The Skinwalker Conspiracies - 02 (24 page)

A much more even tempered Mike Ross, maybe one on anxiety medication, might have just sent her away and dealt with the problem and not the cause. I wasn’t that guy.

Looking her in the eyes I practically barked at her, “What’s wrong? I’ll tell you what’s wrong, Karla. That little ghost world, the one that you and Darren kept trying to get proof of, it’s a lot uglier than you would’ve liked. There’s a five hundred year old ghost in this town living in my father’s body. He’s not exactly a nice person. We’re trying to get rid of him. If he figures out we’re here, he’ll try to kill me just like those other ghosts killed Darren. Thanks a bunch! Now do me a favor and get the hell out of my life!”

“Mike,” Silas said in a serious tone. “Calm down. We’ll pack up and go somewhere else. We can check in under my name. You’d best be leaving now, young lady.”

Karla was standing there, stunned. I didn’t care. I had already thrown my suitcase on the bed and flung it open. My meager existence would be crammed inside in less than three minutes.

Hustling into the bathroom, I collected everything in there while unleashing a string of profanity that would’ve impressed the guys back in Fort Hood. Emerging, I chucked it into the suitcase and looked to see what Silas needed help with.

The man was calmly folding his clothes, the model of serenity, compared to my chaos. I also noticed the stupid bitch was still standing there and called her on it. “Why are you still here?”

“I want to help.”

“Karla, I’m not sure I can take much more of your help today.”

With her cheeks burning red she replied, “Okay, tell me something, Brainiac. You just said your car is in the shop. If you go get on a bus, it won’t be too hard for the police to find the driver who remembers picking up a blind black man and the white guy with him, will it?”

My silence was all she needed to continue. “Yeah, I thought so. Listen, I’ve got two spare rooms in my condo. If you’re really in this much trouble and I caused it, I won’t turn my back on you. Fine, I screwed up! I admit it. But I still owe you for saving my life back at the cabin.”

I opened my mouth, but Silas cut me off. “Mike, whatever you’re about to say, don’t. Just thank her and take her up on this generous offer. Harsh words create more problems than they ever solve.”

Karla, I could yell at and not feel a bit of remorse, but not Silas Parker. I couldn’t … wouldn’t go there. More than once, I’d privately thought that I’d come out here looking for the father I’d never had and found the fatherly influence I’d always needed, in the car with me. Say what you want about me, but don’t you dare say a bad word about Silas Parker.

At his request, I swallowed my anger and nodded to Karla.

Once again, I wanted to kick myself for not getting a ghost whistle or something else to “call” my companions. It was always times like these where I’d think,
“Wouldn’t it be great to have this right now?”

Packing and getting the suitcases out to Karla’s SUV took less time than locating Amos and the lunatic. As I was doing that, Silas checked us out and spread a little misinformation. He asked the night manager about some of the church shelters in the area.

I sat in Karla’s passenger seat while Amos went to fetch Oswald. I was almost calm enough to talk and knew, even without any prompting from the man behind me, that I should bury the hatchet with our driver.

“Thank you for doing this, Karla. You didn’t have to get involved, but you did.”

“You’re welcome. Like I said, you did save me. I owe you and I want some justice for what they did to Darren. He left a message for me that he was going to finally meet General John Reynolds. Next thing I know, I’m getting a call from Darren’s dad saying he died at the hospital.”

“Reynolds got his in the end,” I said. “I took care of him.”

“What about Strong Vincent?” Karla growled.

I didn’t want to lie, but didn’t necessarily want to offer up the truth. Taking a second, I decided she deserved to know what happened. “More complicated. Most ghosts have a focus. It’s an object they are attached to. If another ghost has possession of that focus, the other ghost doesn’t really have much choice but to obey. Vincent tried to kill me on two occasions, but after I freed him from Roger Taney, he’s saved my life once and risked his own existence on a couple of other occasions. Taney was the real villain behind what happened to you and I took care of him.”

I guessed she wasn’t too happy with my answer. “What about Amos and Oswald? Why do they work with you if your job is to destroy ghosts?”

“I destroy the bad ones. I help the ones that want help,” I stopped and checked to see where the duo was. “Amos, I consider a friend. Oswald is very dangerous, but I need his help. Try not to talk about him.”

“Why?”

“Oswald isn’t his first name. It’s his last. The rest of it is Lee Harvey, if you catch my drift?”

“You’re screwing with me now, right?”

“Wish I was, but no. He’s the real deal. The ghost we’re trying to get rid of … that’s the real killer. Lee really was a patsy and saying he’s pretty bitter about it is an understatement.”

Karla silently mouthed, “Wow.”

“Silas said that you could sense he was in the room. Is that something you’ve always been able to do?”

“No,” she replied staring straight ahead. “It developed when I was in the cabin. Darren interviewed lots of people who lived in haunted houses and he had a theory about us becoming attuned to their energy. Was he right?”

