“You’re here,” he growled.
He said it like he’d been expecting her and he wasn’t too happy about it. Her outstretched hand dropped to her side. “Yes, I’m…” The door slammed shut in her face. “What the hell?” Now what? Torn between wanting to ogle him again and wanting to give him a piece of her mind, Chaos knocked on the door again.
“Fuck!”
Chaos heard him bellowing inside the house. The expletive vibrated the windows. Confused, Chaos stepped back a few feet on the porch. She could see him through the large bay widow. He stood in the center of the room with his fists raised at the ceiling like he was cursing God. He swore again, quieter this time but she could still hear him. “Weirdo.”She had to have the wrong house and there was no sense wasting time just to get another good look at some man candy. Odd man candy, but damn good looking nonetheless. Taking a deep breath at the base of the porch steps, Chaos jumped when the front door opened behind her. She turned. A petite woman with short blonde hair, a cherubic round face, and rosy cheeks beamed at her.
"Chaos, we've been waiting for you to come. Please, come on in.”
“Waiting for me?” This place was just plain old weird, she thought. Why would they be waiting for her? Had Janet called them?
“Janet didn’t call us.”
“Excuse me?” Chaos knew she hadn’t vocalized that thought. How did she know about Janet?
“I can hear your thoughts. Come inside. I can help you with your ghost.”
“Um…” Chaos backed away. The woman, who was wearing a navy pantsuit that looked like it cost more than Chaos earned in a year, beamed at her as if reading her mind was a common everyday occurrence. And she didn’t even bother to apologize for it, she thought.
“Why should I apologize? You’re shooting your thoughts around for anyone to listen. You don’t want folks to listen you should shield them better.”
Chaos stood, dumbfounded. Her hands hung at her sides. A bitter cold wind blasted her cheeks yet she was too stunned to feel it. “You’re blaming me for thinking?”
“No, just thinking noisily. Now come inside. It’s cold out here.”
Should she go inside? It took her only a second to decide. She was here and it wasn’t like she had much to lose at this point. She might as well see what these people could do for her.
The lady held the door open and gestured Chaos inside. “That bad huh?”
She stepped across the threshold and into the woman’s home. Chaos couldn’t help but scan the room for the man who’d answered the door and then slammed it in her face. The angry man candy was gone. She turned her attention to the apparent owner of the home. Meeting her eyes, she noticed that they were the color of the Caribbean if it had been frozen solid - sparkly like turquoise ice.
“Yeah, it’s that bad.” A marijuana-like scent permeated the interior of the home. It hurt her throat and stung her eyes yet the air wasn’t smoky. Chaos looked around to see if anything was burning. The room looked like it had been designed by a professional. Each item appeared strategically placed and from what she could see there wasn’t a pillow out of place or a speck of dust to be found anywhere. A vanilla orchid grew on a table in front of the window. Chaos noted a lovely cluster of about fifteen flowers. Pretty impressive considering they were difficult to grow in a climate like Colorado. It looked like it was just about ready for some fertilizer, she thought.
“I fertilize it every two weeks and it is the sage that you smell. Have a seat.” Linda extended her hand and gestured toward a tweed colored sofa. Chaos crossed the wood floor, the sound of her work boots the only sound in the quiet house. Sitting, Chaos instinctively grabbed a red pillow beside her and clutched it to her chest. “Sage like the herb?”
“Yes, it’s used to cleanse a person or a space of bad energy. It’s a Native American ritual. I grow it in the back yard so it’s extra fresh and potent. I’m Linda, by the way.”
Speaking of Native American, she thought, where did that guy go? She wouldn’t mind getting a peek at him again. Looking around, Chaos held out her hand and Linda took it. “Nice to meet you. Does it work, the sage?” Damn if all she had to do was burn an herb to get rid of Dead Bill. Then she’d happily smell like pot for the rest of her life.
“It does work but I imagine it’s not strong enough for what you’re dealing with. Please,” she said, taking a seat in an armchair next to the couch. “Start from the beginning.”
