Hangar 13

by Lindsay McKenna

  Sweat popped out on her brow and upper lip. The energy from the blow dissolved, but Ellie knew that, more than ever, she had to remain focused. The entity was just waiting for an opportunity to strike her solidly in the heart chakra, and thereby, stop her physical heart from beating. It couldn’t happen!

  Three-quarters of the circle was now complete. She felt the entity approach her from behind. A part of her wanted to turn and scream at it. But she fought to remain focused on the song, in the compassion of the moment. Sweat was trickling down her rib cage. Her throat was closing up. No! The entity was sending energy to shut down her throat chakra. Without the song, the ceremony was useless! Struggling frantically, Ellie halted. She closed her eyes, concentrating on her song, the cornmeal bunched in her hand. The entity was there, encircling her neck, sending a chilling energy into her throat and neck region.

  Great Spirit, help me! Ellie sent the plea mentally and emotionally. She tensed; the song was being squeezed out of her, as if the entity had encircled her entire torso like a boa constrictor, squeezing the life, the air, out of her body. She began to feel dizzy. Her hand clenched into a fist, the cornmeal within it. Desperately, Ellie flailed around within herself, searching for strength. She couldn’t fight this entity on her own. He had her. Perspiration made her face gleam in the low lighting; the song was becoming a mere trickle of itself.

  Is this what the Great Spirit wanted? Her death? Suddenly, Ellie realized she’d fallen into the oldest trap of all in a metaphysical sense. Most people were afraid of dying, and a malicious entity often would send into a person’s mind the worst fear a human being had—of death. The instant she realized that, Ellie felt air tunnel once again into her mouth and down into her lungs, her chant becoming deeper, more resonant. Again she was reminded of how frail all human beings were—especially her.

  The energy lock around her body began to dissipate. Ellie almost laughed with relief. The spirit was intelligent; he knew how to trigger her fears. But now that she’d realized what he was trying to do, she’d destroyed his hold over her. She felt her neck losing the tension that had inhabited it, her lungs expanding with air once again.

  Joy moved through Ellie as she worked to complete the cornmeal circle. Again, she felt the entity stalk her. Only five more feet, and the circle would be complete….

  Ellie gasped. She jerked upright, her shoulders thrown back. The entity’s hatred overwhelmed her in the attack. Dizzied, she fought for coherency. Somewhere in her confusion, she heard Mac gasp. He knew he couldn’t touch her, couldn’t in any way involve himself. Blackness danced before her eyes. She felt a horrible, bone-chilling cold seep through her, trying to destroy her focus.

  No! No! Ellie mentally clawed for stability. Her song faltered, but she forced the words out of her throat. She must complete the circle! The entity was swirling around her, trying to pound away at her heart chakra and shut it down! She reeled forward, the cornmeal falling from her nerveless fingers. Only two feet to go! The song continued, welling from some place deep within her. Sweat poured from her body. Chills ravaged her.

  Just as the last bit of cornmeal fell from her fingers to complete the circle, Ellie heard a shriek. Stunned by the sound, she fell backward. Instantly, she felt Mac’s hands under her arms, steadying her. She gasped for air. Eyes wide, she looked at the darkened corner.

  Without a word, she pulled herself from Mac’s arms. Steadying herself, she dragged in a deep breath of air. The entity had to flee now that the circle was complete. Shaking badly, Ellie knelt down on the floor and drew out the pipe. She could feel the entity racing around outside the circle. An inhuman screaming began, beating against her ears, against her body. The spirit was shrieking to try to make her lose her focus. Could Mac hear it?

  Ellie didn’t dare look up to find out. She slid the cedar pipe stem into the red pipestone head, then reached for the tobacco bag. Her hands were sweaty, but she gripped the pipe securely as she stood up and faced the corner where the entity made its home. A terrible trembling moved through Ellie as she took the first pinch of tobacco and faced north within the circle.

