Mind Fray

by Alexie Aaron

  “That’s because I was already here. I was across the room researching Ignorance.”

  Angelo nodded his head, commenting, “Very powerful when encouraged.”

  “They use it like a weapon, especially in the political arena,” Orion agreed. “Back to your research, why are you researching how to destroy a dark wizard class eight?”

  Angelo gave him an overview of the investigation and how he had found the name of the supposed entity here in volume forty-two of the Great Book.

  “You secured the handbill?”

  “Yes, but there was another. I fear it was burnt.”

  “So let me get this straight. Cezar Gabor was beheaded by the Ungurs. The chopping block was stolen, and cursed paper was made of it. His image was used to open a door, and he walked through…”

  “And some idiot burnt the paper,” Angelo finished. “It doesn’t say here what can be done.”

  “No, not in twenty-eight. Check out thirty-seven and, if it’s not there, thirty-eight,” the little man suggested. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to follow along while you are reading.”

  “No, sir, I would be happy for the help,” Angelo said, closing volume twenty-eight. He was honored to have Brother Orion there with him. The small of stature academic was seen so little by the other brothers, that there was a rumor he had already passed on. Angelo found the two volumes, brought them to the table, and he set the books down. He scanned thirty-seven while Orion moved quickly through thirty-eight.

  “Here it is. Oh…” Orion stopped, looking over at Angelo.

  “What does it say?” he asked.

  “It’s pretty straight forward. You have to find the wizards’ head. Not too difficult unless there’s a building over the grave. Then you have to scoop out whatever is left of the brain matter and feed it to the wizard.”

  “You mean Cezar has to eat his own brain?” Angelo asked.

  “Yes. A bit of a problem, I think.”

  “Cezar is a ghost with no earthly form. How do you get a ghost to eat?”

  “I think that we shouldn’t take eat too literally. How about feed? Ghosts feed off of…”

  “Energy and other ghosts,” Angelo answered.

  “The trick is to prepare the brain matter correctly, so it can be taken in by a sacrificial ghost. Angelo, the matter will permanently destroy the host and Cezar too.”

  “For a moment I had a ghost in mind, but I can’t destroy him. He is a friend.”

  Orion laughed. “You have made friends with a ghost? I would have never guessed that was possible.” Orion looked at the text and then at Angelo again and spoke, “If Cezar is as powerful as you say, then he is already feeding off of ghosts. You just need to convince one of them to take the potion and become the bait.”

  “I see. What kind of wizard do I need to prepare the brain matter once I find it?”

  “You need a level thirty wizard of Light.”

  Angelo went back to volume twenty-eight and ran his hand down the page of Light wizards. “There are only two alive. Maestro Bernini and…”

  “Orion Stavros,” Orion said patting his chest. “Still alive and kicking.”

  “Would you?”

  “Yes, as long as I can come along. I have to say a few magical words and throw some fairy dust…”

  Angelo lifted an eyebrow.

  “Okay, no fairy dust, but I’d like to be there.”

  “Why?”

  “Think of me as insurance. Because if this plan doesn’t work, Angelo, you’re going to need a class thirty wizard to contain this Cezar.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  The ground shook. It was a slight tremor and probably had gone unnoticed by the sleeping neighborhood.

  Burt, Mia and Ted, however, weren’t sleeping. A proximity alarm stored in the H file for Hide and Seek went off, alerting them at the start of the disruption.

  Jake had six systems running before Ted’s fingers hit the keys. “It’s coming most likely from the empty lot,” he reported.

  Mia grabbed her investigation go-bag, and Burt pulled out the big camera. They moved quietly out of the trailer in the predawn hour. Murphy, who didn’t have much contact with the ground, was puzzled by the sudden emergence of the two investigators. He moved to intercept Mia.

  “The ground is shaking,” she explained. “I think it’s coming from the lot. Be careful. I don’t know what fresh hell this is.”

