Chapter Five. #2
“Call Angela. There’s no doubt that either Chauncey or Gloria did this. I bet they did something that set this energy ghoul off. Then I reckon they expected Angela would call them back and ask them to solve it. In other words, they were convinced they could manage this,” Sunny remarked.
“Ain’t arguing. It’s three a.m. and way too early to call Angela. We gotta examine these rooms carefully for anything unusual,” I remarked.
“Already did, but maybe teams should swap around? Someone might spot something that others missed,” Reaver suggested. I nodded; that made sense.
Damn, we had a lead after all.
“What happens when we find the trigger? You said thirteen priests died destroying one,” Suga inquired.
“That one was huge. This is just the beginning, its strong but still gaining power. We should be able to handle it,” Michelle replied.
“Michelle, no offence, I don’t like ‘should’. Let’s try to make that a definite,” I replied.
“There are things we can do, Haunt, to strengthen and protect us. We’re not na?ve. Lucky, let’s get our heads together and check the stock levels. We’re going to need to bulk up on protection charms, salt and holy water,” Michelle said to Lucky, who nodded.
“I’ll stay with Callie,” Sunny said as Michelle and Lucky wandered off.
I began to split the teams, but a large scream burst through the Inn, followed by several wails and then a loud screech.
“No! I will not allow…”
We leapt to our feet and headed in the direction of the larger dining room. As we entered, a table was knocked over as if someone rushed past it. Further tables had been disturbed, and a woman shrieked.
“No! I said no! This is mine,” she cried.
Though no one was visible, a fight likely occurred here.
“What’s going on?” Suga demanded with a frown.
“Help me!” the woman called.
“It’s the maid, and the ghoul is draining her energy,” Callie gasped. We couldn’t see her to help.
Michelle brandished a cross and began reciting prayers, but the woman’s voice became fainter than her cries. Lucky, Callie and Ghoul joined in as my club followed suit, but the maid’s voice faded.
A low, dark chuckle ran around the dining room. “Can’t stop me.”
I flinched at the evilness in his voice.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
“Weak fool,” the ghoul retorted.
“Yeah, whatever. Are you Jeremiah?” I asked.
“Don’t control. Mine. Leave.”
I frowned. Was it telling me we didn’t control it, that this place was his, and that he wanted us to leave?
“Yeah, not happening, pal. Can’t say we’re scared of you,” I retorted.
“You. Will. Be.”
The lights flashed, making us jump, and then the Inn plunged into darkness. A woman screamed.
“Callie!” Sunny roared.
“That wasn’t me!” she called back.
“Michelle!” Jack snapped.
“I’m fine.”
The scream echoed, and a loud slam came from somewhere in the Inn.
“Murder most foul.” A voice whispered, and a chill ran down my spine. Jeremiah was amping up and giving us a display.
“Shouldn’t he burn through his energy manifesting like this?” Trunk murmured.
“Usually, yes. But Jeremiah feeds on our energy now. The fear and shock we’re experiencing is replacing what he’s using,” Callie murmured.
“Fuck!” I exclaimed.
“How do we get rid of him?” Dive demanded.
“I need to figure that out,” Michelle replied. The lights flickered and then came back on.
“Warned,” Jeremiah said.
“Yeah, one we’re going to ignore, thanks,” Reaver called out.
“Jeremiah, if you wish to talk, we can listen,” Lucky called.
A dark hollow laughed echoed, and then everything fell silent.
“The command room,” I ordered, and every trouped back to the main lounge where we’d set up.
“I’m going to ward the room,” Michelle said before I could speak.
We watched as Michelle ran salt around the outskirts of the room and over the window ledge and door frame. Not a bad idea. Ghosts can walk through walls. It wasn’t hard for them. Jeremiah could enter and listen freely. This way, we blocked him.
“Anyone want to start?” I asked.
“We need to find the trigger. He’s gaining strength too quickly to have been triggered by just Gloria seeing him. They brought something here that is his,” Callie said, and I nodded.
“Agreed, but nobody’s found anything that stands out,” Sunny stated.