Chaos picked at the pillow. She didn’t know where to start. How did you tell someone you murdered another person who was now haunting you and you wanted to banish their ghost in hell where they belonged?
“I guess you are dealing with something then, aren’t you?” Linda said.
She smiled a kind smile and Chaos couldn’t help but notice her teeth were a little yellowed. For some reason it made her like the woman just a little bit, despite the fact that she could read her mind and she’d just essentially confessed to murder.
“You don’t look like you are capable of murder. I suspect it was self-defense. Am I right?”
“He tried to rape me. In my own home.” It was the first time she’d said the words. They almost overwhelmed her. “I didn’t know him. I didn’t invite him in. I hit him over the head with a lamp. The glass broke. I used a piece of glass to protect myself and accidentally cut his throat. I didn’t mean to kill him but I’m not sorry.” Chaos closed her eyes. She’d relived the night’s events so many times now she felt like she spent half her time lost in thought. She heard the knock on her door. She saw her hand go for the doorknob; she'd stopped yelling at the image of herself knowing full well she could do nothing to change the night's events.
Chaos saw herself cracking the door. She saw the door fly open and her own body as it stumbled backwards. She saw him storm in with lust and rage on his face. She saw each blow to her face as traumatic as it had been at the time she'd become numb to the scene. She saw him yank her shorts down. She saw her hand reach for the lamp cord. The lamp tumbled to the ground. The shade fell off. The light bulb broke. She saw her wrap her fingers around a shard of glass and slash at him with it. She witnessed the moment it struck his jugular and all the blood. She couldn't stop the blood. Hadn’t even tried. She pushed to her feet and watched as the life drained out of him. Then the image went black. Nothing was left except Dead Bill standing there next to her with a ghostly sneer on his face. Stalker in life, stalker in death.
“I have no doubt that you did the right thing. You were protecting yourself.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Chaos exhaled slowly, releasing all of the tension that had built up inside her. It was weird being able to tell someone what had happened. She hadn’t been able to do that until now.
“Where’s the ghost’s body?”
Chaos studied the woman’s face, looking for signs of trouble. She didn’t see any. She had honest eyes and a friendly face. Then again, she could be a really good actress.
“You’re safe, Chaos. Everything you tell me is confidential.”
There weren’t any guarantees. The woman could take what she said and turn her into the police without batting an eye. But Chaos didn’t know what else to do and she had to trust someone. “Someone took care of it for me. I don’t know where Dead Bill’s body is and I don’t want the people who helped me to get into any trouble.” Chaos paused. Linda watched her, calmly waiting for her to finish her story. “The next night I smell his awful cologne. Then he started appearing - first in the mirror, then at the foot of my bed. I assumed it was my guilt causing the hallucinations. The next night he came again. So I left. I figured I needed a vacation if I was seeing things. I packed a bag the next morning and jumped in my car. But he’s following me. It doesn’t matter where I go, he’s there. I don’t know how to get rid of him.”
“So here you are.”
“Yep.”
Linda stood. Holding her fingers together as if in silent prayer she closed her eyes and brought her hands to her mouth.
Chaos waited. Linda stood silently, her hands held to her mouth. After a few moments she opened her eyes.
“Your ghost is an unusual one. Spirits often attach themselves to material belongings. Their energy is drawn back to a place or a thing. Your Dead Bill is malevolent too. He’s powerful. A very bad person. He has attached his energy to you. You’re his anchor, which is why he can find you. Most of the time when someone passes they go into the light.”
Chaos fought to refrain rolling her eyes. Despite having captured a ghost on her camera phone she struggled to believe in ghosts. She’d spent twenty-five years not believing. It wasn’t going to change overnight.
“When someone dies and passes over, they come back occasionally to visit their loved ones and they can find you wherever you go if the connection is strong enough. However, when a spirit doesn’t cross over they’re normally attached to a place. Sometimes their energy is attached to an object but usually it is a place. If they were murdered they’d be attached to the place where they were murdered. That’s common. If they die suddenly, they don’t know they’re dead and they hang around the place where they died almost as if they’re trapped. However a person can also haunt a place where they spent a lot of time or where they died.”
