Whisper of Memory (Whispering Woods Book 2) (9 page)

“Four hours. But you can practice on it all you want. We have extra batteries that are charged and ready to replace,” Cade said.

“We’re going to be here all night, right?” I asked.

“Yes. Most paranormal activity takes place at nighttime, so that’s when we’re out here.” Cade fished a bag from his backpack. He extracted a lighter and some mantles for the Coleman lantern that sat in the middle of the table.

Darkness fell early due to daylight savings time, but we completed unpacking and set up before night closed in.

“Dinner time.” Cade walked off, and we looked at each other, unsure if we were to follow or wait. Eating hadn’t occurred to me. I checked my watch and remembered that I’d promised to call Regulus. I drifted away from the canopy tent.

“Hey,” I said into my cell phone.

“Hello. I’m glad you are calling. I was worried.” The tone in Regulus’s voice was clipped and unhappy.

“No need. You know I can take care of myself.”

“Yes. I am completely aware of your fearlessness in the face of danger.” He didn’t make it sound like a compliment.

I smiled. “Ah, you miss me. And you want to be in charge of this mission we’re on.”

“I am obviously not in charge of what I should be. You were to text me. Team members should be in constant contact.”

I imagined Regulus rubbing his wrist where the chip implant pebbled the skin imperceptibly. The chip guaranteed constant awareness of any team member. Regulus always knew Arizona’s location.

The IIA had requested that Regulus take me back through the portal for my insertion procedure. The thought made me more than nauseous. It scared the daylights out of me, because nothing would ever be private again. My excuses to avoid the procedure were equally never ending.

“Sorry. We were helping to unpack and set up camp,” I said sweetly.

Silence.

“Listen…I get it. You’re worried sick. I’ll be careful. We’re checking the place out to see why somebody wanted to bring me here. We need to know why Pete’s been here. It’s important.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“What are you and Arizona doing tonight?” I asked, hoping to lead the conversation in a different direction.

“Arizona has requested that we attend a party. He says we appear strange and standoffish. This cannot be true. He mentioned that we must blend.”

I laughed at the mental picture of Regulus standing uncomfortably on the sidelines while Arizona flirted with as many girls as possible.

“I would be happy to go if you were there also,” he said in a low, serious voice.

My mood changed. “It’s only one night. I’ll be back by dawn.”

The phone clicked off. No good-bye or plans to see me in the morning. I blinked before walking back toward my friends. Austin stared at me with narrowed eyes while Beauty Queen talked to him. I ignored him.

A
fter a dinner
of cold sandwiches from the local sub shop, everyone discussed the goals for the night and the duties as assigned for each individual. Alexandria had somehow escaped an assignment except to observe all peculiarities and make sure Em logged them in the notebook.

The glimmer of the LED flashlight cast an unflattering glow over Alexandria’s face, giving her a sallow look. Each time she began to ask questions, the woman I had dubbed Camo Lady would shine the flashlight in Alexandria’s face. It was difficult not to giggle. Her need for attention was evident because she kept opening her mouth with useless questions. She never stopped, and Em recorded none of it. Even Em had grown tired of the incessant conversation. Austin seemed unbothered, which annoyed me more than anything else.

He’d been given the job of photographer, to take continuous photos even if nothing appeared to be going on at the site. I stood at a different angle with the video camera and did the same thing. I only had to keep my handheld pointed at Bob, Cade, Camo Lady, and a man named Ralph. Ralph carried an audio recorder in his hand and appeared to be extremely bored. He never said a word.

Bob and Camo Lady, on the other hand, talked non-stop. They talked to each other and to the camera. At one point, Cade flashed a smile at me, and I knew we must be thinking the same thing.
How could you know if anything unusual was going on if you’re talking the entire time?

After walking a half mile over rugged terrain and past a rotting train trestle, Bob held the EMF meter and talked while facing the camera. “This particular EMF meter is a trifield meter and will detect activity that emits electrostatic and ion energies. It will also detect magnetic energy. It is very sensitive. We can detect electromagnetic activity from wiring.”

“Doesn’t it find the ghosts for you?” Alexandria’s voice grated on my nerves.

“No, it does not.” Bob’s tone reflected how I felt about her.

“Then why are you using it?” Alexandria asked. She stumbled and steadied herself using Austin’s arm.

“Because a high EMF field can affect people adversely. It can cause paranoia and other psychological conditions. This may explain the reported instances as opposed to actual paranormal activity,” Bob said, looking into my video camera. He continued to lead our group in a march past a second train trestle.

My personal radar had been going off the entire day, and I knew all too well what that meant.

After learning that I could find the portal no matter where it moved in my woods, I often tuned into background noise. Then, sensory perceptions I might have ignored in the past came forward, like Muzak in a department store. If I tried to listen, I could hear it or feel it. If I wanted to tune it out, I could shove it one layer down.

Now, I felt the buzzing and pulling that encircled a void of sound and light. The knowledge that a portal sat somewhere in the area made my stomach do somersaults.

