The Ultimate Mystery Thriller Horror Box Set (7 Mystery Thriller Horror Bestsellers)

by Perkins, Cathy

  “We’ll be careful. Wish you were with us right now. It’s been a long time since things have been normal for us and now it’s getting to the point of needing protection,” I said with growing concern.

  Kevin got back on the phone. “See, wiseass? If there is something out there, you might be able to get a picture or two of them.”

  “So I have their pictures. What do I do then… give ‘em to the police? Maybe have them arrested?”

  “You kidding?” He sounded disbelieving as he went on. “If you can capture them in a photo just think how many words that’ll be worth. Maybe more than just a thousand… you think?”

  “What do I do? Stick the camera outside at night and just start clicking?” I asked.

  “Yes, Teller! Just start clicking. And believe me you might see something, something that just might knock you on your ass, my man. On your ever lovin’ ass.”

  “What are you talking about, Kevin? I need specificity — what is it you know about this that you aren’t telling me?”

  “Secret, Teller. It’s a secret that has been kept throughout history, but like all secrets it’s becoming apparent in bits and pieces. I am offering you a piece. Take it, because you will soon need it.”

  Kate motioned me to look forward at a black car coming toward us. She pointed to her eyes and then at the car with a ‘look at this’ signal.

  I did a questioning shoulder gesture to her without interrupting my conversation. “Okay Kevin, I’ll try that this evening. With all that’s happened to me of late, this should be commonplace.” I ended the call and asked Kate about the car she was so focused on.

  “I’ve seen that car several times since we left LA. I know it’s the same; the sun screen on the driver’s side is always down.”

  “Is the driver a man or woman?”

  “I think it’s a woman. The windows are so tinted that I can’t be sure.”

  “What makes you think it’s a woman”?

  “The way she drives.” Kate said.

  “Doesn’t that sound a little sexist?” I asked.

  “Why do you say that?” She questioned.

  “You are commenting on her driving style.”

  “Yes I am doing that.” She stated with a bit of an edge in her voice.

  “Well you being a woman and all.” I said with foot starting to protrude from my mouth.

  “All what? She’s driving in a kickass way.”

  “Oh… well, silly me for thinking anything else,” I said apologetically.

  “No need to apologize for thinking like a man.”

  I started the rig and headed back onto the highway. The black car didn’t move.

  “Kate, Anthony just told me that he received a call from his former lieutenant with the caller ID showing Ulster 5-8076 as the point of origin. The thing is, the lieutenant was killed in Iraq.”

  “I have to ask the mandatory question, Tell: did he dream this or was it real?” She was in the same ballpark as me on this.

  “Honey… I don’t know what is real anymore, but it didn’t seem to be a dream to him. As you might think, this is blowing his mind because he was part of the escort team that took his friend’s body home.”

  Kate stared straight ahead without particular focus she said, “You’re in the middle of a war. There are two unbelievably powerful forces conducting a battle in and around you. And all I can do is watch and pray for you… and us.” Again, an echo of my Uncle Joe’s words.

  “You are doing a lot more than just ‘watching’, Kate. You are square in the center of this with me.”

  “Yeah, and that’s where I should and need to be, but it’s like dying. No matter who is in the room with you, you still die alone.” She let out a breath then turned and looked my way saying, “I am afraid for you Teller, but I do believe that whatever is happening, in this case, you are not standing out there on your own.”

  “No not as long as I have you,” I said, taking her hand and holding it in mine tightly. “But, what do we do?”

  * * *

  “Pray… pray hard, and pray a lot.”

  The black car reappeared in my rear view mirror at that moment and I found myself wondering if it was a sign of friend or foe. It was hanging back but staying within eyeshot of us.

  “Could you make me some coffee, my sweet?” I said, not mentioning the car.

  “Coming up like a storm.” Kate obliged, and a few minutes later brought me a cup – along with the prettiest face that was made to smile. “When we get to Glory, we are going to take us a nice little walk. We need to keep the blood moving, Tell.”

