“Your missing teens?”
“No, the kids at Memorial Park Cemetery. From your case. I don’t buy that whole jaguar or cougar bullshit. I’ve read the reports. You didn’t seem convinced it was a big cat either.”
“Well, not exactly.”
“No? What do you mean?”
Aaron broke eye contact for a few seconds and reached into his pocket. He pulled out his car keys and gave the detective a sideways glance before unlocking the door. “What do you think happened?”
“I think it was that cult,” Millstead said while retrieving the keys for his Taurus, but he didn’t unlock the door yet. “This is just my own opinion, but I think they made it look as if an animal killed them. You know, as a cover. I also think it’s the same cult that killed the teens we found, or at least remnants of them. Maybe copycats.”
You have no idea, Aaron thought. But he understood the man’s reasoning. He’d also once believed he was dealing with a serial killer until he’d come face-to-face with the chimera. So, what was he supposed to tell the guy? No, your suspect is a demon spawned from another dimension? It was a big cat, and a dragon, and a ram, with a venomous tail. That probably wouldn’t go over very well.
Aaron got into his cruiser and gave the detective a light nod of agreement. “You may be right about the cult involvement.”
He started the car and shut the door, hoping the man was right, because he wasn’t ready to deal with that hellish fleabag again.
†
Aaron waited in his cruiser while Detective Millstead flipped through the dials to remove the lock securing the gate to Saint Hedwig Youth Home, now nothing more than ruins. He pushed the gate, but it only creaked open about a foot.
“I guess we’re leaving the cars here,” Aaron said. He got out of the car and squeezed through the gate opening and onto the weathered and weed-covered cobblestone driveway. He took in the scenery of the ruins before following Detective Millstead towards what had once been the lobby entrance of Saint Hedwig Youth Home.
The walls that remained erect had scorched marks from the inferno that had leveled the old mansion. Darkened rubble littered the property, making it seem incredible that a large building had once stood amidst the debris. Aaron spotted a small memorial near the destroyed chapel. Withered flowers, faded faux tulips, daisies, and roses, along with a few stuffed animals, surrounded the small monument. It had a plaque with the names of all the people who had perished during the so-called Saint Hedwig Massacre. Among the names were Dr. Jerome Hadley, Joseph Michaels, Sergeant Michael Williams, and several other names of staff and children.
Aaron recalled the horrific events. So many people had died, all because of a group of sick bastards that believed Satan had called them to do his bidding. None of it made sense to Aaron, and now someone or something had killed three more teens.
“Lieutenant Sanders,” Detective Millstead called out. “We found the necklace and key buried under the mud right here.” He pointed to an area near a trap door stained with blood.
Aaron recognized that area of the building; it had been Dr. Jerome Hadley’s office. There were also blood stains on several pieces of wood on the ground. “I’m assuming this blood belongs to those teenagers.”
“Two of them,” he said. “Dylan Welch and Jeremy Craiger. We never found any blood that matched Christopher Marwick, but we believe all three of the boys were killed here and then taken deep into the woods, dumped, and incinerated.”
Aaron opened the trap door and shined a flashlight inside. Black soot covered everything inside the small room. “And what about this room? What did you find in there?”
“Traces of blood matching Dylan Welch. Didn’t find much of anything else, other than a bunch of charred up furniture and books.”
Aaron moved the flashlight beam around the room. One corner of the room had more defined scorch marks on the stone walls. “I don’t think they were burned where you found them.”
“No? Why not?”
Aaron stood and put his flashlight away. “I think they were burned here in this basement. Actually, I’m pretty sure of it.”
Detective Millstead cocked his head and raised his eyebrows.
“Just because everything was burnt in there? This whole goddamn place went up in flames.”
“That’s a metal door.” Aaron nodded towards it. “The flames wouldn’t have reached inside the basement with the trap door closed. No, I think this room went up in flames recently.”
