It Will be Me

                                                    It Will be Me


Everything happens so fast. First a loud crash, was it thunder without a storm? Then the power goes out. Jamie blinks twice to be sure, the blanket of total silence and full darkness close in around her in the over-sized shed. She is now crawling for a hiding spot, something is very wrong. Blinded, she could do nothing but listen from her small spot beneath a shelf. There is eerie squeaking, followed by crashing of every corner of the shed, it has her shrinking further back, closer to the wall, they or it must be getting closer. More crashing, mumbling and walking on debris. Suddenly something brushed against the side of of her leg; everything became quiet. It was quiet much too long before the crunching sounds began again.

A face, seemed larger than life, appeared in a light that unexpectedly seeped before her, it loomed. Abruptly someone pulled her from that perfect hiding place. She reluctantly stands on shaky legs, a terrifyingly strong hand drags her roughly over all the fallen tools without so much as a word. Her heart raced over thoughts of murder and so much worse, they flashed her forward, rampart those fears in her mind. Once out in the dim light of the yard, he flings her about to face him and only then does he confront her. Letting his anger fly straight at her. “Have you lost your mind Miss? If your Grandfather hadn’t called... Weeeell, I may be pulling a dead body from that shed.”

No voice came from her mouth as she attempted to move it. Jamie had never been so afraid in all her life. It was after several hard swallows that she got her first word out of a very tight throat, a shaky hand held the remaining camera up before her. “I..I...I was putting these in the shed, I th..th..thought to just get proof of thieves before calling.” The camera disappeared from her hand and she slowly slid down the wall, settling on the ground as he too disappeared back into the shed. So she was not going to die, he had come to her rescue thanks to Poppy. She was out back longer than expected and there was all that noise and sudden darkness. He must have gotten worried and called for help.

Jamie sat slumped on the ground with her head down on her knees when Peter Hopkins stepped back out into the small yard. She looked small and fragile, totally beaten down. Her short blonde hair fluttered in the warm evening breeze giving her a lost girl quality as he approached. Peter stooped down before her and spoke more tenderly than he had earlier. “I found the three other cameras you set-up in there and will have one of my tech guys, see if we can get anything from them. The one by the door looks promising, it’s blinking and they run on battery, so there’s no problem. You did your homework.” Peter rubbed her hand as he tried to reassure her. He stood slowly helped her to her feet and guided her back to the main house. “Let’s get you back to your Grandfather, he must be out of his mind with worry over you.”

Peter took the lead, Jamie walked to the back door to the kitchen. Suddenly she stopped cold, her eyes surveyed the house, she also started to notice other things that were off. First was the open basement door, it was only open a few inches, but it should be locked. She pointed, “That’s not right! It should be bolted from inside and there are lights on downstairs. Only Poppy and I are home tonight.” Jamie told of her other misgivings. An open window in an unused room off the kitchen, the chairs shouldn’t be against the house under the window and the lights in the breeze-way are off. She’d them on, unless they’re the same line as the shed.

Peter was impressed with how observant Jamie was with her surroundings, especially with what she’d just been through and he told her so. Blushing, because one ever gave her compliments, particularly for what’s expected from her. Thanking him, he quickly began calling for men to search the house, this was now part of the break-in. Only later moments a small army of police tromping through the entire house, Peter and Jamie are reassuring Poppy.

Poppy, Gregory Paladin stood at the window in his standard dress; jeans, sweater and sneakers. He was not the stereotypical grandfather, far from what you expected him to be.  Rather a tall man, thin, broad shoulders with a strong straight back, he looked to be no more than fifty. Peter thought, well Jamie wasn’t much more than a child, it was only to be expected. Peter extended his hand to the man before he even realized he’d judged wrong.  Gregory’s eyes spoke of a longer, harder life then just fifty years.

