Into the Abyss: A Psychic Visions Novel (Psychic Visions Series Book 10)

by Dale Mayer

  And gasped. She was high above the city. Instead of dots there was a new ribbon leading her right down to a single house. Almost a highway. On a whim, she mentally stepped out onto the road and let go.

  And she slipped all the way down to the end of it, landing with a hard bump, the physical jolt a shock to her senses – like tiny razor blade cuts all over her flesh. She wanted to cry out but knew that silence for whatever reason was paramount. She sucked back her breath, holding still until her body adjusted. After a moment, she took a careful look around. She’d never traveled so deep, so far before. She wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to again.

  This was some scary shit.

  Wherever she’d landed was a place of darkness. She wasn’t sure what happened to the town or the bubble of lights that had been all around her. Slowly she climbed to her feet, looking down to actually see what appeared to be shoes at the end of wispy legs. She knew when she went into the abyss she was in an etheric form. She started in the physical and as she sank deeper and deeper, she lightened the load of her existence until she was basically only in spirit.

  Apparently her spirit had feet.

  And that made no sense. Perturbed and confused she took a few experimental steps, brushing her hands down over the top of her pants, feeling the smooth material, but at the same time her fingers slid through the material.

  This energy stuff was unbelievable. There was no way she could explain it to anyone. They couldn’t begin to understand.

  Jericho, Stefan, and potentially Dr. Maddy would understand though. She gave her head a shake wondering at the sensation of weight and weightlessness all at the same time.

  She turned to look around her. Was she alone?

  Was Anna here?

  The darkness was all encompassing. She literally couldn’t see anything. It was dark like when she was in the middle of the clouds. She needed to move all of this away so she could see behind it. She quickly started shifting the dark energy. She assumed she was inside some sort of space. The clouds were resistant. She tried to force them, and they glued together tighter than ever. Frowning, she stepped back and reassessed. When she did this kind of work from above, she had to go in with peace and love in her heart. The minute she tried to force something it didn’t work.

  She sank back down into a sitting position and closed her eyes. Willing the darkness to subside and show her what was on the other side she opened up a little bit of her own energy as if shining a light on the problem. She wasn’t sure what the effect was, but in the face of light, the darkness moved away. More things she didn’t understand. More things to ponder later in life.

  She added more energy at a slower pace so the light built up brighter and brighter. Then she could look around the darkness and see what was there. She walked four feet in one direction and found a wall. She turned slowly to look down it and see how far it went. To the right it only went about forty feet. And everything in the radius of her light was empty.

  She turned to the left and did the same thing. Also empty. Twisting, she looked behind her at the place where she’d landed. It seemed important she understand where she’d entered. She looked up knowing there wouldn’t be a shaft above her but unable to stop considering the possibility that maybe it was some kind of a sign.

  But there was nothing. Staring straight ahead she added more light to see what was in front of her. It took a lot of light to see the eight-foot long wall. She walked slowly, counting her steps. One. Two. Three. By the time she hit eight she was up against the cement. Trying to be systematic she searched out the darkness on the right.

  Nothing.

  She spun to the left wondering what possible purpose there was to being here if this room was empty. She tilted her head to the side and instinct had her up the wattage of energy. And there just in the shadows was a curled up bundle of cloth. She slowly walked over and reached down to find a child. A small, delicate looking little girl with blonde braids. Her heart breaking, she reached out a hand, afraid to feel the chilled skin of death and found her skin clammy and cold, but still with blood flowing through it.

  And she realized she’d found Anna. She tried to pick up the child only to have her arms go through the child’s body. She was in spirit form. The child was of flesh. Tavika needed help. She didn’t know how to get anybody here to this place.

  She sent out a panicked alert.

  Then she heard footsteps.

  Dear God. She crouched down beside the child and gave her a shake, but she appeared to be unconscious. Or actually she had a different appearance – as if she’d gone away. A common event when someone’s life became too difficult, the pain too much. Tavika knew how that worked. She’d been there once.

  Stefan, can you hear me? She’s here, I found Anna.

  Stefan’s strong, calm voice centered her. Where is she? What kind of condition is she in?

  I don’t know. I stepped on a highway of blue ribbons and landed beside her. We’re in a dark room. But I’m hearing footsteps. She’s in bad shape, Stefan, please help.

  Stay calm. Can you tell me a general location? Tell me anything about the house? Can you look out of the window?

  It’s one of the neighboring houses to her home. I can’t see the other ones, but I can sense she knows where she is – only she’s gone away in her mind.

  If she’s alive her soul is there. And we need to find her now.

  Hurry, please dear God, someone’s coming.

  Tavika, I’m tracking you. I’m going to drag a bit of Jericho along with us. And Dr. Maddy. Think of us as the emergency response team.

  She froze. Was that possible? She turned to look at the center of the room, to look where she’d landed in it. And sure enough it filled with light. She could identify them. Dr. Maddy’s energy was the pale cream. Jericho’s was green. And Stefan was the golden light. Their combined energies glowed strongly in the room. Stefan raced to Anna’s side. There was so much energy the room was well lit now, and she could see the door as Jericho bolted toward it. Dr. Maddy crouched down beside Anna.

