Spooked on the Gulf Coast (Gulf Coast Paranormal Trilogy Book 3)

by M. L. Bullock

  He had dirty, scraggly looking brown hair, with a semi-full beard and a thick mustache. He wore a brown coat, a tan shirt, dirty brown pants and black boots. His eyes were fearful, and I could see him staring back at me with slight bags under his brown eyes. His left eyebrow arched slightly higher than the other. He was intense, but not dangerously so.

  As I was lost in my thoughts, I didn’t realize we’d made it all the way home until we came to a stop in front of my house.

  “I’ll see you at the office in the morning.” I had agreed to fill in for Sierra during her maternity leave. The truth was I was glad to have something to do, but I had a growing suspicion that I would be a little sleep-deprived tomorrow. “Thanks for dinner.”

  “Have I said something that offended you? I get the feeling that something’s wrong.”

  “Nothing’s wrong, but I have to go.” I kissed his cheek and slid out of the vehicle, closing the door behind me. I didn’t go to the house even though I knew Domino was waiting for me.

  Someone else was waiting for me too. And I had a feeling I knew who it was.

  Chapter Four—Tobias

  Whatever stood on my porch was not one of God’s creatures. It had hair of deepest black, so black it was almost blue. And that smell…like death. I knew that smell. I had become accustomed to it during my long stay in the hospital. The creature stood on two legs like a man, but there was nothing else man-like about it. The monster’s face was obscured by the fading light, and I slammed the door in reaction to what I perceived to be a direct threat to my person. I was panting now, as if I’d run a mile in just a few minutes. There was no hiding from it. It knew I was in here, and it wanted me to come out—or it was coming in.

  A growl came from the other side of the door; the sound was low and deep, and it echoed through my body like nothing I had ever experienced before. I was a man of the woods and had heard lots of strange things over the years, but no growl had ever reverberated through my body like this one did. I felt my teeth chatter in my head.

  I was tempted to take a shot at it, to shoot right through the door—but then there would be a hole there, and if I missed, the creature could reach through and seize me easily. That thought was the only thing that prevented me from doing so. Frustrated that it had not successfully snuck up on me, the creature stepped back and roared. The roar was ten times greater than the growl, and my wife’s mismatched china rattled in the nearby cabinet. Clearly angry, the creature continued to stomp across the porch, not bothering to hide its footsteps anymore.

  And then the sounds stopped.

  I couldn’t be sure, but I believed it stepped off the right side of the porch. After counting to three, I raced to the window where I’d stood earlier but could see only the edge of the barn, the toppled woodpile and distant trees.

  It could be hiding anywhere! What in God’s name is it?

  And then as if it knew what I was thinking and wanted me to see it, it stepped out of the hickory trees. Another growl erupted, and its ears flicked and pointed up—it looked like a wolf or a dog but on two legs. The hair-covered, muscular creature walked across the yard; its eyes were black at first and then went dark, dark red. They glared at me before they went black again. This was from hell. It had to be straight from the bowels of hell!

  I wanted to vomit, to scream, but none of that would help me. Nobody could help me now. The creature was so big; its arms were so powerful that I knew nothing would stop it if it took a mind to come through that door or the window. What was it waiting on?

  Putting the gun on the chair, I gripped the edge of the table and shoved it toward the front door. It might not stop the creature from knocking the door down, but it would buy me some time.

  Time for what? I can’t stay here! I don’t need to be hemmed up in this place with that beast out there. What about Eliza and Charles? What will happen if they come home now?

  My need to reach them, to protect them from the monster, grew by the second. Even if they were safe and sound at the Jennings’ farm, that wasn’t far away. Not at all. This thing could make it there quickly without much effort. I stacked the chairs on top of the table and raced to the bedroom. A strange bellowing filled the air; this was not like the previous growl or roar. This was different, like the thing was speaking some strange language I did not understand.

  What if there were more than one?

