THE HAUNTING PAST MYSTERY OF THE MEDIUMS

THE HAUNTING PAST: MYSTERY OF THE MEDIUMS Let it, NEVER, be said that I speak un-justly, of the dead. If I speak evil, of the deceased, it is because I know that, from life experience, that I can back my words. The living, however, are a completely different story. The living can be far more treacherous, than the dead could, ever, hope to be. I guess that the REAL problem, which Tami and I had, with these fakers, was how these people offered their services, to the berieved, for "nominal fee's". That, and those ridiculous incantations. One such cretin Tami found easy to expose. The fool had taken a popular, seventies, song, changed the rhythm, and put on a foreign dialect, to make it SEEM like they were chanting. When I had listened, then asked Tami "Why do I think I know those words?", Tami had gone to the home owners stereo system, selected the hit song, and watched as the faker cringed, when the music played, and the victim said "I THOUGHT I knew that song", as the melody played back, over the homes speakers. While the faker packed, to leave, they had said "A CURSE upon you all". Tami just smiled as she said "Make it a good one. The Chairman LOVES a good curse". Tami knew how fake the person was when they did not even know WHO the Chairman was. In the current case, a family was concerned, since a woman had been "lost", since her husbands death. It seems that the two had been so much, in love, that they never considered death. After the death, of her beloved, the woman was desperate for ANY communications, with her beloved husband. If the case-file was accurate, the womans family was right to be concerned. The grieving widow was paying out large sums, of money, for any information, which the medium provided. Such is the nature of grief. The family was asking if there were any way, to give the woman peace of mind. Without bringing her husband back, from the dead, we had no idea of how to help the woman, other than exposing the hoax. Tami's concern was 'What happens when we destroy her belief, in the medium? What will become of the widow?" Un-fortunately, there were no "easy answers". Grief caused death, everyday. Then, Tami had a thought. A thought which brought Mother Superior to us, like a magnet. The nun would remind Tami "I am NOT an telephone operator, and Heaven is NOT AT&T. We do NOT send spirits, just to comfort loved ones." When Tami would suggest "Why not just a message?" The nun was adamant "The woman must get on, with her own life." When Tami suggested "Why not let her husband tell her that?" The nun had no response. While finding a place, for G.S.2 to park, on the families land, was no problem, Tami had requested, in advance, that the widow be told nothing, and that the staff only be informed that the widow had visitors coming. No-doubt, this was the reason why, when Tami and I arrived, at the family home, we found the medium doing some sort of "chant/dance". While I found the dance sort of like the snake charming dances, of various, classic, movies, I had to wonder if I was imagining things, about the mediums "costume". I say this because, as a life-long fan, of the original Star Trek series, I think I can spot a yeomans Star Fleet uniform, from a block away. Now, while this medium seemed to be wearing a fleet uniform, what threw me off, for awhile, was how the costume was decorated. While the uniform was the standard blue, color, of a science section lieutenant, the medium had added veils, "drapes", and jewelry. When I whispered, to Tami "Am I just imagining?" She whispered back "No, that does resemble a yeomans uniform." This is when a third voice joined ours, saying "I loved that show, too. I just cant believe that my wife is falling for this". The "show" continued, until the medium saw Tami and I watching, as well. The medium then stopped, in mid-dance, asking the widow "Whom are these intruders?" I knew that Tami could not resist asking the medium "You mean, with all of your skills, you do not, already, know WHO we are?" When the widow would say "Relax. They are friends. My children invited them over". The medium seemed to look us over, then say "They are not true believers. Your beloved will not make an appearance, while these non-believers are present." When the husbands spirit whispered, to Tami "Who made THAT rule?" Tami just smiled. With that, the medium seemed to pack her stuff, then hustle off, as though late for a ride. After the widow greated us, she would say "I dont know what got into her. She was going so good. I really thought I would communicate, with my beloved." After Tami would ask the widow "Just what did you husband look like?" The widow would produce a picture, suggesting "You should add a few years, and some pounds. He was a good man, and a good father." When Tami compared the picture, to the spirit, which stood before us, she knew who the spirit was. Tami also knew how to handle this situation, with the tact, of a diplomat. While Tami would ask the woman "If you could speak to your husband, what would you say to him?" The widow would say "I would tell him how much I miss him, and that I love him." After the husaband replied, and Tami suggested "What would you say if he were to say..." and Tami repeated the mans words. Tami then served, as an "interpretor", for the rest of the conversation, during which the man promised his wife that he would, always, watch over her, but that it was time for her to "get on, with her life"." While the man did not yet understand how to materialize, before his widow, Tami's many contacts, with deceased persons, had given her an "edge". She could see the deceased, with no effort on the part of the deceased. While Tami was busy, in the sitting room, with the widow, I was dealing with another ghost, just outside the front door. It would seem that a childhood friend had been watching over the woman, since the womans husband had passed on. A woman who had known the widow, since childhood. It was when the ghost told me "If she doesn't snap out of this, I swear, by the Lord, holy Jesus, that I am going to slap her so hard, she will remember it, just like she did, the first time". When I asked the ghost, about the previous time, the woman said that, when the widows first love dumped her, for a more popular girl, the young woman had gone into such a funk, that her friend, finally had to grab her, slap her about, and saying "Snap out of it, girl. There are more boys out there, than you know". When the young woman had said "And other, pretty girls, as well", this is when the friend had slapped the girl, hard enough to leave a bruise. Then, the girl had asked the stricken woman "Are you gonna come out, with me, and have some fun, or do you want me to slap you around, some more?" Turns out, the slap was exactly what the girl had needed. The friends had gone out, forgotten their lives, and forged ahead. When I asked the spirit "What became of you?" The woman would say "Boy, you just dont give up, do you. Just like the "big man" said you is." When I asked "Whats wrong with asking a question?" The woman would say "I suppose there aint no harm in tellin you. I had me a passel, of children, and then I had me some grand-kids. I died, happy." By the time Tami was finished, with the widow, I had us follow this other spirit, and stop by the ghosts former home. This is where Tami noticed, even before I did, that only the womans two oldest children were "true" Negro. When Tami asked, the woman told us "That boy was beautiful. You know, **I** was his first woman. Seems his parents trusted me more than my own did. And, yes, I did give him some children. No, my husband never knew, or my husband never cared." In short summary, it seems that, while her husband was willing to take life, as it came, her "man" not only gave her some children, but he spent enough time, with the family, to make sure the kids could read, write, and count. When Tami would ask "What happened to him?" The woman would say "My husband, eventually, went into a paupers grave. No headstone. No sense, seeing as how he never did anything, with his life." When Tami refined her question, asking "What became of the father, of your children?" The woman answered by showing us some writing awards, which the man won, as well as the fact that the man worked on building several race cars. When she added "He even built four homes. That boy had such potential." When Tami asked "Did he, ever, go professional?" The woman would say "He TRIED. Several times, he tried. He gave up his hope, after his family found out about our children. They dis-owned him. Still, I will say that he did his best, to make the most out of life." When Tami asked "Where is he, now?" The woman would say "His family only took him back, to bury him on the family grounds. He has a plain marker, just like his fathers. Funny, though. His father was a drunken womanizer, while my man only drank a glass, at social occassions. I dont think he had any other women. Still, since we had some children, the family decided that he was not Christian enough. Result, he got a plain headstone." When Tami would ask "Why do you stay around?" The woman would remind Tami "I am only here, until I know my friend is "back in the world." Once I know that she is taken care of, I can move on"". Although it would seem that our arrival had "scared off" atleast one medium, Mr. Brown had other mediums for us to look over. Still, we waited just long enough to verify that the widow was keeping her promise, to her late husband, and getting on, with her life. Once we knew this was "in the works", we said goodbye, to the womans life-long friend. The woman then dissolved, just as gently as a breeze. According to the updated file, our next medium would be a "real treat". This fake had learned enough, about the victim, to be able to manipulate the surviving spouse into signing away power, and control, of assets, claiming that this was the wish, of the departed. When the deceased spouse found us, on-board G.S.2, the spouse was most adamant in saying "I NEVER said a word, to that phony, about my wife giving up control, of the money. That creep has my beloved "over a barrel"." When Tami asked "Why dont YOU step in?" The man would say "I dont know how to explain this, but, that creep has placed something around the house. Claims it is for her protection, but if I go near her, it "zaps" me." When Tami would ask "Just how much value does this person now control?" The man would say "Maybe $25 million. He keeps telling my wife that he is doing my bidding. That I want him to do these things." When Tami would ask "You say he now, controls $25 million. How much does your wife still control?" The man would say "Only $10 million". When Tami looked at me, I KNEW that look. It was the same look she gave me, on a previous case. With the aid of the dead, our plan was to scare the life out of the creep. While I would not say that the family was "wealthy", or lived "richly", the widow did have a nice home, and a support system. In fact, until the creep came in, promising to place her in contact, with her late husband, she had been as close to neighbors, as to family. Now, the creep was taking the woman, for everything she was worth, while promising "It is what your husband wants." Tami and I had to smile when, as the creep said that the deceased would say something, the actual deceased would tell Tami and I "If I could only kick his (you know), just once." Using the mans own life story, Tami and I turned the family home into a more-or-less "haunted house". Thanks to some un-verified aid, from the Chairman, consisting of some storms, we scared the creep into making the right moves. The deceased was wonderful, by the way he used his ghostly voice to tell the creep "If you want to be free, of my vengeance, you will sign my documents back over to my wife." When the creep asked "If I dont. What can you do, to me? You are dead". Suddenly, the creep found the room spinning, around him, as the deceased put on an award winning performance. Thunder, lightning, wind, and rain. Toss in some ghoulish moans, and some locked doors, barring the creeps escape, and he signed everything back to the widow, before running out, into the night, with only the clothes on his back. Once the creep was gone, I am "certain" that it was the Chairman, who provided Mother Superior, with the spell, which vanquished the "zapper", which kept the spirit away from his widow. Once the "zapper" was dealt with, Tami then acted as "translator", again, as husband and wife said their final farewells (after the husband mentioned that his wife might like the local mechanic). When Mr. Brown would send us another update, he would say "Be careful, of this one. Mr. Black says that they have researched YOU two, as much as we have, them. Dont be surprised if