The Borrowed Souls, A Novel

Chapter 1

A faint autumn breeze filtered through the partly open drapes in Luke Holloway’s apartment, causing goose bumps to spread across Meghan’s bare skin. She had just stepped out of the shower and paraded through the bedroom to her overnight bag for a clean pair of panties. Rummaging through her bag, she withdrew a pair of pink lacy boy shorts and quickly slipped them on. Next, she picked out a clean skirt and top before returning to the bathroom.

“You know, you don’t have to get dressed on my account,” Luke said.

Meghan smiled as she leaned her head back into the bedroom. “But if I walk out in public naked, people will point and laugh.”

“The fact that people will point is a given. However, they will not be laughing. They’ll be admiring your sheer sexual appeal,” Luke said, tossing the bedsheets to the side.

Meghan giggled girlishly before ducking back into the bathroom to finish dressing.

Luke moved to the window and closed it to within an inch of the bottom. He parted the drapes fully and peered out. Both sides of the street were lined with townhomes similar to his own. The sun shone brightly, causing him to squint momentarily. He reclosed the drapes, then pulled on a pair of gym shorts before joining Meghan in the bathroom.

“You know, it’s still pretty early. Are you sure you have to go?”

Meghan was standing at the mirror, applying mascara to her already long lashes. “I know, babe. I wish I could. But we’ve had a wonderful three days together, and Dana is expecting me back around lunchtime.”

Luke stepped up behind Meghan, wrapped his arms around her and gently kissed the nape of her neck.

“Luke?” Meghan pleaded.

“What? I was just… hoping to convince you to stay.”

Meghan lunged her elbow backward sharply, forcing Luke to retreat.

“Oww,” he gasped.

“Oh, stop, you big baby. We’ll see each other again soon enough,” Meghan said, then returned to the mirror to finish her makeup.

Luke rubbed his ribs soothingly as he moved into the living room. He sat on the sofa and thumbed through an irrelevant magazine while he patiently waited for Meghan to finish getting herself ready. Fifteen minutes later she walked out, dressed and looking vibrant. She looked around the living room, picking up the remnants of last night’s undressing, tossing them into her bag as she went. Luke sat quietly, watching her every move. As she made a second pass, Luke began to smile widely. Finally, Meghan noticed.

“What are you smiling at, you goof?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing. Just formulating a bribe is all,” Luke said.

“Oh yeah? What kind of bribe are we talking about?”

“You know. It’s one of those ‘makes one take notice of the situation’ kind of enticements. Hard to resist.”

“Okay. I’m intrigued.”

Luke sprang from the couch and met Meghan in the middle of the living room. He kissed her lips, gently. She returned his affection but held her position.

“First, Meg, my dear, you have to close your eyes.”

Meghan did so as a smile crept across her mouth. A moment later Luke slipped his hand into hers and led her through his apartment.

As they neared the bedroom door, Meghan said, “If your bribe is sex, you’re out of luck. I’ve already tasted that morsel and—”

“Hush now,” Luke said, guiding her through the door and up to the bureau next to the bed. “Okay, you can open them.”

Meghan opened her eyes, and her confusion showed plainly on her face. “Oh, sweetie. How’d you know I wanted… furniture?” she said playfully.

“Okay, you. Now, open the top drawer,” Luke said.

Meghan nodded and followed his instruction. The only thing inside was a set of black silk bra and panties. Matching, of course.

“Um, thank you?” Meghan said as she lifted the elegant lingerie from the drawer. “Oh look, and you even got my size right.”

“Well, those are really for me… but, the drawer? It’s all yours.”

“Luke Holloway, you devil,” Meghan said as she flung her arms around him, kissing him passionately. “I love it, I absolutely love it.”

“Well, I figured that we’ve been spending more time together, and there’s no reason for you to pack a bag every time you stay over,” Luke began. “And… you can come by anytime you want.”

“This is perfect! It’s been a long time since someone has given me something so heartfelt.”

“So you’re not freaked out?”

“Not at all. I really do like this, you, everything. This is absolutely perfect,” she said.

“Wow, that’s a relief. I was worried that it was too soon.”

Meghan weaved her hands through Luke’s arms and hugged him warmly. With her lips brushing up against his ear, she whispered, “You did good. Consider the bribe a success.”

A moment later, their lips met in an impassioned kiss. Then, Meghan pushed Luke away and held up the new lingerie.

“Now, seeing as this was for you,” she said, smirking, “let’s see how you look in it.”

Chapter 2

The aroma of freshly pressed panini sandwiches wafted through the gourmet kitchen. Luke expertly worked the sandwich press while Meghan finished redressing.

“Soup’s on,” Luke said as he plated up two turkey and Swiss on herb-crusted focaccia sandwiches and set them on the kitchen table.

Moments later, Meghan walked in, having freshened up after just being ravaged. She dropped her overnight bag next to the door and joined Luke at the kitchen table.

“This smells wonderful,” Meghan said as she sat across from Luke.

“What, this? It’s nothing, really. It’s just a product of my latest kitchen gadget, the Presto Sandwich Maker 2000,” Luke said proudly.

Meghan smiled as she took a bite of her sandwich and glanced at her watch distractedly.

“Hey, I want to apologize if I’ve made you late,” Luke said, noticing the action. “I didn’t think my coercion would be so successful.” He winked.

“Don’t apologize,” Meghan said, wiping her lips. “I’m the one that made you actually model my new underwear. If I hadn’t taken the time to rip them off you and jump your bones, you’d just look silly walking around in them all day long,” she joked.

Luke smiled, blushing at the embarrassment of actually wearing women’s lingerie. “Well, I really am sorry, and to make it up to you, here’s a small token as a peace offering.” He slid a shiny brass key across the table.

“Oh. My. God,” Meghan gasped. “I don’t know what to say. Is that what I think it is?”

“Yeah. I was going to give it to you inside your new dresser drawer, but the sexy black skivvies won out.”

Meghan slid her plate to the side and continued to stare at the key. She reached out for it, but paused before touching it.

“Go ahead. It won’t bite,” Luke said. “I want you to have it, and I’d like to remind you that you’re more than welcome to use it anytime you want.”

Meghan picked up the key and closed her hands around it. “Thank you, Luke. I… really am speechless.” Meghan looked at her watch, and frown lines spread across her forehead. “I only wish that you’d have given this to me sooner so that I might have been able to thank you properly.”

Luke blushed again. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m not sure I’m man enough to handle you three times in a row, all before lunch,” he joked.

Meghan moved around the table and dropped herself into Luke’s lap. “Oh, I think you’d do fine. I would’ve done most of the work anyway,” she said before kissing him deeply.

After several minutes of the passionate embrace, Luke pulled away and said, “Well, I guess I’m willing to give it a try if you are.”

