Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
K ai, wearing his restaurant t-shirt and jeans from yesterday, looked out over his duplex in the late afternoon sun and frowned. He couldn’t believe was actually doing this. He glanced at Conner, who sat in the driver’s side of his BMW in a black long sleeve t-shirt and jeans, then at Bryce, crammed into the back seat, wearing his restaurant attire, and typing on his phone.
Bryce set the phone down. “Time for some fun.” He tapped Kai’s seatback and got out of the car, closed the door, then stretched.
Conner gnawed at his lip. “Kai?” He faced him.
“Yeah?” He looked Conner over. Something was up. “What?”
“So, these guys from work don’t know about us. I mean, it’s sort of new...” He wrinkled his forehead, then grabbed Kai’s hand. “You understand, right?”
He widened his eyes. Conner wasn’t out. Which begged a bigger question. What the hell is he anyway? “Yeah, I get it. You’re not out at work.”
Conner flinched and dropped his gaze to their hands, resting on the center console. “Yeah. ”
He tightened the hold on Conner’s hand. “Don’t worry about it.”
Conner focused on him. “Thanks.” He rubbed Kai’s shoulder. “You ready? The guys will be here any minute.”
“Yeah, guess so.” There would be enough people here, so how bad could it be? He took a deep breath and climbed out of the car, then waited for Conner to get out.
Conner stepped up to him and touched his arm. “We have to grab your things anyway. You need clothes.” He grinned at Kai.
“I know.” Depending on how this investigation went, he might be staying with Conner for a short time. He furrowed his brows. Suddenly things were happening really fast. He didn’t have time to think it through.
Bryce walked up to them. “Hey, I think they’re here.” He pointed at a newer black Chevy Tahoe SUV.
The vehicle pulled up behind Conner’s car and stopped. Two men in their thirties stepped out, in t-shirts and jeans, one with dark blond hair, the other with brown hair. They waved. “Hey, Conner.”
A wide smile spread over Conner’s face and he left Kai’s side to great them. “Hey.”
Kai followed Bryce to the SUV. Hopefully, these guys could help them and everything would go back to normal. Or at least normal in his house. He smirked.
Conner held his hand out to him. “Kai, this is Brent and Eric.”
He held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Kai.” Hopefully, these guys were as good as Conner said they were. He shook Brent’s hand and then Eric’s.
Bryce stepped up. “I’m Bryce.” He shook their hands.
Brent nodded. “Nice to meet you both. We’ll get our stuff set up and then let you know when we’re ready.”
Conner lifted his chin to them. “Sounds good.” He focused on Kai. “Come on, let’s go and get your things.
He nodded .
Bryce followed Brent to the back of the SUV. “Here, let me help you.”
Conner walked with Kai to the carport door of the house. “Hand me your keys.”
He pulled his house keys out of the front pocket of his jeans and handed them to Conner. What would they find after not being home all night? “Do you really think they’ll find anything?”
Conner turned the key in the knob and opened the door. “Yes. They always do.” He wrinkled his brows. “You okay? You sure you want to be here?”
Kai pursed his lips. “Yeah, I’m sure. I want to see this for myself.” As he stepped inside the house, goosebumps shivered over his skin. He rubbed his arms. A strange feeling overcame him, as if something was watching him. It seemed worse, somehow. “C-Conner?” He looked out over the kitchen. The cabinets were open in a haphazard pattern, along with the drawers. Silverware littered the floor. “This is fucking creepy.”
“Yeah.” Conner shut the door, then wrapped an arm around Kai’s shoulders and kissed his head. “Don’t worry, I’m here. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
He twisted in Conner’s hold and draped an arm around his waist, then swallowed hard. What would he have done if Conner hadn’t come back into his life right now? He gazed into Conner’s stunning face, the intense, ice-blue eyes, the generous lips, the scar hovering on his high cheekbone. A flood of emotions filled his chest. What are these feelings? They’re so intense. Am I falling in love? Shit.
Conner gazed into his eyes. He licked his lips. “Kai, I promise you, I won’t let anything hurt you.”
Kai nodded. Statements like that weren’t helping the feelings in his heart. “Yeah.” He cleared his throat and freed Conner. “How about we pick this place up first, then we can go get my stuff. ”
“Sure.” Conner crouched down, picked up the silverware and set it in the drawer.
