Convocation, p.16
Convocation, page 16
“What the heck have I missed?” Hamish blurted out.
“I’ll tell you all about it in a while,” Jarek said. “He was trying to conjure up a demon. I don’t know exactly which one . . . I have a bit of research to do.” I think I can remember the symbols on the firepit. “I was trying to break down Viktor’s confidence because I wasn’t ready to deal with whatever vile creature was about to make an appearance.”
“Does it make a difference if you know which demon it is? How could you even know which ones are which?” Marcus asked.
“Yes. When you identify the name of a demon, you gain some power over it. Not in the way Viktor speaks, though. You simply have the ability to summon it or to send it back to the other side . . . with enough power of others. See, every demon does have unique skills and abilities in the supernatural world, but it is for them and their own choosing when to use those abilities. Sometimes, people that practice the dark arts use a tether to a demon to strengthen their own abilities. Sadly, this is what I had witnessed in Saint Paul just a week ago.” Jarek paused; he looked over to Hamish, whose eyes were shinier than they were just a bit ago. He gave the young man an emphatic smile. “But Viktor believes he doesn’t just need to tether to them on the other side. He believes he can bring them into our world, and they will do his bidding. But no one can control them. Pure chaos would ensue eventually. They could wreak havoc in our world. Relentlessly using their abilities of darkness on unsuspecting souls. I have an idea what the vessel is he is talking about. My grandmother had mentioned it years ago. And I had seen the book before translated . . . but it has been years. And . . . I honestly hadn’t paid much attention. I need to think on it and ty to remember.” More research tonight in the book. Jarek’s mind began to race to try and remember something about the vessel.
“What . . . what did he say to you?” Agatha said after being quiet for so long. Jarek hadn’t noticed, but her face was still filled with terror. She clearly was deeply worried about what was happening.
“He wants to meet in twenty-four hours. He said there is a park near Whitewood Creek at the end of Sherman Street.”
“Must mean the one by Chinatown,” Ulrika said.
“He said he would leave us alone if we met his terms. And he would release the man that is currently possessed.”
“I don’t trust the sound of that. We should be going to the sheriff,” Marcus interjected.
“We can’t. If we want to hold him accountable and help this poor man, we must meet with him. I think we can get what we want and bring him to justice, but I need to do a little more work on my end. We have to have the advantage when we go there.”
“We?” Ulrika said.
“Yes, we. I need you there, as much as I don’t want any of you in harm’s way. I need your eyes, your ears, and your energy there with me.” Jarek’s eyes moved to each person individually. “I need all of you there.”
The room stood still. It appeared that no one knew what to say for a moment.
“You have my help. Even though it may be only a little help,” Agatha said.
“And my help,” Hamish said with a smile. “After all, I did just spend several days traveling here. I might as well be of some use.”
“It will depend on Grandmother for me,” Ulrika said as a tear rolled down her cheek again.
“Lilith will stay with her. Please, Ulrika . . . I need you there.”
“Okay. I need to be with Grandmother first, though.” She gave a half smile to Jarek. “Marcus, are you joining?”
“I’ll be there if you’ll be there,” he answered with a smile.
“Thank you, all of you,” Jarek said, truly grateful for the support of his new friends. “Let’s meet here tomorrow evening in the lobby. Say eight o’clock? I can tell you what you need to know before we walk over there . . . and hopefully I can find some more answers before then.”
“I need to be getting to Dr. Anderson’s to see my grandmother,” Ulrika said.
“This old woman needs to get some rest too. At least try to,” Agatha said.
“Marcus, would you please escort Ulrika to Dr. Anderson’s home to be with her grandmother?” Jarek asked.
“Yes, of course,” he responded.
Jarek looked out on the street. He saw a few orbs hovering right outside the window. “Don’t worry, you both will be safe walking there.”
“What about me?” Hamish said.
“You can stay in my room tonight. I will tell you everything you have missed.”
“Sounds good to me!” Hamish said, clearly excited to be part of the group.
