The Demon Conspiracy

by R. L. Gemmill

  3

  THE HAUNTING OF PANDORA’S CAVE

  NED

  People were a pain in the butt. That’s what Ned Taylor thought and he had good reason. It was people who tore up the campground and left trash all over the picnic areas that somebody would need to clean up. It was people who’d sneak into Pandora’s Cave at night to party and write graffiti all over the walls that somebody would have to remove. And it was people who’d drink too much and get into fights that somebody would have to break up. Guess who that somebody was?

  Yep, in Ned’s mind people were a royal pain. But without them he wouldn’t have a job.

  Ned had been a seasonal ranger in Crystal Creek Park since he’d graduated from high school three years ago. The tiny park was located about twenty miles south of Front Royal, Virginia, and backed up to the northeast boundary of the Shenandoah National Park. Ned had Googled Crystal Creek Park more than once, but nothing ever showed up.

  A rich old widow named Pandora Wilby still owned the park property, though she had already deeded the land to the National Park Service. On her death the NPS would absorb the additional four hundred acres of forest and low mountains into the Shenandoah National Park. Until then Mrs. Wilby’s shrewd attorney made sure the park service was solely responsible for maintenance and operation of land they didn’t even own yet.

  Ned Taylor worked as a park ranger three seasons a year. The salary wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep him in a small apartment, own a used car and go to college. Working the graveyard shift never interfered with class schedules while he went after an accounting degree. And now that it was mid-October people hardly mattered. The campground was closed and the only reason anybody even came to the park was to hike or go on a picnic. As long as Ned worked eleven to seven he wouldn’t have to deal with people again until next summer.

  His cousin, Eric Wooden, had gotten him the ranger job. Eric was three years older and had been working in the park system for nearly seven years. He loved the work, but he also loved confrontations. With Eric the more problems people caused the better he liked his job. Eric should have been a cop.

  Ned parked his Jeep in front of the one-story log rancher that served as the ranger station. Lights glowed from inside the building and right away he heard the deep barking of Ripper the wonder dog in the pen around back. Ripper was Eric’s dog, a black Lab-German Shepherd mix that was the park’s unofficial mascot. Eric had originally gotten Ripper to keep him company on the lonely evening shifts, but now all the rangers preferred to have the dog around. Ned sure did, especially in the middle of the night when he finished studying and all the shows on TV were infomercials or reruns. Ripper was friendly, but he looked dangerous and answered only to the rangers. Campers and hikers had a healthy fear of the dog, which helped the rangers keep order.

  “Hey, Ripper!” called Ned as he got out of the Jeep. “How you doin’ boy?”

  Ripper whined and jumped excitedly. Eric and Ned had set up Ripper with a fenced-in dog run, a first-class house and plenty of dog biscuits.

  “You wanna cookie? I got a cookie!”

  Ripper licked his mouth and barked again.

  Ned was a bit stocky, standing about five-eight, with medium length burnt-orange hair. He liked the outdoors and enjoyed quail hunting and fishing. He’d given up hunting larger animals ever since he’d shot and killed a seven-point buck four years ago. Man, that whole scene had given him nightmares. He’d never forget looking into the deep brown eyes of that dying animal and seeing the life fizzle right out of it. His hunting friends laughed at him and said he had Bambi syndrome. Ned didn’t know about that. He just figured he’d stick with quail.

  Ned zipped up his jacket against the chilly October breeze, then checked his pockets. Plenty of dog biscuits. Satisfied, he tossed his backpack over one shoulder and stopped by the pen to give Ripper some love and a couple of biscuits. Then he went inside the station.

  The head ranger, who normally worked the day shift, was a serious looking, dark eyed woman named Melinda Laarz. Laarz was in her forties, with a friendly personality and a definite take-charge attitude, especially during emergencies. Laarz was a full time, year round ranger—a lifer, and that was okay with Ned. Somebody had to do it. One reason he stuck with being a park ranger was because he wasn’t in charge. Being a supervisor would make it seem too much like a real job. The only real job he wanted was to be an accountant.

  “What’s up, Melinda?”

  “Hey, Ned,” she said, marking on the work calendar. “Are you awake?”

