Body Bags & Blarney

by Shaw, J. D.

  The bald headed man did as commanded, strapping Alexis into the passenger seat. “Now what?”

  “Now we make it look good for the humans to find.” Seamus raised his hands and forced Johnny’s limp leg to raise up. With a sudden thud, his right foot slammed onto the gas pedal. The SUV took off, snapping the chain at the end of the lot and barreled into the brush.

  Still unable to move due to the effect of the spell, Alexis could only watch in terror as the vehicle careened forward and then slammed between two large trees with a horrific crunch. The airbags exploded into her face and everything went dark.

  Vivienne’s link with the memory severed and she was thrown back to the present, with Alexis at her side. “Goddess help us.” Vivienne shook at the unsettling horror she had witnessed firsthand.

  “Who are you?” Alexis asked her again.

  “I’m Vivienne Finch. Don’t worry, I know what did this to you and I’m going to stop it.”

  “Oh.” Alexis didn’t seem to recognize her. Her eyes fluttered and she coughed again. ‘Where’s Johnny?”

  “He’s here.” Vivienne repeated as the emergency vehicles raced into the parking lot and pulled up next to her car. “We’re over here.” She shouted to the workers as they jumped out to the pavement.

  They quickly took over the scene, with Joshua arriving just as the ambulance transported Alexis to Cayuga Memorial Hospital. He raced from his car with a look of concern on his face. “What happened?”

  “Looks like a double suicide attempt, but the girl is still breathing.” One of the backup paramedics explained. “Probably a breakup gone bad.”

  Joshua wound his way past the other officers and tapped Vivienne on the shoulder. “What’s going on for real here?”

  Vivienne shook her head. “We’ve got a major problem and only on more chance to stop it before it’s too late.”

  Joshua looked into her eyes and saw the fear. “I’m taking you home and you’re telling me everything.”

  “What about your work shift tonight?” She asked.

  “I’ll get one of the guys to cover for me.” He assured her. “I’m assuming this has something to do with what’s been going on?”

  Vivienne held tight to him. “It’s worse than any of us thought.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “This is absolute madness.” Joshua stared at Vivienne as she sat at her kitchen table with Hunter by her side. She had told them the entire story, piecing together the chain of events that had been unfolding in Cayuga Cove for weeks.

  “I’ve actually heard of worse things.” Hunter tried to lighten the mood.

  “Vivienne.” Joshua stared at her. “You want us to go to the cemetery tonight and exhume the body of Father William?”

  “The only answer I can think of is to try pulling the memory from Father William’s body. See if there’s something that will help us there.”

  “Will it work on someone who’s been dead that long?” Joshua asked.

  “I don’t know.” Vivienne answered again. “It’s the best thing I can come up with for some answers. “I need to know what happened in there. What was so important inside the church? Why was he killed by that Elemental?” Vivienne pleaded.

  “What the hell is an Elemental?” Hunter asked. “I’m not up to speed on all this magical witchcraft stuff like you two.”

  Joshua stepped back from the table. “Frankly, I think you’re better off that way.” He slowly paced back and forth in the kitchen. “It seems the more I learn about it, the less I want to know.”

  Vivienne took a deep breath. She began to sift through the lengthy email she had printed out from Nana Mary describing all that she knew on the subject. Holding up one of the pages, she read it aloud to the group. “Elementals exist as part of nature. Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. Then there are the layers between, such as dust, smoke, and steam to name a few.”

  “I follow you.” Hunter gave her a little smile.

  “Then between all of that there is the most primal force that binds it all together. It’s known as the plane of chaos.”

  “Is it evil?” Hunter asked.

  Vivienne scanned through the printed pages and found a paragraph explaining the concept of chaos, as defined in human terms. “The very concepts of good and evil simply don’t apply in this strange void between worlds. It is here, in a place that defies definition, where the Elementals exist.”

  Joshua ceased his nervous pacing. “So what would someone gain by summoning one of these Elementals into the world?”

