Chapter 9
Later that evening, after retreating to the ranch, I caught Booker at the dining room table with a map, marker, and his laptop.
I could recognize data crunching when I saw it, so I grabbed the water I’d planned to, along with two cookies, and slung myself into a chair nearby. “Tell me something good, man.”
“I’m still sifting through data,” he admitted, barely glancing up.
“What the sheriff gave me is a lot, and it stretches over the past ten years, basically. Some of it’s witness statements, some video footage from things like nanny cams, but there’s also recordings and reports from ghost hunting groups who have come through. ”
“Huh. Anything of interest?”
“I now fully understand why they’ve labeled certain buildings as hot spots. Some of these locations—like the theater—have a list of victims longer than my arm. Some of this I believe is more a residual haunt, which makes sense given the location.”
This much limestone would practically guarantee it. “So, if we sage a lot of buildings…?”
“It’ll take more than sage, but yes, if we clear the buildings of the residual energy, I think it would wipe out a lot of these phantom noises and sights. And I think we’ll need to, honestly, otherwise people won’t believe we actually did clear the town of ghosts.”
“I wouldn’t blame them, either, if they’re still having experiences. How much of the remaining activity is due to the ghost gang, do you think?”
“It’s almost impossible to guess. I suspect the more alarming incidents are due to them just because it takes a lot of spectral strength to pull off anything large, more than a singular ghost should be able to manage.
” Booker took his glasses off, pinching his eyes closed like he needed to give them a break.
“I reached out via some online forums to other ghost hunting groups, reporting the gang activity here, hoping someone else might have seen something similar. So far, though, all comments were requests for more information. No one’s seen the likes of this before. ”
“I wonder if joining a ghost gang felt natural to them?” It was a random thought, and I wasn’t sure how much stock I put into it. “They were part of a union in life, so maybe they feel more at ease sticking together?”
“Huh. Maybe it is that simple?” Booker frowned, then typed in a note.
“I like the theory. Although, I have no idea what we’ll do to prove it one way or another.
I also suspect the ringleader is using their actions to build his own power.
If he’s siphoning power from them, using it to twist his own soul into something darker, it could explain why he’s reached this almost-demonic level in such a short time frame. ”
“Uh…begging the question, how long does it normally take for a ghost to go demon?”
“Well, longer than a hundred years, unless the soul was a serial killer or something similar in life.”
“Ah. Huh.” I filed that away for later. “I get the feeling we’re going to have answers after the case is over, once we have all the pieces.”
“I suspect you’re right. I’m definitely missing about half the puzzle right now.
I naturally have much less information on Miner’s Creek, since there’s no one living up there and no cameras.
” Booker lifted his shoulders in an elaborate shrug.
“Very disturbing, though, what the ghost said about no ghosts returning from there. Makes me wonder what’s going on. ”
Eli shuffled through, heading right into the kitchen. She got herself a glass of milk, two cookies, and then started the shuffle back. I meant shuffle, too; I heard her slippers making shu-shu noises.
Booker observed her. “Okay there?”
She turned to look at him. As badass as she’d been earlier, she was a very different creature now.
Makeup off, hair in a crazy bun, dressed in the largest nightgown known to man that dwarfed her.
Incredibly appropriately, there was a depleted battery symbol on the nightgown.
Eli was at two percent battery at this point.
“I have been in the big world today,” she informed her husband. “And now I need a small space.”
“Got it. Go enjoy your cookies.” Booker was totally laughing internally.
Eli inclined her head to him regally, like a queen dismissing him, and then she continued her shuffle.
When she disappeared into the hallway, I said, “It’s disturbing to me how that brief fight wiped her out so badly.”
“I don’t like it either. And it wasn’t like she was going crazy, throwing around power.
She fought like she normally does, but it’s taking more juice to actually do the job.
” Booker shoved up his glasses to press fingers to both eyes again.
“I am not spiraling, but I do feel like an almost cooked rotisserie chicken.”
“Same, man, same. This case keeps amping up the crazy. In unexpected ways, too.”
“It’ll pass, but I want an ETA.”
We both sighed. Yeah, even trying to guess how long this place would take to clear was truly difficult. We were still trying to get the parameters down for how bad the problem was.
I finished my cookie. “You want another set of eyeballs on it?”
“Later, yeah. I think Eli has the right idea. Let’s call it a night.”
“Sounds good to me.”
We went to bed with a general feeling of grim determination. We had a job to do, and we’d do it, but I didn’t think anyone looked forward to it.
The ranch at least had this outdoor covered patio with gym equipment. I went there for a workout early in the morning, showered, then was back in the kitchen with my mom on speaker while I mixed up some quiche. Between me and Quinn, we ate a lot, so I made up two batches.
Plus bacon. Because bacon.
Mom heard me out and sounded mad as hell—she swore in Tongan for a good minute and a half. “Do you mean they watched their poor child get hurt, seriously hurt, and still didn’t believe her? Even if she was hallucinating, you don’t ignore that, you take her to get checked out!”
