Chapter 25

Steve pulled into the fraternity and took a deep breath, shoving his foul mood out of sight where it festered under his skin. He walked inside, offering a “hey” and a smile to the group in the living room before heading up to his room. He changed into his jogging shorts and t-shirt and headed out for a run. A half hour later, he turned down the driveway to his grandfather’s cabin. He slowed as he approached the police barricade.

“I’m sorry, son, this is private property,” the officer guarding the driveway entrance said.

“I know. I own the property. Please tell Agent Murphy that Steve Williams is here,” he said, jogging in place.

The officer’s eyebrows lowered and his eyes narrowed, as he took a closer look at Steve. “Do you have ID?”

Steve pulled out his Brooksfield University student ID. “My badge is in the cabin,” he said, still jogging in place.

The officer looked between the ID and Steve and finally handed it back. “Agent Murphy is expecting you.” He stepped aside so Steve could pass.

Steve jogged the rest of the way up the driveway, approaching the cabin and the chaos outside. A search and rescue headquarters sat near the side of the cabin and the benches near the gazebo were filled with Brooksfield police and fire and rescue personnel under the makeshift canopy. Something about the callous way Murphy took over the property set his nerves on edge and Steve paced, allowing both his body and his temper to cool.

Agent Murphy left his post and crossed the expanse of lawn.

“You could have asked my permission,” Steve said, his breath a little labored from the run.

“Look, this is the perfect spot to coordinate a search and rescue. It’s containable,” he said. “I didn’t think you’d have an issue with it.”

Steve bit down on the response. He had worked with Murphy long enough to know he took advantage of the best available opportunities and as incensed as he was, if he was in Murphy’s place, he would have done the same thing. “Fine.” He stopped moving and wiped the sweat off his face with his shirt. “What do you need from me?” he asked.

“I need you to be at the fraternity acting like one of them and see if they drop any hints about this.”

Steve took a deep breath. “I think that’s the wrong place for me to be.”

Murphy glared at Steve. “What are you talking about?”

“Jennifer had another vision,” he said. “She’s been with me for the entire day, Jack. I haven’t left her side until about an hour ago when I dropped her off.”

Murphy turned away, but Steve caught the skepticism in his eyes.

“I know how far-fetched this sounds, but Jennifer has some sort of weird psychic connection to this.” He walked toward the dock and sat down on the steps.

Murphy followed and sat next to him. “Okay, let’s say she does. How can we use that to catch the son of a bitch?”

Steve smiled a little. “I’m not sure. There’s no rhyme or reason to when they show up and she thinks some monster is causing the deaths.”

“She’s right.”

“No, Jack, she doesn’t believe it’s human.”

Murphy began to laugh, and Steve shot a glare in his direction.

“What if it isn’t?” Steve asked, “What if she’s right?”

Jack looked out at the lake while he formulated his response. “Steve, I’ve seen some pretty sick shit in my life, all of which was the result of a human being,” he said. “This is no different.”

“Humor me. What if we are dealing with something outside the realm of the norm?” Steve glanced at his boss. “Just for a second, think as if it’s a real possibility.”

Murphy let the sounds of the task force fill the space between them before he spoke. “If it isn’t human…” He gnawed on that statement for a while along with his lower lip. “I don’t know, Steve. I just don’t know.”

Steve didn’t think Murphy would be able to take that leap and he nodded and stood. “I need to get back. Can I catch a ride in a marked police car? That ought to get the conversation kick started.”

Murphy laughed. “No way.”

“Yes, Murph. I can use that. I’ll tell them the jogging paths around this side of the lake are blocked by police and a search and rescue effort is going on for some fools who got lost in the woods.” He shrugged. “Otherwise, it’ll be a bitch to work missing people into a conversation.”

Murphy agreed and picked up his radio as they walked toward the driveway. “I need Agent Williams taken back to the fraternity in a marked Brooksfield police car.”

The car pulled up and Steve slipped inside.

“I’ll see you in class tomorrow,” Murphy said.

Steve sent a quick nod in his direction before he closed the door and settled back in the seat, explaining what he expected of the officer when they got to the fraternity.

The police car parked in front of the frat house a few minutes later. Several of the members were sitting out on the porch. When the officer opened the back door and Steve stepped out, he shot a smirk in their direction and swiveled his gaze to the officer.

“Next time, you may want to heed the park closing signs, son,” the officer said and slid back into the cruiser.

Steve nodded and walked up to the members of the frat house. He glanced over his shoulder as the cop pulled away. “God damn cops,” he muttered as he lumbered up the stairs. “Ruined a perfectly good run.”

“What happened?” Adam asked.

“I was running down one of the jogging paths around the lake and I ignored the no trespassing signs. Looks like some idiots got lost in the woods. There are cops everywhere.” He shook his head. “They gave me a hell of a time for being in the park after six.”

“What do you mean cops everywhere?” Adam asked.

“They’re all over the woods on the other side of the lake.”

“Where?”

“Pretty much across from the public beach and down the length of the lake.”

Adam and Joe exchanged glances. “Think they’ll be gone by Friday night?” Adam asked.

Steve shrugged. “Beats me, it depends if they find the idiots who got lost. Why?”

“We camp over that way for initiation,” Adam said, giving away nothing that Steve didn’t already know.

“You may have to find another spot,” Steve said.

Panic settled in Adam’s eyes and he snapped his head in Joe’s direction.

“I’m sure they’ll find them before then,” Joe smiled.

Steve looked between the two of them. “I gotta take a shower.” He headed inside.

* * * *

Joe stepped inside and heard the shower go on. He walked back onto the porch and smacked Adam on the back of the head. “Bill said not to clue him in on the initiation.”

“What’s Bill going to do with him during initiation?”

“I have no idea,” Joe lied. Bill had explained the initiation plans to him and asked for a few items. Joe had scored what Bill requested with surprising ease. As the next in line for the fraternity president spot, he had a special role to play this year. He wondered whether he could stomach it, but he didn’t want to entertain not following through for even a second.

Joe looked up at the second floor and shook his head slightly. If he thought his role pushed the limitations of sanity, Steve’s role was downright morbid.

He would bear witness to the entire event, even Jennifer’s death. Of course, that presumed the beast didn’t just tear him to pieces on sight.

Chapter 26

Jennifer found a movie she loved and put down the clicker, curling up on the couch. She drifted off into a light sleep with Nicholas Cage navigating The City of Angels.

Jennifer knelt in the middle of a dark room with candles decorating the walls all around her. The pentacle on the floor glowed with a fiery hue, yet the temperature plummeted and she shivered. Ice-cold hands pushed her forward, burning her shoulders and she screamed.