Meghan pecked the tip of his nose before standing up. She looked at him, her smile waning. “But there’s no time. I’ve already called for a cab, and the driver will probably be here any minute.”

“That’s okay. Just call and cancel. I’ll have my driver take you anywhere you need to go,” Luke offered.

Meghan began to clear the table and said, “I don’t know. I feel weird imposing on a US Congressman’s son like that.”

“There’s no imposition about it. He’s my personal driver, and he’ll do whatever I ask of him,” Luke said, rising up to distract Meghan.

Before Meghan could consider his offer, the sound of a honking horn echoed up and through the open window. Meghan peeked through the drapes and saw a yellow cab double-parked in the street, right in front of the townhome.

“Well, it’s too late now. You’ll just have to wait for your reward until the next time we get together.” Meghan walked around the kitchen island and stopped in front of Luke. She leaned in for a final kiss good-bye. Their embrace would have lasted longer if the cabbie hadn’t honked again. Finally, she pulled herself away and headed for the door. She lifted her overnight bag and paused before stepping outside, then turned toward Luke and smiled. “Thank you again for the drawer. I left you a little surprise inside, until next time.”

A moment later, she was gone. Luke stood in the middle of the entryway, looking like a lost puppy.

“I give you an E for effort, my friend,” I said, standing next to Luke. “But to me, it felt like that cat couldn’t leave fast enough.”

Oblivious to my presence, Luke rushed in to the bedroom and opened the top drawer. Inside sat the very same silky lingerie that he’d worn not more than an hour earlier. He smiled fondly.

“Well, sorry chap, but I have to go. If it hadn’t taken me more than a week to track you down, I’d have more time to sit here and get to know your life better. But I have to follow your girlfriend and see what she’s all about first,” I said, standing next to Luke.

A moment later I vanished from his townhome.

Chapter 3

I popped back into reality in the backseat of the cab, right next to Meghan. The taxi driver was waiting patiently for a destination.

“It’s 155 West 84th Street,” Meghan said.

Without another word, the taxi sped off down the street. Visualizing the map of the city in my mind, I anticipated no less than a fifteen-minute drive. Seeing as it was the middle of a Sunday, traffic might be a bit lighter. But then again, this was New York. There was no such thing as light traffic.

Refocusing my attention on Meghan, I studied her persona. She wasn’t much older than me, possibly in her mid-thirties. Having just recently seen her completely naked, it was quite apparent that she was a fan of exercise. And from the brief time that I’d been around her, she flaunted it proudly.

As the driver merged into traffic on the next street, Meghan pulled her smart phone from her purse. A quick finger swipe and her screen was unlocked. Seconds later she’d brought up her messaging app. As her fingers danced across the screen, I leaned in close to see who she was texting.

There were no recent text conversations to continue from, so she began tapping a few letters until her contact list populated. She typed D-A-N, and the first contact up was Dana. She picked the name and tapped out the message, On my way. Got delayed, then hit send.

She rested the phone in her lap and looked out the side window of the cab, blankly. A few minutes later, her phone came to life.

Ding.

Great. I’m starved. Waited for lunch till you got home. Chinese?

She smiled briefly, then tapped in a reply: Yes, please. Sriracha Beef for me. You know I like it hot.

Seconds later, Dana replied: Ordering now.

Meghan once again rested the phone in her lap as a look of deep concentration passed over her face.

After a few moments, she lit up her phone again and tapped in a new contact, J-E-N-N. When Jennifer appeared, she selected the contact and tapped out a message, grinning from ear to ear as she went. OMG! Luke gave me a key!

As Meghan waited for Jennifer’s response, she beamed continuously, like a giddy school girl. Ah, young love.

Ding.

R U 4 REAL?

I snorted out loud at reading the abbreviated text acronyms. Before she could reply, her phone dinged again.

I miss you already, read the text. There was no personal name associated with the message, just the word OFFICE along the top.

As a heart attack! She tapped to Jennifer. And aww! He’s so sweet. He just txtd that he misses me.

After a few more girl talk messages back and forth, Meghan replied to Luke that she missed him too. I assumed that OFFICE was her nickname for him. I wondered if it had anything to do with him being the Congressman’s son.

As the texting conversation began to slow, I started to recognize our surroundings and knew we were moments away from our destination. Eager to find out more about Meghan’s life and clear up some of the confusion I was having from reading her texts, I fidgeted in my seat like an impatient child on a long road trip.

When the driver turned onto 84th Street, I noticed Meghan quickly clear her texting history. Her motions were well rehearsed, and witnessing the deceptive task deepened my confusion.

Once the cab stopped, I vanished from the backseat, popped onto the front step of Meghan’s apartment, and waited. She paid the driver and climbed out of the backseat, her overnight bag trailing behind. Within moments she stood next to me at the front door of her apartment. Interestingly, she rang the doorbell instead of simply walking in. A moment later though, she twisted the door handle and stepped across the threshold.

“Chinese delivery,” she announced in a playful tone.

I stepped through the door after her and moved to the side of the entryway. I scanned the foyer and saw that it led toward the back, most likely to a kitchen and family room. To the left was a dining room, and to the right appeared to be a study. There was a narrow stairway ascending to the upper levels of the residence.

Meghan dropped her bag and purse at the base of the stairs and walked into the study.

“You’re not the Chinese delivery person,” a man said as he sat at a desk covered in paperwork.

Meghan smiled and walked up to him, then leaned in and kissed him on the lips. “No, but we can only hope that it gets here soon. I’m famished.”

“I’d imagine so. How was the flight in?” he asked.

What the hell is going on here, I wondered.

“Oh, the usual. Getting a cab at JFK is continuing to prove more of a challenge than you might imagine,” Meghan said as she began to retreat from the study.

“Hey, missy. Not so fast,” he said latching on to her arm and pulling her into his lap. “I’ve missed you, baby.”

“But the conference was only three days long—”

The man interrupted her pleas with another kiss on her mouth. “You taste salty, with a hint of basil?” he said

Meghan smiled nervously. “Oh, it must have been from the seasoning on the trail mix they had on the flight,” she lied.

“Whatever it is, I like it,” he said.

“You do, huh? Well, there’s plenty more where that came from for you later.”

“What’s this about later?” he said. “You really have no idea how much I’ve missed you,” he said, inching his hand beneath Meghan’s skirt.

“Hey now, mister. Just because you’re my husband doesn’t mean you can have your way with me any time you like,” Meghan teased. “Besides, isn’t the Chinese food going to get here at any moment?”

“Husband? You two-timing cow!” I blurted.

Dana smiled coyly. “Your assumption would be correct if I’d actually ordered when we talked. I only got off the phone with them moments before you walked in.”

“You sly dog. Were you planning this all along?” she asked.

Suddenly and without warning, Dana hoisted Meghan onto his desk and stood in front of her. “Maybe I was, maybe I wasn’t. You’ll never get the truth from me,” Dana said dramatically, his hands continuing to caress the exposed skin of Meghan’s legs.

