River: Ghosts Of Our Fathers Part 6

He's caught me, Sean thought, still holding his breath.

He felt the hand wrap around his shirt and pull. He was yanked from under the bed. He felt the wooden slat of the bed frame sc.r.a.pe against his back and arm as Frank lifted him by his shirt.

"Always a thief!" Frank said, slurring his words. He held Sean by the back of his shirt. Sean struggled to get out of the shirt, but Frank was gripping it too tightly. Frank sensed the attempt to escape and brought his other hand down hard against Sean's face. Sean felt the room spinning and felt as though he would pa.s.s out.

"Gonna teach you a lesson," Frank said, wobbling on his feet. Sean wondered how Frank had the balance to make it to the bathroom and back. He also wondered how long before the boy's object took effect and the promise of stopping Frank engaged. He didn't know how it would work, but he'd done everything the boy had asked, and right now its engagement was his only salvation from Frank.

Frank slapped him again hard, and Sean tasted blood. A ring on Frank's hand had hit his eyebrow and he could feel something warm dripping down into his eye, blurring his vision, making the dim images of the room dark red. He pulled down inside the shirt Frank was holding, hoping his wiggling would somehow set him free, but he couldn't get his arms out of the shirt.

"Now you'll pay!" Frank said, lifting him higher and shaking him. He pulled back his hand again and brought it down hard on Sean's head. The force of it twisted Sean's head hard to the right and he felt some of the blood on his face go flying to the floor. He couldn't see anything through his left eye anymore. Frank pulled back again and hit him in the stomach. Sean felt all of the air leave his lungs and the blood enter his open mouth as he tried to suck in air.

Why isn't it stopping him? Sean wondered. Please, stop him! He's so drunk he'll kill me.

Sean thought about the matchbox. Had he placed it in the right place? Yes, it was under the bed, right where it had been before Frank drank the powder.

Under the bed, Sean thought. Maybe the bed has something to do with it.

Frank was winding his hand back for another slap. Sean shifted his feet and instead of trying to pull away from Frank he pushed into him. Frank lost his balance and fell sideways onto the bed.

Sean was pulled down onto the bed with Frank, but Frank wasn't moving. He wondered if he'd pa.s.sed out. Sean wiggled his shirt free from Frank's hands and stepped away from the bed.

Frank was lying with his face to the side towards Sean. His eyes were open but his body was still. It was as though his body was paralyzed. Sean fought to suck in a breath and finally his lungs cooperated with him. He took several deep breaths, feeling a pain in his side each time he did. Frank still hadn't moved. He wiped the blood from his eyes and moved up towards Frank to look more closely at Frank's face. Frank's eyes just stared, unable to do anything.

Sean poked at Frank, trying to get him to respond. Nothing worked. He slapped his face. No response.

Sean turned on the bedroom light and thought about what to do. He decided to run to the bas.e.m.e.nt stairwell and call for Garth.

Garth came up the stairs and followed Sean into the bedroom. Once he entered the lit room he saw the damage to Sean's face. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Sean nodded.

Garth approached Frank tentatively.

"Is he dead?" Garth asked.

"No," Sean said. "He's breathing. His eyes are open. He just can't move."

"Do you think he can hear us?" Garth asked, still afraid Frank might reanimate and turn on them.

"I don't know," Sean said. "Here, help me get him back into bed."

The two boys maneuvered Frank's legs up onto the bed and positioned him normally. Frank's body was limp, dead weight. Occasionally Frank's eyes would settle on one of them and give them a disquieting moment, but they became bolder with each minute that pa.s.sed.

"What do we do now?" Garth asked, staring at Frank who was lying still on the bed.

"I guess we go to bed," Sean said. "Let's see how he looks in the morning."

Garth took another sip of coffee. The waiter showed up to remove their dishes, and Steven and Daniel took the moment to lean back in their chairs after having been on the edge of them for the past several minutes.

"The next day he was the same," Garth said. "Comatose. Just staring into s.p.a.ce. Couldn't move or do anything other than open his eyes and breathe. Didn't eat, went to the bathroom in the bed. We explained it all to Davy and then decided we'd better tell Davy's mom. We told her that Frank had been in bed all day and couldn't move, and we were afraid something was wrong with him. Of course we didn't tell her what we'd done.

"She didn't relish the idea of coming over to the house with us to check on him, since Frank was a terrible neighbor, but she had seen the look of worry on our faces and decided she'd better check it out. Once she saw him she called a doctor. The next thing you know, Frank was in an asylum and Sean and I were sent off to live in a foster home. It wasn't great, but it was an awful lot better than living with Frank, let me tell you."

Garth paused. He took a long sip of coffee and then sighed, as though he'd just freed himself of a terrible secret.

