The Gemini Bridge (The York Street Series Book 1)

by Shea Meadows

  “Well, that answers the question about them seeing us,” Shri whispered.

  A month of days flew by with the room empty, but the maid’s possessions still evident. The next month the room was empty with no sign of occupancy, then a soldier’s knapsack occupied a corner of the room and his shaving mug and straight razor sat on the top of the dresser in a tin tray.

  “Now we’re getting somewhere.” Ricky said, but they caught a glimpse of a blond man with a beard, and the days rolled on.

  Quickly they scrawled through, and then after six months’ worth of days that passed in three minutes, they stopped. A tall man with receding hair and a beard lay passed out in a Confederate uniform on the bed. He was sleeping deeply so Shri was able to insert his and Ricky’s images into the soldier’s dream which was set in the formal parlor of a mansion. Shri had dressed them in the garb of the day, Ricky in a frilly day-dress and himself as her servant.

  Ricky extended her hand to the soldier, and he kissed it with a suave smile. “Who is this? Has my sister been hiding you from me, Mistress? I thought I knew all the beautiful maidens hereabouts.”

  “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced, Captain. But it being war times, I will throw aside convention and tell you my name. I am Miss Taylor and this is my man servant, Jacobs. May we both express our gratitude for your service to the Confederacy?” Ricky said using her best southern accent.

  The tall bearded soldier bent at the waist. “I am Captain Benjamin Breen of the 2nd division under Major-General Harden, based in Atlanta. I am on my way to Athens to confer with the General at his home. I am an expert in strategic warfare and have ideas that will change the course of the war.”

  “I hope your ideas will shorten the combat. Too many of our brave men have been killed and injured in the battles fought thus far,” Ricky said with a look of sorrow on her face. “I have heard tell of men, barely twenty years old, with missing limbs, disfigured faces, even blown to pieces by cannon fire. I know it is unseemly for me to speak of such things, but these reports haunt my dreams.”

  Breen nodded in reply and leaned towards her. “Do not whisper a word of this, upon your honor, Mistress Taylor, I worked as a scientist before the war, a professor of chemistry. I have devised a method using simple compounds, easily and cheaply attained, that can be defused into the air behind Union lines. If my methods are adopted, their troops will be too ill to battle, and the victories will be ours.”

  Ricky put her hands over her heart and nodded with a look of sincerity on her face. “Not a word, Captain Breen. Where did you ever come up with such a brilliant idea?”

  Breen looked a little nervous, shifting from foot to foot and looking over his shoulder for someone who might be eavesdropping. “Strangest thing; a man, looking much like myself, perhaps a relative, I’m not sure, came into my tent, dropped the germ of the idea written on a slip of paper on my bunk, and walked out again without a word. I have built my idea from his.

  Ricky’s eyes widened. “Was he wearing a uniform as well? And he looked much like you? Do you have a male relation fighting for the Cause?”

  Breen shook his head, a perplexed look on his face. “There was a cousin, who is much like me in appearance, but he died six months previous, or at least that was reported. And yes, I did get a glimpse of a uniform and the markings of a captain.”

  Ricky grasped Breen’s hands tightly with a look of fear. “Have you considered your cousin came from the grave with this information?”

  Breen flushed red and leaned toward Ricky and murmured faintly. “My man servant, Parker, goes even further in his wild imagination. He says it is my ghostly self, traveling back in time, to prevent my own death. Whatever the explanation, the science is valid, and I am sure Major General Harden will be open to the idea.”

  “We are so honored to know you Captain and to hear of your efforts on behalf of the Confederacy,” Ricky answered, with a nod toward Shri Kria.

  Shri moved them out of Breen’s dream, and they moved forward through the years, not having the urge to stop again until they were almost to the present time. They watched a parade of ghosts moving through the room as they traveled. Some were ghosts of soldiers, some of servants, all of them staying for a while then moving into the light.