“But if we do it right here, won’t your paperwork get all messy?” she asked.

“Not to worry. I can print fresh ones,” he said. Dana lowered himself back into his chair, with Meghan’s legs straddling him. Slowly yet methodically, Dana slid his hands beneath Meghan’s skirt before he tugged the pink lacy boy shorts from beneath. He dropped the panties to the floor and began kissing Meghan’s knees, slowly inching forward.

Overcome with passion, Meghan moaned softly and lay back across the desk. A moment later, Dana’s head disappeared beneath her skirt.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I blurted. “Hauser! Where the hell are you? Did you know this about my new souls?”

Meghan’s moaning stopped suddenly, and she pulled herself upright. A look of confusion spread across her face.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Dana asked.

“I don’t know. Did you hear something?”

Dana retracted his smiling face from between Meghan’s legs and looked about the room. “I don’t know, like what?”

“Voices maybe? I could’ve sworn that I heard… someone call out a name.”

“The only name I would be calling out is yours, baby,” Dana said with a cheesy wink. “But my tongue has been… preoccupied.”

“No, I’m serious. I think the name was… oh, never mind. Now, where were we?”

Dana stood and quickly dropped his trousers. “Let me introduce you to my little friend,” he said as he leaned into Meghan.

I stood next to them, blown away by the deception. My first thought about the sudden, not to mention completely revolting, revelation was that Hauser may have been incorrect. Maybe my training wasn’t over, and this current collection, so closely linked to my own past, was yet another lesson to be learned.

Thoroughly disgusted by the duplicity of the situation, I vanished from the study.

Chapter 4

When I’d felt enough time had passed so that I didn’t have to witness Meghan’s deceit in its full, carnal extent, I returned to them just as Dana had finished the last few morsels of his moo shu pork and began to eye Meghan’s untouched egg roll.

“Are you going to finish that?” he asked.

“No, go ahead. I can’t eat another bite. I’m stuffed.”

Dana scooped up the eggroll and promptly dipped it into his sweet-and-sour sauce before taking a bite. As he chewed, he continued to stare at Meghan from across the table. He swallowed and washed it down with a long pull from his Heineken.

“So, tell me about your conference. How’d it go?” he asked.

Meghan pushed her half-eaten lunch away and leaned back in her chair. “You know, as good as a conference over a weekend can go, I guess. It was really kind of a nonevent to tell the truth.”

Dana bobbed his head as he listened, maintaining eye contact with her.

“And the flight? Did you get an aisle seat or did you get stuck with the window?”

“Aisle,” replied Meghan promptly.

A few moments later, Dana continued his barrage of questioning. “I forget, didn’t you tell me that you stayed at the same hotel that we did last spring, before we were married?”

Meghan leaned forward, crossing her arms on the table in front of her. “No. I stayed at the Gerard this time.”

“But wasn’t the conference at that other hotel? The Radisson, was it? Wouldn’t it have been easier just to stay there instead of spending half your time driving back and forth?”

“You’d think, but the Gerard’s rates were almost half of what they were at the Radisson,” Meghan said as her eyes flickered around the room.

“Huh. You don’t say. You’d think that—”

“What’s with the third degree?” Meghan asked. “You’ve never been this interested in my weekend conferences before.”

“I don’t know, Meg, you tell me. It’s just that things don’t quite add up lately.”

“Don’t tell me you’re going to start that again,” Meghan snapped.

“Well, can you blame me? You leave here every other weekend for some new conference or seminar, and when you return you clam up about everything that happened while you were there. I just don’t know what to believe.”

“For heaven’s sake. For the hundredth time, I’m not having an affair. I am fully committed to you and this marriage.”

“I really want that to be true, Meg, but didn’t it take you four long months to even put in it for a name change at the DMV? It was like you were waiting as long as possible before you were willing to accept Sharp as your surname.”

“That’s not true. You know the hoops I had to jump through to get all that paperwork just right. I can’t help it if they lost the same form several times.”

“Tell me, Meg: Do you think we’ll even make it to our one-year anniversary?”

“Where the hell is that coming from? Have I ever given you any sign of leaving you? Dana, you’re not even thinking straight,” Meghan said.

Dana leaned forward, crossing his arms on the table, mirroring Meghan’s posture. “But you have, Meg. You leave me every couple weeks. That’s how it feels to me, at least.”

“That’s not fair. You know how much I love you. You are my rock. If you’d rather me not work, I’d be all for that. But until the pet store can support our household expenses, I don’t see any other choice but to continue on like we are now. And for me to work, I can’t control when the company sends me out of town.”

A moment later, she stood and circled around to Dana’s side of the table. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the side of his cheek. “I love you, baby. You can trust me.”

Dana sat motionless for a few moments. Finally he reached up and caressed her arm and leaned into her cheek.

“All right, my pet. I’m sorry. I just get so jealous when I’m alone for too long. Between that and being at the pet store nearly full time, my mind really does wander.”

“What? You’re gonna believe this tramp?” I said from my seat on the countertop. “Don’t trust a thing she says. She’s just a cheating whore.”

“Speaking of, how is the hunt going for your first employee? Have you found anyone worthy to hire?” Meghan asked as she returned to her seat.

“As a matter of fact, I did. It’s been a hellish several weeks, interviewing practically nonstop. Finally, I hired a girl and she started on Friday. We went through the basics of the store Friday and Saturday, and she seems pretty quick at picking things up.”

“That’s fantastic, honey. Who is she?”

“Her name’s Maxine. Yeah, I think she’ll do okay. But still, it’s just so difficult letting go of certain aspects of the business. You just don’t know who you can and cannot trust in this world.”

“Hey, buddy. I think you need a lesson or two in life lessons on how to read people,” I said, not believing what I was hearing from this guy.

Dana leaned forward, staring into Meghan’s eyes. “So, are we okay? Do you forgive my jealous tendencies?”

Meghan reached out, stroked his face, and smiled. “Sure thing, sweetheart. And I do apologize for being away so often. It really does take it out of me too, you know?”

“That I do,” Dana said.

“Well, then if you don’t mind, I think I might go up and take a quick catnap,” Meghan said as she began to rise from the table.

“Sure thing, Meg. Why don’t you do that and I’ll take care of this lunch mess.”

A moment later, Meg disappeared around the corner. The creaking sound of her climbing the stairway could be heard throughout the apartment.

Chapter 5

As soon as the sound of Meghan’s exit faded, Dana sprang from his chair, rushed into the foyer, and grabbed Meghan’s purse. Moments later, he returned to the kitchen and instantly began rummaging through the various zippered compartments. He finally found what he was looking for and withdrew Meghan’s cell phone. Unlocking the screen, he went directly to her messaging app and started it up.