Kai closed all the cabinet doors, then slid the drawers shut. He didn’t want to pussy out of it this time. He should face this thing. He stood up and walked out of the kitchen and into the main room with Conner following.
A shadow in the outline of a person walked from Kai’s room toward Bryce’s room and disappeared.
Kai startled. “Holy fuck.” The hair stood up on the back of his neck. “C-Conner, d-did you see that?” Instinctively, he hooked his arms around Conner’s chest and buried his face in his neck.
“What?” Conner held him tight.
“There was a black something walking in the hallway.” Maybe he didn’t want to face this after all. He trembled.
“You saw a shadow figure?” Conner peered toward the hallway.
“If that’s what you call it. Yeah.” His heart pounded in his ears. He fought to calm himself. Get a grip. Nobody else was behaving this way, not even Bryce.
“I’m not surprised. That’s pretty common with poltergeist activity.” Conner kissed his head and held him tighter. “You want to leave?”
“N-no. I have to get my stuff.” He freed Conner and glanced at the opening to the kitchen. He’d have to control himself around Conner’s friends, too. The last thing he wanted was to out him if he wasn’t ready. With a sigh, he focused on Conner. “But I’m not staying here until we’re certain this thing is gone.”
A faint grin played over Conner’s mouth. “You’ve got no complaints from me.”
Brent and Eric entered the room with Bryce following. Cases of equipment swung in their hands.
“Hey, Kai just saw a shadow figure in the hallway.” Conner turned to face them.
Brent smiled. “Awesome. Let’s see if we can get some EVPs.” He pulled a small recorder from his back pocket and strode to the hallway, holding it out in front of him.
Eric set a case down, opened it up and pulled out a black, round canister with lights and an antenna poking out of the top. “Here, we can try this REM pod, too.” He followed Brent to the hallway.
Bryce stood next to Kai and Conner, placing his hands on his hips. “Was everything fucked up when you got in?”
Kai glanced at Bryce. “Yeah, more silverware on the floor.” A shiver raced up his spine. He drew a deep breath and shut his eyes for a moment.
“We know you’re here. Can you talk to us? Maybe tell us who you are?” Brent stepped through the hallway, holding out the recorder.
Eric crouched down, set the REM pod on the floor and turned it on. A few lights flickered. “Looks like we’ve got something.”
Brent licked his lips and gulped. “This is your chance to talk to us. You can talk into this device in my hand, and we’ll hear it.”
A faint whisper laced through the room. The REM pod lit up and set off a tone.
Brent motioned to Eric. “Turn it off.”
Eric shut off the REM pod and stood up.
Brent walked to Conner, Kai, and Bryce, still holding the recorder out. “Okay, let’s listen.”
Kai stared at the recorder, his mouth going dry. Maybe they didn’t pick up anything. Maybe he was seeing things. But the REM pod... He peeked at Conner.
Conner’s attention focused on the recorder.
Brent punched buttons with his thumb. The recorder came on.
We know you’re here. Can you talk to us? Maybe tell us who you are?
A girl’s whisper replied. Mommy.
Kai widened his eyes and focused on Bryce. “What the fuck?” A tingling sensation swept over him, making the hair on his arms stand up.
“Damn, that’s a class A EVP.” Brent’s eyes lit up.
Bryce bit his lip. “I-I don’t know, man. Are you sure that’s not someone outside?”
Eric shook his head. “No, that’s an EVP.”
Brent hit the buttons again. “Okay, everyone be quiet.” The recorder started up again.
This is your chance to talk to us. You can talk into this device in my hand, and we’ll hear it.
The girl’s voice came through. Go home. A few seconds later, a voice said , bones.
Kai’s trembling grew. His knees knocked. “Th-that’s it. I-I need to get out of here.” Fuck it. This was the creepiest thing he’d ever seen, and he couldn’t even have Conner close to get through it.
“Let’s get your stuff and go, then. They can continue this and tell us what they find.” Conner placed a hand on Kai’s arm, then released it.
“I’m not going back there. Are you fucking kidding me?” Why wasn’t anyone else as scared as he was? He glared at Conner.
Brent touched Kai’s back. “Hey, take it easy. They can feed off negative energy.”