  “Great White Buffalo,” she called out in a strong, clear voice, “please bless us. I ask you to use your endurance and strength to release the spirit over the rainbow bridge.” She held the pinch of tobacco high above her head. Her fingers began to warm up and she smiled to herself, feeling positive energy surround her. The blessing of the tobacco had been given and she placed it carefully into the pipe bowl.

  Turning, Ellie moved to the east side of the circle. The shrieking continued, buffeting her ears. Their very lives depended upon her fixation on the prayers. She held up a second pinch of tobacco. “Spotted Eagle of the east, I ask your blessing. Please give the spirit who resides here with us a new beginning, a new birth over the rainbow bridge.”

  As Ellie placed the tobacco into the pipe, she felt a sudden gust of chilling air. It was real air, not spirit wind from another dimensional level. She realized with a start that the entity was now pooling its energy and literally creating wind. And he was aiming that wind at the cornmeal circle! Ellie had never seen an entity so resourceful. She watched as some of the cornmeal was blown toward them. Would the circle hold if the cornmeal was removed? She wasn’t sure. This had never happened to her before.

  So many things went through her mind, but she put them aside. Going to the south, Ellie called upon Grandfather Coyote. The wind continued. More of the circle was blown away. Were their lives in jeopardy? Could the physical removal of the cornmeal spell their death? Ellie hurried to the west, the direction of death and rebirth, and Grandmother Medicine Bear. Her prayer said, she lifted the pipe in a semicircle above her head.

  “Father Sky, I pray for the release of the spirit. Take him into your arms and take him safely across the rainbow bridge.”

  Ellie felt a quivering begin in her solar plexus, her stomach area. A cold chill struck her in the head. She anchored her feet, knowing in that moment that the entity had destroyed their circle of protection. It was going to attack her, to try to stop her from releasing him. Every cell in her body tensed, every bone, every joint and every muscle. The physical attack was devastating to Ellie. She forced herself to complete the semicircle to Mother Earth, and pronounce the appropriate prayer.

  As she did so, a hand wrenched at her arm. The pipe was nearly jerked out of her grip. No! If the pipe was taken, it would be smashed, its power destroyed. Fighting the cold working through her, Ellie knelt down, her movements jerky and uncoordinated. With a shaking hand, she found the lighter and grasped it tightly. Once the pipe was lit, the entity would no longer be in charge.

  Her breathing grew labored. She felt the choking hold around her throat again, saw her vision graying. She couldn’t stand; she didn’t have the strength. The entity was sucking the life out of her. She no longer felt her feet or legs. The numbness was spreading quickly. Hurry! Hurry! she entreated herself.

  Shutting her eyes tightly, she forced herself with her last bit of strength to lift the pipe to her lips and light it. Ellie felt as if her physical body was vibrating apart. There was a war going on within her and outside her.

  The instant she took the first puff of sacred smoke into her mouth, she heard the entity shriek. Immediately, Ellie felt it leave her, and she forced herself to her feet. She released the smoke in prayer form to the north, then repeated her actions in each direction. A red-hot energy moved through her, flowing out of her feet and hands, moving rapidly through the hangar. Ellie felt the heat. She was sweating profusely, her body quivering, but she continued to smoke the pipe, saying the prayers for release.

  The entity howled. It raced around the hangar, trying to outrun the energy of light and love flowing from and through the pipe. As Ellie aligned herself with that energy, with the pure love flowing out to the spirit, she felt deep compassion for it—even though it had tried to kill her. The pipe continued to emit thick, white smoke into the hangar. It curled, took shapes and moved like clouds on som
e invisible wind. Ellie knew in that moment that she had triumphed with the help of the Great Spirit. But it had been her heart, her ability to remain in harmony with herself, that would now lovingly release this spirit to a far more gentle environment, another dimension, where it could receive the help it needed.

  The screaming rose in volume. Ellie felt the entity back into the corner where it had lived for so long. She opened her eyes and saw the white smoke from the pipe gathering in that corner—fine, delicate veils embracing the walls, the floor. She felt the spirit being pulled out of the hangar, being taken to another dimension. Within seconds, she felt a lightening in the atmosphere. The darkness no longer looked so forbidding, the gloom was not so pervasive. She continued to smoke the pipe and send healing, loving prayers to the entity, to pray for its return to goodness and light.