  He yawned and nodded. “How about you? You just pulled a double.”

  “I’ll live. I hope Eric’s hot date is worth it. He’s the one pulling a double tomorrow.”

  Ned laughed. “Eric’s never had any trouble finding girls, so this one must be extra special. She’s that Russian girl who goes caving around here. Is there coffee?”

  “That pot’s fresh. Russian girl? You mean Anya? She’s a pretty one, all right. I didn’t realize they knew each other.”

  “He met her at the summer camp.”

  Laarz dismissed the topic with a shrug. “Keep an eye on the spotlights, okay? They went off twice last night and I don’t know why. If they go off again pop the breaker switch pronto. Are you going to stay awake?”

  “I got a test tomorrow. I’ll be awake.”

  “Good enough. I need a beer and some shrimp fried rice. See ya later.”

  “G’night, Melinda.” When Laarz left, Ned got out his books and poured a cup of coffee. Then he got to work studying.

  Nearly three hours later Ned got up and made a big, joint-popping stretch. He felt pretty good about the test and decided to watch TV for a while.

  Five hours to go, he thought, searching for the TV remote. Not so bad.

  About then Ripper started barking like crazy. Ned flinched. The dog never barked like that unless someone, or something was close by. Ned swallowed hard and took up his flashlight.

  Please don’t be a skunk, he thought as he went out the door.

  All the spotlights around the station were off, including the ones in front of the cave. Ned gripped the long-handled flashlight securely, like a short club. If somebody was messing around with the breaker box he might have to bash some heads in. He touched the cell phone in his pants pocket to make sure it was there. Sometimes even rangers needed to call 911.

  Ned moved through the shrubs on the south side of the station until he came to the breaker box under the window. He removed the heavy padlock and opened the panel. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. He flipped several switches off and back on again. Everything outside stayed dark.

  “Dammit.”

  All the while Ripper continued to bark. Ned shined the flashlight on the dog. Ripper’s full attention was on Pandora’s Cave, about thirty yards away. Ned aimed the beam of light at the cave entrance and finally saw what the dog saw. He was so startled he jumped to his feet.

  A man stood alone near the cave entrance, staring back at him. He was tall, at least six feet and wore a dark, three-piece business suit with highly polished black leather shoes. His fingers were interlaced in front of him in an undertaker’s pose.

  “Can I help you, sir?” Ned glanced over his shoulder at the parking lot. His Jeep was the only vehicle there. How’d this clown even get here?

  Ned noticed some kind of metallic looking object on the ground beside the man. It was shaped like a chrome fire hydrant and stood about hip high. What the hell was that supposed to be? He shined the light in the man’s face and approached him warily.

  Ned stopped about ten feet away from the stranger, but kept the light trained in the guy’s eyes. From that distance, Ned could see him clearly. “Sir?”

  The guy looked so out of place it was ridiculous. He was dark and distinguished with a neatly trimmed beard and a touch of gray at his temples. He was probably about forty years old and looked like a model in Gentleman’s Quarterly. He smiled back at Ned, as if amused. But he never spoke. The
n he slowly dropped one hand to his side, allowing his fingertips to touch the device beside him.

  Ned saw the movement and hesitated. He reached for his sidearm. He frowned. Rangers didn’t carry guns, one of the dumber rules of the job. His personal handgun and hunting rifle were in the Jeep.

  “Sir? Do you understand me?” Ned tried to appear less nervous than he really was, but this guy was spooking him out. Ripper was going nuts. “What’s that thing beside you?”

  The man smiled at him again and shook his head. Then, without a sound, both he and the device disappeared.

  Ned staggered back, stunned. Ripper barked even louder.

  “Damn!” He shined the flashlight in every direction. Unless a UFO had taken the guy, there was only one place he could have gone. Into the cave. But how?

  Ned swallowed hard and marched toward the entrance. Abruptly, he thought better of it and ran to the dog’s pen instead. He opened the gate and turned Ripper loose. The fierce-looking dog took off straight toward the cave. Ned followed at a cautious jog, watching their backs.

