The Borrowed Souls: A Novel

by Paul B. Kohler

  “So you knew of none of that?” I asked.

  “No, not entirely. We were only aware of some of the incidents that have occurred. Our only way to truly find out what had happened was to find you, and re-experience your last forty-eight hours.”

  “If you knew some of what happened, why be so coy? Why didn’t you tell me about any of this?”

  “Well, Jack, we wanted to have you experience everything as fresh as possible. This really isn’t an exact science, and we were unsure whether or not your mind could influence your own past experiences.”

  “Regardless of what we just witnessed, I’m still filled with questions.”

  “As are we, Jack,” Wilson said. “You are not alone.”

  “What about Hauser? Enoch? Did either of them make it out of my cabin before it . . . exploded?” I asked, replaying that horrific catastrophe over in my mind.

  “Nobody at the Sentinel has heard from either of them, although we have reason to believe that Hauser may have survived.”

  “What makes you think that?” I asked. “Is there a way to track him?”

  “Unfortunately, no, not at this moment. When the two of you came to the Sentinel to report Enoch’s situation, we removed his current soul collection chamber from his possession so that he could devote 100 percent of his time to aid in capturing Enoch. And I’m not sure if you know how it all works yet, but we can only track the collection chamber and not the collector. Right now, he’s lost in the wind.”

  “Then why do you think he’s alive?”

  “Because, Jack, you are here, and you are alive.”

  “Of course I am. We just witnessed me not being blown to bits along with my cabin.”

  “Yes, but when you blacked out, you were in the clearing in front of your cabin. Did you wake yourself up and bring yourself to that bench in Denver? No, that wasn’t present in your memories. We assume that Hauser brought you here.”

  “Okay, I’ll go along with that. Then if Hauser is alive, what’s our next step?” I asked.

  “Slow down, Jack. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. For all we know they both might have succumbed to the fire in the cabin, and you got here some other way entirely. It is only an assumption that Hauser made it out. At this point, that’s just a theory.”

  “That’s easy. Let’s go take a look at the cabin site right now. Maybe we can find a body or two, or none at all.”

  “Several members of the high council have already been to the site—”

  “So you did know about this?” I demanded.

  “Relax, Jack. As soon as Hauser failed to make his scheduled check-in, we sent several collectors to New York to track the two of you down. We found Penny wandering through the city alone. We were able to determine that neither of you were in her vicinity. Then we began to track down your soul box. That’s when we found you here in Denver. Before that point, the Sentinel members visited your cabin and investigated the debris. The site was so severely burned they couldn’t determine whether human remains were inside.”

  “But, like you said, how else could I have gotten here? It had to have been Hauser. I’m willing to stake my life on it.”

  “That’s neither here nor there, Jack. Right now the Sentinel has ruled that the crisis is over and you will return to your soul collection abilities, with your last assignment still a priority. You need to collect Penelope’s soul.”

  Chapter 16

  “I’m sorry, but I think I just heard you say that I still need to collect Penny’s soul?” I said.

  “That’s right, Jack. Penny’s fate is sealed. You must follow through with your initial order. We know that you still have her soul box, and your last known location of her was on the very same park bench where I gave you this incredible opportunity. I believe, however, that she has moved on from that location.”

  “You can’t be serious,” I said angrily. “They want me to forget everything that we’ve been through? Forget about Hauser? They just want me to take Penny’s soul after everything that she’s just gone through? Don’t you think they could cut her a little slack, give her a second chance or something? Consider it reparation for being our bait?”

  “The decision is not up to me, Jack. Believe it or not, I’m on your side on this. I lobbied for operational forgiveness on your behalf, but a number of the council members did not see the hardship as I did.”

  “But that’s not fair,” I protested. “You all agreed that I should persuade her not to kill herself, and that’s exactly what I’ve done. Talk about bait and switch.”

  “There’s no arguing that fact, Jack. That was the plan, and you seem to have executed it wonderfully. And this wouldn’t be such a difficult situation if you hadn’t divulged so much information about the Sentinel and the afterlife.”

