Grinning smugly, browning teeth dipping between fleshy lips, Diego latched onto Henry’s head and the Ranger screamed. Every muscle in his entire body locked up tight, crackled with energy. And although Diego’s hands were clamped around his head, Henry knew they were, he felt them also around his neck, choking, thick fingers burrowing into his windpipe. Then he was kicked, thrown, bones breaking against a wall. No, wait, that wasn’t right. He was still flat on his back, the apparition’s hands squeezing into his temples.
~~~
Cael jerked upright and screamed, “Dad!”
It was the loudest sound he’d made in hours, scraping like a blade to a whetstone across his vocal chords and it scared the crap out of Jake. From behind him on the bed, Jake grabbed onto Cael’s arm with his good hand. “Cael, what is it?”
Cael twisted around like he was startled Jake was there. His eyes looked enormous in his flushed face. But he was awake and seemed to be out of Diego’s grip and that alone made Jake breathe easier. Dad must have toasted the ghost. They could fix whatever came next.
“It’s okay, Cael. You’re okay.”
But Cael didn’t look okay. His mouth opened to say something, but all that came out was a terrible rasp. His hands flew to his throat, his eyes frightened and darting around. Jake knew that look. The kid was about to hyperventilate.
~~~
A knife plunged into Henry’s gut. He roared against the brutal pain. His already tattered dress was ripped off of him. His painted nails tore into Diego’s face. God, no, this was wrong. This wasn’t him, not…happening…to…him. I am Henry Fucking Gillant. He clawed himself away from the memories. Not his. He knew what this was. This was exactly what Diego had been doing to Cael for hours. Twice-damned ghost had been forcing his son to relive the last moments of every one of his murder victims as though each one gave him a sick perverse pleasure. The bastard was going to end.
Henry stopped feeling the pain, focused on the anger, let it wash over him with the knowledge that his son, his Cael, had endured each one of these deaths. Over and over.
Rage fueled him, gave strength to his clenched muscles. Shaking like a loose marble on a conveyer belt, Henry inched his hand into his jacket, forced his fingers to curl around the salt canister, dragged his thumbnail beneath the lid and felt it open.
“Arrrrghhhh!” Using everything he had, Henry lifted his arm and shoved the salt into Diego’s intangible head. Shrieking, the ghost dispersed in a swirl of light.
~~~
Cael clutched his head and dropped back on the bed, his eyes nearly rolled up in his head. Back arching, his feet dug into the mattress.
“No no no no!” Jake leaned over him. Why was this happening again? He thought it was over. Panicking, Jake grabbed the ice bucket and dumped the rest of the salt water over Cael.
~~~
Where the hell is that lighter? The salt barely dispersed the defiant for all of a second. Sucker had to be torched. Henry scrambled on all fours, looking for the little square of metal. There. Near the open grave. He lunged up like a runner off the mark only to have his legs dragged out from under him. He landed hard on his stomach. Turning, he kicked out, but Diego was holding tight, climbing up his legs like he was a horizontal ladder. Henry didn’t have time for this. Cael didn’t have time for this. Ignoring the ghost, Henry dug his toes into the soft Arizona dirt and reached. His fingers grazed the lighter. Just…another…inch.
~~~
Cael couldn’t take much more. Can’t breathe, can’t breathe. His chest hurt, his lungs were collapsing, fading, everything was dark. Por favor, please, I have a husband. Please don’t this, the woman’s voice, not his own, pleaded like it was his own thoughts. Aimara, I’m Aimara. Por favor, let me go home. Please. Hands were at his throat again. Dad? I want my dad. Jake! Jakeeeee! I’m Cael. I’m Cael. Not real, not real. Oh, gods, it hurts. Can’t breathe. Diego. He stabbed me. I’m bleeding…
~~~
Henry couldn’t take much more. He’d pull every nerve ending in his shoulder before he gave up. Groaning, he stretched just a little bit farther until he reached that damn three dollar lighter, flicked it open and brought it to flame. Grinning like a maniac he tossed that sucker into the hole.
