Haunted Devotion

22.

Nolan awaits me in my room but I had told Linus to pick me up on the way back from the winery, to go to his house to talk more but he hasn't shown up yet.

"I told you I don't want you around," I arguably tell Nolan as he's sitting at the edge of my bed with his head hanging low in despair.

"I want us to talk. I need you to listen to me."

Chuckling angrily, I shook my head, "You manipulated me. That doesn't need an explanation but to you being selfish."

"Why is it so difficult to understand the concept that what I told you is all true? I would never lie to you."

The pager I've always had on me starts buzzing with new coordinates welcoming my old ways right into my life again.

"I don't have time to argue anymore. I have work to do."

Swiping the pager off my dresser, I read what was sent, furrowing my eyebrows unsatisfied with where it's going to lead me.

"The Vatican? Why?" I go over to my room phone and call Yerlin.

Few rings and he answers with so much chaos in the background.

"Yeah—hi we're in deep shit right now and need you to go to Rome and meet our priest friend to help with a case," Yerlin shouts into the phone as he covers one ear from the noise sounding in HQ.

"Code 6?" I say a bit on edge about asking in the first place.

Yerlin shouts at someone then says, "Code triple 6."

The phone cuts out then Gerald rushes in.

"Miss their appointing you Linus to go on the trip to the Vatican."

Nolan now has a repulsed look written all over his face.

"He's not even trained for a code 6," I say now, throwing clothes that were hanging in the closet and the relic in a duffel bag.

Gerald hands me over a file, "He's off the blacklist and allowed to be trained under Hunter and you."

Scanning the paper, I read the print typed out, right underneath it says Hunter will be coming along as well.

"And if they die? Who's taking responsibility? Not me."

Passing back the paper, Nolan takes in the conversation then asks, "What's a code 6?"

Code 6 is used rarely, it never came up until a few years back when I was just a kid, so having to deal with it now, put more fear in me especially since it's death wrapped in a demonic bow.

"Demonic possession," I found the old rosary I was gifted from the people I knew to be mom and dad placing it in my duffel bag too.

"I thought it was only curses you dealt with?" Nolan says surprised.

Gerald holds out the holy water canteen as the last thing for me to pack.

"When rare cases like these show up, it's every man on deck. We get trained to deal with any paranormal incident even if it's demonic. What do you think my last was? It was an actual haunting but I had to send their spirit back so they wouldn't turn into an evil spirit."

Zipping up the duffel bag, I swing it over my shoulder, slip my pager on my waistband and put on sneakers as heels are not it right now.

"Don't follow," I scolded Nolan then went to the car waiting outside not being Gerald but sent from HQ.

Both men watch as I leave, being left inside with nothing but sorrowful expressions.

****

Gerald waits until Devlin is far from the house once he grabs Nolan by the neck.

"How did she get hold of the journal entry?" Shoving him more into the wall, Nolan pushes back, having Gerald's jaw tighten with frustration.

"Your buddy Linus," Nolan bitterly announces while going into Deviln's room.

Gerald strides behind him, watching the spirited man go through Devlin's things.

"What are you searching for?" Gerald irritably says.

Nolan rips open Devlin's mattress, drawers, bathroom cabinets, making the room become a pig sty with torn fluffed feathers and things thrown to the ground.

"He has to be working for her...he has to know more. That night I asked for his intentions and he said something that caught me off guard..." Now searching with his hands leaning over the dresser he moves over to the ballroom.

"Are you saying he's listening in somehow? He's doing things behind the curtain?"

Nolan searches the mantel, book cases, finally the couch.

"What contact would he have but the unknown voice. Only they had a copy of the original journal entry."

Still searching he comes up with nothing but keeps looking for anything to have Linus be the bad guy to keep Devlin away from him.

"What if he found it coincidentally? I don't see Linus as a slave for Rowen or the unknown voice like we are."

Nolan shook his head, "There's a difference. I become one to always be with Devlin. You were tricked and let a witch seduce you under a full moon."

Gerald fixes his coat cuffs offended but then says, "You lust over my daughter, obsessed if you will. Now you want to do anything to have her be with you even in death."

Lust? What would lusting do with just wanting to love a person even when you're dead?

Nolan thought while tossing a chair in resentment to the whole situation entirely.

"You gave up your life all this time to be with her but haven't really shown her true love like you promised when you died the second or eighth time in your past lives."

Sitting on the floor now, Nolan hangs his head low holding it as his thoughts keep suffocating his ghostly mind.

"I can't lose her...I'll do anything...anything to have her for a lifetime."

Gerlad clears his throat, "Like taking her anklet and making her choose you instead of the curse taking her life."

Nolan whips his head up looking at Gerald, "I wouldn't do that to Devlin."

"Oh no? Then who else? There's no other motive, not with Linus at least."

The day of the car accident, even before then, wasn't he around?

Nolan thought to himself then came out to ask, "Who authorized that file for Linus to go with her to Rome? HQ?"

Gerlad thinks on it and shook his head, "Yerlin, Yerlin is the one who handles everything the bureau can't sometimes."

Without any doubt, Nolan walks out to the front door, heading to his home locating his book then shutting it transporting to where Devlin is going.