The Ghost Files 2 (The Ghost Files - Book 2) (6 page)

“Or something,” Doc says ruefully. “Not quite the Dark Ages either
—
actually quite a bit later. They came into being in the early twelfth century, during the First Crusade They were many, many things and were granted a lot of power by the church. One of their prime duties was to hunt down demons and other evil beings for the church. Most were trained exorcists.”

“So they could see demons?” I ask. “How exactly?”

“It was in their blood, Mattie,” the Doc explains. “Or so the story tells us. In the Dark Ages, the church was just starting to become powerful, but there were issues. Demons, to be more specific. They had overrun the masses, invaded the church, and many were beginning to lose their faith. The balance of power was tipped in the demons’ favor because the only thing that could see them in their true form was an angel. Now, angels are busy creatures. They always have been, as they are God’s warriors. So to sway the balance of power back to the side of good, angels granted some of the church’s most holy knights the ability to see demons.”

Dan and I crowd around the phone, listening. The Doc is a born storyteller.

“The angels shared their blood with the knights and when they woke up, the Knights Templars were born. They were able to see evil in its true forms. Demons are notorious for hiding in people. Humans offer them a way to walk in our plane of existence and they love to cause holy hell here on Earth.” He chuckles at what he must assume is a joke. “Anyway, the knights were given the full backing of the church and within a decade, they had the demon infestation under control.”

“Didn’t the church end up killing them off, though?” Dan frowns.

“You’re getting ahead of the story, Dan,” the Doc tells him. “The church utilized the Knights to gain the massive amount of power it was famous for back in the day. The Knights were also amassing power and learning to control their gifts. They started to delve into all sorts of things from engineering to alchemy. They became a force the church soon learned to fear because they couldn’t control them anymore and the Knights had abilities that terrified the church. They soon saw them as abominations rather than the saviors they were. All of this came about because of a little demon whispering in the Pope’s ear. Or so the story says.”

“What happened?” I ask. If the Doc here was my history teacher, I don’t think I’d ever fall asleep.

“On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Phillip, the King of France, ordered the Knights arrested, stating that, “God is not pleased. We have enemies of the faith in the kingdom.”

“These were the same people that had just saved their butts?” I shake my head.

“Yes, unfortunately so, Mattie,” the Doc sighs. “Many were killed, some even burned at the stake for witchcraft because of what they could do. What was left of the order went into hiding. The Free Masons were rumored to be what was left of the Knights Templar in later history. I can tell you what I know to be true about the surviving member of the Knights. They couldn’t just turn their back on who they were, what God had blessed them to do. They were hunters and that is what they continued to do. Their numbers have dwindled over the years, and many have lost a lot of the gifts that were dominant in their bloodlines in the past, but they persevere and continue to fight demons and other evils.”

“So hold up a second here, Doc,” I interrupt. I think I know where he’s going with this and Dan is not going to be receptive. “Are you saying that Dan is a descendant of one of these Knight people and that’s why he could see the demon? Why can’t he see my ghosts, then?”

“That’s simple, Mattie. Knights were created to see evil and destroy it. Your ghosts, up until now, haven’t been evil. They’ve been lost souls looking for help. Dan hasn’t been able to see them because of that.”

“You can’t really expect me to believe that?” Dan scoffs. I can see the terror in his eyes, though. He’s seriously spooked. “I am not…not some freak of nature!”

“Oh, so I’m a freak because I can see ghosts?” I ask, hurt.

His eyes soften. “No, that’s not what I meant, Mattie…”

“That’s what it sounded like.”

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He is good and truly freaked. He’s pacing and he keeps flexing his fingers, his tell if you will. I learned to pick up on it when we played poker.

“You grew up seeing ghosts,” he says after a minute. “It’s normal for you. Then I see a…a demon and the Doctor tells me it’s because I’m a long lost descendent of angels? It’s a hard pill to swallow, Mattie. You go to church and believe in all that. I don’t. My parents never went to church. I didn’t grow up believing in angels and demons or even ghosts for that matter. I was raised that the only real evil in the world is in the form of humanity. That’s not who I am.”

“Doesn’t matter if you believe in God or not, Officer Dan,” I say softly. “He believes in you.”

