3 Gates of the Dead (The 3 Gates of the Dead Series) (26 page)

“Kiss my ass, Darrin,” I gave him a half smile. “Yeah, well, didn’t you know? All preachers are either scoundrels or former scoundrels.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

The ghost hunting team had assembled in the conference room at St. Patrick’s by the time we arrived. Kate, Zoe, Reg, and to my complete surprise, Olan and Edna were there too.

“Oh, Aidan, are you okay?” Edna said as she rushed over to me and put her arm around my shoulders. “We’ll find Jennifer, don’t worry.”

“What are you two doing here?” I asked.

Olan smiled as he gave me a manly pat on the back. “Father Neal is a close friend of ours, and we’re unofficial members of the group. We are too old to go on hunts, so we do historical research. We’ve been keeping an eye on you for him.”

Keeping an eye on me?
I decided to ignore that comment. All the people in the room made me smile, and I felt a rush of warmth as I looked at everyone. They’d come to help and had probably left class or taken off work to be here.

“Thanks, everyone,” was all I could manage.

“Enough speeches. We have work to do, and we’re running out of time.” Father Neal’s voice galvanized us.

The rest of the group looked over text messages and audio from the investigation for any further clues while Father Neal made Darrin bring maps of Ohio into the office.

After several hours of talking and going over Hebrew grammar books, searching for a variant on serpent, we’d gotten nowhere.

“Nachash. For the love of God, what is it?” I said, looking up and seeing that it was five o’clock.

“
Where
is it, is the question you really need to ask. We already know the what.”

“It has to be a place close by, right?” I looked at the map of Ohio. Someone had put a red pin in Columbus and Athens and connected them with a red string.

“Yes, to form a triangle, thus completing the ritual,” Reg said as he traced over the red lines and looked to the northeast corner of the map.

“How exact does it need to be?”

“Not very, but close enough,” Father Neal said as he walked over.

“And it has to be a place of power?” Kate asked, tracing one of the vivid scars on her face.

“Without question,” Zoe said, handing Father Neal his coffee.

We all stood, huddled around the map. I squinted to make out features that would qualify as a place of power, though I honestly had no idea what that could be by looking at a simple road map.

I remembered the small scratches under the Hebrew on Jessica’s head. Had I missed something? I looked at my hand. The marker had faded. I couldn’t make out what I’d written. I wished I’d written it on a piece of paper. I couldn’t shake the feeling those scratches would have answered our question.

“What about Moundsville, West Virginia?” Kate offered, pointing at the border of Ohio and West Virginia. “There are Native American mounds there.”

Father Neal rubbed his gray stubble. “I thought about that, but how does Nachash fit in? Chillicothe is a graveyard, but there’s no serpent connection that I know about. Same thing with the Newark mounds. It’s a huge earthen observatory. The complex itself has some interesting associations, but nothing that would help us.”

“What kind of associations?” I blurted before I could stop myself.

“Just some rumors of giant skeletons and old Hebrew inscriptions found on the site. Nothing has ever been confirmed so we can discount that. Although, some people have connected it with the Nephilim and magick. It’s a possibility, but I don’t think it quite fits, because—”

He broke off with a gasp.

“What’s wrong?” Darrin asked.

“I’m thick and old, Darrin. How could I not see this? Nachash. It means serpent, yes, but it also means shining magician, necromancer, those who dabble in the black arts. A double meaning.”

He placed his finger on a spot in the southwest area of the state then traced to Athens, back to Columbus and downward. “Perfect,” he whispered.

“What, priest? Spit it out.” I prodded.

He didn’t answer as he walked over and grabbed a red book off his desk titled
Weird Ohio
. He flipped through the pages.

“I have found our snake in the grass.” He opened up the book and showed us a picture of an ancient Native American earthen effigy mound in the shape of a large snake.

“That’s it, that’s it!” I yelled. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of it.”

Father Neal began to read. “The Serpent Mound in Peebles, Ohio is the largest effigy mound in the United States. It has recently become of interest in the paranormal community due to its reputation for strange phenomena. The New Age community also holds an interest in the mound as a vortex, like the one in Sedona, Arizona. Shallow caves in the bottom of the hill have been thought to hold gateways to other worlds as represented by the snake’s open mouth.” He pointed at the snake’s head, which was swallowing something. “I wonder what that is.”

“Looks like an egg,” I said. “I thought you studied all of this, Father?”

Father Neal frowned. “I have as much as I can between my priestly duties and other things. Plus, there’s never been any magickal indication The Grinning Man lay buried there.” He looked down at the picture. “My guess is that is where the ritual will be held, at the head of the snake, the opening to the worlds, as it were.”