they pull your own pasts up, to frighten you." When Tami would say "Big deal. So I was a rebellious teen. After that, I left home, and went into drugs, and booze. I wanted my own life. Sir, you know my life atleast as well as I do." I would add "Big deal, for me, too. Thanks to the demons, and my coven in-law, I have no secrets, either." Mr. Brown would say "Even still. Be cautious. You never know what bit, of your past, which you might have forgotten, that the the fakers might have found." When Tami and I would say "Bring them on!", in our case, un-like George Walker Bush, we meant this more like General Patton, in World War Two. Meaning "We challenge you to a face-off. Man to man. Bring it, we DARE you". The only thing, which we did NOT expect, in this encounter, was for the truth to be so distorted. In Tami's case, at one point, she found herself looking at a used needle, and a medical report, which stated that she HAD, in fact, given herself the mystery overdose. The reports said her prints were on the syringe. It would seem, though, that, in MY case, the "worst" that the fakers could come up with was both altering my rental record, to show that I had been evicted, from three dozen places, over only five years, and that I was under a payee, at present, by court order. I, also, was presented with a "record", which stated that I used drugs, seven times per day. This meant that I was listed as a "habitual drug user". I really dont know which was more laughable. My alleged thirty-six evictions, or the distortion, over my drug use. I just wonder what a court would say when I admitted "Yes, I use prescription dugs, seven times per day." When Tami showed me her own, forged, record, asking "You DO believe me, dont you?" I would send our copies, of the "evidence", to Mr. Black, asking "How long would it take to forge these documents?" When, just ten minutes later, we had new forgeries, and Tami asked Mr. Black "HOW?" Mr. Black would say "Remember those C.D.'s, called 100 federal, and state, forms, on disc?" When Tami would say "Yes, I remember when we used them, on a case". Mr. Black would say "Same thing, here. You just enter what you WANT the form to show, then print it out. Its just that simple." What did un-nerve both of us, though, was when the mdium, somehow, got into our sub-conscious, found long-forgotten nightmares, and began "looping" these, while we slept. It would seem that my "worst nightmare" would be having dozens of women all accusing me of fathering their children, and demanding support, for crying babies. Tami made a point of telling me that her nightmare was about what she would do if she found herself working as a cheap whore, to pay for a drug, and booze, habit. She would tell me "What was most strange, about the dream, was the fact that, when I looked at the needle, which stuck out of my arm, I noticed that, as the needle wiggled, my arm did not bleed. Atleast, not until I THOUGHT about it." Tami, then added, "With the booze, it was, equally, bizzarre. No matter how much I drank, it went right through me, non-stop, even as I sat on a toilet. I could not get drunk, it went so fast." While Tami knew that a VERSION, of the dream, WAS her truth, what baffled both of us was the idea of my dream being about the crying babies. Tami knew that I wanted children about as much as I wanted a bullet, through my head. This is when Tami mentioned "What about that case. The one about the fake, Chinese Communist, woman, and the demons, who wanted to alter our lives?" When I remembered and said "Thats right. The demons tried to get me to accept that I had died, as a child." When Tami would say "Yes, they tried to kill me off, as a child, as well". When I would suggest "You dont suppose..." and Tami would say "Why not? After all, there are those who believe that, if we die, in our dreams, we die, in life, as well." The question, before us, now, was "How do we make sure the dreams remain dreams?" After some thought, Tami would ask "What do we, REALLY, know, about this medium?" I would say "About what we know, about our other cases. We know what is in the case file." Tami would jump up, go to her computer, and link with Lysia (while asking me "I hope you dont mind"). While I had heard rumors, about Lysia, and other men, even discreet inquiries informed me that more than one man had dumped Lysia for calling out MY name, during sex. How much truth was there? All I knew was that Lysia had yet to marry. She was committed to her research. While she wanted, eventually, to be a "Mrs.", and a mother. She wanted to wait until her credentials came through. She wanted to be a ME, before becoming a WE. WAS it just "coincidence", that Lysia was doing research, on the very mediums, which Tami and I were investigating? Lysia's data showed that SHE was researching the mediums, over a claim that some ships captains had kept mediums on-board, to predict the weather, and the outcomes, of battle. Lysia would add "It is rumored that more than a few captains "kept" the mediums, until the men either got bored, with the women, or the women got pregnant. After that, the ships dumped the women, at the closest port". When Tami would ask "Just how much of this is confirmed FACT?" Lysia would say "About as much as the "fact" that I loved your partner." I was just grateful, when Tami asked Lysia to aid our investigation, into the mediums. What I did not expect, was when Tami asked Lysia about her dreams. Lysia would smile as she said "My dream is, always, about me and him (me). I put aside my dream, and goals, to become his wife, and mother, of his children." When Tami would ask "How does it end?" Lysia would say "I am full of regrets. I am a mother, and grand-mother, but my NAME will not be remembered." THAT would be Lysia's nightmare. She wanted, so much, to BE some one. The idea, of dying, in anonymity, was something which Lysia could not stand. That is why she was working, harder than ever, for her credentials. While working on the research, the ladies, and, sometimes, myself, watched some of the "seances", and other devices. Some, of this mediums moves were downright sexual, in nature. None of us could figure out what sexuality was used for, in contacting the deceased. While Lysia stepped outside, to deal with her "female need", Tami remained baffled as to how something, very similar to a nude scene, from a mens porn video, had to do with contacting a deceased relative. After Lysia "took care" of her need, she did some web-searches, and found some distant, and remote, remarks, about the deceased. Someone had written that the man had (killed?) a chieftain, then taken the mans harem, and produced maybe 100 children. The story said the man could not "keep his pants on". When Tami asked about verification, Lysia would say "Even **I** am suspicious of this one. It was written by a woman, who hoped the man would marry her, just because they spent ONE night together". Tami would say "Throw it out. Its just a woman, trying to get even for a man not marrying her". Lysia, however, would suggest "Why dont we take this before the family, first". When the mediums next performance, was to be in the nude, claiming that the man never liked clothes, and the family questioned nudity, in the presence, of children, the medium suggested that the children depart the room. Once the children departed, the woman did a strip-tease, which gave even ME a hard on. When the woman began making thrusting movements, while saying "Yes, I am in contact. Oh, YES! He is here". When the family looked on, un-easily, Tami gave Lysia her cue, and Lysia stepped forward, even as the family was asking "Is she, really, in contact?" Lysia would say "The only thing she is in "contact" with is an obscure web-site entry, which claimed that the man could not control his sexual urges". When the family looked confused, Tami stepped forward, to add "According to an entry, in a womans diary, the man spent a night, with her, then left. Since he did not offer to marry her, she created the story, about the man being a sexual wild-man". The medium seemed to be full of climatic pleasure, as she maintained her performance, until Tami would tell her "The jig is up." When the woman stood up, asking "What happened", Lysia would say "You did a strip-tease, hoping that the men would be so engrossed, that they would not recognize it, when you got up, and pocketted what you could carry, out of the house". When the woman of the house, would say "Young lady, I HOPE you can PROVE these charges". Lysia picked up what had appearred to be a sheer veil, and shook out the hidden pockets. Out fell family belongings, with an estimated value, of maybe, $2.5 million. It was when the family was thanking us, for saving their belongings, that the REAL spirit showed up, asking Tami to foward a message. The man was fine, and in his best health, ever. And, would his wife PLEASE find a version, of the Bible, which did NOT portray the angels, and Heaven, like some, ultra-exclusive, country-club? When the wife said "Thats my husband. Comes right to the point. Tell him that I will love him, forever". Tami would look at the smiling, fading, spirit, and Tami would know he understood. Well, talk about theatrics. The next medium used enough tech, and special effects, to, ALMOST, make believers, out of the three of us. While the "show" was fantastic, it was, still, just professional showmanship. What Lysia did not count upon was when her credentials came through. It would seem that her work, on OUR case, had proven that Lysia COULD multi-task, while reaching sound conclusions. Lysia would confide, only to Tami and I, that Lysia had hoped for a more climatic feeling, when her credentials were approved. Something important. Lysia would tell Tami and I that Lysia thought the credentials would make her feel like she did, after a night, with me. As it was, Lysia felt no different, or more knowledgeable, than she did, on any other day. In fact, it seems, aiding Tami and I, with exposing the fake mediums, seemed more rewarding, than the credentials. It would be weeks before Lysia and I would discover another mediums "prepartion area", where the medium prepared for each performance. Lysia and I had been looking for a place, where we could contemplate, in a quiet setting. It was while we were whispering, that we saw the medium, and her dresser, come into a section, of the house, even WE did not know about. (Man! Did these people do research, or what?) As Lysia and I hid and watched, the dresser not only fitted the medium, into an outfit, which was an amazing fit, but the man informed the medium "We are going to need another $300,000, by the way we are going through supplies." When the medium would say "No sweat. I will just tell them that the old man wants us to have a "token, of his esteem". When Lysia began to move, whispering "Why those..." The only way to stop her was with a deep kiss. This, even as the medium would ask her dresser "What was that?" and the man would say "I did not say a word". Thankfully, the woman would say "I guess it was just my imagination". (Thankfully, I had turned on my recorder, in case Lysia and I made any breakthroughs). While Tami listened, at length, to the recording, in case the people said something, that we missed, Tami only listened to the lead up portions, more than once. She neither needed, nor wanted, to hear, what Lysia and I were doing. When Lysia asked "What do you think? Plenty of evidence, right?" Tami would suggest "Before we submit it, to the family, I suggest we edit out that later part. The family does not need to listen to that". While, I guess, one might say that we "altered" the conversation. All that we, really, did, was remove the material, which was not "relative" to the case. (Tami had to suggest, to Lysia, "Try to hide that smile, better") Just as the medium was about to go into her act, and before her "aid" brought down the lights, Tami and I would ask to see the mediums costume, up close. When the medium declined, first Tami, then the family, asked "What could it hurt, just to take a look." Not surprisingly, the medium declined, and, with her aid, withdrew, from the home. When the family asked "What was all that about?" Tami would say "The aid did not want you to see how the controls worked. It seems that, whenever the two wanted money, they put on a show, for you". When a son asked "How do you know this?" Lysia would step foward, saying "We did an internet search, and found that the two have other "clients", who bankroll them, as well. As near as we can figure, that "couple" has "taken" as much as thirty-five million, from families, such as your own. People seeking one, final, message, from "beyond"." After leaving this family, Lysia took a look, at our next destination, then asked "Mind if I tag along?" When Tami would say it was