B008IFNJZM EBOK (9 page)

             
“I told her you would call.”

             
“Do you really think she can help?”

             
“I believe so.  She should also be able to direct you to others if she can’t answer all your questions.”

             
“My only question at this point Doctor is can I be cured.”

             
“Well if everything I have heard about this woman is true, she will be able to at least confirm that you are currently holding the curse but she knows many people and maybe she can direct you to someone who does know how to cure you before the next full moon without you or someone else having to die.  Remember, those you love and our close to you would be your target.”

***

             
Elizabeth’s cell phone rang and she immediately answered it.

             
“Hello?”

             
“Hello, this is . Arachne Corrick.  I had a message to call this number.”

             
“Yes this is his sister.  The reason we called…”

             
“I know why your brother called.  I must see you and him as soon as possible.”

             
“Where are you located Ms. Corrick?”

             
“In a suburb of Chicago…”

             
“I’ll make arrangements to fly into O’Hare airport as soon as possible.  Do we need to bring anything?”

             
“Just your brother...  I am sure this meeting will only last a few minutes.”

             
“I don’t remember my brother telling you of his problem.”

             
“I am often called because I have this psychic ability.  Your brother is worried about carrying a curse… do I need to say more?”

             
“No.  One of us will call you back as soon as I can book us a flight...It will be in a few days, our father has died and we must complete the funeral arrangements.”

             
“I understand and share your grief.”

             
“But I will call you as soon as possible.”

             
“Normally I do charge for my services, but given your brother’s condition, I will charge nothing and I will come to the airport.  Goodbye Doctor Elizabeth Hart.”

             
“Goodbye.”

             
Elizabeth thought if this woman is a psychic, she is good!  Elizabeth never told the voice her name and surely the cell phone would have not shown her ‘Doctor’ title.  It should have appeared as only as a  private number.  She quickly dialed Uncle Joe and he began to make arrangement to make a flight crew and a corporate jet placed at their disposal for the entire upcoming month.  They would leave as soon as possible after the funeral.  There were just too many things to do until after the reception now planned to take place the evening of the funeral at the mansion.  When her brother returned, she could tell that if it were up to him, they would have left that night, but he regrettably agreed with his sister.  Their father had to be laid to rest before they could do anything.

***

             
Two days later, their father was buried on a rainy day.  Hundreds of family and friends along with employees of their father’s corporation were there.  That night, Tom could see the drain all this had put on his sister.  A young man, Tom’s age made his way through the crowd.  He went up to Elizabeth and hugged her and then came over to him.

             
“Nathan… It’s good to see you.”

             
“I am so sorry for the loss of your dad.  I will miss him as well as all of us at the office.”

             
“Thanks Nathan… I have something for you.”

             
Tom reached in his pocket and handed Nat as he called him, an envelope.  They walked to the study and behind closed doors the young man followed Tom’s instructions and opened it.  He read the letter and looked up at Tom sitting at his father’s desk.

             
“You are promoting me to head of research and development?”

             
“Yes.  Your former boss Mr. Redman has moved up as well.”

             
“But there others with more seniority that should be considered before me...”

             
“I believe if my father was still alive, he would have done the same thing.”

             
“Regarding your father, the article in the paper was bull!  I know that for a fact!”

             
“What makes you say that?”

             
“My father as you know served in the service with your dad and he was his superior.  My dad saw your dad take a bullet in the shoulder because your father wouldn’t fire until he had a ‘kill’ shot on his target.  My dad told me that your father held his position until he could squeeze off a round killing the person he was ordered to take out…  Your dad did not accidently, as the paper put it, shoot Mr. Barton and if there was a wild creature, your dad would have dropped it as well.”

             
“Nathan, I am going to need your help and your silence.”

             
“You have always had that my friend.  You should know that.”

             
“I do…”

             
Tom told him his version of the story and Nathan said nothing and listened from beginning to end.  The end included both the big-foot creature and the curse he believed to be under.  Nathan sat there expressionless.

             
“You think I’ve lost my mind?”

             
“No, actually it makes a hell of lot more sense than what the newspaper printed.  Look, I am first and foremost a scientist.  There are many things I put my belief in that I cannot prove like the ‘string theory’ regarding the creation of the universe.  As a scientist it is my job to accept a scenario and then either prove it or form a new one.  In this case I will believe all that you have told me until such point I can prove or disprove what you told me.  As my friend, I will support you and hope the hell you are wrong and such creatures don’t exist, but that DVD is all the proof I need for now.”

             
“If I call on you to help me in the future and keep this story under wraps, will you?”