  Vivienne flipped toward the back of the papers. “I know she mentioned something about that.”

  “Since when does Nana Mary use email?” Joshua asked.

  “Carmen has been giving her lessons during the day in the computer center in her building.” Vivienne smiled. “I had no idea until I called her tonight.”

  “She sounds like a smart cookie.” Hunter added. “I’d love to meet her someday.”

  “I think she’d love a visit.” Vivienne continued to scan the lengthy email pages. “Okay, here’s something interesting about summoning an Elemental.” She put her finger halfway down the page to mark her place as she read. “A vast magical energy unlike anything on Earth, a captured Elemental could provide a nearly inexhaustible fuel supply to power a plethora of spells, charms, amulets, and talismans for eons.” Vivienne shuddered. “It is one of the most evil rituals ever conceived. Used by only the darkest practitioners of magic. Those foolish enough to try to summon one usually end up the mastered, not the master, at the end of the day.”

  “You’re saying that a pair of these things were brought into our world by some sorcerers with their magic talismans?” Joshua interrupted her.

  “Yes.” Vivienne nodded. “With some unwilling help from Alexis Warner and Johnny Guido.”

  Joshua hovered over her. “So, he was a pawn with money?”

  “Exactly.” Hunter reasoned out. “This guy must have thought he hit the jackpot when he got him involved in his plan. A dumb kid with a big bank account to fund his activity, all the while making him feel like he was actually part of a scheme that was going make him richer than his parents.”

  “What Johnny didn’t know was that this sorcerer already knew about the strange nature of Cayuga Cove before they had even met. Knowing what a treasure trove of magic he had discovered, he needed new talismans forged to harvest the energy for his own twisted use. Talismans are cheap to construct, except for those used in the ritual of summoning and trapping Elementals. That requires gems of exquisite quality and he didn’t have the funds to proceed.” Vivienne added.

  Joshua scratched his chin. “So this sorcerer somehow got involved with Johnny Guido and they came up with a plan to steal precious jewels while hiding them in plain sight in little shops all over the country disguised as costume jewelry?”

  “The same knuckleheads that I had been tracking up and down the coast, leading me here.” Hunter spoke up.

  “I recall Stephanie mentioning that Alexis got a free trip to Florida from some photographer she had waited on at Clara’s Diner.” Vivienne remembered. “I think that so-called photographer was our sorcerer all along and she gave him the perfect bait to use for his hook to give some rich kid like Johnny all the more reason to accept his business offer.”

  “Why lure him back to Cayuga Cove?” Hunter asked.

  “Because I think his plan was to get him back here, control him with a spell, and force him to do the dangerous things for his rituals.” Vivienne answered. “If Johnny was caught, all the blame would go on him and the sorcerer walks away free and clear.”

  “So what went wrong?” Joshua asked.

  “Random luck.” Vivienne replied. “At some point, he must have summoned an Elemental into a talisman to power a mind control spell.” She knew all too well how complicated they could be. “By using the super-powered magic from the Elemental, he was almost guaranteed it would work on Johnny.” She thought back to what she had read in her grimoir
e about mind control spells. “The library would make the perfect place to cast such a thing.”

  Hunter’s eyes narrowed. “Why the library?”

  “That kind of spell is best cast where the energy is most sympathetic. Libraries are filled with knowledge, thoughts, and ideas. All the things that would enhance the chances of it working properly.” Vivienne continued. “Before the meeting, I remember Kathy saying that she saw Alexis and some handsome new boyfriend sitting together in the library working on a project together.”

  Joshua snapped his fingers. “So the sorcerer follows them to the library waiting for the right moment to cast his spell. In order to blend in, he goes into the meeting hall so they won’t see him.”

  “The moment Seamus Kilpatrick started his big drama, it was in the sorcerer’s best interest to stir the pot and create a ruckus. With the meeting disrupted, it would give him the perfect chance to slip away and grab Johnny in the library. With all the shouting and such, no one would hear if Johnny cried out or tried to fight him off when he cast the spell.” Vivienne could feel the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. “Only random luck ruined his plan because he wasn’t counting on Seamus tripping and falling into him. During the fall, not only were they both injured, but the talisman containing the summoned Elemental was broken, freeing it.”