“We need to do that second search now,” I agreed.
Quickly, I split everyone up. Michelle and Lucky headed to check stock levels and note what they needed.
Sunny stayed with Callie and me as we kept researching while the others checked the room by five a.m. We’d found nothing, and, calling it an early night, we hit the sack.
Reaver
Because we’d gone to bed early, we rose earlier than usual. Haunt was downstairs when I arrived, hair still wet from a shower.
“What’s up?” I asked, heading for the coffee urn.
“Lucky and Michelle have left and are collecting provisions. They placed a huge order last night. Callie and Sunny headed into town for errands, while Angela makes her way over,” I stated.
“You alone down here?” I asked, concerned. With this creature amping up, nobody should be alone.
“Dive and Trunk went to fetch snacks.”
I rolled my eyes at Haunt. “Typical. When are you going to realise that you’re just as important as the rest of us? You shouldn’t have been alone without someone watching your back.”
“You’re here,” Haunt stated, and I sighed. He’d no sense of self-preservation.
“Stop being an asshole,” I replied.
“Then stop being overprotective.”
Bemused, I shook my head as I poured my coffee and handed a second to Haunt.
Silently, we waited for the others and Angela to appear.
Her staff had been in today to clean the Inn, but they’d worked in pairs.
Unfortunately, an aura of fear emanated from them, which worked against them.
That would feed Jeremiah, and I’m sure he was lapping it up.
Haunt sat staring out of the window, clearly chewing things over, and I left him to it. I knew better than to disturb him.
Haunt
One by one, the team rolled in, and an hour later, Michelle and Lucky arrived back, each carrying a box.
“There’s more in the car if you can get it,” Lucky said as he placed the box down at the end of the room.
Ghoul, Suga and Gizmo ventured out for it, and Coffee came in with Angela. She looked better than when I’d last seen her, but she was pale and slightly shaking.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“A little scared. This is my home, and it’s a terrible thing to be frightened of it,” she replied.
“I understand that, and we believe we’ve got a lead. We’ll wait for everyone to come back, but things have escalated here, Angela. It’s a good job you called us when you did,” I replied.
“How bad is it, Haunt?” Angela murmured, looking like she didn’t want the truth.
“Bad. And worsening, but we think we might have something, a lead we believe may give us answers. Callie and Sunny are here.” I nodded as they walked through the door.
“Hey,” Callie said with a warm smile at Angela. “We have something. You may wish to hear this news before others.
“Let’s explain to Angela what’s going on, and then you can give us what you found.
” Everyone nodded, and Callie waved at me to begin.
“Jeremiah Bellowes was one of the Hawkhurst smugglers. He ran with them for about ten years before he disappeared. There were rumours he’d been murdered, but the body was never found.
Many witnesses were questioned, including Thomas Kingsmill, who was rumoured to have killed him. ”
“Okay,” Angela nodded.
“We believe Jeremiah was so shocked at his murder, he crossed over weak and was ignored by the living and the dead. Something triggered Jeremiah to become stronger. Once he got that initial burst of energy, Jeremiah kept growing until we’re where we are today.”
Callie nodded. “Sunny and I went into the archives.
We discovered Bellowes had a family which still lives in Rye today.
Sunny and I took a ride to visit them. They had a load of information.
Jeremiah was well known to his family as a rogue and was indeed one of the smugglers.
But where the Hawkhurst gang operated out of the Oak and Ivy pub in Hawkhurst, Jeremiah was recruited to work the Mermaid Inn.
“They operated here for fourteen years before being arrested. For six of those years, contrary to belief, Jeremiah ran the Mermaid Inn part under Thomas Kingsmill. But Jeremiah got greedy, and Thomas suspected he was skimming. He set up a trap, and Jeremiah tripped it. The family is convinced that Thomas killed Jeremiah for revenge. They’ve no idea where he’s buried.
All they know is Kingsmill delivered a locked trunk to them and told them never to open it, as it was cursed.
The family still holds superstitions regarding it and kept it shut. ” Callie broke off.
Maintaining eye contact, I sensed the hammer was about to fall.