up to me, I would, only, ask Lysia her reason. Lysia would say "That man is an old friend. I have witnessed him making contact. It is amazing, how he can tell people things that only family would know". When Tami and I would say "Research.", Lysia would say "I agree. I would love to prove, to you, how good he is.", then she would look at me, and say "Professionally, that is". While Tami and I could find no fault, in the request, we DID remind Lysia about the point, of the investigation. What the trip, to see tha man, did point out, was that Lysia knew things, which even the Brown Agency did not know. Things, including the fact that Lysia did not even know the man was married, until his wife threatened a divorce, unless he stopped "seeing" Lysia. Lysia was, also, the driving force behind the man declining some questionable appearances. Not the least of which was a nudist colony. A place, which wanted both performers to appear, in the nude. When the man had said that he needed his cape, for some of his performance, as well as Lysia needed her costume, the nudist colony had said "Nude, or nothing." Lysia made the apologies. To our surprise, while the man had a new assistant, Tami was first to notice that he retained a framed photo, of Lysia. The man was, however, more paternal, with the young model. While he dressed, like a magician, when he "read" people, even I could FEEL his thoughts, probing us. While Lysia insisted that she had not spoken to the man, since before working with us, the man would mention that "There is a man, present, who has a dilema. He has two women, whom he loves, and who love him. I would want to say that both are his mistresses, yet neither are. More like co-workers. His dilema will not be easy to resolve. I wonder who this, lucky, man is?" When no one came forth, the man said "He will know, in time.". After the performance, the man told US, about our plane (which he described as "bat-like"), and described how Tami and I had come to work together. He, then, told Lysia "My girl, I can see that you love him, as well. I dont have to read your thoughts". When Tami asked about the very young assistant, the man would say "She is for the audience. A beautiful, young, woman, will grab almost anyones attention." The man, then, seemed to answer our questions, before we, even, asked them. He told US, about the Brown Agency, and highlights, of our past cases. He even told us about how Lysia and I met, and so on. When Tami was about to suggest "Internet research", the man would say "Computers. Never bother with them. Give me a newspaper, anyday." When Tami asked "Okay, HOW do you learn, about your subjects?" The man gave her a deep look, then told her "I see. You left home, thinking life, on your own, would be better than your mothers rules. Didn't work out, so well, did it?" When Tami asked "Name my first boyfriend" When the man asked "Boy friend, or lover?" When Tami said "Fine, first lover". The man listed the name, of a boy, whom Tami barely, mentioned. When the man said "Sorry. I didn't realize that you had hoped for more than he was willing to give". When Tami asked the man more questions, and the man, easily, provided answers, I would ask "Just curious?" the man would say "Heather Hunter. Great body. I can see why you like Lysia." When I asked "Tom Cruise?" the man would say "You have dis-liked the man, ever since he fibbed, about driving the Indianapolis 500." When he added "I agree with you. Classic movies, in black-and-white, WERE the best. Real plot-oriented stuff". What surprised both Tami and myself, was when the asistant joined us, wearing street clothes, yet looking as beautiful as ever. The man asked if we would see the girl home, safely. When we saw the girl home, Lysia would recognize the house, saying "You are Grandmama's girl, arent you?" When the girl would agree, Lysia would say "No wonder the man chose you. Her talents are legendary." The girl would say "That can be a bore, sometimes." While, at the next intercept, Tami recorded what Lysia and I did, on-stage, all that Lysia and I remembered was walking up, on stage, then joining Tami, at the exit. (What I could not understand was why I felt so refreshed, upon departing the stage. Why was Lysia smiling?) At G.S.2, Tami played back what we did not remember. Lysia just could not believe that we had done something, in front of an audience. No matter how we checked the video, we saw that all the performer did was place us into a "trance", then tell us "Do what will make you, both happy". No suggestions. No "Do this", or "Do that". Only "Do what you want to do". It seems that we did, and that was why, at G.S.2, we snacked out. While Lysia and I watched ourselves, then asked "How could we NOT remember?" Tami would show us a "trick", which had been used, in olden times. When SOME men did not want to "get caught", with certain women, the men cast a spell, which wiped out the womens memory. When I would say "Thats fine, for Lysia, but what about me?" Tami would show me a version, of the spell, which worked on BOTH sexes. All Lysia would say was "I dont know whether to be proud, or ashamed. I mean, before an audience." Tami would remind us "The magician DID tell the audience, in advance "Now that the subjects are under, they will have no memory of what they are about to do". Lysia would say "But THAT! HOW could a woman not remember?" We found out HOW, after the mans next performance. This time, we did not attend, or volunteer. This, because Lysia had said "If anything happens, I want to enjoy it". What we saw "behind the scenes", was the man hypnotizing a girl, while showing her a magic book. She thought she was reading a book of spells, while he had his way. After he was done, he asked how she liked the book. The girl left, none-the-wiser. Thanks to our recorders, though, this was the mans final "performance". When Tami put in our report, on this man, Mr. Brown would say "Time to move on". When Tami would ask "Aren't there more fakes, out there?" Mr. Brown would say "Like a battlefield continues to produce ghosts, so there will, always, be more charlatins." Away from G.S.2, Lysia and I considered that video, and snuggled, as she asked "Do we, really, love one another THAT much?" I could only say "You heard the video. The man did not tell us to do anything. He just said "Do what your hearts desire". When she kissed me, and said "Baby, he didn't say that." I kissed her as I said "Sounds better my way. More romantic. Dont you think?" After a shared "I love you", I did not return to G.S.2, until morning. Lysia caught another flight, heading back to the university. She had work to catch up on. Tami and I were headed off, on another case.

ODE TO A BICYCLE THEFT

ODE TO A BICYCLE THEFT My, what I have learned, in the days since my first bicycles were stolen, on September 1-2, 2016. For one thing, I would learn that, despite months, of a renewed exercise plan, that my body was not in nearly as good, of shape, as I thought I was in. In the time, since my first two bicycles were STOLEN, out of the basement, of my apartment building, I have learned that my leg exercises were not half as effective, as I thought these had been. In the time since I purchased a replacement bicycle (which was STOLEN, within 24 hours, of purchase. AGAIN, from the basement of my apartment building), My legs have been groaning, with the renewed effort, of WALKING around town. Now is the time when I feel that my body is, REALLY, getting in shape. While I have had SEVERAL people suggest that I purchase a FOURTH bicycle, my question has been "Why bother? When it will just be STOLEN, again" As for the police department, of my city, while many, of its officers are true, and dedicated, law enforcers, those members, in the bicycle crimes section, hold the attitude of "Who cares?", and "Just go buy yourself another "toy"", in regards to bicycle theft. While I KNOW that I NEED another bicycle, to get around town, th question is: HOW do I prevent the theft, of the next bicycle? After all, no victim is "made of money". It is much easier, to STEAL a bicycle, than to work, to PAY for one. Still, I THINK I may have an idea. Oh, how I miss my property. I hope the thieves are "enjoying" my STOLEN property.

THE HAUNTING PAST MYSTERY OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER

THE HAUNTING PAST: MYSTERY OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER While Tami and I were amazed, to see the seal, of the President of the United States, on a case file, it seems that the contents, of the file, were what warranted thee presidential seal. When Mr. Brown would say "That is correct. This request came from the Oval Office. Un-officially, ofcourse. Still, it is from the president." When Tami would inquire "I thought the president does not believe in ghosts?" Mr. Brown would say "If you observe, closely, you will find the details, of the case, and what the president wants done." According to the case-file, during the re-building, of the World Trade Center, there had been fears, that the new buildings would come, already haunted, by the spirits of those, who died on September 11th, 2001. This is why all building functions were to be controlled by Black Ops contractors. The goal being to SILENCE any ghost rumors, as they started up. For awhile, the process had worked beautifully. All reports, of spirit activity, were given to Black Ops, which filed the reports away. This was okay, as long as it was only occassional sightings, of various spirits. The problem was the "publicity hound" types. The charlatans, who began coming, to the plaza, doing all kinds of rituals, while saying things like "I feel the pain, of loss, and grief..." Most, of these people, security just escorted off of the premises. This was done as quietly as possible, since the president wanted to respect the privacy, and dignity, of the survivors. The time, when the White House was compelled to take action, was when people began sending letters, to Capital Hill, and the White House, with all the letters claiming that there were "souls, in pain", and that, for a "nominal fee", these people could lay the dead to rest. The ones, who were arrested, were those who included threats, such as "If you do not hire me to lay the souls to rest, then the dead will "rise up, and exact revenge", upon the un-believers." While most of these people were, discreetly, taken in, one television reporter went what even Tami and I would consider "too far". By the time the woman was arrested, and her film confiscated, the president requested that the woman be held, without bail, until she answered for her actions. Her "crime" was simple: She pretended to interview some of those, who had DIED, on September 11th. While the interviews were "captivating", even the president was offended, that the woman sought a bonus, from her network bosses, for appearing to interview deceased persons. This is why the president gave Tami and I a clear directive: IF these reports are false, as in live performers being paid, to pretend to be the deceased, I want them identified, and turned over, to the F.B.I., for interrogation. The file said that the Brown Agency was chosen, to investigate the matter, due to our discretion. Since almost no one knew, of our existance, this is why the president chose us. When Tami had asked "One question, sir." When Mr. Brown would say "Speak up", Tami would ask "Just on the off-chance, that these hauntings MIGHT be REAL..." Mr. Brown would say "That is why I want the two of you, on-site. If the ghosts are fakes, you will be the first to know. Whereas, IF the spirits are "real", you will follow standard procedure." About the only GOOD news, in the file, was that all government workers were to give us full cooperation. That included Black Ops. It was doubtful that we would need the aid, of the soldiers, unless the frauds were human. Still, the question lingered: "What if the spirits are REAL?" I would suggest "THAT may be the EXACT reason why WE have been called in. The off-chance that this might be an actual haunting.". As it would turn out, I was right. While the president could not, OPENLY, admit to the idea, that the new World Trade Center MIGHT be haunted, it would seem that, whether the perpetrators were alive, or spirits, the president wanted definitive answers. As the case file pointed out, there had been dozens, if not hundreds, of "psychics", who visited the plaza, ALL of whom had said "I feel a presense..." There had, also, been letters, to Capital Hill, claiming that un-specified persons were "in pain", and that, for a "minimal fee", various persons were willing to lay the dead to rest. Less than a handful, of correspondents, were arrested, by the F.B.I. All of these arrests were due to writers being foolish enough to write "If I am not hired, to lay the dead to