Borderland Page 15

  Rising up on tiptoes, she gave him a kiss, soft to the lips, but revealing surprising intimacy.

  He put his hands on her shoulders, pushing her back gently so he could gaze into her eyes.

  “Thanks for dinner,” she said huskily, “It was delicious.”

  He wrapped his arms around her in response and returned the kiss with an even more passionate one, one that he had been holding back for years.

  Locked in an embrace, they marveled at the level of feeling they had for each other.

  He held her at arm’s length, drinking in her beauty, not wanting to let her go.

  Trying not to break the spell, only the tension, “I don’t often get compliments on my cooking like that; maybe I should cook more often.”

  Grinning, “Maybe you should…maybe you should.”

  They stood there for the longest time just staring into each other’s eyes. Finally, they turned, hand in hand, and went to feed the horses.

  * * * * *

  Watching the couple approach, Jake gleefully anticipated their reactions when they found Millie and Sam on the floor of their stall.

  They were alive, but their breathing came in short, shallow pants. Blood seeped from their wounds. Not as much as before, but enough to still cause alarm. Fear overpowered them and their ears tweaked nervously as they listened to the advancing footsteps.

  “Millie, Sam! Hey, where are you? Time to eat!”

  Sure the horses would move into sight at the mention of food, he quickly came into the unlit barn. He looked immediately to the stall and didn’t see them, but heard frantic wheezing.

  Standing at the door, Logan looked around, feeling apprehensive. She detected something wasn’t right.

  As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she heard Tom exclaim, “Oh my God!”

  Rushing over to the stall, she looked in to see what he was staring at and let out a scream. Both horses were lying on the floor, twitching, bleeding, and panting wildly.

  He ran from the barn, yelling at her to stay with them. He needed to grab his kit. She heard the worry in his voice but all she could do was wait. Trying to reassure the poor, helpless animals, she wondered at what could have caused their injuries.

  She heard a laugh and suddenly the horses started to kick and lash about. It started out low, increasing in fervor until it became a terrifying commotion.

  The horses heard it too. They began to flail, their wounded hooves beating the air in a bizarre crazed dance.

  Alex sat in the corner, quivering, not making a sound.

  Her face drained of all color as Logan realized who had caused the laugh.

  “You’re responsible for this,” he seemed to say. “You caused my death and you caused the death of the others.” The last word hung in the air, echoing against the barn walls like thunder from an impending storm.

  “The others!” She began to back out of the barn, but her legs were weak from fear, and she fell to the ground.

  Struggling to get up, thinking about what he told her, He’s never going to let me go, not as long as I’m alive. The others? What does he mean? Who is he talking about? ‘Others’. That must mean he killed again.

  Gulping back huge hiccups of air, she stood up, backpedaling out of the barn, trying hard not to collapse. Instead, she fell back against Tom returning with his kit. He grabbed her arm but she wrenched free and ran to her car.

  “Wait!” he called out. “Logan, what’s wrong?” He watched in bewilderment as she wrestled with the car door, finally yanking it open.

  She turned around to look at him but didn’t say a thing. She jumped in the car and sped off in a cloud of dust.

  My nightmare-not his, she realized. I can’t share it with Tom. Once he puts two and two together-the way Alex growled at me, the way the horses reacted-he’ll know who caused it, not a ghost, me. How stupid to think I could tell him! He’ll never believe me if I try to blame it all on a dead man. No, he’ll look at Millie, Sam and Alex and doubts will begin to form, doubts about me. Nothing will make him believe that a spirit could harm animals. No, it’s my fault and I’ll have to handle this by myself.

  Logan clutched the steering wheel, driving way too fast, trying to distance herself from what had just happened-and from Tom. A tear fell onto her cheek when she thought about him.

  “Maybe this wouldn’t have happened if I had not come here…to his house, if I had not come on vacation…if I had not found those errors…” her voice trailed off like each incomplete sentence and like the wisps of dust still trailing behind her car.

  Pounding on the steering wheel again and again, her hand turned red and swollen. She didn’t feel the physical pain, only the mental anguish.

  “My fault!” she shouted, the sound swirling around the car’s interior. “No one’s fault but mine!” She drove blindly down the road, unaware of surroundings, lost in her grief.

  A small kernel of an idea began to take shape in her mind. I’m sick and tired of hurting others.

  “I’m worthless, I’m worthless,” Logan kept repeating to herself.

  All the sadness in her life came flooding back to her-the tragedy of her parents’ death, their loss still heavy on her heart, others, friends, family, all once a part of her life and now gone forever.

  Now this, she thought. I don’t care if I live or die, my fault, no one cares…self-abuse swirling around endlessly in her consciousness …all put there by Jake Turner.

  So lost was she in these destructive thoughts that she never felt the car shift until it veered off the road. She didn’t see the tree as it loomed in the distance. When she did look up, it was too late. She jerked the wheel sharply in the opposite direction, slammed her foot down on the brake, and hunched forward, bracing for the inevitable crash.