  My mind was filled with wondering just what the driver of that car was really up to, and, who was with him or her in that vehicle, if anybody.

  With the black car no longer anywhere in sight, we stopped for lunch at a vineyard in the Napa Valley where we bought cheese, crackers and a bottle of Merlot. Planting ourselves at a table and bench in a tree shaded area, I couldn’t help but think of how Kate helped me find normalcy in the midst of turmoil. Just when it seemed we were going to get swallowed up by the frightening occurrences and unbelievable events, a sort of inexplicable peace would set in. Ever since my near death experiences my life was spinning sometimes out of control — but never actually totally losing control. And yes there was a battle in an epic war, and no matter what I wanted I was in for the duration. It may not have been my choice, but it was my destiny and I thanked God that I had a wife such as Kate standing with me. Otherwise I didn’t know where I’d be or in what state of mind. Kate was my blessing from God.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Glory was the Glory Campgrounds, and not a town called Glory, as we’d originally thought. We pulled into the campground and met the groundskeeper named Mee-hawl Conner, a big, middle-aged, red-headed Irishman who welcomed us warmly. Mee-hawl’s demeanor, for the moment, made my worry clouds disappear. His brogue was thick and he had Kate chuckling immediately with his comments about the light he saw around her smile. She told me later that he seemed ‘to have a touch of blarney’ that she found very charming. I thought that he gave off an impression of a man of great strength.

  “I thought you two would be along sometime,” he said as he gave a wide wink to Kate. Then to me he said, “There is achievable peace here Mr. Storyteller.”

  “In California, or this campground?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he answered.

  “I don’t understand your response, Mee-hawl.”

  “You will,” he assured. He coughed a bit, then continued.

  “Long ago in County Sligo there was a man who wrote poetry about the beauty of the place but he always wrote as an observer, seldom as an actor. He spoke of things attached to the beauty of the land that could not be seen, neither in the daylight nor in the night, but it was there anyway. As it was so in the place called Hibernia, as well, and there was a poet who wrote the magic words:

  “And God stands winding his magic horn,

  And time and the world are ever in flight;

  And love is less kind than the gray twilight,

  And hope is less dear than the dew of the morn.”

  “That Yeats?” I said.

  “It is himself. And you know him, do you?” Our host seemed genuinely surprised that I knew the great poet’s work.

  “Familiar is not the word, Mee-hawl,” Kate chimed in with a mild exaggeration. “This man lives and breathes Yeats. You would be surprised at his knowledge of poetry, and masters of old.”

  He smiled the broad smile of approval at hearing her words. “The classics are the classics and the masters are the masters… and pleasing to God, they are.” He spoke with a strange authority with his strong Irish brogue.

  “And as they should be,” I added with a wink and a wave of the finger.

  “Aye lad… that would indeed be so.” Mee-hawl smiled and appeared to be measuring me somehow.

  He led us to our motor home campsite, saying it was off by itself and a boon to star gazers. He guided me i
nto the proper parking spot so that I could set up the water, sewer and electricity.

  “Enjoy your stay and let me know if you need anything. I live above the registration office at the entrance to the park.” He left, giving us a thumbs-up signal and a smile in his eyes.

  That evening we had dinner outside, and later sat on lounge chairs with the lights out looking at the sky awaiting the meteor showers that Kevin had mentioned. It was 10:30 when I checked my watch and asked Kate if she’d seen anything. She hadn’t, same as me.

  Then she blurted out, “Did you hear that?”

  “I didn’t hear anything.” Then I did hear something. It was a man’s voice, somewhere in the night, singing a lilting melody. It was far off in the distance, a beautiful sound that was becoming mesmerizing.

  Kate stood up, staring trance-like toward where the sound seemed to be coming from, and began swaying in a dance-like movement to its rhythm.

  I was being drawn to it as well, and suddenly found myself walking toward the music, unable to resist the compulsion to find the singer. As I walked into the darkness of trees the voice became clearer but the song was unlike anything I had ever heard before. There was no accompaniment, yet it produced the same reaction in me as did the music of Pink Floyd. It was intoxicating as I walked toward it.

