Ghosted on the Gulf Coast (Gulf Coast Paranormal Trilogy Book 1)

by M. L. Bullock

  Sierra and I walked out of the main room and traveled down a side hallway that would presumably lead downstairs. It seemed like the right way to go. She paused as she waved her flashlight around. After a few seconds of examination, we continued toward the basement. “Man, it’s as dark as the bottom of a well in here,” she said. “Thank goodness we have a flashlight. I don’t think I’d want to go down there if we didn’t have these.”

  “I hear you. It’s as black as an ace of spades.” We didn’t talk much more along the way, and I didn’t feel anything unusual. But as Midas once told me, “Don’t rely too much on feelings. They’ll let you down during a paranormal investigation.”

  As we walked I mused aloud, “It’s been over a hundred years since she died. From what I understand, there wasn’t much renovation happening in the basement except for a few structural things. Maybe it will be easier than we think to find her.”

  “Maybe,” Sierra offered as she opened the basement door. Musty air swelled up to greet us. My walkie-talkie went off and startled the heck out of me. “Midas, did you do that on purpose?”

  “I just wanted to remind you we don’t have cameras stationed down there so you’ll have to use the handheld camera.”

  “Shoot. I forgot. Okay, thanks.” To Sierra I said, “If I have to wear or carry one more thing, I’ll have to buy a tool belt.” But she wasn’t there. “Sierra? We’re supposed to stick together.” She didn’t answer me—it was like she vanished into thin air. “Sierra?” I flipped the camera on and slid the flashlight in my pocket before descending into the blackness of the basement. “Sierra? Where are you?”

  I stepped on the bottom floor and immediately experienced heaviness, almost like a weight on my shoulders. I didn’t want to be here and began second-guessing my decision to search for Sabrina Elizabeth in the basement. “Sierra?”

  Sierra…

  That wasn’t my voice! I reached for my walkie-talkie. “Cassidy to Midas.”

  “Go ahead, Cassidy.”

  “Did you just call Sierra?”

  “Nope. I haven’t called anyone.”

  “Okay, I thought I heard something, and I don’t know where Sierra went.”

  “Find her and get back to me.”

  “Okay. Over.” I slid the walkie-talkie back on my hip and swung my camera back up. A face appeared on the screen, and I nearly fell backward. After a second I realized it was Sierra, and I couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you, Cassidy. Were you calling me?”

  “Good Lord, yes! I was calling you. Where did you go?”

  “It was the funniest thing. I thought I saw a light down here and thought you were right behind me.”

  “You move fast, Sierra McBride. I turned around, and you were gone. What was it?”

  She shook her head slowly. “I have no idea, but the light flashed over there.”

  “Let’s head that way, but do me a favor. Let’s go together this time.”

  “Roger,” she said as she flashed her light around us and we slowly walked.

  I wasn’t super proficient with the thermal camera yet, but I was getting the hang of it. “Oh, grab my walkie and let Midas know I found you.”

  “Got it.” She pulled the walkie-talkie off my hip and called him back, but he didn’t answer. “That’s weird. Are the batteries dead?” I stopped, and we traded devices. “Shine the light over here, please.”

  “They can’t be dead. I just checked them before we left, unless Joshua went behind me and replaced them. I can’t imagine he would.” I removed the battery and popped it back in. Still no juice. “It doesn’t usually just go dead like that, does it? I didn’t see a battery light or anything flashing.”

  “Not usually. But then again, equipment has been known to crap out just when you need it the most. Uh-oh.”

  “What?” I asked, still fiddling with the walkie-talkie.

  “This camera is on ten percent battery. It’s like something is sucking it dry. Definitely raises the creep factor.” Sierra’s voice rose to an alarmingly high pitch. She sounded as frightened as I felt. “Yeah, that’s a problem. Battery drain. That means something down here is gathering energy and wants to manifest.”

  “Should we go back and get more batteries?” And then the camera went dead. Great. Now what? “You have got to be joking! Yeah, we’ll have to head back while we can still see to get out of here,” I said with a nervous laugh. “Sierra, you lead the way. Let’s go back up for a battery refill.”

