****I was going to leave this as it was with only one chapter, but I realized that I wanted to see what Mac had up his sleeve too, so here is the investigation…
Queen Mary Hotel
Long Beach, CA
8:00pm
Jack looked up at the giant hulk of the Queen Mary looming over them. Even well lit, the shadows were creepy. The line of row boats looked like hunched gargoyles waitiing to pounce on them. Jack shuddered. Leaning on the rail of the wide canopied gang plank, Jack closed his eyes enjoying the salty smell and soothing sigh of the ocean. Jack frowned sure that he heard a soft whisper on the stronger wind between the side of the ship and the tide-break wall.
"It's cold." Riley said her arms across her chest.
"It's the compression of the wind and the coolness of the stones that are in the shadow of the ship…" Mac began.
"MAC!" The other three chorused. Mac rolled his eyes and threw up his hands.
"Right, sorry. My bad." Jack smiled at the kicked-puppy look on his partner's face. They had discovered there was an overnight paranormal investigation they could join, so the quarted decided to stay overnight in the plush hotel. The others had made Mac swear that he wouldn't say a single sciency thing all night. Bozer, Riley and Jack all bet him $20.00 he couldn't do it. He would have blown it already if they hadn't agreed the bet started when they hit their cabins.
Jack and Bozer went to the front desk. Mac and Riley stood with the over night bags taking in the ship. Mac smiled. He knew the Queen Mary was haunted, but not in the comercialized way his friends thought. The ship was the last superliner of the golden age of transaltlantic travel. Built in the 1930's it was made by the same designer as the Titanic and Lusitania. Mac closed in the smell of history that peeked out from the highly polished wood and brass and softly walked the clam-shell decorated carpet.
The front desk was on M deck where celebrities from around the globe stayed. Everyone from Winston Churchill to Elvis had lounged in the bustling lobby.
"You're enjoying this." Riley said amused. Mac smiled at her and shrugged.
"The history this ship had seen…" Mac shook his head. He could almost see the 16,000 or more soldiers the Mary had brought from countries scattered around the world to the eastern theater during WWII. Mac ached with the need to share what he knew about the ship in her glory to Riley so she could appreciate the truly amazing things about the ship, not the gutted tourist trap it'd been made into. Mac bit his tongue not trusting his friends to know the difference between his science rant and historical awe. Mac sighed.
Their cabins were a deck below M deck, but still in first class or would have been if there were still the divisions between the different levels anymore. Because they booked so late they were only able to get two double cabins on opposite ends of the long narrow corridor.
Jack was torn between wanting to stay with Mac because he thought the blonde was still upset and staying with Riley not trusting her with the guys. Jack knew it was ridiculous. They not only were family who he would trust with his life, but they had stayed in many cramped co-ed quaters before. Riley made the unusual decision to stay in a cabin with Mac. Mac had raised an eyebrow in surprise and blushed a shade. He'd expected to be with Bozer or Jack. Mac shrugged it off, but didn't miss Jack's narrowing eyes as they bounced between him and Riley completly off balance. Mac chuckled suspecting that was the effect Riley was going for.
Mac did not point out the obvious, that they wouldn't be in their cabins more than a couple of hours anyway. Mac smiled to himself. Actually it would make his plans much easier.
They had a late supper at a sea food restaurant that was surprisingly kitchzy and had barely passable greasy food. Back in the day only the top chefs in the world worked the kitchens of the Queen Mary.
"So who are we meeting?" Mac asked taking a sip of apple cider. Bozer looked up from his tripple layer fudge cake. Mac had no idea how the man hadn't gotted sick from all the sweets he'd eaten.
"There's three world-rated paranormal specialists, Mark Cohen, Bruce Fulson and Diana Wilding. They got state of the art equipment. This is their third time on the Queen Mary. They agreed to let us in on their investigation as witnesses. They said that last time they saw full body apparitions and things move on their own." Mac nodded and emptied his drink almost biting his tongue in half. Jack and Riley shared a smirk knowing how hard it was for Mac to not protest and debunk the hunter's credentials. They agreed to get a few hours rest before the midnight meeting time.
Mac laid down and fought fatigue. He was more tired than the others because he hadn't gotten any sleep for the last 36 hours. After he heard Riley softly snoring he silently threw off his covers and started the preparations for the night.
MIDNIGHT
Mac yawned bleary-eyed as he followed the others down a warren of wood paneled halls and stairs. They started on the deck. Mac shivered in the cold night air. The three investigators sat at a folding table setting up large monitor screens surrounded by piles of electrical cords and equipment. A tall too-thin woman with a short pony tail of firey red hair leaned over a table covered with cameras, digital tape recorders, EMF readers and a couple things Mac didn't recognize. He was surprised there wasn't a Ouija board.
