by Alexie Aaron
“Take the next right.”
His eyes darted to the mirror. Nothing. He flipped off the night vision. Nothing.
“Take the next right,” the voice growled.
Thaddeus pressed the interior illumination and looked at the backseat again. Nothing. There wasn’t anyone back there.
“Turn the fucking wheel right!” the voice screamed at him.
“No!” Thaddeus screamed back. “You’re not real. There is no one back there!”
“Who said I was back there?” the voice asked calmly.
Thaddeus didn’t want to look, but as his right peripheral vision was filling with something black, he had no other choice.
A man with pale, bloated skin smiled at him. Wisps of black, coarse hair crossed the bald pate of his head. He smiled, and a gold-capped fang twinkled in the car light. There seemed to be some sort of tattoo that crossed his left cheek. A sober Thaddeus would have stopped the car and got out. But sober was six drinks ago. This Thaddeus put his foot down, and as the car’s speed increased, he yelled, “Get the fuck out of my car!”
“Turn the wheel right or I will,” the man warned.
“No fucking way!” he said, speeding through the intersection. “There, take that, you shithead.” Thaddeus started laughing, continuing to increase his speed, leaving the last intersection far behind him.”
“Make a legal U-turn and…”
“You get the hell out of my car,” Thaddeus ordered.
The man reached for the wheel of the car, and Thaddeus fought him for control.
The occupant of the state cruiser parked on the verge of the intersecting highway, having seen the Mercedes speed through the intersection without stopping, had decided to follow the car. The lone officer called his position in and asked for assistance. He followed the driver, keeping a silent distance. He feared the use of his lights and siren on this lonely stretch of road would incite the driver into a high-speed chase. As soon as his backup was in place, he would announce his presence to the driver.
When the driver turned on his interior lights, the officer could see that he was alone, although he seemed to be shouting at someone. His arm flung to his right as if he was pushing someone away. The car jerked back and forth. By the speed it was traveling, the officer feared it would flip over. He made the decision and put on his lights and siren.
“Do you see what you’ve done now?” Thaddeus screamed at the man.
The state cruiser’s lights lit up the night sky behind them. The siren was so loud that Thaddeus forgot where he was and let go of the steering wheel.
The passenger jerked the wheel to the right, sending the expensive car on a trip through a recently plowed field. The loose soil slowed the car. The grove of trees stopped it.
The officer called in the crash and exited the vehicle, running to see if he could help. He winced, seeing that the airbag-filled Mercedes’s front end was mated with a large oak tree. He managed to open the door and feel the neck of the unconscious man. He was pleased to receive a faint pulse. The odor of whisky in the vehicle was strong. This was a no-brainer. This accident’s cause was DUI. He sent a prayer of thanks upstairs since this could have been worse. The driver would survive, and he didn’t hurt anyone else in the process.
The sounds of the approaching emergency vehicles distracted him for a moment. The officer didn’t see Thaddeus open his eyes and smile, nor did he see the faint gold shine on the man’s front incisor a moment before Thaddeus shut his mouth and passed out.
Chapter Seven
Sabine had never looked more beautiful. Mia gazed upon her and her young family, drinking in the warmth and strength they exuded. Brian was now confined to a bed. His body was failing, but his will was strong enough for him to open up his eyes every morning and see his girls who kept him alive. Mia saw that he was losing his fight, and it saddened her. Although the young couple told her they were blessed with the extra time Brian had been given, they still feared his pending release from this earthly plane.
“Have you thought about moving into a permanent OOB before you die and residing with Komal?” Mia asked him.
“No, I’m going to see what the light has in store for me,” Brian said. “I confess the notion has crossed my mind numerous times since the girls were born, but I have to follow the path that’s been laid out for me. It’s the honorable thing to do.”
“There’s no dishonor in wanting to stick around,” Mia counseled.
“Maybe, but it limits Sabine. She will need to have a physical life with a man. Yes, I know she’ll mourn me, but, Mia, I ask you to help her move on when the time is right. Be with her, and keep her strong.” Brian stopped talking to regain his strength before he continued, “I know it’s a lot to ask for. You’ve just started your life with Ted, but aside from a few immortals, she really doesn’t have anyone that understands earthly needs and sorrows. Holly, my sister, will be there for her, but she doesn’t understand the strain of living in two realms like you do.”
“I’ll do what I can,” Mia promised. “Have any of the girls displayed any talents I should be aware of?”
“Sabine says it’s too early to tell. Maisha seems to be the calmest of the three. I look into her eyes, and I see the wisdom that only comes with great age. Sabine thinks she’s probably an old soul given another chance.”
“A reincarnated soul, interesting. I’ve never seen one,” Mia admitted. “How about Nura and Leta?”
“Nura can already stick her tiny fingers in her nose, and Leta never stops laughing. I wonder if she sees her sisters as her own personal clowns.”
“I think she’s just a joyful, happy child,” Sabine said, walking over, carrying Leta. She handed the baby to Mia who juggled her a moment until Sabine patiently showed her how to hold the infant. Mia’s ineptitude caused laughter from the baby.