Detective Millstead got up and stared into the underground room, shaking his head slightly. “So, whether they were cooked here or out there in the woods, what’re you getting at?”
“What were they doing here in the first place?” Aaron asked, more to himself than to the detective. “What were they looking for?”
Millstead shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe we should ask them.”
Aaron glanced at the man and showed him a subtle smile. “Show me where you found them.”
They hiked a mile through the forest until they reached their destination. Burnt grass filled the middle of a clearing in the woods, surrounded by large stones. There were also five other lines of pebbles that connected to a smaller ring of stones in the middle.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Aaron said. “That looks like a pentacle.”
“I’m sorry. I thought I did.” Millstead scratched the back of his neck. “So, I’m thinking we might be dealing with the same cult.”
Aaron narrowed his eyes and tilted his head towards the detective. “I was under the impression those freaks were either in prison or dead.”
“That’s assuming we got them all. We don’t know that for sure.”
Aaron crouched, examined one of the larger stones, and scanned the ground for any possible missed evidence. He found nothing more than blackened grass, dirt, leaves, and more rocks.
“All we found here were the barbecued remains of those teenagers,” Detective Millstead said. “Nothing else.”
“Well, we’re definitely dealing with a cult here,” Aaron said, tossing a rock aside. “That much is obvious. I still want to figure out what those kids were doing at Saint Hedwig in the first place.” Aaron headed towards the woods again. “Let’s get a better look inside that basement.”
†
“What are we looking for?” Detective Millstead asked, while he set up a couple of battery powered lanterns.
“I don’t know yet.” Aaron sifted through piles of rubble with a metal rod. “Just look for anything out of place.”
“Out of place? In this junk?”
Aaron smirked. “Right. Well, try to think like a teenager. Why would you be in here snooping around? It’s got to have something to do with that key.”
“Like a safe? Could be as simple as trying to score a few bucks.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Aaron moved a blackened desk out of the way, which fell apart as he pushed it. “Why did they have the key in the first place?”
“Good question,” Millstead said while digging through a pile of rubble. He picked up a book and held it with both hands. “I’ll be damned.”
“What?” Aaron turned around. “Find something?”
“It’s a Holy Bible. And there’s not a burn mark on it.” He flipped through the pages. “Looks old too.”
Aaron rolled his eyes. “That’s great, man,” he said, and continued searching his side of the basement. “Keep looking.”
“Wow!”
Aaron sighed. “Now what?”
“It’s a seventeenth century King James edition.” He held the book up, showing it to Aaron. “Do you realize how rare this Bible is? Maybe this is what they were looking for.”
Aaron glanced at the Bible and then re-focused his attention on the rubble he was sifting through. “Was it locked up in a treasure chest?”
“No, it was just underneath these other books.”
“Then it’s not what they were looking for.” Aaron shook his head and examined the wall with his f
lashlight. “They had a key, remember?”
Millstead set the old Bible aside on a piece of furniture and mumbled something incoherent. He kept searching his side of the room. As they explored, the light shining through the opening in the ceiling dimmed. The wind picked up as the sounds of a brewing storm rumbled outside.
Aaron stopped what he was doing and peered through the trap door opening. “Maybe we’d better reschedule our little treasure hunt.”
“What? Why?”
“Grab your Bible. We’ve got to go.”
The detective gazed upwards at the opening in the ceiling. “Because of a little rain? Seriously?”
A loud explosion of thunder made Aaron’s heart skip a beat. Flickers of lightning lit up the room as rain droplets struck the metal trap door at an increasing pace.
“We have to leave right now,” Aaron said, already heading towards the center of the room. “Trust me on this.”
Millstead stared at Aaron for a moment and then finally agreed. “I don’t know what the urgency is, but all right.” He grabbed the Bible and one of the lanterns.
“Forget the lanterns.”
“These lanterns cost a hundred bucks each. I’m not leaving them here for some kids to steal.”
Aaron huffed, grabbed the lantern near him, and tossed it through the opening.