  * * * * *

  Back at the barn, Tom attended to Millie and Sam. Their injuries would heal but he was more worried about their mental state. Both seemed jittery and frightened, even though they were beginning to respond to his words and touch.

  Also, he noticed Alex cowering in the corner, whimpering and refusing to approach him.

  And, his mind was on Logan. What caused her to run out of the barn and leave so quickly? All seemed fine…except…Alex growled at her when we first greeted him. Why would he do that? He’s never done that before.

  Millie and Sam seemed fine too and then, all of a sudden, they started to buck and carry on…like they’d seen something. But, there was nothing to see! Was it Logan? But, why would they react that way?

  Tom had a good eye for humans and their love for animals. He could tell when someone really cared for them, and when they were just plain lying. He had worked with animals so long he almost felt like he had their sense for humans, their ability to know when someone felt comfortable and when they didn’t. Animals knew when to trust a person and when not to…so, why would they become so anxious around Logan? It didn’t make sense. He hadn’t really picked up on anything other than her admission that she’d not been around them that much and didn’t have a pet right now.

  These thoughts, and more, continued to bother Tom as he patiently applied ointment and bandages to the horses’ legs.

  He abruptly stopped when he remembered what had happened during their hike yesterday. She saw a figure…and he saw it too!

  And then, today, in Nashville, she suddenly ran out in the middle of the street and didn’t realize where she was.

  Is someone following her? Is that it? Why won’t she tell me? Maybe she’s afraid and doesn’t want to get me involved. But, who is causing this fear and what does this person plan to do to her?

  He tended to the last cut and stood up, motioning for Alex to follow. The dog slowly came out of the darkened corner, timid in his movements, but anxious to leave for the safety of the yard.

  Tom observed his dog’s behavior and wondered again at the reaction Alex had to Logan. Did he see something, or someone?

  “I wish you could tell me what’s going on.”

  With
a shrug of the shoulders, no bounce in his step, he walked away, still questioning what caused her to leave suddenly.

  * * * * *

  Reflecting on what had caused Logan to run, he didn’t see the lone figure staring out the front window of his house. If he had, he might have been startled to see his wife, Jenny, standing there.

  Walking into the house, Tom headed straight for the kitchen. He would make himself a cup of coffee and decide what to do next.

  The house seemed a little cold but fall was in full bloom and cooler temperatures were the norm at this time of the year.

  Better check the furnace, he thought. I’ll need it before long. Better get the blankets out and put them on the beds.

  But, as much as he turned his attention to other matters, he couldn’t stop thinking about Logan.

  He lifted the cup of coffee out of the microwave. It was hot to the touch so he blew on it as he carried it into the living room. Settling into his favorite chair, he finally began to relax and think more clearly.

  “She’s in danger.”

  Tom almost spilled his coffee when he heard the voice in his head because he knew who it was. He looked around just in time to see her by the fireplace.

  “Jenny…” his voice caught when he saw her.

  Attired in her wedding dress, she was radiant. It was her last request to be buried in it. She told him it was because their wedding day had been the happiest day of her life and she wanted to preserve the memory forever.

  He cried when he saw her lying there in the casket, as pretty in death as she had been in life.

  Now, she was standing before him. His heart ached with a longing so great that it made tears spring back into his eyes.

  Tom reached out, wanting to take her in his arms like before. He quickly put them down to his side. He knew he could never hold her again and nothing would take away the pain in his heart.

  “Jenny, I miss you so much.”

  He felt the tears run down his face and didn’t try to wipe them away.

  She smiled at him and reached out as if to gently brush them away.

  It might have been his imagination but he thought he felt a slight tingle against his cheeks, or maybe it was only a breeze coming in to chill the evening air. She had come before, never touching, but he had seen her, or he had experienced her presence in other ways-a favorite item showing up on the dresser, a picture moved on the mantel, the smell of her perfume next to him in the bed they used to share. But now he really saw her… and felt her touch. It was Jenny and she was speaking to him.

  “My love…”

  She put a finger to her lips and again he heard her voice speaking to him, “She’s in grave peril. You have to help her.”

  “Jenny,” he began again.

  “She needs you more than I. Go find her. Her life is being threatened.” Words grew fainter as she faded away.

  Tom yelled out one more time, “Jenny!” but she was gone.

  He sat in his chair watching the sun set. Over the last few years he had never told anyone about seeing her. They would probably say it was his imagination or might use it as an excuse to tell him he just needed some female companionship. And, maybe they would have been right.

  But, tonight was different, he realized. Tonight she touched me.

  He could still imagine the soft tickle on his cheek, much like the feeling you have when a part of your body goes to sleep, subsiding gradually until it can no longer be felt.

  “And, I heard her say, ‘She’s in danger’.”

  She must mean Logan, but how would she know her? But of course she would know Logan if she’s around me and sees what’s going on.

  Tom rubbed his temples with his fingers. He could feel a headache coming on.

  “I just don’t understand, Jenny. Help me understand.”