He twitched the corners of his mouth. “Great.” He had plenty of negative energy to feed off.
“Hey, at least it doesn’t sound like it’s the chindi of your father, right?” Conner examined him, furrowing his brows.
Kai nodded. He had a point. This thing, whatever it was, might have nothing to do with him. The fear filling his chest dissipated. “Yeah, maybe it is that girl that went missing in the wash. Maybe she’s just lost?”
“Maybe she’s asking to go home to her mother. Maybe it’s her bones that are lost?” Conner pursed his lips, then came in close to Kai’s ear. “You’re really pale.” He drew back and looked him up and down. “Want to leave the house for a while and then see if you want to come back in?”
Kai thought for a moment. If he left now, he wasn’t really facing anything. He glanced at Bryce, Brent, and Eric, all watching him. He couldn’t look like a pussy. “No, I’ll stay.” He nodded at Brent. “Go ahead and keep going.”
“Okay. Eric, grab the MEL meter and I’ll get the spirit box and we’ll try the kitchen, since there’s been so much activity there.” Brent walked to a case and crouched down, then picked up a device resembling a walkie talkie.
“So, what do these do?” Bryce narrowed his eyes.
Brent stood up. “This spirit box scans frequencies and allows the spirits to talk to us directly. The MEL meter detects changes in temperature and electromagnetic field. If a spirit is around, the temperature will drop, and we’ll get a reading on this.”
Bryce lifted his brows. “Wow, you guys really know your stuff.”
As a shiver rolled over his body, Kai wrapped his arms around his waist.
Conner placed his hand on Kai’s lower back. “You don’t have to do this.”
Kai furrowed his brows. “Yes, I do. If you all can handle this, then so can I.” I’m not going to be a wuss. He pinched his lips and looked at Conner.
Conner released a long exhale. “Okay.”
Eric walked into the kitchen, holding the MEL meter out in front of him. “Got a reading in here.”
Brent jogged up behind Eric, holding the spirit box. “Awesome. This place is super active.” A wide smile spread over his mouth.
How can these guys be so damn happy about this? Kai walked with Conner and Bryce to the doorway of the kitchen and watched.
Eric held out his free hand. “The temperature dropped ten degrees. Feel how cold it is here. ”
Brent stepped to Eric, holding out his hand. “Damn, it’s super cold right here.” He glanced at Kai. “The AC isn’t on, right?”
Kai shook his head. “No. Nothing’s on.” They kept if off as much as possible to save money.
“Come here and feel this.” Brent chuckled.
Conner grabbed the back of Kai’s arm, above the elbow. “You want to feel it?”
Kai huffed. “I suppose.” He’d show them he wasn’t afraid of a little cold air.
Conner, Bryce, and Kai walked into the kitchen and huddled around Brent and Eric, everyone holding out a hand.
Kai’s body shivered. This was like stepping into the walk-in freezer at the restaurant. “Jesus, it is cold.” He glanced at Conner.
He pursed his lips. “You okay?”
Kai nodded. Somehow, he was getting used to it, and it didn’t seem as scary. Just a bit of cold air and a little lost girl. That was all this was.
“Okay, everyone, I’m going to turn on the spirit box now.” Brent hit a button the spirit box and white noise filled the room. “Okay, you can use this box to talk to us. Focus your energy on this.”
Kai went to the corner of the room, opposite the cabinets and the dinette, wrapping his arms around himself.
Conner followed. In a whisper, he said, “These guys are good, huh?”
Kai nodded, his attention drawn to the spirit box. What would this spirit have to say?
Brent focused on the spirit box in his hand. “Why are you here?”
Through the white noise, a man’s voice rang out. “Kai.”
A jolt of adrenaline shot up Kai’s spine. His breath caught. “Fuck.” His gaze darted around the room. Everyone looked at him with wide eyes. “N-No...” He shook his head. “C-can’t be.” His knees knocked and his teeth chattered. As tears stung his eyes, his breath came in quick pants. He focused on Conner. “I-I have to leave.” He raced for the door, opened it, and ran down the driveway to the street. He fisted his hands in his hair and paced. He wasn’t going to break down over this. He wasn’t. A sob burst from his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth. There was no way his father’s chindi was here. There must be something wrong with that device. That’s all it was.
Conner caught Kai and held him in a tight embrace. He kissed his head. “Kai, I’m here.”