“Sorry, bro, but you’re wasting your time,” I said. “She already deleted everything.”

A moment later, Dana discovered that very thing and sighed deeply.

Dana replaced Meghan’s cell phone exactly where he’d found it, minding to return everything to its original condition prior to his search, then took the purse back into the entryway. When he returned to the kitchen to clean up, I decided to jump upstairs and find out if Meghan and Luke’s well-earned demise was imminent. A moment later, I vanished.

I landed in the master bedroom and found Meghan already in bed. Her eyes were closed, but her breathing was still shallow; she wasn’t asleep yet. I knelt down next to her and slipped the rosary over my head. Lightly grasping the crucifix, I touched the back of her hand gently and thought of a point twenty-four hours ahead.

Within seconds, I was standing back downstairs in the kitchen, and Meghan sat at the kitchen table, her eyes brimming with tears.

“I don’t know, Meg. You say one thing but somehow mean something completely different,” Dana said, leaning against the kitchen countertop, his arms crossed in front of him.

“I’ve already told you. I was at the conference. Why don’t you believe me?” Meghan cried.

“You see, that’s the thing. I wanted to believe you, but there was just something… something that wasn’t settling with me. When I got to work this morning, my curiosity got the better of me. I called the Radisson, and guess what they told me?”

Meghan’s eyes locked on to Dana’s and her tears slowed. “You what? You checked up on me?”

“I did. And it was a good thing, too, because they told me there was no conference there this weekend. Tell me, my faithful wife, if you were not at the conference this weekend, where the hell were you?”

Tears returned to Meghan’s eyes in full force. “I swear, Dana. I was there. I don’t know who you talked to, but there was a conference and I was there. It was mandatory for all of the employees to go.”

“Okay. Let’s say I believe you. What do you have from the conference that you can show me?” Dana asked. “Hotel bill? Airline ticket stub?”

“Are you kidding me? Yesterday you tell me you’re okay with everything, and now you’re calling to check up on me? To track me down, to find out every movement I make?” Meghan stood up abruptly and stormed out of the kitchen. A moment later, Dana and I followed.

Dana caught up to Meghan in the foyer. “You know, this whole thing could all go away if you just show me something, anything that you took away from your ‘conference,’” Dana said, throwing up air quotes in a dramatic fashion.

“Well, to hell with you. I’m not about to start justifying my every move for you. Not now, not ever,” Meghan said as she slung her purse over her arm.

“So, what? You’re just going to run away? Is that it? You’re going to run away from this adult conversation we’re having?” Dana asked.

“No, I’m walking away. From you. I need a break, and so do you. I’ll be back later. And hopefully by then you’ll have had some time to realize just how much of an asshole you’re being about this entire situation.” Then she walked out the door.

I released the rosary and was brought back to the present.

When my vision cleared, I was sitting on the floor and Meghan was fast asleep on the bed next to me.

“I don’t know how you can do this,” I said. “How can you sleep so peacefully with all of that deceit flowing through your veins?”

I stood and hovered over Meghan for several minutes as I contemplated my next move. My emotions were running high, and I needed an escape. Not an escape like Meghan, but I certainly needed a mental break from the adulterous situation. From what I’d learned in the flash-forward, I knew I had at least twenty-four hours before anything would happen. I formulated a destination in my mind, and a moment later I vanished from Meghan’s bedside.

Chapter 6

When I reappeared, I stood in a cavernous warehouse filled with aisles of metal shelving stacked to the ceiling. As I made my way through the maze of storage shelves, I hoped that my stash of goods hadn’t been relocated. A third of the way down the aisle, I arrived at a grouping of shelves that were host to several boxes with the name Duffy plastered on their sides. After shuffling around the first few empty boxes, I came to one that was full and quite heavy. I tipped the lid off and quickly filled each arm with volumes of my own books. I scooped up as many as I could carry, emptying the entire box. With my elbow, I nudged the lid back over the box and then promptly disappeared.

Landing in the middle of my new domicile, I moved to the side of the fireplace and began placing my prized book collection on the rustic bookshelves that I’d fabricated from reclaimed barn wood taken from the shed a week earlier.

One by one, I placed the books on the shelf, reciting each of the titles as I did so. About halfway through the second armful, a plain white envelope slipped out of one of the books. I sat the remaining books down before picking up the fallen envelope. I turned it over in my hand, but there were no visible words on either side. I didn’t recall placing it in any of my books before, so I was at a loss as to where it might have come from.

Turning it back over, I flipped open the rear flap and looked inside. What I saw caused my heart to skip a beat.

“My God, I haven’t seen this in ages,” I breathed.

I backed up and lowered myself into my lumpy couch before sliding the envelope’s contents out. I held a copy of Cyndi’s and my marriage license, accompanied by several aged photos from our wedding day. From what I could remember, we had received the photos a few months after our wedding from one of our friends. Because they were so candid and unplanned, both Cyndi and I cherished them greatly.

As I flipped through the stack of photos, memories of our wedding came rushing back. I could remember nearly every moment of that day vividly, because it was the most cherished moment of my existence. I remembered having lunch with Cyndi that day at the restaurant where we had had our first date. We’d had the same meals on both occasions—a lasagna roll for me and fettuccine Alfredo for Cyndi. And just like our first date, Cyndi had barely touched her meal.

Fast forward a few hours, and I remembered standing on a raised brick platform surrounded by half a dozen bridesmaids and groomsmen. And then it had happened. I saw my beautiful bride-to-be being led down the aisle by her father, and my emotions would not stay in check. My eyes had filled with tears, but I had smiled from ear to ear. When I saw the pure joy in Cyndi’s face as she approached, I had cried openly.

I shuffled through a few more photographs, occasionally wiping my eyes. When I reached the end of the stack, I slipped them back into the envelope and returned them to the bookshelf.

I rambled aimlessly about the cabin for hours, contemplating the similarities between Cyndi and me, and Meghan and Dana. I tried to figure out exactly what caused infidelity. Was it boredom? Was it weakness? Something else? I had no answers, but I did know one thing: I knew, as sure as I knew anything in this world, Cyndi had in fact been my soulmate. If that woman could continue to haunt my soul several months after her own death, I knew there was a connection. I just wondered if there was a similar connection between Dana and Meghan.

Having lost track of time, I decided it was time to get back to my responsibilities. I wondered if Meghan had returned home to work things out with Dana or if she had run off to be with Luke.

A moment later, I disappeared from the cabin to get caught up on my marks’ locations.

Chapter 7

When I arrived at Luke’s apartment, it was late morning and Luke was just sitting down for lunch. As I sat across from him, I wondered whether he was aware that Meghan was married, or if she was being equally deceitful with him. Hoping to glean something relevant from Luke’s future, I quickly donned the rosary. I thought ahead twenty-four hours, and a moment later the room around me faded to black.