"You already know Frank died in the asylum years ago. Sean pa.s.sed away from cancer. I never married, no kids of my own, and now I'm here. But gentlemen, I've still got some fight left in me. If Frank has found a way back, I'll do whatever I can to help you fight that terrible son of a b.i.t.c.h. I'm not as afraid of him now as I was back then."

Steven and Daniel looked at each other. Daniel spoke first.

"I think what you created was a soul cage," Daniel said. "It sounds to me like it was designed to last for eighty years."

"But why come after me?" Steven asked. "No offense Garth, but you'd think his target would be you."

"True," Garth said. "I've not seen Frank in the manner you describe. Maybe he's been visiting me here and I've slept through it. Or, maybe he's targeting you because you have the gift, like Davy had."

Steven looked up at Garth. He'd not told Garth anything about his abilities.

"Yes, Mr. Hall," Garth said, "I can tell. I could see it in Davy, the way he could communicate with the boy, and I can see it in you. In fact, you look a lot like him."

Garth stared at Steven, pinching his eyes a little. Then his eyes went wide, and he set his coffee mug down on the table.

"How daft of me," Garth said. "Of course."

"Of course?" Steven asked. "What?"

"Davy," Garth said. "And you. What was your grandfather's name, Steven?"

"Blair on my mother's side," Steven said, "and David on my father's."

"Davy's last name," Garth said, "was Hall. I believe it was your grandfather who helped us imprison Frank."

Everyone sat quietly around the coffee table, letting this revelation sink in.

"How would Frank know Davy was involved?" Steven asked.

"Depends on the soul cage," Daniel said. "Frank's body was useless, but his soul could continue to observe things, learn things."

"Did you ever discuss this with David...Davy after it happened?" Steven asked Garth.

"Oh yes," Garth said. "Davy had asked us for the details, and both Sean and I told him everything that had played out. Davy was as delighted in Frank's situation as we were, but we were also afraid we'd done something terrible. All three of us went back to the boy in the garage to ask him what had happened to Frank. Davy did all of the communicating with the boy, interpreting the answers the boy gave so we could understand. He never mentioned anything about the soul cage expiring, just said that Frank was alive, was fine, and wouldn't ever bother us again. Sean and I were taken from the home almost immediately after that we never went into the garage again. I saw Davy once more at a high school dance. He was dating a girl from our school. I remember we talked briefly about Frank. I told him Frank was still in an inst.i.tution, and I remember Davy saying, 'good, good.' Then our conversation shifted to girls and how to score some beer after the dance. Never saw him again after that."

"Steven, is your grandfather still alive?" Daniel asked.

"No," Steven said, "he died years ago."

"My guess," Daniel said, "is that when Frank's soul was caged, he was angry, in a rage. That's never gone away. He holds Sean, Garth, and David accountable. No offense intended, but Garth is elderly and without children. David, on the other hand, has living children who continue to use the gift. It doesn't surprise me he'd try to exact vengeance there."

"He always hated Davy," Garth said. "Never knew why. He hated him more than he disliked Sean and I. If he learned that Davy was involved in this, I'm sure he'd be furious at him."

"So that means," Steven said, "that in addition to myself, Roy might be at risk. And my son, Jason."

"I'd say so, yes," Daniel said. "It's worth finding out if either of them have been having bad dreams lately."

"What exactly can Frank do?" Steven asked. "He's a ghost, right? Roy and I have fought ghosts before. They can be dealt with."

"Really?" Garth said. "Fascinating."

"I'm no expert on soul cages," Daniel said, "but I do know a little. Frank isn't a normal ghost. A normal ghost occurs after death, when a person goes through death with their body and soul together. When Frank's soul was caged back in 1933, his body became like a sh.e.l.l, operating on automatic. Eventually the sh.e.l.l died. But the soul never died, never went through death, where a conversion takes place. Frank's soul still has a lot of life's power in it. How much, we don't know. We don't know the original terms of the binding."

"When I saw Frank at my house," Steven said, "he was in some kind of gla.s.s casing that was restricting his movements."

"That's a physical representation of the cage," Daniel said. "It has stopped his soul from returning to his body, and from doing or going anywhere else for that matter. But his mind is still inside that cage, active, able to gather information in real time. Do you remember when he touched your neck?"

"Yes," Steven said, "the bruising, the way it was moving my skin around."

Garth sat back in his chair, overwhelmed by the discussion.

"Frank certainly didn't have that ability when he went into the cage," Daniel said. "He picked up some skills along the way."

"The cage wouldn't stop him from learning?" Steven asked. "Or from gathering abilities or tools?"

"It would depend upon the tools," Daniel said, "and the terms of the binding. Some tools are purely non-temporal, so if he was determined enough he could have used the last eighty years to prepare for when he'd be released. This isn't a ghost you're dealing with it's much more lethal."

