Cursed Presence

by J. M. LeDuc

  The President cleared his throat. “I don’t know what to say. You don’t need to ask for my forgiveness. My love for you is unconditional, always has been, always will. You were right to say some of the things you said to me. It’s me who asks your forgiveness. I’m grateful beyond words to Miss Smith, Colonel and Mrs. Venturi, and the rest of the SIA team for their sacrifices in keeping you safe.

  “God has answered my prayers.”

  Father and daughter spoke a while longer before Brent interrupted their conversation. “I’m sorry for cutting this reunion short, Mr. President, but we’d like to ask for your help.”

  “Anything, Colonel, just name it.”

  “Don’t be too quick to offer, sir. You haven’t heard our request yet.” Brent’s tone changed to a more personal one. “John, we’d like you to…”

  “Dad, we need you to hold an emergency news conference to announce the capture of the Butcher.”

  “Are you telling me you’ve…”

  “No, John,” Brent said. “He’s still at large.”

  “Then why? One of the most violent serial killers this country has ever known is still out on the streets, doing God knows what to God knows whom, and you want me to tell the nation that he’s in custody?”

  “Dad, listen…”

  Brent held his hand. “John, I’m asking you to do this for one reason, the same reason I had when I asked you to send Charlotte down to us. We’ve uncovered information that alerts us he is headed for Palm Cove. He’s looking for me. No one else. If you give him the freedom to do so, he will not harm anyone else. If you try and stop him, he will kill others. Any confrontation will not end any other way.”

  “You don’t seem to have much faith in our law enforcement agencies, Colonel.”

  “This has nothing to do with their abilities to protect citizens. I’m asking for your trust.”

  “And mine,” Charlotte put in.

  “What do you know about all this, Charlotte?” her father asked.

  She didn’t want to lie, yet Charlotte knew she couldn’t tell her father the whole truth.

  “I know that I trust the Phantom Squad and the SIA, unconditionally, Dad. If that’s what Colonel Venturi says you should do, I believe him.”

  “Do you realize that if this plan of yours backfires, it’s me, and only me, who takes the fall? My career and my respect in this country and around the world will be gone. You do realize that, don’t you, Brent?”

  “Yes, sir, I do.”

  The president groaned. “To say that you’ve never let me down would be an understatement. Therefore, I’m going to go along with this. I just pray you’re right.”

  “Thank you, Mr. President, from all of us.”

  “I’ll interrupt the scheduled broadcast in twenty minutes and make a statement. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like a few more private minutes to talk to my daughter.”

  “Yes, sir,” Brent said. He pointed to his watch and motioned for Charlotte to keep the conversation short.

  CHAPTER 39

  After dinner, Brent joined Maddie in the study for a cup of coffee while they went over the itinerary and potential scenarios that the next couple of days might hold.

  Thunderous footsteps from the staircase interrupted their concentration. Seconds later, Joan burst into the room.

  “I just received an emergency email from Seven.”

  “What does it say?” Maddie asked.

  “He said,

  ‘Something about this case has been eating at me. We found pictures of thirteen different girls, but the remains of only twelve. I’ve been following up and just received a call from Boston police chief. He was the lead lieutenant when the case was active. His friend’s daughter rented a room from Aunt Peg. She’s still alive.

  ‘The chief says she was held captive by Elizabeth Hollingsworth for four months. During that time, something terrible happened to her. Her parents don’t know why or how but Mary Ann Farrell was able to escape her nightmare. Unfortunately, she’s fallen into another. Miss Farrell lives in a sanitarium somewhere between a psychotic and a catatonic state. The chief says when she’s lucid, she talks only gibberish. If anyone listens to her for long, they’re drawn into her nightmares.

  ‘Sounds a lot like the visions we all had when we listened to Jonas’ demonic audio. This is the real kicker: she keeps asking for her best friend, Liz!