  As we sat staring silently at one another, I tried to think of a scenario where everyone could win. Obviously the Sentinel was unwavering in their demands to collect her soul. I, on the other hand, wanted to save her, but at what cost? If Hauser were only here, maybe he would have some words of advice.

  Then it hit me—my God, I can’t believe Hauser is gone. I started to wonder if this was the Sentinel’s plan all along, to distract me from Hauser’s death with the unrealistic demand that I take Penny’s soul anyway. After everything that I’d been through in this godforsaken afterlife, I truly did not know what to do.

  “Jack, please remember that when I sacrificed my soul for the sake of you living on, you accepted that responsibility to the Sentinel. And they will hold you to it. I’m sure Hauser has expressed that before.”

  I nodded but bit my tongue to keep from saying something I might regret.

  “All I’m asking is for you to complete this assignment and move on to the next. I promise you this, your next assignment will not be as difficult.”

  “How can you promise that?” I asked, doing my best to corral my venomous tone.

  “Because, Jack, I am going to be your new trainer. And as such—”

  “Wait, what? My trainer? Hauser isn’t even gone for a single day and they appoint you to be my new trainer? And I thought my training was over. At least that’s what Hauser said.”

  Wilson nodded in agreement. “Yes, that’s correct. Hauser did submit that your training had been completed in an acceptable fashion. But with the recent events, namely you divulging that you’ve avoided a number of assignments, the Sentinel feels it best that your training be extended indefinitely.”

  “I can’t believe this, Wilson. Don’t they know what it’s like? Have any of those yahoos up there—which I don’t entirely understand where up there is, ever had to collect the soul from an infant child? From an innocent man on a walk through the park with his daughter? From a girl that’s so depressed that she feels that she needs to take her own life? I’m really starting to believe that nobody on this high council has a soul of their own.”

  “I understand that you’re upset, Jack, but we feel that this is the best solution at the moment. I will continue to urge them to suspend your training, but you have to meet me halfway. Let’s get through this next collection first, and then we’ll see. Can you do that for me? Can you just get through this next step?”

  By this point in the conversation, I was listening to Wilson talk but couldn’t hear a word he said. I’d made my decision, and my soul be damned for my efforts.

  “Okay, Wilson. I’ll do it. Can I at least get a few days to track her and try to unexplain some of the things that I’ve already told her?”

  “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the ease of this particular collection, Jack. First of all, she is most likely back at her apartment by now, and as for timing, please do take as much time as you need. I will personally cover for you with the Sentinel. You may think that they’re a bunch of soulless overlords, but they do have compassion deep down.”

  “So, that’s it? Just get back to work? Will you be accompanying me on this collection?”

  “No, I am not going to be in t
he field as often as Hauser was. For the most part, you’ll be on your own, but I will be in to check up on you from time to time.”

  Hearing that news was the brightest part of the conversation, and I thanked God for small miracles.

  “One more thing, Jack. Your ability to interact with the living has been revoked as well. It was temporary, so that should come as no surprise,” Wilson said.

  “Oh well, it was nice while it lasted,” I said.

  “Yes. I suppose it was.” Wilson stood to leave. “Anyway, Jack, I wish you luck with Penelope. And try not to dwell on the loss of Hauser. It will lead you nowhere.”

  Chapter 17

  From my seat in the pavilion, I watched Wilson casually amble down the sidewalk and enter the main floor lobby of Daniels and Fisher tower. Sounds of the afternoon traffic echoed between the various mile-high city buildings. As I sat alone, I contemplated everything that had happened since my first fateful conversation with Wilson all those months ago. It felt as if I’d lived a lifetime in those six months. And now, the distinct possibility that Hauser, the one person that I’d come to trust and care for deeply, was dead or missing did not settle well with my thoughts of the future.

  “Hauser, my friend, I hope that you are in a better place now,” I mumbled aloud. “I can only imagine living as long as you have, suffering through the internal torment that you’ve had to deal with, must have been tough. I hope now you are in a place that you can now breathe freely.”