rest, then the lost souls, from that terrible day, will "rise up", and "strike down" the White House, and Capital Hill." Then, there were three arrests made, when "performers" invaded the lobbies, of the new buildings, disrupting activities, with all manner of performances. This, while telling the "audience" "I feel the presense, of pain and suffering..." In the file, the president noted "Were it not for "Freedom of Speech", I would have had them arrested, and held, in prison, until this issue is resolved." Tami and I could not agree, more. We KNEW who the real people were, both mortal, and immortal. The fakers, often, turned our stomachs, while mixing things which were combustable, to say the least. This is the reason why the president had made it clear that the Brown Agency was their choice. The agency's history, of discretion, was legendary. (The presidents greatest hope was that our investigation would never be discovered.) The main problem, with this, was that the spirits, of 9/11 victims, were showing up all over the new plaza. Even according to Black Ops, there was no pattern, to the hauntings. Sometimes, it was a business person, in a suit, or a woman, in a Fifth Avenue dress. Maybe, it was one of the children, who had been on a field trip, on that September day. As a result, Tami and I spent WEEKS, even working with Brown Agency computers, trying to find ANY kind of pattern. It was thanks, to the construction contractors ingenuity, that Ghost Ship Two "vanished", while on site, underneath some "Under Construction" tarps. People forgot that our stealth ship was present, in no time. Still, no matter how we "sliced" it, the hauntings seemed completely random. HOW were we supposed to track spirits, inside buildings, where humans were active round-the-clock? Even the school girl, whose body had been recovered, from a pile of rubble, of what had been a lobby level, was being "witnessed", towards both the middle of the building, and the upper floors, as well. One, of the women spirits, was "witnessed" near several of the boutiques, and restaurants, inside the new building. The man, sometimes dressed in a dark blue, three-piece, suit, and a silk tie, had been "witnessed" near offices, such as a diamond processing office, a stock firm, and was even making appearances at an investment firm. When Tami and I asked the head of Black Ops, if they even considered closing the building, completely, then trying to apprehend the spirits, all that Black Ops would tell us was "Sorry. That was one of our primary idea's. Trap those sons of... But management said "No can do". We have to let business operate, on its own schedule." While Tami, myself, and even Black Ops ALL thought we had "visuals", over the next two months, everytime we checked, the "spooks" were living, breathing, people. Even as our tracking luck continued to produce negative results, security continued to receive reports. As Security pointed out, "If one of those THINGS would just injure a person, we could go after it, "guns blazing"" When Tami would ask "What good would that do? These people are, already, dead". The Black Ops director would say "Figure of speech, ma'am". While Tami and I understood what the soldiers meant, Tami and I also had experience, with mortals who DID try to shoot the dead. In fact, one of the funniest jokes we, ever, heard, was when we saw an officer pull a gun, on a spirit. When the officers partner had asked "What good will that do? They are already dead?" The officer, confronting the spirit, would ask "Any better ideas?" At that moment, no one had ANY ideas. Back in the present, it was not until the newest addition, to the World Trade Center, was finally ready to open, that Tami hoped for some "real action". While no, official, reports had been made, the file stated that, while the spirits "tampered" with construction, of each, new, building, the dead had made a point of showing up, at each Grand Opening. And, NO, I dont mean like whisps of smoke, or demons, or monsters. I mean, the dead showed up, as though prepared for either work, or school. In fact, many times, the only way to know when the living were talking to the dead, was when the living would ask "What do you think, of the new building?" It was when the dead would say "I have no idea. I died, on September 11th, 2001." With that, the spirit would dissolve. Now, Tami had a great idea. Since the spirits enjoyed appearring, at such occassions, Tami had us add our own detection meters, to the lobby decorations, even before the set up, for the ceremony. OUR goal, was to attract atleast ONE spirit, to us. This way, we could learn the reason why the spirits remained. That was SUPPOSED to be the plan, anyway. WHO would have thought that the spirits had their own, "game plan". Just as the lights, for the newest building, went bright, as though welcoming the public, the power went back off, and the buildings shadow seemed to take on an ominous, dark, shape. Shortly after this, the entire World Trade Center Plaza went dark, as section-by-section, lights shut down. Point of note: Odd thing was, neither New York City, nor Ghost Ship Two went dark. Man, though, did the spirits get a laugh, out of what happened next. As party-goers were looking around, at the darkness, wondering what was going on, a deep, male, voice broke out in the kind of "evil" laughter which, normally, is only heard, in classic, horror, movies. For reasons, which Tami and I failed to comprehend, just because of this loud laughter, party-goers panicked, and ran for the "safety", of New York City's lights. I can only guess that, after so many cases, and pursuing so many spirits, that Tami and I were "immune" to such theatrics. When a man, in a sea captains uniform, approached us, asking "Are you not scared, and chilled to your bones?" Tami would ask "Why?" When the man, whose voice was like a booming stereo, with the bass turned up, to loud, would ask "Do you not fear ghosts, creepy-crawlies, or even dying?" Tami would shrug her shoulders as she said "Everybody dies. It is just a question of where, when, and how." When the sea captain shook some, nearby, tree's, while making a ghostly wail, Tami would say "Cut the theatrics. Are YOU one of the resident spirits?" When the man would ask "Resident what?" Tami would ask "Are you one of those, who perished, at the W.T.C., on September 11th, 2001?" The man would say "My dear, this IS September 11th, 2001". When Tami would ask "Wanna bet?" The man would check his wristwatch, then say "See, I told you." as he showed us his wristwatch "It is 9:15 A.M., September 11th, 2001". This is when Tami would ask the man the "shocker question". "If it is 9:15 A.M., then WHY is this place as dark as midnight?" When the moon appearred, overhead, and Tami asked the man "Since when does the moon, and stars, come out, in the morning?" When the sea captain asked Tami "Fair lady, just WHAT date do YOU think it is?" When Tami told the man the current date, and time, his next question was natural. "Where have **I** been, all this time?" Tami would soften her approach as she would say "I would like to think that you have remained, to watch over your loved ones". When the man would say "Do not be absurd, young woman. I am a life-time member, of the Merchant Marine. I am dedicated to only one mistress and her name is the sea" When Tami would ask "What about the other spirits?" and Tami began listing names, the man would, only, say "I do not know those names. I do know that there are others about the area." When Tami would ask "Would you ask some of them to step forward, and talk to us?" The man would caution "Be aware. Most of us prefer our privacy" Tami would add "Just as we do, in life." By this time, the plaza was vacant, of the living, so Tami felt no problem in calling after the man "How about turning the power back on?" While the merchant marine turned, to look back, at us, section-by-section, the plaza's lights returned to life. When Tami would call out "Thank You", the merchant marine would say "It was not I" He would, then, fade away, leaving us with more questions than answers. Later, on-board G.S.2, Tami and I would agree. While the merchant marine was a bit "heavy handed", in his theatrics, we just did not see him as being behind the laughter, or the black-out. No, someone ELSE wanted our attention. The question was: WHO? While we did not find out WHO, for some time to come, we DID locate a reasonable explanation, for WHY. According to the records, when the twin towers fell, the debris flattened this location, burying an un-specified number, of victims, inside. People who died, under the crushing weight, of hundreds of tons, of debris. Sure, the debris had been removed, and sifted, for body parts, however, the one thing, which no search gear is designed to locate is the human soul/spirit. This is where Tami and I came in. I would use all of my senses, to locate the spirits, while Tami held conversations, with the spirits, including final requests. The most difficult part, of this exercise, however, was in holding a rabid media at bay. It would seem that someone had started a rumor, about New York bringing in the 1980's version of the Ghost Busters. The media was swarming the plaza, with each reporter HOPING to be the FIRST to spot the ghost busters ambulance. For a few hours, the media was "alive", with speculation, about when, where, and how, the ghost busters would be called in. At the suggestion, of the White House, New Yorks mayor declined to issue a statement. New York, and the White House agreed "Let the media think, and say, whatever they wanted to". While New Yorkers were waiting, and watching, for Ecto 1 to drive into town, I had located as many as twenty souls, which I forwarded to Tami. Most, of what we encountered, inside the building, was neither menacing, nor frightening. Most of the souls were, simply, lost, and scared. People who did not understand. Death had been upon them, so quickly, they had no time, for final thoughts. Atleast one woman was fearful, of coming forward since, according to her story, after her children were born, she had accepted a promotion, at work, and began working longer hours. Since a co-worker was more "accessable", than her husband, the two were involved, in a prolonged affair, on that fateful day. Now, the woman was fearful that 9/11 had been God's way, of punishing her infidelity. While some, of the souls, were joyous, when Mother Superior appearred, others were fearful, when the Enforcer Demon appearred, as well. Even I was amazed at how, whether in a nun's habit, or a business suit (which the nun, currently, wore), Mother Superior commanded RESPECT. In my personal opinion, I believe that Mother Superior could command respect, even in a bikini. The woman just had an "air" of "IM in charge". The same air as the high priestess, of each, Wiccan, coven. The souls only seemed a bit relaxed when the Ennforcer Demon would inform us "I am here, strictly, to ensure that the transition proceeds smoothly". When Tami would suggest "You want to avoid a repeat, of that, other, incident, correct" The Enforcer Demon would say "The paperwork, for that one, was a real nightmare. I will spare you the details. Like the nun, I am here, just to observe, and verify". Mother Superior would correct the Enforcer Demon, saying "**I** am here, to ensure that the Lord's children make their way, to the Heavenly gates". When Tami would suggest "You MAY have a boatload full, on this trip." The nun would say "The chairman ALWAYS has plenty of room, for his children". Of this, neither Tami, nor I, had any doubts. Now, I will grant that, over the next week, there were some "unusual" cloud formations, over the World Trade Center Plaza, however, it really took some imagination, for someone to produce those internet pictures, of the new towers. Pictures, which displayed demons "embracing" the new towers. While the pictures were pulled, within an hour, over 1.5 million copies had been downloaded, by that time. When Tami decided to play a joke, on the "vandals", who published the pictures, by having Mr. Black create some "divine fakes", of our own. When Tami's pictures were published, with one showing two angels, kneeling, on opposite sides, of the new towers, and another picture, showing an angel, embracing the buildings, and yet another, showing the Chairman/God appearing to lay praise, on the new towers, even Tami could not believe how FAST downloads exceeded 250 million. Via comm-link, Mr. Black would joke, with Tami "Split the profits, with you, 50/50". Tami laughed at this, as well, since even SHE knew Brown Agency policy, in such matters. Still, it was fun, to laugh, about it. Between my partner, and the nun, the processing went fairly smoothly. Ofcourse, there were the usual questions, such as spirits asking "Am I worthy