  He watched as Mia set down a few devices, and Burt scanned the area with the camera. “There.” Burt pointed to the middle of the lot. “It looks like stones are moving upwards.”

  Mia started to walk towards the area, but Murphy managed to block her path.

  “No. Too dangerous,” he said.

  Mia nodded and ran back to the trailer. Before she could ask, Ted had already placed two earcoms for her and Burt to use on the console table. Curly was warmed up and ready to go.

  “Set him at the edge of the lot. I’ve called Cid and asked him to bring some survey stakes and more tape. Use these until he arrives.”

  Mia looked over at the traffic cones and wrinkled her face. “Where did those come from?”

  “Oh, Cid and I pick them up here and there.”

  “Judging from the county stamps, Grundy County is missing a few road supplies.” She would lecture her husband later on the importance of not disturbing road cones.

  Curly moved off of the table and wrapped around Mia’s waist as she put her earcom in. She picked up the cones and dropped them off the back of the trailer before climbing down. She set a cone on the sidewalk at the edge of the Madisons’ property and the next door neighbor’s. She dropped off Burt’s earcom as she passed him. He seemed amused by his petite investigator lugging the tall stack of bright orange cones around. The other cones she placed at the corner of Irma’s and the empty lot. She proceeded to drop a cone every ten yards, leaving one at the corner. She stayed on Irma’s property; Murphy made certain of that. She stood looking at the back property line. Stretched across the back expanse of the lot was a line of spirits. They wavered as the spectral wind wound its way through the area.

  “Why are they here? They look like sheets on a line,” she said, quickly adding, “No offense.”

  Murphy grunted at the remark before cautioning her, “Not all victims.”

  “My gut instinct is that the whole lot of them are somewhat enslaved. I agree with you that there could be a few active critters amongst the enslaved, tied there to maintain not only the back perimeter but also watch the feed line. Evidently, the great Cezar can’t see 360 degrees.”

  “I’m sorry, Mia,” Murphy said.

  Mia turned to her friend and asked, “For what?”

  “Pressuring you.”

  “I feel complimented not angry. I’m just sorry that we’re in this complex situation. Nothing is clear-cut. Our plot lines are skewed. I don’t know if I’m coming or going sometimes.”

  “I’m staying,” Murphy told her.

  “Well, good for you,” she said and patted her friend on the back. “Look at the ground. Do you see the foundation of the old house?”

  “Yes.”

  “This isn’t good.” Mia tapped her earcom. “Ted, from what I can see over here, I think the foundation of the old house is rising. It must have been larger than the ranch. I think we need to set up cameras at the four corners and midway points of the property lines.”

  “So, eight stationary cameras. I don’t think we have that many tripods with us. I’ll see if I can catch Cid before he leaves.” He cut off.

  Mia walked back around to Burt and pointed out what she was seeing. They walked over, and Burt zoomed in on the side of the Madisons’ house. Gray and white stones pushed up through the flowerbeds and scraped the side of the house as they rose.

  “That’s how he got in. The ranch shares a foundation I bet with the old house. The builders probably lined up the cinderblocks next to the old stones,” Burt theorized.

  “Mia,” Ted’s voice entered
her head. “Angelo messaged Gerald. He wanted you to know that he’s working on the problem at his end and will be here as soon as he can. He evidently is on a headhunt with a man named Orion. His driver will be arriving sometime today with his clothing. I expect Angelo is flying in.”

  “I expect so. Let’s hope he arrives before Cid does.”

  “I know. What is it with Cid’s fixation with Angelo’s… parts?”

  “That I think is for a headshrinker to deal with. Speaking of, did Gerald really say Angelo was on a headhunt?”

  “That’s what I heard.”

  Burt, who had been waiting patiently for Mia to finish with Ted, asked, “Have Ted put us on open? I’d like to be in on the conversations in the future.”

  “Did you hear that?” Mia asked her husband.

  “Loud and clear. Tell Burt I’m having some trouble with his com. He may have to come in and exchange it when he can.”