  I continued for several minutes to an opening in the trees where a soft light glowed in a spot that contained no one. Yet there was the song and I walked right into the light; I couldn’t help myself. It was like I was in a spell.

  “Do you hear the song, lad?” It was the voice of Mee-hawl.

  “Yes, yes I do hear it.” I looked around for Mee-hawl, but wasn’t concerned that I didn’t see him. His voice was reassuring.

  “It is one of God’s favorites,” he said gently.

  “Who is singing?” I asked.

  “You.”

  “Me?! I’m not singing, Mee-hawl. I’m listening… I’ve never heard this song before.”

  “Yes you have. You heard it when God first breathed upon your face when you were conceived. He sang it to you so that you could sing it to him one day. And now is the day.”

  “Mee-hawl, does this have anything to do with the Name of God? Is it in the song?”

  “Yes.”

  “But all I hear is the sound… ‘Ah’ is all I hear distinctly.”

  “Yes.”

  “I can’t see you Mee-hawl. Where are you?”

  “I’m here.”

  “No, you’re not here. You are nowhere to be seen.” I was getting spooked.

  “To be nowhere is to be everywhere.” He responded but I still could not see him.

  The light dimmed and the song ended; I heard Kate’s voice from far off calling me. It was then that I realized that I had no idea where I was. Walking towards Kate’s voice I returned her call and she heard me and her calling was guiding me to her. Looking back, there was still no sign of Mee-hawl Conner, but in the shadow right behind me was someone, something that made me gasp; a veiled face with a cowl in a dark cloak wasn’t more than ten feet from me — and was moving in my direction.

  I started running in the darkness toward Kate’s voice with the veiled presence right behind me and closing. I was hoping against hope that my heart didn’t give out from running and from fright. I felt a tap on my shoulder and then I tripped and went down flat on my face and lay waiting for that thing to finish me off. As I lay face down, tensed and awaiting my doom, I felt two powerful hands lifting me and I started to struggle but then I heard, “Steady lad, it’s only Mee-hawl. Calm yourself now.”

  Relief streamed through me; with the adrenal rush I started to laugh uncontrollably. I suspect I was going into shock, what with the ecstasy of being in the presence of the music of God, followed by abject terror of whatever it was behind that hideous veil. I was never so glad to see anyone as I was Mee-hawl Conner, at that moment.

  “Wh-what happened?” I asked, shaking like a leaf.

  “That’s a difficult one to answer.”

  “But, I was being chased by someone or something—.”

  “Not to kill you… but to scare you,” he said reassuringly.

  “How do you know that, Mee-hawl?”

  “I know it like I know that sunshine will be showing up in six hours. Let’s get you back to your wife. She’s calling for you and running through the woods with a lantern.” With that, I saw the light shining through the trees.

  “Over here, Kate!” I shouted trying to keep her close.

  She ran to me. “What have you been doing out here like this?!” She was frantic as she threw her arms around me and looked thankfully at Mee-hawl, sensing he had rescued me.

  “You won’t believe this, but I was out here singing and dancing to the most wonderful music I’ve ever heard… ever in my life, Honey.”

  “Were you sleepwalking? How did you find him, Mee-hawl?”

  “I was out doing the same, Missus, when I ran into him.” He smiled.

  “Kate, I was being chased by the veiled figure and were it not for Mee-hawl, Lord knows what might have happened.”

  Mee-hawl said, “Indeed, the Lord knows and He knows and well beyond any of us. Trust me.”

  “Let’s please get out of here,” requested an anxious Kate.

  “Good idea,” I agreed.

  Mee-hawl walked us back to the rig and bid us goodnight with a wave of his hand as he walked away.

  “What now, my love?” Kate asked as I locked the door and threw myself into a comfortable chair.