             
“Of course I will.  I’ll tell you one thing about your story that does make sense.  If that creature jumped up and swung on that chandelier some time before your father was under it, I could see its weight and the force on the chandelier to cause enough strain and friction for it to fall.  No one else has expressed any theory why a cable rated at over twice the chandelier’s weight would come apart.”

             
Nathan stood up and extended his hand.

             
“Whenever and whatever you need I will be there.  Just call.”

             
Tom shook his hand.  Finally, he was able to share all that happened with someone without being looked at like he was losing his mind.  Tom had no idea if he would ever call Nathan but he was a research scientist and a damn good one.  He had no idea that he would soon be relying on Nathan just to stay alive.

             
While Tom slept on a leather love seat in the cabin of a corporate jet as it pulled on the runway, Elizabeth was able to change out of the black dress she had been wearing all day through the funeral and the reception.  She sat back down in the cabin.  Alice, the stewardess, motioned her over and the two women managed to use two sets of seatbelts to strap Tom without waking him as the plane awaited clearance for departure.  Satisfied that Tom was secure for the takeoff, the two women took their seats and clipped on their belts.  Elizabeth looked out the window at the runway lights as the plane’s jet engines ran up in power and the plane started to roll down the runway.  Within a few moments of thrust, the plane left the runway and the gear hydraulics could be heard as the runway was now out of sight.  The corporate jet banked and continued to climb to its cruising altitude.  Again, the two ladies went over and unbuckled Tom’s restraints.  Tom never moved during all the flight precautions.  The ladies smiled at each other and Elizabeth thanked their stewardess.

             
Alice went forward to the pilot’s cockpit and Elizabeth picked up the phone and placed the call to Ms. Arachne Corrick .  She answered the call on the first ring almost as if she knew about the call and Elizabeth gave her their E.T.A. for arrival at O’Hare and where they would meet.

             
Elizabeth looked at her brother who had slept the entire time since he boarded the plane and she smiled.  It was the first real rest he had gotten since their father’s death.  Alice returned with a clipboard and sat across from Elizabeth.

             
“Mr. Joe Hart said you or your brother would help us with the paperwork…  “

             
“Yes, Uncle Joe.  What do you need?”

             
“Once we arrive at O’Hare, what will be the rest of our itinerary and how much fuel should we cut an order for?”

             
Elizabeth hadn’t given either any thought or had any of idea.

             
“We won’t know until after our meeting in the terminal.  I would guess that we should take on as much fuel as possible.  Can I call you or something?”

             
“Well, the crew will probably leave the plane during refueling and at least get some coffee.  Sure, text me and I will tell the others.  I do need you to sign this authorization for the fuel order.”

             
Alice slid the clipboard and pen over to Elizabeth who signed the order.

             
“As soon as you know our next destination, text me and the captain will file the flight plan for the next leg of our trip.”

             
“Yes of course.  I am sorry that my brother and I have dragged you out in the middle of the night like this.”

             
“No problem. This is not the first time we have been made to scramble a flight in the early hours.”

             
“What time will we arrive in Chicago?”

             
“We should be on schedule the weather is good.  We are still planning to be at the gate about ten minutes to four.”

             
“Good.”

             
Alice took the clipboard back.  She looked at Elizabeth’s brother still passed out on the love seat.

             
“Would you like some coffee?”

             
“That would be nice.”

             
“I’ll be right back.”

             
Alice took the clipboard.

             
“Oh could I get on the Internet?”

             
“Yes, but use that CAT6 cable.  We would prefer you didn’t attempt to connect using wireless, you would probably encounter too many disruptions in service.”

             
“Yes, thank you.”

             
Elizabeth saw the cable connector in a cluster of cables  that came out an opening in the middle of the round table and seized one and connected it to her laptop.  Within minutes, she logged on and searched the Internet for information regarding the person they were about to meet.  The search provided several articles regarding Ms. Arachne Corrick, the psychic.  The articles she scanned as she drank her coffee were all very impressive and for the most part, favorable regarding her abilities.  There was no mention in the write-ups about werewolves, vampires or Big-foot creatures but rather in her ability to find missing people and items.  Elizabeth figured the woman to be in her forty’s and now had a mental picture of what she looked like.  She had written several books regarding the paranormal and seemed to be well known in those circles.  She shut down the laptop and looked out the cabin window at the dark night sky.  She did doze off for what appeared to be only a few minutes, but Alice did come and nudge her.  She had not realized that several hours had passed.  As she buckled her seat belt for the decent and landing, Alice gently woke her brother who sat up and took some coffee from the stewardess.  He rubbed his eyes.

             
“Did you get a good rest?”

             
“I blacked out didn’t I?  The last thing I remember is boarding this craft and lying down.”

             
“Yes.  That was four hours ago.”