Two Lost Souls Ch. 01

"Of course, Mason." The tall man nodded. "I assume you mean in addition to the considerable aid I have already rendered?"

At this, Mason Henderson paused and gestured to the man at his right, who held a dark wooden box with silver sigils etched all over it. The man dropped to a knee and opened the box. Mason Henderson removed a large hammer from within. He hefted it once. "We can always do more, Mr. Anderson."

Stepping outside and opening himself up to the elements, Mason Henderson felt the sturdiness of the earth beneath and the cold lilting breeze above. The sky was dark, and no clouds hid the stars. The moon was full and cast the entire scene in gilded silver. The full moon certainly boosted the illusions Mr. Anderson had woven. Mason Henderson actually felt his mind wander to the point of believing them from time to time. It was truly adept work given the timetable.

He augmented his voice and let it ring over the entire scene. "You are surrounded. Please step out of your vehicle. You are charged with the deaths of nine innocents, five counts of piercing the Veil, and willful misuse of necromancy without consent of the Countess Darlene Imoteth. These are grave and grievous crimes perpetrated against humanity and those who protect it from annihilation. You are urged to surrender and seek redress for your crimes. Anything you say or do will be held against you."

Cases like these never ended well, but he was obligated to at least make the offer.

The crackle of static cut into his attention; then Miss Delphi said, "Mason, this isn't going to end well. There's deadly intent. They don't surrender. They —" And then her breathing became heavy. "Oh my go —" Then wet vomiting sounds followed.

Mr. Anderson chimed in. "The oracle is down. I repeat the oracle is down."

Mason Henderson lifted his hammer to the heavens. The air above became negatively charged, as he added electrons in a path extending to the sky. Tiny, positively charged sparks reached up from the ground in response. The lightning bolt didn't strike downward but instead leapt upward.

Suddenly, all hell broke loose.

* * * * *

Right from the start, Danielle had a bad feeling. Running out of gas didn't make sense. Something about the situation, and Amber's response, was off. She couldn't put her finger on it. "Oh John, I feel like I've fucked this up already."

His eyes opened briefly, and he smiled. "Hi."

"HEY! ohmygod, thank you, thank you." She smothered him in kisses.

"I love you too." His voice was still low and raspy, his smile just a wistful upturn at the corner of his mouth. "How are we doing?"

"Not good. We are about an hour and a half out, and we ran out of gas. Dawn's like two-and-half hours away." Danielle bit her lip. "Oh and my friend Amber is with us. She went to pay for gas."

John frowned and looked around. "This isn't a gas station."

Danielle laughed nervously. "Sure it is. We followed the sign from the highway and everything."

"We need to go now."

"But Amber —" Then Danielle was cut off as a loud voice boomed out in the night, announcing their crimes. "Shit."

The voice belonged to a man in a black suit, accompanied by several other men in suits. The voice held a giant hammer. Other men in black SWAT uniforms began bursting out from tractor trailers. "We are. Oh god no. John I'm so sorry."

John was looking at her. He hadn't moved. His head was still nestled in her lap.

"Wish I could help more, but —" He grunted. "It's like trying to do anything when you have to pee real bad." He winced.

Danielle's head swiveled back and forth, as she tried to keep all movement in sight. The situation looked impossible. She called up the black glyphs, but she only knew what two of them could do. None of the SWAT looked like they had health problems. "What do we do, John?"

His eyes caught hers. "I've come too far." He took a deep breath. "Use these glyphs in this order when I tell you." He called up the black glyphs and she began to see them.

As Danielle watched, three glimmered in a sequence. The first seemed to bypass the need to cause damage, but in return it couldn't kill outright. The second would draw hungry dead like throwing chum in the water. The third would temporarily allow them to enter the Twilight. "Okay," she said.

"I will swat this fly, then you act."

Danielle nodded. John called up two more banks of black glyphs, each larger than the last. He reached out and grabbed one, seemingly at random, and hurled it toward the gas station. Then he passed out.

"Here goes," Danielle said as she prepared herself. The first glyph pulsed as she chose it. It swelled and turned a bruised, purple color and dissipated into vapor. All around her the SWAT members dropped their weapons as they screamed in horrific pain. She could see them trying to rip off their night vision goggles. Blood was everywhere.