Cade signaled me when we reached a third trestle, which seemed as worn as the other two. “Let’s take a look around. We’ll stay here for a while. Reports have occurred in different locations, but this is where most of the sightings have been.”

Bob stumbled as he walked, not watching his path but looking at the EMF reader in his hand. “Yeah, I can definitely see the reading shows high amounts of electromagnetic activity in this very spot.”

Cade tilted his head to look at the sky. “Power lines.”

“Maybe,” Bob turned to Em and began reciting numbers for her to record.

Camo Lady, whose real name escaped me, stood by and waved her flashlight around, lighting the camp. “Yeah, I need a break from walking. Be ready with the cameras, just in case.”

I pressed the Pause button and lowered the camera, which had become incredibly heavy after holding it at chest level for over an hour, the way my arm had felt after practicing knife throwing in the woods with Regulus. Maybe I did need to bulk up the arm muscles.

“This isn’t what I expected. When is something going to happen?” Alexandria pouted and looked around as if she’d see a chair. She pulled her shoes off and bent to rub her feet.

“Are you new at this?” I asked.

She frowned. “I’m new…like you. You haven’t ever been on a ghost tour either.”

“Paranormal investigation,” Cade said. “Not a ghost tour.”

Austin sidled toward Alexandria. “I bet your feet hurt, don’t they?” His voice was sympathetic and sweet.

I wanted to throw something at him. “No, that’s not what I meant. New at her reporter gig.”

Bob stiffened. “What do you mean, reporter?” His eyes darted from Alexandria to Camo Lady to me.

“It’s not a big deal,” Alexandria said. “There’s no need for you to get upset.”

“You misrepresented yourself,” Camo Lady said.

“No one asked me what I do in my career,” Alexandria smoothly stated. “It would be discrimination to let these kids do this and turn me away due to my profession.”

“Kids?” I sat on the ground and placed the camera beside me. “At least we had the sense to wear the right shoes for an outdoor investigation.” I stressed the word “investigation” and Bob smiled approvingly. I began tightening the laces on my sneakers.

“Hold up.” Austin grinned at me. “She didn’t mean anything by calling you a kid.”

“I only meant that the three of you are young,” Alexandria said. She had included Austin in her reference.

I smiled and knew I resembled a Cheshire cat. “Yes, Austin, we youngsters—”

“Shut your damn mouths.” Camo Lady was gesturing wildly. “Look over there.”

“Are you getting this? Get the camera.” Bob’s voice had lost its calm, documentary narrative tone. He couldn’t take his eyes off a light dimly glowing in the distance. The circular object was whitish-blue and basketball-sized.

I retrieved the camera and frantically searched for the Record button. Em wrote notes while looking up at the light. Jumping to my feet, I glanced at Austin and saw him doing exactly nothing. “Psst. Austin, pictures,” I said.

Austin lifted the camera and began shooting.

Alexandria squealed, the sound sending a shiver up my back and a metallic taste into the back of my mouth. I moved away from her.

“The object in question appears to be in the vicinity of the tenth mile marker along the highway, right over the railroad track. We’ll move closer to see if we can determine more about the mysterious light.” Bob had regained his composure and narrated clearly.

My stomach tightened in a knot, and the buzzing in my ears diverted my attention for a moment. I forced it away.
Calm
, I thought. As we walked, I chewed on my bottom lip. I knew this sensation. Unless I had suddenly developed an awareness of ghosts, this feeling screamed “portal” to me. I couldn’t stop walking, but I desperately needed Austin and Em to know the fact that had burst into my consciousness like a ray of sunlight through a cloud.

“The EMF meter is going crazy. Look at this reading.” Bob then dictated numbers for Em to record in her notebook. “I’ve never seen this level of activity—”

A noisy motor speeding toward us interrupted Bob’s speech. Everyone turned to look at the car pulling off the dirt road that ran parallel to the tracks. Its headlights blinded us until all I could see was a circle of light. We all held up hands and arms to shield our eyes.

“Stop. You are on private property.” The authoritative command cut through the dark night.

“We have permission to be here.” Cade spoke up first. His tone was friendly and noncombative. “Can you turn those lights off?”

A man in uniform approached us with a Mag flashlight. He flashed it in our eyes, which wasn’t necessary since we were already blinded.

“I am Officer Sanchez. I need identification from everyone in this group.” The man spoke with a slight accent.

“I don’t have ID on me,” I said with my hand shielding my eyes. I still couldn’t see his face.

“That will be a problem,” Officer Sanchez answered.

“You don’t have a driver’s license or ID? My instructions on the website strictly outline the necessity for these items on any paranormal investigation—”

“I didn’t read all the instructions,” I said sheepishly.

“Let me see the other identification cards.” Officer Sanchez shone the flashlight at everyone’s pockets.

Austin flipped out his wallet for the officer. “Here’s mine.”

Bob and Cade located their wallets. Camo Lady pulled out a man’s wallet from her pocket.

“My purse is in Austin’s Jeep,” Em said. “I’ll have to get my ID from there.”