of Heaven?", as well as "What will happen, when I go before Gabriel?" Mother Superior, always, got a laugh, out of the mortals, who thought that the Arch-Angel was either a monster, or a "fire-and-brimstone" judge. As Mother Superior had said, many times "As angels go, he's a pretty nice guy". While I, sometimes, wondered if **I** would have to atone, for THINKING about other mens wives, Tami's concern, since meeting Mother Superior, had been "HOW will I atone, for my days, of drug, and alcohol, use? How will I atone, for failing to honor my parents?" While Mother Superior would not commit, Tami and I just HOPED that our deeds, in aiding the living, and the deceased, would earn us some bonus points, when our times came. Still, Tami and I agreed that, the more souls we aided, the more peace we brought, to the living. As many as 250 families, now, had peace of mind, due to our services. The children, from the tour group, were the most difficult, to cross over. This, because a bully, among the students, was taunting class-mates, with whispers, of how anyone, who was not, totally "perfect" would be cast out of Heaven, to burn, forever, in the pit of Hell. When Mother Superior found the bully terrorizing some students, the nun taught the child the meaning of "Corporal/capital Punishment". When the nun tossed the bully, to the Enforcer Demon, and the bully cried out "Thats not fair!" The nun would ask "Not fair?" When the bully said "That right" The nun would ask "Was it fair, when you were terrorizing your class-mates?" When the bully said "Stupid whimps. Not an ONCE of courage. They get what they deserve". When the nun would say "In that case, say Hello to Lucifer, for me". The last we saw, of the bully, was when the Enforcer Demon was dragging the yelling, crying, bully away. Demon, and bully dissolved, into the night. Still, my partner, and the nun, had their "hands full", for the next few days, as more souls came forward. For a few, of the most deeply religious, their family members spirits would appear, before the souls, with open arms, to bring the souls to Heaven. While the ladies handled the processing, of the souls, I returned to G.S.2, and started processing "last messages". While most of the messages were responded to with "Thank You", the one request, which the Port Authority refused, flat out, was to stop all commercial development, at the plaza. The request was to turn the plaza into a huge memorial. As the Port Authority would say "That is PRIME real estate. It is worth millions, in income. The city NEEDS this income." Tami and I agreed to leave the GREED, of the mortals, to the JUSTICE, of the spirit world. We were just messengers. If people did not like the messages. That was their problem, not ours. While Tami and I were certain that not everyone, at the W.T.C. was "processed", there was nothing we could do, to force the issue. After all, HOW does one compel a spirit to do anything? When G.S.2 departed the World Trade Center, to proceed to an air force base, for fuel and supplies, we heard the pilot tell the co-pilot "This time, listen and obey. Stay away from that bar maid. Got it?" The co-pilot would say "If you say so" It would be while re-fuelling, and re-provisioning, at the air force base, that our next case file arrived, from Mr. Brown. This time, Tami and I were being requested to aid a mortal, whose relatives thought the woman was being scammed, by a fake "medium". It was another of those "I can feel the presense of..." types. Tami and I had run across them, before. We were just happy, that these fakes hated us as much as we hated them taking advantage of people. Seances, and rapping on tables. Pure childhood games. Still, a family was asking our help. On to the next case.

THE HAUNTING PAST MYSTERY OF THE DARK MAGIC COVEN

THE HAUNTING PAST: MYSTERY OF THE DARK MAGIC COVEN Having just completed the mystery, of the drive-in theaters, Ghost Ship Two was cruising, for our next, PAID, case. A case which, as bizzarre as it may seem, involved yet ANOTHER light house. Now, even I will admit that lighthouses have a history, as full, and rich, as America, herself, yet the file contained only the identities, of those who had been drenched, or tied up. The file contained NO background, at all. As a result, if Tami and I accepted this case, WE would be developing the case, from the ground, up. What really got on our nerves, as well, was the fact that the file did not even suggest WHO MIGHT be haunting the property. While G.S.2 was at cruising altitude, and we were about two hours, from our destination, the Brown Agency did something the boss, rarely, did. Using "flash traffic", Mr. Brown set us an upload file, which included a course change, for our pilots. When Tami opened the file, the first line read "The drenchings, and tying ups, will have to wait. URGENT! Detour to the following coordinates. Reason contained within main file. According to the main file, a group, of high school teens, had taken a water taxi for a ride, on some in-land waterway. The problem was not only that the water taxi was hours overdue, but that atleast two, of the students, on-board, had serious, medical, needs. The police had been searching, for the water taxi, for hours, yet with no luck. When Tami suggested "The taxi is only three hours late, and there is no ransom demand. What makes people think the taxi did not just have engine trouble, and that it is not just sheltered, in some cove?" Tami and I found the reason, for the concern, in the medical attachment. Atleast one, of the students, had some condition, which required medication, every six hours. Since the water taxi was missing, for 4.5 hours, so far, there was only 90 minutes, to find the student, and give them their medication. The main problem, with the file, was that the contents included so much medical jargon, that it would take us DAYS, just to understand the contents. When Tami vid-linked, with the secretary, asking WHAT the contents, of the file, meant, in simple English, the secretary would say "From what **I** understand, thirty minutes, beyond the medication deadline, and, I THINK, the students life signs will begin to shut down. At approximately seven hours, it will be time to call the coronner." When Tami would ask "With just 90 minutes, WHAT can they expect US to do?" The secretary would say "We have been asked to have your plane use its electronics, and sensors, for one, final, sweep, of the waterways. If you pick up the taxi, then transport the patients to the nearest hospital, immediately". (Neither of us wanted to ask what we should do, if we arrived, late.) I have to hand it to our pilots. They brought Ghost Ship Two so close, to the water, that the sensors recorded the fish population, and other "debris", even as we followed the taxi's assigned route. Our pilots were so determined to make a thorough search, of the area, that the men kept G.S.2 just beyond stall speed, while we kept the sensors at maximum power. It was while the four of us were searching, for even the smallest of clues, that one, of the students, who had medical needs, appearred, in our camera area. When we brought the student aboard G.S.2, the student would ask us "Please, tell my parents that this was NOT their fault. No one could have forseen. Tell them I will, always, love them". When Tami would ask the student "Would you show us where the taxi is?" The student would say "I am sorry, but I must go, now". Less than a moment later, the student vanished, and another student showed up, eyes, full of tears. The student seemed to be whispering "Sorry", then dissolved. When we found the water taxi, it was treading water and, according to our instruments, the water, around the boat, was icy cold. Hypothermia, on top of medical conditions. Even as our pilots were aiding the floundering boat, the captain was, still, trying to make repairs. This, even as G.S.2 removed the students, and the bodies, and flew these to the local hospital. While Tami and I waited, outside the hospital, as the bodies were identified, we could have been in the next state, or even in Europe, and we would have heard each, of the mothers anguished cries, while identification was being made. As far as anyone could understand, a part, of the boats engine, had shorted out, and stopped pumping water out of the hull. After enough water had gotten inside the hull, the engine had shut down. The pilot was working to stop the leak, so he could pump the boat dry, and re-start the engine, when G.S.2 had arrived. Once the survivors were un-loaded, at the hospital, Tami and I did not stick around, for "thank you's". Tami simply wrote the students message, on a slip of paper, and placed this inside the corpses pocket. If it were up to Tami and I, we would have departed the area, immediately. That is, it seems, until local law enforement had another matter which they wanted to discuss. Parking G.S.2 in a shopping center parking lot, Tami had me drive us to the police station. A place, where the matter, of a disabled water taxi was the LEAST of the concern. By this time, Tami and I had become accustomed to entering places, only to be hustled, quickly, and quietly, to side rooms. (It would seem that our "legend", as "ghost-busters", was becoming even better known than even we could have dreamed of). When the Chief of Police, joined us, in the conference room, Tami and I were ready for the usual "This is, completely, OFF the record, right?" When Tami and I agreed, the chief would say "One, silver, lining, to that taxi tragedy. Atleast no one is paying attentioon to the fact that a brand new, multi-million dollar, boat, has vanished." When Tami and I looked at the chief, then the man would say ""Not vanished, as in stolen. That thing was too BIG for anyone to steal.. No, I mean that ship disappearred". When Tami would ask "When, and where", the chief would produce a map, showing the "where". As for the "when", the chief would say "We THINK it was just a few hours ago. Cant be more certain, since every set of eyes, in this whole area, was looking for the water taxi". When Tami would ask "What if the crew just took the ship out". The chief would say "If anyone saw that boat, they would know it. We are not talking a row-bat, here. We are talking about a floating casino". When I suggested "Rival gamblers?" The chief would say "As soon as I got word, I set every port, within miles, on alert. No one has reported seeing the ship". When Tami would ask "Chief, what aren't you telling us?" The chief seemed hesitant, as Tami would say "Let me guess. This is not the first boat to go missing, is it". When the chief would, quietly, say "No, ma'am", I would add "This is the reason why you KNOW the WHERE. Other boats have gone missing." The chief almost whispered "Cars, and hikers, too". When Tami seemed puzzled, the chief would say "We have been over the ground, and dragged the water, over and over. I just cant explain it". When Tami would ask "So, why call us in?" The chief would say "The ships owners aint happy. $95 million, they put into that boat. They want the boat back, or the town will have to re-imburse the investors". When Tami would say "Let me guess. Re-payment would bankrupt the communnity". The chief would say "Wipe us clean off the map. Locals generate just enough money, to cover costs. This is why, when I heard you were around, I was hoping your plane could find the boat. Just as you found the water taxi". When Tami would ask "Ball park it for us. How MANY boats have gone missing? 