She called for the second glyph. This one was easy to initiate. That's when the ghosts came. She hadn't seen any, but these were bloated, hungry things rising from the ground. They clamored around the SWAT. Guns misfired, people tripped, gas grenades exploded, and general anarchy reigned. The poltergeist would materialize for a moment to enact some prank or mishap and then dissipate a moment later.

The man with the loud voice and giant hammer was unaffected. He raised his hammer to do something; whatever it was, Danielle was sure it would result in something bad. That's when she activated the final glyph, everything changed to a state of Twilight, a misty, distorted version of the real world, where the colors were muted pastels and all sorts of odd shapes and figures floated about. This glyph hadn't disappeared when activated, instead it hung before her and bits of it fell away like sand in an hourglass.

She didn't have much time. She wanted to get Amber, but there just wasn't enough time. Instead, Danielle jumped over the console and into the driver's seat. The keys were still in the ignition, and just like John said, the car had plenty of gas.

Danielle pumped the accelerator, and the car bolted forward. She kept the pedal floored until they were doing well over ninety. The car was not intended to go that fast. Every bolt rattled. Her whole body vibrated, but she didn't dare slow down. The glyph ran out of power about five minutes later. They exited Twilight eight miles away. She glanced at her watch; they'd lost another fifteen minutes of buffer from that distraction. That left them with only forty-five minutes to spare.

On the positive side, the five ghosts from the hospital reappeared. She wasn't sure why, didn't really want to know why, but she was happy. Now if a cop appeared, she could send a ghost to possess him. So with that taken care of, she continued driving at ninety miles per hour. At least they'd make up some serious time now.

She made it to Chicopee before the black SUV found them. It must have been souped-up, because it was actually gaining on her. Amber's car refused to go faster. Danielle glanced at John through the rearview mirror, but he was still passed out. She'd made up some time; at this speed they were only twenty minutes away, with about an hour to spare.

The road that separated them was clear. The SUV approached without lights on. At least it was only one SUV. Danielle reviewed the abilities she knew how to activate, but none seemed useful right now. She chewed on her lip, as the highway banked to the right. She had to slow to keep from skidding off the road, but mashed the gas when she reached the other side of the turn. Right as she emerged from the turn, lights flashed, and a patrol car also appeared. She didn't slow, and the cop picked up speed to keep pace with her. The black SUV continued to gain on her, but still had a few hundred yards to go.

"PULL OVER," the cop shouted over his loud speaker.

Danielle called up the black glyph to empower ghostly possession. She grinned and jerked her thumb at the cop car. "Go get 'em." Two of the ghosts smiled and dematerialized. A moment later the cop car pulled up beside her with two state troopers inside. One of them removed a shotgun from the rack inside the vehicle. He rolled down the window with the shotgun in hand and cocked it. Danielle nodded behind her at the SUV. The trooper tipped the barrel of the shotgun to his forehead, and the cop car slowed.

Danielle glanced at the remaining three ghosts and chose the female one who'd been pretty effective at possessing Belinda. She called up the same glyph and commanded the female ghost. "See if Amber is in the SUV. If so, possess her and do what you can to work with her. Keep her safe." Danielle bit her lip. "If she isn't, return to me." The female ghost dissipated.

This section of the Turnpike was two lanes with a wide greenway median. Large clumps of trees formed islands in the middle between the different directions of traffic. What Danielle really wanted was a semi-truck, but none was forthcoming. She glanced at the remaining two ghosts. "Go find me a semi-truck or something and bring it to me." They disappeared.

* * * * *

The bolt of lightning struck empty earth. Mason Henderson lowered his hammer. All around him his men were beset with oozing wounds and now a poltergeist. He raised his wrist to his mouth. "Command, we have a loose necromancer."

There was a long pause and then, "Please be advised, air support is T-minus ninety. Mission parameters remain yours. Over."

Mason Henderson walked around one of SWAT members' bodies. Blood trickled from the man's eyes and ears. A poltergeist manifested to manipulate a weapon. Henderson swung his hammer the instant the poltergeist manifested and obliterated it. The man barely noticed as he continued to moan in agony.