  Again, I wanted to vomit. Feeling shaky, I perched near the window and did my best to gain sight of the creature. I didn’t see it again, but there was another whack against the side of the house. The creature must have had a stick or something; he appeared fixated on the front room. I closed the bedroom door and hurried back to the front room. Was he banging on the door? I checked my gun now and prepared to shoot.

  But nothing happened.

  After a while, my legs ached and my mouth was dry. My water jug was near the front window, but there was no way I would venture back over there. I sat in the rocking chair next to the fireplace and listened. I watched and waited.

  The room grew dark, so dark that I could barely see my hands in front of my face. Hours had gone by with nothing, no sound, no footsteps. And just when I’d convinced myself that I had imagined it all, that I’d imagined the entire encounter, I heard something that made my blood curdle.

  It was the sound of a woman screaming.

  I had no idea who the woman was, but she was clearly suffering at the hands of this creature. I couldn’t hide away here while she was tormented. What if that was Eliza? What if she needed me? Oh God! Give me strength! I began to move the table and chairs away from the door. I steeled my nerves and reached for the doorknob.

  I flung open the door and ran straight off the porch and into the yard, waving my gun wildly as I spun about. The woman’s screams continued, and it sounded like they were coming from the woods directly to the right of my home.

  Right near the road that led to the Jennings’ place. Right where Eliza would be coming from if she were to return home!

  “Eliza!” I yelled as I began to break toward the tree line. And then I heard the creature directly behind me. With every footstep, every stride I took, it copied me. If I looked back, I’d be done for; I believed that down to the depths of my soul.

  “Eliza! I’m coming!” No sense in being quiet now; this devil knew I was there. I raced up the hill praying that I didn’t see what I imagined, my wife’s mutilated body. I cleared the ridge and stood under the moonlight and saw nothing. There was no one here, just trees and rocks. No woman. No Eliza.

  This had been a trap. And the thing was behind me.

  Chapter Five—Midas Demopolis

  “Hey, good to see you, Jocelyn. How was the flight?” I greeted my friend with a welcoming smile, but in true Jocelyn style, she went in for the hug. She looked great as always. Her white teeth in comparison to her tanned skin reminded me of bleached bones, like the kind you’d find on a beach.

  “Great to see you, Midas. The flight was fine. Pretty boring, actually, but at least there were no kids sitting in front of me picking their noses like the last time.”

  Nope, she hadn’t changed much, at least not in her ability to find humor in everyday things. She wore her hair the same, in long, blond dreadlocks, and she appeared thinner than the last time. When was the last time I’d seen her? Not since we’d worked together in Pensacola two years ago. Jocelyn had an interesting story, one I thought Cassidy might benefit from. “That is good news. I guess we should pick up your bags. How long are you able to stay this time?”

  She pulled her backpack up on her shoulder and said, “I’m not really sure yet. I’m in between photography gigs right now, so I’m not in a big rush. I did promise my mother I would visit her in California before the summer was over. I have just the one bag. It should be down in the baggage area by now.”

  That sounded promising. Jocelyn brought contagious excitement to any team she was a part of. Her genuine enthusiasm for the supernatural aside, she wasn’t one to jump
at every noise or shadow. She was a careful, cautious investigator. I thought she’d be a great fill-in for the McBrides, who would be out for at least a month or two.

  “Speaking of California…” She looked at me with concern in her eyes.

  “No. I haven’t heard from her, and I don’t want to.”

  She gave me her classic head tilt and grinned at me as if she did not quite believe me.

  “I’m happy, Jocelyn. I can’t wait for you to meet Cassidy.”

  As we sailed down the escalator, her smile broadened. “You sound like a schoolgirl, Midas Demopolis. That’s good to hear. I was worried about you for a while. Nice to see that you landed on your feet. All right, point taken. I won’t mention her again, but while we’re talking about exes, how is Pete doing?”

  Before Pete and Sara hooked up, he and Jocelyn had been pretty serious, and they dated for almost a year before Jocelyn got a case of the wanderlust and decided to move to Fort Lauderdale and then came back to Pensacola.