“Mine is in my car,” Alexandria said.

“OK, let’s go get those.” Officer Sanchez led the way. “Is yours in your purse as well?” he asked me.

“Um. No. I didn’t bring a purse.” I started to sweat. I tried taking deep breaths while telling myself to stay calm. It wasn’t as though I’d be thrown in jail or something.

“No purse? Where do you keep your lipstick?” Alexandria sounded shocked.

I looked at her like she was stupid. Very stupid.

“And your money?”

“My money is in my pocket. I didn’t drive, so I didn’t bring my driver’s license.” I ignored the lipstick question.

“I can vouch for her, Officer.” Em smiled sweetly. Thank goodness for her.

“There have been several acts of vandalism in this area,” Officer Sanchez stated. “I need to run all names to make sure that no one shows up in the system.”

“OK. Maybe you can call my dad,” I said.

“Let’s take care of the others right now. Tell me your name and address.” He took all the driver’s licenses offered, jotted my information onto a small pad, and went to his vehicle. The sound of his voice over his radio cut through the quiet of our team standing in a circle.

When Officer Sanchez returned, he said, “All these IDs check out. Your group can walk back to the location of your vehicles. I’ll need to see the other two IDs.”

Our group walked parallel to the road while the officer drove his car to accompany us. No one said a word. At Austin’s Jeep, Em retrieved her wallet from her purse and produced a license. Alexandria handed her license to Officer Sanchez. We watched the officer take both items to his car.

“This is crazy,” I said to Austin. “Something’s up. We weren’t doing anything wrong.”

“Shh,” said Bob. His mouth puckered into a tiny point. “If you had read the guidelines for this excursion—”

Officer Sanchez returned and handed Em and Alexandria their cards. “We do have one problem,” the officer said. He eyed me. Em was twisting a strand of hair nervously. Austin had a comical fake smile plastered on his face. Bob looked upset.

“I know. Did you call my dad? Maybe he can fax my ID to your station.”

“You will need to come to the station with me,” he said.

“What?” Austin, Cade, and I asked in unison.

“Am I under arrest?” The alarm must have been evident on my face.

Officer Sanchez shook his head that I wasn’t. “Until I have some identification, I can’t release you to continue with this group. The rest of you need to vacate this private property immediately.”

“But I’m not under arrest, right?” I planned to find this out.

“I’m calling your dad. He can’t take you to the station for not having identification.” Em turned to the officer. “We know our rights. We watch television, you know.”

“I’m glad you have studied the law on TV.” Officer Sanchez smiled with phony warmth. “I am still asking you to accompany me to the station.”

“Why?” I asked.

Officer Sanchez looked startled at my question. “Miss, I can arrest you for trespassing, or you can go with me willingly.”

“You can’t arrest me.” I blurted the words before thinking and backed up.

Officer Sanchez grabbed my arm to stop me. At the same moment, my foot lodged into a hole in the grassy field. I fell backward, taking him with me.

I yelled out of surprise more than anything. The officer’s knee came down hard on my thigh and pinned me to the ground. The falling Maglight beamed across his startled face momentarily.

He struggled to get up and regain his composure. Meanwhile, I could hear Austin screaming at the officer to get off me. The officer moved quickly, and suddenly, he and Austin were a tangle of limbs. When Officer Sanchez stood, he cuffed Austin. I had no idea what happened. I slowly got to my feet.

The officer turned to me. “Both of you will now be going to the station,” he said.

“Why?” I said before I could stop myself.

“Miss, you have to prove your identity,” he said sternly.

“What did he do?” I nodded at Austin.

“Your friend attempted to interfere with police business.” The officer sounded irritated. I could tell he was done answering my questions.

“Do we ride with you?” I asked.

Officer Sanchez nodded and led the way while everyone stood around looking shocked. Emily started to say something. I glared at her, and her mouth slammed shut.

Officer Sanchez loaded us into his car. It was my first time in a police car, and we both sat in the back seat. Austin still wore handcuffs, which was totally ridiculous.

“My dad is gonna kill me.” My whisper sounded self-pitying.

“Will he come get me out?” Austin had a grin on his face.

“Why can’t your mom?”

Austin laughed. “I’m gonna be here a while if we wait for my mom to bail me out.”

“
I
tried calling you repeatedly
.” Regulus’s voice was low and angry. “You could have called me.”

Several feet separated us. I couldn’t look into his eyes. “You sound like my dad.”

“I thought something happened. I’ve been worried. And angry. I should have been there. Maybe you didn’t want me to know what was happening.” Now he seemed uncertain.

“I told you there was nothing you could do. We had it under control.”

“So under control that you were in jail.”

“I wasn’t in jail. I was at the jail.”

“And Austin?”

“Well…” I shuffled my feet. “He was in jail. But it was a misunderstanding.”

I finally forced myself to look up and realized that Regulus wasn’t even looking at me. He had pivoted toward the woods, away from me. His back was straight and his hands clenched into tight balls.