“We have to go. Now,” I said, jumping up. “Peebles is about two hours from here.”

“Yes,” Olan said, laying a hand on my shoulder. “We do.”

“But, Olan, you can’t…”

“Try and stop me, Aidan, my boy. All of us need to go. Right, Father Neal?”

Father Neal leaned on his cane, taking in each face as if reading some hidden information. “Yes, I think all of us will go, but only Aidan and I must go to the mound itself. It’s too dangerous for some of you. Do you understand?”

They all nodded.

“You all promise to do as I say and stop when I tell you?”

“We promise,” everyone said in unison, somber excitement in their voices.

“Reg, can we all fit in your SUV?”

“Well, two people will have to sit in the back if they don’t mind.”

“We will,” Kate said, grabbing Darrin’s hand as he smiled.

Father Neal nodded. “Then, let’s go. We’ll call Lieutenant Weaver when we reach the mound.”

“Why not now?” I said as I reached for my phone.

“Because I won’t risk their lives.”

Not knowing what to say, I followed everyone out to the cars.

Chapter Thirty-Five

I sat in the middle seat between Zoe and Olan. Edna stayed behind to organize what she called “prayer warriors.” The knot in my stomach tightened as we drove down Interstate 71 toward Cincinnati. We would have to get on the back-roads eventually, and I hoped we wouldn’t run into any slow-moving tractors.

Everyone talked about different things, trying to take their minds off what was about to take place. I couldn’t speak. I felt like if I opened my mouth, I would throw up. I tried not to think of the bloodstained cross or Jessica’s ring. If I did, my thoughts immediately jumped to what could be done to Jennifer.

Father Neal’s voice broke into my racing thoughts. “I think we should pray.”

“Aidan? Will you join us?” Olan asked, giving me a sidewise glance. Everyone looked at me.

“No, I can’t do it. You all can, but all I care about right now is saving Jennifer, not my faith. I don’t want to think about God.”

“You have to start now, Aidan. You have no choice.” Father Neal turned around in his seat to fix me with his piercing stare.

“Stop it.” I looked away from him. A direct look from Father Neal could put the fear of something, if not God, in anyone.

“It’s time to draw this poison out of you,” Olan said, grabbing my hand. I snatched it back.

“Maybe I don’t want it drawn. Maybe it isn’t poison to me.”

“It is. It has made you bitter, angry, and resentful. And full of doubt. Just like Thomas.” Father Neal kept looking at me. “Have you thought about the story like I told you?”

“No. Haven’t really had the time.” I avoided his eyes.

“You aren’t a very good liar, Aidan.”

I scowled. “We are driving as fast as we can to stop the murder of someone I … well, care about, and all you want to do is talk about faith and doubt. Can’t you save it for later?”

“No!” Father Neal thumped the console. “It must be now. Haven’t you seen enough to understand what we are up against? Nachash. The serpent. Does that penetrate through that thick Irish skull of yours?”

“So, we are fighting
the
Devil, are we now?”

“I don’t know about
the
Devil, but
a
devil. And that is bad enough.”

“How do we fight the Devil, oh head of wisdom?” I couldn’t keep the skeptic derision out of my voice.

“By belief, boy. That is why we must take out your doubt.”

“So, how are we going to do that? Is there some kind of operation?” I rolled my eyes.

“Thomas.”

“You keep saying that, so will you please explain yourself? I’m getting tired of the mysteries and hints.”

“Thomas the Doubter. You know the passage and the nature of his doubts,” Reg broke in, rubbing his chin.

“Intellectual and emotional,” I said.

“Ah, so you
have
thought about it.” Father Neal needled me.

“A little.”

“Do you know how Jesus meets Thomas’ doubt?”

I was speechless. I had focused for so long on Thomas in that passage, I had never given any thought to Jesus’ words. “He meets Thomas intellectually and emotionally.”

“The invitation to put his hands in Christ’s wounds,” Father Neal prompted. “His intellectual doubts met.”

“Then what?” I pressed.

“Thomas believes, and then what does Jesus say?”

“Blessed are those who don’t see, but believe,” I murmured.

“Indeed.”

I stared out the window at the white line on the side of the road as it raced by. To his credit, Father Neal remained quiet to let me process.

“Have you put it together, lad?”

“Doubt is always emotional and intellectual, as you said.”

“Yes, and what else?”