The two men were dressed in identical black T shirts that had a cartoon ghost looming over a badly drawn globe. In a banner around the decal was the logo 'World Wide Paranormal Research Team.' The team's leader Bruce Fulson looked like a teenager. He was chubby but gangly at the same time. His round face spotted with acne was framed by a corona of frizzy staw-collored hair. Mark Cohen was as big as a half back. He was taller than Mac and had no neck. His hispanic features were lined with scars and tatoos. His eyes were dull black stones. He stood in a perpetual slouch and moved little faster than a shuffling Parkinson's patient. His handshake was surprisingly limp.
"Any of you know anything about setting up equipment?" All of his friend's turned to look at him. Mac smiled pretty sure he'd enjoy setting up with Mark more than the guided tour given by Bruce. Bruce rolled out schematics of the ship and indicated the areas they were allowed to go. The kid was most interested in the first class swimming pool evidently a girl named Jackie appeared or spoke in EVP's. Mac let Bruce babble and focused on setting up the cameras pretending to follow the kid's orders. Mac automatically adjusted the inefficient use of camera lenses and angles to ones he knew would capture everything more thoroughly. He didn't want there to be any doubt about the validity of what everyone saw. Cohen babbled about how this would be epic and go viral on youtube. Mac rolled his eyes. In 40 minutes, they were ready to start.
Mac agreed to stay with the silent hulk of Mark Cohen who spoke in little more than monosyllabic grunts. The others chose their equipment and looked at each other nervously.
"Sure you don't want to come?" Riley asked.
"Yeah, it'll be fun not hearing you explain the ghosts." Jack mocked.
"We can spell you in a couple hours, if you want." Bozer offered. Mac waved a hand.
"No, that's fine. My understanding is you see more on camera anyway."
"Sure you aren't scared there, bud?" Jack teased. Mac rolled his eyes and leaned back an eyebrow arching.
"Like you?" Jack's mouth snapped shut and he squared his shoulders.
"I'm not scared, I'm not even nervous, hell I'm not even ruffled." Diana who had odd grey lupine eyes walked behind Jack.
"You should be. A lot of sailors died on this boat." The woman had a husky voice with a gutteral accent, maybe Russian. Jack jumped and stepped away turning to face her. Mac could tell she creeped his partner out. Mac tried to hide his grin. The glare Jack shot him assured him he'd failed.
2:18am
"This goes on forever!" Bozer complained. There were lights on throughout the lower levels of the ship they were able to explore. This made the endless narrow passages more creepy. The shadows and dark seemed to hang around them thick ready to grab them at any second. Since they entered the murky depths none of the four spoke above a whisper. Jack jumped at a loud bang followed by a long grinding squeal. He spun the flashlight in that direction, nothing. Jack's hairs were on end and he could feel his muscles tense for a fight or to run the hell away.
"What was that?" Bozer asked stepping behind Jack.
"Just the sounds of an old ship." Riley said rolling her eyes at Jack and Bozer's reaction.
"Boze, get out from behind me...have some pride, dude." Jack grumbled. Boze took a step to the side but didn't move away. "If it was a ghost I sure as hell wouldn't be here to hide behind, dude."
"Shush, hear that?" Diana said crouching her grey eyes seemed to glow in the dim light. All four froze and listened holding their breath. They heard a soft sigh. Jack reached out and grabbed Bozer's arm ready to throw the man in front of him if he had to.
"Just the wind?" Riley's voice was less sure.
"Probably…"Mark began. Then they could make out a small girl crying. The four looked at each other their eyes wide plates as they instinctivly moved closer together.
"Where's it coming from?" Bozer asked.
"I think over here." Riley said. She swallowed walked in that direction lifting the FLIR thermal camera. Jack swung the flashlight ready to fight-if it wasn't something supernatural. He hoped it wasn't something supernatural. His heart pounded loud in his ears.
"I'm gonna do some EVP." Bozer whispered.
"Good idea, everyone sit down so we don't give any artifact on the digital recorder." Diana said.
"Digital doesn't get artifact." Riley pointed out as she circled the room. It was the fore first class lounge. The furniture gleamed a neutral green or blue on the camera. The lights were yellow, the other hunter's red. Riley slowly circled moving silently. The others sat on the couch and recliner. Bozer yelped as the plush cushions seemed to suck him into their spongy folds.
"These sure are cushy." Bozer glared at Jack as the older man bobbed up and down like a damn kid.
"Ok, here we go. I'm going to take a second recording." Mark said, "Ready Bozer?"