Reaching out Gregory took Peter’s hand, quickly pulling him into a tight hug. “Thank you, thank you for bring my baby back to me. She is all I have worth saving in this world. I’ve been blind and stubborn far too long. Tonight showed me that.” He stepped away and looked sadly at Jamie. He simply nodded. “Let me get this out OK?” Peter pulled his pad out, ready for the story, as Jamie sat tiredly on the sofa, Gregory began. “When I watched her go out with cameras to prove the problem was real, that have to watch. Someone else was in the yard. I felt it, then I saw movement, they were there, I needed help for Jamie. I wasn’t going to be enough. I called the police, but I was beginning to think I’d over reacted, nothing moved out there for what seemed ages.” Gregory shook his head at himself. “The shadows suddenly came to life as two large dark masses moved towards the shed door with what looked like sledge hammers in their hands, one whipped the shed door open, threw something in, closed it and jumped back. There was a thunderous bang, it was ferocious... well, more like a shock wave. When they open the door next, only one went in, the other held the door closed and kept watch. After some minutes he opened and closed the door, it must have been a signaled. Whoever went inside slide out silently, then flew over the back fence. It was only moments after they were out of sight when you came running into the yard going straight for the shed.” The short story seemed to take everything out of Gregory, it wasn’t until he was finished that he looked for the chair that was behind him. In sat heavily. His part complete.

Hopkins walked over and rubbed his shoulder. “You did a great job tonight, as did Jamie. Now it is up to us. We’ll work with the two of you and get these guys. There is obviously something they want here and we want to catch them first.” Someone stepped into the doorway just then beckoning Hopkins over.

“Detective Hopkins, we found finger prints. I’ll need their’s to rule out. I also have shoe-prints that match the back room, basement and those from the shed area for at least one of the assailants.” He leaned into the room and smiled. “No need to check their shoes, not heavy enough and his feet are to small. This guy wears the boxes.”

Hopkins grinned, “Yeah big seems the description, Gregory called them large dark masses. Jamie thought it was an army or a tank. Did anyone look at the cameras yet? Now don’t roll your eyes, just say yes or no.”

“Yes.” He turned to walk away laughing. Three steps, he turned to see if Hopkins moved. No, he was leaning with one shoulder on the wall, one foot carelessly crossed over the other at the ankle as his arms were relaxed and crossed on his chest. He smiled as he looked down his eagle nose at the young man who thought he was egging on his boss. “I guess I’m going to tell you now, uhh?”

“Good idea Jeff. Otherwise you may find you have a longer day’s work than you’d like. Ask Ben? See if I enjoy work related jokes while on the job?” Hopkins stood up straight and smiled grimly, “Now the camera? A face?”

“Sorry, yes. They are running one and have a partial on a second. It’s too dark, but Ben’s working on it. This woman placed those cameras perfect, once the door opened, snap and beauty shot. The second guy never came in far enough.” Jeff was never sure if he had pleased Hopkins until he got that pat on the back.

“That’s better, great news, let’s get the prints and find these guys tonight.” He turned on his heels, expecting Jeff to follow. Jeff did, quickly and dutifully with a smile. This had to be the quickest praise the boss had given him. Jeff was going to check the moon tonight though. Someone is definitely going to change into something and Jeff wanted to be ready with silver in hand, so to speak.

They printed both Paladins in record time. Jeff was almost out the door again when Detective Hopkins’s phone chirped. That froze Jeff in his tracks. It may add to his list, but was worth his pause, something he’d learned early on with Detective Hopkins. A minutes wait now may save an hour of backtracking later, so he waited.

Looking halfway between a smile and teeth bared for attack, Detective Hopkins snapped his phone closed after uttering but two words. “Got it.” Quickly he turned to Jeff, “Good, you’re still here. We have a name.” He took Jeff by the arm and led him into the hall, closed the door and walked a few steps before he spoke softly. “This is one nasty MF, he’s the very lowest from the wrong side of the tracks. His name, Jackson Erlik, the devil himself. He’s just back from a long stint in hell camp, if you get my drift, seven years with some of the worst hoodlums for room-mates. I’d bet my eyeteeth they taught him their best skills, the moves that got them there. Maybe the other face is one of his new best friend from the prison system. Have Ben run the face against the guys he was in with.” Jeff nodded and walked out the back of the building as Hopkins went back to talk to the Paladin family.