“Mattie…” The warning is clear in his voice. Best not to push him too hard right now. He’s overwhelmed and not coping very well.

“Well, think about this. Your compulsion to help people might come from your ancestors,” I tell him. “You have wicked skills as a police officer. So, maybe it follows that you were born to find evil and fight it.” “No, that’s
not
what I do now,” he denies hotly. “I’m a rookie cop who walks a beat.”

“Dan, your captain wouldn’t have sent you to Quantico for training with the Behavior Analysis Unit if she didn’t think you were going to be a great cop.”

“I’m studying forensics,” he counters. “I won’t be on the streets after I get my degree. I’ll be working behind the scenes to help the detectives.”

“No, you won’t,” I tell him. “You’re a good cop, Dan, it’s who you are. You’d never be happy just puttering around in a lab examining lint and you know it! You’d want to be out there looking for clues, interviewing witnesses, and working to solve the mystery.”

“Kids…”

“WE’RE NOT KIDS!” we both yell and I can almost see the Doc wincing. He’s gotten between some of mine and Dan’s fights before. It’s never pretty.

“Sorry,” he mutters. “What I wanted to say is that it’s just one theory. Dan can mull it over and I’ll keep looking for more answers.”

“Or,” I say sweetly, “Dan can stop being pig-headed and accept the fact that he’s Angel Boy.”

“Mattie…that is not…you…” Dan sputters, unable to finish his sentence. He obviously hates that nickname. I likey.

“Mattie!” the Doc’s tone is very sharp. “Stop teasing him. Did Dan tease you when you told him about your gift?”

Dang it. Why did he have to go and remind me of that? The Doc just took all the fun out of it.

“Fine,” I mutter. “I won’t tease him. Great way to suck all the fun out of this, Doc.”

Doc sighs. I can tell he is not amused. “It’s late, and I know you guys probably need to get to sleep…”

“Wait,” Dan interrupts and tells him about my dream. “When she woke up, her wrist was bleeding all over my white carpet.”

So not my fault his carpet is stained.

“You mean she physically manifested a wound she received in a dream?” the Doc asked, his voice extremely worried. That can’t be at all good if the Spook Doctor is spooked.

“Yeah,” Dan sighs. “I guess that means we should be worried?”

“You should probably be cautious,” he says slowly. “What she experienced is very uncommon, but coupled with the demon stalking her, I wouldn’t take any chances. I’ll be in New Orleans tomorrow and will make sure I get her a protection charm.”

My eyes narrow. “Doc I am
not
wearing chicken feet around my neck.”

He laughs outright. “Oh, my girl, you shouldn’t watch so much TV. Most gris-grisses are not made of chicken feet. Most have herbs in them.”

“I don’t do Voodoo, Doc.”

“If you want to stay safe, you will, Mattie Louise,” he tells me matter-of-factly. “No arguments. I’ll overnight it to you as soon as it’s ready and I don’t want you to take it off.”

“I’m not going to be here,” I tell him. “Meg is taking me somewhere for my birthday.”

“Where’s she taking you?” he asks.

“Not sure.” I shrug. “It’s a surprise.”

“Will Dan be with you?”

“Uh, I don’t think so?” I look at Dan questioningly.

“I have to go to New Orleans myself first,” he tells Doc. “I can pick it up and then deliver it in person.”

He knows where she’s taking me and he’s been holding out? I give him an outraged look and he winks. At least some of the shock is wearing off if he can wink.

“Good,” the Doc says, relieved. “Mattie, I need to do some more research on your transference dream, but I’ll get back to you within a day or so, I promise. I just have a lot to do the next few days. We’re investigating a very haunted house, one that has terrorized its occupants for over a hundred and fifty years.”

“No worries, Doc,” I tell him. “You take your time while I torture Angel Boy here into telling me where Meg is taking me tomorrow.”

Dan growls, the Doc sighs and I hang up on him

“Now, Officer Dan, where am I going?”

I can see by the stubborn set of his jaw, this is going to take a while. I flip the
Twilight
reruns back on and quirk my eyebrow. He wants to torture me, I’ll torture him.

It’s going to be a long night.