  As they reached the entrance, a host of colorful glowing eyes appeared within the cave’s pitch darkness. Ripper skidded to a halt. He settled into a low, ominous growl. Ned froze beside the dog. The eyes in the cave glared at them hatefully, glowing like dim flashlights. Some were red, some blue, some even bright yellow, but clearly none were human. A snickering sound erupted from the darkness. Someone—or something—was laughing at him.

  Ned’s legs shook. His heart pounded. Against his better judgment, he aimed his flashlight at some of the eyes. Something moved. A flash of blue! No, green! No, yellow! Whoever—or whatever—they were, they turned and ran. Ripper yelped. The huge dog took off toward the office. Ned shuddered. One of those things in the cave must have been at least ten feet tall. A cold, stiff breeze blew across his neck. He inched away from the cave.

  Were they wild animals? Or were they something else, something…unnatural?

  Abruptly, the floodlights popped back on. Ned jumped in surprise, half blinded. He saw Ripper standing on two legs, pawing at the door to the station.

  Thanks a lot, Ripper. The thought was sarcastic but Ned totally understood why the dog had run. He listened carefully. The area was utterly silent. Ned swallowed hard. He’d never experienced anything like that before. He had a frightening thought.

  Dogs were supposed to be sensitive to the presence of ghosts, and Ripper had certainly seemed overly sensitive to whatever was in that cave. A lonely chill raced through Ned’s entire body. With a shiver, he glanced back at the dark entrance.

  Pandora’s Cave had never been haunted before. So why now? He decided it didn’t matter. He ran back to the ranger station and let both himself and the dog inside. Then he locked all the doors and windows. Ned wasn’t going to have any problem staying awake now. Hell, he might never sleep again!

  4

  THE EARTHQUAKE

  KELLY

  I was half asleep and it was still dark when we drove into Crystal Creek Park in Anton Edwards’ eight-seat SUV. In my opinion, getting out of bed in the middle of the night is not a good time to do anything. I guess Anton thought differently. He liked to go caving early and since he was the only one who knew what he was doing, the rest of us went on his schedule.

  Anton Edwards was head of the English department at Chantilly High School and worked with Chris. He was a ruggedly handsome black man with graying hair and intense, dark eyes. He had on a loose fitting long-sleeved tan shirt, worn blue jeans and jogging shoes. I could tell he was an athlete because of his strong looking hands and it really surprised me to find out he was forty-two. He sure didn’t look that old. In my mind anybody over forty was over the hill, though Anton might be an exception.

  Another man I’d never met before, Dr. Mark Parrish, had also come with us. He was Jon’s chemistry teacher and was even older than Anton Edwards, like in his fifties. He was ancient! Parrish wore thick, horn-rimmed glasses and had a gray mustache that looked like a stiff scrub brush. He was so big, just over 6’4’’, and though he wasn’t exactly fat, he took up a lot of space just the same. The three men were obviously good friends because they spent most of the trip cracking jokes at each other.

  Jon nudged me when we parked. “You awake? Let’s go.”

  I gathered my old pink Barbie backpack and trudged along with the others to a one-story, log building with a sign out front that read, Ranger Station. I really wanted to see the cave but being there so early was not the best way to spend Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon would have been just fine.

  “I can’t believe you brought your old Barbie pack,” said Travis. “It’s fallin’ apart.”

  “Well I’m sure not taking my new one into a cave,” I said defensively. “You’re going to mess up your new backpack.”

  Travis shrugged as Chris knocked on the door to the ranger station. A dog barked from inside. Chris jumped back, a look of terror on his face. A lady ranger came out to greet us with a big smile and a steaming cup of coffee. A huge, black-and-tan dog came out, too, and started sniffing everybody. The dog looked scary, but it seemed friendly enough.

  “Welcome to Crystal Creek Park,” said the woman. “I’m Melinda Laarz, Head Ranger here. And this is Ripper the wonder dog. He belongs to one of the rangers, but we keep him around for company. You won’t bite, will you, Ripper?” She patted the dog and sipped her coffee. Ripper wagged his bushy tail in a friendly way.

  Chris was uneasy around the dog, but Jon knelt beside it and rubbed it behind the ears. Right away the tail wagged harder. When Travis and I petted him, Ripper didn’t complain at all, he just licked our hands and got dog slime all over us. Yuck! Good thing I liked dogs.