“All right, this sounds like a plan. We will see all of you tomorrow.” Jarek drew a deep breath. “And I promise, tomorrow, after the park, everything will be revealed to you. I just ask that you all have a little more patience with me.”
Chapter 15
Confessions
January 2, 1925, 2:27 a.m.
With eyes wide open, Jarek lay in bed unable to fall asleep. After telling Hamish enough information to have him understand what they all were dealing with, they both went to bed. However, Jarek’s brain was jumping through every clue, gut instinct, and image he’d seen. He paged through the book he had “acquired” from the O’Connell home, but he wasn’t able to make much sense of it. He studied the seals of the demons and thought he was on the right track, but he wasn’t entirely positive. He found a drawing of what could be the vessel, but again he wasn’t positive. It appeared familiar. He honestly wasn’t sure, though. I wish I knew why Leona didn’t tell me about this before she left.
Jarek knew he needed to arrive at the park prepared for whatever tricks Viktor had up his sleeve. He knew that Viktor currently had the ability to ask for two separate demons to aid him. The likelihood of the five of them walking into a trap could not leave Jarek’s mind. There had already been so much pain and suffering connected to Rose and Viktor. And he had been fooled before by them, so what would happen if he were being fooled once more?
As Jarek’s eyes grew sore from the dry winter air and lack of sleep, he closed them tight, hoping for some relief. His brain began to calm as his breathing slowed to the rhythm of Hamish’s, who was deep in sleep next to Jarek. He pulled the covers up tighter as he felt Hamish roll closer to the wall, attempting to steal the quilts from him. Jarek was not used to sharing a bed, so maybe that was why he had difficulty falling asleep, he thought. Nevertheless, he kept each inhale and exhale in time with Hamish’s. With each rise and fall of the chest, his body began to slowly drift into sleep. Darkness gently closed in until there was nothing but a blank image in Jarek’s mind. He was finally asleep.
Ж
A flash of light followed by a rumble echoed through the hotel room. Jarek’s eyes blinked quickly, trying to comprehend what was happening. Thunderstorm? Another burst of light, casting shadows as it ran through the room. Rumbling came rolling in after the lightning. Jarek had never experienced a thunderstorm in the dead of winter before.
An uneasiness sent a small shiver over his neck. He rolled his head to the right. Hamish was fast asleep, confirmed by the young man’s shallow snoring. Jarek rolled his body gently to the left and reached over to the side table. He tilted his pocket watch up a bit and thought he could see the hour hand on the five and minute hand at about the ten. He set it back down as light danced around the room again, but this time it bounced differently. In the far corner, near the window, stood a tall, thin figure. It disappeared when the light from the sky disappeared. I must still be dreaming. Waves of rumbling sent a slight vibration through the room. Jarek’s eyes never stopped focusing on the corner of the room. He felt Hamish’s feet brush against his legs as his bedmate resituated himself, all while still softly snoring.
Another flash of light. The figure was there. Appearing and disappearing as quickly as the energy bolts shot through the sky outside. Rumbles continuing to send vibrations throughout everything within their path, causing the windowpanes to rattle.
Jarek slowed his breathing, taking deeper breaths to calm his nerves. He blinked his eyes a few times to kick out the dryness.
Another flash of lightning entered the room through the window. A dark figure was there for a fleeting moment before it vanished with the light again. A rumble. Jarek swore the figure seemed just a tiny bit bigger than it had during the first few flashes of light.
A flash. Bigger than the first several. It was confirmed—the figure was a bit bigger. Jarek couldn’t look away.
Lightning.
Figure—a little bigger.
Thunder.
Darkness.
Lightning.
Bigger.
Thunder.
Darkness.
The cycle repeated for what seemed to be forever. Each flash revealed the figure, but there were no discerning details. It was simply a dark shape. Another flash of lightning. The unnatural being mere feet from the bed. Jarek had a lump the size of a pumpkin caught in his throat. He tried to swallow it.
“What . . . what do you want?” Jarek was finally able to whisper.
Silence.
