by H. P. Bayne
“How often do you come to places like this?” Sully asked.
“Prisons? We’ve been to a few.”
“I was thinking more about places with a lot of negativity. Do you investigate places with good energy, or is it usually more like this?”
“It’s usually the bad stuff,” Roy said. “I mean, we’ve been to places where there are nicer ghosts, but Ian and Leanna usually pick the ones where bad things have happened. Honestly, the ratings are always higher for those. Viewers particularly love prisons and asylums—places with dark pasts.”
“Here’s the thing,” Sully said. “Every time you go to places like that without being properly prepared, you risk taking some of the energy away with you. Sometimes, you can get an actual ghost following you home. Other times, the spirit energy of the location will act like poison. If you don’t know how to handle the situations properly, it can leave you pretty messed up. Maybe that’s what’s happening to Leanna and Ian. Unless you know how to handle it, being around all that negativity can have a long-term impact on your life.”
“You’re a disgusting human being!” Leanna shouted.
“You’re a pretentious, stuck-up little witch!” Ian shouted back.
Roy grimaced. “What you say makes sense. They weren’t always like this, you know. I mean, Ian was always on the dramatic side. They actually met in a drama class in university. He was a lot more laid back then. Now he’s miserable most of the time. I thought maybe it was pressure over the show or their marriage, but maybe it’s more what you’re saying.”
“Take it from me,” Dez said. “Negative spirits can be powerful. Sometimes, they can even turn you into someone you’re not.”
Both Dez and Sully had firsthand experience. Survive a full-on possession, and if you didn’t already carry a healthy fear of the paranormal, you learned in a hurry.
Sully did his best to tune out the argument, but their voices kept rising. Already, the spirits were gathering, moving around the entrance to the cell as they might have done during a prison brawl. They were more than observing though.
They were feeding.
And if the ones out here were growing stronger, what did it mean for the mob entity inside the cell?
“Damn it,” Sully muttered. He pushed forward, using his ability to move the ghosts from his path as he entered the cell. More spirits—some he could see, others he couldn’t—shifted around in here, circling the arguing couple. At the back of the room, nearest the window, the blurry, shadowy entity vibrated with energy.
“Out,” Sully said. Perhaps it was the commanding tone of his voice, perhaps the no-nonsense expression on his face. Whatever it was, the ghosts obeyed.
All but the one.
Or make that two.
He sensed him now, somewhere within the cell. Coving’s evil, while still unseen by Sully, had become a palpable, living, breathing entity. While invisible and imperceptible to Sully’s physical senses, he was now as tangible as any homicide victim’s spirit. If he closed his eyes, he’d be able to trace the path the ghost moved, would be able to sense its form and density, could perhaps even read its thoughts and feelings.
Sully allowed the connection to form and build. Maybe he could even force the spirit to cross over right now.
A gasp from Ian altered the plan. Sully’s attention snapped to the man as he dropped to his knees on the cement floor.
“What’s wrong?” Leanna cried. “Ian? What’s wrong, baby?”
Ian’s hands clutched at his throat. A moment later, Roy and Dez appeared at the door.
“Film!” Ian managed to rasp. “Film!”
“Jesus, Ian!” Leanna protested.
This time, as Roy rolled tape on Ian, Sully knew the self-proclaimed psychic medium was no longer faking. The skin around his throat visibly constricted and his face grew red. Any attempt he might have made to speak became futile, the only sounds he could manage being strangled gasps for air. His hands clawed at his throat, achieving nothing but scratching his own flesh.
“Do something!” Leanna cried. “Please!”
Sully did the only thing he knew to do. Unwilling to draw the powerful spirit into himself, he did the opposite. Closing his eyes, he locked in on Coving’s energy, then pushed out at it in a sort of psychic punch. He didn’t hold back, putting everything he had into it.
He felt the impact, energy on energy. For a moment, he felt Coving’s shock as if it were his own, but he broke the connection before it could gain traction.
