Dead Village

by Holly Copella

  “I was so worried about you,” Felicia said with sincerity to the dead woman. “I thought you were actually dead. Thank God that wasn’t the case.” She giggled in a chilling manner. “I’m feeling pretty stupid about that now.”

  Devon glanced at the ghost of the dead woman, who just stared at Felicia with a bewildered look. Even the dead woman’s ghost thought Felicia was acting strange. The feeling Devon was getting from Felicia conveyed her confused state of mind. She was in denial that those within the dining room were dead, and she had no fear of her current situation. Devon was so engrossed with what she was witnessing; she hadn’t even noticed a few of the ghosts moving closer to her. She finally became aware of what was happening as the remaining ghosts collected around her. It was a new first for her and not in a good way. She insecurely rubbed her chilled arms while staring at the ghosts surrounding her. They stared at her with puzzled looks and seemed to be waiting for her to answer their silent questions. She wasn’t sure what she could say to them, although she wasn’t about to speak to them in front of Ravin. She needed to keep him as grounded as possible right now.

  “I’m a little disturbed by this,” Ravin said softly.

  “Yes, it’s disturbing on many levels,” Devon replied while looking at the ghosts surrounding her. She shifted her attention away from the ghosts and onto Felicia seated at the table with the dead woman. “Felicia?” Devon gently said. She didn’t acknowledge Devon. “Felicia--”

  Felicia suddenly glared at Devon with irritation and possible hostility. “Can’t you see I’m talking to my friend,” she snarled. “Go away!”

  Devon was surprised by the sudden outburst. Whatever drugs were coursing through Felicia’s veins had taken her to a whole other level. There would be no reasoning with her as long as she was in her current frame of mind.

  Ravin gently took Devon by the arm. “We should probably do as she says,” he announced softly. “She can be a little unstable at times.”

  “I’m not about to argue that,” Devon replied.

  She knew his comment to be true just by what she was feeling from Felicia. At the moment, she was contented just to talk to her dead friend, but her aggressiveness was lurking just beyond the surface. It wouldn’t take much for her to react violently. Ravin guided her from the dining room.

  “I caught her and Cody going at it in the kitchen last evening before you and your friends arrived,” he informed Devon. “She’d been climbing all over him that entire afternoon. Quite the spectacle, I’ll tell you.”

  Devon eyed him with surprise. He didn’t even seem aware of his own public sexual exploits with Gemma.

  “I attempted to sneak away unnoticed when I heard a crash,” he announced. “When I looked back, she was beating the hell out of him. There they were, both naked, her chasing him around the kitchen like a woman scorned.” He shook his head. “Like nothing I’d ever seen before.”

  “Maybe she thought he turned into a zombie,” Devon teased and immediately scolded herself for making light of the incident.

  Ravin stopped her in the dining room doorway, turned to face her, and stared with a serious look on his face. “You know, the exact same thing happened with Gemma.”

  Devon smiled gently and pulled Ravin from the dining room.

  Chapter Twenty

  Vander, Ravin, Monica, and Devon followed the overly anxious Harris onto the third floor balcony where Dino and Cody stood while casually leaning against the railing. Despite the beautiful, warm day, the two men didn’t appear pleased with what they had seen.

  “You’re not going to like this,” Harris announced as he herded the others toward the balcony railing.

  All five approached the brothers and scanned the surrounding resort grounds in an attempt to see what had everyone looking bothered. Dino handed Vander a pair of binoculars with the disgust evident on his face and pointed across the countryside toward the remains of the old church.

  “Out by the old church,” Dino said.

  Vander looked through the binoculars. The saddled, black horse grazed among the cemetery headstones just beyond what was left of the church ruins. There was blood on the saddle, indicating something unforeseen had happened to its rider. Darlene was nowhere to be found. There was no telling how long the horse had been roaming free, but it was obvious Darlene had met her fate somewhere on the other side of town. Undoubtedly, she was ambushed not long after Vander and Tyson had left her. Vander frowned and furiously returned the binoculars to Dino. Cody was quick to accept them on his behalf.