4, maybe 5?" The chief would say "Multiply that by 100. Shipping is starting to avoid this area. Delivery companies make us pick up our supplies, in our own vehicles. If we dont find out what is going on, and soon, this town will not exist, anymore. It will be another victim of this accursed New World Order". This was a story Tami and I heard, many times over. Towns, which had, once, prospered, while HUMANS were employed, at manufacturing plants, under the old economy, were becoming barren derelicts. All because management had been shown how to save money, by dumping humans, in favor of robots. The computer programmers, even today, failed to understand that it was people who stimulated the economy, by WORKING, for salaries. Wages, which humans used, to pay bills, and buy goods. Now, thanks to plant mechanization, production was more efficient, than ever, however, with humans un-employed, there were no customers, to purcase the produced goods. This is why, in desperation, to "save" economies, but with-OUT creating manufacturing jobs, many cities had turned to legalized gambling, for replacement revenue. Government had found that people, though un-employed, were willing to gamble their lives away, all in the hopes of winning enough money, to pay bills, and eliminating debts, with gambling winnings. (In point of fact, only 1, out of every 100,000, gamblers, achieves this goal.) Thanks to the "New World Order", un-adjusted un-employment was well over 60%, with more job losses, everyday. Still, the government REFUSED to return the nation, to its manufacturing roots. Government was determined to finance operations, strictly through gambling revenues. Investors were encouraged to take enormous gambles, on newer, and larger, ships, while the government told the public "Be patient. EVENTUALLY, SOME-day, the economy will return, on its own". This is what had lead to the new boat being built. While the local community was, openly, opposed, to gambling, atleast the ship-building industry was fully employed. Two hundreed people had found work, on the boats construction, and their wages were aiding the towns "survival". Now that the boat was nearing completion, the investors had ordered a "shake down" cruise, in order to learn if their money was well-spent. While the investors had specified a launch time, three hours ahead of the actual departure time, the boat was required to wait until the tide was in, before launching. The shipyard had confirmed that the ship had departed, logging in the time, direction, and speed, of the departing boat. Later, a few people, not involved in the search actrivities, reported seeing the boat, on course, and under power. The final group, to report seeing the boat, were estimated to have seen the boat, maybe five, or ten, minutes, before it vanished. The witnesses reported "Nothing seemed strange". Now, a $95 million gambling boat had joined the "ranks", of cargo ships, yachts, automobiles, hikers, and so on. The chief would say "What puzzles me is the LO Jack signals. The department has used Lo Jack signals, to find stolen cars. The system works well, in, and around, town." Tami would suggest But, cars, which disappear, in this area", Tami would indicate the maps highlighted area "Do not leave a LO Jack signal?" The chief would say "No, ma'am. Nothing we can trace, anyway. Just like the boats. Even G.P.S. just does not work, in that area". After thanking the police chief, for his time, and returning to G.S.2, for our gear, our pilots would agree to do some circuits, over the afflicated area. When Tami would caution "Be careful", our pilot would say "Yes, ma'am. We KNOW how much this plane cost." Tami would say "I wasn't thinking about the plane. I just would not want the duty, of notifying your families." The co-pilot would smile as he said "We will be careful". While Tami and I visited some sights, G.S.2 was criss-crossing the suspected area, but with no results. To Tami, I would suggest "I wonder what phase the moon was in, last night?" When Tami called up the data, she confirmed what we, both, thought. Last night was the final night, of this months full moon cycle. I would suggest "We have three weeks to prepare". The way Tami would say "Swell" seemed like she was looking forward to her part, of this job, even less than I was. When the Brown Agency messaged us, saying "The ships investors are offering a ten million dollar reward, for return of the ship" Tami would suggest "Better hang on. We are about to be inundated, with "fortune hunters". Sure enough, within five days, the shore-line was so "thick", with "treasure seekers", that locals could neither fish, nor swim. The police department had to commandeer a former store front, for processing all of the junk, which the hunters brought in. While Tami and I understood that the ten million would be a reward, for either returning the ship, or for the confirmed whereabouts, of same, fortune hunters could only see the dollar signs. The local dive, shop had to rent equipment, from regional dive suppliers, to cope with the needs, of the fortune hunters. While the police had to break up fist-fights, on the shore, as "prospectors" fought over WHO had found WHAT, the search-and-rescue team were kept busy, retrieving the bodies, of in-experienced divers. So many people thought that all they had to do was place the scuba tanks, and a face mask, on their bodies, and they were ready to dive. Not one, of these people, understood that tank valves must be manually turned on, for air flow. While the police were kept busy, recovering divers, Tami was conversing with locals, even as I worked on finding out just how MANY ships, including the names, and points, of disappearances, where ships had gone missing. When the morgue had to rent out freezer space, to handle the number, of bodies, which were being retrieved, by search-and-rescue, the police chief decided to offer the ships investors a compromise. Either the ships investors would begin paying ALL of the bills, including storage, overtime, and so on, for the fortune-hunting fiasco, OR the investors could rescind the ten million dollar reward. When the investors told the police chief "We want our ship back", the police chief would, no-sooner say "Fine. My department begins billing you, for ALL of this, as of tonight". When the investors asked, and the chief told then the current cost, of operations, the investors thought the chief was "padding" the bill. That is, until the chief produced the receipts. When the investors would give in, saying "We will make an announcement, in the local paper. The morning edition." The chief would say "Thanks. You just saved everyone a LOT of money." Within twenty-four hours, of the announcement, the fortune hunters had fled, leaving locals to clean up the mess, left behind. As Tami and I had, long-since learned, nothing builds better relations than working, side-by-side, with people. While Tami assisted with writing up damage control reports (and engaging in conversation, whenever posible), I would join the "dirtier" end, by aiding in the clean up, of the debris, and trash. The fortune hunters were so very messy. It was as if all the fortune hunters cared about was the "pot of gold". Tami was able to gain much more access, to local information, just by asking about the crews, of the various ships, which stopped by this port. Esapecially those crew members who were "local", and which members were from other ports. By contrast, the workers, on the clean up crew were much more "guarded". Anytime a conversation started up, among the men, especially about the KINDS of ships, which had vanished, I made sure my own recorder was turned on. NEVER did Tami nor I, ask how much various items were worth. We wanted to know about crews knowledge, and ships abilities. Not surprising, when Tami and I met, back at G.S.2, Tami would report that only 2.5% of the workers, on most of the ships, were locals. 95-98%, of the work-force, were from out-of-town. Maybe even from out-of-state. What puzzled me, even more than the variations, of sizes, of vanished items, was the scale of what had been "stolen". I mean, row-boats, and sedans, can be packed into a semi, and hauled away, un-detected, but HOW does one haul away a 200-ton cargo carrier, or a gambling boat? Items, which are as long as two football fields, and as tall as buildings. Even Tami shrugged at how such feats were accomplished. Especially since her own interviews showed that widows, and grand-mothers, knew more, of what went on, locally, then even the police did. Tami was pretty certain that, if this town were like her home-town, that the seniors would have seen something. While Tami and I accepted the invitation, to the high schoolers funerals, I just could not beleive that, after just one hour, in cold water, mixed with late medications, could, really, cause death. This, even though a Brown Agency medical doctor said such events happened, regularly. When I had mentioned that most medications have a "four hour window", of effectiveness, the doctor would say "Depends upon the disease, and the patient. Add in Hypothermia, and four hours can become as little as fifteen minutes." When the doctor would add "In extreme conditions", I would ask "You mean extreme, medical, conditions", the doctor would add "Extreme cold, like the dead, of winter, in the north, or extreme heat, like the desert". (And I thought my life was tough, consuming nine, seperate, drugs, everyday) Tami had, also, learned that, with the diseases in question, medications, taken by mouth, would not have been effective enough. Each, of the students had faced daily injections, four times each day. Not a "life" I would wish on anyone. As for the funerals, of people, so young, the services would be dedicated to the persons childhood. I just dont know who was saddest, at the ceremony. The teens mothers, or the taxi driver. A man, who was grief-stricken that his boat had broken down, with innocent life on-board. When an older gentleman would appear, behind us, asking "Would you tell my son not to grieve, so deeply. It was not his fault, that the pump failed. It could have happened to any of us". The gentleman then gave Tami a "code", so his son would understand that the information was real. After this, the gentleman faded, and one of the students appearred, to Tami and I, asking "Would you tell my parents to stop balling. I have, never, felt better. No more shots. No more, rigid schedule. I am free to be me. I want them to be as happy as I am". When Tami would ask "How will they know the message is from you?" The student would say "Tell them purple Scooby Doo! says so".. After the service, I let Tami take lead. After all, Tami is the "people person", while I am just "excess baggage". The taxi driver must have believed the message since he made the "Sign, of the cross", then embraced Tami. When Tami tried to temper the message, to the one students parents, with gentler wording, both parents said "Thats not from her. We KNOW our daughter. She was, never, so polite". When Tami, then, gave the parents the actual message, word-for-word, the parents just looked at her. When Tami apologized, for the tone, the parents just looked at one another, then the father told Tami "THAT sounds like our daughter". While the funeral was letting out, and Tami asked the other parents "I thought Scooby Doo! was a brown, Greate Dane". The father would say "You have to remember that children go through stages/phases. IN our daughters case, she had a thing, for purple. She loves Scooby Doo!, but she loved purple, as well. We never found out where she got the dye, but she got some purple dye." The mother would say "The mess that girl made. Heavens. She not only died Scooby Doo, purple, but she got covered, in the dye, as well". Her father would add "The school wanted to put her out, on medical, until the color faded away" "But, my husband asked "Why? She isn't sick. She's just purple." That girl could be so impulsive". When Tami would ask "What happened to purple Scooby Doo!?" The mother would say "He remains on the top shelf, all by himself. My daughter had other toys, which came and went, but purple Scooby Doo! was her LOVE". After talking with both groups, Tami would tell me "No wonder they want the disappearances solved. This place is even less like a community, then my own home town. This place is like a family. Later, as Tami and I were taking a stroll, on a walking trail, which overlooked the waterway, we watched as the full moon crested a local hill. As we observed the waterway, for some reason, in the early twilight, a container ships lights went out, even as the ship seemed to coast to a stop, on the waterway. Moments later, the ship vanished, as though behind a curtain. It was just too bad that we were so far away. We just could not make out any details, By the time we returned, to G.S.2, grabbed our gear, then returned to the area, a search party was, already, present, searching for a lost bicyclist. According to the missing teens fellow riders, the group was just riding the trail, when the riders watched as the lead rider vanished. When Tami would ask "What time did this occur?" When the cyclist spoke, we found out that the cyclist, who had vanished, had done so, maybe ten minutes AFTER the ship had vanished. When Tami viewed the sky, and the youth asked if the riders were in danger, Tami would be the one to say "Dont worry. You see. The moon is beyond the horizon." When the police chief would ask "What was that?" Tami would say "Items only disappear, when the full moon is overhead. Currently, there is NO moon, so the area is safe". When the police chief took Tami and I aside, asking Tami "What is all this nonsense, about the moon." Tami tried to explain, but the chief was not in a listening mood. Especially when he asked "HOW do you know all of this?" Tami turned to me and, using everyday terms, I explained how Tami and I had witnessed houses, changing their appearance, as well as houses, appearing, as if from nowhere. Spirits, who were most talkative, when the full moon was overhead. To all of this, the police chief would say "I will