Sentinel Event

Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

The town of Wellsburg, Iowa, would under normal circumstances be only a fifty-minute to an hour drive from Waterloo, but with the streets congested with Passers and pedestrians, it took longer. Progress was maddeningly slow, and everyone in the rented car remained for the most part silent.

Dreamer wanted to take Aidriel's hand again to reassure him, but he kept his tight grip on the door. St. Cross was remarkably calm, reading and making notes in his file.

They passed the sign welcoming them to Wellsburg at a snail's pace, and Todd made a stressed comment about every gawker in Iowa coming to see what was happening. There were police officers corralling walkers and directing traffic, turning away anyone coming to watch or just passing through.

Todd rolled down the window and told the police that they were going to the AGWSR Middle School, which was only partially true.

"That's where the action is," commented the officer distrustfully.

"Chester Williams sent for us," St. Cross lied, leaning over to see out the driver's side window and offering his I.D. The cop hesitated before taking it, stepping away to talk into his radio, his eyes on the card in his hand. Once the answer came, he asked for the names of the other three. It felt like an eternity that he spoke into his walkie and received answers back. Aidriel nervously tilted away from the window, watching the spirits drifting by.

When the policeman finally allowed them to pass and moved on to the next vehicle, St. Cross told Todd to find somewhere secluded to pull over, as close to the dead zone as possible.

"I think it best that you and I get out and try to find Williams to see if there's any way we can get Aidriel into the zone with little trouble."

"Yeah, I'm doubting that," said Todd, but he did as he was asked and pulled into the parking lot behind the middle school.

Unloading the folded-up wheelchair from the trunk, Todd helped St. Cross into it. The shrink made sure he had the plastic case that he had brought from the nightstand at home resting on his lap with the file, Aidriel's file. Taking a deep breath, Todd grasped the handles of the chair and pushed it into the crowd of Passers.

Waiting tensely, Dreamer glanced over at Aidriel and saw how composed he was. He watched the ghosts with a detached neutrality that comforted her a little. If he wasn't worried, why should she be?

"Do you think Williams can help?" she asked.

"Nope."

"What do you think will happen?"

Aidriel's hand moved down to grip the latch on the door, gazing steadily out through the window in the direction St. Cross and Todd had gone.

"Where exactly is this dead zone?" he asked in lieu of responding.

"It's an intersection," Dreamer said. "Straight ahead, where West Jackson and West Fifth meet."

Aidriel continued to watch and wait, his keen gray eyes darting from face to face, his adrenaline rising. If he wasn't mistaken, the intersection she was talking about was at least six hundred feet away. Behind the parking lot was a vast field that ended in a baseball diamond at the intersection. The whole of the field and diamond was swarming with milling Passers, all of them facing the dead zone, waiting as if in a trance. Waiting for him.

"You okay?" asked Dreamer.

"No..." Aidriel appeared to be realizing it as he said it. The familiar signals were there to warn him. The Passers walking by the car were beginning to slow. Some of them were turning their heads, looking at him, though they showed no sign of rage yet.