  “I don’t know. I’ve got to think about what just happened. Kate, whatever that was out there nearly scared me out of my mind and I thought I was not going to make it. I don’t know how Mee-hawl showed up from out of nowhere and saved me. I believe he saved my life.” Suddenly the adrenalin slowed and was replaced by complete exhaustion. I shrugged my shoulders and said, “Let’s try to get some sleep and see how we feel in the morning.”

  “You think I am going to be able to sleep with that thing running around out there? Maybe, we should pack up and leave… just get on the road.” Kate was frightened and rightly so.

  “I think that’s not a great idea. Let’s just try to sleep. We can think about what to do in the morning.” I reiterated.

  “I can’t sleep,” she said as she wrapped a blanket around herself. I pulled her close to me, trying to calm her shaking.

  “Don’t ask me why, but I think we’ll be okay,” I lied. “Whatever is under that veil could have gotten me in the woods, but it didn’t. I think Mee-hawl was right.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He told me that whatever it is, it is trying to scare me.”

  “Scare you… how? And why?” she questioned.

  “Scare me into saying something.”

  “What made you go into the woods in that darkness, Jeremy?” Kate asked.

  “Don’t you remember hearing music, a man singing?”

  “No, I don’t. You were dreaming about someone singing in the woods? Is that it?” She was groping for an answer.

  “No, what happened was, you seemed to be mesmerized by the music, Kate. You were standing and swaying looking in the direction it was coming from. Don’t you remember doing that?”

  She shook her head no, exhibiting disbelief as she did.

  “I was drawn into the woods. It was as if someone had picked me up by the nape of the neck and took me to the music and the light, in the area where it was originating. It was absolutely the most amazing music I have ever heard, anywhere, any time.”

  Kate turned and looked me saying, “Really? Better than Pink Floyd?” She smiled a knowing smile because she knew of my addiction to their music.

  “Better than… but similar to actually, in some ways.” I nervously chuckled a bit, and added: “Mee-hawl tried to tell me that it was I who was singing and the song was one of God’s favorites.”

  “So now you’re a singer, entertaining God,” she said grinning while she ran a finger through my hair. �
��I don’t think so.” Trying, in her way I guess, to lessen my stress, without so much as a thought for hers. “You know that David was supposed to have sung a song for God.”

  “David who?” I asked.

  “King.”

  “Who’s David King?” I asked.

  “King David. From the Bible. Solomon’s father,” she said quietly.

  “Oh yeah… that King David.”

  There was a knock on the door and when I asked who it was, I heard Mee-hawl answer, “May I have a word with you?”

  Kate opened the door and invited him in.

  “How long do you want to be staying here at Glory?” was the immediate question from the big Irishman as he entered the rig.

  “We’re not sure. Why do you ask?” I was more than a little curious about that question.

  Without responding he went on, “That song you heard in the woods was in need of a singing, and to be heard. Did Katie here not just mention David and it was he who pleased God with his psalms and his music? (How did he know what Kate said?) It was Lucifer back then who tried to stop the song because he knew that vibrations in the music caused the energy to move in such a way that it set into motion things that would please God throughout all the days.”

  “Mee-hawl, why, and how would I, or should I, figure into that equation? David? The Bible? God? Pleasing God? How could that be happening with me involved? Who the hell am I?”

  “Things were set into motion long ago, before time began, and those things have always followed a natural pattern that moves through all creation. It is the energy that comes from the fulfillment of that which God has ordained. Jeremy and Kate, like it or not, accept it or not, you Jeremy Storyteller are part of this pattern.” Mee-hawl spoke with total authority.

  “I am scared shitless by all this, Mee-hawl,” I whined.

  “And well you should be, for the Devil himself is breathing down your ass, intent on stopping the vibration by taking the word that you once spoke and using it to stand before God and challenge Him by his very presence.”

  “How do you know all of this, Mee-hawl?” It was hitting me that Mee-hawl knew things that an ordinary man wouldn’t know. How did he come to know this? “Mee-hawl Conner,” I found myself chuckling a nervous silly chuckle before continuing. “Who are you? Assuming what you are saying is true, how did you learn it?”