Arrest, Search and Séance : Book 1 of the Fringe Society R.D. Hunter (pride and prejudice read .TXT) 📖

said firmly. “We’ve got every badge in the state on the lookout for him. We’ll get him. In the meantime, there are plenty of other cases that require your attention, Detective.” He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

I know his words were meant to encourage me and give some sense of pride and hope, but all they filled me with was dread. If a regular cop or trooper came across Hawkins and tried to affect an arrest, he’d blow them to kingdom come without a moment’s hesitation. And, if it was caught on a body cam or dash cam, it could reveal the existence of the supernatural community to the entire world, and not in a good way.

“Get some rest,” Barker said, then left through the open door.

More minutes passed, and I was getting antsy. Despite the enormous amount of pain in my body, it was nothing compared to the growing feeling of disquiet slowly eating at my soul. I had to get up. I had to get out there. People would die if I didn’t.

I started trying to move. Every muscle and bone in my body seemed to cry out at the faintest jostle, causing my eyes to water and my breaths to come in short, ragged gasps. At last, after an eon or two of torment, I’d managed to raise myself to a sitting position.

Great, another year or two and I’ll be out the door and hot on Hawkins’ trail. Evil doers beware!

I had just started working on the I.V. in my arm, when my grandpa decided to return, but he was different. His normally vibrant and cheerful features were pale and gaunt. His silver hair was disheveled and a sheen of perspiration glinted off his brow. He leaned on the doorway for support, breathing hard and looking like he might collapse at any moment. To say I was alarmed would be a massive understatement.

“Gramps!” I yelled, redoubling my efforts to free myself from the bed and make it to him. I relaxed somewhat when he waved a casual hand at me, indicating I should calm down.

“I’m all right, my Dear,” he said thinly. “Just a little winded. I’ll recover soon enough. I have something for you.” He came over to sink heavily into the chair beside my bed, then pulled an obsidian amulet out of his leather bag. Even before he handed it to me, I could feel the waves of power emanating off it.

“Wow, Gramps,” I breathed. “What did you do?”

“I made this pain-relieving amulet a few days ago, to help Mr. Coolidge with his arthritis. He has it terrible in his hands, you know. In fact, I was on my way to deliver to him in person, when the GPS in my uber ride malfunctioned and I wound up here, just as they were bringing you in.” Thank you, universe. “All I had to do was boost it up a little, and now it should fit your needs nicely.”

So, that’s where he’d been. When he realized I was hellbent on getting out of here and finding Hawkins, he went off and found a nice quiet place to channel his own power into the amulet, effectively supercharging it. No wonder he was so weak.

“Gramps, I can’t accept that. You have to take it back.”

“No, no I don’t,” he said firmly. “You have a job to do, an important job. And while I wish you weren’t in the state that you are, there’s no help for it at the present. The least I can do is give you the tools you need to see it done, so you can get back here and heal.”

He had a point. Hawkins had to be stopped. Lives were on the line. I gratefully took the amulet he offered and slipped it around my neck.

Almost immediately, a delicious warm feeling began spreading throughout my body. The shards of glass that felt as if they were grating against each nerve miraculously vanished, to be replaced by a soothing, aura that made me want to lay back and just luxuriate in the sudden absence of pain. I experimentally moved my arms, then my legs. The functioned perfectly. The only discomfort I felt was a thin echo in the back of my head that told me something wasn’t right. I could deal with that. Damn, my grandpa did good work.

“Thank you,” I said to him in a whisper. He smiled, almost sadly.

“It won’t last long, I’m afraid. No more than a few hours. Try to be back here by then.”

“I will. You rest. Recover your strength.” I hopped off the table and gave him a fierce hug which he returned in kind.

My clothes were in no shape to be worn, having been shredded in the blast, then cut off me in the ambulance, so I procured a set of scrubs from a nearby closet and shrugged them on. They hung off me loosely, but that was all right. I just needed something to wear home.

“Melanie,” my grandpa said quietly. I turned to look at him, knowing it was serious. He hardly ever called me by my true name. “You can’t beat him as you are. He’s too powerful. You know that, right?” There was a quiet desperation in my grandfather’s voice I’d never heard before. I wasn’t sure what it meant or where it came from, but I didn’t like it.

I gave him a quick smile to let him know that I knew what he was saying.

“Yes, Gramps. I know what I have to do. And it’s ok. Really.” I bent down and kissed his forehead. “I’ll be back soon.” He nodded and leaned back in the chair, asleep before I even reached the door.

It was time for a change.

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

 

I walked quickly, with my head down and my eyes on