  “I’m pleased to meet you,” continued Laarz. “If anyone needs help waking up I’ve got a fresh pot of coffee inside, so help yourself. Anton tells me he’s taking you on a tour of Pandora’s Cave?”

  “Yeah!” said Travis excitedly. Jon and Chris nodded.

  “You’re going to love it in there.”

  “Are there any blind cave crickets or bats?” I asked. “We learned about them at school.”

  “No bats in this cave. Not yet, anyway. But you’re right about the cave crickets. And there are blindfish, too, in the lake.” She called to Anton, who was busy getting equipment out of his car. “There’s no rain in the forecast till next week, so don’t worry about flashfloods. I’ll look for you guys no later than one or two. Are you taking them to the Cathedral room?”

  “Absolutely,” said Anton. “It’s the best thing in the cave.”

  “He’s not kidding,” said Laarz. “It’s fabulous!”

  I briefly scanned the lady ranger’s mind. Laarz had a genuine love for the park and seemed excited for us. I also got thoughts about the woman from Travis. He liked her right off, which was usually a good sign.

  Jon moved closer to Laarz and lowered his voice so only those nearby could hear what he said. “Mr. Edwards is my English teacher at school. Just between you and me, does he really know anything about caves?”

  Laarz nodded vigorously, whispering back to him. “Oh, yes! Anton’s been exploring caves since before you were born. He knows all the caves around here, and especially this one. He works for the Park Service in the summers as a cave guide. Believe me, he’s an expert.”

  Jon nodded his approval as Anton called everyone over to the SUV and began handing out the gear. He gave out waterproof flashlights, extra batteries, hardhats with headlamps mounted on the front, kneepads, candles, matches and any other necessary equipment. He also gave a coil of nylon rope to Parrish, who stuffed it into his pack.

  “How much rope is it?” asked Parrish.

  “About seventy-five feet,” said Anton. “I doubt we’ll need it, but I never go into a cave without rope. Now let me show you guys how the headlamps work.” For the next few minutes Anton explained what all the equipment was for and how to use it. When he was done, he warned us about the upcoming journey.


  “Whenever you go into a cave, or anywhere else in the park for that matter, you always pack out everything you bring in. I mean everything. You take out all your trash, all your equipment, even your fingerprints if you can find them. Also, it’s going to be wet when we get near the Cathedral room, so get used to the idea.”

  “How wet?” I asked. I was mostly awake, but I wasn’t in the mood for an early morning swim.

  “We have to crawl through a shallow stream.”

  “Crawl through a stream?” I shot a distressed look at Travis, who was smiling. OMG! He couldn’t wait to crawl through water! What a moron.

  Anton led us to the opening of Pandora’s Cave, where a ragged brown sign with white letters marked the entrance. Off to one side a larger sign offered a brief description of what to expect and how to treat the ecology. It also warned people about going in without an experienced guide.

  By now the sun was just rising above the foothills in the east. The area was much brighter than before. Jon surprised me when he took a digital camcorder from his backpack. The entire unit was no bigger than some cell phones I’d seen, but it looked like something a professional would use. He tested the battery and the LED lamp.

  “Where’d you get that?” I asked. “It’s nice.”

  “It’s Brandon’s. He wants me to make a sort of documentary of the trip. He thinks we can use some of the cave footage in one of our films.”

  “Why don’t you just use your cell phone?” asked Dr. Parrish. “That thing looks expensive.”

  Jon wasn’t sure how to answer without hurting Chris’ feelings. “Uh, Brandon wants decent sound, and all, too. Not just good video.”

  Chris was embarrassed. “Angie and I have talked about getting the kids cell phones, but even the family plans are pricey. They do need something, though.”

  Anton changed the subject. “You’re going to make films? That’s interesting, Jon, really. You and Brandon make a good team.”

  Jon agreed, as he turned on the camcorder and aimed it at himself. “This is the great expedition into Pandora’s Cave led by super cave explorer, Mr. Edwards. Also on the journey are the brilliant Dr. Parrish, the amazing Chris McCormick, and, of course, all the fantastic Bishops!” He turned the camera briefly on everyone, and we waved back shyly. “Just act natural while I’m taping, okay?”

