Ultimate Supernatural Horror Box Set

Chapter 30

“I haven’t seen him in a couple of hours,” Burton told Ann Vandooren.

She blinked at him as if waking from a nap. “This is important.”

“He had something come up,” Burton said. “Trust me, Digger wouldn’t bail on a conference without good reason.”

“Do we tell them?” Duncan said.

Burton looked from the woman to her young companion, then at the stack of video gear on their desk. “Tell us what?”

Cody, who had been with Burton in the control room when Duncan burst in, glanced at the computer and the various firewires and cables that protruded from the machine’s ports. “Nice system.”

“What’s the deal?” Burton asked. Ann looked like she’d aged a couple of decades since he’d last seen her, or maybe she’d taken off her make-up. She was hollow-eyed and evasive, a junkie without a fix.

“I’m possessed,” she said.

Drama queen. There was one at every conference, usually more than one, sometimes entire bus loads. Somebody had to be the most sensitive, see the most ghosts, endure the deepest sympathetic link with the dead. He wouldn’t have figured Ann for it, because his money was still riding on that fat loudmouth Amelia G. But she was the first to declare herself possessed, and that counted for something.

All Burton could do was humor her. “Is this a demonic possession or more of a communing with the dead?”

Her eyes narrowed. “What’s the difference?”

Cody, who had moved closer to the computer set-up, said, “Demonic possession is subtle and insidious. It’s not like a boogieman jumping into your skin and yelling, ‘Hey, Lucy, I’m home.’ Demons tend to find the weak, search the brick wall for chinks, and then hitchhike into your soul by way of your worst traits.”

“Hey,” Duncan said. “I understand psychology, but we’re not talking a meltdown here. I tell you, I saw a black halo over her head.”

“I saw it, too, in the mirror,” Ann said. “You can’t convince me we’re both cracking up. We’re scientists, for god’s sake.”

“Science,” Burton said. “The last refuge of the faithless.”

“Look at this,” Cody said, pointing to the split screen on the computer. “You’ve got a camera in the attic.”

He reached for the keyboard as if to click the image to full resolution.

“Get away from there,” Ann said, leaping at him with her fingernails extended.

Burton moved forward to grab her, but Duncan reached her first. She shrugged him away and reached for the computer. Cody turned at the motion and her fingernails clawed his cheek. Ann slammed down the lid of the laptop, mashing Cody’s fingers.

“Jeez, lady,” he said. “I’m trying to help.”

“Ease up, everybody,” Burton said. “Look, it’s the middle of the night. We’re all a little tired. Why don’t we get some sleep and work this out in the morning?”

“And let the demon get even deeper inside me?”

“We’ve got a guy on staff who’s an expert on such things. The Roach will be glad to talk to you, no matter what the problem is.”

Ann put her fingers to her lips as if savoring the tiny bits of flesh she’d raked from Cody’s face. “This place...there’s something wrong with it.”

“Scientifically speaking?” Cody rubbed his cheek.

“Okay,” Duncan said, putting an arm around Ann. “I can take care of her. Sorry I bothered you.”

Burton nodded. To hell with it. Let Digger deal with her. Better get Cody out of here before the kid blows a fuse.

“Come on,” he said to Cody. “Let’s set up the recording gear for overnight.”

Cody left without another word. Ann’s face, already puckered with anger, twisted a little bit more. Burton decided she was putting on an act. He was turning to follow Cody when the black ring materialized over her head.

What the fuh—?

The walkie talkie squawked from his hip and by the time he’d thumbed the receiver, the image was gone. Must be getting combat fatigue.

“Burton,” he said into the walkie talkie.

“Shaw her faysh....”

“Digger?”

“Are you a bweever, Burton?”

“Who is this?”

“The lost and the lurking.” The voice trailed off into giggles.

Out in the hall, he caught up to Cody. “Did you hear that? Some kid screwing around on the channel?”

“No.”

“Sorry about those two,” Burton said. “You get every kind—”

“They were broadcasting. Not just recording.”

“Well, I don’t—”

“I caught video that looked a little suspicious. I thought somebody might be playing around. I figured it was an inside job, maybe you and Digger—”

“Watch it, Cody. You might be the ‘Future of Horror’ and all that happy horseshit, but we’ve been doing this since you were in diapers.”

“You’ve got to admit, Digger’s all about the show. I wouldn’t put it past him to pull a little stunt like that.”

Cody’s anger had shifted targets, and Burton realized the kid was bothered more by phony science than Ann’s talons. Burton prided himself on keeping cool, and now he was seeing things, hearing things, and bitching at his teammate. While Digger’s technical expertise was the weakest of all the team members, the man had a way of holding them together. And Digger was as invisible as the shyest ghost.

“If you don’t want to be part of SSI, you can pack up your toys and go home.”

“I got my own reasons for being here,” Cody said.

As Cody stomped down the hall, giggles leaked from Burton’s walkie talkie.