When my vision returned, I stood at Luke’s bedside. I looked down at him and Meghan, their naked bodies intertwined, then glanced at the alarm clock next to the bed. It was almost noon. Having discovered that they were both still alive, I was about to release the rosary to avoid witnessing any more of their adulterous ways when Meghan spoke.

“Are you sure?” she said.

“Absolutely. It’s like I said last night, I’ve never felt for anyone else the way I feel about you right now. I love you, Meg, and I hope you feel the same.”

Meghan didn’t reply right away. She lay next to Luke, her head on his chest, and from where I stood, I could see tears beginning to fall across her cheek.

“I’m not sure what to think. When I’m with you, all I can think about is being with you. When I’m away from you, all I can think about is wanting to get back to you.”

“Meg, you’ve just described my world for the past month.”

“But is that really love? I remember those same feelings when Dana and I first met. Sure, they weren’t as deep as they are with you, but I still had them. They were real feelings for him, early on. But somehow, what you and I have is—”

“Different? I don’t know, Meg, but I think you might be my… my soulmate. I’ve never had such feelings for anyone else in my entire life.”

Meghan dried her eyes before she looked up at Luke. “How can you tell?”

“I don’t know, it just… feels right. It’s like I ache when you’re not around, and when you are here, I ache at the thought of you having to leave.”

“I don’t want you to ache,” Meghan said as she leaned in and kissed Luke’s chin, inching up to his lips.

Suddenly, a loud commotion echoed in from somewhere else in Luke’s apartment. Before either Meghan or Luke could move, a tall man burst through the bedroom door.

Meghan looked up and screamed in horror at the sight of her husband. He was holding his vintage Colt revolver, pointing it in their direction.

Luke moved toward the edge of the bed, but Dana pulled back the hammer of his pistol. “Don’t you move an inch,” he said sternly.

Luke froze, then slowly leaned back against the headboard.

“Dana, I can explain,” Meghan said. “I was going to tell you today.”

Dana’s eyes blazed red with anger as he pointed his pistol at Luke.

“Wait! It’s not his fault,” Meghan pleaded. “I was the—”

Bang, roared the gun.

“DANA! What’ve you done,” Meghan screamed as Luke’s body went limp.

“I’m ending this,” Dana said calmly.

“By k-k-killing him?” Meghan asked as she began to sob.

“Meghan, baby, you were supposed to be mine, and mine only.”

“But is that a reason t-to k-kill someone?” Meghan pleaded.

“Shut up! Just stop it. You are tainted now, and you mean nothing to me,” Dana said as he pulled the hammer back on his pistol and fired it at Meghan.

As if in slow motion, the bullet crawled through the air, spinning slightly, before penetrating Meghan’s bare chest, blood splattering across the sheets.

A split second later, Dana cocked his pistol again and pointed it at the side of his own head. I saw him squeeze the trigger, but then everything froze. There was no more gunfire, no more blood, no more death. Everything around me paused eternally. I released my grip on the rosary and was brought back to the present.

I still sat at the kitchen table, but Luke had moved into the living room and was napping on the couch. I looked at my watch and saw that it was just about two in the afternoon. Remembering my last trip ahead with the rosary, I figured that Meghan and Dana were just about to have their fight.

“You better wake up, buddy. Your girlfriend is going to be on her way shortly and she is going to be needing you, of that I am certain.”

Luke continued to slumber, not hearing my words.

Feeling overwhelmed with emotion, I needed time to think. I had about twenty-four hours to kill before it was time, and sticking around there served no purpose. A moment later I vanished.

Chapter 8

I leaned back on my couch, propping my feet up on the armrest. The sun had just set, and the flicker of the fire caused shadows to dance across the floor. Coping with this latest soul collection had left me mentally exhausted and wanting to escape my own past once again. As I lay still and silent, I could feel my eyelids drooping, almost as if they were being pulled down by some unnatural force. But I resisted the temptation to sleep. Visions of Enoch Gant and his evil ways flashed through my mind. I would not give him the satisfaction of another mind-altering dream. I recalled Hauser’s advice and knew that just by relaxing quietly for a few hours, I could refresh my soul.

As I glanced at the stack of faded photographs on the coffee table, I had a sudden and strong desire to talk to Cyndi. Just one more time. It had been several months since I had caught her cheating, and I was still filled with more questions than answers. After collecting her soul, I’d thought I was ready to move on. Now I wasn’t so sure. Dealing with Meghan and Luke, I began to wonder if Cyndi was in fact my soulmate. Just yesterday my mind had been set on it. But now I wasn’t so sure.

“Where did we go wrong?” I asked aloud, hoping Cyndi could hear me, wherever she was in her afterlife. “Was it me? You?” I was pretty sure it wasn’t us, because when we were together it felt like we were best friends. If I just had something, anything to tell me what had gone wrong, I might be able to make changes. Changes for others.

And where the hell was Hauser? I looked around the small cabin, as if by that act I could make him appear. Since the day I had collected Calvin’s soul, I’d not seen hide nor hair of him, and that just wasn’t like him.

“Hauser? If you’re hiding behind the bookcase, listening to me ramble, I need your help. I…” I paused, wondering how I should phrase my mental state. “I’m lost and confused. I really have no reason to object to this current collection, but I’m having second thoughts, again. I see the love between Meghan and Luke, and I’m torn. I know that what Meghan is doing to Dana is wrong, but after seeing the ugly side of him, it really burns me up to see them get slaughtered like that. So carelessly. If I could just get them to… move on in life, nobody would have to die so, so tragically. I could really use your help and guidance on this one. Hell, I’m not even sure a change can be made, but—”

My pleas for help were interrupted by a screeching howl that echoed through the woods just outside the cabin door. As I craned my neck to peek out the front window, I heard a loud thump from the back of the cabin.

“Hauser?” I asked, eager to have another person to actually talk to.

Bump, bump. The sound continued rhythmically.

I jumped from the couch and went out to investigate, only to find a fallen branch that was brushing up against the rear wall of the cabin. Disappointed at finding myself still alone, I returned to the couch next to the fireplace. I lay back down, propped my feet up again, and returned to the previous realm of thoughts.

Since becoming a soul collector, I’d been conflicted with nearly every soul collection that had passed through my hands. Why had it taken me so long—until entering the afterlife—before I actually gave a shit about life and for the living? Deep inside, I hated to see anyone die. But it was only through Hauser’s—or was it the Sentinel’s?—training regimen that clarity was being brought forth in my own soul. I truly wanted to save everyone, and I was fairly confident that that realization was not what the training was intended for.

With no real sign or indication to do otherwise, I decided a change was going to be made. Not being a God-fearing man, I prayed regardless. I prayed that the Sentinel wouldn’t come down on me too hard for what I was about to do. Tomorrow morning, with any luck, three lives would be forever altered.