“Go ahead and laugh at me, you delightful creature. Wait until you start walking and fall on your bum. See who laughs hardest then,” Mia warned.
Leta reached her hand up and grabbed Mia’s nose and squeezed.
“You know, if my nose honks, then I’m going to suspect you’re the clown and not your sisters.”
The baby liked Mia. She liked being talked to in a normal voice. Everyone else had this airy way of speaking. Her aunt Holly used the traditional baby-greeting voice. Her mother’s words were so soft, they were lost in the air. Her father was weak and barely spoke above a whisper. But the green-eyed woman’s words were strong and easy to imitate.
“Bum.”
Mia’s eyes widened. “This child didn’t just speak. That’s impossible.”
“It’s two months ahead of time,” Sabine said. “Leta’s first word, and it’s bum.”
“Lucky I didn’t say A S S,” Mia confessed, looking at the child. “She can’t spell can she?”
Sabine shook her head and burst out in laughter. “Wait until Holly sees today’s entry in the baby book. “Three months, Leta says her first word: bum.”
Mia cringed. “How about we let this one go? I’m sure the creature will learn mama or dada any day now.”
“Bum,” Leta said and burbled.
~
“Impossible,” Father Alessandro said.
“I kid you not, the child said bum,” Mia told him. “I suppose they’ll think twice before having me babysit.”
He roared with laughter. They were sitting at his favorite diner, munching on overstuffed chicken salad sandwiches.
“Out with it,” he said after a while. “You didn’t invite me to lunch just to tell me tales of Sabine’s talented trio.”
“No, I did not, but I’m not sure how to begin.”
“Tact is not one of your strong points, and I love you for it. Just start talking, and let me separate the stones from the split peas.”
“Now there’s something you don’t hear every day,” Mia said, wrinkling her brow. “Okay, I know that you and Father Santos don’t see eye to eye, and I’m not asking you to tell me anything that is…
well… confidential. But we seem to have a problem at the hollow and…” Mia brought the priest up to date on her and Father Santos’s involvement with the houses and spirits of the hollow. “I don’t know why we didn’t go into the middle house after the retreating spirits. I suspect it was because we were at the end of our strength. Even Angelo was looking rather pale by the end of things.”
“Has anything happened there, aside from the tale Ms. Toh and Grainger are telling?”
“Aside from a few glares from the windows when I’ve been caring for the graveyard, no.”
“Mia, I’m a bit controversial when it comes to spirits. My colleagues believe that when a person dies they must pass on to judgment and the great beyond. I, on the other hand, believe in the freedom to make the choice of traveling into, let’s say, the light, heaven if you will, or staying earthbound like your friend Murphy. If no one was occupying the house filled with the spirits, then why mess with it? They weren’t doing any harm. I think I will have to agree with Father Santos here.”
Mia nodded. “It seems to be a sanctuary of some kind. Although, yesterday, when Tonia took us on a memory trip to the past, via a ghost flower, I saw something in the house I am rather bothered by.”
“Ghost flower? You’ll have to explain that to me.”
“How about I show you?” Mia asked.
The priest swallowed his mouthful of sandwich and took a drink of water before laying his hand on the table, palm up. Mia took off her glove and laid her hand in his, palm down. She closed her eyes and let the priest into her mind. When she completed the memory, he released her hand.
Mia watched the man’s face. He thought a moment before speaking. “It’s not what I expected. I’m not sure what that was. Perhaps your nemesis Angelo would have records of one of his own being in the house before? Could this house be more than stone walls and lace curtains?”
“Angelo isn’t my nemesis, or at least, I hope not,” Mia said. “I also hope that whatever that was in there isn’t there anymore. It seemed to have the same substance as the demon that fed off of the boy who killed his family.”
“Demons let you see what they want you to see, but in this case, it didn’t know you were looking,” Father Alessandro surmised. “What is your gut feeling when it comes to this Tonia?”
“She’s a hunter, a tracker. Her intentions are singular. She wants the soul jumper brought to justice. I expect she would be happy to trap the sucker and leave the rest of the house be. But her partner Lorna is a hard one to read. She guards her face, wears a mask of some kind. She doesn’t let her emotions show, but her eyes give her away.”
“Tell me what happened after the PEEPs meeting ended?”
“Cid rang the bell, and the women returned. We agreed to help them. They seemed pleased, and Lorna said they would be in touch. She got on her horse and rode off. Tonia stayed a while sitting with Audrey, going through the contents of the box, taking some notes.”
“Anymore visions via plant life?”
“No. Tonia left a few hours later. She mentioned that they’d probably return around four today.”
“Why at that time?”
“Four o’clock each and every day, there is a residual haunt. A Native American warrior rides over the ridge, across the top of the hill and into the woods,” Mia explained and then enlightened the priest on his reason for the ride. “But he never reached his objective. His village was consumed by the hag. All that’s left is his emotional ride imprinted on the landscape of the hillside.”
Father Alessandro rubbed his chin.
“Murphy thinks that One Feather – that’s what we call the warrior – isn’t there anymore. He’s been replaced by another that has been spying on us.”
