Buried Deep: Mind Bending Series, #3
By Lynn Tincher
()
About this ebook
The drama continues as Paige and Junna are summoned to New Orleans to investigate a double murder. From the moment they arrive, they find themselves in a whirlwind of death and devastation. Paige foresees the vicious murder of a beautiful young woman as she falls victim to this serial killer. Is she in time to save her? Meanwhile, Junna gives in to the dark powers that surround her in the back alleys. Is Junna in too deep and is she lost forever?
Read more from Lynn Tincher
The Devil's Mark: A Paige Aldridge and Victor McCain Thriller Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
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Titles in the series (5)
Afterthoughts: Mind Bending Series, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLeft in the Dark: Mind Bending Series, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBuried Deep: Mind Bending Series, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhere There is Light: Mind Bending Series, #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Keeper's Secret: Mind Bending Series Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
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Buried Deep - Lynn Tincher
1
Low along the ground of Pirates Alley, right in front of the St. Louis Cathedral, a fat brown river rat filtered its way through the debris on the street. Since Hurricane Katrina, the vermin population of New Orleans had exploded. As a result, the crowds of people that made their way down the alley overlooked the rat’s presence. It was an everyday occurrence that everyone was used to. Even the tourists. This allowed the rat to freely forage for food in broad daylight, without interruption, without fear. After turning over banana peels, rolling around cigarette butts, and picking up peanut shells, and hotdog buns, it moved on. Comfortable with its position in the world, the rat quickly made its way down the alley and into the main street. Keeping low and rounding the corner, it scurried down another long, dark alley, up one old rock step and through a hole in the bottom of an old wooden door that was big enough for a Chihuahua. It barely fit through .
Once inside, it maneuvered its way between bottles crammed with dried herbs and flowers, jumped over strings of beads and bones, gracefully wiggled through a maze of spider webs, and finally found its hovel beneath the ancient oak cabinet. It cautiously unpacked the peanuts and other food crumbs that he had stuffed in his mouth. The rat was satisfied with his lot
in
life
.
It was dark in the small dungeon-like room. It was lit only by a few small candles on the table. Incense burned in a pot next to the warm glow adding to the room’s strangeness with its drifting clouds of smoke and aroma. The room was cold, shrewd.
Athanase was a tall, bony wisp of a man. His true age was undetectable yet he looked worn and experienced. He could pass for over a hundred, easy. It seemed as if he hadn’t bathed in over a hundred years as well. As he sat in silence at the table in the center of the room, he laid his battered tarot cards scrupulously in a spread before him. Nicholas, a shorter, slightly well built boy just shy of twenty looked on with eyes wide in wonderment as sweat slid down his temples. His hands shook. He had no business being there. He knew that full well, yet the yearning for answers kept him glued to the chair. The need for them boiled in his stomach like acid, making Nicholas feel sick. He tapped his foot on the floor in anticipation until Athanase shot him a cold glance. He froze.
In deep thought, Athanase reached up to stroke the alligator tooth necklace that hung loosely around his neck. His hiss-like voice moaned in disapproval as he rolled the tooth between his boney fingers. His nails were long and black as pitch. Nicholas thought that at any moment, they would fall right off. The flickering of the candles almost said tisk, tisk
beside them and Nicholas swore he could make out discerning faces in the scented air that swirled
around
him
.
It was all the poor boy could do to not piss his pants as his anticipation built to an intolerable level. Nicholas squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, as he fought the urge to run and wiped his sweat with his shirtsleeve. He knew somehow that he must have been turning green.
After what seemed like an eternity, the bony man spoke. My dear boy,
his voice seemed to waft from his mouth like the smoke from the incense. Your greatest fears are in fact a reality.
The candles flickered and almost went out as Athanase accentuated the last syllable.
Nicholas rocked in his seat, trying to get a better look at the terrifying face behind the veil of smoke. My … my fears?
he asked as he sucked in his breath. The words seemed to come out backwards.
Yes. Your girlfriend … let me see … her name is Melinda ... ,
he said as he rolled the tooth between his fingers again. She’s not in love with you,
Athanase said this part quickly as he waved his hand in the air as if dismissing her feelings. Ah, she’s in love with your friend ... um ... Thomas. Yes, Thomas.
The boy swallowed the grapefruit sized lump in his throat. A ... any… anything else?
he asked, afraid of the answer. After all, this fortuneteller had all the names right. An impossible feat to be sure. Nicholas was beginning to wonder if he really wanted the answers.
"Yes. You have a dark spirit influencing you … keeping you from success. Hindering you from your goals. Not allowing good things to happen
to
you
."
What? What are you talking about? Wha ... what can I do about that?
Tears started to pool in his eyes and his hands shook even harder.