“I’m no expert, Karla,” I stated and pointed back to Silas. “Together we’ve seen a lot of crazy shit in the last year. Darren could be right, or it could be all you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Silas, you’re better at this kind of thing.”

He threw me a bone and took over as the two ghosts entered the vehicle. “Faith and belief, Miss Thompson, it boils down to that. There aren’t many things stronger in this life,” Silas paused and looked at Oswald before finishing, “or the next one. Those two things can sustain a person who doesn’t have food, water, or even the ability to see. They can allow a man or a woman to accept what others dismiss and at the same time inspire them to do great things or even terrible things. It might be that your belief in Mister Porter’s theories makes it so you can sense the presence of ghosts nearby because you choose to believe.”

“I didn’t really have much choice,” she said while Oswald scowled at the words of my friend. It made me wonder about what went on those times the two of them were alone.

“Yes, things will happen that leave us no choice,” he said. “But when you make a choice based on your faith and belief, it’s seldom the wrong one. I think you made one of those this evening.”

I noticed Karla shivering slightly. She gulped and asked, “Everyone’s here now, right?”

“Yup.”

She eased her Honda Pilot out into traffic. “Nice ride,” I commented. I remembered her having a big truck back at the cabin. She obviously liked big spacious vehicles. I did as well, but lacked the means to afford anything close to this.
Choices indeed, Silas.

I decided to change the topic. “So did you really like being on that show?”

“Oh god,” she said without much emotion in her voice. “You’ve seen that.”

“I got the whole collection in Gettysburg.”

“Darren had us all go as guests to some of the conventions they have for paranormal groups one year. Do you know what the first thing the audience wanted to hear was?”

“Let me guess, you screaming at the top of your lungs.” I remembered the one at the gym this morning. People probably thought I was killing her.

“Well, that proves you’ve seen them,” she continued. “Everybody thought it was a trick our sound guy did, but I’m really that loud. A small Indy producer actually had me go into a studio and do some screams that he could use in his low budget horror movie.”

Along with her very impressive pipes I also recalled the cameraman on their team had a certain fascination with her backside, but decided against mentioning that.

“That’s pretty cool. So how’d you become a personal trainer?”

“My degree was in kinesiology and sports medicine. I really enjoy the gym,” she said. “Not many people get to go to work at a place they really want to be all the time.”

Karla had me there. Being a gym rat was a helluva a lot better than all the places where I ended up. So there I was, sitting next to this very attractive woman, who believes in ghosts, likes working out, and doesn’t really have a financial care in the world. Needless to say, I was more than willing to overlook her breakdown when we first met last winter and the scene that morning in the gym. I was usually the one who made lousy first impressions – second and third, if we’re being completely honest.

For a brief shining moment, the world of ghosts out for my blood and even the two spirits in the third row keeping the temperature down didn’t matter. Later, I’d realize that it was the first time in the days since she’d “moved on” that I didn’t think about Tabitha Lawrence.

I’m allowed to have dreams too, you know.

“Nice place,” I said taking in the sights. Karla had a sense for design as well. The furniture and décor were attractive, but without being too garish. The fact that it was also clean impressed me, especially after my trip in Isabella’s vehicle.

“Thanks,” she answered. “Is Mr. Parker going to be okay?”

“He can see me and the things I am touching or sitting on,” I replied and walked to the couch, putting my hand on the coffee table so my blind friend could find his way.

The auburn haired hostess stopped and looked like she wanted to ask a question or three, but shrugged it off and said, “Can I get you two anything?”

“Since you’re being so kind, we’ll spring for take out,” I offered. The bright spot in staying here was my credit card ceased its ascent toward the max limit.

“You two have been on a road trip since the beginning of June,” she said in a no nonsense manner. “When’s the last time you had a real meal?”

I had to think about that one. “Does a cookout in Dallas count?”

Karla crinkled her nose, “Not really. There are some flank steaks in the freezer. Let me defrost them.”

We’d come a long way in the span of seven hours from when she had the mother of all panic attacks to the point where Karla was about to cook me dinner. No complaints here. Usually, things take a turn for the worse and not the better. I glanced around for some wood to knock on for good luck.

Silas motioned at me to go into the kitchen and whispered, “You should help her.”

“Okay,” I said while nodding. Maybe he was trying to live vicariously through me, which frankly wasn’t the greatest idea.  

Karla tasked me with cutting up red potatoes and prepping the ingredients for a salad as she busied herself with the steaks.

“Where’d the ghosts go?”

“I asked Oswald to stay at the other end of the street in those places up for sale. He has a tendency to cause electrical problems and such. Amos is acting as a go between and he’ll be close by.”

She seemed relieved. “I hope he isn’t planning to stay next door,” Karla said pointing at the wall. “They’re nudists.”

“He’d probably get a kick out of it.”

“Did I mention they were a pair of gay middle aged men?”

I chuckled. “No. I’ve got half a mind to suggest he go over and take a look.”

“You play pranks on the ghosts?”