  ‘The chief graciously offered to speak to Mr. and Mrs. Farrell and they’ve been kind enough to allow me to meet with her.’”

  Joan said, “He ends his message by saying,

  ‘The drop will go as scheduled. I’m sending the rest of the team back with everything we’ve collected. I’ll update you tomorrow after my visit.

  ‘Seven’”

  Brent and Maddie were silent as they digested Seven’s news.

  “I don’t like this,” Maddie said. “We all know what happened when we heard that ‘thing’ speak to us the first time. Remember Seven saying what the voice told him. Brent, I’m scared, really scared.”

  Brent placed his hand on top of Maddie’s to comfort her. It had little effect.

  He pulled the satellite phone out and conferenced Fitz and Jefferson. “Squad meeting in five minutes in the study.”

  “Yes, sir,” Malcolm replied.

  “Ditto,” came Fitz’s response.

  “Malcolm, before you hang up, how are you feeling? Are you up to a little trip? It shouldn’t be too physical, but you know how these things go sometimes.”

  “I’m fine, sir. Good as new.”

  “Good. I’ll see you in five minutes. Bring the recruit with you.”

  “What are you thinking about, Colonel?” Maddie asked.

  “I’m sending the rest of the squad to join Seven before he meets with the little demon.”

  “You think she’s one of them, like Jonas and his aunt?”

  “Not voluntarily,” Brent said. “I do think she’s possessed and has enough of Satan in her to cause serious trouble.”

  “Then why deal with her at all? Let’s just tell Seven to come back here tonight.”

  “We need her for the purpose of throwing Jonas off track. Seeing her will bring out his emotions and that should help me gain the upper hand.”

  “And Charlotte? Do you think she’s ready?” Maddie said.

  “No, I don’t. I just want her out of Palm Cove when Jonas, or whoever, arrives.”

  CHAPTER 40

  With the squad present, Brent gave an overview of what had happened the first time they heard the audio. He shared Seven’s experience while under the influence of The Dark One.

  “It was as if we belonged to the devil,” Brent said. “We can’t let Seven meet with her alone,” Brent began. “You three are going to fly to Boston tonight.” He threw each of them a pair of plastic earplugs. “Place these earplugs in your ears without being seen by anyone, including Seven, before he starts his interrogation of Miss Farrell. If, at any time, you see Seven’s eyes glaze over, there is no more chain of command. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “If he goes for his gun or anything else he can use for a weapon, hit him with a tranquilizer dart and restrain him. Do the same to Miss Mary Ann Farrell.” He stood up and paced.

  Looking directly at the squad, he wore a blank expression, the one that Fitz and Malcolm recognized when a mission was underway. “I can’t be clearer when I say that Satan is in charge of Miss Farrell’s life right now. He OWNS her soul! She may strike you as meek and mild, completely coherent, as normal as you or me. No matter how she comes across, do not trust her. It’s not her, its Satan.”

  Brent placed his hands on the table and leaned in, looking with intent at the three of them. “You are to bring her back with you to Palm Cove. Restrain her to the utmost degree during transport. Restrain her at the ankles, kn
ees, elbows and wrists. Also gag her, blindfold her and put plugs in her ears. She is not to be able to use any of her five senses—NOT ONE!” The three jumped at the emphasis.

  “If she has to go to the restroom, let her soil herself. No one has died of dehydration in a three-hour trip, so there will be no water or food. NOTHING will be given to her. That’s an order. If you fail to follow any of these orders, you’ll be dismissed from the squad. Got it?”

  “Sir?”

  “Yes, Sergeant.”

  “What if she or her parents won’t allow her to come with us?”

  “Then, Sergeant Fitzpatrick, employ any means at your disposal.”

  “May I speak, Colonel?”

  Brent nodded in Jefferson’s direction.

  “I know firsthand how gifted our new recruit is. But do you really think it’s a smart idea to bring her?”