As Kai glanced at the house, he pushed at Conner’s chest. “Stop, what if your coworkers see us?”
“Shit.” Conner freed him, seized his hand, and hauled him behind the SUV, then wrapped his arms around him. “I’m sorry.”
Kai buried his face in his neck, draping his arms around Conner’s waist. His voice shook. “What was that?”
Conner kissed his head. “I don’t know. I hate to say it, but what if your father’s spirit is here?”
Kai shut his eyes tight and clenched his jaw. His father’s chindi was here to seek revenge on him. He should have remembered the insulin. It’s my fault he died so young. A lump formed in his throat. Tears broke through and pooled in the corners of his eyes. His breath hitched. “It’s him. He hates me.” He let a ragged breath slip. “No...”
“Kai, he doesn’t hate you.”
He shoved Conner away and glared at him. How would he know? “Then why the fuck is he here throwing shit around in my kitchen?” He blinked and a tear tumbled down his cheek. He swiped it away and sniffled.
Conner lowered his brows and pressed his lips together. “I don’t know, maybe to get your attention?” He snatched Kai’s hands. “Maybe he has a message for you. Maybe he doesn’t want you to think that way? ”
He thought on Conner’s words and stared at the tan wall of the duplex. None of this made any sense. “I-I don’t know.”
“Maybe you should go back in there and find out.” Conner rubbed his thumbs over the top of Kai’s hands.
He dropped his mouth open. “Are you fucking serious right now?”
Conner grabbed him up in a tight embrace. “It sounds like maybe you have a chance here most people never get.”
In a thick voice, Kai said, “But what if he hates me?” He nuzzled his face into Conner’s neck, wound his arms around his waist and drew a jagged breath. Tears found their way down his cheek. He bit them back. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“I’ll be right by your side.” Conner kissed his cheek.
“But your coworkers are there.” Kai’s breath hitched. Was he really going to try this? He didn’t want to break down in front of everyone and he didn’t want to out Conner by mistake.
“How about if I ask them to let us use their spirit box alone? Then it would be just you and me.”
“Okay.” That might work. It was time to face this thing. He took a deep inhale, releasing Conner, then wiped his face. “Let’s go before I change my mind.”
Kai paced in the kitchen while Conner sat at the dinette with the spirit box and a REM pod resting on the glass tabletop. The only light filling the room came from the cooking light over the stove.
“Come here.” Conner held his arm out and beckoned him with his fingers.
Kai walked to him. “I-I can’t sit down for this.”
Conner grasped his hand. “Just stand next to me then.”
Kai glanced out the kitchen window next to the table, looking out into the dark, over the shadows of the scrubby cactus in the rock yard to the street. “The SUV is gone. We probably have a half hour or so until they come back with dinner.” How did Conner talk him into this? “So let’s get this over with.” He bit at the nail on his index finger.
Conner turned the REM pod on. The lights lit up and a tone sounded. “Something’s already here.” He shut it off and turned on the spirit box. White noise filled the room. “Kai is here. Who’s with us?”
Kai stared at the device and drew a deep breath. Was his father really here with them? A chill worked its way up his spine. His skin tingled with goosebumps. “It’s getting cold in here. You feel it?” He glanced at Conner.
“Yeah, the temperature definitely dropped.” He moved his hand around the table, then pushed the spirit box closer to Kai. “If you have a message for Kai, then say it now.”
The white noise broke. “Shizhé’é.”
It’s him. Kai whimpered and his knees weakened. What should he say? He placed both hands on the table, holding himself up.
“What?” Conner narrowed his eyes and looked at him. “Did you get that?”
“It said father in Diné.” His voice trembled and his body shook. He fought to keep his composure.
Conner hooked his arm around Kai’s hips. “Is that the Navajo language?”
Kai nodded, tears blurring his vision. He had to hold it together. If his father were here to get revenge, then so be it. He bit harder on his nail and moved to the next finger.
Conner focused on the spirit box. “Do you have a message?—”
“Kai,” the spirit box said.
Kai furrowed his brows and stared at the box. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to leave or stay. Both options seemed like a bad choice. But if this was real, then this was his chance to make amends .
“Say something, Kai.” Conner pulled him close and kissed his stomach. “Don’t be afraid. This is your father.”