  All at once Anton and Parrish went from acting natural to walking and groaning like zombies. Jon paused the camcorder. “Never mind.”

  Everybody laughed except Chris. “Please don’t do that.”

  “Sorry, Chris, I forgot.” Anton spoke as if he knew something about Chris that I should know too. I was about to inspect his thoughts and find out why Chris didn’t like zombie jokes, when Jon approached me.

  “Take this.” Jon handed the camcorder to me and explained how to use it. “Try to keep the picture steady, okay? Remember, what you see in the viewfinder is exactly what you’re recording.”

  I was taken aback. Was he kidding? That thing cost a lot of money. “What if I drop it?”

  “Don’t.”

  “What do you want me to do with it?”

  “Get me some cutaway shots.”

  “What’s a cutaway shot?”

  “You know, like a cat in a window, or a bug crawling on the ground. You see them all the time in movies to show what an actor is looking at, or to show continuity. They cutaway for a quick look at a plant, or something.”

  “I can tape anything I want?”

  “Knock yourself out.”

  I searched the area around the cave entrance for a bug or a cat or a cool looking plant. Nothing. Just for practice I got a close up of Ripper the wonder dog. Ripper tried to lick the lens.

  As we were about to go into the cave, a yellow, original style VW Beetle raced into the parking lot and skidded to a halt beside Anton’s car. Maria Sanchez, Jon’s girlfriend, got out of the Beetle and ran to Jon. Maria had thick dark hair and big, beautiful brown eyes that made Jon want to hold her whenever she looked at him. I knew that because I was inside his head again. It was so romantic being around them. He quickly blocked me out.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and they kissed without shame in front of everybody. She gave me a quick girly hug and even rubbed Travis’ white hair, which messed it up a little more than it already was. It seems funny to me how people rub his hair like that. Is it because he’s got curly Troll hair? I mean what’s the big deal? Does it bring good luck to rub it?

  As usual Travis blushed just being near her and I knew exactly what he was thinking. Maria was drop-dead gorgeous and genuinely kind all rolled into one.

  “Want some gum?” Maria produced a pack of gum from a pocket in her very tight blue jeans and passed it around. Of course Travis took a piece, he always did. He’s got a thing for gum like he does for food. I took one, too, to be polite. Travis whispered to me.

  “She’s pretty and she gives us gum! No wonder Jon likes her so much!”

  “No wonder.” I rolled my eyes at him. Not a major roll, but enough to calm him down.

  Travis popped the gum in his mouth and wandered off toward the cave. I, on the other hand, hit the record button and kept the lens pointed at Jon and Maria. This was good stuff and I didn’t want to miss a second.

  “I can’t believe you came here!” said Jon happily. “It’s so early!”

  “I wanted to wish you good luck,” said Maria, kissing him again. “So good luck! And be careful, okay?”

  I moved around them, taking in every romantic shot with the camcorder. I even zoomed in on their interlaced fingers. I’d call that a cutaway shot.

  “That’s good. Now don’t move your hands. Okay, I got it.” This directing stuff was kind of cool. Maybe I should look into it.

  “Get out of here,” said Jon, grabbing for the camcorder. I dashed out of his reach but came back to finish the scene.

  “I wish you could come with us,” said Jon. “Mr. Edwards makes it sound like a life changing experience.”

  “Don’t change too much, okay? I like you the way you are.”

  “Do you want to go with us, Maria?” said Anton, stepping over to greet her. I changed the camera angle to include Anton in the shot. “I’ve got some extra equipment.”

  “No, no, no, Mr. Edwards!” said Maria quickly. “Thanks, but I don’t like dirty old caves. Call me when you get back.”

  “Absolutely.” Jon kissed her again and they pulled apart. Maria waved and got back in her car. When she was gone Jon caught up with the rest of us and got a big applause. He blushed, but grinned from ear to ear as he took back the camcorder.

  “When a girl gets up this early and drives forty minutes for a kiss, it’s serious. Nothing beats true love.” Anton said it matter-of-factly, but Chris and Parrish both nodded like they totally understood and approved. “Are we ready to hit the underworld? Let’s go, team!”