CHAPTER TEN
The silence at the dinner table was so unnatural, so deafening, no one wanted to break it for fear of what might be said next. The way Rose told the story, the graphic detail of what the poor victims endured, was nearly too much even for the battle-hardened warriors.
“That story has come down for generations to my family and some, through the ghosts themselves,” she said proudly. “There was always one woman who could see and hear the spirits in my family. Only one. I am the one in my generation.”
“So, is this guy, John O’Shan, does he think he’s some sort of Dracula or something that he could achieve eternal life?” asked Rory.
“I’m not sure if that’s it. Dracula wasn’t talked about back then.
We spoke of fairies and selkies, other magical things but I never heard of Dracula being spoken of.
But. His thoughts seem to lend themselves to the idea that if he could find someone, the right one, they would provide eternal life for him,” said Rose.
“I can’t believe you’ve kept this secret all these years,” said Conor admiring the woman.
“People think you’re daft if you speak of ghosties, Conor Laughlin,” she smiled.
“I suppose they do,” he nodded.
“Rose, how do we stop him from doing this? Obviously, he’s got something special about him that he’s been able to kill all these living people when he is dead,” said Julia.
“It’s been a mystery to me all these years, too, lass. I think his anger and hate is so powerful, he’s able to lure these people to the castle or find them and kill them. Since he never allowed any to live that we’re aware of, it stands to reason that he believed killing them gave him more power.”
“Forgive me, Rose,” said Chief. “We’re all former military men. Men of reason and certainty. Yes, we’ve encountered things we cannot understand or explain. But killing people to give you more power? How does that make sense?”
“And yet he’s done it,” she said flatly. “He’s selected his kill, endured, haunted, stalked, and murdered hundreds of victims over the centuries. Have you ever heard of the Mackenzie Poltergeist?”
Everyone shook their heads. Everyone except Julia who sat back and stared at the woman, wondering where she was going with this.
“In Greyfriars Kirkyard, or cemetery, in Edinburgh, there is a violent ghost, Mackenzie Poltergeist. It is associated with the mausoleum of Sir George Mackenzie, better known as Bloody Mackenzie. Since the late 1990s, hundreds of visitors on ghost tours have reported unexplained attacks, including sudden scratches, bruises, cuts, and fainting spells. No rhyme. No reason.”
“Who was this man?” asked Liffey.
“He was born in 1636 and was a prominent Lord Advocate who earned his dark nickname by ruthlessly prosecuting and torturing the Covenanters, those that vowed to protect the Scottish Presbyterian Church. Sound somewhat familiar?” The others stared at Rose, giving a slight nod.
“He is responsible for the imprisonment of thousands of Covenanters in the Covenanters' Prison, a section of Greyfriars Kirkyard where prisoners were starved and subjected to inhumane conditions.”
“Jesus, and they call us brutal,” frowned Rory.
“Don’t make me tell stories of your history,” said Rose with a glint in her eyes.
“The terrifying modern reputation of the site began in 1998, after a homeless man allegedly broke into Mackenzie's mausoleum.
He accidentally fell through a rotted floorboard into a dark, hidden vault.
After he was able to escape the tomb, the graveyard's paranormal activity reportedly exploded.
Visitors frequently claimed to be attacked by an unseen force, especially near the black mausoleum and the adjacent prison area.
“These attacks and experiences attributed to the poltergeist are notoriously physical and aggressive.
The most commonly documented encounters include things like unexplained scratches, cuts, and bite marks appearing on visitors' bodies.
Others reported sudden, intense drops in temperature.
Some visitors experienced fainting, collapsing, or feeling suddenly and inexplicably ill or there were unexplained foul odors.
Many even reported that their electronic equipment—such as cameras and watches—mysteriously failed.
“That portion of the kirk is no longer open to the public and the tomb has been sealed once again. But how do you explain those things? Mackenzie was such a vile, horrible, evil man his spirit still maintains so much energy that he is capable of harming living people more than three-hundred years after his own death.”
“Alright,” nodded Joseph, “what do we do? How do we stop this man? There has to be something we can do to ensure that his spirit, evil or not, is no longer on this earth and causing harm to others.”
“If I knew that, I’d have done it,” she said shaking her head. “Short of giving him what he wants, I don’t know what to offer the man.”
“We can’t give him what he wants. It doesn’t exist, or I don’t think it does,” said Joseph. “We have to find out what made him think this was real. That there was someone out there that could make him live for all eternity.”
“Did he have great wealth?” asked Julia.
“I believe so,” nodded Rose. “You saw the ruins. Imagine what it must have looked like at it’s prime.
There are paintings and drawings of it. It was incredibly impressive.
Just the fact that he had hundreds of men at his disposal to hunt these people, to find new ones when he ran out of victims, was impressive.
“He owned ships that sailed all over Europe trading goods and carrying dignitaries and regular passengers, even carrying British troops when necessary.”
“That must have made him unpopular to the masses,” frowned Rory. He looked at Conor. “What about your ancestors? Did they have any encounters with this man?”
“It’s a great question,” he frowned. “We’ve got hundreds of books in the library of guests who were here, things that were traded, land bought, that sort of thing.”
“Do you know which ones?” asked Liffey.
“In that Michael was right,” he frowned. “I don’t like to read, especially my own family history. Some of it shames me.”
“Gotta face that shit, brother,” smirked Rory. “You’ve done enough good that it should outweigh the bad.”
“We need to find the books that are from that period of time,” said Julia. “Rose? Would you be willing to help me look through them? I know you’re probably incredibly busy, but do you mind?”
“I’m not busy at’tall,” she said smiling at the younger woman.
Although, she wondered if she wasn’t the same age as her.
There was something very mature about her but her face and body said she was in her thirties.
“I’d be happy to help if it’s alright with Conor.
” She blushed looking at Conor and he blushed back.
“O’course. I mean, of course,” he said clearing his throat. “Let’s put this business aside for now and enjoy this amazing meal. We’ll speak more after dinner.”
Julia gave a sly grin to Joseph who only shook his head, knowing exactly what his beautiful wife had just done.