“Proof can always be had, but belief doesn’t depend on it, or shouldn’t.” It really was that simple. For all my reading, my study, my doubts, I forgot that everything depends on a point of view first.

“Now, lad, given everything you’ve been allowed to see, which one is it going to be?”

“Do I have to decide now?”

“Yes. You must.”

“Why is it so important?”

“Because, if you don’t believe, you’ll be run over by a spiritual truck. The men we are about to confront are believers of a type way stronger than you. The things they know, the power they have, and it’s all
real
. The only way to confront them is to believe in a power much stronger.”

“Them? I thought there was only one.”

“No, you and Jennifer believed that, but it is not true.”

“How do you know?”

Father Neal gripped his cane until his knuckles went white. “Because I have seen them in the spirit world.”

“I’m sorry. Can you say that again?”

Father Neal was always extreme, but this was new.

“Aidan, I have told you what I used to be.”

“Yeah, but…”

“You didn’t believe me. You thought Crowley was a charlatan, doing it only because it got women and men into bed with him?”

“I…” I couldn’t believe he was talking about this in front of the group.

“Don’t worry, I had to fill them all in,” Father Neal said, waving his hand. “Crowley was real, Aidan. His followers are real. They are the men and women in black. All of them have the same purpose. To awaken the Grinning Man. Aleister was obsessed with the idea. I followed him to America to make sure…” He paused and swallowed. “My guess is The Grinning Man sleeps in those caves the book talked about. I’ve searched for him for years. Now, we’ve found him, and we can stop him.”

“But who is he, Father? Why is this such a big deal?”

Father Neal’s eyes pierced mine. “Who he was, originally, I don’t know. I’m not sure if anyone does. But the Puritans, the Native Americans, and everyone had a name for him. They called him the Black Man. They thought he was the actual Devil, but I believe he was, or is, only a servant of Lucifer.”

“That’s a bit racist,” Darrin quipped from the back.

“No, Darrin,” Zoe jumped in. “He dressed in all black, not that he was black, although, many racist people often equated the two.”

“Yes, Zoe, and the Puritans mistakenly equated him with the Native Americans as well. But he was neither. He was a man, but what he is now, even I don’t know,” Father Neal said.

I decided to change the subject. “When you say you saw them, what do you mean? Who did you see?”

“I didn’t see their faces. They had obscured them, but I found them.”

“Wait, you actually went into this world? I thought you said it was forbidden,” I pressed.

Father Neal looked down. “It is forbidden, but I thought, under the circumstances, I would.”

“And?”

“I will not speak of it, Aidan.”

“But…”

“Don’t ask me any more. Just know I have an idea of what we will face when we get to the mound.” He grimaced as if someone had struck him.

“What will that be?”

“I think you know,” he said gravely, turning to face forward.

“The final ceremony?”

“Yes. The third gate will open, and the Grinning Man will re-enter the world.”

Silence filled the car as we wound our way through the back roads. Father Neal’s voice broke the stillness.

“Stop here.”

“But we are still a mile from the mound, Father,” Reg objected as he tapped the GPS.

“I know, Reg, but this is as close as we will get.”

We all got out of the SUV and looked at each other. It was pretty clear no one understood why we were parked so far away.

“Now, it’s time for my instructions. Are you all ready?” Father Neal said, his back straight, looking every bit like an old wizard. Not Dumbledore or Gandalf, but more like Merlin, wild and commanding. Everyone nodded.

“Reg,” he continued. “Give us an hour. After that, I want you to call the county police, tell them what we talked about. It has to be an hour because if they come earlier than that, they will get more than they bargained for, understand?”

Reg nodded.

“Kate, Darrin, and Zoe, you must pray until Reg makes his call, do you understand? Don’t stop. And Olan?”

“Yes, Father?”

“You see the clump of trees in the distance on top of the hill?” he said, pointing.

“Yes, I do.”

“That’s where the Serpent Mound is and where we will be. After the police is called, I want you to lead everyone up the hill. Carefully and quietly. If you feel any resistance, stop and turn around, do you understand?”

“What sort of resistance?” Kate asked.

“You’ll know it when you feel it. There is a barrier around the mound right now that can only be broken by me. If something happens, you won’t even be able to come close.

They nodded as they gazed at the clump of trees.

“Good.” He lifted up his hands. “May the Power of the Three in One sustain you and protect you.” Then he gripped my arm. “Let’s go, Aidan.”

As we walked down the road, my skin began to prickle, and my heart beat faster. My airway constricted, and I gasped. Father Neal waved his hand and mumbled something under his breath, and I felt better.

