6. The Darker Side

Chapter Four

Joe MacKensey found himself in a wooded area but he had no idea where he was. He could smell grass, dirt and water but it didn’t tell him anything. He took a deep breath and wished he had a flashlight. He’d tucked Pratchett’s gun in the waistband of his jeans at the small of his back. He hadn’t worn his weapon simply because he hadn’t expected trouble in a fake haunted house. He looked back and thought he saw a simple structure but couldn’t make it out in the dark. He finally cleared the trees and nearly ran over a front-end loader. The jagged edge was covered with fresh dirt and that bothered him. When his foot hit something solid and he fell, he got his answer to where he was. He was in a cemetery. He could see rows of small headstones lit only by stars and a crescent moon.

He got to his feet but felt dizzy. He hadn’t touched the door with his hands but he was feeling nauseous again. He thought he heard a high-pitched noise that unsettled him even more. He kept moving until his right foot hit nothing but air and he fell. He had the presence of mind to twist so that he didn’t fall face first but suddenly, something grabbed his shirt. The collar tightened around his throat and Joe could barely breathe. Then he found himself flat on his back on the ground. He sucked in a deep breath and tried to sit up. 

A big shadow hovered over him. “You okay?”

“Been better, truthfully. Thanks for the save.”

“No problem.”

Joe saw a hand floating in front of his face. He took it and the man hauled him up. “Dom Hatcher.” 

Joe nodded. “Joe MacKensey. Where am I?”

“Liberty Hill Cemetery.”

Joe focused on the rectangle that was blacker than the surrounding grass. “Open grave, guess I should watch where I’m going.”

He saw another man just as big and burly run up. “Dom, lost her.” He rested his hands on his knees and breathed hard, then he noticed Joe. “You’re looking better, thought Brian took you to the hospital.”

Dom glanced at the newcomer and grunted. “It’s not him. Ambulance just left.”

The man held out a hand. “Vince Hopkins.”

“Joe MacKensey.” He couldn’t stop looking at the open grave and missed the glance the two men shared. He lifted his head. “What?”

“Do you have a son that looks like you?”

“Chris, even my parents say he’s a dead ringer. Did you see him?”

“Brian took him to North Shore.”

Joe let out a long sigh and felt his knees give way. He would have fallen but Dom grabbed his arm. “He said they were dead, all of them. My sons, my daughters, my wife.” Again, he missed the look the two men shared but when he looked at Dom, he saw a fury on the man’s face that he couldn’t fathom. But it was only for a second and the expression disappeared. 

“A woman took your other son, you have two, I assume. Blonde hair, pale eyes, all in black.”

Joe shuddered. “Lilith Raven’s here too.” He swallowed hard. “She took Jason?”

“Yeah, poor kid.” Vince Hopkins nodded. “But I called it in, if anyone spots her car, they’ll have her.”
Joe frowned. “Wait…”

Vince flashed him a grin. “Vince Hopkins, Peabody PD, I’m here undercover. We have reason to believe that haunted house is a front for drug dealing.” He gestured to Dom. “His boss knows. Joint task-force type of thing.”

“Salem PD,” Dom said in that deep quiet tone.

Joe nearly fell again. He felt so unsteady. He hadn’t touched the door but he’d touched Pratchett. Had the man put something deadly on his clothes? Surely the risk would have been too great.