“This is insane. You’re all going to get killed,” Dino bellowed then looked at Ravin and pointed at him. “You’re supposed to be the smart one. Tell them!”
Ravin looked from Dino to the others and took a deep, reluctant breath. “I would, but I’m going with them.”
Dino shook his head while attempting to hold back his nervous laugh. “You’re all insane. You’re going to end up just like the others.”
“Unlike you, Mayor Dino,” Vander announced, “we’re not afraid of ghosts.”
“Maybe you should be,” Dino launched back. “You may want to think about that.”
Vander nodded the others toward the main door across the lobby. Tyson grabbed a decorative brass candlestick from the hall table as a crude weapon and hurried after the others. Dino watched them leave and again shook his head.
“Stupid know-it-alls,” he muttered.
Chapter Sixteen
The eight men and women walked along the path in the woods with Vander and Novak leading the way. They exchanged words more quietly now, but neither was about to let what happened that morning go. Sonya clung to Ravin and was moderately flirtatious, although Ravin was obviously disinterested. Whatever fueled his hormones only seemed to apply to Gemma. Devon walked alongside Tyson and kept close watch on the woods surrounding them. She could see the spirits just ahead still roaming around aimlessly. Tyson was a talker and readily shared his life with her. He was easy to read, in her opinion, which seemed odd in itself. Considering their current situation at the hotel, he didn’t feel nearly as cluttered as the others did. The vibes she got from him were no different from any other guy she’d ever met. She could sense he was moderately attracted to her, although he didn’t exactly hide that fact. Compared to the others, he seemed almost normal. Whatever was happening around the hotel didn’t seem to affect him as severely as the others. She wondered what factored that.
“This used to be a wonderful place to live,” Tyson told Devon, snapping her out of her trance. He grinned boyishly. “I had a great childhood here.”
“Used to be wonderful? What happened?” she asked.
“The hotel happened,” he replied dryly with a soft sigh. “Tourists flooded the town during the best seasons and drove away most of the locals.”
“So almost all the dead people worked at the hotel?” Devon questioned.
“Just about,” he informed her. He glanced over her, admired her figure, and then smiled charmingly. “You, uh, with any of these bozos?”
“I’m only with them--not with them,” she replied almost teasingly.
Devon realized what she said and hoped he didn’t take that as an invitation. Although undeniably handsome, he wasn’t her type. For her, that wasn’t just a calculated guess. His sexual vibe was very strong. He’d been around the block several times and with many women. She could sense that settling down with just one woman wasn’t in his immediate future.
Tyson eyed her, appeared pleased, and chuckled softly. “Happy to hear,” he teased. “Believe me; I’m not nearly as crazy as the others.”
“So you’ve noticed changes in their personalities?” Devon asked with surprise.
“Absolutely,” he replied. “When that basket case Gemma isn’t flipping out, she and Ravin are going at it like bunnies on ecstasy. My balls of brass uncle claims he’s been talking to my dead mother, who, by the way, still wonders why she has no grandkids, and my sister insists there are monsters under her bed.” He shook his head with disgust. “Then there’s the ‘sexually impaired’ Felicia coming on to every man like Lassie in heat. I swear everyone around me is either paranoid, aggressive, or hornier than hell. And when you put them together in a combo pack--look out. I feel like the designated driver at Woodstock.”
“That’s probably more accurate than you think,” she replied with a defeated sigh. She eyed him suspiciously. “But you haven’t shown any symptoms like the others?”
He snorted a laugh, humored by the comment. “Well, living out here in the middle of butt-nut nowhere, hornier than hell is pretty common for any normal, healthy man. Women don’t grow on trees in the sticks, but I can’t say I’ve noticed any changes in my mood.” His smile mocked her. “Although, I suppose when someone goes crazy, they’re the last to know, huh?” He grinned at his own joke. “Unlike the others, I haven’t seen any ghosts.”
“So why were you agreeing with the others last night?” she asked.
