“I am deeply sorry for everything that happened to you and your family,” she said to Cody. “And to your friends.”
“Why didn’t you do anything?” Cody cried. “If you’re a cop, why didn’t you help me? If you did, my mom would still be alive. I wouldn’t be stuck living in this stupid town. And I wouldn’t have this to live with…” Cody lifted his shirt, revealing his scars, remnants of the sacrificial ritual he had survived at Saint Hedwig.
“Forgive me, Cody, but it is quite complicated,” Agent Kramer said. “There was nothing I could do at the—”
“That’s right,” Aaron said, his voice full of skepticism. “You couldn’t blow your cover. So, you just watched an eleven-year-old kid get brainwashed into participating in a satanic ceremony. What exactly happened down there?”
“We should focus on what we can do to help him today.” Agent Kramer shifted her eyes back to Cody. “Isn’t that what you want most?”
“They killed a pig,” Cody said, getting everyone’s attention. His lower lip quivered. “Mr. Smith cut its throat. He told me that drinking the pig’s blood would honor Satan. He said the demons would protect me. Then he… he drained all of the pig’s blood and …” He glared at Agent Kramer. “You were there! You could have stopped him!”
“What did he do, Cody?” Maria asked from the kitchen, her hand pressed against her chest.
Tears dropped from Cody’s eyes. He shook his head and cried. “I don’t know why I did it. It felt like I was doing the right thing, but it also felt like I was under a spell or something.” He ran his arm under his nose and wiped tears from his eyes. “He made me… He said I had to be bathed in blood. He said I had to do it. I had to, in order to be accepted as a child of Satan, the Prince of Darkness. I didn’t know that… I thought I… I just thought…”
Maria stepped out of the kitchen and held Cody in her arms while he cried.
“And you did nothing,” Aaron said to Agent Kramer, his eyes burning with anger.
“I wish I could have,” she said. “Had I known what this would have led to, then…” She sighed and watched Maria comfort the thirteen-year-old boy. “I am deeply sorrowful for what happened, Mr. Sanders. I know now that I should have intervened, but we can all end this today. We can end Cody’s suffering.”
“And if we’re going to do that,” Agent Hirsch said. “We should get on the road now. We’re wasting time here.”
“Yes, it is imperative that we not delay any longer,” Agent Kramer said. “The longer we wait, and the longer we allow this curse to continue, the worse things will get. The chimera is just the beginning.”
Aaron and Maria exchanged apprehensive looks with each other. Cody stared into Agent Kramer’s hypnotic eyes.
“He should come with us,” Agent Kramer suggested. “We may need him there when—”
“Absolutely not!” Maria protested. “He’s not going anywhere with you, and frankly, Aaron, I don’t think you should go with them either. I don’t trust them.”
“Mrs. Sanders, we have no intention of harming anyone,” Agent Kramer said in a soothing voice. “We want to send this chimera back to hell and end this curse once and for all. Cody’s presence may be necessary to do that.”
“I thought you just needed to say another spell,” Maria said. “What do you need Cody for?”
“It is more complicated than that, Mrs. Sanders.”
“No, she’s right,” Agent Hirsch said. “He shouldn’t have to step foot in that place ever again. It could be—”
“I’m going,” Cody said as he pulled away from Maria’s arms. “I’m tired of this thing. I don’t care what I have to do.”
“Are you sure?” Aaron said and glanced towards Maria.
“No, Cody,” she said. “You’re not going.”
“Yeah, I am,” he said. “I don’t want to live another day with this stupid curse. If these two jerks think they can fix me, then it’s worth trying.”
Both agents raised their eyebrows at that statement. Agent Hirsch formed a slight grin on his face.
“No, Cody,” Aaron said. “I don’t want you going either.”
“But—”
“You’re not going.”
“Do you have a pair of scissors?” Agent Kramer asked Aaron.
“For what?”
“A lock of Cody’s hair. We will also require an article of his clothing.”
That was an odd request, but Aaron had an idea where the agent was going with that. He checked with Maria to see what she thought, but she simply lifted her hand slightly and shrugged.
