Page 49 of Sinistram
“We’re not going to get anything,” Brent murmured. “The cops don’t have a clue.”
“They’re not the only source of information,” Travis said. “There are always ghosts. Maybe they saw something.”
They went back to the car but didn’t drive away. Brent watched as Travis closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.
“Spirits of the nature reserve, if you saw what killed that man, please tell us what happened.” He and Brent waited for a few minutes, long enough that he started to wonder if the ghosts would respond.
“We’ve got one,” Travis said quietly. The ghost didn’t make himself visible to Brent, but he could sense its presence.
“What killed that man? He was an…acquaintance…of ours,” Travis asked.
They waited as the silence stretched on.
“It was one of the things that lives in the deep woods,” Travis said finally, repeating what the ghost told him. “Even we rarely see them,” he quoted. “But there was a power that urged it to attack.”
“Urged?” Brent echoed. “Like magic?”
Another silence stretched, and Brent wondered if the ghost was trying to figure out how to explain.
“I don’t know anything about magic,” Travis repeated the ghost’s words. “But the creature seemed…compelled. It hunted the man and killed him, then disappeared into the shadows. I have never seen that happen before.”
“Were there other people nearby acting strangely?” Travis asked the ghost. “Someone who could have done something to attract the beast?”
“People come and go. I don’t usually notice,” Travis spoke the spirit’s answer aloud then thanked the ghost and ended their connection. “Not sure that helped a lot.”
Brent frowned, thinking. “We know that the attack wasn’t natural and that whatever did it seemed to have been sent to kill Shane,” he reframed what Travis had said. “But we don’t know why Shane went to the nature reserve, and whether he found what he was looking for.”
“Let’s go back to St. Dismas. We can ask Shane himself.”
Brent checked and re-checked the news on his phone as they drove. “There’s a breaking news alert about a hiker’s death and a possible dangerous wild animal, but no details. The park is closed until further notice pending an investigation and a search by Animal Control. They don’t give Shane’s name. Do you think whatever killed Shane will go after the Animal Control people?” Brent asked, looking up from his phone.
Travis thought for a moment before responding. “If the creature was sent to kill Shane, then probably not. The Animal Control people are already on alert for a dangerous wild animal. They aren’t going to believe us if we try to warn them about a monster.”
When they reached St. Dismas, Travis spoke quietly to Jon.
“I’ll bring up a tray with dinner,” Jon told them. “Glad you made it back safe and sound.”
They thanked him and headed upstairs. “Figured it made sense for you to stay another night. Then we can check over your place to be sure it’s safe,” Travis said.
Brent hated to keep taking advantage of Travis’s hospitality, but until they had a clearer idea of what they were up against, he agreed that there was safety in numbers. Once they got settled in Travis’s apartment, they sat at the table while a fresh pot of coffee brewed.
“Can you reach him yet?” Brent asked.
Travis closed his eyes and concentrated. After a few moments, he seemed to find what he was searching for.
“Shane is still off-kilter, not surprising. Being dead takes some getting used to, and it can take a while for them to adjust,” Travis replied. “What I can read right now is trauma, fear, shock, and betrayal. His words are still disjointed, but I get that he’s certain it was intentional, and not a random attack.”
Travis was silent for a few minutes. “Shane didn’t recognize the creature, but it wasn’t anything natural, so the whole bobcat or mountain lion thing doesn’t fly.”
Much as Brent disliked Shane, he would never wish his last moments to be filled with terror. “Is there anything we can do to ease his passage?”
“A prayer or two wouldn’t hurt, but I’m not sure they’ll help, either,” Travis said. “I’ll say a blessing and do a passing over ritual tonight. That might help settle his energy.”
“If Shane felt betrayed and realized it wasn’t a random attack, then it’s likely it was connected to the other hunter deaths,” Brent said. “And we need to figure out whether Sinistram is behind both of them.”
“I don’t think it’s really a question of whether Sinistram is behind it; the question is, why?” Travis replied.
They stayed up a while after dinner playing cards, too jittery and unsettled to try going to sleep. Later, when Brent was alone in the guest room, he sensed Danny’s spirit nearby.