Ian coughed heavily now, the sound of it awful and relieving at the same time. He was free of Coving, at least for the moment.
Coving’s attention was fully on Sully.
The spirit approached him. Sully pushed out again, but this time he didn’t connect.
Coving had vanished.
Sully allowed himself a moment of relief, but he didn’t for a moment bask in it. The victory had been a small one, nothing more. The ghost would be back.
And when he returned, Sully suspected Coving would be ready for war.
19
Even Ian agreed it was time for a break.
The group headed outside, Dez glaring at the back of Ian’s head all the way. He hated to admit it, but part of him had taken a sort of sick pleasure in watching the arrogant host brought to his knees by the paranormal world. Maybe that would teach him this wasn’t a game.
He turned at a nudge from Sully. Dez hadn’t realized he was smirking until Sully shook his head at him and cast him a warning look. Dez promptly packed the smile away.
The group made their way past the administration area and into the outdoors for fresh air. The night was a perfect temperature, cool without being crisp. Dez sucked in the air and the freedom, basking for the moment in sweet relief.
Sully plucked at his sleeve. “Come on,” he whispered. “I want to see if Jack, Dad and Aiden are around.”
The idea filled Dez with even more hope. As carefully as he’d been keeping a watch on Sully and as annoyed as he’d been at the Dead Callers TV crew, Dez had forgotten about the proximity of his other family members.
He and Sully hustled around the building’s perimeter, Dez counting on Sully to let him know when he saw one of the others in case they weren’t yet in physical form. Dez cast a quick glance over his shoulder as they went. Leanna and Roy were supporting Ian to the van. All three were too preoccupied to notice their “guest psychic” and his brother had gone their own way.
“They’re not watching,” Dez said for Sully’s benefit.
“Thank God.”
They rounded the corner of the administration building, behind which the prison wall began. The structure was lit up but shadow cut in from the side. Nothing to see here.
Unless, of course, you were Sully. Dez noticed as his face broke into a grin.
It took another few moments before Dez also found something to smile about. As Sully led them forward, the forms of Flynn, Aiden and Jack came into view as if materializing through fog.
“Bloody hell, it’s good to see you guys,” Dez said, heading immediately for the gap between his father and brother and draping his arms over their shoulders.
Flynn clapped him on the back. “Hanging in there?”
“Barely. This place is bad enough, but the company’s not all that much either.”
“And he’s not talking about me,” Sully said.
Jack positioned himself in front of Sully, thumbs tucked behind his gun belt. “How’s it look?”
Sully frowned. “Not great.” He provided the others with a rundown of the night so far, including about Coving and his most recent attack.
“Maybe the crew will be too freaked out to try anything else stupid,” Aiden said.
“Nah,” Dez said. “There’s plenty enough stupid left in them to last the rest of the night. I’ll guarantee you that much.”
“How about you?” Jack asked Sully. “You still on top of things?”
“I think so. I was able to stop Coving’s att
ack on Ian. Problem is, the ghost took off right after. I thought maybe I could try to do the whole thing with the doorway and get him and the entity in the cell to cross over at the same time.”
Jack shook his head. “Don’t try to take too much on at once—especially not with these two together. I wouldn’t be surprised if this mob formed as a defence against the guard. Trying to get both into the doorway at the same time will be like trying to wrangle two angry bulls through a squeeze chute. They might be manageable on their own, but if they get to fighting in there, last place you want to be is caught in the middle. If you can, deal with them separately. Might be once you remove Coving from the equation, the mob disperses. If that happens, the threat’s gone.”
“Anyway,” Flynn said. “I’d be shocked if you could get any of the inmates to willingly use the same doorway they’d seen Coving go through. If they’ve been trapped there by him and held under his thumb, no way they’re going to be eager to risk joining him in the afterlife.”
“Flynn’s right,” Jack said. “They won’t know they’ll be routed into separate locations on the other side—and damn likely they won’t trust anything you tell them. As I said, prisons are a challenge, even for reapers. Get rid of Coving, and it might be you’ll have dealt with the only real, significant threat. If you still think the mob entity’s a problem once he’s gone, deal with it then.”