“It’s either that or draw some blood,” Agent Hirsh said.
“Jeez, people, it’s my life we’re talking about,” Cody said and headed down the hallway. He came back with a pair of scissors and an old shirt. He tossed the shirt to Agent Hirsch and handed the scissors to Maria. “I need a haircut anyway.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Under Lock and Key
Agent Hirsch parked the rented GMC Terrain near the locked gate that secured the Saint Hedwig property. He looked at Aaron through the rearview mirror. “You mind opening the gate? The combination is six-nine-five-seven.”
The brass combination lock kept a thick metal chain wrapped tight around the two sides of the wrought iron gate. When Saint Hedwig Youth Home had been in operation, the security guard would simply turn a key and press a button in the booth to open the gates electronically. The manual override allowed for Aaron to push the gates open, but they were still heavy, and the hinges had accumulated quite a bit of rust over the past couple of years due to a lack of service and squirts of lubrication.
“This is as far as it’s going to open,” he yelled out. “Unless you have a can of WD-40, the car is staying there.”
The daytime running lights on the Terrain dimmed out and the two federal agents stepped outside. They all searched the ruins for other trap doors, but only found the one in the floor of Mr. Hadley’s office. They searched the basement briefly, but focused most of their attention on the crevice Aaron and Detective Millstead had found earlier.
“Right there. You see?” Aaron pointed his flashlight beam at the crevice. Something metallic reflected off the light inside. He couldn’t tell what it was and was unable to reach it without breaking up the wall. After closer examination, Agent Hirsch discovered two of the stones were already loose. He and Aaron removed the stones, revealing a small metal lever.
Aaron inspected the lever for booby traps, and after determining it was safe, he pushed the lever upwards. The wall opened inward, revealing a dark and narrow passageway lined in stone masonry. Insects, mostly cockroaches, scurried on the dirt floor. The path descended in a downward slope. The underground passage went on for nearly one hundred yards before coming to a dead end that opened up into a small room.
“There must be another hidden passage,” Agent Kramer said. She placed her small duffel bag on the ground and shined her flashlight around.
“I agree,” Aaron said, as he moved his flashlight beam across the floor. ”Why hide this tunnel only to lead us to a dead end?” His footsteps changed to a more hollow sound in the middle of the room. He stopped and knelt. “I think I found something.” He tapped on the ground with the handle of his flashlight. It sounded like someone knocking on a door with thick gloves. “Yeah, there is definitely something underneath this dirt.”
Aaron and the two agents moved the dirt around with their hands, brushing several large beetles aside in the process. They uncovered a wooden trapdoor buried underneath a thick coat of soil. Aaron found a rusted metal handle and pulled. The door creaked open to a stone staircase leading to another narrow passageway.
The trio descended, cautiously making their way deeper underneath the ruins of Saint Hedwig. They stopped at a wooden door that had a large pentacle and inverted pentagram carved into it. It had a brass-plated door handle, a thumb lever, and a large keyhole on the plate underneath.
“Look at those markings,” Agent Kramer said, poin
ting to the runes carved between each point of the pentagram. She retrieved the pentacle pendant key and compared the markings to those on the door. “They’re identical.”
Aaron and Agent Hirsch held flashlights over the key, then pointed them at the pentacle on the door. Hirsch moved his beam of light over to the door lock. “Hundred bucks that key unlocks this door.”
“I’ll bet it doesn’t,” Aaron said. “Too easy.”
Agent Kramer hesitated before slipping the key into the lock. The blade of the key fit into the tumbler, but it would not turn. “Bloody hell.”
“Well, so much for that idea,” Aaron said, and held out an open hand to Agent Hirsch. He twitched his fingers back a couple of times.
“What?”
Aaron dropped his hand. “Forget it.” He shined his flashlight around the confined space. “There’s got to be another hidden compartment here.”