Chapter 9

As I walked in the front door of Hero’s Pet World at just after ten in the morning, I passed by the front-window display cages that housed the puppies and kittens. I continued walking through the store, down aisles stocked full of nearly every pet care item the mind could conceive. Having never been a pet owner myself, it boggled my mind at just how much money the average American spent on their pets. I had no doubt that Dana’s business would be a gold mine.

Nearing the sales counter at the back of the store, I came upon a woman I assumed was Maxine. The store had just opened moments earlier, and I was surprised that Dana wasn’t in control of his retail world. At least momentarily, that is, until he decided to go kill his wife and her lover.

I walked by Maxine and stepped into the back hallway, passing by a series of animal cages housing various older cats and dogs. As I did so, each of them sensed my presence, barking or hissing as I passed by. At the end of the hallway, I came to a closed door labeled PRIVATE and promptly jumped to the other side of the wall, unnoticed.

Once inside the manager’s office, I found Dana sitting at his desk talking on the phone.

“… and you’re sure that it’s her?… Yes, I know that’s what I paid you for, but I need to be positive about this… Okay, and is she alone or is she with someone?… Duke, no Luke? Holloway… No, it doesn’t ring a bell… Okay, I’ll take your word for it… What’s the address again?… Got it. Okay, thanks. Send me your bill and I’ll pay it promptly.”

Dana hung up the phone with what I assumed was a private detective. I looked over his shoulder as he rewrote the address on a new sheet of paper and tucked it into his shirt pocket. I recognized it as the address of Luke’s apartment.

Shit. Things were already in motion. I looked at my watch. Had an hour actually passed since I first came into the store? No, it couldn’t have. I wondered if my mind was slipping or if it was something else. Was something in the afterlife being altered?

As I contemplated the time differences between regular life and the afterlife, Dana slid open his desk drawer and withdrew a Colt revolver. It appeared to be the same one I’d seen him wield in Luke’s flash-forward. Dana’s hand trembled as he ejected the six-round chamber and fumbled with loading its bullets. It was clear that he was nervous about what his next move might be.

“Just stop, buddy. There’s other ways to handle this. Killing your wife is not the answer. No matter how torn up you feel inside. Trust me, I know.”

It was clear that Dana couldn’t hear me as he finished loading his gun. Once the last bullet slid into its chamber, he closed the revolver and spun it, just like I’d seen in the movies hundreds of times. Then he unzipped the bank bag sitting on the corner of the desk and dumped all of the cash into the desk drawer. With the bank bag empty, he slid the loaded revolver inside and zipped it closed. A moment later he rose from his desk and walked out the door.

Shit. What could I do?

I followed Dana out into the store, walking by the barking dogs once more.

“Hush up, guys,” I said. “I’ll be gone in a moment, I promise.”

Dana stopped at the front counter and talked to Maxine. “How’s it going out here?” he asked.

“It’s all good,” she replied. “The store is open and I’ve stocked the shelves like you’ve asked me to. No customers yet.”

“And you think you’ll be okay for a while? Alone?” he asked.

“Sure thing. If it’s anything like Saturday was, I should be fine on my own for a few hours.”

“Great. I just have a few errands to run, and I need to stop by the bank,” Dana held up the bank bag, “but I should be back by the end of the day. If not, you do have your key, right?”

“I do. Everything is going to be fine, Mr. Sharp.”

“Okay, then. Don’t forget to feed all of the animals before you leave as well,” he reminded her.

The animals! That’s it. But how—

Just then, a brilliant idea came to me. I jumped from standing next to Dana and Maxine and landed at the front of the store, just out of their eyesight. I leaned down to the puppy cage and unlatched the door, instantly releasing all the puppies into the store. A second later, I jumped to the other side of the entry and did the same to the kitten cage. “Go. Be free,” I said.

The puppies wasted no time exiting the cage, but the kittens were much more passive about venturing out into the store. My plan wasn’t exactly panning out as I had hoped, as the puppies only circled around my ankles.

“Scat! Go play!” I demanded, but none of them obeyed. So I began to jump around the store, landing first by the food and then by the toys, leading the puppies as I went. Finally, both the puppies and the kittens were wondering about the store aimlessly, and then it happened.

“Who let the dogs out?” Dana said in a panic. “And the kittens!”

“I… I don’t know,” Maxine responded, rushing out onto the sales floor.

Within moments, both Dana and Maxine had gathered up nearly all of the kittens and a few of the puppies. I suddenly knew that the distraction was not enough to cause him to miss his appointment with doom. That’s when I remembered the adult dogs and cats at the back of the store, and jumped to their cages. A moment later, real chaos ensued.

I opened every cage, releasing more than a dozen full-size dogs and several cats out into the store. I again jumped from spot to spot in the store. The adult cats were much more brazen than the kittens and exited their cages far more eagerly. With the cats on the prowl, the dogs began to chase. Hissing and growling and barking and more hissing ensued, causing quite a scene.

As I jumped forward in the store, Dana caught sight of the debacle happening at the rear of the store and screamed at Maxine to close the front door. Within seconds, Maxine sprang to action. She unlatched the hold-open on the door and it began to close slowly. Just as the latch clicked, a number of wandering dogs charged in that direction.

I continued jumping from spot to spot throughout the store, keeping an eye on my watch. The double murder was to take place just after lunch, and Luke’s apartment was a good forty-minute taxi ride away. It was 11:20 a.m. according to my watch. I just had to keep the chaos going on little longer to prevent Dana from leaving.

I jumped to the front of the store while Maxine and Dana were at the back. I once again unlatched the puppy cages, releasing them back into the store. Then, suddenly, a customer opened the front door.

As the middle-aged woman walked in, she was nearly assaulted by an adult Doberman pinscher, launching its open jaws toward her face. She screamed in horror, bringing her arms up in defense. Dana heard the commotion and bolted toward the new catastrophe, making it to the front of the store just as the Doberman was about to land on the cowering woman. He grabbed the dog’s collar and yanked him back just in the nick of time.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am. We’re not sure what’s going on this morning. It appears all of our pet cages won’t remain shut.” Just then, he noticed the puppies scouring about the store again.

I jumped once more, finally landing on top of the sales counter to watch. Maxine was attempting to herd the cats back into their cages while also trying to keep the dogs from chasing them. Dana was at the front of the store apologizing profusely to the female customer. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was now just past one in the afternoon. I concluded that it would be difficult for Dana to make it to Luke’s apartment in time to kill them at the time I witnessed earlier. Still, I remained on the sales counter for another thirty minutes, enjoying the spectacle in front of me.

At a quarter till two, I felt confident that I had once again changed fate, and Meghan and Luke would continue on living. I smiled as Dana and Maxine captured the last few fleeing animals in the store. A moment later, I vanished.

Chapter 10

When I arrived at Luke’s apartment, I was surprised at myself for actually being happy to see both him and Meghan alive. They were in the kitchen, about to have a late lunch.