  Her soul cord is intact, Maddy said. I need to call her home.

  Tavika felt like she’d suddenly walked into an emergency room, only one on an alien planet… Dr. Maddy reached out and put her hand on the faint silver cord and gave it a shake.

  In stunned amazement Tavika watched as the little girl snuffled. Wait… What? Then Anna moaned in pain as if her body had been sitting for way too long in the one spot.

  Stefan, Tavika asked. How do we get her physical help?

  It’s already on the way.

  “And the footsteps?” she asked. “How do we catch him?” They were only here in spirit form. She needed her kickass fighting skills to take down this asshole. Right here, right now. Except she was no more than a cloud of dust, one with feet.

  None of that made any sense to her. But it was what it was.

  Tavika? It was Jericho’s voice. Come with me.

  She turned to see the green energy at the doorway. She drifted over toward him. In a low voice she asked, What are we doing?

  Going to set a trap for him.

  She liked that idea. How?

  First, let’s see if you can go through the door.

  She frowned and approached it. She reached out a hand for the doorknob and it went right through.

  Keep going through, he urged. See if you get through to the other side.

  She shot him a startled look but already off balance she just let herself fall through the door. On the other side she could see a basement. But this section was almost like an old root cellar. Walled off with no lights.

  Anyone there? He asked.

  No. She tilted her head then added in a soft whisper, Someone is coming.

  Try to open the door.

  She hopped to her feet and reached out once again but her hand went through the knob.

  I can’t. She frowned. Just come through the way I did.

  I can’t.

  She frowned at the note of change
in his voice. She reached a hand through the door and held it out to him. Grab my hand.

  She felt the energy flare at her fingertips. She smiled and said, Now walk through the door.

  And sure enough there he was beside her. He grinned. I like that trick.

  Still doesn’t help us catch the kidnapper. He’s in solid physical form. We’re not.

  True. His voice was too cheerful.

  She eyed him, warily startled to see his eyes really clear in the center of the green energy. And that means you have a trick to show me?

  Maybe. He went to the bottom of the stairs and they could hear the footsteps moving around calm, steady, almost unconcerned. But in the distance she heard sirens.

  The footsteps froze.

  What if he runs away?

  Jericho was already racing up the stairs. At the top he turned to look at her. She peered around to realize the door was closed. She grabbed his hand and walked through, dragging him with her. In the kitchen they watched a man stare through the kitchen window down the street. As if wondering if the police were coming toward him.

  Do you know this man? she asked.

  Oh yeah. I sure do. Jericho turned to look at her. It’s her uncle.

  *

  How many times had he actually seen that uncle in the news? Pretending to be grieving, sorrow in his eyes because his niece was missing. He’d been sure that some pedophile in the neighborhood had snatched her. And here he’d held her captive all along.

  How sick and twisted was that?

  There was just something so damn wrong about this that Jericho wanted to rip the man’s head off his shoulders. How could he just let her suffer like that? Leave her alone until she died now that he was done with her?

  Get me outside the house, he told Tavika.

  It was so damn odd what she was doing, but it was also incredibly convenient. He needed this skill. Stefan had long told him there was much he could learn, but so far there hadn’t been much he’d found lacking.

  Today was an entirely different day.

  She grabbed his hand and walked to the outside of the front door. There he turned to look at the front of the house.

  It wasn’t Anna’s house. It wasn’t even her uncle’s, but it was one not very far away. It was 247 Rhue Street.

  So close.

  It was an old house, fifty, sixty years at least. How many still had root cellars in them anymore? In the distance he could hear the sirens as the police cars turned the corner, racing toward them.

  Take me back inside, he said urgently. Tavika grabbed his hand and together they walked through the front door. He bolted into the kitchen but the room was empty. They could hear noises overhead. Jericho raced upstairs to find the uncle packing, panic on his face, his movements erratic, unsure.

  A small overnight bag stood open on the bed. A small stack of what looked like some business papers sat beside it.

  The uncle snatched up clothes from the dresser, dropped several pieces, picked them up and threw everything into the bag. And went back for more. That’s when Jericho saw the Santa suit hanging in the closet, faint sounds of Christmas carols playing in the background.

  The sirens parked outside the house.

  The uncle froze then swore and finally just shoved all the papers into the overnight bag to race back down to the kitchen, taking the stairs two at a time.

  Jericho on his heels passed Tavika trying to stop the man, but of course her hands went right through him.

  The uncle grabbed his keys and bolted out the kitchen door.

  And raced right into Hunter’s arms.

  *

  Okay, so maybe he was unraveling a little bit. He stared at the medication in his hands. He’d taken various shit off and on for years. Damn army doctors put him on something a long time ago.

  Sometimes he took it and sometimes he didn’t.

  When he got nervous they were great to stave off a panic attack. He put the pills back in the cupboard.

  Not today. It wasn’t that bad. He just had to clean up more. Then he’d be fine.