Agent Hirsch kicked the door with the flat of his shoe, which he quickly regretted. His attempt to bust through the wooden door all Hollywood style only did damage to his foot and ego. That didn’t stop him from trying other desperate measures to get the door open. “You might want to cover your ears,” he warned before pointing his pistol at the door lock.
Agent Kramer placed her hand on her partner’s hand. “Have you lost the plot, mate?” She reached into her duffel bag and pulled out a small lock-picking kit. “There are other options.”
Aaron shined a light on the lock while Agent Kramer attempted to pick it open. She worked on the lock for five minutes before giving up and cursing at the door.
“Maybe we should turn back,” Aaron suggested.
“No,” Agent Kramer said. “We have to get through that door. Whatever is behind it must be quite valuable to hide this deep underground.”
Agent Hirsch pulled his partner back, and, without warning, fired his weapon at the door lock. The bullet ricocheted off the metal and off the stone wall. The bullet whizzed over Aaron’s head, close enough that he could hear and feel it.
“Son of a bitch, man! Put that gun away, you moron, before you get us killed! There’s got to be another—”
A loud metallic click stopped him mid-sentence. He and his two companions raised their weapons and stepped toward the door. Aaron checked the handle and nodded. “Someone is on the other side of that door,” he whispered.
He eased the door forward. It creaked, announcing their entry as they stepped into a pitch black room. He and the agents held their flashlights underneath their pistols and scanned the room. It was large, lined with bookshelves. The door slammed shut behind them.
Several candles on a large chandelier above them lit the room in a flickering luminescence. The dilapidated room had a stone slab floor with brick walls covered in plaster, much of which had peeled off. The room was damp and had the distinct scent of mold.
“Okay, that was just a tad bit freaky,” said Aaron, while he took a couple of steps backward.
“Federal agents!” Agent Hirsch called out. “Show yourself.”
Aaron and the two agents fanned out and searched the room, but all they found were shelves loaded with dusty history books and classic literature ranging from Charles Dickens to Shakespeare. A solitary oak wooden desk rested at the back of the room. A single candle burned atop a tall golden candlestick.
“Somebody opened that door,” Aaron said.
“Yeah?” Agent Hirsh said. “But where are they? And what about that door and those candles?” He nodded toward the chandelier above them. The flames gave them enough light to navigate around the room, but not enough to light every dark corner.
The room was big and void of any other doors or pathways—at least any that they could find. Whoever had opened the door had likely shut it behind them, but the room was empty. Had it been empty the whole time? Aaron swallowed and gripped his gun a little tighter as he searched the room, hoping that wasn’t the case.
He found another large pentagram on the floor in the middle of the room. The design was exactly the same as the one in Robert Smith’s cellar. The two lower legs of the pentagram faced the door. The contiguous lines had a stone ring built around them, forming a complete and perfectly circular pentacle. The runes within the pentacle matched those on the old key and the entrance of the chamber. Aaron examined the occult symbol on the floor while Agent Hirsch thumbed through several books. He opened one book after another, shaking them with the pages fluttering downward before tossing them to the ground.
Agent Kramer focused on the desk.
A cold breeze blew through the room as Aaron ran his fingers over the engraving on the floor. “Did you feel that?” he asked.
“Feel what?” Agent Hirsch said, his eyes focused on an opened book in his hands.
“Something’s wrong.” Aaron stood and took a few steps towards the door. “We should go.”
The agents ignored his statement and continue rummaging through the desk and bookshelves. Aaron pulled on the door, but it would not open. He shot his eyes around with unsteady nerves and continued pulling on the door. It still would not budge.
“Jackpot!” Agent Kramer yelled. “I need both of you chaps to help me move this desk. Son of whore is heavier than it looks.”
With the desk out of the way, Agent Kramer pulled a loose brick from the wall, revealing an empty compartment. “Shite!” she cursed, but then smiled. “What have we here? There appears to be a keyhole in the wall.”