“The plot deepens. So, I think that the team of Toh and Grainger are going to investigate the rider and see for themselves. Can I come along and watch?”
Mia was surprised. “Of course, you’re always welcome at our home, Father.”
“Then we’d better finish, have some dessert and coffee. I’ll phone the parish house and tell them I’ll be dining out tonight. Mind if I come in collar or…”
“Come as you are. I expect Murphy will give you a wide berth, but that’s to be expected.”
“Poor Stephen, he’s still confusing me with Santos. We aren’t members of the same army, even if we wear the same clothes.”
“I know that, but Murph isn’t as savvy,” Mia said. She picked up her sandwich and bit into it, thinking about the afternoon ahead of them. She made a note to warn Ted of their impending guest.
~
Mia wasn’t surprised to see Audrey’s car parked by the barn when she arrived, but she didn’t expect to see Mike standing by his shiny red car talking to Burt. Mike waved at Mia as she passed him.
“Seems to me we have a full house this afternoon, Father,” Mia said, backing in the truck.
“You did say that Grainger and Toh were good looking and single,” the priest said sagely. “If I weren’t confined by my oath, I’d give those two a run for their money.”
Mia couldn’t resist smiling at the older man. She wasn’t sure of his exact age, but she estimated that he had passed seventy some time ago. Still, he was a vital man. His faith and gifts made him someone to be wary of, especially if you were a wayward parishioner or spirit. A priest that could see spirits and read minds was a formidable foe but an extraordinary friend. Mia was glad he stood on her side of the fence.
Ted opened the door and offered a hand to the priest. Father Alessandro declined but thanked him just the same. Mia walked around the truck and gave her husband a hug. The priest looked at the young couple and smiled.
“Where are these spirit chasers I’ve been hearing about?” he asked Ted.
“They arrived a while ago, riding two Arabian horses. After a conversation with Murphy, they rode off in the direction of the hillside,” Ted reported. “Lorna asked that we stay clear of the area.”
“Makes sense. I wouldn’t want to get trampled by a horse, spectral or otherwise,” Alessandro said.
“Let’s go over and make ourselves comfortable at the picnic table,” Mia directed.
“Father, would you like a refreshment?” Ted asked.
“You don’t by chance have any of your specialty, Theodore?”
Mia put a cautionary hand on the priest’s arm. “It’s pretty strong.”
“I have a feeling before the sun sets, we’re all going to need the strength.”
“That sounds ominous,” Ted remarked. “Father, are you competing for the Bela Lugosi award. Mia’s the reigning champ.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Father, I’ll explain it while Ted brings us both some of his joy juice,” Mia said, linking her arm in his. “Let’s see if we can snag a good spot at the table before the rest get there. Speaking of the rest, I wonder where Audrey and Cid are?”
Ted called over his retreating shoulder, “On the roof.”
Mia spun around and searched first the roof of the barn but found it empty. She then scanned the farmhouse and, sure enough, holding onto the chimney for dear life was Audrey. She was keeping a wary eye on Cid who was setting up a tripod. Years of construction had left the man with little fear of navigating the incline of the farmhouse roof.
“Kind of looks like Audrey isn’t too fond of heights,” Alessandro commented.
“Seems like it. Don’t worry about Lois, Superman’s with her,” Mia said, turning away from the sight.
“You have a lot of interesting nicknames. Dare I ask what mine is?”
“You’d have to ask Ted or Cid. They’re the giver of names. It makes life very interesting at times.”
The priest nodded and pondered names and labels silently.
Tonia tethered her horse to a low-hanging branch. She accepted a hand as she hopped up behind Lorna on Airgead. “When you hear Murphy’s signal, ride the intercept course as fast as you can. When we are alongside…”
“We’ve been over
this eighty times already. I know my part. Now shut up and gather your energy.”
Cid noticed a strange light that emanated from the trees just south of the open space. He pointed and asked Audrey, “What do you think that is?”
Audrey stood up, holding on to the edge of the chimney to get a better view. “I have no idea. Perhaps just sunlight reflecting off of something shiny,” she offered.
Cid shook his head, “It’s energy of…”
CRACK! CRACK!
Murphy’s signal echoed down the hillside.
Lorna encouraged Airgead into a gallop as she watched the wave of energy headed up from the valley. The spring grasses parted as the Indian emerged, riding the big bay horse.
“Look, coming out of the trees,” Mike shouted.
The group watched a white horse with two women on his back gallop out of the tree line.
“Here comes, One Feather,” Mia announced and described what only she and Father Alessandro could see.
Father Alessandro witnessed the brave warrior as he rode. He seemed connected with his mount as if they had been born together.
Airgead was closing the distance between them. Tonia gripped Lorna’s shoulders as she rose into a standing position.
They drew alongside the horse, and Tonia launched her body at One Feather, willing herself to connect with the apparition.
The ghost rider didn’t know what hit him. Instead of riding the bay across the field, he was flat on his back with something wrapped around his body. He struggled but managed to find the long knife at his side.