  Chapter 29

  Sitting on the couch, cuddling Solomon, Tavika contemplated recent events. As it went that was one of the most exciting and satisfying conclusions to any trip she’d taken into the abyss.

  Before she’d gone in looking for information to help her find a criminal or piece of evidence that would allow her to nail their ass to the wall. But this was the first time she’d gone directly into a scene.

  And saved a child.

  Being part of the team had been exhilarating, and she admitted privately it was addictive.

  The sense of satisfaction, the relief of knowing she’d helped save a child… Well, that was pretty spectacular too.

  She dealt with murder all the time. There were other cases but generally murder ended up on her desk. And she appreciated the challenge. She hated the injustice. It angered her the way so many tossed a life to the side as if it had no value. But in all those cases those people were dead already. All she could do was bring closure to the families, bring criminals to justice.

  She followed Jericho into the kitchen then paused to fill Solomon’s bowl. Poor kitty. Her life had been more crazy than usual these last few days. At least the apartment was empty of ghosts and people. She didn’t understand a lot of what had gone on but she felt better, lighter. Dr. Maddy had told her to get up and walk around on a regular basis. That she needed to move old energy and sluggish muscles. She’d almost been affronted at the idea that her muscles were sluggish. Then she understood that meant old energy moved through the tendons, muscles, and bones of her body. And that for a while her legs would feel heavy and sore, as if she’d run a hundred miles the day before. And as usual Dr. Maddy was right.

  The pain was excruciating.

  Jericho pulled a chair out and spun it around for her. “Sit.”

  She sat, moaning slightly as her joints shifted. He put on the kettle intent on making her some tea.

  “Coffee would be good too, if you prefer,” she said quietly.

  “Maybe. But I need food now,” Jericho said, fatigue eating at his voice. “I’m starving, I don’t know about you, but I’ve burned through most of my reserves.”

  Tavika reassessed her body and realized she was hungry too. “I’m starving. I don’t know why, I didn’t do anything.”

  He snorted. “It’s amazing you can function at all. You did a ton of energy work that burned so much fuel I understand why you stay so thin. But you need to eat more. Your body needs sustenance, you have to feed it in order to keep doing this kind of stuff.”

  She studied him carefully. “Am I going to be doing more of this kind of stuff?”

  He shot her a quick smile followed by a wink and said, “I hope so. You’re very good at it.”

  Tavika raised her eyebrows. “How would you know if I’m any good?”

  “Anna. You found her.”

  She settled back. Disgruntled she said, “But that was just one case.”

  “But as a test case goes you showed up in a pretty spectacular fashion.”

  “It never occurred to me I could do what I did. I might have saved Anna earlier,” she said shamefaced.

  “There’s been no time.”

  He said it so simply she had to cast her mind back trying to figure out when she could’ve saved her. They’d had no idea Anna was even around here until last night.

  She could see how with a certain amount of experience, other skills would be much easier to acquire. Now she had found a certain appetite for this work. She wanted to learn more, do more. Her mother would say, finally. Maybe she could get some help from the people in this group. She had no idea how many others there were. She’d love to meet more people like her. After a lifetime of avoiding them she now circled them.

  “You need to learn control. Did your mother teach you?”

  “Not so much.” Disgruntled, she stared off into space. Why did everything come back around to that woman? She’d loved her in
her own way, but damn she hadn’t been easy to live with.

  “Did you ever wonder if your mother had anything to do with the Ghost?”

  “What?” Startled, she turned to look at him. “Why are you asking that?”

  “I just wondered,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “I remembered the headlines. Did she help the police often?”

  “Yes,” Tavika said shortly. “She didn’t go out of her way to help many, but she loved publicity. So she picked the cases she could do easily.”

  She knew that sounded harsh, and she didn’t mean it that way, but her mother was not a Good Samaritan.

  She worked very hard in creating her skills so they were honed to perfection, but they were not for free for anybody. Maybe that was part of the mystery of her mother. And Jericho had brought up a good point. She had often wondered but there was no answer. Why and how had she crossed paths with the Ghost?

  “Jericho, do you have any information on this? My family does not fit his pattern. And neither do we have any cases linked to him from before my family.” She frowned as he shook his head. “And why don’t I remember?”

  He reached out and brushed her cheek. “Maybe you do, just not in any way you were willing to believe in. And by not believing you didn’t have to look any deeper. Think about what you’ve gone through the last couple of hours, days, and see how much everything you thought you knew maybe isn’t the truth. All the information inside, you locked down and refused to examine in order to be able to keep functioning. Now that some has surfaced and released you may very well find memories weren’t the truth at all.”

  She gave him a startled look. “You’re saying I made this up? There’s no way. Those nightmares were too damn real. Those memories are locked in stone.”

  “No.” His voice was solid and reassuring. “It’s not that you made it up. A young mind often glosses over a lot of the details and creates fabrications to make it easier to live with. You may not have made anything up, but you may have allowed your mind to ignore a few truths because that saved some pain.”