She pulled out the antique key and pushed it into the opening. It was a perfect fit. When she twisted the key clockwise, there was a click, and a small vibration on the floor. A dull scraping noise came from the center of the room. It sounded like two stone surfaces rubbing against each other. Another metallic click came from somewhere else in the room. The door? The pentacle on the floor had turned one hundred and eighty degrees. The top point of the pentagram faced the door with the two bottom legs pointing to the back wall of the room.
“Do you even know what you’re doing?” Aaron said. “I don’t think turning that key was such a good idea. That keyhole was hidden for a reason.”
“Relax, Lieutenant,” Agent Kramer said, while kneeling back down and examining the crevice where she’d stuck the key. She grabbed the brick—which was a bit lighter than it should have been—that had hidden the small compartment. She turned it over and grinned. Another small keyhole. She glanced at the key in the wall and then back at the faux brick while rubbing her finger across the slot.
“Let me see that,” Aaron said. He examined the slot and nibbled on the inside of his lower lip. “What the hell.” He pulled out his set of keys and thumbed through them. He removed one that looked like a standard house key. “Try this one.”
Agent Kramer took the key with a chary look on her face. The key slipped into the tumbler without any resistance. She looked back up at Aaron and asked where he’d gotten the key.
“In an envelope on my windshield.”
“Just like that?”
“Yeah. I thought it was Agent Hirsch at first, but apparently not. Somebody is giving us a helping hand.”
“Hmm.” She wrinkled her forehead. “Perhaps.”
“Well, unlock the damn thing, would you?” Agent Hirsch said.
Agent Kramer turned the key. It clicked and a portion of the faux brick slipped loose. Inside she found a small scroll with a dark red wax seal. The parchment had a yellow tone with hints of brown throughout. The seal had a familiar pentacle stamped into the wax. Without hesitation the agent pulled out the old scroll, but Aaron reached out and covered it with his hand.
“Don’t break the seal,” he warned, his chest and stomach tightened. “We should think hard about this.”
Agent Hirsch laughed. “You’re being paranoid. It’s not going to blow up in her face or something. It’s just a piece of paper.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about. I’m just having second thoughts. Something doesn’t feel right.”
“Don’t worry, Lieutenant,” Agent Kramer s
aid. “There is nothing to be concerned about.” She broke the seal and another cold breeze swept through the room.
†
Maria tapped on Cody’s bedroom door and cracked it open. “Time to eat, sweetie.”
Cody stuffed something in his desk drawer and glanced over his shoulder. “Okay. I’ll be there in a minute.”
She started heading back toward the kitchen, but then stopped and stood by the door for a moment. Curiosity set in. What was he hiding from her? Maybe she would just—
The door opened with Maria’s fingers still touching the handle.
“Um… Is there a reason why you’re still standing outside my bedroom?” Cody asked.
“No, I was… just thinking about Aaron.”
“Uh-huh.” He stepped around her, eyeing her with suspicion. “So, what’s for lunch?”
“Mom!” Samantha yelled from the kitchen. “Come here! Quick!” Maria rushed to the kitchen, Cody trailing right behind her.
“What is it, Sam? What’s wrong?”
Samantha pointed out the window above the kitchen sink.
“Oh, my goodness,” Maria said.
Dozens of black vultures had congregated in the front yard. Tree limbs swayed as an approaching storm darkened the sky.
“What are they doing, Mom?”
“I have no idea.”
Maria and the two kids stepped out on the front porch to get a better look at the large birds. They weren’t feeding on a dead animal, yet they flocked in one condensed area. They made grunting noises almost resembling hungry pigs while they slowly flapped their wings. When they noticed the humans, a few of the vultures stepped towards the house. They spread their wings into a four-foot span. Their behavior and raspy, drawn-out hisses demonstrated an unnatural aggressiveness, not typical of vultures.
“Mom…” Samantha took a step back and reached for the door handle behind her. “Why are they doing that?”
“I don’t know, Sam. Let’s go back inside.”
Maria and Samantha retreated back into the house, but Cody stepped off the porch and approached the massive birds. Three more vultures took notice of him, spread their wings, and hissed.
Devil's Nightmare: Premonitions (Devil's Nightmare, Book 2) Page 15