Chapter Seven

I ignore the constant pounding on the bathroom door. Dan is being impatient. We have plenty of time to get to the airport. I’m in no hurry to board the death trap. I can so imagine surviving the plane crash and being bombarded by the ghosts of the mangled passengers…I have enough to deal with without that complication thank you very much.

Speaking of complications, I glance down at the white bandage on my wrist. It’s glaringly obvious what it is, at least to me. If Meg has half a brain cell, which she does, unfortunately, she’ll start buggering me with questions the minute she zeros in on it. I’m supposed to leave my bandages off my hands periodically, but seeing the wrapping on my wrist, I think I’ll opt for putting them back on. It’s too hot outside to wear long sleeves. Weatherman said it’s going to be over a 100 today with a heat index of about 115. This way I can at least hide the bandage on my wrist.

“Mattie! We still have to swing by your place and get your bags!” Dan yells through the door. “Or did you forget about that?”

I sigh. No, I haven’t forgotten that fact. I’m still wearing my clothes from yesterday. I just don’t want to hurry to the airport and the possibility of my death. There are very few things that scare me, but planes do. Face it, being up in the air thousands of feet above the ground, if one of those engines malfunction…I shudder at the thought.

“Dan, it’s six-thirty in the morning! We have plenty of time.”

“No, we don’t,” he shouts through the door. “Meg has already texted me five times. Your flight boards at nine, which means you need to be through security before eight-thirty. It can take an hour just to get through TSA.”

Did he just say Meg
texted
him? I rip open the door and stalk out into the hallway. Dan is staring at me with a frown. “When did you two start texting?” I demand.

He looks slightly embarrassed, as well he should, since he almost kissed me yesterday. Texting my best friend?

“She demanded I keep her updated when you went missing,” he says slowly. “We’ve just sorta been talking since then.”

Fury runs through me unlike anything I have ever known. I want to hit him and Meg in that minute. I’m so angry I go back into the bathroom and slam the door in his face.

“Don’t get mad, Squirt,” he calls.

Don’t get mad?
Don’t get mad?
Oh the nerve. “She’s too young for you!”

“She’s eighteen, Mattie.”

That feels like a sucker punch to the gut. So because she’s a year older than me, and prettier, and rich…and…ohhhh. I just want to scream.

I open the bathroom door and stomp to the kitchen. I pick up Dan’s phone, which he conveniently left on the kitchen island, and dial Meg’s number.

“Dan?” She picks up on the first ring. “Are you guys on your way yet?”

“No, we are not on our way, Megan, and nor are we going to be!” I hang up and dial Mary’s number. It goes to voicemail, dang it.

“Mary, it’s Mattie. Can you pick me up at Dan’s, please? Call me back and I’ll give you the address.”

I throw his phone down and storm past him into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me and locking it.

Dan’s phone is ringing and I hear him talking softly. After a minute, he knocks on the door. I ignore him. I can wait in here until Mary comes to get me.

He knows that I don’t trust people very easily and here he goes flirting with my best friend behind my back. I’m doing my best to hold onto the anger, because if I let it go, I’m going to hurt. The truth is, I guess maybe I do love Dan more than just a friend or a brother. I love him a lot and this proves to me just how badly he can hurt me.

“Mattie, open the door, please.”

“Go away!” I shout.

I can hear him sigh through the door. “Meg wants to talk to you.”

“Well, I don’t want to talk to either one of you!”

Just yesterday I was thinking what a great friend she was for not going after Dan because I might like him. I can’t believe I didn’t see it. Dan has softened me up too much. I can’t wait to graduate and just get away from everybody. Maybe I should look into the whole emancipation thing and transfer to a school out in California. It would be warm and I wouldn’t have to deal with back-stabbing friends.

“Mattie, you’re being a brat about this,” Dan says, frustrated. “It’s not like we planned for this to happen, it just did.”

Planned for this to happen? “Are you two dating?”

“Yes.”

I slide down the wall, unable to breathe for a second. Pain goes straight through me. They were dating and hiding it from me? How could they do this to me?

I pull out my phone and call Dan’s dad. It’s one of the contacts Dan had pre-stored in it. I ask him to come get me and he agrees.

“Mattie? Who are you talking to?”