Lightning illuminated the room once more, and the figure was directly next to the bed. This was not human, nor ghost. Jarek’s blood ran cold.
“Your blood,” it responded.
Jarek shot up in bed, his elbow knocking Hamish in the head, making him bolt up too.
“What the . . . ?” Hamish said, wiping his eyes, clearly confused.
The inhuman shape was gone.
“Sorry . . . it must have been a nightmare,” Jarek said, fibbing. “Try to go back to sleep. We both need to be well rested.”
“Okay,” Hamish responded skeptically before rolling back over onto his side. It only took a few moments before Jarek could tell he was asleep again.
Jarek lay there for a moment, unsure if he’d be able to fall back asleep. Just then, a bright light near the window caught his eye. An orb became visible as it entered the room from outside. The brilliant ball of light drifted slowly through the dark room. Jarek could tell it had no intention of trying to communicate with him; however, it did trigger him to remember the thirteen women still missing. Their bodies unaccounted for in that vile chamber below the ground.
Then the orbs themselves moved to the front of Jarek’s thought. The orbs surrounding this town . . . surrounding Ulrika. They aren’t just stuck here to this world; they chose to stay . . . to protect her. Jarek realized that orbs can cross through the veil in an effort to provide protection. Ulrika not only had Leona and Lilith watching out for her; she also had these women protecting her.
Being as gentle as he could, Jarek moved out from under the quilts. His feet hit the cold floor, making him flex his toes. He quietly put on his trousers and undershirt before leaving the room, still barefoot. He tiptoed into the hallway, as he could see light coming from the lobby. Mr. Clark or Agatha was likely getting things ready down there. Jarek moved to the room across from his and knocked softly.
“Marcus,” he whispered. No response. Jarek waited for a moment, as he assumed Marcus was still asleep. Just as he raised his hand to tap on the door again, it opened slightly.
“Jarek, what . . . what’s wrong?” Marcus asked in a groggy voice as he ran his hand through his messy bed hair.
“Nothing. Sorry to bother you so early. Did you get Ulrika to Dr. Anderson’s home last night?”
“Yes, of course. She should still be there. Her grandmother didn’t appear very well, but she seemed to be hanging on.”
“Good, good.” Jarek stood quiet for a moment.
“I know you didn’t come to my room this early in the morning to ask that. What is it that you need?” Marcus crossed his arms over his bare chest, clearly chilly from the morning air.
“I . . . I needed to tell you something. I thought it could wait, but the more I thought about it, I don’t think it should.”
“Well, go on.”
“The missing women. Well, I mean the thirteen bodies still unaccounted for. I think I know where they are.” Marcus’s eyes lit up, suddenly appearing to be more interested in Jarek’s words. Jarek leaned in and whispered into Marcus’s ear. He did not want to chance anyone or anything hearing him.
Marcus took a deep breath. “What are you saying? You mean to tell—”
Jarek cut off Marcus’s question. “I don’t know exactly where on the property, but I just feel there, somewhere, are the other thirteen women.” Jarek’s eyes swelled up.
Marcus stared down toward the floor, “I understand. I can make a telephone call to the sheriff.”
“You don’t have to right now. But sometime before we meet the others.” The wheels in Jarek’s brain began to spin. An idea came to mind that might help bring everything to light. “You know, on second thought, maybe you should get ready for the day and then make that telephone call. Then I think it’s time I told you a little bit more. I think it will help us in the end. But I can’t tell you yet. Not until after you’ve talked with the sheriff. Make up some excuse for him to wait and go there later tonight . . . say about seven o’clock. And tell him he should start by looking somewhere near the back of the property.
“I am going to let you get yourself ready for the day. And I am going back to my room to meditate and contemplate how tonight will go. We must be prepared. I will find some stuff for Hamish to do so that you and I may speak alone. Come to my room in a few hours, around ten, and I will fill you in on the plan.”
“Understood, Jarek,” Marcus said. His face was brighter, likely happy that Jarek was confiding in him finally.
“Thank you, Marcus. Thank you for trusting me.”