She paused. Chaos nodded. “But Bill’s death is on my hands so he’s attached himself to me?”
“I don’t think so. I think if someone else had killed him or he’d been hit by a car or something then he’d still be attached to you. The depth of his obsession is much stronger than you knew. I think, when you killed him that night, you did two things. You most certainly saved your own life but you also prevented him from doing whatever he had planned for you. The anger he felt when he died is what has attached him to you. I think he wants something more from you. I don’t think you should be alone. Especially at night.”
“So how do I get rid of him?”
“That, my dear Chaos, is something we’ll have to figure out. Hold on, someone’s coming to the door.”
“Figure out? I don’t…” Chaos stood. Ready to tell this woman she didn’t have time to figure anything out, the doorbell rang.
Linda opened the door, flashed her cheerful welcoming smile and gestured the people inside. Crossing her arms, Chaos took a step back and watched the entourage enter. The first to pop into the home was a short perky blonde with big Disney eyes and Farah Fawcett hair. Wearing designer jeans, a cotton candy pink polo tucked into her jeans, and a white denim jacket, she was a blast from the past. Her sneakers were whiter than the first snowfall, as if they were brand new but the design looked at least thirty years old. Grinning like a happy puppy, she radiated enthusiasm. She was followed by her exact opposite. Tall, with long jet black hair and a body that made Chaos feel like a frumpy boy, the woman stepped into the room. She gave Chaos a nod, and then she smirked and turned away. Chaos didn’t have time to think about it because another person was stepping into the home. Tall, Dark and Demented, now wearing a navy t-shirt and a black leather jacket, embraced Linda. His hair was pulled back into a pony tail and he smelled clean, like he’d just showered. She couldn’t stop staring. Her heart pitter pattered and her hands were too sweaty for comfort. His dark eyes looked her up and down. She felt her body respond to his gaze. Just as quickly, he looked away. She felt like she’d been dismissed.
Her skipping heart did a belly flop on the floor. Ugh. She crossed her arms just a little tighter over her chest and took another step back. “I’m gonna go,” she said, deciding that this was a bad idea. She could handle Dead Bill on her own, somehow. Maybe she’d get some of that sage. She tried to sidle past the crowd who were now eyeing her with intense curiosity. All but Mr. Danger, he wasn’t even glancing in her direction.
“You can’t go now,” Perky said, touching her arm. “We came here to meet you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. We are here to help you with Dead Bill.”
Perky gave Chaos’s arm a gentle squeeze and let go. The touch left her feeling uncertain and a bit warm inside, like she’d just been hugged by someone’s grandma. “Wait? How did you know about Dead Bill?”
“I saw it,” she said as if it was the only obvious answer.
“You saw it?” She didn’t even try to hide the skepticism from her voice. This was all getting just a little too strange for her.
“Yes. Well I didn’t see it happening but I saw you tell Linda about it. You were too far away for me to see it actually happening. I can only see things that happen nearby. Like what Dakota, thirty miles?
Tall, Dark and Demented nodded.
Dakota, Chaos thought. Now I have a name for that angry, sexy face. A wide nose and thick, sensual lips dominated his face but it was his eyes that held the magic. Dark and full of wisdom, they looked like they could see deep inside her. Like he knew something about her that she didn’t know herself. A wide square jaw, strong chin and sharp cheekbones finished the picture. It was a conflicted face full of sensuality and edges.
“But I knew you were coming last week,” Perky continued. “I saw that too. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. It wasn’t murder you know. It was self -defense.”
Perky talked so fast that Chaos felt her head spinning just trying to keep up. “You saw me with Bill?”
“Well I didn’t see you. It was like a dream. But I was awake.” She put her hand on her head like it was hurting her.
“A vision?” the tall sexy woman chimed in.
“Yes! A vision. That’s it. Thanks, Kat. And I sometimes have visions about stuff that happens to loved ones, too. At any rate, I saw you tell Linda about your ordeal. How awful for you.” She touched Chaos on the arm again. “I’m sure we can help.”