"All ables regroup inside." Mason Henderson pushed his way into the entrance of the station. Inside Miss Delphi was on hands and knees dry heaving over a pile of bloody vomit. Mr. Anderson flipped through his phone. Two of his men, who hadn't been affected, joined him inside.

He squatted down so that he could be level with Miss Delphi. He ignored the vomit pooling around his black shoes and laid his off-hand on her small shoulders. He could feel the contagion working its way through her body. Masons weren't expert healers, but they were adept at transmutation.

He withdrew a shard of bone-white chalk and etched out the circle and sigils. The other two men formed the remaining two pillars of the triangle. They raised their hands and chanted as Mason Henderson gathered power and channeled it back through the hammer.

Runes along the hammer flared to life. He lowered it to her body and transmuted her immune system, strengthening and improving it. When he lifted his hammer, Miss Delphi was able to stand again.

"Mother-fucking cock-sucking piece of shit." She hunched over, clutched her knees, and spit a few times to clear her mouth. "Bloody vomit, what the hell."

"Miss Delphi, I need you to locate them. It seems they disappeared right as my lightning struck."

"Of course, Mason." She finally made it fully upright. "Is it safe to go outside?"

Mason Henderson nodded. "I shall accompany you. Mr. Anderson, if you please?"

"Yes, Mason." The tall man looked up from his cell phone and sighed. He waved his hand, and the illusion of a truck stop gas station disappeared. Instead, they were in the middle of an abandoned station. Outside the pavement was broken and the refilling pumps were nothing but stubs in the ground.

Mason Henderson called into his wrist. "Bring a vehicle around. Load the prisoner."

* * * * *

Delphi stepped around several writhing SWAT members to get to the site of the necromancer's disappearance. A smoldering hole marked where the lightning had struck. It looked like the Mason had added quite a bit of oomph to the attack. She knelt and laid a hand near the hole.

"They passed into the Twilight, damn, but only for five minutes. They are heading west on the Turnpike. It is still possible to catch them." She paused and looked at the Mason. "But this doesn't go well for some of us. Maybe we should wait for backup."

Mason Henderson looked down at his men still in agony and shook his head. "No this ends tonight. Anyone this debased will only sow more discord the longer we wait."

A black SUV whipped around from the back. They loaded up, with Delphi driving, Henderson riding shotgun, and Anderson sitting wedged between two black-suited men. Amber was trundled up and stowed in the back. Delphi gunned it. The SUV hit 120 miles per hour, and Delphi tracked the progress of the necromancer with ease. She didn't need headlights, so they traveled without them. She knew there would be no cops for a while.

They were a few hundred yards out when the necromancer's car caught a bend in the road and went out of sight. Delphi was able to track the general position of the car easily enough, so she wasn't too worried. There hadn't been any cars on the road recently, but there was a cop nearby. "Chazzy, you might have to disable a cop up ahead."

"Of course." The tall man lounged in the middle of the SUV, still playing with his phone. His legs were crossed, and he yawned.

Delphi banked around the same corner and was surprised to see that the cop car was not in pursuit of the necromancer, even though the necromancer was well over speeds of reckless endangerment. No, the police car was casually cruising in the left lane. Delphi had to swerve into the right lane. She'd been too focused on the necromancer to notice. She also failed to notice the rolled-down window and shotgun blasts aimed at their SUV until it was happening.

"What the deuce?" The tall man flinched as the shotgun blasts ricocheted against the car. "These damn necromancers and their possessions."

"Feeling outclassed?"

"As in you failed to notice the cops?"

"Fuck you."

"Pass."

Mason Henderson cut into their conversation, "Get them in front or behind us."

Delphi frowned. She didn't see any way to slow down and stop the possessed cops from keeping pace. She eased off the gas for a moment, allowing the police car to slow with them. Then she gunned it. As she tried to pass them, the police car swerved into their rear, causing them to fishtail. She lost control of the vehicle for a moment, but was able to anticipate the future sufficiently to correct the vehicle's trajectory. They pulled ahead amidst a hail of gunfire.

Mason Henderson gestured with his hammer. The runes along it lit up. He rolled down the window and leaned out to let the head of the hammer touch the road. He channeled the power stored within into the road, and the asphalt transformed into sand. The cop car hit the sandbank. The front tires chewed deep into the pit while its forward momentum sent it crashing into the lip of the road. The car flipped and rolled several times.