  Finally, the pipe was empty of all tobacco. Ellie felt weak as she slowly lowered it and cradled it in her left arm. For the first time, she dared look across the destroyed circle at Mac. He stood there, his face ashen, his eyes dark and his fists clenched at his sides.

  “It’s all right now,” she quavered. “He’s gone. It’s done….”

  Mac moved forward. Without hesitation, he opened his arms and dragged Ellie against him. “Are you okay?” he rasped, kissing her hair, her temple.

  With a little laugh, one more of relief than joy, Ellie nodded. “Yes, I’m going to be fine.”

  “It attacked you again.”

  “Yes.” She looked up at his harsh features, saw the anger and concern in his eyes. “He’s gone, Mac. He’ll never come back.”

  “Good.” He held her tightly against him, never wanting to let her go. “I was never so scared, Ellie. I felt that bastard hit you again and again. I felt so helpless. So helpless.”

  “I know.” She eased herself out of his arms. “Let’s get out of here. All I want to do is go home, shower and sleep. I’m so tired, Mac.”

  With a nod, he walked over and brought the suitcase to her. Then he looked around. The hangar felt different. There had been no visible change, but that didn’t make him any less certain that the spirit was gone.

  “Come on, sweetheart, I’ll take you home.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Ellie awoke late the next morning. She stretched, luxuriating in the feel of her muscles moving, her toes and fingers flexing. Mac had brought her home, made sure she was all right and then left. Closing her eyes, she recalled how badly he’d wanted to kiss her—but they’d both been too shaken by the events to do much of anything besides say good-night.

  Ellie pushed the covers aside and sat up. It was ten o’clock! She didn’t chastise herself for sleeping in—between the psychic attacks and the energy she’d spent, she’d needed a deep, long, healing sleep in order to recoup. She felt good and vital this morning.

  Near eleven, the phone rang. Ellie picked it up.

  “Hello?”

  “Ellie, it’s Mac. How are you this morning?”

  She relaxed against the wall, the phone cradled between her cheek and shoulder. “I’m fine, Major Stanford. Better than you could ever believe.”

  “Good.” She heard the relief in Mac’s voice.

  “How are you?”

  “After a nightmare-filled sleep, I guess I’m okay.”

  “Really?”

  “My imagination was running away with me. I kept dreaming you were getting killed by that damned spirit.”

  “I think you were just replaying all the fears you felt in that circle last night, that’s all.”

  “For sure,” Mac grumbled. “Listen, I wanted to let you know that I’ve got a line on this William Treadwell, the man the entity accused of killing him.”

  “Oh, yes?”

  “The provost marshal found out that Treadwell was an officer at Luke in the mid-eighties. The PM’s office contacted him this morning—he lives in Casa Grande, a nearby town. They’re sending over an investigator to talk to him. I told them to ask him about Tim Olson. I don’t know if anything will come of it or not. But I thought you’d be interested.”

  Ellie’s eyes widened. “I wonder if Treadwell will tell the truth. After everything that’s happened, he must know something about Tim Olson’s AWOL status.” She gripped the phone a bit tighter.

  “I think you’re right, sweetheart. Anyway, the PM is reopening the investigation. It doesn’t guarantee that Treadwell will admit to anything. Even if he murdered Tim Olson, we might never know the whole story.”

  “No,” Ellie murmured, loving the sound of Mac’s voice when he called her sweetheart. “But at least the spirit of Tim Olson has been released, and I know he’s in a far better place.”

  “I wish you could be here today,” Mac said. “I’d swear that the hangar looks lighter, brighter.”

  “I’m not surprised. When an entity is present, a gray film hangs over the area. You don’t realize it until it’s gone.”

  With a chuckle, Mac said, “Well, I have to tell you, everyone seems to be a lot less tense this morning. I’ve got two of my birds in for maintenance. We’re using that corner, and everyone is fine. As a matter of fact, there’s been a lot of joking and laughing going on over there, and that’s kind of unusual.”

