Haunted in the Night

Chapter Twenty-Three- Part One

Chapter Twenty-Three.
“We’ll need to organise the rangers to go with us, that well can be treacherous, a big rain and it can get easily flooded, it’ll be a miracle if there is any evidence left in there that hasn’t gotten washed away" Bob informed her and she looked at him confused.
“I thought you said the well is dried up" she said, wondering how it could be if it flooded so easily.
“It floods but the water never stays there, washes out from the cave entrance, ends up going into the stream, besides that underground well is so huge, the water that does remain in there just gets soaked up into the ground, it’s too big for it to remain filled, there was an incident back centuries ago when the well was built, workers tried paving it, to keep more water in, they were only hours into it when a heavy rain came, they ended up getting trapped and they all died” Bob told her.
She remembered hearing something about that when she was a kid, other kids used to tell her that the well was haunted and that anybody who goes in there mysteriously drowns, their bodies washed away, never to be found, now she knew where that story had originated from.
“Will it be safe to go investigate it?” Claire asked worriedly, the weather here could turn in a split second, and it made her very nervous.
“That’s why I’ll be getting the rangers to come along with us" Bob replied as he began walking back to the front of the police station, Claire following close behind and she quickly sent one last glance at the door to the interrogation room, many questions filling her mind.
He had practically admitted to kidnapping and killing Mary Scather but nothing about anybody else, nothing about her parents.
“I think Mary Scather is the unknown subject" Claire blurted out to Bob suddenly and he looked at her surprised for a moment.
“Why do you say that? She’s more than likely dead, you heard Hardgrove" he asked confused.
“He wasn’t sure that she was dead, he was just betting that she was, that man has been haunted for years and I bet he thinks by Mary Scather, he didn’t run after she was taken, he only ran after the second victim did, which means he probably left Mary Scather down in that well, betting the rain would kill her, then when another body went missing he assumed it was her ghost coming back for revenge" Claire explained.
“So your thinking she never died? Then why go after all these other victims when the one she truly wanted got away?” Bob asked her and Claire frowned, shaking her head.
“I don’t know" she answered honestly and Bob sighed.
“How about we just see what we find at the well first before we make any hasty decisions on who done what" Bob said as he picked up the phone, dialled some numbers then waited for a moment.
“Ranger Tony, it’s Bob, listen we need your help.....” Claire only heard the first part of what Bob was saying, after which she zoned out, trying to put the pieces together in her head.
Bob had a point, what would Mary want with all these other victims? Why not go straight after Hardgrove? It had Claire baffled, there were still to many gaps in the investigation, too many questions unanswered, she needed those pieces to finish the puzzle, she only hoped that those pieces were in the well and hadn’t been washed away.
“Claire?” Bob asked her as he put a gentle hand on her shoulder, bringing her back to now and she looked at him confused for a moment.
“The rangers are getting prepared now, their going to meet us at the trail that goes out to the clearing, we should get ready too" he told her and she nodded.
“I have to go tell Chad, he made me promise not to go anywhere without him again" Claire admitted and Bob looked sour for a moment.
“Claire he can’t come with us, you know that, it’s too dangerous for him" Bob sighed, he understood how hard it was for Chad, after losing his mother and his father basically turning into a zombie, Chad didn’t really have anyone and then he found Claire, he understood how he didn’t want to lose her, Bob had felt the same way about Helena.
“I’ll talk to him" was all Claire replied before heading out into the chilly air.
She pulled her jacket tighter around her as the chill prickled at her skin, mist coming from her mouth, her cheeks flushing, the clouds were dark and it didn’t help her to know how easily the well floods.
She made her way as quick as she could down to the hardware shop, Chad’s truck parked out the front, seeing it made her smile fondly at the memories it held, the time he took her to the park and they ate takeaway, if she remembered correctly it was also where they first kissed, and let’s not forget the time they fucked in there.
Quickly ducking into the store Claire sighed in relief, it was nice and warm, the heater turned on, keeping it a lovely temperature in here.
“I’ll be right there" Chad shouted from the office, obviously assuming it was a customer and Claire made her way back there, standing at the entrance, watching him sort out paperwork into certain folders, the office had been quite a mess, and he was now trying to tidy it up.
“It’s only me" Claire told him and he looked up at her surprised, but then smiled happy to see her.
“I thought you were at the police station interrogating that guy" Chad said, slightly confused that she was here.
“We finished, we actually have to head out with the rangers again, to an old well, it won’t take long” Claire told him, watching carefully for his reaction.
He froze, half stacking a pile of papers and he sighed before putting them down and looking at her seriously.
“I don’t want you going out there again Claire" he told her what she already knew and this time it was her to let out a sigh.
“It will only be for a few hours, it won’t be overnight again, we think it’s where he hid Mary Scather when he kidnapped her" she told him and he flinched.
“You know about that well right?” he asked her and she nodded, surprised by his reaction, it had been a horrible story but his reaction was personal.
“Why does it effect you so?” she asked softly and he frowned, gulping before looking her straight in the eye.
