Kimberly twisted the knob again and threw her shoulder against the door. It rattled but didn’t budge.
Sterling nudged her aside. “Here. Let me.” He threw all his weight against the door. And got the same result. “What in the world?”
She rested her hands on the door, opening her sixth sense to any input that might help. She couldn’t detect a thing. But she was worn out. “No one is near the door, correct? Is anything blocking it?”
“No!” Daniel called. “Why won’t you come help us?”
“We’re trying! The door won’t open.”
Sterling ran his fingers along the edges of the door, examining the jamb, the floor. “What could possibly be sealing this?”
TJ appeared at her elbow, his monitor in hand. “Look at Faith.”
One look renewed her efforts to get inside. James wouldn’t stop at rashes and bite marks this time. “Everyone, push on the door!”
She gripped her crystal and called on every bit of psychic energy she could draw, waited for her crew to gather in close, and pushed against the blocked doorway with everything she had.
Rebecca’s crying mingled with the screams of both parents.
She heard Faith, screaming for help. She had to get inside.
But she couldn’t open the door.
Sterling stepped back, hands on hips, brow furrowed. “What could possibly be holding this closed? The knob turns. Nothing blocking the door.”
“It’s James,” she told him. “But how, I’m not sure.” She used both fists to pound the door again and again until her hands ached with the bruises she’d surely inflicted.
“Stop. You’ll hurt yourself.” Sterling snapped. “A vacuum! A vacuum would cause a seal like this. Though I have no idea how one would exist in a bedroom.”
Why hadn’t she thought of that? “Of course! James is holding us out with his energy. Holding the door closed. He’s probably surrounded the bedroom, pushing against us all with his energy, in effect sealing it shut.”
“We need to break the vacuum,” Sterling said.
“Yes, that would break his hold on the room! Sterling you’re a genius!”
He shook his head but smiled. “Yet again, we’re speaking the same language but mean entirely different things.”
She pounded on the door. “Open a window!”
“I can’t move!” Ruth called back.
“You have to open a window so we can get inside.”
“I’ll get there,” Daniel said, his voice low and determined.
“He’s moving!” TJ announced. “Slowly, but he’s fighting against James.”
She knew the moment Daniel wrenched open the window. Her ears popped and the door sucked inward, swinging open suddenly on its hinges.
She stumbled into the room, the full brunt of the noise from outside pouring in through the open window. Daniel, Ruth, and Rebecca all stared, open-mouthed, at the closet.
Following their gazes, she saw that the closet door hung open. Nothing unusual. So why did the air reek of ozone? And why did the hair on her arms stand up as if charged with static electricity? And where was—
“Where’s Faith?” she asked, a terrible suspicion taking form in her mind.
“He—He—” Ruth seemed shocked beyond speech.
Rebecca pointed to the closet. “She went in there.”
Sterling stepped past her. “Okay, so she went in the closet. Why’s everyone being so weird?” He pushed aside hanging clothes as if playing a game of hide and seek. “Huh. Where is she?” He squatted down and rapped on the walls of the closet.
“She disappeared,” Daniel whispered, his words tremulous. “The closet glowed and then . . . I can’t believe what I just saw with my own eyes.”
Sterling rocked back on his heels. “No hidden doors.”
Daniel rolled his eyes. “I could have told you that.”
Rebecca’s eyes bulged and she looked like she might vomit. “She didn’t go in the closet. Something pulled her in.” The girl edged toward the door as if fearful she might be next.
“What do you mean, pulled her?” Sterling asked.
Ruth found her voice. “The closet door swung open and . . . the closet glowed. I think I saw a hand or something reach out of the light. Faith moved toward the closet, even though she wanted to stop herself. She tried to grab onto something but couldn’t. She called for help. Why didn’t you come?”
Daniel’s faltering words indicated he didn’t believe the words he spoke. “When you guys came in, the light went out and Faith was gone.”
Ruth began to cry. “Why didn’t you help her? Where is she? Where is my daughter?”
“I’m sorry. We couldn’t open the door. We—”
Daniel’s grim voice cut her off. “Do we need to call the police and report an abduction?”
Every eye in the room turned to her for guidance. This time she knew the answer. “The police can’t help Faith. James has taken her hostage.”
“Taken her? Taken her where?” Ruth’s voice rose in pitch.
“To the Nightshade. The spirit realm. The plane of existence for those who haven’t crossed over.”
Ruth staggered, catching herself on the desk. The Ladies of Fashion rattled in response. “You mean she’s dead?”
“No. Alive. I’m sure. But I don’t know what he intends to do, and we need to bring her back to us.” She watched the Ladies of Fashion, certain she’d seen them shift. “I know what to do. But I need to find her. And we need help. Michael, we’re going to need the SEEPS.”
“The SEEPS? Are you crazy?” Michael asked.
She gestured to the window, indicating the chanting mob below. “Crazy. Evil. Take your pick. But we need it.”
Sterling rubbed the back of his neck. “I know I’m the least educated in your ghost hunting ways, but don’t you use the SEEPS to feed energy to a ghost?”
“Dude, that’s right!” TJ said. “You remembered.”