“I have to say, Meg, if you’re going to be around here more often, constantly building up my appetite, we’re going to have to switch to low-fat food. Otherwise, I’m going to gain like twenty-five pounds before you know it,” Luke teased.

“Don’t put the blame on me, mister. You’re the one that has the grabby hands and the irresistible moves. I guess we’ll just have to increase our sexual activities to keep the weight gain at bay.”

“That would just create a vicious circle,” Luke said, brushing up against her. “But I’m not going to complain,”

“It’s nice that you two finally get out of bed,” I said, moving from the living room into the kitchen.

Meghan looked at me, let out a slight scream, and dropped the glass she was holding. Luke, who was equally startled, jumped at my voice and turned in my direction.

“Who the hell are you? And how’d you get into my apartment?”

I was at a complete loss for words. I hadn’t expected them to be able to see or hear me.

“I, uh, I’m here to… warn you that Dana knows everything,” I said slowly. “In fact, he may very well be on his way here right now.”

Meghan gasped in horror.

“You’re lying,” Luke protested. “Just because I’m the Congressman’s son doesn’t give you the right to follow me around, perpetuating lies for your own personal gain.”

“Believe what you want, buddy, but it’s the truth. I’m… the PI that he hired to follow you two around. He knows everything, and to say that he’s pissed would be an understatement.”

“Then if he hired you, why are you telling us? Isn’t that some kind of conflict of interest in some private detective code of conduct, or something?” Luke asked, clearly still skeptical.

I looked at Meghan. Fear was clearly present on her face. She obviously knew what Dana was capable of.

“If you don’t believe me, just ask your little girlfriend here and she’ll verify just how much of a lunatic Dana Sharp really is.”

Luke looked at Meghan as she started to cry. She began to hyperventilate and could only nod in agreement.

“See?” I said. “I suggest you two end this now before someone gets hurt—and I mean really hurt. Or, Meghan, you need to end it with Dana before he does something drastic.” As I talked, I tried to figure out why these two could see and hear me. If I’d made the change, their deaths would no longer be imminent, therefore they should be as oblivious to my presence as Dana was earlier. Had a change actually been made, or had I only succeeded in delaying their deaths? Only time would tell now, unless… unless I could get them to make the change for themselves.

“Suppose we believe you,” Luke said. “You seem to have more information that you’re withholding. What are you not telling us?”

I threw my hands up. “Hey, I’m just the messenger. Dana hired me to follow you two and confirm his suspicions. After I gave him this address, my contract with him was over.”

“So you do want money, then,” Luke demanded.

“Nope. None whatsoever. This is a friendly warning and nothing more.”

“If that’s true, then who’s the guy behind you? Is he your muscle? The wrench to squeeze the money from my pocket?” Luke asked.

I spun around, expecting to see Dana walking in holding the gun. But to my surprise, I saw someone that I had never expected to see in person.

Enoch Gant stood by the front door.

Chapter 11

“I bet you’re surprised to see me,” Enoch said, tipping his bowler hat slightly.

“What? What, what are you doing here?” I asked.

“I’m here to lend you a hand, obviously,” Enoch said, coming to stand next to me in the kitchen.

“So you do know him,” Luke said.

“Actually, Mr. Holloway, Jack and I have not been formally introduced. We’re kind of coworkers in an estranged sort of way, isn’t that right, Jack?” Enoch said.

Ignoring Enoch’s question, I said, “There’s nothing left here to handle. You’re wasting your time and you should leave.”

“Oh, sure there is, Jack. You haven’t yet fulfilled your obligation to the Sentinel.”

“Is the Sentinel the name of the PI firm you two work for?” Luke asked.

“Shut up, Luke,” I snapped.

“Why so short-tempered, Jack?” Enoch asked.

“Because I know what kind of person you are and these two do not.”

“You guys are really kinda freaking me out. I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Luke said.

“Shut up, Luke,” Enoch said.

Luke gasped then went for his cell phone sitting on the corner of the countertop. “If you don’t leave, I’m going to call the police.”

Suddenly Enoch withdrew a Colt revolver from his inside suit pocket. It was amazingly similar to the revolver that Dana had not more than an hour ago.

At the sight of the gun, Meghan shrieked and grabbed on to Luke. They both stepped away from the countertop.

“Hey, now. We don’t want any trouble. I’m just asking if you two would leave. I won’t call the police if you guys leave right now.”

“Well, would you look at that? Jack, I see why you saved these two souls. They have such… intelligence. Seems such a shame that they have to die anyway.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked. “Their event has come and passed, and—”

“And what? Why exactly are you here, then?” Enoch asked.

“I just came by to see that they were, in fact, still alive.”

At that moment Enoch raised the revolver and pointed it at Meghan. Before I could protest, he pulled the trigger, shooting her in the head.

“Well it looks like you were wrong. One is alive and one is dead. I’d say plot twist, but then you’d just ignore my humorous jabs?”

Luke held Meghan’s limp body for a few seconds longer before he reluctantly let her fall to the floor. “You sonofabitch. You killed her!” he screamed.

With Enoch’s attention on Luke, I lunged for the gun in Enoch’s hand, but before I could grab it, Enoch vanished and reappeared two feet behind me.

“What the hell just happened?” Luke asked.

“Shut up, Luke,” Enoch and I said in unison.

“You see, Jack, sometimes you can’t actually change fate. Luke and Meghan were supposed to die, and dammit, I’m gonna make sure that happens.”

“What does it matter to you if they live or die?” I demanded.

“Honestly, it really doesn’t matter one iota. I just saw an opportunity here, and I decided to take it.”

“What opportunity is that?” I asked, stepping toward Enoch discreetly.

“Back off, Jack. You don’t want to end up like Meghan here, do you?” Enoch asked.

I froze. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Luke once again inching toward his cell phone.

I raised my hands up in surrender. “Hey, it’s no sweat off my brow either, buddy,” I said as I took two steps back, hoping to keep Enoch’s attention away from Luke.

Enoch raised an eyebrow. “You surprise me, Jack. I thought you were all about saving lives. Why the sudden change of heart?”

“No reason, really,” I said, taking another step back.

Enoch instinctively glanced toward Luke, grasping his cell phone in his hand. Without another word, Enoch squeezed the trigger, placing a bullet in the side of Luke’s temple. He dropped to the floor next to Meghan’s dead body.

“Nice try, Jack. But what do you think him calling the police would’ve done for your cause? I’ll tell you, absolutely nothing.”

I rushed into the kitchen, knelt down next to the bodies, and felt for a pulse. There was none, on either of them. Instinctively, I withdrew their soul boxes from my pocket.

“Not so fast, Jack,” Enoch said as he leveled the revolver in my direction. “I need you to back up, and I mean right now.”