"Yep." Both men started their recording.
"Uh...hi, my name's Bozer...I...uh guess it sucks being dead?"
"Oh for heaven's sake! Let me do it." Diane hissed, "If you're here could you give us a sign?" Everyone froze waiting. Jack swore the others could hear his heart beat. Riley cried out.
"Oh my God!" She gasped. The others stood up and were at her side in seconds.
"What?"
"Are you ok?"
"What did you see?"
"Did you get it on camera?" Riley ignored the overlapping babble of voices and rewound the camera.
"I was looking down that hall…" Riley's whisper trailed off her throat too dry. Everyone huddled around the camera. The far end of the corridor was a uniform dark blue except the magnesium yellow of the lights. They held their breath their hearts freezing as the clear outline of head and shoulders crossed the corridor in a surrreal floating bob.
"Holy shi…" Jack croaked.
"That can't be real." Diana said a tremor in her voice, "is it real?"
Riley rewound it again.
"Look you can see the face!" Bozer's tight voice echoed as it squeaked higher. "Oh my sweet Aunt, it looked right at us."
"I think we should check on Mac, you know he hasn't been feeling well…" Jack whispered his dilated pupils never leaving the hallway. It looked like every other corridor they'd walked through. Jack could feel someone crouching around the corner waiting, watching.
"We do have to resupply." Mark said clearing his throat, "the batteries last only a couple of hours at a time." No one argued.
2:37am
Mac yawned and glanced over at Bruce. The man looked like a half melted steel statue. His eyes never left the black and white monitors as he munched on a bag of Doritos. The man didn't notice the gathering pile of crumbs building up on his prominent pecs. Mac had tried to engage the man in talk, he might as well have a conversation with a stump.
Mac glanced at the monitor in front of him and smiled. His friends had reached the junction of the lower first class lounge and hallway that led to the alleged most haunted part of the ship-the first class pool. Mac grinned as he watched Riley point at something. The others crouched around her. Mac chuckled. The resolution of the monitor was terrible; he couldn't see their faces in any detail, but if their body language was any indication they were seriously freaked out.
Mac watched them beat a retreat impressed. They made it back in less than half the time it took them to get there. He leaned back his legs stretched out. Heand pulled out a paperclip and unbent it. He looked up as boots thudded across the weathered wooden deck.
Mac turned looking surprised by the presence of the four hunters as they bent over breathing hard.
"Back already? What happened?" Jack looked up at his partner, but couldn't see anything but sincerety in Mac's puzzled expression.
"We have some fantastic evidence!" Bruce gushed excitment taking over fear.
"Really?" Mac's voice was laced with scepticism.
"Seriously dude, it's freaking...freaky!" Jack panted. Mac raised his eyes and had a vague amused smile. Jack straightened up, "Show him, Ri."
"This is scary, Mac." Riley said as she again rewound the camera.
"Even you can't refute this, Mac." Bozer said standing up. He looked a little green around the edges. Mac stood up.
"Ok, let me see it." Mac leaned forward intently studying the thermal images.
"Hmmm, play it again?" Jack and Bozer grinned at each other.
"So?" They challenged. Mac frowned and rubbed his chin.
"It's interesting, I think…" Mac stopped speaking and sighed sitting down. The others waited; Mac said nothing.
"Think what?" Jack exploded.
"Well, I would tell you what I think, but there's that bet so…" Mac shrugged. The others glared at him. Jack growled under his breath. He felt like he was being played but wasn't sure how, the bet had been his idea.
"Check the EVP's." Diana said. Bozer played his first. At first there was nothing but static then softly the sound of a child crying.
"Oh my God, that's the clearest ever captured!" Mark squirmed.
"Shush, there's more." Riley said leaning in closer, "Bozer, turn it up." Under the white noise all of them heard a long moaning sigh, then clearly as if a person was sitting beside of them a drawn out whisper.
"Jaaaaccccckkk…" Jack straightened.
"What the hell? It knows my name, why does the ghost know my name?" Jack looked at Mac begging for reassurance. Mac frowned thoughtfully and pinched his lip.
"Jaaaaaaaaaaaccccccccckkkkk...weeeeeeeeve beeeeeeeen waaaaaaaiiiiiiitiiiiingggg…" Jake went a few shades paler.
"Waiting? Waiting for what? I'm totally freaking out here. Dude, talk to me?" Jack begged. Mac thought the older man was about to fall on his knees in front of his partner.
"It is creepy." Mac agreed.
"Creepy? Creepy? CREEPY? That's all you got? I dreamed I got killed by a ghost, it ripped my face right off!" Jack's voice had a hysterical note pop up loudly.