  Ellie heard the awe in Mac’s voice. “On a subconscious level, your crew people must have sensed that entity’s presence.” She shivered. “If I had to work with it around, sucking up energy, I wouldn’t laugh or joke very much, either.”

  Mac laughed indulgently. “You’ve made a believer out of me, Ms. O’Gentry.”

  “Thank you, Major, but I don’t try to make believers out of anyone. It’s not my job. You believe because you had enough proof, that’s all.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” Mac said lightly.

  “Do you think you could get a few days off?” Ellie blurted out, a little nervous over her bold approach.

  “Sure. Why?”

  “Well, I’d like to take you to a very special place I go. It’s a sacred place, Mac, and I’d like to share it with you.”

  “I’m game.”

  “It means hiking,” she warned.

  “I guess this eagle can take a walk.”

  Ellie’s heart expanded with such love for Mac that the words lodged in her throat for a moment. “You truly are an eagle. Thank you for deigning to walk with us mere humans who are bound to Mother Earth.”

  “I can probably free up a couple of days. Say, Thursday and Friday?”

  “Good.”

  “Where are you taking us?”

  She smiled warmly. “That’s a surprise, Major Stanford. Just bring along a knapsack, hiking shoes and a hiking stick. Okay?”

  “Okay, sweetheart. But really, all I need is you. You know that?”

  Yes, she did, she truly did. Closing her eyes, she said, “Thursday can’t come soon enough, Mac.”

  “I know,” he rasped. “Until then, you rest and take it easy. You’ve earned it.”

  “Well, what do you think?” Ellie asked as she and Mac stood in the forest of Oak Creek Canyon above Sedona. Mac was dressed in Levi’s, hiking boots, a red polo shirt and had a hiking stick in hand. “Is it as beautiful as I described?”

  Mac smiled down at Ellie. Two days had been pure hell without her, and he was eager to spend the next four with her. She wore her hair in two long braids, and had a pale pink blouse and jeans on. The sunlight reflected off her hair and he longed to kiss her. “What I’m looking at is beautiful,” he confided in a low tone.

  Coloring, Ellie laughed. They’d held hands the entire drive up from Phoenix. The kiss he’d given her earlier still lingered on her lips and burned hotly in her memory and heart. “We have another six miles to hike before we can pitch our tent. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving already!”

  Grinning, Mac picked up his pack. “Then let’s get on with it, Ms. O’Gentry.” He shouldered it and arranged it in a comfortable position against his back. Ellie took the other pack, which contained most of the food for their four
-day hiking trip. The scent of pine was thick and fragrant, the trail wide and dry. Nearby, Oak Creek wound in a meandering fashion along the red sandstone cliffs that had long ago been molded by the water’s flow.

  The trail was wide, and Mac shortened his stride so that Ellie could keep abreast of him. Her eyes danced with delight, and her mouth was curved softly in a slight smile. He knew she was as happy to be here with him as he was to be with her.

  “I think we deserve this,” he told her as they walked up a steep incline.

  “Oh?”

  “We’ve never really had the time we’ve needed to be with each other.”

  “That dinner was pretty nice,” Ellie said, meeting his smile, absorbing his happiness.

  “It was good,” Mac admitted, halting at the top to catch his breath. They were at sixty-five hundred feet; though he was used to flying and taking a lot of g’s, this was different. Ellie seemed unaffected by the altitude, but then, as she’d told him earlier, she hiked the west fork of this creek often. He could see why: the place was devoid of tourists. Its peace and quietness reminded him of a cathedral.

  Ellie wanted to reach up and kiss Mac’s mouth, but held back. First she wanted to get them to the camping site she always chose, and then…well, whatever happened, happened. She saw the burning desire in his eyes and felt his need of her. It was a delicious feeling, being loved. The sensation was a new one to her, which made it even more wonderful.

  “I have some good news about Treadwell,” Mac told her as they started down the incline.

  Ellie looked at him. “What did they find out?”

  “When the investigator went to talk to him, the man broke down and started crying.”