“If my uncle says he sees ghosts, you agree there are ghosts,” Tyson replied. “It’s not worth suffering his wrath to disagree with him. He’ll just lecture endlessly until you cave. In his mind, he’s never wrong. You’ve met him. Would you want to get into a debate with him over, well, anything?”
Devon laughed softly. “No, I suppose not. I have an aunt like that. We should get them together.”
Tyson came across as a nice country boy with a natural respect toward women. Despite his experience with many women, he was certainly a step above Harris and his perverted tendencies. Sonya, on the other hand, was displaying the extremes Tyson had mentioned. His sister was crawling all over Ravin, who didn’t react either way to her probing hands. Devon could feel Sonya’s emotions, and they were all over the place. She and Gemma apparently had a lot in common at the moment. There was an odd twitchiness about Sonya. She was a ticking time bomb, and poor Ravin had to contend with her. Then there was Darlene. Moderately paranoid, the young woman was managing to keep a level head on their hike through what Dino considered hostile territory. Dino was in a class by himself, in Devon’s opinion. He was levelheaded, commanding, and displayed above average intelligence, but his paranoia surpassed everyone else’s. He just hid it better.
Vander and Novak stopped suddenly, alerting the others. Everyone stopped and stared at the sight before them. More than ten men hung by their necks from trees in the woods. They were cut open from groin to sternum with their innards lying in a sloppy pile on the ground below them. They resembled drown rats from being exposed to the torrential downpours, leaving their hollowed out centers grotesquely clean. Sonya screamed hysterically at the sight and clung to Ravin. Ravin was barely fazed as he stared at the dead men with little expression.
“That’s how we found them yesterday morning,” Ravin informed the others. He indicated the more severely decomposed man. It was Anderson. “That’s one of the men the town sent out before the others came to the hotel to stay.” He nodded to the others. “Those were the ones who went for help over the last two days.”
Reed’s body was seen hanging from a tree as well. It was a sobering image for everyone. As Devon stared at Reed, she saw images flashing through her mind of him being hoisted up the tree with the noose around his neck. He didn’t struggle but his flinching suggested he was still alive while being hanged. There was a flash of a hunting knife piercing his sternum and being dragged down to his groin. He didn’t flinch, but she knew he felt the pain of the knife penetrating deep into his body and the slicing as it cut him open. There was blood and internal organs spilling out and onto the ground with the most hideous plopping sound. Death followed shortly thereafter. Other images similar to Reed’s flooded her senses. They were all alive while being hanged and gutted. They all felt the torturous pain. Devon could almost feel the knife slicing into her midsection. She suddenly gasped and clutched her pounding head. She had to stop the images! It was too much! For a moment, she only heard the sound of her own heart pounding. Tyson became concerned, placed his arms around her, and helped steady her. She anxiously looked up at Reed where he hung from the tree, completely hollowed out. His ghost stared back at her with the same confused look as the others.
Devon looked at the other spirits lingering around the area. They were all staring at her as well. She muttered softly, “Now I understand--”
Tyson stared at Devon while he held her. “Huh?”
She shook her head and attempted to pull away from him. “Nothing.”
The images subsided, and she was free from the ag
onizing pain. Tyson reluctantly released her. There was movement within the woods, alerting everyone. Vander and Novak removed their guns and aimed them toward the source of the sound. A German shepherd dog appeared on the path before them. Everyone groaned softly at the panting, happy dog. Vander and Novak replaced their guns while attempting to relax.
“We should get moving,” Vander said.
“You still want to continue?” Ravin asked with a surprised look on his face.
“Make no mistake, I want to run into the bastard who did this,” Vander informed him.
The dog took off into the woods. Everyone looked up as they passed the hanging bodies. They could clearly identify each man’s face. Apart from their hollowed out insides, there was no indication of how they had died. Only Devon knew the gruesome details of their last moments. Had they been lucky, being hanged would have been what killed them, but sadly, that wasn’t the case. Being gutted killed them. Again, why they didn’t defend themselves was the mystery. Trent suddenly appeared on the path before them, startling everyone. He was surprised to see the four familiar faces then looked relieved.
