The Ghost Files 4: Part 1

by Apryl Baker

  They lead him straight to the small alcove I’ve squeezed myself into. I know he can see me because I can see him. Those beautiful eyes I adore are so cold. He holds out his hand and simply waits. My body shakes, but I can’t stop myself from taking his hand. He pulls me out, very gently. He leans his forehead against mine so all that I can see are his eyes.

  “Why?” I whisper. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Because I love you.”

  The sound of the shot echoes through the room and my knees buckle, the pain blooming in my stomach and then spreading outward. He pulls me into his arms as I bleed out, his eyes no longer cold, but soft and warm.

  Those eyes are the last thing I see as my vision blurs then goes dark.

  Chapter Ten

  The sound of a whispered argument wakes me. I blink my eyes open to see people clustered a few feet away, their backs to me. My vision is a little blurry, but I’m pretty sure I know who it is.

  “Dan?”

  Before I can blink, he’s right there. “You should have said you needed a nap.”

  A small bubble of laughter slips out. He’s about the only person who can make me laugh when I’m scared out of my mind.

  “Seriously, Mattie, are you okay?”

  “Did I faint?”

  “You went down like a pile of bricks.” Eli moves into my field of vision, his hands stuffed into his pockets. Dan does that a lot when he’s nervous or worried. Yet another trait the two of them share.

  I shake my head. I fainted. I’ve been doing that a lot recently. I seriously need to get a handle on learning to deal with one shock right after the other.

  I’m not expecting it when Eli squats in front of the chair I’m in. His eyes bring back the memory of the dream I’d just had, and my hands spread out over my abdomen. I can feel the bite of the bullet, and when I glance down, I fully expect to see the bloody wound, but it’s not there.

  “You just went white, Hilda. What’s wrong?”

  How to tell your maybe boyfriend you can’t look at him right now? “I just need some space and you two are crowding me. Can you give me some breathing room?”

  “Sure.” Dan stands then puts out a hand for Eli to grab. Wait…what if Dan sees what I’ve been seeing? What if he sees the same murders I have? I start to shout a warning, but it’s too late. Dan’s eyes lose focus then roll back in his head. Eli tries to pull his hand away, but he can’t get Dan to let go.

  “Hey, man, what gives?” Eli tries to pull away again, but it’s useless.

  “What’s going on?” Mary and Caleb come over, both alarmed. “Dan? Hey, what’s wrong? Mary, get a nurse!”

  “No, wait.” I stop him before he can call for the nurse. Mary is watching Dan, and I think she’s caught on to what’s happening. Caleb, on the other hand, is staring at me like I’ve lost my mind.

  “Look at his eyes. He needs a doctor.”

  “No, Caleb, he doesn’t.” Mary places a hand on his arm. “He’s seeing things.”

  “Dan woke up this morning with a new ability.” My mouth sets in a grim line. He is not going to be happy about this, not if he is seeing what I’ve been reliving.

  “New ability?”

  “He can touch something or someone and get glimpses into their lives. We just found out about it earlier.”

  “He’s psychic now?” Eli is still trying to pull his arm away from his brother. “Did it give him superhuman strength too?”

  Then Dan lets go and stumbles away. He falls to his knees, heaving. “Don’t touch him.” I’m up and by his side faster than anyone else. “You okay?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” The accusation in his voice makes me wince. He saw it. Cat’s out of the bag.

  “Tell you what?” Eli asks, coming up behind us. “What did you see?”

  “Eli, I wouldn’t.” I get up and block Eli from coming closer. “Getting near him right now is not a good idea.”

  “Why not?” The confusion in his voice is mirrored on Mary and Caleb’s faces.

  “Because he just saw you murder me twice. Well, maybe not me. I’m still not too sure about that.”

  “You’re not making a bit of sense, Hilda.” Frustration edges into his voice. “I haven’t killed anyone. What are you talking about?”