  Finally, they entered a time perhaps a month before the present day, and were stopped abruptly in their travel by the strong stench and another man sitting on the bed with a Confederate army uniform, who looked almost, but not quite like Captain Breen. The man raised his hand and waved with a big smile, and Ricky knew at once who it was.

  “Hi Ricky. Wondering when you’d show up with your happy troop of explorers.” Chester said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

  Ricky and Shri rose from the floor where they had been time traveling and walked over to sit on either side of Chester Townsend on the bed.

  “So, you are not safely in the hospital as we were led to believe,” Shri said with a frown. “What are you playing at? Messing about with the events of the American Civil War is not an acceptable action for an energy-being traveling in time.”

  Chester laughed. “But Master Kria Baba, you were the one who taught me how to time travel. I guess you’re not a good judge of character.”

  “Needless to say, you often cause disappointment among your friends,” Ricky said, as she inched a bit farther away from Chester’s etheric body which had an odor like an over-treated swimming pool. “Chlorine? Is that what we smelled in the attic, on top of the stench of decomposing corpses?”

  “Can’t get anything past you, Ricky. If you know anything about the Civil War, there was a scientist who designed a type of chemical warfare to be used for the south. In the reality we know about, his idea wasn’t accepted by the higher ups. In the new reality, slightly twisted around by my Master, the compound was created and dispersed. If they’d kept at it for more than a battle or so, we’d all be saluting the Confederate flag and having households manned by slaves.”

  “What part did you play in this corruption of history?” Ricky asked.

  Chester smirked. “I’m just following orders, Mam. Master asked me to make Athens in general, and this house in particular, as unpleasant as possible for your visit. I am the grand distractor at your service.”

  “So it was you who give Captain Breen the formula?” Shri asked.

  Chester chuckled. “I’ll do you one better. He was me in another incarnation. Just using what’s mine. Master thought you’d have fun playing with the local ‘hants’, as they call them in these parts.”

  “Speaking of Master, would that be Sam Reading?” Ricky asked, trying not to let on how important the answer was to her.

  Chester’s face took on a look of mock horror. “How dare you defame a friend of mine and the Master in one short question? And how dumb do you think I am? We know that Moon and her gang of guides are waiting for you to give the signal so they can swoop down on top of us and end the project. You and your poorly trained newbies will be joining them in another dimension before the week is out. No more Ricky on earth plane, no more Gemini bridge, no more link between here and the spirit world. Happy to tell you the plan, but I’m not willing to give you a helping hand to stop it.”

  Ricky shook her head, the sorrow showing clearly on her face. “Whatever caused you to turn against your friends? You were engaged to Moon and helped her develop her programs. She included you in her will. How can you betray someone who’s done so much for you?”

  Discomfort flashed across Chester’s sullen face. “It’s not about Moon and her giant ego. It’s what’s best for the souls who are coming to this material reality. Incarnating humans need disincarnates to help them; otherwise they become distracted from their purpose.”

  “That’s what guides are for. As far as I can tell, the ghosts you pair with people are meant to distract them from their path. You and your so-called master are the ones who think you know more than those who created the system and kept it evolving for millennium. It’s all ab
out power….” Ricky felt her grasp on etheric reality becoming blurred by a surge of anger. Shri put his hand on her heart and the fear cleared.

  “It is senseless to argue. We instead would like a meeting with your Master. Is that possible?” Shri asked in his most respectful tone.

  Chester shook his head. “You’ve got to be kidding! And spoil all the fun? Keep on sleuthing around until you stumble over his feet. I’m not…..” With a whish of light, caused by Ricky and Shri both sending a beam from their etheric emeralds, Chester’s image disappeared.

  Ricky slumped forward, head in hands. “Sorry, I let him get to me. Maybe Moon should have sent someone else.”

  Shri patted her shoulder. “He is most irritating, and I have known many of his type before. We accomplished our goal of the moment. The house is cleared of ghosts, and their webs and the stench left by their remains is gone. We have cleared our base of operations. Let us travel back to the date of our arrival and get on with our work.”