“Thank God I found you,” Trent gasped while out of breath. Harris and Trent exchanged a manly hug, happy to see each other. “I got turned around in the woods following that damned dog.” Trent noticed the bodies hanging from the trees and suddenly jumped backwards, nearly falling down. “Oh, shit!”
“Don’t ask,” Harris muttered.
Trent couldn’t tear his eyes away from the image but refrained from comment at Harris’ suggestion.
“Was Monica able to treat the injured people on the bus?” Vander asked him.
He looked at Vander with the horror evident in his eyes. “You won’t believe it,” Trent said softly. “They’re all dead.”
The others were stunned.
“Dead? How?” Harris demanded, having been hit particularly hard by the news. Most of the men on the party bus were their longtime friends.
“Someone or something killed them,” Trent quickly said. “Monica and I were on our way to the hotel last night when this dog appeared and scared the shit out of us. Since we didn’t know if “Jack the Ripper” was still out there, we decided to stay in that abandoned town last night. Monica went back to the bus this morning, insisting she needed to find some answers, but she never returned.” He looked at the hanging bodies and shook his head while attempting to keep from trembling. “Something is seriously messed up around here.”
“You haven’t heard the worst of it,” Novak remarked.
Trent suddenly looked at him and was stunned. “What’s worse than a bus full of mutilated people and a forest with gutted men hanging from trees?”
“A hotel full of dead people,” Darlene muttered.
“If the people from the crash are all dead, we should go back to the hotel,” Sonya pleaded.
“I’m with the young lady,” Trent announced. “The road is completely flooded behind the wreck. Even if we hiked out to the flooded main road, it’s twenty miles or more before we’d reach any kind of help.”
“There’s no help at the hotel. That place is a death trap,” Vander informed him. “The rest of you can go back, but Novak and I are hiking to the nearest town.”
Novak suddenly looked at Vander with wide, horror-filled eyes. “Yeah, I’m really not okay with that, Vander.”
Vander glared his disapproval at Novak.
Darlene looked down the path then glanced at the others. “If I can get to the farm on the other side of town, my friend’s horse is in the pasture,” she informed them. “I can ride through the shallow end of the ravine and across the flooded areas. I can cover the twenty miles a lot faster than if you hiked.”
“That’s an excellent plan, but I should go,” Vander informed her.
“Do you ride much, Agent Hawk?” Darlene asked him with a curious look.
“When I was young.”
“I can ride, and I can ride fast,” Darlene said.
“Fine,” Vander groaned softly. “I’ll give you an escort as far as the ravine.”
“You can give me an escort to the farm,” she announced firmly. “Once I’m on the horse, you’ll only slow me down.”
Vander stared at Darlene a moment, reluctantly frowned, and then turned to Novak. “Take everyone back to the hotel. I’ll go with Darlene to the farm and see her off.”
“You shouldn’t go alone, Agent Hawk,” Devon suddenly announced then glanced at the spirits staring back at her near where the dead men hanged.
Devon wanted to tell him what she knew, but she couldn’t. He’d never believe her. She wished she knew why it was so important that she protect him. He must later play an important role in catching the killer or even protecting her. She kept her mind closed. She couldn’t allow any more images into her head. She already felt as if her head was about to split open. Vander stared at Devon a moment and attempted to read her. She knew how she must have come across. She knew her look was that of a crazy woman. It couldn’t be helped. She almost had herself convinced she actually was crazy. If he wouldn’t listen to her, she’d have to confess everything to keep him from traveling alone. For some reason, it was that important.
“I’ll go with him,” Tyson boldly announced with little hesitation. “I know these woods better than anyone here. I think I prefer being outside and away from that hotel for a while anyway.”
“Fine,” Vander remarked. “Tyson’s with us. The rest of you follow Ravin back to the hotel.”
Tyson smacked Vander on the shoulder and grinned. “Let’s go, G-man.”
