* * * *
At first, all Damien could see was swirling white clouds that gave him the feeling of walking on air. He lost a sense of time and place, his mind replacing it with a simpler understanding of now. There was no past or future, only the present.
After a few moments, the clouds cleared and he was on a dirt road, in a bleak countryside. It looked well traveled by wagons, deeply scarred and gouged by wheels. The few trees that dotted the landscape appeared to be dead. Even the sky overhead showed no cheerfulness, clouded in a glowing orange canopy that cast a dreary light on the barren land below.
Damien scanned the horizon for any sign of houses or people but saw nothing. “Candy?” he called as loud as he could. “Candy, can you hear me?"
Silence.
A shadowy despair tugged at his soul. What if I never find her? The terror of that reality almost overwhelmed him. Don't panic, you'll find her. If there was a way in, there must be a way out.
He walked along the road calling her name for what seemed like hours. Finally, he spotted a group of men approaching. They were dirty and worn, and as they drew closer, he could see they were dressed like Confederate soldiers.
Their faces were as pale as snow. They walked with a shuffling gate, their heads down in defeat. One man led a mule along pulling a wagon with wounded soldiers in it. Everything smelled like body filth and blood.
Damien rushed over to them. He placed himself directly in their path. “Excuse me but have you seen a little girl in your travels?"
Not one of them met his gaze or said a word. Instead, they walked right through him. Damien stumbled as if he'd been pushed by a sudden gust of wind. When they had all passed, he looked back at them. No one seemed to have seen him. His stomach knotted and a small wave of nausea seized his gut.
Walking over to a nearby tree, he leaned against it and ran his fingers through his hair. He'd have to go back. There was no way he was going to be able to do this by himself. He'd have to continue this search with help. The only problem was he had no idea what kind of help he needed.
CHAPTER FIVE
"All the guests are gone,” Karl said, stalking into Damien's office and closing the double doors behind him.
Damien paced before the empty fireplace rubbing the back of his neck. A small headache throbbed at the base of his skull.
"Do any of them know?"
Karl sat in a large wing chair by the oak desk. His whole body looked stiff, like an old man's.
"No,” he said.
Damien fought down his rising terror and paced faster. He stopped and pierced Karl with a desperate stare. “How the hell are we going to get Candy out of that fucking machine?” His voice came out harder than he'd intended.
Karl blinked as if he'd been struck in the face by each word. “I'm not sure,” he confessed.
"But I do have an idea."
Damien leaned against the wall and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I'm open to anything. Let's hear it."
Karl took a deep breath. “We're going to need a psychic and a good one."
"A psychic!” Damien snarled. “Are you completely crazy? Why not just hire an African Witch Doctor?"
Karl held up a hand to ward off Damien's tirade. “Just hear me out!"
"Fine."
"Well,” Karl continued, “as you've seen yourself, we cannot communicate with anyone on the other side of the gate. But maybe a good psychic can. She or he can ask questions, get leads, and perhaps get a handle on where Candy is."
Damien was silent for a long time. He walked over to the window and watched the morning sunlight begin to color the sky a gentle blue. How could this nightmare have happened? How could his beautiful little girl have gotten trapped in the land of the dead? It seemed too crazy to be real. But it was real, much too real.
His throat tightened as a few tears escaped his eyes. “Where are we going to find a psychic with that kind of power?"
Karl stood up and moved up behind him slowly. He placed a hand on his shoulder trying to comfort him. “What about Jennifer Stein? I've heard she's very good. The only problem is she doesn't practice the art anymore. I've heard she's working at a law office only a few blocks from here."
Damien recalled how hot their sex had been. He felt a faint glimmer of hope. “You think she'll be willing to help us?” he asked, keeping his gaze fixed out the window. He couldn't remember a time when his friendship with Karl was more strained.
"I honestly don't know,” Karl confessed.
Damien hardened his soul. There were no other options; he needed to convince Jennifer to help him. “I'll go alone and talk to her,” he said. “I'm sure I'll find some way to persuade her.” Even if I have to do it by force, he thought.
CHAPTER SIX
Mister Frankin, the Senior Partner of the Law Firm of Frankin, Frankin, and Lowes, stomped up to Jennifer's desk and scowled. It wasn't unusual for him to be in a bad mood in the morning. In fact, it would have been unusual for Mister Franklin to be in anything but a bad mood on most mornings. All one could do was weather the storm until late afternoon when he usually left for the day.
Jennifer put on a pencil thin smile and met his hostile gaze. “What can I do for you Mister Frankin?” she asked.
Clearing his throat loudly, he pulled out a white handkerchief and blew his nose. His jowls trembled with his efforts. “Why haven't you taken the phones off the machine yet?” he demanded.
"I just got in, sir. I'll do it right away."
"What happened to the receptionist?” he asked, snapping his fingers as if that would conjure her name out of thin air. “What was her name, Cassey?"
Jennifer squeezed past him to get to the receptionist desk. “Her name was Linda and she quit last night. Boyfriend troubles."
He shook his head in disapproval. “Thank goodness you don't have problems like that Jennifer,” he said. He lumbered off to his office.