“I’m sorry.” Kai’s voice broke. His lower lip trembled. He blinked and tears plunged down his cheeks. Maybe his father could forgive him somehow.
Conner stood and draped his arms around Kai’s shoulders. “It’s not your fault.”
The white noise broke. “Two spirit.”
Kai widened his eyes. “Oh, my God.” He pushed away from Conner and stared at the device. Was his father trying to tell him he knows about him being gay? Was he saying he has two spirits?
“What? Is he saying there are two spirits in this house?” Conner peered at Kai.
“Two spirit is a native term for people who have two spirits, male and female. It’s sort of a term for gay people. There’s more to it than that, but I guess that’s the best explanation I have right now.” He took deep breaths. How was Conner going to react to this?
Conner dropped his mouth open. “Seriously? Is he acknowledging your sexuality?”
“I-I don’t know.” He focused on the spirit box. What should he say? Ask a question? Tell him something? What?
“Love you,” the voice said.
His breath caught and pain shook through his chest. In a strangled voice, he said, “I love you, too, Shizhé’é.” My father loves me, even though I’m gay. Even though I forgot the insulin. A sob erupted from his throat and he fell to the tile floor, lying over tucked legs, his forehead on his wrapped forearms. A well of grief rose up inside him. He wept, his shoulders shaking, sobs breaking free.
Conner shut the spirit box off, skidded the dinette chair across the floor and knelt beside him, holding him as best he could, shushing him. “It’s okay, Kai. I’m here. ”
He took deep, ragged breaths, struggling to calm himself. God, he was a baby. “I’m sorry, Conner.”
“For what?” Conner kissed his head.
“For being such a pussy.” Kai clenched his jaw, willing the emotions to subside. He had to settle down.
“Jesus, you’re not a pussy.” Conner lifted him up to sitting and embraced him, kissing his cheek. “Shit, I’d break down, too, if this happened to me. In fact, I lose my shit for a lot less.”
Kai sniffled and looked at him with wet eyes. “Really?”
Conner shrugged and placed his hands on Kai’s cheeks. “Yeah.” He wiped the tears from his cheeks with his thumbs. “I almost lost it last night when I thought you didn’t like me.” He let a faint grin creep over his lips.
“Really.” Kai looked him over. Maybe Conner was a pussy. He smirked and released a soft chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” Conner’s gaze darted over his face.
“Nothing.”
Bryce burst through the carport door. “Kai, are you all right?”
He flung himself backward, landing on his hands. “Fuck, Bryce. Way to scare the shit out of me.” He sniffed.
As Conner rose to his feet, he searched behind Bryce. “Where are Brent and Eric?”
Bryce pointed behind him. “They’re getting stuff out of the Tahoe.” He took Kai in. “Were you crying?”
“Shut up.” Kai stood up and wiped himself off. Bryce certainly didn’t need to know what happened. “Why did you come in like that? Ever think of knocking?”
“It’s my house. Plus, I was worried about you. Did you talk to your father?” Bryce glanced at the equipment sitting on the dinette.
“I think I did.” Kai sighed and raked a hand through his long bangs.
“So, what happened?” Bryce glanced at Conner, then focused on Kai .
“We think Kai’s father came through the spirit box and gave him some closure.” Conner placed his hand on Kai’s shoulder.
Bryce swallowed and grabbed Kai’s hand. “I’m sorry, man. I know how hard that must have been for you.”
Conner scowled and pulled Kai’s hand out of Bryce’s. “He’s okay now. We dealt with it.”
Kai gazed at Conner. Damn, he does not like Bryce touching me. He smirked. He sort of liked it.
Brent and Eric strolled through the carport door with bags of takeout. Brent held up a bag. “Dinner is served.”
Conner rubbed his hands together. “Good, I’m starved.”
Eric set a bag of food down on the dinette. “So, fill us in while we eat and then you guys can take off while we finish up.”
“Sure. You’re going to sage the place, right?” Conner opened a bag and pulled out a wrapped hamburger.
“Yes, we’ll start there and see how things go.” Eric focused on Bryce. “Will you be staying here tonight?”
Bryce looked at Conner. “I think I’ll stay at Conner’s another night. I’d like to see what the cameras pick up after all this.”
Conner nodded. “Sure.”