  “How do you know about the talisman being broken?” Hunter asked.

  “Because after the meeting broke up, Kathy found it on the floor.” Vivienne answered. “We thought it was just some cheap kid’s toy and I turned it in to Harriet for the lost and found box. Later on at the jewelry party, I ran into her and she told me the man who had been injured claimed it was a family heirloom.”

  “So where did the Elemental go after it was freed?” Hunter asked.

  Vivienne thought for a moment. “It took over the nearest living host who just so happened to be Seamus Kilpatrick. During my visit into his mind, I learned he had a magnet concealed in the Bible he placed over his heart that disrupted his pacemaker in order to have his dramatic moments during his impassioned speeches. When his heart stopped briefly, the Elemental must have swooped in and assumed control of his body.”

  “The injured sorcerer had no idea what had happened until the next morning when he regained consciousness.” Joshua nodded. “And when he found the talisman had been broken, he knew there was trouble.”

  “Yes.” Vivienne sighed. “He had a nasty-tempered Elemental on the loose who he had been stealing energy from to cast his own spells. As far as he knew, it could be inside anyone in town.” She snapped her fingers. “And at some point, Seamus and the sorcerer met up again and this time, he ended up becoming the slave to a new master.”

  “Now we have an Elemental walking around town trying to cast a dark ritual.” Joshua grimaced. “Only we don’t know what they have planned.”

  Vivienne looked up at Joshua. “Oh yes we do.”

  “We do?” Hunter asked.

  “They want to open a gateway from their plane to here. When I was inside Alexis’ memory, I heard the sorcerer mention that Cayuga Cove would provide hundreds of bodies for them to possess and use however they please.”

  “How far along are they?” Joshua looked over at Vivienne.

  “In order to complete a ritual you must call to the five corners and cast the circle. Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. Can I have a pen and some paper?” Vivienne asked.

  Joshua walked over to the junk drawer and pulled out what she needed. He sat down at the table and placed them in front of her. “Here you go.”

  She drew a pentagram on the paper. “So we have the fire which was at Suzette’s business. Water has to be Father William drowning in the baptismal pool.” She marked and labeled each one.

  “What about the tent revival collapse?” Hunter asked. “Would that fit in?”

  Vivienne nodded and marked the point. “Yes. Gravity pulling the tent to the earth.”

  “That leaves air and spirit.” Joshua studied the map. “So we’ve got air and spirit to be fulfilled before this gateway opens.”

  “No.” Vivienne interrupted. “Johnny’s spirit was taken away when the Elemental controlling Seamus killed him.” She marked the point. “That only leaves air.”

  “Why isn’t the Elder Council doing something to stop this?” Joshua asked the group. “Aren’t they better equipped to deal with this?”

  “I called Nana Mary tonight and she is sending word to them with everything that I know.” Vivienne replied softly. “But we don’t know how much time is left before they attempt to cast the last part of the ritual.”

  Hunter growled slightly under his breath. “I’m pretty sure these Elementals aren’t just going to stand around and let us interfere with their plans.”

  “We know who they are.” Joshua pounded the table with his fist and sat down next to Vivienne. “I wish I could just throw them both in jail and keep them confined, but we don’t have any proof to make that happen.

  “You can keep them for questioning for twenty-four hours, right?” Hunter asked his brother.

  “That’s all I can do.” Joshua answered. “After that, I can’t hold them without proof.”

  “If we could time it for the right twenty-four hours, then we could stop the ritual.” Hunter said hopefully.

  “If I had to guess, I’d say that the last casting for the ritual would be on the full moon.” Vivienne looked over at her wall calendar that had the full moon dates circled and highlighted. “That would by Sunday, the 16th.”