“Careful, damn it!” the detective yelled. “You’re going to bust—”
Aaron grabbed the other lantern and the Bible from his hands and tossed them outside.
“Seriously? Are you always this much of an asshole?”
Aaron motioned for the detective to make his way out of the basement. “Only when it’s necessary. Here, I’ll give you a boost.” Aaron hoisted him up with cupped hands and waited for the detective to help him. The storm had arrived, pounding the area with heavy sheets of rain and howling wind.
“Come on! Help me up!” Millstead didn’t respond. “I’m not playing around, damn it! Give me a hand!”
The sky flickered with a simultaneous eruption of thunder. The heart of the storm was right on top of them. Goose bumps covered his skin. He panicked. “Millstead! Answer me, damn it!”
Footsteps splashed through water towards him and a yellow raincoat fell from the sky, landing on his head.
“Are you kidding me?” Aaron complained while fumbling with the coat. “You went to the car to get raincoats?”
“You know, a simple thank you would be nice.” Millstead was wearing the same style of yellow rain gear. “Just put it on and quit your bitching.”
Aaron clenched his jaw. His heart beat heavy in his temples while he put on the weatherproof garment. He reached for the detective’s hand, but he slipped. Millstead caught him by the arm.
“Thanks,” Aaron said after the detective pulled him up from the basement. “Let’s go.”
Millstead grinned and shook his head. “You’re welcome.” Then his eyes widened, his face frozen in fear. “What the fu—”
Water and mud splattered as something landed behind Aaron. He unbuttoned his holster while Detective Millstead reached for his own gun. The man screamed as the chimera leaped over Aaron and tackled the detective. Aaron tried to intervene, but the beast’s serpentine tail whipped him across the face, knocking him into a puddle of muddy water. The man underneath the huge creature shrieked as it tore into his body. Ripping flesh and the snapping of bones filled Aaron’s ears. Millstead managed to fire two shots before the chimera silenced his screams.
Aaron reached for his own gun, but it wasn’t in the holster.
“Son of a…”
He searched in desperation for his weapon and found it next to the trap door. He rushed towards his gun on his hands and knees, but just as he extended his arm towards it, a large clawed and bloodied paw stepped on top of the weapon. The beast growled. Saliva and warm blood dripped onto the back of Aaron’s neck while the chimera towered over him.
Aaron closed his eyes. “Just do it, you piece of shit. Just do it and get it over with.”
The chimera pawed the gun into the basement and stepped away. Aaron turned around and sat up with his hands on the ground behind him. The ram and dragon heads huffed while the lion head growled, showing massive fangs, stained with Detective Millstead’s blood.
“What do you want?” Aaron yelled. “What the hell do you want from me?”
The demon spawn lifted its heads, which roared and brayed in unison. Then it turned and ran away before it spread its leathery wings, leaped into the air, and flew into the dark sky. The world spun around Aaron and everything turned to blackness.
CHAPTER FIVE
Déjà Vu
“Aaron!” The voice was distant. “Are you okay?”
“Wha?” Aaron’s vision was blurry as he opened his eyes. He blinked a few times while his vision came into focus. Maria stood over him with a cloth in her hand. It had red stains on it. That’s when he felt the pain on his forehead and discovered he was lying on the driveway next to his car. Cody and Samantha stood nearby. They looked worried about something. About him? “What the hell?”
Aaron tried to get up, but the dizziness overcame him, knocking him right back down on his ass.
“Careful, honey.” Maria reached down to help him. “You hit your head. And you’re bleeding, too.”
Cody and Samantha helped Maria get Aaron to his feet. They led him to the front porch where they eased him onto a wicker chair.
“I don’t understand,” he said, pinching the ridge of his nose.
“How did I get back home from Austin?”
His family shared baffled expressions with each other.
“Honey,” Maria said, “you haven’t been to Austin since we moved.”