“What was that?” I gasped.

“The barrier I mentioned.”

“Care to elaborate?”

His gave me a thin smile. “Electromagnetic barriers, you might say, designed to disrupt and paralyze. Reg’s car would never make it.”

“And humans?”

“Would go into full respiratory failure, as you were just beginning to experience.”

The gravel on the side of the road crunched under our feet as I took in his words.

“And how do they do this, exactly?”

Father Neal didn’t answer as his lips moved in silence.

“Father Neal?”

He shook his head. “Sorry, my boy, what did you say?”

“I said how do they put up these barriers?”

He limped along. “You might call it a generator, I suppose. They would have generated them, casting a dome around themselves.”

“Did you say cast?”

“I did, yes. A spell of sorts, a spell of protection.”

“Spell of protection?” I couldn’t keep the skepticism out of my voice.

“Yes,
Thomas
, spell of protection.”

The clouds hid the moon as we walked up to the earthen serpent. “You know, I might be able to buy the whole God thing again, but this magick business is a bit hard to swallow.” I strained my eyes to see Father Neal through the blackness that surrounded us.

He looked at me, surprised. “Don’t you remember our conversation about science, magick, and God? And as for how it relates to Christianity, the Bible forbids certain practices, but it never says the cursed things don’t work. It just instructs us not to do them. Is that also troubling to you, hard to comprehend?”

I sighed. “No, I mean … I don’t know.”

“It’s all right, my lad, God loves you anyway.”

My throat tightened, but I said nothing.

We walked for about twenty minutes as the darkness closed in around us like a blanket. The lights from the houses that had been twinkling in the distance now disappeared. I could only see a few hundred feet around us as we turned off the road. A sign posted midway up the hill read:
Serpent Mound State Park
.

Father Neal looked at me. “Here we go, lad, up the hill.”

The branches of the trees pointed up like bones waving their gnarly fingers in the wind. The farther we climbed, the stronger the wind blew. The darkness engulfed us.

“We are getting close, Aidan.”

Father Neal pointed to the left. “The mound is over there.”

I could only make out a hump of earth stretching down the hill. “Doesn’t look like much,” I whispered.

“I know, but trust me when I tell you, it’s impressive.” As Father Neal moved, I noticed a canvas satchel across his shoulder.

“What’s in the bag?”

“Don’t ask questions. Let’s move.”

We walked farther to the mound as the tall observation tower loomed over us. I shivered as a creeping sense of dread hit me. My heart quickened, my breath came in ragged gasps, and my vision narrowed. The telltale signs of a panic attack. I wanted to run, to get away. I turned around, and Father Neal grabbed me by the arm.

“No, you don’t really want to run.”

“I’m afraid,” I heard myself saying, but not quite believing the words, or the meekness of my voice.

“It’s all part of their work, Aidan. The fear, the darkness, all of it.”

I looked up into the trees. “And the wind? What’s with the wind?”

“Spirits … the spirits are coming to the mound.”

Thunder rolled and crackled around us as a ripping sound filled the air.

“The veil,” I said, and Father Neal nodded.

As we walked closer to the mound, the temperature began to drop beyond the natural cold of night. My breath, which I could barely see at the start of our walk, had now become a steady stream of gray.

Father Neal slowed down, and his limp grew more pronounced.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes,” he gasped. “My knee aches. An old war wound, you might say.”

“Do you need help?” I reached toward him.

“No. Thank you, though. I will enter the ring by my own power.” His voice was resolute.

“The ring?”

“A concentrated energy surrounding the men who have done all this. It grows more intense from the spirits that are gathering.”

At that moment, we heard it. The sound of crunching snow surrounded us in the dark woods. The sound of hundreds of feet marching in step.

“The coming sacrifice draws them, held in the power of the Bone Masters,” Father Neal whispered. “They’re coming to the mouth of the serpent, to concentrate their power for the Grinning Man. Don’t move.”

We stood still, holding our breath as the spirits passed around us. With each crunch, I felt certain they would see us, but whether they were too focused on their destination, or Father Neal’s prayers protected us, I couldn’t tell, and they moved on.

“Now, Aidan, walk right behind me. Don’t walk anywhere else.”

I might have argued with him in the quiet warmth of his office, but not here, not now. This was his realm, and I could only follow like a kid following his dad.

Each step brought us closer to the mouth. In some parts, the ancient mound rose no higher than our knees. As it stretched down the hill, the hump grew larger. We climbed on top of the nearest earthen coil. It seemed deserted, but Father Neal began to follow the curve.