  “Staying sober, working like a dog. He’s made some incredible progress with some new technologies he’s working with. This latest thing is a jazzed-up version of the 3D mapping camera. Instead of stick figures, he has been able to configure the software to show more amorphous-type images.”

  Her blue eyes widened. “Ooh…that sounds interesting. I guess that means you guys don’t really need my help on this investigation,” she joked as we both reached for her bag. I recognized the bright pink handkerchief tied around the handle. That’s how she marked her luggage. Seeing that got me thinking about the time the four of us traveled all over South Florida one summer. It had been a great time in my life but nothing like what I had now.

  “Let me get that,” I said. “We do need you, and I’m hoping you can help Cassidy. She needs someone to relate to. Someone who understands the supernatural side of all this.”

  She chuckled as we walked toward the sliding glass door that led to the parking area. “Isn’t it all supernatural?”

  “You know what I mean. I understand the science, how to investigate, but she has a real ability. Sure, sometimes I see things, but not like her. Not like you. You two are like birds of a feather. Or whatever you call it.” I felt stupid now trying to explain myself.

  “You really do like her. Okay. Well, you told me a little, but I can’t wait to meet her. So, does she do just sketches? What other kinds of mediums does she use?”

  I considered her question and did my best to answer her. “I know I’ve seen sketches with pencils, but her paintings with oil are absolutely spot-on. She can capture expressions like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

  “And it is ghosts she paints, right?”

  “Yes. Just like you photograph ghosts, she paints them.”

  Jocelyn shook her head. “I sometimes capture images but not every time.” She had a flat face, a petite nose, almond-shaped eyes and dark blond hair. She was a cute girl, but she had a depth to her that was rare for someone her age. I truly meant it when I said I hoped she stayed for a while this time. It all boiled down to how well she got along with Pete. That would be the true test.

  “Did you ever work with Sierra and Joshua McBride?”

  “No, I never got a chance to work with them, but I have spoken to Sierra on the phone.”

  “Sierra just had a baby. They’re really nice people. I’m hoping you get to meet them while you’re here. So, Gulf Coast Paranormal is happy to put you up at the Holiday Inn. But I know how you feel about hotels.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t make me stay in a hotel. What’s the matter with me staying with you?” And then realization crossed her face. “Oh, your new girlfriend. Don’t tell me she’s the jealous type?”

  “Well, she’s not exactly new. We’ve been together for quite a while now. And no, she’s not jealous, but I’m not sure how she would feel about having you there. I mean, she just found out you were coming last night.”

  Jocelyn frowned at me. “Wow, Midas. That’s not cool. Listen, I don’t mind staying at the hotel for a few days, but I wouldn’t want to put that kind of expense on you or the investigative team. I know how things operate and how expensive everything is. With all that new equipment, you’re probably up to your eyeballs in debt.”

  We walked to my SUV, and she took the bag from me and tossed it in the back. She knew I was wealthy but always respected the costs and concerns about everything.

  “I asked you here. It’s nothing I didn’t expect. And if you decide to stay a little longer, we can make other arrangements.” That was the only downside to working with Jocelyn. You never really knew how long she would stick around. She had a lot of “moving parts” in her head, and she didn’t let anyone in there. “So, where to first? Do you want to head to the hotel or grab a bite to eat or…”

  “Screw that. Take me to the new office. I want to see all the swanky new equipment you got; on the way, you can fill me in on the latest investigation. Tell me all about it. I’m ready to get my hands dirty. Figuratively speaking, of course.”

  And for the next thirty minutes, we talked shop. It was good to hang out with Jocelyn. Yeah, this was the right thing to do.

  Chapter Six—Cassidy

  “Domino? Where are you, kitty?” Naturally, my cat was not going to make it easy for me to find him. He was one to play hide-and-seek, and normally I didn’t mind that, but I was hearing weird sounds down the hallway and wanted to rule him out as the culprit.