"I'm sure there's a perfectly good, calm, non-terrifying explanation, right Mac?" Riley asked. Mac looked into her dilated pupils.
"I'm sure there is." Mac nodded.
"C'mon, brother let me know some dead chick doesn't have it out for me!" Mac shrugged and threw up his arms.
"Wait, let's play the other one." Bozer said.
"It'll just be the same…" Diana protested. Mark turned on his digital recorder. There was spitting static then a loud old lady's giggle blasted loudly…" Mark snapped off the recorder. His face was waxen white.
"No one...nothing...that's…" The kid babbled.
"I think we should leave, I feel sick." Bozer said. Everyone looked at him. He did look like he was going to puke. Mac moved out of his chair and guided his roomie to sit in it. Mac offered a bottle of warm water. Bozer took a sip and leaned forward elbows on knees.
"Play the rest of it." Diana said.
"Oh hell no, I think we've heard enough." Riley growled.
"I don't know. If ghosts were out for my blood, I'd want to listen to what they wanted, or go home." Mac offered unable to keep amusement out of his voice. Jack gave him the full Delta glare. The older man jutted out his chin.
"Yeah, that's fine. Go ahead play the rest, I'm not afraid of some voice on tape." Tape? Mac rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. Mark stared at Jack then took a deep breath and nodded determined to see it through.
Again there was a long crackle of static. Then the sound of a woman crying.
"Aaaaaaalllloooooonnnnneeeee...whhhyyyyy diiiiiiid yooooouuuu leeeeeaaaaaveemeeeebeeeehiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnd...Jaaaaaaaaaccccckkkkkkk…" Then came heartwrenching sobs of despair that tappered off to breathy sighs then white noise followed by silence. They all looked at each other.
"You said there's a ghost named Jackie." Bozer said looking up his eyes alight with excitment. Jack let out a long breath.
"That's right! It's not talking to me at all, how could ghosts know my name? That's impossible, right there."
"How could Jackie cry about being abandoned by herself?" Riley crossed her arms her brow furrowed. Jack huffed.
"Maybe they get confused after they kick? Maybe she dated a dude name Jack, who knows?" Mac smiled and turned to face Bruce. Bruce hadn't changed position just continued to stare at the monitors and munch his chips. Mac shook his head wondering how he got into this gig.
"We should go down to the pool?" Mark enthused.
"Absolutely!" Bozer said standing up.
"Whoa, Boze, I thought you felt sick?" Mac frowned. Bozer grinned at him and leaned back preening.
"It was probably just the presence of the dear departed spirit, you know I've always been sensitive to the unseen." Mac sighed and nodded.
"Ok, do you mind if I tag along?" Mac stood up and stretched. He'd been up so long he ached everywhere. Jack, Boze and Riley looked at each other and smiled. They couldn't wait to see MacGyver terrified out of his mind.
4:29am
Mac scanned the pool room with a gut sadness. Once decorated with art deco tiles and gilt fixtures the room was an abandoned skeleton of it's former glory. Chances were the owners of the Queen Mary let it go into cracked ruin to sell the legends and rumors of ghosts.
"Look at this." Riley whispered. Everyone huddled around the thermal cam. The room went from it's normal ambient orange down to a dark purple-blue in less than a minute.
"That's a 30 degree temperature drop!" Diana hissed. Mac rubbed his arms.
"It is kina chilly." He said in his normal voice. The others jumped and ducked as if an explosion banged into the ground under them. Mac's mouth quirked up at the corners. The others turned back to their huddle. They decided to listen to the EVP. No one could hear anything but white noise. There was a loud bang and another loud creak. The ship rocked gently. The entire group except Mac whirled scanning the darkness around them panting with terror. Mac was going to point out it was an old ship, but couldn't decide if that counted as something 'sciency' or not. He shrugged and slowly began to pace moving closer to admire the etching still visible on some of the tiles.
"OHMIGOD! OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD!" Bozer squeaked pointing at the far end of the pool. Lit by one of the recessed golden lights they all clearly saw a white mist slowly coalesce into the wavy outline of of a woman or girl. Riley gasped as she aimed the thermal camera at the aparition. It was colder than the ambient coolness.
"I think I'm going to be sick." Bozer managed.
"Me too." Jack muttered.
"Do you smell cigar smoke?" Diana asked. They all smelled it.
"I gotta go puke!" Bozer squawed before whirling and sprinting back the way they came. It started a herd panic. All of them broke into a blind rush out except Mac. He strolled along the pool and sighed. Mission accomplished.
*****There will be one more chapter to explain exactly what Mac did.