"They both die," Delphi rattled off. "Guess we have to add that to the butcher's bill."

It took several more minutes to regain visual sight of the necromancer's car. Delphi expanded her senses, at considerable strain to her reserves, not only to track the necromancer's car but to keep alert for other cars veering their way. They'd just passed a large copse of trees along the median between both sides of the highway, when a clearing emerged. Three cars hurtled toward them through the clearing from the oncoming traffic.

"Fuck a duck!" Delphi said. She had just enough time to plot a course.

She tapped the brake to 110 miles per hour, swerved right, and took the hit from the first vehicle six inches in front of the driver's side tire. This caused them to donut around in a half circle, only to be caught by the second car, which actually served to straighten out their SUV when it hit.

Delphi flicked the car into reverse. The third car sailed past the front of their SUV, and then Delphi hit the accelerator. She spun the car, tapped the brakes, and rode the parking brake back around so the SUV was driving forward again. Their SUV had sustained ample damage, but was sufficiently armored to still be drivable. It just didn't move as fast anymore.

"Huh. The end approaches." Delphi glanced at the Mason. "I'm not sure whose." She shrugged.

Mason Henderson frowned and radioed. "Possible containment breach. Proceeding to plan."

The comm echoed back, "Roger that, Mason. Solomon guide you. Backup in T-minus thirty."

Delphi shook her head but kept going. She finally sensed their destination as it approached. "The stream up ahead. Down the path. Where the hell are they going?"

The Mason frowned. "Perhaps they are seeking asylum in one of the Groves." He brought his wrist up to his mouth. "Control, are there any known death sympathizers in the area?"

The answer came back. "Not in this state."

"Just get us close, Miss Delphi. I can catch them on foot. You remain tactical support."

Delphi shrugged and finished the final few miles. She pulled off the side of the road near the head of Greenwater Pond. She wasn't excited about getting hexed again, but her defenses were ratcheted up now that she was aware they were capable of that. "Yes Mason."

"Mr. Anderson, you will be with our team. You've engaged the targets previously. I expect you to keep up."

The tall man opened his mouth and then closed it. He gulped. "Yes, Mason."

A few minutes later, Delphi pulled off the road next to the necromancer's abandoned car.

* * * * *

Danielle swerved off the side of the road and pulled up into the grassy bank before the trailhead. The road banked away, empty and black. She glanced in the rearview mirror, but the road curved around a bend of trees there as well. As far she could tell, they had some time. She glanced over her shoulder at John. "I just wish I knew what to do."

She pushed open her door and went around to pop the trunk; then she dragged the wheelchair out and set it up. When she opened the back door, she discovered John was passed out in the back seat. She huffed, dragging him by the shoulders out of the car. His feet struck the ground with a thud. She pulled him the final foot to the wheelchair and worked to wedge him into the chair, but his body was limp and unhelpful. The only way she could keep him seated at all was to tilt the wheelchair back, but he still kept sliding off whenever she went over a bump. Each time, she had to stop and readjust. Progress was too slow. She glanced at her watch and then at the horizon. There were too many trees to be sure, but dawn was approaching. She felt it. If the lunatics in the SUV didn't get them, the sun would.

It occurred to her that she could get John to walk. She called up the whirling mass of black glyphs. They stood out as darkness darker than the night. She selected the glyph that empowered possession and commanded one of the male ghosts to possess John's body.

The ghost floated above John's body before descending into it. It was like watching paper go through a shredder. The ghost was torn to pieces; the pieces dissipated. She felt no lingering connection. A bit of the psychic weight eased as one less ghost was tethered to her. She cringed. "Sorry." She wanted to do more, but there was nothing for it. She started to cart John forward.

She made it to the actual trail, which was more like foliage and earth trampled into something that was easier to travel but it was still slow going. Lights filtered through the trees. The SUV was close!

Running out of options, she called up the glyphs again and grabbed the one allowing her to enter the Twilight. She did the best she could to gather John up in her arms, as the glyph pulled them into the other world. Twilight was all muted colors and not-quite-right geometries that mimicked the real world. Odd outlines of shapes hung in the sky, calling to each other like whales with long, mournful cries.