  I heard the snapping of the flashlight as it clicked on, and suddenly the darkness subsided. Both of us gave a sigh of relief. “Let’s go before the flashlight dies too.”

  If I thought Sierra moved fast before, she was like lightning now—and I was right on her heels.

  Clink. Clink. Clink.

  “Did you hear that?” Sierra paused at the bottom of the stairs. An open door yawned before us, and the sound was coming from in there.

  I could see her inching that way, but I was ready to get out. I skipped past her and tugged on her shirt. “I swear we’ll come back after we get the batteries. Come on, Sierra!” I made it up the stairs and was out the door when suddenly the basement door slammed in Sierra’s face.

  And now she was alone in the dark with something that didn’t want her to leave.

  Chapter Fourteen—Sierra

  Hearing the activity in the other room compelled me to check it out. I was eager to prove that I still had what it took to be a part of the team. Even if Joshua and I ended up in Splitsville, I would still have this. If I could cut it. And now my flashlight decided to go dark. What the hell was going on?

  Please don’t manifest. Please don’t manifest. Okay, Sierra. Controlled breathing. In and out. In and out.

  Nobody bothered to ask me why I freaked out during the recon. I guess they all assumed I’d lost it. Maybe I had. I mean, who gets drunk and confesses to an affair that happened three years ago? Hands up! I’m that girl. I couldn’t help it. My guilty conscience and two glasses of 7 and 7 had gotten the best of me. Why on earth had I done that? I’d walked right into that face, the horrid face that hung in midair. The woman with the dark hair, haunted eyes and screaming mouth. She wasn’t there, and then suddenly she was. It was disturbing to say the least.

  No time for that. Think, girl! It quickly became apparent that the door didn’t want to budge. My hands were shaking as the fact that I was alone and enveloped in darkness began to sink in. Still hunkered down on the stairs, I tapped on the door. Cassidy kept tugging away, but to no avail. I thought she might be crying now. Someone was crying, and it wasn’t me. Not yet.

  “Cassidy, go get Midas. Hurry!” I heard her footsteps speed away and I sat down, determined not to move from the steps. I still had the flashlight in my hand. Cassidy had the thermal, but since neither piece of equipment wanted to work properly, what did that matter? It would only take a few minutes to get to Midas and come back, but a minute was as good as a mile.

  Might as well be a hundred years if you’re scared out of your mind to begin with. Well, while I’m sitting here… I began tinkering with the flashlight. I slid the battery pack out and back into place. Nothing. I removed the lid and then the batteries, and still nothing.

  Hey, girlie!

  “Oh crap!” I whispered to my flashlight. After holding my breath for a full thirty seconds, I turned my attention back to the malfunctioning flashlight. I reinserted the batteries twice before I had the results I wanted. Suddenly the light came on, and I practically squealed with delight. I followed the beam of light to the bottom of the stairs, now fully illuminated in cold white light. To my surprise, I caught the edge of a piece of fabric, like a gown or dress dragging across the floor, and then it was gone.

  “Who’s there? Why are you hiding?” I eased down the stairs one at a time. I paced myself, walking slowly, flashing my light and praying that it would continue to unveil the darkness. What would I do if the light went out and I wa
s in the middle of the basement?

  “Hello? I know you want me to see you. Why are you hiding?” I stepped off the staircase and turned to my left in the direction the figure disappeared. It was in the opposite direction from where Cassidy and I had been just a few minutes ago. I passed through one small moldy-smelling room into another. There was no door on the doorframe; it lay on its side next to it—as if some horrible monster long ago wanted out. And got out. There were metal shelves against the walls, containing boxes of unknown items, and there was plenty of dust. You could smell it everywhere.

  Holding my breath, I stepped into the doorway, not knowing what I would see. So far, my flashlight hadn’t let me down, but the further I got from the staircase the less confident I became. How much longer could I depend on it? I quickly surveyed the room, using my light to canvas the area. There was nothing in here except what looked like an old Christmas tree in the corner. Who would leave that down here? And then I realized it wasn’t a Christmas tree but the tattered remnants of an old gown on a dressmaker’s mannequin. That was the gown I’d just seen! How did it get in here?