Yeah, Jennifer thought. At least I don't have problems like that. She tried to remember the last time she'd been on a date but couldn't. She wondered if last night's sex counted as a date but then she guessed not. Maybe I should try one of those Internet dating sites. Unfortunately, she wasn't much for blind dates. Well, I guess I'll just have to wait for the right guy to come along. I sure hope that doesn't take too long.
CHAPTER SEVEN
A promotion.
Jennifer sipped her morning coffee and opened up her word processor. She let the words sink into her mind again. Finally, I'm getting a promotion. She thought this day would never come. She drank a little more coffee and grimaced. She hated black coffee but today was day one of her new diet and this was the first big challenge. Black coffee and a promotion, two opposing forces for good and evil in her life.
Jennifer became aware of someone standing at the counter of her desk looking down at her. She looked up and gasped.
It was her secret lover, her fling, the High Priest of the Amber Dawn. Her eyes darted around and wondered who in the office had recognized him. She had to get him out of here. He was the most notorious man in the city, famous for his bizarre religious excesses.
"Hello Jennifer,” he said.
"Oh no,” she said more in response to the situation than his question.
"I need to talk to you."
She paused for a moment to steady her nerves. Damien certainly was as handsome as she remembered from last night. His dark brown hair was neatly groomed and combed back from his face. His eyes were a deep bottomless mahogany that seemed to cut right into her innermost thoughts. He was a tall man, standing just over six feet and he wore a black shirt and slacks.
Jennifer bolted from her chair and escorted him into one of the vacant counseling offices. She closed the door behind them, bracing her back against it so no one could walk in on them.
Damien looked confused by her actions. “I need your help."
She ignored his statement. “What are you doing here?” she snapped. “God, if my boss recognizes you I'm going to be fired. What
do you want?"
Damien folded his arms. “I've heard you're a gifted psychic."
Jennifer was shaking her head even before he'd finished. “I don't do that stuff anymore."
She reached for the door handle. “I'm sorry you had to waste your time."
He placed his hand over hers. “Do you still have the ability?” he asked.
Jennifer tore her gaze away and pulled her hand back. “I told you—"
"Do you have the ability or not?” he insisted.
Her will was fading. All she wanted him to do was leave. “Yes, I do.” She was drained. What could he possibly want from her? She'd already slept with him and he didn't care about the real world of the occult.
He and his church were charlatans. Everybody knew that. They were a joke; a circus act to most real psychics. Damien was notorious for never believing in anything. Not really anyway.
"I desperately need your help,” he said.
"For what?"
"Something has happened back at the church.” He scowled and paced. His eyes searched the floor as if all the answers would be etched there. “A gateway to another dimension was opened,” he paused and sat down.
This must be a trick of some kind, she thought. That machine of Karl's couldn't really work, could it? “I don't understand how this has anything to do with me."
He didn't seem to hear her. “I went in myself but I couldn't communicate with anyone,” he continued. “I thought maybe, with your abilities, you could try to"
Jennifer held up her hands. “Listen Damien, I don't see what I can"
"Maybe you could find my daughter, Candy,” he said.
She froze. His last words dropped like stones on the floor before her. “What did you say?"
He lowered his head and put his face in his hands. “My daughter Candy is trapped in there. I've got to find a way to get her out."
A soft knock sounded on the door. It opened a crack and Craig Summer, one of the firm's lawyers, pushed his head in. Jennifer swallowed, and then smiled.
"Are you almost done in here?” he asked. He sounded annoyed.
"Yes sir, Mister Summer. Mister Saul was just leaving."
Summer glanced at Damien and made a face. He closed the door softly.
Jennifer went over and stood by Damien's chair. “I'm really sorry about what's happened, but I really can't help you with this. It's way out of my league. Let me look in my purse, I might be able to find some names of other psychics who would be happy to help."
Damien nodded and rose from his chair. “Thanks,” he said.
Jennifer's heart sank as she followed him out. “I'll also ask around,” she said. “I'm sure I'll find someone with the abilities you need."
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jennifer unlocked her front door and raced for the phone on its fourth ring. “Hello?"
There was a small pause. “I've called everyone on your list,” Damien said. “No one is willing to help me."
Her heart sank. What would it take for him to leave her alone? An icy ripple moved over her skin. She had a bad feeling about this situation and really didn't want to get involved. Guilt pulled at her like a great, heavy chain. She certainly could understand his desperation to find help. If this was for real, getting his daughter back would be no easy task.
His breath was heavy on the phone. It almost sounded like he might cry. “There is no one else,” he said in a tortured whisper. “Please."
Jennifer sighed. He was screwed without her and she knew it. “All right,” she said. “I'll be over in an hour."
* * * *
In the daylight, the Amber Dawn house was like something out of a gothic horror movie. Its stone façade reminded Jennifer of a castle and its large oak door was anything but welcoming. She guessed the business of strange religions was doing well. She pulled her VW into the nearest parking spot and climbed out of the car. She grabbed her purse and stifled a yawn. This was going to be a long day. She hoped this wasn't some publicity stunt to grab headlines, she knew this place's reputation for crazy stunts.