“That’s the part bothering me. If you really thought your child was hallucinating, then shouldn’t a hospital be the next stop?
I know the doctors would have tested for psychic ability too, because they have to rule that out, and she would have been in safer hands after all the testing.
I honestly suspect her parents knew deep down that she told them the truth, but neither of them wanted to believe in ghosts.
It was easier to make her out as this klutzy, lying kid. ”
“I’m outraged on Gwyn’s behalf. But you keep her permanently?”
“I keep her until she’s trained and has an anchor.” I corrected my mother, amused by her assumption. “Which is, like, four or five years.”
“When do you bring her home, then? End of the case?”
“Basically, yeah.”
“Is your spare room set up for her?”
“No, it’s why I’m calling. There’s no furniture in there. I can order things to be delivered, but can you let the furniture people in and make sure the bed is at least made by the time we fly home again?”
“Of course, just give me the dates.”
“Thank you.” My mother fucking rocked. She’d always been super supportive of whatever I did, but moments like these, when I couldn’t be in two places at once? I really appreciated her.
“So, what are you and the team going to do now?”
“Pray? I don’t know a better answer to give you.
We’re still determined to map out the area, come up with a plan of how to divvy it out.
Lachlan said something about hitting the ghost town today no matter what.
I’d rather get that over with, honestly.
It feels like a dark cloud hanging over my head.
We don’t actually know the situation over there, and there’s little data about the area, so getting eyes on it and figuring out the parameters is a must.”
“You never liked putting anything off, even as a kid. You’d rather get it over with.”
“Let’s just say, the sooner Black Rock is in my rearview mirror, the better.”
“How many ghosts have you passed on so far? You said you had to clear out two places already.”
“I think it’s almost fifty?”
“Fifty is a lot!”
“I know. Mack normally does, like, six in a case. I think this will be comparable to our time in Scotland. It has that same kind of volume, with too many ghosts and not enough of us.”
“That’s really not good. You were both exhausted after Scotland, and didn’t Mack collapse?”
“Yeah. God help me, if he collapses again, I’m bundling him into the SUV and leaving. I know sometimes he pushes himself to the limit for a case, but I can’t let him drive himself into the ground again. My heart can’t take it, for one.”
It was mean to friends to abandon them, if it came down to us leaving, but I had to prioritize Mack. I just had to.
“I don’t think it’ll come to that. You don’t have a monster chasing after you this time.”
“Good point.” Although, arguably worse, we did have an almost-demon to take down. “Anyway, I need to hop off and finish making breakfast. People are stirring.”
“Keep me in the loop. Also, make sure you get Gwyn’s bedroom furniture ordered today, before madness hits and you forget.”
She made a good point. I’d hand Gwyn the shopping job. She could pick something out online, and I could have it delivered from here. It wasn’t like we had to go into an actual store.
“I promise to get it done today.”
“Good. Give Mack a hug for me. Tell Gwyn we can’t wait to meet her.”
“Will do. Bye, Mom.”
I popped both quiches in the oven, letting them bake, and people showed up for coffee and bacon while they waited on actual breakfast. Gwyn was more alert than most of us and was happy to sit in front of my laptop and look through furniture sets for her new room.
Eventually, we got out the door and up to the abandoned mining town.
We took three vehicles, and it was a good ten-minute drive over a very rough dirt road.
I saw no signs anyone had been up here recently, so this place was truly abandoned.
There was nothing here, not even tire marks or litter.
It had the appearance of a movie set, honestly, with the greyed and weathered clapboard siding, sagging porches, and air of pure neglect.
Even saw a few tumbleweeds going past us.
Place looked spooky as hell.
Looks weren’t deceiving in this case.
Mack groaned as he panned the scene from the front seat. “Ma moitié. We’re…fucked.”
I blew out a breath. “How badly fucked? Like, this will take days to go through kind of fucked? Or we might, feasibly, be done by tonight?”
“We’re looking at a week. Solid. Just passing ghosts.”
Gwyn leaned between the front seats and she sounded beyond nervous. “There are so many ghosts. It’s almost like the town never died. They’re all over the place, moving about like they’re still living and shopping or something.”
Ouch, that active? I thought of a whole new concern. “How solid do they look to you? Can you tell they’re ghosts?”
“Um.” Gwyn sounded sheepish as she admitted, “If not for the fact they’re in period dress, I wouldn’t be able to tell.”
Fuuuuck.
“They’re taking even me a second.” Mack groaned, head in his hands. “I think any Medium not anchored would be hard pressed to tell. They’re very, very solid. Mon trésor, I hope you packed snacks.”
“I packed a whole picnic basket.”
“Good. We may be living up here for the next week.”
Up here, for a full week, with a Medium who’d barely had any training? While surrounded by mines going down for miles?
We were definitely fucked.