  Okay, clearly that was a sign. I must be going in the right direction. On the side of the small room was a metal door, kind of like one you would see in an old bank.

  And there was that sound again…Clink, clink, clink.

  Like someone was banging on metal—or digging a hole! Oh no!

  I heard voices, a man and a woman. They were arguing, but I couldn’t make it out. I dug in my pocket for the audio recorder. To my surprise, it had a full battery, and I clicked record. This couldn’t be right. There was no one down here but me, right?

  “Is someone here? I’m coming in now.” With sweaty hands, I slid the lit flashlight in my pocket and tugged on the metal doorknob. It felt stiff, like it hadn’t been opened in a hundred years, but it gave way with a loud scraping sound. As fast as I could, I fumbled with the flashlight and cast a light into the newly opened room. There was certainly a bunch of junk in here, but I didn’t see anyone. Not that I really expected to. I waved the digital recorder around and said, “My name is Sierra. I’m not here to harm you, but I’m looking for someone. Maybe you know her? Her name is Sabrina Elizabeth. Is she here?” I waited for a response but heard nothing. Not at first. But then I heard a sound, a voice. Sierra…

  After the cold chills subsided, I called, “Yes, my name is Sierra. Is Sabrina Elizabeth here?”

  Next thing I knew, hands were on my throat. I dropped my flashlight and audio recorder out of sheer surprise. I fought with the invisible entity as it wrapped its cold fingers around my neck and squeezed. “No! You don’t have any authority over me!” I could barely get the words out, but it seemed to do the trick. I stepped back and reached down to scoop up my flashlight.

  That’s when I saw her. A blonde, her head peeking out of a faded yellow sheet, her hair much yellower than the fabric intended to be her shroud. She had black earbobs in her ears and wore a yellow and white dress that was torn open at the bosom. Her blue eyes were wide and staring, but I imagined that I saw an eyebrow arch slightly—she saw me. Oh my God! She was still alive! They were going to bury her, and she was still alive!

  “You saw that! She’s alive, Oscar! Look at her! No, we can’t do this!”

  “Do what I tell you, Shannon!”

  To my horror, the lanky doctor threw himself on the pitiful blonde. I could hear her struggling to breathe. I cried out, but nobody could hear me. And I couldn’t move my legs, as if my feet were stuck in invisible cement. All I could do was watch. “No!” I screamed as the man called Oscar continued to hurt the already injured woman.

  Next thing I knew, a shovel flew by me and landed on the back of his head. He cried out in pain, but it didn’t deter him much. He left the apparently dead blonde and turned his attention to the woman named Shannon. Blood poured down the side of his head, but he was full of anger. Shannon spun around looking for another weapon, something she could use to fend off the murderer.

  “Oh, Shannon. I’ll make you pay for that.”

  Her back against the wall, she flattened herself. “Stop it, Oscar. You know this isn’t right. You can’t do this. Haven’t I always helped you? Please…” Her plea fell on deaf ears. Oscar picked up the shovel, the one that she used just moments ago, and with an angry grimace came toward her.

  She screamed in fright but kept her eye on the open door. I could hear what she was thinking: If I can make it to the door, I’ll be free. I’ll get help! If I can make it. With nervous tears, she slithered down the wall toward the door, Oscar slowly advancing on her. He was losing strength—that blow would surely stop him. Oh, why had I stopped with one blow?

  She ran for the door, but she wasn’t fast enough. The blade of the shovel dug into her back, and she collapsed from the pain. He didn’t strike her again. He was a doctor, so he knew she would die now—after she suffered. She was bleeding good now, and she would suffer. I could tell he liked that.

  As she lay there, her face was turned to me. Her hazel eyes were bright, luminous and pleading.

  Find me…

  I cried until Midas and Cassidy rescued me.

  Chapter Fifteen—Midas

  Josh grabbed Sierra by the shoulders and kissed her thankfully. “Sierra Kay…”

  “I know. I love you too. I’m sorry, for everything.”