I saw the revolver cocked and loaded, and obeyed Enoch’s command, stepping away from the dead bodies. I wasn’t entirely sure whether or not I could be killed again, seeing as I was, for all intents and purposes, dead already. Regardless, I wasn’t about to tempt that particular fate.

A moment later, Enoch withdrew a cylindrical copper tube no longer than a medicine bottle. He unfastened the lid, and an instant later Luke and Meghan’s souls shot directly into the opening. Enoch reattached the lid and slipped it back into his pocket.

“What, you did this just so you can collect their souls on your own?” I asked.

“I have my reasons, and none of them are of any of your concern.” Enoch continued to point his pistol in my direction. We stood, facing each other in silence. Slowly, Enoch began to move toward the entry door of the apartment, shuffling his feet backward, blindly.

Suddenly, Hauser appeared next to me in the kitchen.

“Oh, I was wondering when you would show up,” Enoch said, now pointing the pistol at Hauser.

The look of surprise on Hauser’s face spoke volumes. Without a single word, he smiled, then vanished just as suddenly as he’d appeared.

Enoch blinked rapidly as he swung the pistol in an arc around the room, expecting Hauser to reappear just as randomly. Thinking along the same lines, I also disappeared, jumping into the bedroom momentarily before returning to the living room. Enoch’s back was toward me, but he sensed me almost instantly. He repointed the pistol at me, but before he could pull the trigger, I vanished again. I continued to jump in and out of the bedroom and various parts of the living room and kitchen until Enoch clearly became bored with the game. He stopped pointing his gun at me at every reappearance.

Then, Hauser reappeared right behind him. He reached out to grasp Enoch’s shoulder, but before he could get a grip, Enoch vanished himself. He rematerialized near the apartment door.

“If you want to catch me, old man, you’re going to have to get up a little earlier in the morning,” Enoch said. He no longer pointed the gun at either of us but just stood there, waiting for something.

As if on cue, the apartment door opened and in stepped Dana Holloway.

Enoch looked in our direction one last time, then winked. He handed the revolver to Dana and vanished.

Dana looked at the gun in his hand quizzically before looking up at Hauser and me. “What… what’s going on here?” he asked.

Curious, I wondered how Dana could see any of us. Was he still destined to die? In Luke’s flash-forward, Dana had taken his own life after he’d killed Meghan and Luke. Now I wondered if he would do the same once he discovered that they were both already dead in the kitchen.

Before Hauser or I could answer, we heard the sound of police sirens out front, and then the screech of tires echoing between the buildings. I looked at Hauser, who nodded his head slowly and then flipped his thumb up and over his shoulder. It was time to go. We vanished from Luke’s apartment.

Chapter 12

“What the hell was that all about,” I asked as I paced around my cabin.

Hauser stood at the center of the room, his eyes staring off into space, as if trying to focus on a distant star. “I don’t know. I haven’t actually seen Enoch in person for—”

“No, not that. What was up with him killing Luke and Meghan?” I asked.

“I’m sorry, what?” Hauser asked.

“Didn’t you see them dead? Haven’t you been following me around, silently, letting me stumble and fall?”

“No. I’ve been… busy. You say he killed them?”

“Yeah, kind of like that dream I had a few months ago. He kind of just showed up, and when I wasn’t willing to take their souls, he killed them both.”

“Wait, slow down. I need you to tell me everything,” Hauser demanded.

I recapped my search for Meghan and Luke, my dismay at their infidelity, and my decision to intervene once again in my soul collection, pacing around the cabin as I spoke. When I finished catching him up, I sat heavily on the couch. “You’re telling me you really didn’t know anything I was doing?” I asked.

“No, nothing whatsoever.”

“Well, after deciding to save their two souls, I jumped back to Luke’s apartment to make sure that they were okay, and that’s when Enoch showed up and killed them both. Your timing couldn’t have been worse. He fired the gun just seconds before you arrived.”

“My God, so it’s true.”

“What’s true? That Enoch is a psychopath? I thought we knew that already.”

“No, that he is in fact interfering with the collection of other souls.”

“Well, I believe that’s the understatement of the century,” I said, then wondered if my own interference would be equally feared by the Sentinel. Granted, my own changes in fate were far less violent than Enoch’s, but still, I was changing fate just the same.

As Hauser and I contemplated the situation, I began to worry that things might be far worse than I’d imagined. Hauser’s was not his usual jovial self, and a worried look was plastered across his face.

“Anything else?” he asked.

“Well, after he killed them, I attempted to collect their souls. But before I could do so, he pulled out some kind of collection chamber of his own and took both of the souls instantaneously.”

Hauser stopped pacing and stared at me. “Was it a copper tube, and about yea big?” he asked, holding his fingers a few inches apart.

“Yeah, that’s about it. What’s this all about?” I asked.

“I… I have no words. I had always thought that it was a rumor. What you just described is what we’ve coined a soul magnet. It is believed to have been created centuries ago for the mass collection of souls without the need of cleansing. The way that it was rumored to work was that you opened the vessel and any free soul present with a hundred-meter radius would shoot into the tube.”

“You say rumored. Has the Sentinel not told you anything about it?”

Hauser shook his head. “No, the Sentinel even withholds information from me from time to time.”

“Well, then what’s our next step? I still have their soul boxes,” I said, pulling them from my pocket.

Hauser took them from me and held them out in front of us so that we could see the names. Luke Holloway and Meghan Sharp still was etched on each of the boxes.

“Curious. I would’ve thought that once the soul magnet took their souls, your boxes would re-etch with new names.”

“Well, it doesn’t appear to have happened that way. Can’t you use one of your devices and go after Enoch? Maybe we can still get those souls from his soul magnet thingy.”

“No, I’ve chased after him in the past, and he’s wise to the maneuver. He instinctively jumps to locations that would leave a follower in a precarious situation. There have been a number of times that I nearly died following him. So, no, we can’t go after him. Not now.”

“So, we can die again?” I asked, fearing for my own mortality.

“In an abstract sense, yes. We really never actually died, you see. We just left the life of the living, breathing population. So, yes, you should fear for your own mortality, because it is still just as fragile.”

“Then what’s next?”

“Well, my friend, I think we have no other choice than to finally introduce you to the Sentinel. Maybe they can give us some kind insight on the situation.”

“Oh. Oh my. I… I’m not sure how I feel about that. Won’t they be a little upset with me for avoiding the collection of these two, especially after my previous indiscretions?”

“You can’t worry about that, Jack. There are far more important things that are on their minds, I’m sure.”

“You’re the boss,” I said nervously. “Lead the way.”

Hauser stepped to my side and held his arm out level with the ground. “Take my arm, Jack. Take my arm, and clear your mind of all thoughts. You’re just along for the ride.”

I did as he said, forcing every possible thought away. When all that was left was Hauser and me, we vanished from the cabin.