“What are you talking about? I just went to—” He checked his watch. It was 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 10. “That can’t be right.”
Maria dabbed his wound with the cloth. “What can’t be right?”
“I…” He focused on the black sports car on the driveway and then at his wife. “It wouldn’t start.”
“That’s right. You were trying to fix it. Then the hood fell and hit your head.” She placed the back of her hand against his forehead. “You’ve been unconscious for almost twenty minutes.”
“Twenty minutes?” Aaron furrowed his brow and stared at the ground. The last thing he remembered was watching the chimera ripping into Detective Millstead’s body. He rubbed his hand over his face and raised his head again at the sound of approaching sirens.
“Did you call an ambulance?”
“Yes, I did,” Maria said. “You’re going to the emergency room.”
“I’ll be fine. I don’t need an ambulance. I just need to get to work.”
“No, you’re not. I think you’re going to need stitches.”
The ambulance arrived within a couple of minutes. Aaron allowed the paramedics to patch up his wound to stop the bleeding, but he refused a ride to the hospital. He insisted Maria drive him instead.
He didn’t speak on the way into town. All he could think about was Detective Millstead and searching the basement underneath Mr. Hadley’s office at Saint Hedwig. He thought about the trip to Austin, lunch at Dan’s Hamburgers, and the stone pentacle in the woods near the decrepit youth home. He didn’t even notice Cody standing outside the passenger side window, staring at him, after they’d dropped Cody off at school.
Cody grabbed his shoulder, startling him. “You had another nightmare, didn’t you?”
Aaron gazed into his eyes and responded with a single nod.
“Me, too.” He backed away a few steps and pursed his lips before turning around with his backpack slung over his shoulder. Aaron watched him join a crowd of other students and enter the school building.
“Okay,” said Maria, “let’s get you to the doctor.”
Aaron rubbed his thumb and index finger over his eyes. He pinched the ridge of his nose again. “I’ll see the doc, but then I have to go to work.”
“I don’t think that
’s a good idea.” Her tone didn’t sound like she was making a suggestion. “You need to take the day off.”
“Just drive, okay? Please?”
She glared at her husband and scolded him for being so stubborn. They didn’t speak with one another on the way to the clinic or even in the waiting room. At least they only had to wait fifteen silent and awkward minutes before a doctor called Aaron back for the examination.
He did end up having to get stitches, and after a series of tests, the doctor determined Aaron had also suffered a mild concussion. He advised Aaron to take the day off from work to rest. He had no intention of doing what the doctor ordered, though, and had Maria drive him to the pharmacy to pick up some ibuprofen, and then to work.
“The doctor said you should take the day off,” Maria reminded him while they got back into her Mercedes. “I’ll stay home, too, if you’d like. We can just relax and watch some movies together while the kids are at school.”
Aaron opened the bottle and shook a couple of pills onto his palm. Maria stared at him as he popped them into his mouth and drank from a bottle of water. She waited for his response, but he continued to gaze through the windshield.
“All right,” he finally agreed. “But I still need you to take me by the station for—”
“Aaron,” Maria protested.
“I just need ten or fifteen minutes. That’s all.”
She shook her head in disappointment and started the car. “Fifteen minutes, but then you’re taking the day off, okay?”
“That’s all I’m asking.”
†
Maria waited in the parking lot with the engine running. She listened to Carly Simon sing about being so vain, while Aaron met with the Sheriff.
“Don’t you worry about it,” Sheriff Donovan said, while eating a breakfast taco. “You ain’t landing in the hot seat on account of me. No, sir. You go spend some time with yer wife. Ain’t nothin’ going on right now anyways.”
“What about the Travers case?”
“Nothin’ we can do right now but wait for the ME to give us his final report. Until then, as far as I’m concerned, that dumbass got himself drowned and gave them gators somethin’ to snack on afterwards.”
Devil's Nightmare: Premonitions (Devil's Nightmare, Book 2) Page 6