  “Point well taken, Malcolm. Fact is, this is, at minimum, a three-man operation. Since we don’t know how much help Seven will be, as of right now, Charlotte will be part of this mission.”

  He looked at the new kid on the block and continued. “Don’t get cocky, Miss Dupree. When this is over, your training will continue and you may still find yourself on the outs.”

  “Yes, Sir. Understood, Sir.”

  “Any other questions before we break?”

  “Just one,” Fitz said. “Mission type?”

  “Strictly non-kill. Tranquilizer darts only.”

  “Sir?”

  “Charlotte?”

  “Well, not to blow my own horn, but I’m as good with a bow and arrow as the rest of the squad is with knives. Arrows with detonation tips or tranquilizer tips could come in very handy.”

  Brent let emotion return to his face and smiled. “I think that is a great idea, Charlotte.” He pushed the intercom button and dialed Maddie’s office. “Joan, I…”

  “I just spoke to weapons. They said to have Miss Dupree come down as soon as she is dismissed and pick out a bow and they’re already mixing up the chemicals for the arrow tips.”

  “How did you know what we were talking about?”

  “I’m afraid I’ll have to take the blame for that one, Brent,” Maddie said. “I had Joan switch out the phones here so they’re compatible with the ones at HQ. Seems your lack of technical savvy caused you to hit the ‘open all airwaves’ button instead of the ‘do not disturb’ one. When you started to speak, it was at my request that Joan did not disconnect.”

  “Saves me another briefing. Besides, if I had been thinking more clearly, you’d have been in this room. Anybody else hear the discussion?”

  “Chloe.”

  “Where’s Father Jessup and Luci…my mother?”

  “He had to get back to Coral Cove to find someone to run things for the next few days. Your mother asked him if she could tag along. She wanted to see what he has going there.”

  “Very well.”

  Brent dismissed the squad with final instructions. “I expect everyone to be dressed and ready at the tunnel entrance at eleven-thirty. Charlotte, if you’ll meet with Chloe, she’ll get your uniform and show you how to get ready.

  “One more thing. Once you land in Boston, you’ll be met by members of the outer circle. Notify Seven at the airstrip that the four of you will spend the night with your hosts. Greet them with John 3:16.

  “Please keep the earplug information from Seven for his own safety. If he should even sniff the tiniest bit of guilt, he’ll crack you like a nut. So stay in the moment and alert at all times. Fitz and Malcolm, I’m counting on you to keep Charlotte away from Seven as much as possible, without looking suspicious.

  “You’re all dismissed.”

  CHAPTER 41

  Two days had passed since Jonas crash-landed the stolen vehicle in the Virginia woodlands. The dazed and confused person who had stumbled out of the car was quickly morphing. To call Jonas McFarland a ‘person’ would be stretching the definition. He was now more of an entity, part-human, mostly demon. As he changed inwardly, so, too, had he changed outwardly.

  For one thing, he could no longer disguise himself as Liz. His waifish dimensions were now those of a warrior. In the past two days, the five-foot-five-inch man/child had transformed into a six-foot-three-inch behemoth. He looked as evil and menacing as he felt.

  However, the biggest transformation wasn’t physical, for it lay on the inside.

  Jonas had learned to give himself over totally to The Dark One. With each breath he took, he felt the indwelling of evil take a stronger hold on his soul. His days and nights were spent solely thinking and doing what his father wanted him to think and do.

  The morning after he’d crashed into the woods, he awakened with a sword by his side. The Dark One told him it was with the Sword of Darkness that he, the son of The Dark One, would kill the Enlightened One and take his place on Satan’s earthly throne.

  Jonas leapt from his bed of dirt and leaves, grabbed the sword handle with the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning and tried to hoist the instrument of death over his head. Instead, he found himself lying face first in the dirt.

  “Patience, my son,” growled The Dark One. “You do not yet have the strength or knowledge to hold my sword. You first must increase your strength. That will come from the souls of the innocent.”