It wasn’t until after breakfast that the doorbell rang, announcing the beginning of the business of finding these scroungers who hid in the dark. They weren’t home alone last night, thanks to Detective Hopkins. He’d left someone in the house and probably more outside. Jamie was surprise how well she’d slept last night. Poppy walked back in the kitchen with both Detective Hopkins and his partner for the day, one Irene Salvatore. Gregory had his eyes on her from the moment he met her. Late forties, tall, fit and by her body language, clearly strong willed...his type of woman. Gregory all but drooled as he answered her every question. She was here to get a feel for anything out of the norm in the past month, she thought this must be a well planned affair, nothing random. Irene Salvatore explained she was not with Hopkins, but Mobile Force out of the Specialized Units. Her job was to prove or disprove this was connected to a dozen or so other brake-ins throughout the area. Was there a pattern or just thieves it to hide one among a spree? Irene would find out.

Lunch was quieter then Jamie expected, she was alone. She had time to think, what was in the shed of any importance? They had tools, garden supplies, motor bike really nothing but junk. Maybe in the loft, Poppy must know. Jamie turned to call, then remembered, Poppy had gone for who knew what, simply said he’d be back soon. Hopkins and Salvatore were off chasing leads. What leads? Nothing was found at the house that she noticed. She toyed with her sandwich, pulled the bread to shreds, ate only bits of the greens that fell to the plate. Why did she even make it? Pushing the plate away she finally gave up. I can try looking, get some idea. Just then the back door slammed. It was Poppy home with a smile and two large bags.

Poppy had two large lanterns, like miners used. He also pulled from the bags work boots for each of them. “I called Hopkins. He’ll be here soon, be ready if you want to argue. I remembered something while I was out, there’s a tunnel from the house to the shed. There must be something in the tunnel.”

Both of them were scrabbling to get the boots on as Gregory spoke. “If I remember right, it starts in the old coal shed down there. We will have to lift a floor tile.” The bell rang and he was on his way.

“This has to be the most excitement I’ve had in years. Here, down this way.” Gregory led Hopkins and two officers down the narrow basement stairs. The lighting left much to be desired, there was very little stored in the basement. As they opened the door to the coal shed Gregory smiled, “They haven’t looked in here yet. Look at the amount of dust on the floor. Over here.” He began laying sheets of card board from the outer room. “Let them think it was never found, no?”

Hopkins laughed, “You must have been one fun man to work for. That’s a great plan.” He had the two officers get more cardboard and cover the whole floor. “What was this for?”

“Gardening, I make great planters from cardboard boxes. A mover was going to put all that in the trash, a neighbor thought of me.” Gregory turned and picked up two large planters, they looked like Grecian urns, except light brown. “They are cardboard. Feel, it weighs nothing?” He handed him one.

It was smooth as marble and weighed no more than five or six pounds. Since it stood a good foot tall and ten inches across, that was nothing. “The best part is, once you are tired of these. You soak it in water and put in the compost or just put in out with the paper pick up. It’s paper.” The whole time Gregory talked about his pot, he moved boxes with one of the officers. “Here we are. This should be the one, see how it sits higher?” He left for a moment and returned with two shovels and a pick. Jamie shook her head, they were never down here, he had remembered earlier.

The two officers did the heavy work, taking the tools from Gregory. Within ten minutes the tile was wrestled free, revealed there was indeed a stairway leading down into the darkness below. Gregory had one of his lanterns descending into the obscurity that cried out from below. Slowly a soft glow began to show shadowy steps and maybe boxes further down the tunnel. Moving down with a powerful flashlight an officer went first, followed by Hopkins, Gregory, and Jamie slipped in before the last officer could say no. There would be no standing alone in that coal shed. When she turned to look, she realize the last officer had to stay so not to leave the exit unguarded. No matter, she wanted to see. Jamie now held the flashlight he handed her has she past him, leaving the lantern behind.

“It looks like money Mr Paladin. It’s four safety deposit boxes worth.” They shone the light up and down the tunnel and noticed one clean spot and a wispy trail heading further down the tunnel, they follow. It is getting colder as they move down the tunnel, also has narrowed quite a bit. They continued descending for a ways before slowly finally coming up. Although it is summer the tunnel is freezing cold. Hopkins turns to ask, but Gregory answer first. “I cleared that spot earlier. I just made it look like I was putting everything away. Don’t worry, I grumbled about everything I had to get rid of because they broke it. So whatever I dragged was covered. It shouldn’t be much more. Did you see any footprints?”