Devon shut her eyes and felt oddly relieved. Safety in numbers was no guarantee, but it was safer than Vander going alone. As Tyson, Vander, and Darlene headed for town, Devon felt compelled to look back while following her own group. Something strange stirred within her. An image attempted to enter her head, but she refused to let it in. Vander looked back, caught her stare, and offered a tiny smile. She felt compelled to smile back and subsequently blushed having been caught looking back. As she followed the others, something suddenly occurred to her. Perhaps her concern for him had nothing to do with ghosts, safety, or even catching a killer. Maybe she just thought he was cute.
Chapter Seventeen
Vander and Tyson stood near the old, large barn and watched Darlene ride the stocky, black horse at a canter across the field toward the distant ravine. She wasn’t bragging; she knew how to ride and was quickly able to cover the grassy terrain. Once she made it past the ravine and the flooded roadway, she’d have a straight shot for the nearest inhabited town. A rescue was at most several hours away. Tyson grinned lustfully and shook his head while snatching his bottle of water from the ground near the hitching post.
“I don’t know about you, but there’s just something about a woman’s ass slapping a leather saddle that gets me all hot,” Tyson announced.
Vander glared at Tyson.
Tyson eyed the disapproving look he received from Vander and chuckled. “Loosen up, G-man. We’re not long for this world. May as well go out with a bang,” he announced then took a swallow from his bottle of water and lustfully raised his brows. “And I know what I’d like to be banging right about now.”
“Are we seriously having this conversation?” Vander demanded. “I can’t believe you’re preoccupied with sexual fantasies after that massacre at the hotel.”
Tyson shrugged. “It’d be nice getting laid once more before someone whacks me. Nothing wrong with a man wanting that, is there?” He slapped Vander’s shoulder then gave it an oddly firm squeeze. “Come on, I’m sure even uptight feds like you get the urge now and again.”
Vander rolled his eyes, refusing to partake in the conversation, and then noticed the bottle of water Tyson held. He looked around the area surrounding the hitching post then glared at Tyson. “Is that my water you’re drinking?”
“Nope, I got this from your pretty lady friend,” he announced cheerfully and grinned. “I think she likes me.”
“I doubt you’re her type, but good luck with that,” Vander muttered.
Vander looked around the area surrounding the barn, recovered his own bottle of water, and headed across the pasture in the direction of town. Tyson retrieved his candlestick. He casually followed after Vander with a lively spring in his step after having entertained a sexual fantasy or two undoubtedly involving Devon. Vander didn’t seem to want anything to do with the country boy on the return trip and attempted to ignore him. Tyson was tough to ignore.
“So, uh, about that girl with you--” he announced.
“No,” Vander replied without waiting for the question, “I don’t know if she’s seeing anyone.”
“Actually, I was going to ask if she was into anything, you know, kinky, but I’m guessing you have no idea. She looks a little devilish, don’t you think?”
Vander appeared stunned and looked at Tyson with his mouth hanging open. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Just hoping to get lucky,” Tyson casually replied. “Aren’t we all?”
“I’m just hoping to survive long enough to forget this conversation,” Vander muttered.
“Oh, I see,” he announced cheerfully. “You have a hard on for the little temptress.”
“We’re not discussing this,” Vander firmly announced.
Tyson chuckled softly and took another swig of water. Vander eyed him suspiciously. Apparently, that boy-next-door act was just a well-rehearsed show to get into Devon’s pants.
“It’s okay, G-man,” Tyson announced, “I know you have an image to uphold. She won’t hear about your hard on from me.”
†
The hotel seemed peaceful in the early morning hours. The sun was shining, and it was going to be a beautiful day. Unfortunately, none within the hotel would be in the mood to enjoy the sunny afternoon approaching. Gunshots suddenly echoed from the woods and broke the silence. Novak, Devon, Ravin, and Sonya stepped through the main doors and looked around the resort grounds with concern. Nothing moved and the surrounding acreage was eerily silent. Vander and Tyson suddenly appeared from the woods and ran across the clearing toward the hotel in a state of panic. Vander had his gun clutched in his hand, obviously having been the one firing the shots. Both men stopped near the hotel and the others while breathing heavily.
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