Perky was animated and grinning the entire time she talked. Chaos wasn’t quite sure if the woman was sane.
“I’m Sheila, by the way. Do you have a dog? I am a dog groomer at the DogCo store downtown and I’m a Gemini and oh, I can see things that have happened in the past or sometimes as they’re happening like today with you and Linda. And I can sometimes tell what people are thinking if I touch them. Like you were just wondering if I’m sane. I think so. Doesn’t really matter though, does it?”
“No, probably not.”Chaos extended her hand to Sheila. She wasn’t even sure if she was sane so she couldn’t be judgmental.
Sheila took her hand and gave it a strong, confident shake. “Nice to meet you, Chaos. Where are your braids?”
“What?”
“In my vision you had braids.”
“I usually wear them,” Chaos said, frowning. There was no way this woman would know she always wore her hair in braids. “I just can’t braid them with my broken arm.”
“Oh, that makes sense. Chaos sure is an interesting name.”
“I earn it.”
“I’m sure you do,” she giggled. “This is Katerina.”
Katerina extended her long, elegant hand with perfectly manicured nails. “Call me Kat.”
Chaos shook her hand. “What’s your superpower?” she asked.
Kat’s eyes sparkled as she laughed. “Right to the point. I don’t have a superpower. I can’t read your mind and I don’t have visions. I can, however, take your picture.”
Chaos blinked as Kat’s camera flashed in her face. The shutter clicked several times. “And you?” Chaos turned to Tall Dark and Demented. She held out her hand and held her breath waiting for him to take it.
“You’ll just have to find out.” Ignoring her hand, he walked over and sat down on the edge of a blood red chair.
“That’s Dakota.”
Chaos laughed. Sheila whispered like a two year old. Everyone could hear her. Kinda grumpy, she thought.
“Yep, “Sheila agreed. He seems to have his panties in a bunch today.”
“I’m right here,” he grumbled.
Sheila ignored him. “This is so cool. When I’m touching you I can hear your thoughts. This doesn’t happen often. You’re a good sender.”
What’
s his superpower? Chaos thought, intentionally trying to send to Sheila. She had to admit that it was pretty cool to talk to her without actually talking.
“Well, you’ll kinda just have to see it,” Sheila said. “It’s hard to explain. He’s okay though. Just give him time to warm up to you. He’s been through some weird shit.”
“He’s sitting right here,” Dakota said.
He sat on the couch, his arms crossed over his chest. To Chaos he looked like a warrior ready to go into battle. Who was he battling with?
“Right. Sorry. Hey,” Sheila jumped up and clapped her hands. This is going to be great. Linda, I think you’re right. She’s the one.”
“The one?”What the heck was this woman talking about? The one what?
“Yeah. There are four of us. Linda who is kind of our leader. She’s amazing. Kat keeps our feet on the ground and she’s a wiz with the equipment. By the way you should send her that video you took of Dead Bill, that’s what you call him right?”
Chaos nodded.
“Send that video to Kat. She can take a look at it. She has some pretty cool software and some mad skills. It’s amazing what she can find. Then there’s me and Dakota who keeps us safe from harm. I had a vision that you were coming. You’ll be our fifth.”
“Well your vision was wrong, I don’t have a superpower. I don’t really even believe in ghosts. Well, I didn’t believe in ghosts until yesterday. Besides, I’m not from here. I live in New Mexico. I have a business to get back to. I’m just on vacation.”
“Some vacation,” Kat laughed.
Chaos scowled at Kat. “It was going okay.” She’d had a good day in Durango.
“Until your rapist ghost showed up and ruined all the fun you were having.” Kat’s voice rang with sarcasm and something deeper, more negative that Chaos couldn’t quite identify.
“You do have a superpower,” Linda stepped between them and took Chaos’s hand.
Her eyes crinkled when she smiled and Chaos had a hard time being angry, frustrated, or even scared when Linda looked at her.
“We’ll explain it to you later. And Sheila’s right. It would be helpful if you’d send that video to Kat. She’ll give you her email address in the car.”
Deadly Chaos Page 7