The Body Hunters (21 page)

 
          He nodded an affirmative, his eyes focusing on nothing as if he were looking into the past. "Our convoy was on the way back to base when our Humvee was attacked. Everyone in my vehicle was killed except for me. I crawled out, but I could swear my dead teammates were talking to me as plain as you and I are talking right now. I thought I may have had PTSD, but I found out that it was a little more than that.
"

 
          Reaching to the back of her neck, Danny removed her grandmother's cross. "OK Here's what we're going to do. I'm gonna show you how to work with the spirit realm.
"

 
           His protests died on his lips when she placed the gold cross in his palm, covering his hand with hers.

 
          "Close your eyes." She ordered
.

 
          "You know," He began, his eyes closed as she had requested, "If you're trying to seduce me and enroll me into the mile high club, I'm all for it.
"

 
           Danny pinched his firm biceps. "Boy shut up and concentrate."

 
          "Ooh, Baby, that hurt." Using his other hand he rubbed his sore arm
.

 
          "Close your eyes and focus on my voice. Clear your mind, relax and let yourself go.
"

 
           Listening to her soothing voice he slipped into a tranquil state, purposely slowing his breathing and heart rate.

 
          "You don't want to look at the big picture. You're looking at the little details. They may come as pictures like a postcard. Don't try to focus on one. Just let them come.
"

 
           Those were the last words he heard before he slipped under, a chill covering his body.

 
           He found himself in an outdated but cozy kitchen. As if he were truly there, the unmistakable aroma of home cooked southern food wafted around him. He turned, feeling a light touch on his shoulder and coming face to face with who he assumed was Danny's beloved grand mere.

 
           The older woman's eyes were the same whiskey gold as her granddaughter's, and her smile just as warm. She and Danny shared the same height and the golden brown complexion. In her presence he felt soothed and at ease.

 
          In front of him the scene unfolded in the kitchen. A duplicate of grand mere was in the kitchen working her culinary sorcery. A pot with her special jambalaya brew steamed on the antique stove. Grand mere stirred the pot with a large wooden spoon filling the kitchen with the perfume
.

 
           Abruptly the swinging kitchen door was pushed open and a skinny little whirlwind of activity flew in the kitchen. At five years old, Danny was adorable, nothing but skinny arms and legs. She grinned up at the older woman, revealing a snaggle toothed smile. Apparently she had just gotten back from school because there was a My Little Pony backpack hanging off her shoulder.

 
           Grand’Mere picked up the child and helped her wash her hands in the kitchen sink. Together the two of them shaped peanut butter cookies, rolling them into balls before they mashed them on a cookie sheet with a fork. The old woman smiled and wagged a stern finger at Danny when the kid ate a finger full of cookie dough.

 
           Like VCR tape, things in the vision fast forwarded, the pictures moving too fast for him to track. It felt like being on the inside of a kaleidoscope, the imagery distorted. He now found himself in a bland, sterile hospital, the smell of disinfectant and sickness hanging in the air. Grand’Mere lay in a hospital bed, her life hanging by i.v.lines, respirators, and heart monitoring machines. Frail and shrunken looking, the old woman lay in the hospital bed with death looming over her
.

 
          In the hallway, a now adult Danny consulted with two physicians who were obviously giving her bad news. A light rain of tears sprinkled her cheeks. Defeated and weary, Danny re-entered the hospital room, taking her chair and laying her head on her grandmother's lap
.

At his name being called he turned his head. Feeling a sudden tug he opened his eyes, immediately meeting Danny's concerned gaze.

           "You OK?" She asked, her hand gripping his arm
.

 
           "Yeah, I'm fine." He shook the cobwebs from his head, reacquainting himself with his surroundings. Even though he was a little disoriented he could remember things more clearly than he had with his previous visions.

 
          "What did you see?" She asked
.

 
          “Your grandmother" He recalled. "We were in her kitchen. She was cooking and you two were making peanut butter cookies. You were just a kid. You had a school uniform and a My Little Pony backpack.
"

 
          "What else?" She pressed
.

 
          "Things got all topsy-turvy then, we were in a hospital. Your grandmother was sick.
"

 
           Danny's eyes misted over, tears threatening to drop. She swiped at them with a finger.

 
          "Are you alright?" He asked as he cradled her face and wiped at a rogue tear with his thumb
.

 
          "I'm fine." She laughed, despite the tears streaming down her face. "You've gotta forgive me. I'm usually not a crybaby like this, but sometimes I just miss her.
"

 
           "Nani, you've got nothing to be sorry about."

 
          Still clasping her chin, he moved closer, planting a soft but firm kiss on her lips. It happened so fast that she had to convince herself that it actually occurred
.

 
          As if burned, he jumped out of his seat looking very uncomfortable and running a hand over his head. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that.
"

 
          Danny was equally stunned. "Don't worry about it. It's fine.
"

 
          "Yeah, but I shouldn't have." He stammered
.

 
          "Stone, would you please sit down? I said its fine. No big deal.
"

 
          Still feeling awkward, he once again took the seat across from her, looking extremely guilty. Danny was feeling just a little guilty herself. As brief as it was she had to admit she didn't hate it
.