  “Son-of-a-bitch!” Vander proclaimed and slammed his hand on the railing. “I knew I shouldn’t have let her go! I knew it was a bad idea, but I let her talk me into it!”

  Dino’s mood matched Vander’s mood as he glared at him. “I told you not to leave the hotel,” Dino growled lowly. “You knew others who had tried never made it. Maybe if you’d listened to me in the first place, Darlene wouldn’t be dead.”

  Vander glared at Dino and showed his hostility to the comment. “Your big plan is to sit around and let some psycho killer pick us off one by one. How’s that working out for you?”

  Dino turned to face Vander with an unpredictable look of hostility in his eyes. Vander immediately straightened defensively. The standoff was chilling.

  “I cared about that woman,” Dino launched back.

  “Then maybe you should have stopped her,” Vander snapped.

  Devon felt her entire body twitch. Someone had to stop their argument from turning into a fistfight, because the outcome would be disastrous. She could just imagine someone flying over the railing to their death on the patio several stories below.

  “You want to do this, Agent Hawk?” Dino suddenly lashed out. “We’ll do this!”

  Monica suddenly stepped between them and held a hand to both their chests. Devon felt the horror sweep through her. She wasn’t sure if Monica was good enough to take on Dino, who was roughly the size of a tank.

  “If you boys want to settle something, I’ll be more than happy to settle it for you,” Monica announced with a hostile look in her eyes. “Now stand down.”

  Dino snorted a laugh and looked at Monica with obvious humor. He could undoubtedly crush her like a toothpick. “Give it your best shot--”

  Monica suddenly grabbed Dino’s crotch, dropping him to his knees in a split second. She released him as he fell and stared down at him while he clutched himself in agony. “You don’t want to see my best shot,” she informed him gruffly then turned to Vander and raised her brows. “How about you?”

  Vander quickly took a step back while holding his hands over his crotch. “No, I’m good.”

  Monica snatched the binoculars from Cody, stood before the railing, and stared out at the distant cemetery. She seemed oblivious to Dino’s glare as he straightened behind her. There was a good chance he wasn’t about to let that confrontation pass without repercussions. Cody immediately placed his hands on his brother’s shoulders from behind and reined him in. Devon was finally able to breathe again. Ravin’s lack of emotion to any of what happened was concerning to Devon. She didn’t sense anything from him. Was he intentionally blocking her from reading him, or did he really have no emotions to share? She’d wasted enough time trying to figure out the odd, little man and returned her attention to what was important at the moment. Their dire situation.

  “What now?” Devon asked.

  Vander sank into thought while staring across the resort grounds at the distant remains of the old church. He appeared disgusted and shook his head. “I have to go out there, get that horse, and try to make it to the nearest town,” Vander informed them.

  The thought horrified Devon. It didn’t work for Darlene, and she was nearly two miles from the hotel when she almost certainly met her fate. That close to the hotel, Vander would be an easy target for a sniper hiding in the woods.

  “No one has made it out of here,” Cody announced sternly. “We need to wait it out until help comes. The flooded roadways wi
ll be passible soon. A day or two at most. No one else needs to risk their lives.”

  “He’s right, Agent Hawk,” Devon said gently while fighting that odd feeling she couldn’t seem to shake. “You’re more valuable to us alive here than dead out there.”

  Vander glanced at Devon and stared longer than he should have, making her uncomfortable. He seemed in control of his emotions and didn’t send any sexual vibes as he had earlier. Perhaps whatever drugs were coursing through his system had already worn off.

  Vander considered her comment then reluctantly groaned. “Fine, one more day,” he remarked sternly, giving in to the mounting pressure that no one else should leave.

  Ravin glanced at his watch and was surprised by the time. “Oh, it’s one o’clock.”

  Vander glared at him and seemed instantly annoyed. “Have a hot date?” he demanded.