~~~
Jake couldn’t take much more. The salt was no longer helping. Cael was curled into a fetal position, holding his head, rocking forward and back, those freaking mewling sounds grating his throat. His entire body was tight, jerking, the veins in his neck were bulging. Jake could see, actually see, how rapid his brother’s pulse was in the throbbing artery. And he couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
Cael wouldn’t even tolerate his touch anymore. Every time Jake reached out to sooth his back or just let him know he was there, Cael skittered away, frightened out of his mind.
“Cael, it’s me.” Tears streamed down Jake’s cheeks. “Just come on, come back. You can beat this Diego bastard, I know you can. Just hold on.”
Cael flung his hand out, reaching. “Jakeee,” he garbled. At least Jake thought that’s what his brother cried out beneath the ruined voice. He grasped Cael’s flailing hand with his own and Cael locked onto him like he was the road to salvation.
His hand tightened once, twice, then Cael stopped rocking altogether, his body went instantly loose as he spilled sideways onto the mattress. Jake stared at his brother in complete shock. He looked…he looked dead.
Jake’s heart thudded against his rib cage. One beat. Two beats. Before he flew into action. Check pulse. Check for breathing. Begin CPR. Oh, gods, don’t let it come to that.
“Cael!” He pressed his fingers against the damp neck, found a pulse, sagged with relief, watched Cael’s chest rise and fall. Thank gods, thank gods. “Cael.” Jake shook the boy’s arm. “Cael.”
The kid’s eyes slid open and blinked up at him. He looked like he’d just come out of the losing end of a fight with a trash compactor, but his gaze, though weary and frightened, was focused on him and that was more than enough for Jake.
Cael tried to talk, but quickly realized he couldn’t. His brows pulled together and his chin started to tremble.
“Hey, easy.” Jake shifted closer. “I know, I know. It hurts, but everything’s going to be okay now. C’mere.”
That was all the invitation Cael needed. He practically launched himself at Jake, throwing skinny arms around his waist and burying his head against Jake’s side. Jake wrapped his unbroken arm around the kid, rubbing his back while Cael shook with silent sobs.
~~~
That’s how Henry Gillant found his sons. After the damn ghost flamed away, Henry waited just long enough to make sure the bones were good and toasty. The moment he was satisfied the job was done, he sped back to the motel, his worry ratcheting up by mountains. What if he was too late?
When he slammed open the door and saw Jake sitting on the bed, tears blazing trails down his lean face as he held a weeping Cael, all the emotion Henry had held back broke like a typhoon surging over a sea wall. He didn’t say a word, just walked over to his sons, wrapped them both within the safety of his arms and let the sea wall crumble, just let it go. It didn’t even bother him when Ruiz stepped into the room that the younger Ranger was going to get an eyeful of the mighty Gillant sobbing. Didn’t bother him a bit.
~~~
They hightailed it out of there before dawn. Not only because several graves had been disturbed, but the Gillants didn’t want to be anywhere near the area for the final day of the Día de los Muertos celebration. Conveniently borrowing a bedspread and pillows from their motel room, Jake made a comfortable bed in the middle row of seats while Henry carried Cael out to the SUV.
The kid had been sleeping off and on for the past two hours, although both Henry and Jake kept glancing back. When Henry finally pulled into a gas station and shut off the engine, Cael came awake like he’d just heard a gunshot, his eyes wild, darting around and Henry felt the tip of an ice pick chip o
ff another piece of his frozen heart.
“Hey, buddy.” Jake was already on it, kneeling and leaning over the seat so he could reach Cael’s wrist. “We’re just at a gas station. Everything’s cool. You remember?”
Cael nodded and sagged back into the pillows. His other hand slipped onto his neck and he grimaced.
“Bad?” Angling sideways in the car, Henry reached over the middle console to ruffle Cael’s sleep-touseled hair. “There’s bound to be a microwave in there. How ‘bout I get you some warm milk with honey?”