put a stop to this, right NOW!". With that, the chief called the station, asking "Look up the dates, of the vanishings. I want to know if there was anything "funny" going on. Have it ready, when I get there". On the way, to the station, the chief just kept saying "Full moon. What nonsense. A couple of crack-pots. Thats what you are. Full moon, HA!" Personally, I was pretty certain that the police chief was about to "book" both of us, until we arrived, at the police station. When the chief asked his staff officer "Well, what did you find out?" The officer would say "Nothing strange, or spooky. No witches, werewolves, or any other, such activity. If that is what you mean". It was right after the chief looked at us, saying "HA! Blows you right out of the water, doesn't it? Nothing bizzarre going on..." This is when the staff officer would add "Chief, about the only thing I DID find, though its not "starange", is the fact that, when I checked the dates, on the calendar, it seems that every disappearance happened, on a full moon night. Dont know what that means..." When the chief would say "Repeat that stuff, about the moon", the staff officer would call up the dates, of each disappearance, then cpompare this to the lunar cycle. When the chief would turn to us, asking "How can that be? The moon is just a chunk of rock". Tami would say "To some cultures, the moon is a symbol, of great power. People worship the moon. People have sex, under the moon, for various reasons. Crops are planted by the moon. Nations have even been invaded, based upon the moon." When the chief would ask "So you REALLY believe in this stuff?" I would say "In our line of work, the moon is like our time clock.". When the chief would ask "How do I protect my people from the MOON?" Tami would suggest "Allow us to understand WHY the moon is doing this. Just keep your people clear, of the area, until we understand WHAT is going on" When the chief would ask "WHAT do I tell the town council?" Tami would suggest "Why not try saying that we are investigating rumors. You want to be sure, of fact versus fiction, before releasing details". The police chief woulkd say "That would buy us SOME time. How much time do you think you would need?" Tami would say "About five weeks. We need to understand the WHERE, before we learn the WHAT". Even with our pilots assistance, Tami and I were un-able to complete our "base-line", before the last quarter moon. During the last quarter, to the first quarter, of the moon, Tami and I heard, and recorded, the sounds, of machinery, coming as if from underground. The problem was that the sounds did not, always, come. In a few cases, just as Tami and I thought we were "closing in", on the sounds, we heard something similar to doors closing. When Tami asked around town, she was surprised at how many people KNEW what we had heard. Locals reported hearing the sounds, "regularly"". When we checked the town hall records, though, the records proved the city council correct. No one had done any digging, or moved machines in. Atleast not in the past 75 years, which the records covered. If we wanted access, to even OLDER records, Tami knew what this would mean. While my own review, of the landscape, showed evidence, of past structures, which the towns official records did NOT show, the one thing I found no evidence for, was the ventilation shafts, which machines would need, to vent exhaust gasses. By the time, of the next, full moon, the most "solid evidence" which Tami had found, was the proposition, that an ancestor, of professor Einstein, had, allegedly, been conducting experiments, with both time and space. Tami would note, in her daily report, to the Brown Agency, "No hard evidence, as yet". Then, there was the conflicting lore, about witches, or demons, or aliens. Either casting spells, or setting up tech, which humans would never understand, for several centuries to come. Tami just did not know which she found most hilarious. Demons, working black magic, and making things disappear, just for the "Fun, of it?" O-R Witches, brewing a spell, so that, under the light, of the moon, anyone, who DARED enter coven property, without permission, would be "sent away". (The lore never said "WHERE" though). As to how successful the spell had been, the fact that the coven was captured, tortured, into confession, then burned, alive, brought Tami to the conclusion that "The spell failed". IF it were a spell, though, this left the question of "Why did it linger, after the Wiccans were burned to death?" Was some, living, person controling it? OR, vice versa?" My own attachments, to the daily reports, added very little clarity, to reports contents. All that I had managed to locate were various, stone, foundations, and some long-deserted structures. These units must have been VERY OLD, since the forest was "re-claiming the stone". I, too, found many stories, inncluding one, about a ships captain, who, allegedly, cursed the lord, for sending a storm, which caused a ships departure time to be three days behind schedule. The story claims that, when the captain cursed the Lord, a "wonder", of clear skies, opened, before his ship, and he sailed from harbor. The legend goes on to say that, as the ship was passing a certain point, the captain was heard to say "Now, he knows who the boss is". The legend says that, suposedly, upon the Lord hearing these words, the Lord sent a series, of lightning bolts, which struck the ship, causing the ship to explode, and sending the ship to the bottom of the river. When I recruited our co-pilot, to dive the waterway, with me, all that we found were centuries worth, of old junk, and refuse. "Not a ships outline in sight". What we, also, did NOT find, were "man-eating monsters", or the wreckage, of large ships. By the time we exited the water, the one thing we could confirm was that this was NO "graveyard, of ships". As for the rumors, about the pre-Einstein theories, of space and time, Tami, myself, and our pilots, all agreed that such were impossible to prove. This is, in fact, the reason why these notions are referred to as THEORIES. While Mr. Black was able to tap some science fiction, about how time, and space, might work, the problem remained the amount of energy needed, for such "events" to take place. Energy which, at present, was beyond our ability to create. Tami also "tossed out" the "alien" angle, since it would be impossible to "hide" such technology. And, regardless of what mythology might propose, neither Heaven, nor Hades, would use so much power, JUST for making a joke. Like it or not, the Wiccans, and a protection spell, seemed our most "logical" solution. When, during the next seven nights, of the full moon, Tami and I "staked out" the area, of the disappearances, including the spot where we had witnessed the ship disappear. Tami and I spent those, seven, nights, watching ships, cars, and people, coming and going. Still, Tami continued her research, into likely causes, for the disappearances. Sure, there were legends, lore, and camp-fire stories, in abundance, but none of these aided our investigation, any more than the full moon did. Granted, ALL, of the disappearances, were on full moon nights. What Tami, soon, discovered, though was that there were "gaps", in the time-line. In fact, one of the reasons why locals "wrote off" the disappearances, was because there were periods, of as much as YEARS, between disappearances. Sometimes, there was only one disappearance, per full moon cycle. Then, there was one, full moon, cycle, where, on a single night, fifteen cars, and as many as fifty people, had vanished. When even the Brown Agency computers could provide no rational explanation, for the events, Tami made contact with our local, Wiccan, coven, requesting an introduction, to our "on-scene" coven. What always un-nerved us was how the Wiccans always KNEW what we wanted, before we asked. When Tami asked me if I thought that the Wiccans were "eavesdropping", on us, I had to remind my partner that "The Wiccan Way", is to be knowledgeable of th world. To be aware is to be enlightened. Just dont ask me HOW, but the local coven knew, to come to G.S.2, even before we contacted our hometown coven. It was just amazing how much the Wiccans knew, of our "progress", to date. Still, while neither acting "superior", nor "condescennding", the Wiccans made us aware of some of the parts, of world history, which had been ommitted not only from the Christian Bible, but ommitted, from history books, as well. Such included the story, of a village, which decided to "mark" all of its women, with a tattoo, type of brand. The Christian church was preaching that women, pure of heart, and soul, as well as devoted, to the church, would suffer no dis-comfort, from the branding. Never mind that over half, of the tattoo artists regular, male, customers, fell ill, after being "branded". (This, in a time before instruments were sterilized, before, and after, each use). The covens record keeper would inform us that "As many as nine, out of every ten, women, did suffer side effects, from the "branding". This was the result, NOT of Satanic Worship, but of contaminated instruments. Even so, those people, who fell ill, would be condemned, and sent away, from the village. When Tami would ask "What did the coven do?" The record Keeper would say "The coven was willing to nurse any sick person, who would accept the covens assistance." When Tami would ask "But, not all?" The records keeper would say "Some were so terrified, of the churches power, that these, poor, souls, avoided all treatment, in a vane attempt to "atone" before God". When Tami would ask "How many died?" The records keeper would say "Of those, who declined our assistance, ALL of their number." When Tami would ask "Of those, who sought out Wiccan, healing, practices?" The records keeper would say "The coven saved three, out of every four. You see, we were dealing with a situation where, once an instrumennt was used, on an infected person, then used on others, the infection only spread". Tami would say "Like V.D., or the common cold. The more exposure, the greater the risk." The records keeper would add "Even our most potent potions just could not help some recover". When I would ask "Those, who recovered. Did they return home?" The coven high priestess would laugh, as she said "Hardly, young man". When I asked "Define, please" The high priestess would say "Once a person fell ill, and the church decided that the illness was the "Mark, of the Devil", the victims were banished, for the remainder of their lifetimes." When Tami would step in, asking "Okay, so what did happen to the victims, who were cured?" The records keeper would produce a list, of where the people travelled to, back in the day. The high priestess would add "Some did remain, within the coven, in the hope of, one day, rejoining their families". The records keeper would, then add "Un-fortunately, there were those who were bitter, at the branding, and who turned "dark", once healed. These people wanted to use magic to seek revenge, on those who had branded, then exiled, them" When Tami would ask "Where did these people go?" The high priestess would start by saying "You must understand, first and foremost, that the Wiccan Way is the way of healing, and nurturing, life. No matter how Hollywood portrays us. We embrace light, and wisdom". Then, the high priestess would continue "For those, who choose the darkness, of the world, the coven is NO place for them. They are banished." When Tami would ask "To where?" The high priestess would say "The place where ships, cars, and people, vanish. Do not worry, though, since the doorway is one way. No evil may escape from the dark place." When Tami would ask "What of the victims? What becomes of those, who are trapped, through no fault of their own?" The high priestess would say "Who knows. We neither seek out, nor sanction, evil". When Tami would say "So, thats all? The innocent, condemned, with the guilty?" The high priestess would ask Tami "What would you have us do? Release that evil, upon the world?" Tami knew, even before she checked with on-line sources, what the response would be. Still, she had to cheeck. Not surprisingly, almost ALL of the lore, stated that "domains, of evil", were twenty-four hour orgy palaces, where human blood flowed, and was consumeed, like water. Wild sex was the order, of the day, and ofcourse, infants were cut up, and consumed. Tami had seen such images, so often, in the past, that she had become immune to the effects, of the visuals. Especially since the Garrgoyle case. In this case, though, the coven were willing to compromise. The high priestess offered Tami and I safe passage INTO the "realm of darkness". (The CATCH was that we would have to find our own way out). To myself, this would have been