwater Corrections Facility which was the closest maximum security prison to Sarasota. It annoyed her that she was forced to commute so long to spend time with a man who’d caused her so much grief. A corrections officer named Matt, a dark-haired man with an average build and an alert expression on his face, escorted Josephine to the interrogation room where Lorcan was already set up with two guards watching over him. Currents of negative psychometric energy emanated from the walls of the prison and cascaded against the edges of Josephine’s mind. She did her best to continue to block out the disturbing sensations as she sat down at the table facing Lorcan who was handcuffed to the table top.

  The mere sight of Lorcan’s loathsome face elicited flares of righteous anger in Josephine. He was a man in his thirties with short-cropped brown hair, thin lips, a stubby nose and green eyes. He suffered from amnesia due to a memory suppression spell that all members of the Valituras contained in their minds which activated when captured. This prevented the government from discovering much needed secrets about this organization including the enchantments and curses they could create and the identity of other members. One fact they’d already established was that members of the Valituras had infiltrated every level of government in virtually every country throughout the world. The Valituras had managed to spring Lorcan out of jail previously but Josephine had apprehended him again which had caused the memory suppression spell to kick in a second time. Having the spell become active twice had an unforeseen side-effect of inhibiting short term memory as well which caused Lorcan to forget everyone he encountered.

  “Hello, Josephine,” Lorcan said.

  “This isn’t a social call, Toadstool,” Josephine snapped.

  “What did I ever do to you?” Lorcan’s expression was hurt.

  “You tried to curse me twice, you turned my best friends into a vampire and a succubus, and you almost killed my grandson.” Josephine’s beautiful brown eyes glittered with hostility.

  “It’s hard to believe I did all that.”

  “You’ve done that and more, Toadstool.”

  “Why are you calling me that?” Lorcan regarded her with puzzlement.

  “Because that’s the nickname I gave you when I met you and realized what an ass you are.”

  Josephine closed her eyes so she could focus and to discourage any further conversation. She awakened her psychic receptors which unfortunately made her more susceptible to the dominant psychometric energy inhabiting the room which stemmed from the boredom, anger, and sick thoughts of the many previous occupants. She reached out with her mind to access Lorcan’s. It took her several moments to find the memory suppression enchantment which was programmed to mutate its energy signature to blend in with Lorcan’s when detected. Josephine made sure not to probe at it too closely so she wouldn’t have to hunt for it again. She wasn’t an expert on this type of spell so it frustrated her to try and reverse it. She examined the details of the enchantment which was slow and tedious work. When she finally made her first attempt to disarm it, the spell immediately mutated and slipped out of her grasp. She managed to keep track of it for several seconds before it vanished from her sight.

  Josephine heaved a frustrated sigh and tried again. When she found it, she noticed it had once again changed its configuration. It reminded her of a network of veins deeply entrenched throughout Lorcan’s mind. She continued to work until it was time to head over to the Sarasota police station. Josephine was immensely relieved to exit the prison.

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  The following pages are a preview of the first installment of the exciting new series,

  The Winters Family Psi Chronicles, Transformation.

  Chapter 1

  Emily Winters paced back and forth in her small, barren living quarters which had served as her prison for twelve long years. Her plan for freedom was tenuous at best but finally, her opportunity would arrive and she had to seize it for there would never be another. As a level nine precognitive, she knew this was her only hope. She had been abducted as an adolescent with the ability to foresee the future with uncanny accuracy when discovered by an operative of the Psi-Tech research facility in Seattle. The extent of her powers had been ascertained through a battery of tests. The vast majority of psychics possessed only one strong talent but often one or two weaker abilities. Emily had been classified as a level five precognitive with no secondary abilities; however, she had intentionally failed their testing for telepathy. The researchers had been ecstatic to discover a naturally-occurring psychic with such a high rating. They had immediately forced her to undergo the psi-enhancement procedure which comprised of a combination of drugs and electrical stimulation to the brain. This technique only worked on a third of the population and no one knew ahead of time who it would help. After a painful recovery of several days, Emily was reclassified as a level nine precognitive which was the highest rating that researchers could currently measure.

  At first, Emily refused to cooperate with her captors but after enduring days of torture, she’d capitulated with their instructions. For years, she made daily predictions that benefited the facility’s ability to generate profit through economic forecasting as well as strengthen its political power base. Several key government officials and a small, wealthy, influential group of individuals secretly reaped the rewards of work performed by both prisoners as well as employees of this organization. As the company’s most valuable tool, Emily had been instructed to foresee and report a variety of major events. As a result of her work, she knew a great deal about this corrupt and greedy organization. She couldn’t stand the thought of furthering their agenda and supporting their power base any longer. Not when an opportunity had finally arrived which would allow her to escape this place.

  Emily’s body filled with nervous anticipation as she continued pacing the main room of her living quarters. It was furnished with a small desk and laptop computer to allow her to record any unexpected visions she may receive, a plush gray armchair, and a small bookcase brimming with a collection of popular novels. The white walls were devoid of any decoration while the floor was covered by green, commercial-grade carpeting. The spartan bedroom offered only a twin-sized bed with a small nightstand that sported a cheap, digital alarm clock. The entrance to the private bathroom was situated on one end of the main room. Of course, there were no windows in the living quarters which would have allowed for possible escape.

  Her head spun toward the front door as the lock clicked loudly and an instant later, Steve emerged inside the room. Steve was a research manager and a level five psychometrist. He was tall with soulless brown eyes and had thinning, blond hair. He wore a gray dress shirt and black tie and brown pants. He gripped a taser in his right hand and nodded toward the open doorway as he stepped away from it so she could move past him.
Emily had been expecting this unwelcome visit. She took a deep, fortifying breath and traversed down the hallway. Steve escorted her to the elevator and they rode in tense silence until they’d risen several floors. Emily’s anxiety mounted as they continued down another long corridor until finally reaching Sharon’s office. Sharon smiled chillingly from behind her massive, polished oak desk. She was the director of this facility and had taken a very personal interest in Emily as she had proven to be an invaluable asset to the company. Like Steve, she had started her work here with no psychic abilities whatsoever until she’d participated in the psi-enhancement procedure which had fashioned her into a level four intuitive. Psychometrists received impressions, information, and emotions that individuals unknowingly left behind on inanimate objects while intuitives could obtain information from some unknown source. The most common theory for intuitives was that they possessed a conglomerate of incomplete psychic abilities that gave them glimpses of information and insight from seemingly nowhere.

  “Please, sit down,” Sharon said.

  Emily knew better than to mistake this statement as a request rather than an order. She reluctantly sank into the black leather chair facing the director’s desk. Steve remained standing slightly behind Emily.

  “You know why we’re having this little chat, I presume,” Sharon said evenly.

  “Not exactly,” Emily fibbed.

  Sharon slowly rose from her desk which revealed her short height and dumpy frame. She wore a crisp, green blouse and pleated, green pants. She stepped out and positioned herself directly in front of Emily, peering down at her with a threatening expression on her face.

  “You’ve been hiding something from me.” Sharon’s chilling gaze bore into Emily’s.

  “I’ve reported all my predictions and impressions to you.”

  “You can’t lie to me,” Sharon said. “You’ve withheld vital information from me. Something that threatens the security of this facility.”

  “That simply isn’t true.”