  Mia repeated what Ted told her to Burt. He took out the com and looked at it. He frowned and shook it. He put it back in. “Ted, this is Burt. Can you hear me now?”

  “Loud and clear. What was the problem?”

  “Don’t know, but shaking it solved it.”

  Mia snickered at Ted’s reaction to his baby being shaken. It was mostly in, what Mia imagined to be, Klingon. He got his cool back and asked Burt, “Come in as soon as you can? I’ll give you another. Probably a loose wire.”

  Mia patted Burt on the back. “Better you than me. Care to translate? I’m sure your understanding of Klingon is better than mine.”

  “Oh, no, I’ll not subject your unborn child to the crudities of his father.”

  Mia laughed.

  The subtle squeeze from Curly reminded Mia she was supposed to release him in the lot for recon. She unlatched him and set the centipede-like device on the ground. Ted took it from there. She watched as it maneuvered over the uneven ground for a while. A sudden idea came to mind. She turned to Burt and asked, “Do you think Curly could pull a small line marker using salt instead of chalk? Although chalk will work in most cases.”

  “Talk to that genius husband of yours. But you have given me an idea. I could rent a full-size one and run a perimeter line. We may be able to keep that thing in there.”

  “It’s an idea. But it would also keep Murphy from being able to help us,” Mia said as she thought it through. “I may be cutting off a line of defense that we may certainly need.”

  “How is he with chalk?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Really, the two of you’ve been together for how many years and the talk of chalk lines never came up?”

  “Nope.”

  Burt was surprised.

  “How would you bring that up in a conversation with a ghost who grunts mostly for answers?”

  “I see. It must have been challenging in the early days.”

  “Challenging is an understatement. He didn’t speak to me until the first hollow incident, and all he said then was ‘tough shit.’”

  “I remember you telling me that.” Burt zoomed in and tapped Mia on the shoulder. “Look over there. Is that what I think it is?”

  Mia was amazed, but just off center in the empty lot, a set of step supports were pushing up out of the earth.

  “What lazy effers,” Mia commented. “They didn’t demolish the first house’s foundations at all. They just tossed some effing soil over it, poured the smaller ranch house’s footings inside the previous foundations. Hell’s bells, the original house is rebuilding itself.”

  “But it burned. All we’re seeing is the original stones.” Burt reminded her, “You need to calm down.”

  Mia understood where he was coming from, also taking her erratic hormones into consideration, so instead of cussing him out and beating him with a handy orange cone, she just sighed.

  Burt set the camera down and walked over and liberated one of the last dandelions from the edge of the empty lot. He handed it to her. “Go on,” he urged.

  “Momma had a baby,” Mia said, pushing her thumb under the yellow head of the flower, “and its… Are you sure I should be doing this, considering my present condition?”

  He nodded. “Go on, it’ll let off some steam.”

  “And its,” she stopped and applied pressure, and the flower head popped into the air in the direction she flicked it. “head popped off.”

  ~

  The two birdmen looked down into the casket at what was left of the many heads lying there.

  “Not that I’m questioning our good luck,” Orion started and continued, “but why would they preserve the heads this way?” He jumped down into the box and started sorting heads. “I wonder if the present congregation is aware of what lies under their very feet?” he asked, thinking of the Orthodox Church above him.

  “Perhaps some perverse delight. Any idea which one is our wizard?” Angelo asked before he handed him the photo Cid took of the handbill and the fuzzy enlargement of the Romanian court portrait.

  Orion looked at him as if he had handed him his garbage. He rejected them. “Not necessary, as someone was kind enough to brand a cross into his forehead, probably at the suggestion of a priest. I wonder if he was living when they did it?” Orion, although gloved, looked a bit too pleased to be juggling severed heads as he reached for the branded one.

  Angelo looked uncomfortable.

  “You have the stomach for putting these characters in this position in the first place but not for handling the results,” Orion commented.

  “I rarely have to dispatch a living being,” Angelo stressed.

  “True. Well, I think this is our guy. What do you think?” he asked, turning the head to catch the light.