I can help you … I have a spell,
Athanase groaned as he reached toward a shelf. After cautiously examining bottle after bottle out of the hundreds on the shelf near him, he returned with two bottles. One was filled with some clear liquid and another with some sort of dried plant. Nicholas wondered if it was just water and oregano. Athanase spoke again. Listen carefully as you must remember everything very clearly. If you do not follow my directions to the letter, it could be disastrous.
He swallowed as if to hold back a laugh. "Only on a full moon, while you are out in its full light, take these herbs and place them in the bottle of potion. Hold the mixture up toward the full moon for a full minute and chant Thou Demon presence, be no more! Say it thrice then carry the bottle with you ... always. It’s very important not to shake the bottle." His cold hand touched the boy’s as he handed the items to him causing the boy to want to vomit.
Nicholas nodded quickly as he jumped up, knocking the chair backwards, and ran from the room, nearly tearing the door from its hinges as
he
went
.
A slow, evil smile crept across Athanase’s face revealing dark putrid teeth. He licked his bony fingers and squeezed the light from the candles. The room fell
completely
dark
.
Nicholas tore down the alley as fast has he could go, stumbling on his clumsy feet with every other step. He ran smack into his girlfriend, Melinda, when he made it to the corner. She was waiting for him to exit the alley right where he left her. She didn’t want to go down there herself. The thought of visiting Athanase in his own home at the end of a dark alley made her knees weak. She didn’t understand why Nicholas was so determined to see him. She’d heard rumors as she ate at a restaurant nearby.
How’d it go?
she asked as she watched him try to stand up straight. "Did he have any insights
into
your
… "
We’ll talk later,
he said, breathless. Let’s get as far away from this place as possible.
He grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her forward.
I told you not to ... Hey, you’re hurting me,
she growled
at
him
.
Nicholas didn’t pay attention. He kept marching on, trying to put distance between himself and Athanase Leveque. Right now, he didn’t care what Melinda was saying. He didn’t care that he squeezed the life out of her arm. He wanted to get back to the hotel. Back to where Thomas and Ivy waited for them. He wanted to clear this up
for
good
.
Melinda dropped her shopping bag in the street somewhere along the way. She couldn’t get Nicholas to stop long enough for her to turn back and get it. She was determined to make him replace the souvenirs that she bought for her little sister. If only she could get him to let go of her blasted arm! Let go of me!
She screamed. No luck. Nicholas pulled
her
on
.
2
Detective Paige Aldridge scratched her head as she paced the floor of her empty new office in Louisville, Kentucky. She and her sister, Junna, rented a small, three room place in a larger office building off of Taylorsville Road. It was private and they needed a quiet space away from the hustle and bustle of the police station, a place separate from their living rooms, a place away from Jay and the distractions of home, and a place to recover from the demons of
their
past
.
The size is right. I just can’t figure out if we need couches or desks and chairs,
Paige said to her sister as she spun around through the empty rooms. Maybe filing cabinets?
I’m leaning toward den like areas with a small table out here in the reception area,
Junna replied as she peeked into one of the rooms just in front of the door. "At least we have a bathroom. Not like the offices we looked at
last
week
."
Paige laughed, "Yeah, but that also means we have to stock toilet paper and well ...
clean
it
."
That’ll just give me an excuse to go to Costco.
Since when do you need an excuse? Oh! How about a trip to Ikea?
Paige laughed. It felt good to laugh again. It was six months since she fought with Shepherd. Six months and she had thrown herself into her training. She was determined to master her gift more than ever, and not allow anyone to get into her head or use her again. She still struggled with listening to other’s thoughts. Paige still believed that was not the right thing to do even though she understood why they had to. And she was thankful for Junna. She loved her long lost sister. Besides Jay, she was all Paige had left in her life. She didn’t want to ever let
her
go
.
Junna touched her arm, "Where’d you go? Are
you
okay
?"
Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking about Jay.
Paige
lied
.
Junna let out a small sigh. Trouble in paradise?
Not yet. Maybe I should cook him dinner tonight to keep that from happening. I’ll pick up a six pack of Smithwick’s on my way home too. It might help make up for a few things. Oh, and a bottle of bourbon will set things right.
Paige laughed and wished she had a shot
right
then
.
I think that’s a great idea. What time should I come over?
Junna smiled at Paige. "Now, let’s go shopping and find some furniture for this place, okay? We need to do something fun for
a
bit
."
Sounds great to me,
Paige took her sister by the hand. I think we need a margarita blender for out here too,
she laughed as she closed the door
behind
her
.
After four hours of buying furniture and supplies, the girls made their way back to their empty offices. They all but inhaled the Arby’s sandwiches they picked up then went through their