Natassia moved close to the body. "Okay, give me a little room here."
Ben grabbed her arm. "You want to attempt to read her now? You must be exhausted. It's been a long day. Why not wait until tomorrow?"
She shook her head. "The sooner we catch this bastard, the better. Don't worry. I can do this."
She sat cross-legged on the ground and reached out to stroke the dead woman's hand. Closing her eyes, she thought about the woman she was touching, how the victim had once been filled with life. Now, the woman's hand was limp…cold…lifeless.
She felt her own body grow lighter, as if dissolving into miniscule particles. In her mind's eye, she saw those particles invade the woman's body, melding with her.
Seconds later, Natassia was inside the woman's mind.
It was dark. So dark. And bitterly cold.
Natassia tried to move, but her body—the woman's body—was frozen in place. She let her mind drift, hoping to grasp a memory.
"Help me," whispered another voice in her head.
"I'm here," Natassia said. "Tell me. Show me."
Flickers of images bombarded her, as though someone were rapidly changing channels on a television. The gate to Sanctuary. Father Jeremiah. The inside of a cabin. The forest under a moonlit night. A shadowy figure hiding in the forest.
Suddenly she was running, breathless and afraid.
"What are we running from?" she asked.
A shot boomed, and a puff of air brushed her face.
"Run!"
Natassia, seeing everything through the woman's eyes, felt her heart pounding as she raced past trees and shrubs, branches mercilessly scraping and drawing blood along her arms and legs.
When another shot rang out, she ducked behind an uprooted tree. She made herself as small as possible and tried to calm her breathing. She was about to peek over the tree trunk when she heard the snapping of twigs.
"He's coming for me!" she whispered. "Hurry!"
But which way?
A sharp crackle made her whip around. "No. Please!"
Another shot.
Searing heat pierced her ribs, and she fell to the ground. She lay there, looking up at the moon as it peered between the cedars. A star winked nearby, and she reached out to touch it.
This was what it felt like to die.
She thought of Paige and tried to recall her sweet little face. Struggling to keep her eyes open, she took an unsteady breath and coughed up something hot and wet.
A shadow hovered over her, blocking the moon from her view.
"I win," the shadow said. "You lose."
The shadow scooped her up in its arms, and she floated for a while, gazing up at the sky. Was this all a dream? But her dream quickly turned into a nightmare when she was lowered into a gaping hole in the earth and handfuls of moist, pungent soil landed on top of her, scattering clumps across her body and over her face.
"No! I'm still alive!" her mind screamed.
Darkness swept over her, and she heaved a sob. This was it. Her life was over. Then she embraced the peacefulness that was offered.
Time to rest. Sleep…
"Natassia?"
All she wanted to do was float like this. Forever.
"Natassia! Wake up!"
Something soft and cool caressed her cheek. When her eyes snapped open, the first thing Natassia saw was a murky silhouette leaning over her. She jerked back with a shriek, then calmed when the shape stepped back into the light from the flashlights. It was Ben, and he didn't look too happy.
"You all right?"
She nodded, unable to speak. She caught sight of the body in the dirt and shivered. She moved a few feet away and sat on a tree stump.
Ben handed her a thermos mug of coffee. "Don't say anything until you're ready."
She sipped cautiously, trying to assemble the various clues her vision had uncovered. Something niggled at her brain, begging her to remember.
"The victim was killed in the woods," she said. "Exactly like Sheral. And the killer said the same thing. 'I win, you lose.'" She paused, rubbing her forehead. "There was something else…"
"Did you see his face?"
"No." What was she forgetting? She inhaled the night air and replayed the vision. "I was in her thoughts. She mentioned someone. Paige. She was trying to picture Paige's face."
"What do you think?"
Natassia looked up at him. "I think we finally got lucky. All we need to do is find a missing woman who matches the victim's general stats and has a daughter or younger sister named Paige."
With a gloved hand, Ben stroked her face. "You were in deep this time. You have to be more careful."
"I'm doing my job, Ben."
"I know. It's just that I—"
"Worry? Obsess? Look, we've been over this a hundred times. I don't usually have problems separating myself."
"Usually. But it has happened."
"Once in a blue moon." She shrugged. "It's part of the package, and I've learned to accept it as a calculated risk. Otherwise what good would I be to the PSI Division? If I'm not going to use my gift, I may as well be a regular CFBI agent. And you know damned well I'm not transferring."
"Still…we have to work on a better method to get you back."
Standing shakily, she strode over to him and wrapped both arms around his neck. "I can think of one method that would have me out in a jiffy."
"What's that?"
"Kiss me."
Ben laughed. "You think that'll work?"
She tilted her head and gave him a mischievous grin. "Why not test that theory?"
"Natassia, we're not done here. We've got work to do."
She pursed her lips. "All work and no play makes Ben—"
"I know, I know. I'm dull. But these bodies have waited long enough."
"You're right." She released him and moved away. "What next?"
"Now," he said, "it's my turn."