  “Do you remember when I told you about the dreams I was having? Of being someone else? The one where I got chased in the woods and stabbed to death, and then the one where I met your great something or other grandfather? I just had another one. I was in the 1920’s, and I got shot. What I didn’t tell anyone was the man who killed me in those dreams had your eyes, Eli. The same exact color eyes.”

  “That doesn’t mean it’s me.” Horror and then panic settle in his expression. He understands what this means, even if he wants to deny it.

  “We need to talk to Dad.” Caleb’s voice is quiet, but I can hear the undertone of fear in it.

  “I didn’t kill anyone, and I would never hurt Mattie.”

  “I don’t think you’d do it intentionally.” Dan stands and turns to face us. His eyes are haunted. “They loved the woman they murdered, Eli. They killed her because they loved her. Something is going on here. There’s a reason she’s having these dreams. A warning, maybe? I don’t think you should be anywhere near her until we figure this out.”

  Eli opens his mouth to argue, but Caleb stops him. “Dan’s right. We have to understand what those dreams mean. Mom and Dad might be able to make sense out of all this.”

  “I think it has something to do with your ancestor.” I rub my eyes. A headache is starting to bloom right behind my eyes. “In that dream, I wasn’t afraid. No one tried to kill me. I think it all started with him.”

  “Then Mom will definitely know or at least be able to dig until she finds something. She’s our historian.” Caleb puts his hand on Eli’s shoulder. “We’ll figure this out.”

  My heart breaks a little when I see the defeat on Eli’s face. I know it’s probably the right thing to do, but I don’t want to hurt him. It’s why I kept that one detail to myself. I also know Dan and Caleb will keep Eli away from me, and I need him as much as I do Dan. “I’m sorry, Eli.”

  “Nothing to be sorry for, Hilda.” He flashes me a smile. “We’ll figure it out, and then you owe me that date.”

  “I’ll call you when I get home. Promise.”

  “And Hilda? About the doc? Trust your instincts. If they say don’t trust him, then don’t let anyone pressure you into doing what you’re not ready to do. Trust yourself.” He gives me his cutest smile, dimples and all, then lets Caleb pull him away. We watch them disappear around the corner. With every step away from me he takes, I feel my heart crumple a little more.

  “You should have told me.”

  He’s so pissed. “Why? So you could’ve reacted like you are now? It’s not Eli in those dreams. I didn’t want you blaming him for something he didn’t do.”

  “I’m gonna go find some coffee.” Mary excuses herself, and I’m grateful. I hate having confrontations in front of people. Dan’s not even paying attention. He’s only focused on me.

  “There’s a reason you’re seeing this stuff, Mattie. You didn’t trust me enough to let me help you figure it out?”

  I close my eyes against the hurt in his voice. “Of course I trust you, Dan. You’re one of the few people I do, but you’d just met Eli. He turned your mom in to the cops. I didn’t want to put one more nail in his coffin. You guys are just getting to know each other, to learn to be brothers. If I’d told you this? It might have derailed that for you.”

  “Mattie, you’re more important to me than all of that.”

  “I didn’t want to be the reason you hated your brother any more than you already did.”

  We both speak at the same time, then stop.

  “You think I hate Eli?”

  “Don’t you?” I ask softly. “After everything he did, Dan. How can you not?”

  “I don’t hate him.” He runs his hands through his hair
then shoves them in his pockets. “I wanted to. I really, really wanted to, but I can’t. I even understand what he did. He didn’t know me or my family. All he saw was what this did to his family, and he reacted out of family loyalty. To Caleb and his dad. I would have turned her in myself after the shock had worn off. I can’t hate him for doing what’s right, Mattie.”

  “That’s why I love you, Officer Dan. You always do what’s right, even when it hurts.” I wish I could be more like him sometimes.

  “I love you too, Mathilda Louise Hathaway.”

  Something in his voice brings my eyes up to his. They are brimming with emotions I have no words for. They speak the words he can’t say out loud. He loves me. I mean love loves me. A gasp falls through my lips at this realization. He loves me. The way I wanted him to. The knowledge curls up in my heart, pulling together all the broken, ragged ends of it. Plugging in the holes that have been open, bleeding wounds since I was five. He loves me.