  Not wanting to get too wrapped up in sentimental bullshit, I sighed and thought about Penny and her impending soul collection. As much as I was not looking forward to what needed to be done, I stood defiantly. I took in one final view of the Denver skyline, backdropped by the Rocky Mountains. Then I vanished.

  Recalling Penny’s personal information from an earlier conversation with Hauser, I was able to land at her apartment door. The central hallway that fed a half dozen flats was dingy and unremarkable. A stark white piece of paper was taped to her door, covering her apartment number. “NOTICE OF EVICTION” was printed in bold black letters.

  “Oh shit,” I mumbled. If Penny wasn’t depressed already, she certainly would be after seeing that.

  I knocked on the door and waited a few moments. Even though she knew who I was and what I was there for, it didn’t feel right just jumping into the middle of her apartment. But when several minutes passed with no answer, I vanished from the hallway, landing on the opposite side of her door.

  Her apartment was a small studio unit, with a pullout sofa to the left and a compact, utilitarian kitchen to the right. Protruding from the end of the kitchen was a small dining alcove with a café style dining table at the center. As I walked through the small space, it was clear that Penny wasn’t home.

  What was equally clear was the sense of surrender flowing freely in the apartment. Dishes were piled high in the sink, and a mound of overdue bills were stacked on the countertop. In the living room, outdated magazines and newspapers were piled nearly two feet high. The only thing that seemed out of place in the chaos was the kitchen table. It was clean and clear of everything, save for a pad of paper and a pen. Lowering myself down into a chair, I read what was written:

  You cops will want to know why I did it. Well, let’s just say that I know what I'm doing and it'll be better this way for everyone.

  So, yeah. I killed myself. I could no longer cope with the betrayal that life has given me. I have always felt that the grim reaper was just around the corner, waiting. And it turns out that he was. He arrived here today and I knew it was the right thing to do. So yeah.

  Please tell my brother that I love him, and that he means the world to me. I think he's in some cabin upstate somewhere. He'll understand, I hope.

  Good-bye world, it's been real.

  My first thought was that I’d failed. After everything she’d been through, I’d failed to save her soul. But on my second read through, I realized that, while the suicide note was written by Penny, these were not her words. Why would she want to apologize to her brother, whom she told me specifically had died years ago? And that reference about the grim reaper . . .

  Suddenly, I heard the sound of splashing water coming from behind a door that I’d overlooked before. It must be the bathroom, and maybe she was taking a bath or a shower. Then I realized that she could be in there right now trying to kill herself.

  I rushed to the bathroom door and twisted the handle. It wouldn’t budge. The door was locked from the other side. I pounded on the door. “Penny, it’s Jack. I’m here to . . .” What was I really there for? I wondered. Was I going to follow through with the Sentinel’s plan? Or was I to make yet another fateful decision, a godlike decision, to save her soul?

  “I’m here to help you get through this. Penny? Can you hear me?”

  She didn’t respond, but more vigorous splashing could be heard from the other side of the door.

  “Penny, I’m coming in. I don’t want you to do something that you’ll regret,” I said before jumping to the other side of the bathroom door.

  I was instantly filled with rage by who stood before me. It was Enoch Gant, holding Penny’s head beneath the water in a nearly full tub.

  “Penny!” I said as I rushed forward. Her lifeless eyes looked up at me through the water, unaware.

  “You bastard!” I screamed, launching myself into Enoch’s torso. The force driving him backward, causing him to lose his balance. As we dropped to the floor, the momentum drove our bodies toward the commode. I saw the impending collision and rolled to the side. Enoch, however, slid right into the base of the toilet, his head firmly connecting with the porcelain.

  Slowly, I pulled myself up to my knees and rested on my haunches. Enoch was out cold. Blood began to trickle from his temple.

  “Take that, you fuck,” I said, then rushed to Penny and pulled her out of the water. I laid her dead body on the floor and tilted her head back. I tried to recall the company-sponsored CPR training that I’d reluctantly gone through several years before.