  Chapter 19

  The group sat around the dining room table, which was set for a scrumptious dinner. The staff of Serene Nest Farm had put out trays of bread, cheese, and roasted chicken, which shared the table with bowls of greens, vegetables, rice and pasta.

  The size of the group had increased by three, bringing them to ten. Jim and Bob Reynolds, identical twin brothers who were David’s friends had shown up late afternoon and had been briefed by George and David as to their duties. Shelia, who had been with Moon for years as a student and teacher, arrived just before the meal, leaving Christina, the other spirit communication teacher, back in Minneapolis, to handle the business of Moon’s organization.

  As the group chatted and laughed, Ricky smiled as she connected to her sister.

  At least I don’t feel like I’m in this alone. Ricky thought at Moon. I don’t think I’d even consider trying this without all these wonderful, experienced people.

  Moon laughed. Don’t forget the guide team and personal guides. If we took up space, you’d need a bigger table. If we had physical bodies we’d be there too. The food looks great.

  Ricky chuckled. Couldn’t you borrow some bodies for a while? If Chester can pop in and out, why not you guys?

  Ricky, you know that’s not how it works. Chester is breaking the rules. If we started breaking them too, we would be as bad as the Soul Stealer. I do want to join you, though. After dinner, bring everyone to the little parlor off the dining room and close the doors. Now that you have the nasty stuff cleared from the space, it will be much easier for me to visit. Most of your group will be able to see me, or at least feel me. Is that okay?

  Ricky sighed, and patted away tears that cascaded down her face. Moon, part of me is wondering why you thought I could do this. I am the newest of the newbies and the others expect me to lead. Why me?

  Moon laughed. Even Chester knows the truth. You are the Gemini Bridge. You are the being who volunteered for this mission long before either of us incarnated. We are the twinest of twin souls; beings that have worked through multiple crises through thousands of lives, in multiple realities, physical and non.

  You’d forgotten who you are but my part of it is to remember our identities. Your part is to stay in a body as long as the Universe needs us, so we can work through glitches that pop up every hundred years or so. You’ve done it before and will do it again. And, you might not remember now, but you’re really good at it.

  David leaned toward his fiancé with a look of concern on his face and held her hand. “You okay, sweetheart? Is Moon here too?”

  Ricky patted the tears, smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “Just a little overwhelmed, but Moon is reminding me I’ve done this before. Thank the Universe that one of us feels like they know what they’re doing.”

  “From what Shri told me about your adventure with the Civil War ghosts and Chester, you didn’t hesitate a bit and knew just how to clear up the problem.”

  “Did he also tell you Chester made me lose my cool? Chester reminds me of all the other bullies in my life,” Ricky said with a shudder. “This game is too important to let the bullies win.”

  “Honey, you have a whole crew here, and Avery, Trix and Katera will join us in a week if the Mel Shank connection proves to be only a distraction.”

  “I was hoping we could get it done in the next couple of days,” Ricky said with a sigh. “But why I imagined that is as big a mystery as the identity of the Soul Stealer.”

  After dinner the group gathered in the small parlor, Ricky telling Cynda Lu they didn’t want any interruptions. Erna, one of the maids, turned on the coffee pot and set out tea, cookies and coco and shut the door firmly behind her. George reached over and locked it.

  Ricky sat in the center of a semi-circle of chairs and looked at everyone. Most were as familiar as family in the short time she’d known them. The newest faces were the Reynolds brothers, Jim and Bob, who were identical twins and whose only notable difference was that Bob had shaved his head and Jim had curly brown hair tied in a ponytail. Both taught yoga and meditation and worked out regularly, so their bodies were strong and tanned from the Georgia sun.

  “Jim and Bob, how much do you know about my sister, Moon Angel?” Ricky asked.

  Bob smiled and reached into a backpack that sat beside his chair and took out several, well-read books. It was a collection of Moon Angel’s texts from her classes.

  “Dave told us about her a couple years back when he went to some of her lectures. We’d just opened our yoga studio, and he thought her perspectives on meditation would be helpful.”

