Sin City Adventures (A Zak Bagans FanFic)

Chapter 16: Hill View Horror

Shawn's POV

"Thanks for lunch, babe," I smile at Zak after finishing the last bite of my sandwich. We had decided to stop at the cafe across the street from headquarters before heading in to talk about our next location. Zak smiles back to say 'you're welcome' and we head back to Zak's car with Kelsey and Aaron following behind. I can honestly say I was nervous for what Zak was about to inform us about the lockdown. I was still so new at all of this I wasn't really sure how to prepare myself. Shortly after arriving at headquarters, Billy and Jay walk in to hear the news as well.

"So, where's the next lockdown?" Billy asks curiously.

"Give me a minute to gather my thoughts and get settled here," Zak states as he tosses some papers down on his desk.

"Come on, man. We've been anticipating this ever since we got back from the Goatman," Aaron chimes in.

"I haven't said anything about the next location yet because we all had crazy experiences at Goatman's Bridge and I felt like we needed time to just get back to normal. So, now I'm at the point where the network is up my ass about getting started on the next episode," Zak explains and sit's down in his office chair. The rest of the five of us squeeze together on the couch in Zak's office and patiently wait for him to continue. "So, our next lockdown is going to be crazy, I'll just start by saying that."

Aren't they all? I think to myself.

"Y'all thought Goatman was bad? This one might be worse." Zak's emphasis on that last word raised my heart rate a little.

"Why do you do this?" I ask him in all seriousness.

"Because, Shawn, we want answers," Zak says in his tv voice. I roll my eyes and he continues. "This is a location where Dakota and his team have been twice and had horrible experiences both times they went. I spoke with Dakota about this location and he honestly told me not to do it, but I said to myself that I have the best crew, and that we can get through anything. I even asked Dakota if he would join back in with us on this one and he declined."

"So, where is it?" Jay asks the question we've all been wanting to shout.

Zak takes a big breath in like he's scared to reveal the dreadful location and breathes out, "Hill View Manor."

Silence fills the room and I feel my eyes well up with tears. I close my eyes and my body starts an uncontrollable tremble as I see Dakota's episode replay over and over in my head. I can't shake the scene with poor Alex getting sick while he was alone in that building. I take myself out of my thoughts and back to the deafening silence of Zak's office. Aaron whispers to me, "are you okay?" as I take in a big breathe through my nose and let it out to try and calm myself.

"Why?" I ask Zak. "Why there? You could go anywhere else to get your damn answers."

"I'm sorry, Shawn, but we have to do this one." A tear sneaks down my cheek and I leave the office. I hear Zak coming after me, but I can't face him. "Are you okay?" Zak stops me down the hall with his hand on my shoulder gently turning me around.

"I'm sorry, Zak. I thought I could do this. I don't know why you hired me. I can't," I quietly sob as Zak pulls me into his embrace.

"It's okay. I brought you onto our crew because I know you can do this. You're so strong, Shawn. You've been through so much. I know you can do this lockdown and I'll be there with you the whole time. Please understand why we do this and why we're going to this location." I nod. I know why. This is what he does. Correction, this is what we do and I'm now apart of this by choice, because I wanted to be. Because of him. Because I wanted to be with him. My breathing slows and I dry my eyes. "Come, on. Let's go back." The crew's worried faces came over me as soon as I stepped back into the office. I returned a look with a reassuring smile letting them know I was okay and find my seat back on the couch next to Aaron.