  Sure enough, my fuzzy furball came sailing out of the bathroom, spied me and ran back inside. I laughed and chased him just as he knew I would. I closed the door behind me to prevent him from escaping, which made him very unhappy.

  “I know. It’s an unfair advantage, but how else am I going to catch you?” I scooped him up and kissed him on the top of his head. He didn’t enjoy it long; he was ready to run and did so quickly. As he scampered down the hallway, I looked around the bathroom to try to find what it was he was moving around in here. I didn’t see anything out of place, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t gotten into something. Sometimes he liked pulling toilet paper off the roll or snatching the towels off the rack, but none of those were disturbed.

  “Well, that’s weird,” I said to myself as I closed the bathroom door behind me. Better to keep him out of mischief than to leave the door open. I yawned and felt a bit lazy now. Why had I stayed up so late last night?

  I’d spent a few hours in my studio, but the session ended in unusually frustrating fashion. All I could muster was the beginning of a terrifying scene. A once-handsome man’s twisted face with fearful eyes and a weird, looming shadow beside him. I eventually gave up.

  “Domino? Where are you now? Come play with me! Momma’s gonna be gone tonight—you’re going to miss me.”

  Midas’ early-morning text was the only reason I was up this early. He’d gotten permission from Nina for the team to stay overnight at her lodge on Crenshaw. I never doubted he’d manage it. He was headed to the airport to pick up his friend when he texted that he would come to the office to meet me soon, which didn’t give me much time to bond with my one and only pet before I packed up and headed off to work. I hadn’t planned on coming home after work; we were only going to be there until noon today, but I really hoped to spend a little time with Domino.

  I paused my search and tilted my head toward my bedroom. Domino couldn’t have slipped in there because the door was closed. I’d gotten into a habit of closing doors behind me because of my cat’s curious nature. I opened it, went inside and closed it behind me. There was nothing disturbed in here, yet I heard a soft sort of shuffling. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I knew something was moving around in here. I lifted the bed skirt and peeked underneath it.

  Nothing there. No Domino. No rodents. Nothing.

  Once upon a time, when Domino was very small, he liked to climb under my dresser and play around in the drawers. He was too big to do that now and I had no reason to think he was in here, but I had to check. I started wi
th the bottom drawer. Nope. All the untouched photos and albums were still there. I quickly closed it and opened the next one. My shorts and t-shirts were there, but there was nothing folded. That was kind of a flaw I had. I loved fresh clothing; I washed a load at least once a day, but as far as folding…who had time for that?

  I closed the drawer, pretending it wasn’t that untidy. I opened the next one, and to my surprise, everything was neatly folded as if my pajamas were being displayed at a swanky boutique. “What in the world?” I opened the top drawer and found the same there. All of my socks were matched up and folded neatly, as were my bras and panties.

  Who could have done this? Midas was never here by himself and, as far as I knew, didn’t have a fetish for folding underwear or pajamas. I hadn’t gotten around to hiring a maid. The only other living thing here was Domino. I closed the drawers and then opened the top drawer again.

  Yep. Everything was the same. Socks were matched and folded, and everything else was folded. This was too weird. Instead of freaking out, I went to my closet, grabbed an overnight bag and tossed in two pairs of socks, underwear, a bra and pajamas. But before I closed the drawers, I shuffled everything back up, leaving it as messy as it had been before my mystery maid had done her work.

  Could someone have broken in here? Even as I thought that, I knew it was ridiculous. Who would break into your house to fold your pajamas? Sure, the Gulf Coast Paranormal team had seen some weird things on our investigations, like the guy who camped out in the college student’s attic and plundered her underwear drawer when she wasn’t home, but this was nothing like that. There was nothing unseemly here, just neatness.

  I checked my closet and my nightstand, but everything else looked as normal as before and just as messy. I finished packing and sat on the bed thinking about how quiet everything was in here now. And then I thought about the obvious suspect.

  My Uncle Derek.