  Jim chimed in. “She came to Atlanta several times and we met her there, one impressive lady. We were devastated at the news of her death and excited when Dave told us he was working with you and Moon’s group. We’ll help in any way we can.”

  Ricky smiled. “It amazes me how much people from all over the country knew Moon, and there I was, sitting in Chicago, oblivious to how important she was to so many.”

  She paused and took a deep breath and scanned the people present. “Hopefully you’ll all be able to see her tonight. She talked to me earlier, and told me she is visiting soon to fill us in on what we’ll be doing. Actually, she is already here, as are the rest of our guidance team. They are vibrating on a much higher frequency than we are attuned to. Our job is to meet Moon half way. She will lower her frequency to be with us, and we will raise ours. The surroundings may change for us as this happens.

  “Shri Kria Baba is a Gemstone Master among many other talents. He will help us hear and see Moon clearly, Shri?”

  Shri stood up and smiled. “You will not see Moon with your eyes but with the energy of your heart center. Connect also with Master Byron, who is one of the team. He is our consultant for spirit communication. He asks you to think about Moon as you experienced her either in the material reality or in the higher realms if this was true for you. Bring that image to your heart and send love and gratitude to her and what she has done and is doing to open communication between dimensions.”

  Everyone was quiet, and Ricky watched as their faces took on a glow of serenity. Shri then placed stones in a circle around the group and gems in a row toward Ricky with a circle wide enough around her so there was room for a chair beside hers.

  “Moon and Ricky are identical twin beings in spirit as well as body. Over the centuries they have worked together on many assignments. Until recently, Ricky had forgotten her purpose. Now Ricky acts as a point of connection between Spirit World and this material reality. Send blessings to Ricky, with the intention of assisting her to bring Moon into this space.”

  Ricky concentrated on bringing the level of the group to an even higher frequency and paired her intention with Moon, who was moving down toward the frequency of those in the room. Energy of many colors and sounds and shapes whirled around them. Most had their eyes closed, but Beth Ann’s nose was wiggling and George’s eyebrows were doing acrobatics. Jim and Bob sat with identical expressions of awe, their eyes wide open a
nd gigantic matching smiles. There was a popping sound and Moon fell lightly into the empty chair.

  “Hello everybody,” Moon’s voice had a hint of mischief in it. “I’m here. Good work!”

  They all opened their eyes and some started to get up to come toward her. “No, please don’t. Many in the other dimension are working to create this. If you move around it will be more difficult. There is much to talk about, and I’d like to show you some of it as well. Let’s use this encounter productively.”

  Ricky reached over and placed her hand in Moon’s hand and smiled. “Now that you have our attention, what’s next on the agenda?”

  Moon smiled back and squeezed her sister’s hand. “You’ve already accomplished clearing this space, masterfully done, Ricky and Shri Kria Baba.” She turned towards Beth Ann. “It was lovely to see you in our gathering place in the eleventh dimension, Beth Ann. The whole team, including Nellie, were happy you arrived safely. You recorded the addresses?”

  Beth Ann nodded enthusiastically, her nose twitching in time with the nods.

  “The Vincent address is a suite of offices in a very old building, which was a school dating back to 1860. There are several resident ghosts, one so strong in the attic that no one dares use the space for storage,” Moon informed them. “Another colony of ghosts resides in the cellar, part of which was turned into underground parking. Strange things frequently happen to cars left in certain areas.”

  She swirled her hands in the air, creating a holographic representation of the converted school. The roof was missing and the view was overhead with the front wall missing, so all floors were visible at once. Pulsing grey-green orbs were evident in the attic, and throughout the building. A large swarm of orbs wandered through the cellar, and an overall layer of dense spirit-web flowed through the rooms.

  “This is how we see the building from our gathering place where we evaluate the possible location of the Soul Stealers base of operations. As you can see, there are numerous disincarnates moving throughout the building. There is also something we refer to as ‘spirit web’ which we have learned is present when the Soul Stealer has paired disincarnates with incarnates.