Damien opened the door before she had a chance to knock. He was dressed in a black t-shirt and blue jeans and filled both out impressively. He was even more attractive than she remembered, with a hard athletic build.
Jen came in feeling oddly out of place. Images of their lovemaking filled her thoughts. He certainly was a memorable lover, she thought, feeling herself blush. She shrugged it off.
"So,” she said nervously shoving her hands in her pockets. “Where's this gateway to the land of the dead?"
Damien gestured to a grand staircase. “Upstairs."
Jennifer followed him wordlessly. There were so many things she wanted to ask him, so many secrets about him and this place she wanted to know, but now was not the time. She didn't know what he was up to with this weird story, but she really didn't believe that he had a gateway to the dead. She wouldn't accept any of this until she saw it for herself.
They walked down a long hallway and finally reached an open bedroom. Damien entered first. She followed him in cautiously.
She heard the machine before she saw it. It made a whirling, mechanical sound, something like a carnival ride. The sight of it made her mouth drop open. There before her was an enormous metal structure with a swirling rainbow center. As the center rotated, the entire machine seemed on the verge of stalling as it sputtered occasionally causing the room lights to dim. The thing was oval and about eight feet tall. It looked like it could have been the evil mirror from Snow White. A small mechanical box sat on a seat near the entrance. The entire room smelled like gasoline.
"My God,” she said unable to tear her eyes away. “How did you build this thing?"
Damien moved up behind her. “I didn't build it, my friend did. I have no idea how he did this."
A phantom groan escaped the gateway, like the death sigh of a very old man. “What's wrong with it?"
"I don't know. It started doing this about an hour ago."
Jennifer turned and stared at him. “I hope you don't expect me to go into this thing."
He blinked as if she'd slapped him. “It's the only way to look for my daughter, isn't it?"
She folded her arms and took a step back from him. “I'm not going in there."
"I'll go with you."
"How are we going to be able to get back?"
He gestured toward the mechanical box on the chair. “We use the remote tracker."
"Didn't your daughter have the remote tracker?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. “No, Jennifer. She came in here without anyone knowing and got into the machine. That's why she's lost.” Deep lines showed at the corners of his eyes.
Jennifer reached out and squeezed his arm. “I'm sorry. I know how painful this must be for you."
They both turned to the machine. A flash of light filled the room and the center of it went black.
Silence.
Jennifer turned to Damien. “What happened?"
He pulled his cell phone and began dialing. “It's shut down."
"Can we get it restarted?"
He placed the phone to his ear, his eyes glassy. “I have no fucking idea."
CHAPTER NINE
Karl had been working on the machine for over two hours, and the longer he worked without success, the tenser Damien became. Finally, Karl took a break and came over to them. He wiped some grease off his hands with a brown rag. Damien visibly stiffened.
"This is going to take me awhile,” Karl said.
The panic in Damien was palpable. Jennifer thought he was going to explode. Instead, Damien said, “okay, we'll wait for you downstairs.” He turned and headed for the door cloaked in a mist of sorrow. At the threshold, he stopped and faced Karl again. “I'm going to have to report Candy's disappearance to the police."
Karl frowned but nodded, “I know."
Damien left the room and Jennifer followed close behind him. “What are you going to tell them?” she asked.
He
pinched the bridge of his nose as he descended the staircase. “I'm not sure. At this point, just that she's missing from her room. That's basically the truth. If I tell them about the machine, they'll think I'm crazy."
Jennifer chewed her lip. “Is there someplace where I can be alone? Maybe I can get through to your little girl. It's certainly worth a try."
He looked at her. The despair had caused dark circles to form around his eyes. In that moment, Jennifer decided she liked Damien Saul, more perhaps than she'd like to admit. She also vowed she'd do everything she could to help him, no matter what the cost.
"Yes,” he said leading her down the hall to a side room. “This is the library but nobody uses it but me and ... Candy."
Jennifer touched his arm to comfort him and he pulled her into a tight embrace. The shock of his action left her speechless. He squeezed her like a man condemned to death. “Please help me,” he whispered in her ear, “please."
Jennifer hesitated but hugged him back. It was a desperate, warm embrace, that held more emotion than any other she'd ever felt. His body was large and strong and yet she could feel him trembling ever so slightly. “I will,” she said holding him. “I promise you. I'll do everything I can."
CHAPTER TEN
Jennifer had spent over two hours trying to reach Candy in the land of the dead without success. She suspected Damien, who was compelled to knock and check on her progress every twenty minutes, was the real problem. After the third time, Jennifer excused herself, told him she'd be back soon and went home.
Once she got to her home, she made herself some green tea, pulled the drapes against the hustle and bustle of the road outside, and settled down to meditate in her room. Since she hadn't done this in a while, it began slowly. First, there was the static of her normal everyday life rushing through her thoughts until all that energy quieted itself down. When the stillness came, it was a welcome relief.
Jennifer let her mind venture to the deepest spiritual plane; death. Even though she'd never been this far on the other side before, her mind found it instinctively. She flew over the alien landscape, passing battles long won in history and tragedies replaying themselves over and over again in a vain attempt to make sense of what first happened.
The High Priest of Amber Dawn Page 2
