With a hop and a skip, I was off the train with renewed energy. My stomach was saved by Emma; I couldn"t mentally say thank you enough to her. Yet, she was acting funny, distant. "Eugene?"
I spun around and looking at an old friend, Christopher Fitzgerald or Fitzy for short. Tall, handsome, my age, the kind of guy a lot of girls wanted with green eyes, and he wore the rank of lieutenant.
"I didn"t think that I would see you here!" he called out.
I quickly saluted.
"Knock it off," he waved me off.
"When did you get b.u.t.tered up?"
"When I left the Seventh and came here."
He was in the cla.s.sic paladin attire, white everything: duster, pants, boots, and the hilt of his crusader"s sword.
"Well, they said that you needed a specialist for the darker side of things," I said.
"Oh hey, see I told you that they would find something that suited that big brain of yours," he teased.
"Yeah, shut up," I begged, smiling.
Trainee McKenzie flashed in my head.
"Hey, Fitzy! Long-time no see," Emma called from behind me.
Fitzy bowed politely.
"It"s been too long, needed a reunion," Fitzy started with a big smile.
"OH MY G.o.d, EUGENE!"
Instantly, my skin crawled, and I cringed slightly. That was the voice of none other than Abigale Robertson. I turned my attention to where a voice came. A redheaded girl, my height, green eyes, skin-tight white paladin attire, and year older.
Abby had grown and defiantly matured, body-wise. I made the mistake of locking my eyes on her. She made it a point to flaunt.
"You didn"t say that Hue was coming, Fitzy," Abby blamed.
Wallow, and I saluted.
Abby ignored the salute.
That"s when Emma stepped in front of me. The area went cold as ice between the two. On the outside, both had a smile of sorts; Emma had folded her arms, as did Abby.
"Lieutenant Emma Winters, you look well," Abby started off.
"You too Lieutenant Robertson, and I don"t think your top is within regulations, again," Emma countered.
Abby kept the smile but slowly address her top. I was afraid to move and break the tension, but Emma pushed pasted Abby, extending a hand to the gentleman that had walked up with Abby.
The gentleman looked to be an Elder for an Amish community. You could spot these folks anywhere. They separated themselves from the rest of the world and had zero contact with magic.
"Forgive us, I"m Lieutenant Emma Winters from the Seventh State, and these are my comrades, Corporal Eugene Dupeux, and Sargent Wallow," Emma announced.
The Elder accepted Emma"s hand and nodded to Wallow and me. Another little fact for the Amish; creatures like Wallow, were considered abominations.
"I am Father Bernard, Chief Elder of Abramstown. I thought that there would be more of you here and more, adults," the Elder said, looking at each of us and taking Emma"s hand.
"No, there"s just us, and we are all experienced enough to handle the situation; however if the need does arrive, there is a special unit on standby," Emma presented, "we will try to be considerate on your beliefs and culture, but given the circ.u.mstances, please allow us to perform our duties."
Dang, I have never heard her so professionally before.
"Ah, yes it appears that my community and I don"t have much of a choice," the elder admitted, looking uneasy.
There was a special unit on standby if the need requires it?
Abby had taken her place next to Fitzy but kept an eye on my every move.
"We"ll have this case closed before you know it," Emma rea.s.sured the elder.
"We have vehicles waiting outside the station. They will take us to the outskirts of Abramstown. There will be buggies that will take us into the town itself," Fitzy informed us.
"We also have the site section off and command tent ready set up when we get there," Abby chirped.
I believe that I was meant to annoy Emma; if it did, Emma displayed incredible discipline in ignoring her. Abby didn"t leave it at that, she darted pa.s.sed Emma to lead the group but pulled me along with her.
"Come on Hue," she cooed, keeping me uncomfortably close.
"Help me!" I mouthed to Fitzy and Emma.
I was dragged out of the station leading the other to two SUV"s.
"Lieutenant!" Emma snapped.
It stopped Abby cold.
"Corporal Dupeux will be riding with Sargent Wallow and me."
Emma had caught Abby just in the nick of time before she could force me into her vehicle.
It wasn"t up for debate and a clear warning.
Even though Emma and Abby wore the same rank, the Second was giving the Seventh lead on the case; therefore, Emma outranked Abby. Abby stepped aside to let me go back to our SUV.
I gulped when I pa.s.sed Emma, who stood boldly a.s.serting her authority.
Emma and Abby shared one last glance and smile at one another before getting into their respectful vehicles.
The ride was ever so quiet. Emma had her eyes closed, and Wallow was looking out the window. Least to say, it was an awkward ride.
"There"s a special Unit on standby?" I poked, breaking the ice.
"Yes," Emma answered.
"Is there-"
"When we get there," Emma interrupted, "I want you and Wallow to get started surveying the scene and the surroundings. I will have Fitzy and Abby get me, and in turn, you caught up to speed."
She was all business. I felt kind of hurt, to be honest.
"Yes, Ma"am," I complied.
Wallow nodded his head.
"So, Lieutenant Robertson," Wallow threw out.
"Shut up," both Emma and I spat.
"I couldn"t help but wonder if she is going to be a problem?" Wallow continued.
"No, she will not," Emma snipped.
There was no way in the seven h.e.l.ls I was going to make any kind of comment.
