The Tesla Experiment

Chapter 33

“This house brings back bad memories,” Sam remarked. “Especially that bloody attic.”

“Oh stop,” Nina said, quickly closing the front door and locking it behind him. “I stay here alone and I’m still alive.”

“Still, you are a very angry lady. Monsters won’t even fuck with you,” he reiterated. “I am however, bait for the denizens of the other realms.”

“Come on, help me carry the last crate, please,” she smiled. “I’ll cook you dinner if you do.”

It had been over three weeks since they left France and went their separate ways. But then Nina gave Sam a call to help her with some new acquisitions she needed to move into her house. Sam was delighted to see her again so soon. He even brought his cat, Bruichladdich, with him. As always, Bruich was on his own mission, seeking out the best spots to laze around in Nina’s home in Oban.

“Have you heard from Purdue?” she asked Sam.

“Aye, he is still in Lyon with Lydia. They are compiling all their notes for a book about the Tesla Experiment and they want me to write the thing for them.”

“Sounds like an interesting job,” Nina replied. “What about Healy?”

“I decided not to press charges,” Sam shrugged.

Nina could not believe it. “Are you daft? I’d let him have it!”

“Look, I did not get killed. And besides, I felt bad about luring Westdijk to Lydia… to all of you. It just goes to show that we all fuck up. And sometimes you mean well, you don’t think that you are acting wrongfully and you end up putting others in danger,” Sam explained in between groans of effort at the heavy crate.

“And all that time Foster was in fact after Westdijk. At least he perished while saving Purdue. I suppose that warrants some redemption, if you believe in that stuff,” she smiled.

They carried the wooden crate toward the back of the house, where the winding steps that led up to the attic, had now been boarded up. “This goes in the back spare room, thank you.”

“What is it?” Sam asked.

“Some old documents they found on a ship wreck off the coast of the Bering Straits. Belonged to some character from the Middle Ages, I think. Should make for some interesting reading, if I can decipher the writing,” she rambled on.

“Who gave it to you?” Sam asked, hoping to rush her along so that she could keep that dinner promise.

“The University in Glasgow,” Nina replied. “They discovered this through some salvagers who donated it. They want me to figure out what it is and assemble an index of sorts to have it exhibited at some point.”

Sam waited until they had sat the big wooden box down.

“Shall I get us some pizza?” he asked.

Nina leered at him, annoyed that he could not wait for her to cook something. “What is wrong with my cooking?” she asked with her hand in her side and one eyebrow raised.

“Nothing,” he said softly. “But it’s just that your kitchen freaks me out.”

“Oh, Sam!” she snapped. “Get over it!”

They left the room to collect the next box, a smaller one, from the lobby. It was almost as heavy as the other crate.

“Imagine if this one had some treasure in it,” Sam played. To his surprise she chuckled with him. “Let’s see then? You open it.”

He looked at her with great uncertainty, but the temptation was too much to bear. They put the box down. It made no sound to indicate that there was something inside, but the weight had their attention. The big ginger cat strolled into the room, following Sam.

“Hurry, the boss is hungry too,” he winked.

Slowly Sam opened the lid, waiting for Nina to scare him with something sudden and loud. But it was Bruich that had them both thinking twice. The large cat stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the smaller box. Arching his back, his long hair stood on end all over his body, erect along his spine as he hissed at the box.

“Okay, I don’t like that,” Nina said solemnly. “Don’t open it, Sam.”

“I know this is a dumb thing to say, but Bruich’s reaction has only made me curious now,” Sam said. He watched the cat, calling him, but the cat would not move an inch closer to Sam. Instead, he turned around and ran out of the room.

“Bruich!” Nina called, chasing after the spooked feline.

Sam was amazed at the cat’s behavior, but in his opinion the entire house was creepy. He hardly thought it was the box that upset Bruich. “Probably saw a bloody vampire in the closet,” Sam sniggered to amuse himself and the silent room beckoned for him to open the lid.

Nina had caught up with Bruich in the living room. “Come on, sweety,” she coaxed, picking up the cat and stroking him until he calmed down. “Don’t be like Sam. There is nothing wrong with my house. Come, I have some treats for you in the kitchen.”

She emptied out some juicy canned sardines for Bruich when she heard Sam calling from the other room. He sounded intrigued, and just a little uneasy.

“Nina!”

“Aye! What did you find?” she smiled.

“I don’t know what this is about, but I think we should call Purdue!”