“No, more brush marks, GGeesss......Something.. Did something push by you?” Hopkins jumped against the wall.

Gregory was right behind him, stopped and waited....nothing and suddenly ahead of the two of them almost to the steps something glowed, bobbed up and down, blinked and began to come towards them slowly. Taking a hard gulp, Gregory pulled Jamie and slammed her against the tunnel wall. It wiped pasted them with a streak. “I don’t believe that and I think I saw it. Did you two see that?” Gregory asked, his response was two uh-huhs.”Now What?”

“Follow it.” Hopkins was running after it now. So did the rest, more not to be left behind. “I see it’s glow ahead, I also see the brighter glow at the end of the tunnel. Wait.... against the wall. It’s coming back!” They all did as before, except after it past they continued back out the way they came in. “When we get to the money we will each take one, OK?” Everyone agree to just get out. When they got to the money Hopkins let out a string of the fouls words. One of the boxes of money was gone, now who do we blame, a ghost? We pick up the remaining money, and run for the steps.

“OK explain that?” Hopkins said.

“No, maybe we should just let the thieves go play with that chilly character. You know if that thing didn’t want us to have that money we wouldn’t have it. It must have plans for that other box yet.” Gregory said as they looked down the hole. “Do we hide the hole?” The tunnel got very bright. “No? OK, I’ll just leave this as is than.”

Hopkins looked at him, “Did you just hear it?”

“More understood. Jamie you shouldn’t be here tonight.” Gregory stated as they came into the kitchen.

“The hell. I’m not going anywhere. They can just have more people here. I’m not leaving you here alone Poppy.” Jamie stormed out into the yard too upset to argue. Did they really see that thing down there? She had a few more cameras and was going to set them up downstairs in that room, not the tunnel. She is not that brave, once was enough.

She aimed one at the door to catch anyone entering the room and another at the dark hole. She’d catch anything coming out of the tunnel. She did this so fast because she was afraid to be down there alone. Something new in her life, fear.

It was just before dark when Gregory and Hopkins were talking in the dimly lit front room and Hopkins thought of the cardboard covered floor. The two of the raced down to find the floor just as they had first found it.

Sealed tight.

No tools were anywhere in the room. They scanned the room carefully and were thrilled to see up in the beams, in the darkest shadows, were two of Jamie’s smart cameras. What ever this thing was, it wanted evidence too. With an icy chill running up their spines they walked quickly back upstairs to wait.

They did not have very long to wait. The room chosen for the waiting game was directly above the coal shed. Just after total darkness, the sounds of hushed male voices were heard. Hopkins keyed the radio twice, his signal that they had entrance, seal the house and shed. He wanted this to play out, whatever these guys wanted let they find it first, then nab them.

Outside invisible to anyone watching, just incase they too had a lookout, men move closer to the front and back of the house. Both ends of the block were ready to be blocked at the first sign of movement from the house. No one would flee far.

Up in her room Jamie sat on a bed of nails, being here was not any better than miles away. She looked over at the policewoman that sat with her and smiled weakly. “Do you think anything is happening yet?”

“It may take all night.” She said trying to reassure Jamie. A loud crash sounded from the yard. She put her hand up to keep Jamie from running to the window. “This is the hen.” she shook her head. Why names, Hopkins had said something about this gang had been listening to the police radios so on this night he wanted to use neighborhood watch radios. If it gets dicey we use the police ban. “Did you hear something crash behind the Paladin house.”

“I’ll have someone check on the next walk by in about five.” Came a male voice.

“I’ve got it, probable a cat.” Came another unknown

Hopkins was right, they were listening to the radios, he smiled a little then keyed the radio once, then twice. This set the action of the first plan in motion. A female began; dispatch a car to the house across the street with an ambulance. Within seconds the sirens came, stopped, radio chatter erupted on several channels over what had happened to poor old man Lampert. This lasted only ten minutes, but it was a distraction for the fools down below. If they were listening to this they were not listening to us on police ban, but an odd channel.