Ben peeled the specially designed black leather gloves from his hands and tucked them in his pockets. She saw his hands tremble as he reached for the corpse, and she knew he already doubted his abilities. Of all their unique psychic gifts, Ben's was the most unpredictable, and she knew this wounded his pride. Would there ever come a day when he could call upon his gift and be rewarded by crystal clear images that made sense?
Minutes ticked by slowly.
Releasing a frustrated breath, Ben straightened. "Nothing."
"Let's try one more." She pointed to a mound several yards away. The thick moss that covered it suggested the body had been dumped months ago.
Ben crammed the flashlights between tree branches and angled the lights down over the mound. Using branches as shovels, they excavated the second grave. The odor was even more noxious than the first body, and Natassia willed herself not to vomit.
"This one's male," she observed. "Ebonic."
The body was in a state of severe decomposition, with most of the coffee-colored flesh obliterated by time and voracious bugs. And like Sheral, the head was missing, a clean slice with no hesitation marks.
"You think this man was killed by the same guy who murdered Sheral?" she asked.
"Similar slice marks," Ben said with a nod. "And two bullet holes in the chest. Everything is identical—except this victim is male."
"Seems our killer doesn't discriminate." She chewed her bottom lip, thinking.
"What's wrong, Natassia?"
"He's been here awhile."
"Yeah, I'd say close maybe four months."
"The corpse is too old." When he stopped digging, she added, "His spirit has long since moved on. I won't get anything from him."
Ben pushed aside a clump of earth. "I found a button." He scooped it up with a leaf and showed it to her. The button was small, plain and black, the kind one would find on a men's dress shirt.
"Think it belongs to the killer?"
"It has to belong to someone involved. It was buried with the body. And the vic is wearing a sweatshirt, so it's likely not his."
/>
Ben picked up the button with a bare hand. As his fingers traced edges, he closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, while Natassia waited, anxious yet hopeful.
Minutes passed without a word from him.
Should she say something, call his name?
Ben blinked and opened his eyes. "I'm afraid I won't be much help, Natassia."
Shit. "What did you see?"
"Six zeroes, an illegible signature and a small black animal."
"The zeroes could be a bank account number or money related."
Ben shrugged.
"And the signature?"
"Could be anyone's," he said with a sigh.
"How big was the animal?"
"Maybe the size of a rat." He shook his head. "But it wasn't a rat. You know how my visions work. They're never exact but symbolic."
"So the question of the day is: how do six zeroes, a signature and a black animal the size of a rat connect to a murder victim buried in the middle of nowhere?"
He dropped the button into a small evidence bag. "I have no answer for that."
"You did great, Ben. We know more about this victim now than we did before."
As the sun said its final farewell and dipped beyond the horizon, Natassia retrieved one of the flashlights, and they spent the next half hour flagging the mounds indicated by the X-Disc. They photographed both bodies and sent the photos to Jasi, Brandon and Matthew.
"We don't have perimeter beacons," Ben said, "so let's cordon off the area with tape for now. Matthew and his team will take it from here. They're coming in by helicopter, so they'll probably be here in less than an hour."
"You're sure Jasi and Brandon are in no danger?"
"They don't fit the killer's profile. Plus our presence here is too high profile."
She continued to inspect the forest floor. "What does your profiler instinct tell you?"
"That we have three definite murder victims, two buried here and one dumped in the incinerator at Sanctuary. And from the look of the X-Disc scan, we're sitting at close to a dozen victims. Two have been decapitated, most likely with the same weapon, which suggests the same killer. He chose this method either out of rage or to hinder an ID. He's intelligent, well organized and can react well under pressure. He always has a backup plan."
"And he's strong enough to drag these bodies deep into the woods."
"I agree. He's physically fit. Probably works out regularly."
"Unless he has another mode of transportation," she said, her flashlight capturing two faint indents in the earth. "Check out what I just found."
Ben made a beeline for her. Crouching, he examined the tire tracks. "The X-Disc didn't pick these up because the rain we had earlier washed most of the tracks away, but the grove of trees here sheltered them." He removed the X-Disc from the backpack. "I'm setting it to do a 3-D scan. That way if it rains tonight, we won't lose the imprints."
"What do you think? Wheelbarrow?"
"No. Four wheels. See? My guess is an all-terrain vehicle."
"An ATV?"
He rubbed his chin. "One of the photos the RCMP took of Sanctuary showed a dilapidated red barn with two ATVs parked outside."
Excitement coursed through Natassia's veins. "If we can match the treads, we'll have enough evidence to shut Sanctuary down while we conduct a thorough investigation. His cult followers won't be happy about that. They believe they're safe from everything evil."
"I'm thinking the last place on earth that any of them will want to be is at Sanctuary."
12
Jasi circulated Sheral's photo to the forty or so cult members in the barn, but only three claimed to have any interaction with Nancy Davison prior to her disappearance—Christiansen, Lazarus and Katie.
Frowning, Jasi studied the room. "Brandon, have you seen Jenny, the other roommate?"
"No. Didn't Cameron say that she was sent to some kind of isolation?"
"Right." She pondered that for a minute. "You'd think she'd be back by now. How long does punishment last? And don't you think it seems strange that no one has even mentioned Jenny?"
"Jenny?"