  “So, I throw them into jail on Saturday the fifteenth and they cool their heels until Monday morning, missing their chance to finish the ritual.” Joshua scratched his chin. “That should do it.”

  “But Seamus isn’t human anymore.” Vivienne reasoned. “I saw him wield some very powerful magic. I doubt that a simple jail cell would keep them confined for very long.”

  “Do you have a spell to drive the Elementals out of someone’s body?” Joshua asked.

  “No. But when I was probing Alexis’ memory, I saw Seamus Kilpatrick briefly regain control of his body from the Elemental.” Vivienne added. “So, their spirits are still inside their bodies, they’re just being repressed.”

  “We need some kind of way to fight back against them.” Joshua spoke up.

  “There might be an answer there if I can see what really happened that morning inside the church. Maybe find a defense?” Vivienne circled the conversation back to the beginning.

  Hunter glanced up at the wall clock. “It’s not totally dark until after seven now with Daylight Savings Time. At least, dark enough to do what we’re planning to do and not get caught.”

  “We better get some shovels, flashlights, and some dark clothing. It’s going to be a long night.” Joshua reached out and took her hands in his. “We’ll leave for the cemetery in about an hour.”

  “Okay.” Vivienne sighed.

  “What is it?” Joshua looked at her. “Is there something else that you’re not telling me?”

  Vivienne fought back the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes. “I used up most of my magical energy on a healing spell to save Alexis and with my grimoire hidden away at the Elder Council, I can’t recharge.” A single tear dripped down her right cheek. “If something goes wrong from this point on, I’m not going to be able to use magic to fix it.” Vivienne sniffed.

  “Then we need to make sure nothing does go wrong.” Joshua squeezed her hands tight and brought them up to her lips. “I promise.”

  “Pinky swear?” She asked him.

  “What?”

  “Pinky swear on it?” She repeated and held out her pinky.

  “Sure.” He bent his pinky around hers and smiled. “Pinky swear.”

  He bent forward and kissed her on the lips. “You take a nap and save your energy. We’ll wake you up when it’s time to go.”

  “Okay.” She replied. “I love you.”

  “I love you to the moon and back.” He replied with her f
avorite line.

  * * *

  They worked in the cemetery, under cover of darkness. Digging with shovels, the Arkins brothers used their hearty strength to power through the packed earth which thankfully was still rather loose and yielded easier than thought. It had taken until just after midnight before they struck the concrete vault and pried it off to get into the casket where the body of Father William lay at rest.

  “Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Joshua asked her.

  “I have to try.” Vivienne nodded.

  Joshua and Hunter lifted the upper lid of the casket open and crawled out of the open grave. “He still looks pretty good.” Hunter remarked. “For a dead guy, at least.”

  Joshua jabbed him in the ribs for the offhand remark.

  “Can you lower me down onto the casket?” Vivienne asked.

  Joshua took her by the hands and gently lowered her onto the metal lid. She carefully crawled on the cold metal until she reached the open area where Father William was lying flat inside the satin interior. “Can you shine some light down here?” She asked.

  The brothers both reached for their flashlights and provided enough illumination to see what she needed to do. “Forgive me, Father.” Vivienne reached out and took hold of his hand. It felt cold, almost like touching a marble statue in a garden. “I must see what happened to you that morning.”

  She was going to need to use up what was left of her magic energy to make this work. Concentrating with all her might, she closed her eyes and allowed her power to emerge.

  “Is it working?” Hunter asked her from up above.

  “Not yet.” She replied. “Give me some time.”

  Joshua kept a close eye on the road near the cemetery. He was thankful that it was quiet and that no residential homes were too close by. “We’re okay up here. You just concentrate and do your thing.”

  “Right.” Vivienne called back. She didn’t want to think too terribly much about what she was doing straddling a casket, holding the hand of a dead priest in a cemetery at midnight. Not to mention that it was the second time in three months where she found herself down inside a grave. “Okay Father, it’s time to show me what you took to the grave.” She closed her eyes once more and felt a tingle in her fingertips. “It’s working I think.”