“It had been my family who owned the property of that well all the way back then, my family who had ordered the paving of it, my family who got all those people killed” he admitted to her and she gasped, her heart stopping for a moment, seeing the shame and guilt on Chad’s face, as if it had been his fault.
“Chad there was nothing you could have done, you hadn’t even been born then" Claire tried to reassure him, to comfort him but it didn’t work.
“People still talk about it, that one incident has followed my family ever since, tainted our family name" he sighed, sitting down on the chair, his face dark and gloomy.
“Chad please, you can’t blame yourself for what happened in the past" Claire tried again, the room silent for a moment before he shot up, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her slightly.
“Please Claire don’t go there, I couldn’t stand it if I lost you to that well also, too many people have died there, I don’t want you to be added to that list" he cried, actual tears falling down his cheeks and Claire saw how raw and painful it was for Chad.
“Chad please, this might be my last chance to get answers” she pleaded softly, watching his pained eyes, his jaw tight, his creased forehead.
Sighing he pulled her into his arms, burying his face into her neck, breathing in her scent, quickly she wrapped her arms around him, holding his shoulders tightly, she felt his body tremble slightly as he tried to even his breathing.
“You have to go don’t you" he sighed against her, his voice soft and a little shaky.
“Yes" she whispered, she didn’t know if she could bring her voice to be any louder, tears were already threatening to enter her eye and she feared if she tried to speak more that it would push her over the edge, she had never seen Chad like this and her heart bled for him.
“They won’t let me come will they" he mumbled, it wasn’t a question, it was a statement but she replied anyway.
“No" she answered, feeling his shoulders heave as he sighed, before he pulled away slightly, looking down at her.
He suddenly looked very tired, his face pale, his eyes heavy, she had never seen him like this, normally he was the strong one.
“Promise me you’ll come back" he said and Claire gasped, that was an impossible request, he of all people knew how dangerous it was, and to make her promise that, it could very well be one that she cannot keep.
“Chad..” She began but he cut her off.
“Promise me Claire" he demanded, his eyes pleading, he was holding her shoulders desperately, like he might lose her if he let her go but he didn’t give her much choice.
“I promise" she whispered and the next thing she knew, his lips were upon hers, passionate, desperate also, as he kissed her with sheer need.
She couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her lips, lighting a fire inside of Chad as he gripped her ass, pulling her up onto the desk, she gripped his hair as he continued his assault upon her lips and she had to pull away, gasping for air.
However that didn’t stop him, instead he moved his lips down to her neck, kissing and nipping, making her jump slightly in pleasure, her mind fogging, all she could feel was his hot lips on her neck, his hands running over her body, he was intoxicating and another moan escaped her.
Quickly he pulled down her pants, unzipping his own and she barely had a moment to think before he shoved himself into her and she cried out for a moment in shock.
He didn’t stop, instead he ended up pushing all the files that was on the desk onto the floor, pushing her down onto it as he climbed on top of her, thrusting hard and fast into her.
Claire gripped onto him, digging her fingers into his back as he thrust into her, he gripped onto the desk for support, feeling how wet Claire was getting only made him want her more and he was taking her.
Claire couldn’t stop the moans that kept escaping her mouth, if anyone walked in right now they would know straight away what was happening but it was obvious Chad didn’t care, he needed her, urgently and Claire wasn’t going to disappoint him, she knew it was his way of coping with where she had to go.
They were both panting loudly, Claire moaning while he grunted, the desk hitting the wall every time he thrust into her.
Claire let out a loud moan of sheer pleasure when she felt herself tighten around him, building and building, he also moaned in response, grabbing her tits through her clothes and squeezed them, pushing her over the edge.
She cried out his name, squeezing her eyes shut, her legs locked around his waist as he shot into her, his warmth spreading through her, a passionately moan coming from her before he collapsed on top of her, his chest pushed against hers but he kept most of us weight on his forearms that were laying on the table.
“Wow" Claire moaned out, her mind slowly coming back to earth instead of the plane of pleasure where he had sent her.
He moaned back in response, slowly pulling out of her and she gasped, she was sore, very sore and she winced when he got off her and helped her sit up.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you" now he felt even worse, he had lost control around her, he had just needed her so desperately and she hadn’t stopped him, now she was in pain.
“It’s okay, it’s more than okay" she breathed out heavily as she reached out for him, pulling him to her, loving the feeling of being in his arms.
“It was amazing" she whispered to him, the pleasure still evident in her voice which made him smile, he loved how he could make her feel, he loved how she could make him feel.
“I suppose you better get going or you’ll be late" he sighed sadly when he realized that they would be waiting for her, especially if they had to go before it gets dark.
“Oh crap" Claire gasped, quickly jumping off the desk, pulling her pants and underwear back up, wincing slightly at the sting.
Papers were everywhere, the mess he had been trying to clean up was only worse now but somehow they both didn’t care.
Kissing her quickly she smiled at him before she rushed out of the store, leaving him there to clean up the mess they had made.
Rushing to the police station Bob was waiting in his cruiser looking worried.
“I’m here, sorry" she said as she quickly climbed in and put on her seatbelt, panting from running.
“Everything okay?” he asked her and she couldn’t stop the blush that appeared on her cheeks.