  He looked innocently at Vander. “Gemma and I are taking a bubble bath at one,” Ravin announced then grinned at Vander and Devon while lustfully raising his brows in suggestion. “You two should try it. Very stimulating.”

  Vander glanced at Devon. She caught his look and feared what he was thinking or what thoughts the suggestion might bring. Vander hid his smile and looked away. Devon felt relief throughout her entire body. Agent Hawk was back to his old, strait-laced self. She was glade there wouldn’t be any more awkward encounters like there had been earlier.

  †

  Devon sat at the island counter alongside Vander, who’d remained an absolute saint the last two hours. Despite his return to Mr. FBI, Devon still couldn’t relax around him. She remained tense while drinking a glass of wine. She wished the wine affected her the same as it did most people, but there was no sedating effect for her. It was just fermented grapes. She desperately wanted to feel relaxed. Perhaps she did need a hot bubble bath. She assumed that was the stimulation most people felt when they drank. Since alcohol didn’t affect her, she’d never know. Monica searched the cupboards while wearing a pair of surgical gloves from the infirmary. She’d been busily searching the cupboards for nearly thirty minutes now. The woman was on a mission and enjoyed keeping busy. Devon was convinced Monica would make an excellent detective. Monica removed an old metal can, smelled inside it, and made a face.

  “I found your poison,” Monica announced.

  Vander looked up with surprise. “Really? Excellent. Bag that for me,” he replied.

  Monica placed it in a large, zip lock bag and set it aside. She continued to rummage through the cupboards and removed a strange looking canister. She studied it with a bewildered look.

  “What the hell--?”

  Monica returned to the cupboard and dug deeper into the back. Vander refilled Devon’s wineglass, grinned lustfully, and gently caressed her leg. Devon jumped with surprise. Perhaps he wasn’t back to his old self after all. She removed his hand from her leg. If his plan was to get her drunk, he was in for a surprise. Novak entered the kitchen and eyed Monica’s posterior view as she stretched for the top shelf of the cupboard. Novak grinned, moved behind Monica, and clung to her. Monica rammed her elbow into his abdomen, turned, and backhanded his groin. Novak gasped with surprise and some discomfort. He turned toward Devon and Vander.

  “That’s my girl,” Novak gasped softly.

  “Yeah, she wants you all right,” Vander teased while snickering at his friend’s discomfort.

  Vander caressed Devon’s hand then moved her hand onto his crotch. Devon immediately pulled her hand away with surprise and annoyance.

  “Stop doing that!” she snapped.

  “I’m sorry,” Vander said gently and tensed with embarrassment. “With everything that’s been going on around here, we haven’t had much alone time.”

  Devon and Monica exchanged looks. And so continued their fictitious romance. The drugs couldn’t wear off soon enough for Devon’s comfort. It seemed odd that he was okay for nearly two hours though. Vander stood, moved behind Devon’s chair, and affectionately massaged her shoulders.

  “I can give you a nice, long massage,” Vander suggested while grinning lustfully. “Maybe take our own bubble bath?”

  She tensed and stopped Vander’s hands on her shoulders. Although she actually enjoyed the sound of both the bubble bath and massage, she needed to put a stop to his unwitting behavior before it got out of hand.

  “I really need to talk to Monica, you know, girl talk,” she informed Vander.

  Monica rolled her eyes.

  Vander removed his hands from her shoulders and smiled politely. “We’ll leave you to your girl talk and meet you in the lobby in fifteen minutes.”

  Vander kissed her quickly on the lips, startling her. Her heart skipped a beat in response. Devon stared after him as both men left the kitchen. Was it wrong that she actually enjoyed the kiss? She quickly dismissed all erotic thoughts from her mind. The last thing she needed was to join Vander in his delusions.

  Monica snickered softly and hid her grin. “He’s got a real bad case of the hornies,” she teased.

  “I’m glad you find it amusing,” Devon scoffed and stood with disgust. “What am I supposed to do?”

  “My advice--jump him.”

  She stared at Monica with surprise to her humorless joke. “I’m being serious.”