  “You should have told me, though.” He looks away, and the moment is broken. “How can I protect you if I don’t have all the facts? I’m a cop, Mattie. I need to see the evidence so I can understand how to solve the mystery.”

  “I can protect myself.”

  He laughs. “Yes, you can, better than most. But I’m in it for the long haul, Squirt. I am always going to be here to protect you, whether you want me to or not. So deal with it.”

  “I know.” My voice cracks, and I clear my throat. I know Dan will be here for the long haul. He’s proven it time and time again. He’s my rock, and if I ever lost him, that’d be the end of Mattie Louise Hathaway. I don’t think I could go on. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

  “Yeah, well, just don’t keep things from me again.”

  “I won’t. I promise.”

  “Good.” He nods and looks away. Is he crying? “You need to talk to Mrs. Owens if you’re up for it. She’s upset thinking she caused you to collapse.”

  “She did.” I take his hint and change the subject. Neither of us is ready to discuss the things we need to, the things we can’t talk about right now. “When I saw her, I had flashbacks from last night. Horrible, horrible flashbacks. I wasn’t ready to see her, Dan.”

  “Then we can always come back in a few days.” He walks over to me and pulls me into one of his patented Officer Dan bear hugs. Only this time, I know he loves me, and I feel so much more. I’ve always felt safe with Dan, safer than with anyone else, but now, I feel what its’s like to be loved. Really and truly loved. For the first time in my life, I understand it.

  “And Eli’s right. I shouldn’t have pushed you about Dr. Olivet. Your instincts are spot on. If you don’t trust him, I can respect that.”

  “No, you were right too. I wouldn’t have listened to him if he’d told me who he was. Maybe I did overreact a little. I don’t trust him, Dan, but I can at least hear him out.”

  A laugh rumbles through him and into me. “As I live and breathe, I never thought I’d see the day when you’d admit you might be wrong about something.”

  “I’m not admitting anything. I’m just looking at different options.”

  “No, Squirt, you’re growing up. Into a very capable, beautiful young woman who is going to be even more extraordinary than the girl you already are.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You ready to go home?” He pulls away enough to look down at me.

  Home? I start to say yes, and then remember my grandparents are about to show up. Nope, not ready to go home and face that. “No, let’s go see Jake.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah.” Face your fears. That’s always been my motto. I refuse to be scared anymore. I won’t let the events of the last few months turn me into a victim.

  Mattie Louise Hathaway…Crane is a survivor.

  ***

  Mrs. Owens and her husband are talking in front of the nurses’ station when Dan and I arrive on Jake’s floor. I skid to a halt, the fear rushing back. Just seeing her makes me start to have flashbacks. Only this time I’m prepared, and it doesn’t overwhelm me. Dan’s hand on my back steadies me. His gentle whispers in my ear quiets the panic and helps it to recede. Eli can calm me down instantly, but Dan does it in a different, more natural way. It’s his presence. It inspires safety and trust.

  Mr. and Mrs. Owens approach us cautiously. God only knows what my face must look like if her own is etched in sorrow. She’s aged a good ten years since the last time I saw her. The last twenty-four hours has been harder on her than me. I survived, but her sons didn’t. One is dead, and the other fighting for his life. It’s not fair. Not at all. She’s good people and doesn’t deserve this.

  “Mattie. I am so sorry.”

  I press myself into Dan, taking a moment to gain a little courage. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. None of this is your fault.”

  “But it is.” Her voice breaks and she pulls in a deep breath, her eyes brimming with tears. “I keep thinking to myself what I did, what could I have done to prevent this? He was my son. I must have done something wrong for him…”

  “No, Mrs. Owens. Please don’t blame yourself. I don’t, and I know Jake doesn’t. He thinks you’re the best mom in the world, and I agree. If I had a mom, I’d want her to be like you.”

  A tear leaks out of her eyes, and her husband squeezes her hand, giving me a thankful smile. He must have been worried I’d blame her for all of this too. I can’t even imagine what they’ve been going through. To realize the son you loved and raised to be a good person turns out to be a psychopath has to be unsettling. Then having said son shoot the other one? They must be going through a nightmare right now.