“I don’t know why, but for some reason it just feels right. I can’t explain myself,” Marcus said with a small smile.
“No need to explain it. I’ll talk with you soon. It will all make sense then.”
Ж
Two men stood in the lobby of the hotel, both wearing their winter wool coats and hats. No words were exchanged as they both looked nervous. Hamish appeared even more nervous than Jarek felt. Jarek believed that tonight would either help bring justice to the murders of fifty women, or it would end in a total disaster. He knew one thing, though, and that was he hoped that no more innocent blood would be shed by these occult fanatics. He wished that his companions for the night were ready as well. They were likely to see and feel many things they never had before. He knew from experience that some people can go crazy just seeing a ghost. Seeing demons was a whole other story.
Mr. Clark had already left for the evening, as Agatha was typically the one left to close because she lived in the hotel. She had just come out of the office, all bundled up as well, when Ulrika came walking through the front door. Her dark hair was covered by a hand-knit hat and her hands in a pair of gloves instead of the mittens that Jarek had seen her use.
“Good evening, ladies,” Jarek said.
“Good evening, Mr. Videni,” Agatha said with her mouth tight.
“Good evening,” Ulrika said as she looked around the room. “Where’s Marcus?”
“He will meet us at the park tonight. He had something to take care of first,” Jarek said. Both Hamish and Agatha looked at him curiously.
“Maybe we should wait for him,” Hamish said.
“No, no. I already talked with him today. He will be there . . . I trust him.” Jarek picked up his satchel that had been sitting on the floor between his foot and the high-back chair. He put the strap across his body and inhaled. “Well, shall we?”
The fellowship of four made their way down the streets of Deadwood. All of them were dressed in long woolen coats to keep their body heat in on the chilly night, each head covered with some variety of a hat to keep the wind off their heads, and their hands either kept warm in gloves or sunk deep into their coat pockets. The streetlamps illuminated their walk a little, but Jarek wished the night sky provided a little more natural light. But the gentle snow falling reminded him that the sky was covered in clouds.
No words were spoken as the four sets of feet moved through the snow, muffling their footsteps on the cobblestone. A few townspeople could be seen still out, but it appeared that they were all turning in for the evening. Odd for a Friday. It’s almost as if the people know something is going to happen. Up the street a little farther, two men stood outside a brothel talking. They turned their heads toward the four of them and immediately went on their way—one headed down an alley and the other crossed the street and disappeared into a different building. As they passed the brothel, Jarek looked up, expecting to see something that would make him blush. Instead, the women in the windows closed the curtains tightly.
The ghost of the little boy that Jarek met the other evening stood near the door of the brothel. His young face was battered and bruised. His eyes met Jarek’s. No element of hope could be seen in the spirit’s gaze.
“Help her,” he said softly as Jarek passed by him. “It’s not safe for her. It’s not safe for any of you.”
Jarek nodded at the boy in acknowledgment. He so desperately wanted to help the earthbound spirit. Clearly something was keeping him tied to this world. But he knew he couldn’t right now. Jarek realized he probably never could. No matter how hard anyone tried, there would always be spirits bound to this world. Destined to wander this plane in solitude.
“This wind is bitter tonight,” Agatha said, finally breaking the quietness.
“It has a dampness to it,” Hamish said.
“I’m guessing we are getting close to the park?” Jarek asked, trying to keep them focused on the mission before them.
“Yes. It is only a few blocks away from here,” Ulrika said. “See that church up a ways? It is right past there.”
“Oh. Yeah, I see it,” Jarek responded, recognizing he had already visited the park once. It was where he’d wandered to the day before when trying to follow Marcus. He could feel not only his own nervousness about what might transpire tonight; he was feeling every iota of the other three’s nervous energy too. The waves of energy poured over him as they continued down the street. He noticed quickly that the energy was not just from the four of them; he was also deeply in tune with their surroundings, and the town was riddled with nervousness, sadness, and desperation. Yet underneath it all was a silver lining of promise and hope. Which is exactly what Jarek needed to feel at this moment.