Once on the outskirts of Abramstown, the two groups transferred into the buggies keeping to the suburbs. It was larger than I expected. We were heading to a farm located on the outskirts surrounding the town.
The farm came into view with three tents set up for our operation and investigation. There were other paladins there securing the area. They check us in, and we were dropped off by the biggest tent. Wallow hopped off and waddled away inside the tent.
I was going to get off but was stopped by Emma"s hand.
"I"m sorry, Hue," she whispered.
"Forget about it, all is forgiven," I smiled, back at her. Her white complexion didn"t hide the shade of pink in her cheeks. She snapped her head away from me as I got out of the cart.
Once off, two distinct odors wafted up into my nostrils. One of rotten eggs; highly doubtful, more likely to be sulfur and the other smell was of death.
Not the best things to start off the investigation.
Entering the tent, there were tables set up with maps and drawings. There was a whiteboard with a picture that caught my attention. I ventured over for a better look.
In the picture, the ground was upturned, burnt, and transformed into a horrible looking black rose with scorched veins stringing away from it. My jaw dropped.
"What is it?" Wallow asked.
"I"m not sure," I lied.
In truth, this was the result of an ancient and powerful necromancer summoning spell. My heart pounded in my chest.
"Eugene, you"ve turned white," Wallow stated concerned.
"What did you two find?" Abby piped up from behind us. I nearly jumped out of my pants, or worse, peed them.
"You have to let people know you"re behind them," I snapped.
"Oh Hue, you look so d.a.m.n cute when you"re angry," Abby teased, "but seriously, what did you find?"
Abby went from cute to worry when she looked at my appearance.
"Where is this?" Wallow asked, giving the picture to Abby.
She looked at it and popped off, "Oh, this is in the cornfield behind the farmers" house, literally in the middle. We had to measure it, unfortunately."
"Why, unfortunately?" I asked, knowing the answer.
"Because the area made everything and everyone who goes near it sick to the point of throwing up," Fitzy answered, coming next to Abby. Abby looked away, shyly.
"Did you throw up Abby?" I asked.
"Eugene, I knew you would care," Abby cooed, hugging me too tight.
"Ow…ow, can"t breathe…" I wheezed.
"What could that mean?" Emma"s cold voice loomed.
Abby immediately let me go, and I gasped for air.
"I-I don"t know," I admitted, taking the photo from Abby, "it could be a counter to keep people away. There weren"t any dead bodies, right?"
"No?" Fitzy replied.
"Have there been reports of missing people?"
"I"ll get on it," Abby replied, having the weight of seriousness dawn on her.
There came a faint whispering or muttering. It was low, inaudible, by there, and I was the only one who could hear it.
"Does anyone else hear that whispering or muttering?" I asked, turning from the group to the muttering.
"Hear what?" Emma asked, looking around.
The whispering stopped.
Maybe my imagination?
"Nothing, never mind," I a.s.sured everyone, "I"m going to head to the site, let me know what you find on missing people."
I headed out before there was any objection. I was thankful that Abby didn"t follow along. I think the thought of barfing again wasn"t an attractive gesture Abby wanted to repeat.
I marched along the path made to the summoning site. I was breathing hard and unsteadily. It wasn"t long before I was standing before it and feeling no ill effect. I pulled out a notebook and pen, scribbling down the glyphs and symbols that the Director hadn"t shown me.
"Corporal," Emma"s voice echoed in the cornfield.
"Here Lieutenant," I answered, haphazardly turning to the entrance I came from.
Emma entered and instantly clenched her stomach and covered her mouth. She was far whiter than usual and maybe a light shade of green.
"It"s what I thought. These symbols are a kind of ward to protect this site," I confirmed.
"What"s going on Hue," she moaned, dropping to her knees. I darted over to her side just in time for her to turn to her side and hurl-up. I held her hair up as she hurled again. She coughed and gasped for air.
Emma tried to stand, but she was shaky and tumbled to the floor. I scooped her up and headed back to the base camp. Before we made it halfway to the tents, Emma magically regained her strength and stomach.
Emma pushed herself out of my hands and bushed herself off.
"I"m fine, but you better start explaining things," she steamed.
"It"s a summoning sight?" I answered.
"A summoning site?"
"Yes, the glyphs and symbols are of demon origin, but," I started.
"But what?" Emma cautiously asked.
At that moment, the whispering started up again, and it led to the site.
"They"re fused with Necromancer lettering," I breathed.
"I found that there are about," Abby blurted.
"Thirteen missing people," I interrupted.
"Almost, twelve are missing," Abby replied with confusion.
"They are young, possibly virgins, and all girls?"
"Yes," Abby answered.
"Corporal, what"s going on?" Emma ordered.
"This kind of summoning is made when a necromancer is trying to summon a powerful demon and offering the blood from thirteen virgins," I answered.
"If the bodies are not above ground, then they"re under it. I need someone with a strong stomach to come with me, just one other and there will be no one else to follow until I know more," I pleaded with Emma.
"I"ll go," Fitzy said.
"Go on up there, and I will meet you there. Don"t do anything until I get there," Fitzy ordered.
"Will do, sir."
With that, I was out of the tent and heading to the site.
Where"s the thirteenth virgin?