Sully nodded. “Understood. Thanks. What if I need you?”
“If you do, we’ll come.” Jack’s eyes flashed toward the corner of the building. “Shit. TV host.”
In a blink, Jack, Flynn and Aiden vanished, leaving Dez with his arms out, holding nothing but air. As Leanna came into view, Dez worked it into a stretch.
She closed the distance to them at a fast pace, an apologetic smile on her face. “Here you are. We were wondering where you’d got to.”
“Taking a break,” Sully said.
She stopped as she reached them. “Listen, I want to apologize for Ian. He’s being a real prick tonight.”
“That he is,” Dez said.
Leanna’s shoulders and jaw tensed, but Dez didn’t give a damn if she was insulted or not. He and Sully had been insulted enough by Ian already, and as far as Dez was concerned, he’d been the bigger man about it long enough.
“I guess he deserves that,” she said, although the words came through a slightly clenched jaw.
Dez shrugged.
“How’s he doing?” Sully asked.
She unbunched a little as she faced Sully. “He’s doing all right. Shaken up, but we all are.”
“No physical injuries?”
“He’s got bruises. We documented them, and Roy is interviewing him about his experience now.”
Dez could only imagine how that interview was going. No doubt Ian was pulling out all the stops.
Leanna peered at Sully. “What happened in there exactly? I can’t see what you do, obviously, but it seemed to me you did something.”
Sully watched her for a moment, as if trying to decide how much to say. Dez knew he’d decided on full honesty when his guarded expression eased. “I didn’t do a whole lot. I just pushed the ghost off Ian. Once the spirit realized he was faced with a threat, he left the cell. I don’t know where he went or how long he’ll be gone.”
Sully took a step closer to Leanna. Dez sensed the warning coming. “Listen, I doubt I need to tell you this now, but you should really investigate some of the other parts of the prison instead. Leave death row to us for the time being. No offence meant to Ian, but he’s not equipped to handle this.”
No kidding, Dez thought. The guy wasn’t even really a psychic, far as Dez could tell. He expected an argument from Leanna so was amazed when none came.
“I hear what you’re saying,” she said. “And I’m not disagreeing. Honestly, I’d be quite happy for the guys to head to the basement level for a couple of lone vigils. If I don’t set foot back inside Hell’s Gate, it would suit me down to the ground.”
Unfortunately, Ian wasn’t of like mind.
His glare darted between Leanna, Sully and Dez as Leanna discussed her thoughts with him and Roy.
“What are you talking about?” he demanded. “Of course, we need to go back into Hell’s Gate. Strike while the iron is hot.”
Leanna faced him, hands grasping the material of his jacket as she stared up at him. “Ian, sweetie, you could have died.”
“But I didn’t. It let me go.”
Dez couldn’t help it. He snorted.
Ian glared at him. “What’s so funny?”
“It didn’t let you go,” Dez said. “Sully shoved it off you.”
Ian’s smirked. “Says Sully, right? I know the two of you aren’t keen on acknowledging this, but I have abilities too. And my abilities include a spirit guide who protects me from violent ghosts. When I was being strangled, I asked William for help, and he helped. You didn’t have to do a damn thing because William did it for me.”
“Sorry,” Sully said, “but that’s not what happened.”
Ian rounded on Sully and closed the distance. Dez immediately moved in from the other side. Sully could handle Ian if he took a swing, but Dez’s size, muscle and bad mood would add a helpful layer of disincentive.
Sure enough, Ian took one look at the two of them squared off against him and stopped in his tracks.
“You’re taking on too much negativity, Ian,” Sully said. “You aren’t cleansing yourself properly after leaving these locations. I’ve got a friend who can help to rid you of residual energy, and she can teach you how to better protect yourself going into places like this. If you don’t know how to do it, you risk taking some really bad stuff into yourself.”