  “How’s Jake?” Dan shifts closer, putting his arm around me.

  “He’s not so good.” Mr. Owens turns his head, looking through an open door. I follow his gaze, but can’t see anything except a closet and what’s probably the door to the bathroom. “They asked us a few minutes ago if we want to consider pulling him off life support. They don’t think he’s going to get better.”

  “I’m sorry.” Dan’s arms tighten around me as he speaks. “No one should have to make that decision.”

  “We don’t want him to suffer.” Mr. Owens wipes a tear away. “I think he’s been through enough already. It’s the right thing to do.”

  Hearing him try to justify his actions to himself sends shards of pain through my heart. He loves Jake so much. His dad was his world too. I remember sitting on their couch listening to the two of them tell me stories about all the crazy things they did together.

  “Can I say goodbye to him?” Jake saved my life. I owe him a goodbye.

  “Of course.” Mrs. Owens can’t quite bring herself to smile. “We were hoping you’d come by before we let them…before…” She can’t finish the sentence. A sob rips through her, and her husband pulls her close, his own shoulders shaking from the sobs he can’t hold in.

  I wipe my own tears away with the back of my hand. This is awful. Jake and his family don’t deserve any of this. They’re good people. Dan pushes me past them, and we go into Jake’s room.

  He’s lying there, hooked up to every tube known to man. The steady beeping of the machines disturbs the utter quiet. The blinds are closed, the lights down. A death watch. That’s what this room reminds me of. When people are ready to die, they shroud the room in darkness. He looks so helpless lying there. So unlike the vibrant guy I knew. Looking at him like this doesn’t bring back memories of the nightmare I’d lived through, only memories of the boy who’d been my friend.

  Without him, Meg and I would never have managed to get away. He saved us. I break away from Dan and open the blinds. I turn on the lights. He doesn’t deserve this. He deserves to be in the light. He is a good person. He reminds me of Dan, really. He worked to help his parents pay the bills and put food on the table. He’s a decent guy.

  Dan leans against the wall, watchful, ready to help when I need him.

  Pulling the chair up beside the bed, I
sit down. I was pretty sure he’d already been reaped last night, but maybe I was wrong. His hand is ice cold when I take it in mine, and I know in that moment I wasn’t wrong. Jake’s gone. This is just an empty shell with no soul. He’s gone.

  “I’m so sorry,” I whisper, letting my tears fall. “I’m so sorry this happened to you, Jake. I wanted to thank you too. You saved me last night, and I am so sorry there’s nothing I can do to help you.”

  “Mattie, I don’t think there’s anything you could do even if you wanted to.” Dan moves closer, his voice soft and soothing. “Jake wouldn’t want you to feel guilty. I knew him. He was a good kid.”

  “He’s not here.” I clutch his hand tighter. “His soul is already gone.”

  “You’re sure?”

  I nod woodenly. It’s one of the few things I am sure of. He’s not in any pain. He’s gone to a better place where there will never be any more pain. Only joy and happiness. Football Sunday every day.

  I wish I could tell his parents it’s okay to pull the plug, that he’s not with us anymore. It might ease their pain, but I’d just sound crazy or like I was trying to assuage their guilt at letting him go.

  This isn’t fair. I think about his parents, about the pain they are going through. It’s going to kill them. Losing them both will kill them. To lose them both. It’s so cruel.

  I’m religious, very religious, but at times like this, even I have to wonder why God does what He does. Our role is not to question, but to accept, but sometimes that’s hard. Especially right now. It’s hard to accept without question the pain the Owens family is going through.

  It’s hard to accept everything happens for a reason…

  Happens for a reason.

  The little grandma’s words come back to me. She told me to accept it. But what reason could this have happened for? His soul is gone, but his body is alive…

  No.

  Could I?

  What would happen if I did, though? Would that freaky angel come down and smite me? I’d upset the balance of the living and the dead…but why else was his body left here when his soul is gone?