  “So am I,” Monica replied casually. “Give the poor guy a thrill. I guarantee he’ll roll over and sleep like a baby until the drugs to wear off.”

  “You want me to take advantage of a drugged federal agent?” Devon demanded.

  “The drugs are only magnifying his feelings,” Monica informed her. “You should be thankful everyone is mellow and horny rather than aggressive and violent. It could be a lot worse. We just need to make it until morning, and then they’ll all return to their normal, boring selves.”

  “Well, not that I don’t appreciate your expert advice, but I have no intention on sleeping with him.”

  “Who said anything about sleeping?” Monica teased and grinned lustfully at the thought.

  “Monica--” Devon scolded.

  “You’re no fun,” she quipped.

  Devon glared her disapproval at Monica’s comment then came at her with her own clever comeback. “I don’t see you jumping Novak,” she remarked firmly. “Where’s your sense of fun? Why don’t you take your own advice and give him a thrill?”

  “Novak is a fruit loop jacked up on caffeine with a badge and gun,” Monica grumbled.

  “So what’s the problem?” Devon remarked while smirking. “I’m sure he’d let you handcuff him to the bed.”

  Monica glared at Devon and appeared moderately offended by the bondage crack. “Are you seriously suggesting I’m into handcuffs and tying men to beds?”

  “Well--”

  “That’s completely beside the point!”

  Devon stared at her a moment with surprise then laughed softly. Monica snorted then laughed with her. There was nothing about her newly found friend that would surprise Devon. She’d never met a woman quite like Monica. She certainly wished she had some of her spirit. Unfortunately, the only spirit Devon had were those floating around and bringing chaos into her life. Ravin entered the kitchen from the backstairs and approached the refrigerator without interrupting their conversation. He removed a bottle of water and leaned on the counter at the far end.

  Monica studied him a moment in silence then grinned lustfully. “How was your bubble bath?”

  “Sudsy,” Ravin casually replied.

  Monica leaned across the counter closer to Devon. She muttered softly, “Twenty bucks says that’s his actual personality. High IQ, low self-esteem, and scary calm. He’s so tight; he won’t even allow himself to trip.”

  Devon hid her smile then glanced at Ravin. She was still getting nothing from him. It had to be the drugs that kept his emotions from her. “Ravin?” she said while studying him.

  He looked innocently at her. “Hmm?”

  “How are you feeling?” she asked gently.

  “Pretty good. I just go
t laid,” he casually replied and sipped his water.

  Devon hid her embarrassed smile and glanced at Monica, who bit her lip to keep from laughing. Monica was enjoying herself a little too much at the expense of those seemingly flying high on ecstasy. For one fleeting moment, Devon wondered what behavior Monica would display had she been exposed to the same drugs. On second thought, she didn’t want to know.

  Monica grinned at Devon. “Another twenty says he’s never said those words to a woman before in his life.”

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Devon, Monica, and Ravin walked along the grand hallway toward the lobby to meet with Novak and Vander. It was getting late, so Ravin offered Monica a room. After mercilessly torturing Devon for several minutes, Monica finally agreed to let her stay in her room. Vander couldn’t object, since he was the one who insisted that no one stay alone in a room. She knew she couldn’t stay in the same room with Vander and Novak in their hormone-induced condition, and spending some time alone with Monica sounded good to Devon. She was an interesting woman and her vibes all indicated she had little to hide emotionally or otherwise. She was the big sister Devon always wanted. Screams were heard coming from the game room, startling all three. Vander, Novak, and Tyson appeared from the lobby, apparently alerted by the screaming as well. All six ran into the game room.

  Sonya sat on the floor against the wall in only her undergarments. She appeared frightened while attempting to conceal her partially naked body. Harris was frantically zipping his pants as Tyson approached. Her brother’s look was wildly unpredictable as he stopped before Harris.

  “What did you do to my sister?” Tyson demanded in a threatening tone.

  “Nothing, I swear,” Harris proclaimed while appearing flustered. “We were just fooling around!”