The men in the neighborhood had finished their sweep and sealed the house. They had picked up four lookouts, now in cuffs. The shed is sealed from the outside after placing two large cabinets over the place marked earlier by Gregory. No one was coming up that stairway to get away.

In the house the voices downstairs were laughing as if they were outsmarting the cops big time. They must have found the tunnel because the voices were suddenly getting distant. Hopkins gets up to run below and Gregory begins to follow, Hopkins motions him back. Gregory smiles and whispers “No way now. I have to see what’s down in the tunnel.” Hopkins looked puzzled but ran with Gregory on his heals.

At the tunnel entrance Hopkins and Gregory can hear echoed voices crying in terror. They look at each other, Jamie was braver than that. Suddenly one of the thieves fly past him and pass out on the floor by the door. Hopkins reports on the radio as they descend. Lighting the tunnel, their mouths drop open. Three men are cover with what looked like pulsating glowing snakes squeezing the very life from them. At their feet lay four boxes of money spilled across the floor as they attacked, blasted them. Red dots turned toward the two lights at the foot of the stair, Gregory fell against the steps with a heavy feeling in his chest. “Up, we have to go up now!” Hopkins looked at the pained face of Gregory and helped him up the stairs.

Sitting on the top step, Gregory breathing heavy he began, “You have to check on a bank robbery from some fifty years ago. It was never solved, four men, these are the descendant come to get the father’s ill-gotten winning’s. It seems the soul in the tunnel had a change of heart, thinks the money belongs forever hidden. One of the boys did the unforgivable, convince these louts to kill the fathers for the money, for this they must suffer.” Gregory shook, “It turned out only one was innocent of murder, he lays here. The thing in the tunnel will keep the others for punishment. We can have them in a bit. I don’t think they will be worth much after that.” The tunnel echoed with growls, rumbles, screech, low screams and the ever present eerie glow. This lasted for a long time, the one who made it up to the floor was taken away and still Hopkins and Gregory sat waiting.

Gregory stood up, “We will need help. It’s Done.” The tunnel was bright now. On the floor lay three men in a heap. They looked untouched, but they knew otherwise. The men were carried up to the house and the single remaining box of money was also. Hopkins looked around the tunnel for any other evidence and was surprised to find Jamie was brave enough to also place a camera down here by the money. He grabbed it and raced above.

They sat at her computer to watch the horror and pain on the men’s faces as the arms of the past reached forward to rectify an error of robbery. One that this generation was making worse with more crimes and murders. This had to stop. Glowing darts sent pain into these men who had easily deal it. Seemingly held in place, each man received white hot darts which sank into them, bond of glowing pulsing rings tightened until bones snapped, they must now feel what they dealt before they can leave this tunnel. Limbs, ribs, cuts, bruises... all, but death, they must wait for that. Worry how long? When it will come? What dark night? They listened to a low rhythmic voice, it’s droning chant as it wreaked havoc on the men in the tunnel. It ended with “I will return. When the darkest night is upon you. A single glow will shine. It will be Me!”

After seeing the whole recording from the begin Hopkins said, “Go back to the part with the boxes of money, see how many?”

Jamie first makes a copy as he had asked and tested, it worked fine on both. She then fast  forward to the part with men and the boxes at the beginning. “Four, there are four and the money is all over the floor by their feet.”

Hopkins he happy they have the men, money from a robbery and the film from the basement for evidence. It turned out the money in the tunnel must be only the cut of one of the four original robbers, possible the driver. He was the only one not to have killed in the bank debacle. Gregory remembered someone in the neighborhood mentioning a suicide in this house not long before he bought it. That must have been the man. That left the money untouched and surrounded by hate. He is now not sure what to do with the recording from the tunnel, or what Gregory told him on the floor in the basement. You can’t exactly take a ghost to court, but than again, that could be why it held them in the tunnel. It knew that. Oh for heaven sake! Was he believing this mumbo-jumbo now. Hopkins had one other unexplained problem, the tunnel recording didn’t work when he got back to his office. Jamie tried her copy and it didn’t either. So, what? They were to see this for just the one time viewing? Every time he thought of that night he got chills and yet the Paladins still live happily there. Go figure. Hopkins sent Irene to figure this mess out...that is another story.