  I pinched her nose and blew deeply into her mouth, watching her chest rise. Next I placed my hand over my fist and began to rhythmically pump her chest at a pace I hoped was correct. I alternated the procedures for several minutes, praying to God that I could save her fragile life. I was about to concede defeat when I heard a voice from behind me.

  “Jack! Look out!” Hauser yelled from just outside the now open bathroom door. I whipped my head around in Enoch’s direction just as he pointed his shotgun right at my head. Instinctively I dropped to the ground, landing directly on Penny’s chest, just as Enoch fired. The buckshot flew over my head, and the report of the gun caused my ears to ring loudly. I knew I only had seconds before Enoch would reload to shoot again.

  I pushed myself off of Penny and noticed that she had begun to convulse, spewing water from her mouth and nose. I rolled her over on her side before I attempted to disarm Enoch.

  A guardian angel must have been looking over me, because Enoch’s gun jammed. He continued to point it at me, constantly trying to squeeze the trigger to get it to fire. I knew I only had one shot at disarming him as I dove for the gun. I knocked it from his hands as he attempted to clear the chamber.

  As Enoch and I thrashed about on the floor next to Penny in the compact bathroom, I called out to Hauser. “Quick! Throw me the injector.”

  Hauser slid the device across the bathroom floor. As Enoch rolled to his side in chase of his gun, I scooped up the pen and jabbed it in the side of his neck, injecting its contents into his system.

  Hauser squeezed into the small bathroom, straddling Enoch and I on the floor. By then, Penny had sat up and was coughing uncontrollably. Hauser placed his foot on Enoch’s hand, before leaning over to grab his gun.

  Suddenly Enoch launched his body up with great force, driving both Hauser and me back into the tub. In all the commotion, Hauser dropped Enoch’s gun in the water.

  “I’m not sure what you just shot me up with, but let me
tell you, this isn’t over. You’ve not seen the last of me,” Enoch stated, then vanished.

  Chapter 18

  As soon as Enoch was gone, Hauser and I stepped out of the tub and tended to Penny. “Are you okay?” I asked as I knelt down beside her.

  Her eyes were bloodshot, and the side of her face was bruised. She nodded in between coughing fits.

  “Can you move?” I asked.

  Penny rolled to her side and tried to stand, but fell back against the wall. Hauser and I lifted her and carried her into the living room. We laid her down on the sofa, propping her head up with a seat cushion.

  “Why don’t you rest for a bit?” I said. “I think you’re out of danger for the moment. Either way, I’ll be here to protect you if Enoch returns.”

  She tried to speak, but it only induced more coughing.

  “It’s okay, Penny. You can trust me,” I said as I stroked the hair away from her eyes.

  Hauser motioned for me to join him in the kitchen, just out of Penny’s earshot. I nodded, then said to Penny, “I’m just going to be right over there. If you need anything, just . . . throw something my way.” I winked.

  Joining Hauser in the kitchen, I had a million questions, but first I gave him a big hug. “Hauser, you’re alive.”

  “Yep. I seemed to have dodged yet another bullet,” he said, patting me on the back. “Although it was touch and go there for a while.”

  “What happened? I brought Penny to the city, but when I got back to the cabin, I heard gunshots and then the entire place exploded.”

  “Sorry about that, champ. It looks like your homestead is in need of a bit of repair. After you two left, Enoch and I had a fairly drawn-out battle. We each went for the gun and the auto-injector, but thankfully I was able to secure them before he had a chance to. Unfortunately, though, he threw a gas lantern across the room at me, spreading fuel throughout the cabin. As I tried to maneuver closer to him, he continued to throw crap across the room at me. We both jumped in and out of space, trying to get the upper hand on one another. Finally, I’d had enough and decided to take a shot at him with his own shotgun. It was all so fast, I don’t really know what happened. The gas fumes must have ignited or Enoch had a stick of dynamite. As soon as I pulled the trigger, the cabin exploded, and Enoch and I both jumped out of there.”