Cael nodded, trying to stretch his lips into a tight smile that wasn’t anywhere near convincing, yet still made a direct hit to Henry’s chest. Such a little thing shouldn’t have the power to warm the cold layers of his heart.
Jake patted Cael’s arm. “So you want anything else?”
Cael’s expression suddenly changed, face collapsing. His fingers locked around Jake’s wrist. Henry didn’t know what happened, but apparently Jake did. With that uncanny way of brothers reading each other, Jake got it. He shifted back against the seat. “I’ll, um, Dad, I’m tired. I think I’ll stay here?” His oldest gazed over at him meaningfully.
Now Henry got it too. Cael was afraid to be left alone. “Yeah, sure, son. You take it easy. I’ll be right back.” He ruffled Cael’s head again for good measure before getting out of the car.
~~~
A couple hours later, Henry pulled over again into a trucker’s rest stop. He glanced again in the rearview mirror at his boys. The morning light cast a sharp beam across both of their faces. Jake had finally given in to exhaustion. At the last gas station instead of taking his spot in the passenger seat, the sixteen-year-old had slipped in the back with his brother and shifted Cael’s pillows, head and shoulders onto his lap. He couldn’t be comfortable wedged against the door like that, yet Jake was sleeping like an infant, head flopped sideways where one of the pillows rode up high. Even in the awkward position, Henry knew Jake slept more peacefully knowing he was near enough to feel the slightest movement from Cael.
Henry scrubbed a weary palm across his stubbled jaw. He understood Jake’s fierce protectiveness well, the same rooted deep within his own soul. He’d risk anything for his sons. He sighed, exhaustion making him a sappy old woman. They were far enough north into the canyonlands to leave any traces of the Mexican holiday behind them. He was beyond tired and should probably stop at the next motel, get some sleep, let his boys rest in a bed, but Henry couldn’t get his mind to stop, couldn’t shake the cold sweat seeping from his skin with the feeling of being murdered over and over replaying through his system…A tremble rolled through him because he knew, he knew that his son had experienced it far worse, and for far longer than he had…and if it was having this effect on him…Aw, Cael.
Henry couldn’t stop his tears any more than he’d been able to stop Cael from becoming Diego’s victim. He opened the car door as quietly as he could, which wasn’t easy on the squeaky old girl and eased out, closing the door again. He walked over to the nearest picnic table, sat down and cradled his head in his hands. Oh, Celundria, he thought of his exwife. I’m so sorry. I’m screwing up. I really need you on this one.
He jerked when a hand feathered over his arm and looked up into the anguished eyes of his youngest. The kid had moved quietly, getting right up next to him without Henry knowing.
“Dad?” the tiny voice croaked.
“No, son, don’t try to talk yet. Your vocal chords need to rest.”
The expressive lips turned down, mirroring the dark eyebrows above. “I have to call…”
Henry reached over, swallowing Cael’s thin wrist within his large hand and drew the kid to sit down beside him. He knew where Cael’s thoughts were going. “I’m sorry, Cael, but you know the job. We can’t alert anyone. It would cast too much suspicion our way…or more likely Ruiz’s way since he was in the hospital and left the same night. You wouldn’t want to do that to Ruiz, or to our unit, would you?”
“But…” The raspy plea was painful to hear.
“The squad can’t be the focus of any unwarranted interest. We can only do what we’re doing if no one knows about it. I’ve been doing this long enough to know that even though an anonymous tip appears innocent, sometimes you get a gung-ho officer and it backfires. You’re going to have to trust me on this.”
Cael’s head lowered, not meeting his father’s gaze. “I promised.” It was so low and grainy, Henry barely heard it.
“I’m sorry, son, I really am.” Henry understood keeping promises. But as far as he was concerned, protecting his children and the 666 Squad superseded any promise Cael made to a ghost. Putting his arm around the young shoulders, Henry drew Cael into his side and didn’t it just break his heart all over again when he felt tiny shudders roll through him.