  * * * * *

  Night settled over the isolated hills of Brown County. Crickets trilled a warning but no one listened. Along the lonely stretch of road, spanning out from the secluded countryside, creatures of the night began to make their way out of their abodes. A raccoon approached the car, stealthily, unsure whether there was someone in there or not. His nose wiggled as he surveyed the area, like a radar antenna detecting alarm signals. Instantly his acute hearing picked up on the soft moaning coming from inside the car so he scampered away in search of food, knowing he wouldn’t find it here, unwilling to risk any hazard to himself.

  As if taking their cue from the raccoon, other small critters approached but quickly fled when they heard the moans. They too were not willing to venture closer. The laws of nature apply in rural nature areas. Survival of the fittest is the name of the game. They had to consider their rank on the food chain and fear won out over curiosity.

  Soon, nothing stirred outside the car, but inside was a different story. Logan Massey was waking up, injured, a few cuts and bruises but no broken bones. If not for the fact she had someone in the car with her, she could have been counting her lucky stars she was alive. But unfortunately, she was not alone.

  Patiently waiting for her to regain full consciousness, Jake’s appearance was showing the effects of a prolonged stay on earth. Similar to what was happening to his body lying in the grave, decomposition was beginning. His flesh pulsated with the quick, hurried movements of maggots under his skin. Bloodshot eyes glowed wickedly and saliva dripped from his cruel mouth. Remnants of a foul, decaying odor emanated from every crevice of the semblance of a physical body. It filled the car, causing Logan to gag violently as she began to wake up.

  It was visibly apparent that his features had deteriorated but so had his mental state. His mind was sinking to the very brink of insanity, hastened by the use of cocaine and made more evident by his lengthy time away from Borderland. The total effect was not of a human but of a monster.

  Her moans grew louder. Her vision was blurred but when she opened her eyes and looked around, she realized she was in a car. When she turned her head to the passenger side, she almost fainted from fright. She was staring right into the horrible face of Jake Turner!

  She let out a scream and put her hands up to her mouth, trying to hold back the vomit that threatened to escape her throat and spew all over the seat. He moved towards her and she felt a rush, a force that was trying to invade her body. She tried to fight him off but he used all of his strength to overpower her, pressing, pushing, until he felt himself enter her, forcing her spirit to lie dormant in the farthest reaches, giving in to his more potent, evil demands.

  Immediately he felt a rush. Possessing her energized and excited him. He could feel the soreness and stiffness from her injuries but it didn’t matter. He was human again! The dank air in the car teemed with demonic spirit. Inhabiting a fresh body, it threatened to ruin the peaceful night.

  The mortal is mine!

  Completely transformed, bursts of vile glints shone from her eyes. Her mouth turned up in a cruel grin, and when she began to laugh, rumblings came from deep within her chest. If anyone who knew Logan would see her now, they would not only be shocked, but afraid. She was the antithesis of everything she had ever been, a stranger existing within.

  Jake was in control and, as he settled into his new body, he couldn’t help but gloat at the thought of the horrors that awaited her.

  The body is mine! Her soul is useless! Let the reign of terror begin!

  He would not stop even when she screamed and begged him to end it. No, before her death, she would be wishing for the release that suicide would bring.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Harry stirred in his sleep. Loud footsteps echoed down the hallway, accompanied by the rattle of the cart bringing medications to the patients. In the background he could hear alarms summoning nurses and a steady chatter of conversation from visitors in other rooms.

  Damn hospitals! People have to go home in order to get some sleep and recover from whatever brought them here in the first place!

  “Well, I see you’ve finally decided to wake up.”

&
nbsp; Harry jumped and looked around, trying to locate where the voice was coming from. This time he knew who it was-Betty Gleason.

  There she was standing by the window, looking out at the lights, with her arms folded across her chest. Her eyes still glistened with tears, and if you looked closely, you could see the red in them, caused by the constant crying she had done since Lou’s death. But, you could also see determination. She had the look of a woman who wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer and expected the added feature of honesty.

  When she turned around, Harry could see he was in for it, and if he expected to get out of the hospital and help Logan, he would have to be truthful with her, and maybe he would enlist a partner in the bargain. He recognized her stubbornness, but also saw her beauty, a timeless classic kind that defied age and hardship. She still had streaks of red mixed in with the white in her hair. Her eyes were an azure color, the blue like the color of sky on a gorgeous cloud-free day. Her body, rounded but curvaceous, a shape that comes with age, holding a mysterious and tempting attraction. He could see she was a practical person with kindness and a gentle spirit. She was the embodiment of serene strength.

  Maybe she could help. She definitely needs to know what happened to her husband, and, she seems to be concerned about Logan… Harry sighed deeply and made a decision to tell her everything, with the hope that she would be willing to help. He embarked on the story, not allowing any interruptions until he was finished.

  * * * * *

  “So…you came down here to warn Logan because there was this ghost that was after her?” She sounded incredulous but looked interested, not turned off by his story…yet.

  “It’s a little more than that, but, yes, that’s about it.” He watched her closely to see how she might react.

  “And, you saw a face in the window, and you think Lou might have seen the face too?”

  “Or more,” Harry answered.

  Betty was quiet, thinking about the lights she had seen coming from the room when she looked out the motel office window.