The Skinwalker Conspiracies - 02 Read Free Page B

just recently. Frankly, that doesn’t bode well and it signifies a time of great unrest and strife is on the horizon.”
    I sighed and said, “Tell me something I don’t know. What happened between you and Darren Porter?”
    “I came along too late to help him. The passing of a Ferryman, especially one who has realized his power, is always a traumatic event. Darren was not prepared for it mentally and he was quite insane when I arrived. It was much the same as when William died, but my cousin was able to fool us and we were blind to his awful transformation until he turned on us.”
    “Yes, let’s talk about William,” I said calmly.
    “You want to know if he’s still in this existence or not, don’t you?”
    “Yes.”
    “I can’t tell you.” Virginia smoothed the gossamer ruffles of her dress.
    “Can’t or won’t?”
    “Both I’m afraid. After his death, William discovered the ability to avoid my senses. That said, even if I could, I would not.”
    One of my flaws, of which there were many, was impatience. I never liked someone helping-but-not-really-helping me. “Why not? I don’t like looking over my shoulder and though I’d like to trust you, you can bet your ass I don’t.”
    “You’re on the path you need to be, right here and right now, Mike. If I did tell you William was still in this realm, what would you do?”
    “You’re the savant, clairvoyant, or whatever. You already know exactly what I would do.”
    “Yes, hunt him down. That would take you away from your current path. Similarly, if I told you he was gone, I’d be lying, because I truly do not know one way or another. If you thought he was, you might let your guard down at a critical juncture.”
    Needless to say, my head was already hurting. I was more of a “what is” versus a “what if” kind of guy. I replied, “So, if we’re not talking about William, what are we here to discuss? Edgar? Other delightful members of the family?”
    “Eddy is long gone, I’m afraid. He fought his war to the best of his ability and well deserves his eternal rest. There are others in the family still around, but you don’t have to concern yourself with them at this time. I came to warn you, Michael; my kin suffered terribly during the Great Cleansing which covered the area from the Carolinas up to New York City. William is likely the oldest spirit you have encountered thus far. Further west, you’ll find less organization in the spirit world, but many of them are far older and, as you can guess, much more dangerous. Expect them to be powerful, ancient, and utterly ruthless if you involve yourself in their affairs.”
    Her switch back to “Michael” wasn’t lost on me. “Well, aren’t you a ray of sunshine? Anyone in particular that I should be on the lookout for? Let me guess … you’re not going to tell me, are you?”
    “I think you are beginning to understand the situation, Michael Ross. Too much knowledge can be just as dangerous as too little. Your journey must be your own. I will do what I can, when I can, but my time for action has long since passed. Your time is now.”
    Her motivational skills were somewhat lacking. She should hang out with Strong Vincent because he delivered the goods and made men want to rush into live fire.
    She stood and I sensed my impromptu audience with the “All-Seeing-but-not-All-Telling” Mrs. Poe had concluded.
    “Any other nuggets of wisdom, before you leave, Virginia?”
    “Gather allies, be practical, look before you leap, and learn from your mistakes.”
    “In other words, don’t be Mike Ross.”
    Virginia laughed and began to fade away as her voice trailed off, “I think I would prefer to say, learn to be a better Mike Ross.”
    Obviously, she didn’t know me as well as she thought.

Episode 15: Saving Jesús in Twenty Minutes or Less
     
    “Hey Mike, look over there!” Amos Sweet pointed to the other side of the highway. For a moment, it didn’t seem like anything special,