They both paused and looked up at Garth.

"Gentlemen," Garth said, "I'm sorry this has come down on you. I really am. When we did it all those years ago we had no idea what would happen. We just did it to be free of the beatings. But I will tell you this, Mr. Hall. Sean and I were grateful to Davy back when it happened, for helping us do it. I'm still grateful to this day. I'll be eternally grateful. What Davy helped us do changed our miserable childhoods into something tolerable. I know he felt he was doing the right thing. I think he still would have helped us even if he knew the consequences. But I'm sorry this wheel has turned. I hope you are able to solve it, and if there's anything I can do to help, I will."

"Thank you, Garth," Steven said. "You've been very helpful already. I think Daniel and I will return to Seattle. My father should be returning from a trip today and he might have some ideas on how we can deal with this. I should also check up on my son."

Garth rose slowly to his feet. "Old bones stand up a little slower than they used to," he said. He extended a hand to Steven and Daniel.

"Is the best way to reach you the number here at the reception office?" Steven asked.

"Oh no," Garth said. "Let me give you my cell number."

They exchanged contact information, plugging each other's numbers into their respective cell phones.

"Please let me know how things go," Garth said. "In a way I feel responsible for this mess, and if there's something I can do to help resolve it, I will."

"Thanks, Garth," Steven said. "I'll stay in touch. In the meantime, please don't worry. My father Roy will know how to deal with this; we'll come up with something."

Garth followed them out to the main doors of the facility, and watched them go down the front ramp and towards the parking lot. I wonder what Sean will think of this, he thought, turning to walk to his room.

Chapter Seven.

On the drive back to Seattle, Steven replayed the meeting with Garth in his mind. He was searching for any clue Garth might have mentioned that could lead them in a particular direction. He was coming up empty. He grew frustrated at the idea this problem was something from the past, something his progenitors didn't take care of. Now it fell to him to figure it out, and he was feeling resentful.

"There's got to be something we can do," Steven said. "It seems to me like we're running out of time. I'm just guessing here, but I get the feeling Frank will be harder to kill when he's free of the cage."

"Yes," Daniel said, "he'll be easier to deal with while he's in the cage."

Steven paused. "Don't take this the wrong way Daniel, but 'deal with' isn't what I have in mind. Frank's body died years ago, and his soul had its hand wrapped around my neck recently. Hearing Garth's story, I mean to extinguish the guy."

"Oh," Daniel paused. "Killing him is certainly an option from my perspective. Just using an euphemism."

Steven simmered on the idea for a few moments, steeling his resolve. This would not end like Michael or Jurgen, with life still left in them, problems still waiting to happen. Frank had threatened him directly and he would find a way to eliminate Frank completely.

"Any ideas on how to kill him while he's still in the cage?" Steven said.

"Well," Daniel said, "the problem is the cage itself. Without knowing the original terms of the binding, we don't know what type it is and what can get in or out. If we can find that out, we might be able to figure out what vulnerabilities there are and come up with something that would work."

"To kill him," Steven said.

"Yes, to kill him," Daniel said a little uncomfortably.

"And if he gets out before we kill him?" Steven asked.

"You're right, it's going to be more difficult if he gets out. There will be other options if he's free of the cage, but he'll be much more dangerous. If we can figure out how to do it while he's still in the cage, that would be best."

"And by 'do it,' you mean 'kill him,' right?" Steven asked.

"Yes," Daniel said, a little irritated.

"It seems it's a word you're not very comfortable with," Steven said.

"I don't think you should ever be comfortable killing anyone or anything," Daniel said. "It should be uncomfortable."

Steven decided to let the subject drop for now. He let the discussion bounce back and forth in his mind instead. Roy should be home by the time they reached Seattle, and he wanted to talk about David with him. He remembered Roy convincing him to not pursue Michael even though he'd been involved in some horrific child murders. He remembered him and Roy leaving Jurgen twisting in pain in his office after removing his powers; why didn't they just kill him? He deserved it. So did Michael. Leaving these horrible people alive just gave them a chance to recover and pursue more evil. Even the Manitou had left Jurgen alive. People with the gift seemed to have a real reticence to kill, even when it seemed appropriate or necessary. Maybe it was some code. Like the ten commandments, Steven thought. Thou shalt not kill. But that was in a normal world where you couldn't live forever or trap souls. What exactly are the rules in the world of ghosts?

"Pardon me for just a moment," he said to Daniel. He pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through the names, looking for Jason. He found it and hit dial. He hated others who used cell phones while driving but this couldn't wait.

He reached Jason's voicemail. "Jason, this is Dad. Would you give me a call when you get this message? It's important. Thanks."

He returned his phone to his pocket.

"Does Jason know?" Daniel asked.

"About Frank? That's what I hope to find out," answered Steven.