Chapter 13
 

 
     The weather in Dallas didn't exactly roll out the red carpet upon Danny's arrival. As soon as she stepped off the Bureau's private plane she was greeted by foreboding murky clouds clashing together in the afternoon sky. Miles away lightning stitched its way through the clouds like it was weaving a tapestry. The muggy hotness was a different breed than the arid heat in Phoenix, but she felt like she was backhome in New Orleans since the weather was very similar. Her clothes clung to her and she felt sticky and clammy like she had just run a country mile. You practically needed an oxygen tank to even breathe the air
.

 
           Landing in Dallas finally, the tension between Danny and Aiden since the kiss on the plane was temporarily subsided. They both were focused on the mission they had to fulfill.   He again procured his usual black Suburban for their travel needs. After checking into their hotel rooms, Danny freshened up with a shower and he made several calls to his contacts at the Dallas Field Office from his room.

 
          The word from Alejandro was that Lucius Johnson himself had flown into town only a few hours before and was now personally taking responsibility for the case. Now that the Bureau had discovered that they were dealing with a serial killer, Dallas was now ground zero as far as the investigation into the multiple homicides was concerned. A meeting was scheduled for the next morning that would include the Bureau and local law enforcement along with a press conference to alert the local media to recent developments in the case
.

 
           During their flight Danny had asked to see Sherry's remains in the hopes that maybe Aiden could get a reading using his abilities. After a call to the coroner's office, he learned that they were pretty much out of luck. Her remains were now in the custody of the mortuary since the Cavender’s had decided it was time to finally bury their little girl. Her private memorial was to be held the next day for only close friends and family. Knowing that time was of the essence, the Everlasting Peace Funeral Home advised that they would not allow access to Sherry unless the Cavender’s signed off on it. Their first stop had to be the Cavender’s home.

 
           Danny was very nervous about the meeting. As a detective in New Orleans, the worst part of the job was meeting the victim's family. As a cop, and later as a psychic investigator, she had learned to put some distance between herself and the victims so that she could be objective and solve the case without getting her emotions tied in knots. However, introducing herself to mournful loved ones could take away her detachment as far as the case was concerned.

 
           Finally driving away, the two remained silent. The only sound in the vehicle's cabin was the sexy female voice of the navigation system. Danny's expression was one full of apprehension. Agent Stone had never witnessed her so silent for such a long period of time. Something in him knew now was not the time for his usual wisecracks or flirtatious banter. He instead reached out to pat her on the knee supportively.

 
          Pulling up to the Senator's estate, he pushed the buzzer at the gated entrance to the property. A disembodied voice spoke through the speakers
.

 
           "Yes, who is this?" He presumed it was one of the Cavender's staff
.

 
          "I'm Agent Stone ma'am of the FBI, and I have a consultant Ms. Labouleaux with me. We'd like to talk to Senator and Mrs. Cavender if we can.
"

 
          "They are very busy with funeral preparations, but I think they may be able to squeeze you in. I'll buzz you right in." There was a light buzz and the iron gates of the estate opened
.

 
          The South fork Ranch of the prime time soap opera Dallas immediately sprang to Danny's mind. It had been one of grand mere’s favorite television shows, and she had watched the reruns of the series religiously for years. The Cavender estate was comprised of a massive main house with three smaller houses serving as the living quarters for their staff. The houses were situated on several hundred sprawling acres of land. In the distance she could see a stable and fenced in area where horses were frolicking outside in the sun
.

 
          It was a well-known fact Senator Cavender's fortune was inherited from his great-grandfather who started out as a young railroad tycoon. The Cavender families eventually expanded their fortune into drilling for oil in the middle of the twentieth century and often were dubbed the Kennedys of Dallas. In his thirties the future Senator decided to give something back to his community by running for public office and had been in the political arena for nearly twenty years now. Also like the Kennedy family, the Cavender’s had learned about heartache and tragedy with the murder of their daughter
.

 
          The pair made their way up the stairs to the main house, and in moments they were inside sitting on a very uncomfortable Queen Anne sofa. The house maid offered them cold ice water from a tray
.

 
           "Um, thanks."  Aiden took his glass feeling very strange that someone was serving him refreshments outside of a restaurant. He was deeply grateful for the coolness since the temperature in Dallas was oppressive and muggy.

 
           Danny helped herself to the icy cool liquid that was also offered to her. She held the glass nervously between her hands almost as if she was deathly afraid of dropping it.

The Senator and Mrs. Cavender entered the drawing room and Agent Stone stood up to greet them
.

 
           Sherry's addiction and murder had obviously weighed heavily on her parents. Instead of the robust personification of a Washington fat cat that appeared on Capitol Hill, the senator had dropped fifty pounds and had permanent worry lines etched under his eyes. Mrs. Cavender, though radiating to Aiden and Danny, her practiced former beauty queen smile, couldn't disguise her red eyes or the pinkish tint to her nose. The woman had been weeping only minutes before.

 
           "I'm sorry to be disturbing you like this." Agent Stone said as he offered his hand to the senator. "I know you're busy with funeral preparations."