fine, IF the transport were only town-to-town, or state-to-state. But dimension-to-dimension? (Not exactly a "walk in the park") When the Wiccans produced amulets, saying "When you are near an exit, these will point the way". When I would ask "Just how LARGE is this, other, dimension?" The Wiccans would say "Who can say? We have, never, been there. Tami would ask them "HOW do you know these things will work?" The high priestess would say "Faith, is the source, of all life". Two weeks, of research, later, and all Tami and I had to show, for our efforts, was that this other dimension COULD be as small as a ball-bearing. OR, it COULD be as large as our solar system. When first Tami, then both of us, met with the local, Wiccan, coven, the very first thing the high priestess would remind us of was the fact that there were two, seperate, kinds of magic. There was "white" magic. This promoted health, and healing, and was the Wiccan way. As the high priestess would say "White magic prefers to live in balance, with the natural world. The powers are only manifest, in the most powerful form, when battle is un-avoidable." When Tami would ask "What can you tell us, about the dark group?" The council, of Wicca, then provided Tami and I with another of those "Mist of Time" re-plays. The "mist" showed us, of all things, teen girls, being swapped, between members, during soome kind of ceremony. (What shocked even ME was how, at most, only one girl out of every couple of dozen, girls, was under the age of twelve.) The vast majority, of these "sacrifices", were in the age group of 13, and 15. The Wiccans "voice-overs" informed us "The reason why discovery, and justice, took so long, was because the dark ones were clever enough to give the girls tainted food, and drink, to silence opposition. By the time the girls realized what was going on, they were so drugged, that they did not consider resisting." Whenn Tami asked "What was the point, of such orgies? Power? Control? What?" The Wiccans would say "It was to curry favor, with dark forces". When I would ask "HOW does raping minors translate into "power", for the dark ones?" The Wiccans would say "Like the Christians, and the Jews, some groups CHOOSE to translate writings, to serve their own agenda's." The Wiccans would add "In this case, that means that "Violating Purity", otherwise known as "De-flowering", of virgins, is supposed to empower the dark ones, while preventing the victims soul from finding peace. The soul is condemned to wander, in torment, un -able to make peace, with the Divine One." Tami would add "Let me guess. The more the souls suffer, the more "powerful" the dark ones feel". When Tami asked "What clued you in, to what was happening?" The Wiccans would say "Un-like the villagers, the coven began mapping, and tracking, the time span, from disappearance, to return. Once we realized that each girl was returned, approximately four months after disappearing, during various festivals, we slipped several, of our coven, into a festival. Once our members realized what was going on, our members TRIED to slip an antidote, to the victims. They were discovered, though, and had to "bail out". When Tami would ask "How many did you save?" The Wiccans seemed disapointed, to report "Only a few. Maybe a handful". When Tami asked "What happened, then?" the "mist" and the Wiccans, showed how irate villagers had gone hunting, for more of the missing girls. As th Wiccans would inform us, "Once the antidote was administered, and the children had fled, most of the coven members were able to get clear, before the enraged villagers set to destroying something, which they, simply, did not understand. It grieves us, to no end, that the coven had to seal innocent villagers away, with such evil, but we could not risk the dark ones escaping. This is why the spell was cast." When I would ask "Just HOW did you imprison the dark ones?" The Wiccans would say "With a boundary incantation. Sort of like your modern day prisons". When Tami would ask "Why did you cast something, which would cause people, and objects, to vanish?" The Wiccans would asay "We did not do this. This is the work of the dark ones". When Tami would ask "Define", The Wiccans would say "While our coven was invoking white magic, to seal off such evil, from the world, the dark ones were casting their on magic. THEY were trying to "take down" our work, even as we built up, the barrier". When I would ask "Okay, so the two spells collided. How does this..." and the Wiccans would say "Due to the power, of each incantation, the two spells blended, into a new, un-predicted, incantation." When Tami would ask "Can it be broken?" The Wiccans, sadly, would say "We have been trying, for centuries". I just never thought that the Wiccans would take my "thought" seriously, as I suggested "I guess you would need someone, to travel back, in time, to undo the damage". The Wiccans would say "We have the power, however, the forces of evil, are, equally, strong. Each time we have sent memebrs, on missions, ALL have failed. ALL were executed, by the dark ones". When Tami would ask "What about..." I would say "Dont even THINK it". The high priestess would say "Your generousity is most commendable. However, your husband is correct. Since we are aware, of your previous time travels, there is concern, over your well-being." When Tami would ask "What concern would that be?" The high priestess would say "Each time travel process takes some of the travellers life-force. In reviewing our records, we have discovered that your travels have decreased your life-spans, by as much as ten years". When I would mention "So what? No body lives forever. No one knows when their end will come" Tami would add "Who would want to know?" The Wiccans would consider this. After all, it is true, that no person knows just how long they will live. While the Wiccans were making their decision, Tami and I went to both local law enforcement, and the local church, asking each for their cooperation. Tami and I wanted to be sure that, when the barrier was lifted, lynch mobs would not try to kill anyone, in the area, out of pure vengeance. When both law enforcement, and the church, were reluctant to commit, Tami and I returned to the coven, where we found the Wiccans preparing to defend themselves. What I could, never, figure out was the reason why I never got used to the process, of time travel. The very idea, of watching time move, in reverse, as the spell took effect, was weird, to say the least. With our tactical gear disguised as back-packs, and our modern clothes, traded for the clothing, of colonial days, Tami and I stepped through the Wiccans portal, even as I would ask my partner "When we return, to our time, should we correct the Wiccans, of the mis-conception, of our being married?" Tami would ask "What good would that do? Remember, my own mother is convinced that we are married. As far as mother is concerned, we are on our way to parenthood. Now, if my own mother will not listen, then why waste our breath, on the coven?" My only concern was that, when Tami's "Mr. Perfect" came along, he might think she was, already, married. Tami could lose out, on her happiest, possible, life, just because of rumors, and innuendo. In colonial days, finding the dark ones "lair" was even easier than expected. This, especially, when one, of their patrols, found us. I had to suppress a laugh, though, when the patrol tried to determine Tami's virginity, by, of all things, the scent, of Tamis body, and her walk. In order to gain acceptance, and admittance, to the dark ones lair, I think there were a total, of eight tasks, for Tami to prove her female virginity. My partner suffered them all, before being declared a "virgin". (In my opinion, Mr. Brown would owe Tami, BIG time, for her endurance). Once admitted, to the dark ones lair, Tami and I noticed how well the teens were fed. No mal-nutrition here. (Tami just hoped that the antidote pills, which she slipped to the teens, while I chatted with the guards, was the correct potion to use. It was based upon the Wiccan assumption, of which drugs had been used, to cause compliance, in victims). We just hoped it was the correct antidote. After all, an antidote, for one poison, could be just as lethal, if used with the wrong poison. I thought, for just a moment, that Tami and I were "busted". This, because, when a dark one grabbed Tami, firmly, my partner would use self defense skills, which Americans would not learn about, for centuries to come. For just a moment, While Tami left the dark one, lying on the floor, holding himself, Tami and I watched, as other dark ones looked on, in amazement. After a moment of silence, the other dark ones just laughed, at the fallen dark one, with a couple of the others saaying "Cant stand up, to a child? Ha! Ha! Ha!" I knew my partner hated to be called a "child". Thankfully, Tami remembered that we were on duty, AND in colonial days. When Tami noticed that the teens were recovering, and whispering about the coven, Tami went to the teens, whispering, to only two, at a time, "Do NOT try a mass escape". When a girl would ask "Why not?" Tami would say "Maybe a FEW of you MIGHT get away". When the teens asked "Got a better plan?" Tami would outline another of her boldly ingenious plans. Since only one teen disappearred, about every fifteen minutes, the guard paid no attention. It is assumed that he figured that, since the girls were drugged, that dark ones had, simply, walked off, with the girls, without telling the guard. By the time the guard, finally, "wised up", only 15% of the teens remained. This is when Tami and I violated temporal law, by cracking canisters, of Mr. Black's sleeping gas, inside the dark ones lair. After popping four canisters, Tami and I donned our air purifiers, and lead the remainder, of the teens, from the dark ones lair. This, while the dark ones membership fell into a twelve hour sleep. Once the last, of the teens, was ushered away, by the Wiccans, the high priestess, herself, would lead the invocation, which would seal the dark ones inside their lair, forever. (This, just days before the riots, of history, were due to take place). Now, there would be NO riots. When Tami would ask "What will happen, to them?" The high priestess would say "That is NOT our concern. We serve light, not darkness." With history "repaired", Tami and I would watch, as we passed through time, back to the present. Before departing the past, the Wiccans would provide us with amulets, saying "These will show your generation (of Wiccans), that you have done noble work, and saved many lives. Blessed Be." When we returned, to the present, the Wiccans would caution us "The past has been changed. Only the two of you, and the coven, will remember the other time line." When Tami would ask "What about Ghost Ship Two?" The Wiccans would say "Your remarkable plane did an excellent job, of finding the water taxi. You remained, for the funerals." When Tami would ask "Was there NO way, to save the teens?" The Wiccans would say "They were on borrowed time. Historically, such children would have been abandoned, shortly after being diagnosed. These youths had many years, which ancestors would not have had". When Tami and I boarded G.S.2, Tami filed the report, on thee water taxi incident. (She did not bother to mention the disappearances, since, in this time-line, they had never happened.) Just one note, of caution: It seems that, because the dark ones were handled, in the past, there was just not much call, for local law enforcement. This is the reason why, when the previous chief of police, passed away, his WIFE was allowed to take the job (until another man wanted the badge). It would seem that there was no, local, rush, to find a replacement, since the woman had 13 years on the job. Just as Tami and I were about to relax, for the trip, to the latest light house, Mr. Brown would comm-link with us, asking "How would you like a trip, to New York City?" When Tami would ask "Who's the ghost, and where are they haunting?" Mr. Brown would say "The report claims multiple ghosts. However, we need verification, of this". When Tami would ask "Sir, just how MANY are "multiple" ghosts?" Mr. Brown would look at the master copy, of the file, then suggest "Maybe as few as one hundred, however, I can promise no more than three thousand, at maximum". When Tami would ask "WHO is the source?" Mr. Brown would say "The President of the United States". Once Tami heard this, she would say "We're on our way". Oh, yes, life, and death, go on, and on, and on... (Final update: No one is for certain just WHAT the dark ones did, to the ships, however, by the time the ships, cars, and the gambling boat, reappearred, NONE was in any shape to be used, in the near future. Everything was due to be taken to salvage yards.)