Katie stood a few feet away, her eyes filled with dread.
"Where's your other roommate?" Jasi demanded.
"Jenny left a few days ago, before Nan."
"Where did she go?"
"You'll have to ask Father Jeremiah. All I know is she broke a commandment and was exiled." The girl chewed her lower lip. "I have no idea where she went after that."
"Did she ever talk about her family?"
"She said her parents disowned her when she was my age. She has a brother and sister though. I think she said they lived in Prince Rupert."
Jasi glanced at Brandon. "Go back to the cabin and contact Ops. Have someone check out the siblings. I'm going to talk to Christiansen."
She spotted Christiansen talking with Lazarus near the buffet tables. It appeared to be a heated conversation. As she drew nearer, they made a quick recovery and feigned smiles.
"Agent McLellan?" Christiansen said. "Coming back for seconds?"
"Yes, but not food. I have more questions."
Lazarus shifted his feet and attempted to leave, but Jasi gripped his arm. "You can stay."
"Please let him go," Christiansen cut in. "He has business to attend to. We're doing everything to cooperate with your investigation."
"Fine. Take up thy feet, Lazarus, and get lost." She watched the younger man skulk off into the shadows. Turning to Christiansen, she said, "You conveniently forgot to tell us about the note that was found in Nan's room."
"I'm sorry, but I don't see what that has to do with anything. Nan left us of her own accord. Her note simply said she was going home. Wherever that may be."
"I'd like to see it."
"That's impossible."
"So you are impeding my investigation."
Christiansen's lips thinned. "After I read Nan's note, I tossed it in the recycle bin last night, and everything in that bin was incinerated this morning."
Jasi almost swore aloud. Why was it that every time they had a clue, something prevented them from examining it? First, Sheral's bracelet mysteriously vanished. Now the note?
"If I had known how essential that note was," Christiansen said, his voice softening, "I never would have thrown it away."
"What about Jenny, Nancy's roommate?"
"Jenny Phillips is a sad soul, Agent McLellan. We did everything to try to help get her back on the path to righteousness. She was only with us for about a week. She left of her own accord. She accepted exile with grace."
"Like Nancy Davison."
"Exactly. Who knows? Perhaps they're together somewhere. Bad seeds attract one another."
"I thought you were supposed to be the forgiving kind," she said dryly.
Christiansen folded his arms across his chest. "I can forgive. But I'll always protect Sanctuary."
"Is that why you exiled Jenny?"
"Sometimes we have to make tough decisions. Enforcing exile is never easy for me."
"What did she do that was so terrible?"
"If you must know, Jenny slept with one of the men. Physical interaction between a man and woman is strictly forbidden here, unless the union of marriage has been performed first."
"It takes two people to have sexual intercourse."
"The man involved has also been reprimanded."
"But not exiled?"
"No."
"Isn't that a double standard?"
"Kenneth has been with us for three years. He's engaged to my wife's daughter, Amanda."
"But she's only a child!"
Christiansen raised his hands in surrender. "Hold on, Agent McLellan. I said engaged. Kenneth and Amanda won't be married until she turns eighteen. And before you ask, she is happy about the union."
Jasi didn't even attempt to hide her contempt. "But Kenneth slept with Jenny. How happy can Amanda be about that?"
"She wasn't pleased at first, but she's come around. Amand
a knows that her fiancé gave into temptation, as is the way of man. Forgiveness, remember?" Christiansen's expression turned serious as he gazed over her head. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must prepare for tonight's ceremony. I hope you'll join us."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she said, hurrying off to find her partner.
She located Brandon outside Christiansen's lodge and filled him in on everything she had learned, including the fact that Sheral's note had been destroyed—if the note had ever existed in the first place.
"Damn, I didn't get much either," he said. "Jennifer Phillips, twenty-six, was raised in Prince Rupert. Both parents dead. Her sister is married, two kids. Her brother is single and unemployed. Neither of them has heard from Jennifer in months."
"Were they aware of her addiction problem?"
"They were. Her sister said Jennifer got hooked on cocaine in high school. Got in with the wrong crowd. Her life spiraled out of control after that."
"If we could find her, maybe she could tell us more about Sanctuary and Father Jeremiah."
"That won't happen tonight. Lazarus is waving at us."
Jasi peeked over her shoulder. "That guy acts like one of those vacant-eyed zombies in The Walking Dead."
"A walker?"
She snickered. "Yeah. He mindlessly follows Christiansen everywhere."
"By the way, Matthew is sending reinforcements tonight."
She stopped. "What? Why not wait until morning?"
"Apparently Natassia and Ben found something in the woods. More bodies."
"Oh God. How many?"
"A dozen maybe. All buried."
Jasi raised a brow. "Buried?"
"I know. Different MO. However, one of the corpses is missing a head."
"That matches our vic. They find anything else?"
"A button and ATV tracks."
Jasi's gaze snapped toward the larger barn. "Like those?" She nudged her head in the direction of two ATVs that were parked beside the barn. "During tonight's ceremony, I'll try to sneak away so I can obtain soil samples from the tires."
"So where's this life-changing event supposed to take place?"
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