  “Hush up. Let’s go home.”

  The couple left headquarters together, and I felt relief wash over me. Things were falling into place. I hoped the meeting with Mark went as well. How was he going to take the news?

  As if she read my mind, Cassidy said, “How are you going to explain this to the client? Can I be a fly on the wall?”

  I closed the laptop and stuffed it in my leather bag. I could do this from home. No sense in hanging out here. “Sure, you can come. In fact, I think that’s a great idea. As far as the client goes, Mark hired us to get to the bottom of this, and we’ve done that. He wanted us to ‘clear the place,’ I think is how he put it. Bringing in a cadaver dog to search that basement and removing those women’s bodies will put things right. I’m sorry for any inconvenience that might cause him, but if he wants it to end, that’s how to do it. And if that doesn’t give him the relief he needs, we’ll come back.”

  “Do you think the doctor’s reign of terror has finally come to an end?”

  “Most of the time, those spirits lose power once the secret is revealed. I’m certain that will be the case here too.”

  She leaned against the desk and asked, “And Bear? Do you think he’ll rest?”

  “I’m not sure. I wish I could tell you that he knew what was happening, that he understood it, but I can’t. I still think his footsteps, what we think were Bear’s footsteps, were part of a residual haunt. And in that case, he may never stop looking.”

  She sighed and said, “You could just lie to me and say, ‘Yes, Cassidy. He knows she’s been discovered. He’s with her now,’ or don’t you believe in happy endings?”

  “I haven’t personally had one yet, but I do believe in them.”

  “I haven’t had any either, but I believe in them too. Maybe the key is to believe in them with someone; you know there’s power in numbers.” She was so close to me now I could see the splash of freckles on her nose and smell her strawberry shampoo. I kissed her because it was the right thing to do.

  “Well, I know you’re tired. I’m tired too, but wouldn’t it be nice if we ended this investigation officially. You know, together?”

  Between kisses, she laughed softly. “Is that the best you got?”

  “Yes. As you noted earlier, I’m not smooth with words.”

  One more kiss and she said, “Well, perhaps I could help you with that.”

  “Perhaps you could,” I flirted back. We left the office, and I locked the door behind me. “Should I follow you?”

  “You should,” she said as she got in her car.

  We drove to her apartment building and stepped out together. I ki
ssed her in the lobby and in the elevator. We kissed in the hallway and in her living room. We made it as far as the couch.

  For the first time in a long time, I felt whole. Like I belonged to something and someone special—yeah, she was special. As the sun came up, I kissed her cheek and told her I’d call her that afternoon. She smiled groggily and I left her quietly, knowing that this was just the beginning of something wonderful.

  Epilogue—Cassidy

  The Following Day

  Still in a state of shock, I headed home from the police station. It was foggy out now, but for one very obvious reason, that seemed appropriate. This day deserved fog. Someone I thought was my friend, a man I wanted to give my heart to, had turned me into the cops. How could Midas believe I was capable of doing away with my own sister? I pondered leaving the city. I was done with Mobile. It had brought me nothing but sadness, and now it was time to go. I had to get out with my sanity while I still could.

  I cried as I bagged up Thurston. I obviously couldn’t take him with me since I didn’t know where I was going yet. I cinched his bag and put him in the sink until I gathered all his supplies. I looked at my watch. “Okay, Midas shouldn’t be home tonight. He’s either at the gym or at Papa Angelos’. If I run over to his house and drop you off, along with my t-shirt, he’ll get the picture. I’m sorry, Thurston, but this is the way it has to be.” I stuffed the GCP t-shirt in the bag too. I wiped the tears away and gathered Thurston and all his stuff and headed out.

  Midas didn’t live too far away, and I was at his house in less than five minutes. Thankfully, his SUV was gone. I gathered up everything and cried over Thurston as I said goodbye. I don’t think he even noticed my tears. He watched me with his goggle eyes and probably hoped I had food in my other hand. He was a friendly but gluttonous goldfish.