Ian’s lips curled into an ugly sneer. “Listen, buddy, I’ve been doing this job since you were a snot-nosed kid on training wheels.”
This time, Sully took a step toward Ian. Dez wondered whether he should square off against Sully next.
“So have I,” Sully said. “I’ve been dealing with ghosts since I was born. I don’t have to go to locations like this to see them. In fact, as a rule, I try to avoid the sorts of places you flock to. I’m here for one reason, and that’s to prevent people from getting hurt or killed in there—including you. This isn’t a game. Those are real people in there. They’re pissed and they’re scared, and as a result, they’re violent. You keep going the way you’re going, and something worse will happen. So I’m going to say it again. Go and set yourselves up elsewhere in the prison. Let me deal with Hell’s Gate and the guard. Until you’ve learned how to protect yourselves properly, you’re risking your lives going back in there.”
Ian didn’t back down. “We’re professionals. We risk our lives all the time, and we’ll continue to do so. We’re on a quest for the truth, and if you think you’re going to frighten me away like a small child, you’re even nuttier than I thought.”
Sully rarely angered, but the heat in his eyes and the tightening of his facial muscles easily told Dez he had reached that point. Maybe Ian was looking for a brawl. Hell, he probably was, expecting it would make great TV if he could convince Roy to roll tape. What Ian didn’t realize was if he thought Sully was making him look like a chump already, he’d be shown up all over again if he managed to goad Sully into a physical fight. While Sully didn’t typically go in for violence, both Dez and their dad had taught him moves over the years to enable him to defend himself should he ever find himself in a jam. If it came to it, Sully could lay this jerk out.
Which would be an entirely bad idea with a camera in the vicinity.
Dez laid a hand on the back of Sully’s neck and gave it a supportive yet firm squeeze. “Hey, you’re not going to get anywhere with this guy. Let’s take a walk.”
Sully continued to glare at Ian, so Dez took it a step further and gave him a tug. Once he had Sully turned, he got an arm around him, gripped him hard enough make his point and propelled him back toward the prison door.
“Let it go, buddy,” Dez said. �
�Nothing you say is going to get that loser to come around.”
“He’s going to get himself killed.”
“I’m at the point where I’d say, ‘Oh well.’”
Sully tried to shrug Dez off, but Dez only held tighter. “He could get someone else killed,” Sully added.
Dez frowned at that. They reached the prison doors, and Dez ushered Sully inside. Once there, he pressed him back against the nearest wall and held him there, forcing an eye-to-eye conversation.
“Listen, Sull, I know you’re trying to prevent something bad happening, and I get it. I’m with you. But we can’t force people to do what we want them to do. Ian’s determined, and nothing you say is going to change his mind. All you’re doing is getting yourself worked up, and right now, you can’t afford that. You need to calm down and get yourself centred again. If you can’t, we need to call this right here and now and go home.”
“I’m not leaving. I promised Ed and Pip, and I promised the guy in the laundry room. Hell, I promised Dad and Aiden and Jack. I need to see this through. It’s my job.”
Dez leaned in, fixing Sully in a weighty stare. “And it’s my job to look out for you. If I think you can’t handle something, I’m going to do my job—even if it means removing you from a situation by force. I don’t want to, but I will. None of these people are my priority. You are. Get it together.”
Dez held Sully’s eye, watching the thoughts playing out there. Great thing about Sully—unlike Ian, he listened to reason. Gradually, the anger faded to frustration, the frustration to glum acceptance. Finally, he drew in a few deep breaths, and the glum acceptance gave way to calm.
Dez rewarded it with a smile. “That’s my boy.”
Sully patted Dez on the chest. “Sorry about that. All the barking I’m doing at Ian, maybe the place is getting to me too.” He gave Dez a barely there smile. “I sometimes wonder if you fully realize how important you are to what I do. I couldn’t do this without you, Dez. I really couldn’t.”
Dez didn’t know what to say, so simply beamed and patted Sully’s cheek. “Anywhere, anytime, bro. You ready to get back to it?”