  The dried up eyes were placed about right. The beard had continued to grow a bit, but Angelo could see Cezar beneath the corruption of the death mask.

  “It’s him,” Angelo confirmed. He opened the small vault Orion insisted he bring, and the birdman set the head inside. “What’s next?”

  “Take me to the nearest hotpot.”

  “Is that how you’re going to prepare the brain?”

  “Of course not, but I’m really jonesing for a cup of tea. Grave robbing is thirsty work.” Orion held his hand up. “Do you mind?”

  Angelo pulled the small birdman out of the box, and the two sealed the entrance to the small crypt before rearranging the wooden pews over the inset brass cover.

  ~

  Cid arrived with the requested equipment and Tom Braverman in tow.

  “I thought we might need some help, so I convinced Tom, he really should exercise that sight somewhere it would be appreciated.”

  Deputy Tom Braverman looked at Mia and shook his head. “He called in a favor. It was either this or dog-sit.”

  “Do I want to know what Cid did for you in order for you to owe him a favor?” Mia asked.

  Tom’s lips tightened, and he shook his head.

  “Enough said. Welcome. We’ve got a nasty piece of work over there that we have to protect the neighborhood from.”

  Tom walked up and turned one of the cones so that the Grundy County stamp faced away from the street. He looked over the lot and motioned for Mia. “Why is someone hanging out their laundry?”

  “That’s not laundry.”

  “Care to explain what I’m looking at?” he asked.

  “Thralls,” Ted said right behind them.

  Mia jumped. “Don’t do that,” she complained, embarrassed.

  Tom looked at Ted and asked, “Thralls as in Mind Flayers?”

  “Not really, but really,” Ted answered.

  “It’s his way of explaining the mind-reading ghost who has sucked all the energy out of the spirits there.”

  “Like in the forest,” Tom remembered. “But they kind of drifted around. These are…”

  “Tied down. Not sure how, yet,” Mia said. “Did Cid tell you what we’re dealing with here?”

  “A mind reader that’s going to give me a hallucination of my worst t
rauma, which would be my mother coming in while I was enjoying the Sears catalog when I was eleven,” Tom said dryly. “That should be something to see.”

  Ted and Mia stared at the police officer. Ted said, “Lord almighty, he’s a cool character.”

  “Nothing fazes our Tom,” Mia said proudly.

  “So put me to work,” Tom insisted.

  Mia left the men to roll line while she visited Irma’s house. The woman was due to be released soon. Father Santos arranged for her to stay in a parish convalescent home until PEEPs sorted out this problem. She waved at Audrey who had pulled into Irma’s drive to park her car.

  “Don’t get out,” Mia called, walking swiftly over to the car.

  Audrey looked up at her from the open window and asked, “Why?”

  “Pull your car around. Back it in. Always leave yourself a quick getaway,” Mia reminded her.

  Audrey touched her forehead in salute and did just that.

  Mia opened up the house and walked quickly to the bathroom. She mentally put on her list to replace the woman’s toilet paper. She hardly thought Irma took into consideration a pregnant woman’s bladder when she generously loaned them the use of her home.

  Audrey was waiting for her on the porch. “I wonder if Irma has any folding chairs or should I see if Ted has any in the truck?” she asked.

  “I’m sure she has some. She’s the type to sit out on her porch watching the neighbors all day,” Mia commented. She led the way through the house and into the garage where they found two folding rocking chairs. She handed one to Audrey and followed her outside with hers.

  “In the city, the best neighbor to have is a nosy one,” Audrey said as she opened her chair, positioning it on the sunny side of the porch. “I noticed tall, freckly, and cute-as-a-button Tom is here. Did we have trouble with the law last night?”

  “No, he’s paying off a favor,” Mia said sitting down.

  “Tricky things favors,” Audrey mentioned. “I understand you’re in neck deep with Gerald Shem.”

  “Yes, I am. I fear paying him back is going to be something else. He was here last night with Bev.”