“Yes, good recall,” she agreed.
“Why would you offer more power to a ghost that apparently just choked you?” Sterling asked.
TJ beamed, and offered to fist-bump Sterling. “This is awesome! We lured him away from the dark side!”
Sterling tapped TJ’s fist with his own. “Aren’t I supposed to get cookies or something?”
“No, the dark side tries to tempt you with cookies. We—”
“Ahem.” Michael cleared his throat. “You fan boys can geek out later. Kimmy, they’re exactly right. James is far too powerful already. We can’t risk him drawing from the SEEPS.”
“Normally, I would agree. But James pulled me into the Nightshade, too. The ghosts of the past spoke to me while I was there. We have allies ready to help, but James overpowers them. We need to amp them up.”
Ruth dabbed her eyes. “What do you mean allies?”
“Your mother, most powerfully. She’s been moving the Ladies of Fashion, trying to get your attention. And I think she moved the doll that scared Sterling. Spirits are limited, normally. She didn’t mean to scare you. She wants to help Faith and is trying to communicate with us.”
Something clicked in Ruth’s mind. “And George. He’s here too, isn’t he?”
“Yes. And many ancestors in between the two. They aren’t as powerful as James, but they’ll outnumber him. With their help, maybe I can force him across.”
Daniel frowned. “James isn’t limited. You say he’s overpowering the others. How? How is he so much more powerful?”
“I’ve been thinking about that. He’s of our world—he lived and breathed and died. He’s not a demon. But he does demonstrate some similar abilities. I think maybe, while he was alive, he made a pact with an evil entity.”
Sterling smirked. “Are you saying a deal with the Devil?”
She sighed. “More or less, yes.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in heaven or hell, God or the Devil.”
Ruth appeared stricken by the thought. “You don’t?”
“Sterling, please. This is not the time for a religious debate. Regardless of what I do or don’t believe, I’m going to bring Faith back. We need to locate her first and verify that’s what happened to her.”
“Are you up for this?” Rosie asked.
She grasped her quartz. “I have to be.”
Moving into the hallway, she searched the house for any blips, any ripples indicating unrest. She sent out a beacon, hoping to draw in someone helpful. Perhaps one of the other spirits could guide her to Faith.
She moved through each room of the house, Snickers dogging her heels, whining periodically. “I know, little guy. We will find her.”
As she passed the formal living room, the vintage radio caught her attention. Would it work again? She flipped the power on and listened to the white noise of static hiss from the speakers.
Lowering herself into a nearby chair, she closed her eyes and directed all of her psychic energy to her indigo chakra. She wanted to connect with the spirit world without actually traveling to it. Until she knew for sure where the girl was, she couldn’t help her. “Faith? Can you hear me?”
Snickers sat at her feet, resting one paw on her leg.
Her crew and the family had followed her and amassed in the room. Ruth dabbed at her eyes with a tissue and leaned against Daniel. Rebecca stood off to one side, arms crossed, looking guilty and out of place.
This family had suffered so much, for months and months. She had to end it. The distraction of the family motivated her, compelling her to end it tonight. Now. But they also distracted her, making it difficult to get into the right mind frame to make a psychic connection.
She tried again. “Faith?”
A frightened voice crackled from the radio. “Hello?”
Relief flooded through her. They had her.
Ruth clenched her hands together. “That’s her! Faith! Where are you?”
“Mommy?”
“How is this possible?” Daniel asked.
“Yes. We’re here. We’re trying to find you.”
Kimberly saw Sterling staring at the radio as if had suddenly grown legs and started barking. She knew his brain was probably folding in on itself as he tried to reconcile what he saw and heard with his belief system. She would worry about helping him later. Right now, Faith needed rescue. “Faith, can you tell me where you are?”
“Who are you?”
“It’s Kimberly Wantland. I’m going to bring you back to your family.”
“I don’t like it here.” The girl’s voice was weak, fading.
“I know. Tell me what you can see so I can find you.”
“People. There are people here.”
“People?” That made no sense. Had she somehow moved outside? Did she see the crowd?
“I don’t like them. I want to go home.”
Ruth twisted her hands together. “She’s scared! Kimberly, help her!”
“Faith, I’m so sorry!” Rebecca cried at the radio.
“Becca?”
The entire family looked to her, eyes pleading.
She stood, heart pounding. “Faith, can you come to us? Can you follow my voice?”
Barely a whisper answered. “They won’t let me.”
Snickers barked and raced to the stairs.
“Then tell me what you see, Faith. I’ll come to you.”
“It’s dark. I can’t see. I don’t know where I am.”
Sterling lifted the radio gingerly from the table. “This can’t be a trick. But it can’t be real. What is happening?”
Faith’s trembling voice issued from the speakers again. “He’s coming back. I don’t want to be here. Ms. Wantland!”
She heard footsteps clomp above them. Snickers ran up several stairs, turned, and barked at her.
“Keep talking, Faith! I’m coming!” She turned and ran for the stairs. “I don’t think she ever left the closet. She’s still there but in the Nightshade.”
She tore up the stairs two at a time. Hold on, Faith. A little longer.