~~~
A week later they were back at it, back hunting things that most people believed didn’t exist, getting Cael back in the game, nothing incorporeal yet that could dive into your mind, but a young werewolf, solid and tangible. They’d changed up their usual hunting pattern. Instead of splitting up, coming around their prey from two sides, they stayed together. Even when not on a hunt, Cael grew anxious when Jake or Henry were not in sight, and truth be told, Henry didn’t want Cael, either of his boys, out of his sight just yet either. Guess they all had a little trauma left over to work through.
They had the werewolf cornered in the alley. They could hear it growling and banging around behind the dumpster. Three guns were raised in readiness. And when Cael stepped forward, Henry placed a warning hand on Jake’s arm, stopping him. Jake glanced up confused until Henry cocked his chin toward Cael. He needs this.
Cael moved Anointed quiet, eerily quiet, lean fluid lines of stealth and for a moment Henry saw the man his child had the potential to grow into. Cael took up a position at the space between the dumpster and wall, the position Henry would have picked out himself. He and Jake trained their weapons on that space, prepared to back the kid’s play.
Cael looked over at them, nodded, and then purposefully drew the bottom of his sneaker across the ground. The grating sound carried across the night and the growling behind the dumpster silenced.
Henry watched the werewolf leap out at his child, all teeth and fury, and every instinct in Henry’s gut told him to fire, but he waited, his Adam’s apple jumping with the gorgeous crack of a Beretta going off, followed closely by the bark of Jake’s semi-automatic. The beastman thudded to the cement at Cael’s feet. Kid didn’t even flinch and Henry’s rapidly beating heart swelled with pride.
Jake clapped his brother on the shoulder. “Nice shot.” But it was Henry Cael looked over to for approval. His features were tight and wary until Henry nodded and grinned, gaining him a quick flashing smile from his youngest.
~~~
Henry thought killing the werewolf would coax Cael out of whatever dark place Diego had forced on him, you know, take control over your environment, that sort of shit, it always worked for him, but apparently Cael was wired so completely differently, the successful hunt had little impact.
Another three days passed and Cael still wasn’t talking as much as he had before San Miguel though his voice was back to normal. He threw himself into researching other possible monster attacks, making Jake go with him to the library where before he’d happily spend an entire day alone among the comfort of books.
But worse of all were the nightmares. The kid tossed and turned, crying out every night. None of them were getting much sleep. Henry lay in his bed, listening to his youngest whimper while his oldest whispered things that Henry couldn’t quite hear beyond the enraged pounding of his own pulse. This had to stop. He had to fix it, that was his job, but for this, he didn’t know how. This wasn’t the kind of monster he could blow away with silver-tipped rounds.
He was fumbling so badly. Celundria would know what to do. He could really use some help here.
He came in the next morning with coffee and donuts. In the mid
dle of tying his boot, Jake looked up, his gaze going instantly to the white donut bag and he smiled.
“Cael in the shower?” Which was obvious since Henry could hear the water running. “I want to leave within the hour.”
Jake pulled out a cinnamon cake donut and bit it nearly in two. “Which mission?” In his research fervor, Cael had actually found three or four probable monsters for them to take on.
“That possible Hellhound looks like it’s doing the most damage.” Henry went to the little table where Cael had been doing his research. He had several notepads and newspaper articles placed in tidy piles for each monster and the area researched. “It shows the most recent activity so the trail should be warm.” He picked up one of the notepads on top of a sketch Cael had drawn of a snarling black beast and began flipping through his son’s research.
He stilled after lifting one of the pages to find what looked like a letter underneath.
Mr. Renau Reyes,
You don’t know me. I wish I didn’t have to tell you this.
Your wife Aimara Medina is buried one mile northeast of the city park in San Miguel by an old shack. She was killed by a man named Diego who is also dead. I can’t tell you anything else or how I know about this. I’m very sorry. I just thought that her family deserved to know what happened to her.
Aimara was a good person.
She saved my life.
The shower turned off in the bathroom and Henry quickly closed the notebook and put it back onto its pile. Jake looked up at him curiously.