  “Where will these innocents be found?” Jonas asked.

  “Where everything is provided; from your father, your god.”

  Over the next thirty six hours, Jonas took instruction from The Dark One on where to find runaways and homeless in the woods.

  By inhaling each victim’s spirit, Jonas grew strong, and spiritually dead. After each ‘feeding,’ he weighed the bodies with rocks and dropped them into the river.

  Now, on this third day of self-exile, Jonas wielded the sword like a master. For hours, he trained both his body and his mind in the Virginia mountainside. When he wasn’t spending time training in the ancient art of sword fighting, he took part in demonic meditation. During those times, his mind entered the gates of hell. Each time he awakened from a meditative state, he felt less human, as his emotions gradually deserted him.

  Night rolled in on this third day. Jonas’ body ached for the blood and spirit of the Enlightened One. With darkness came tranquility. The blackness of night offered a natural cover from the throngs who searched for him. None would recognize him in his current state.

  Meditating on the same rocky ledge where he’d first found himself days earlier, Jonas heard the distant cry of a child. Fear and despair echoed in her voice. The cries for help sent chills of delight through him.

  “The Enlightened One has begun to show himself,” The Dark One said. “It will not be long before his identity is fully known. I have one last soul for you to steal. Take her as you have been taught. The purity of her spirit combined with the souls you have already stolen will open the gates of hell. By the time the Enlightened One is known, I will have an army of demons at my disposal. The day of The Dark One is at hand!”

  Jonas rose from his kneeling position and moved toward the crying child. He walked down river where he found the young child wandering aimlessly, crying at the top of her lungs.

  Jonas calmed her fears and brought her back to his place of worship. Due to a remnant of humanity left in him, he longed to torture someone as young and innocent as this child. He was strong enough in Satan to ignore those impulses and do what was necessary.

  At his lair, she looked up at the kind man who had found and comforted her, but he no longer existed. She looked into eyes of hell. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Jonas’ massive hand gripped her slight neck and forced her to kneel. He held her head down towards hell.

  “Father,” he said in a deep, raspy voice, “I sacrifice this soul to hell.”

  Jonas knelt beside her, snapped her neck and placed his mouth
directly over hers. The innocence and purity of her spirit made him momentarily euphoric.

  He covered the body with dirt and leaves.

  “Where am I to go from here, Dark One?”

  “You are to follow my footprints and I will lead you to the Promised Land.”

  Concealing the Sword of Darkness in a guitar case he’d taken from one of his victims, Jonas gathered his belongings and walked out of the deep woods. Moment by moment, he felt his strength increase while his spirit darkened. Satan’s own spirit had assimilated into the body of Jonas McFarland.

  By the time he came face to face with the Enlightened One, Jonas and The Dark One would be one and the same.

  As they boarded a bus headed south, The Dark One felt excitement. He had not felt this much joy since he watched the agony on the face of Christ as he was nailed to the cross.

  CHAPTER 42

  Brent sat in the high-backed Elizabethan chair that faced the Pointe.

  His eyes focused on the Ark of the Enlightenment. Now in his possession, he was mesmerized by it. He hadn’t touched it since Lucille had brought it to his room. Having stared long enough, he bent to pick it up. Nightmarish visions shot through him, as if he’d been hit by sniper fire. It fell out of his hands as he grimaced in pain.

  A cold sweat on his forehead, his breathing became short and painful. Each inhalation brought new, searing pain which seemed to tear through his lungs and spine, ending up in a place having no anatomical home.

  Chloe jumped from the bed as she witnessed his pain. She knelt in front of him and wiped his brow with the hem of her nightgown. The faint muskiness of her perfume, combined with her body’s scent, soothed his mind and eased the pain.

  “What happened when you picked up the ark?”

  He kept his eyes shut, inhaling her scent. He thought about what had happened and what he saw in his visions. “I have to talk to Father Jessup.”