Raising Demons

Crane guided Finch back to the archives and led him into the building. Finch carried his briefcase with him as they entered. He set it on a table as they entered and pulled a laptop out of it.

"I am assuming you have suspects in mind?" Finch asked politely as his computer booted.

Crane nodded. "No I don't, but I know who might. However, consulting with her will be problematic."

Finch tilted his head to the side. "May I ask why?"

Crane shifted uncomfortably. "I'm afraid you might find it hard to believe, Mr. Finch."

Finch smiled softly. "Mr. Crane, I believe you are indeed a Revolutionary War soldier who was held in stasis for over two hundred years. I don't think anything you tell me would be that far of a leap."

Crane blinked. "Excellent point. The person I need to consult is my wife, Katrina. She is the one who saved my life by casting that spell that allowed me to revive in this century."

Finch nodded. "She sounds like a very powerful witch and exactly what we need."

Crane nodded. "Yes, she is. However she is being held captive in Purgatory and the only way I can speak with her is to be close to death."

"You have spoken with her before?" Finch asked curiously.

Crane nodded. "Twice. Once when I was ill from a plague and then again when the Sin Eater nearly choked me to death."

Finch raised an eyebrow. "Sin Eater? You do have some interesting acquaintances, Mr. Crane. However, I do know of a way to get you to your wife that I hope will be easier on you than your previous methods." Finch tapped his earpiece. "Miss Shaw, please have Lt. Mills bring you to us and bring your medical supplies."

"Rodger Finch, I'll be there as soon as I can."

Finch tapped his earpiece again to cut the connection and noticed Crane staring at his ear with a puzzled expression. With a smile Finch removed his earpiece and held it out in his open palm so Crane could examine it. "It's an earpiece tied to our cell phones. My colleagues and I use these to keep in touch while keeping our hands free."

Crane curiously poked at the tiny earpiece, then stepped back and shook his head. "Modern technology baffles me at times, I'm afraid. Thank you for your patience, Mr. Finch."

A short while later, Abbie escorted Shaw into the archive. Shaw was carrying a rather large case.

"What cha need?" Shaw asked cheerfully.

"Mr. Crane needs to speak with his wife in purgatory," Finch began to explain before he was cut off.

"No!" hissed Abbie.

Finch looked at her with a questioning look. Abbie was clearly upset and Finch wasn't quite sure why.

"Do you know what that means?" Abbie asked, her eyes flashing with anger.

Finch looked at Abbie kindly, understanding her reluctance. "Yes, Mr. Crane explained to me that it means we have to put him in a state very close to death, which is why I asked Miss Shaw to bring her medical case with her.

"Lieutenant, Miss Shaw graduated from medical school and has had extensive experience in the field. I would not ask Mr. Crane to do to this if I didn't have the utmost confidence in her skills. I assure you she can put Mr. Crane in the necessary near death state and revive him without injury," Finch explained to the agitated officer as gently as he could.

Abbie shook her head fiercely, not trusting herself to speak without crying, and went to stand with her back to the rest of the occupants of the room while she struggled with her emotions.

Crane stared at his upset partner's back for a minute. "Mr. Finch, Miss Shaw, would you be so kind as to give us our privacy for moment? I would like to speak with Lieutenant Mills, if I may," Crane asked quietly.

Finch nodded and left the room with a somewhat reluctant Shaw in tow.

Crane went to stand behind Abbie and rested his hands on her shoulders. "I have to do this," he said softly. Gently he put pressure on her shoulders, trying to get her to turn around.

Abbie bowed her head, but resisted his gentle attempt to turn her around so her back remained to him. "How many times do I have to watch you nearly die?" she whispered. "Someday, you won't be able to come back…"

"We are Witnesses, and this is our burden to bear. I must do this, I must find out who is raising these demons." Ichabod's hands gently massaged her shoulders. "Abbie, please…"

Crane's rare use of her first name had the desired effect. Abbie's breath hitched and her resolve crumbled. He increased the pressure and forced her to turn so he could hold her in a tight hug against his lean frame. "I won't leave you to face the Apocalypse alone, I promise."

Abbie nodded her head and looked up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "I know." Crane gave her one last hug and then called Shaw and Finch back into the room.

They spread a blanket on the floor and Crane lay down. Shaw took a bottle from her case and drew a clear liquid into a syringe.

"This is a strong sedative. I'm going to give you an overdose. This," she said drawing another syringe, "will counteract the sedative. I'll have to time it just right so that you get close enough to death to pay a visit to your wife, but not too long that you cohabitate again."

"Thank you, Miss Shaw. As much as I would like to be reunited permanently with my dear wife, my task here is far from complete." Crane said politely.

Abbie sat in a chair away from the blanket, not wanting to be a possible distraction for Shaw. She remained quiet as Shaw injected her co-witness with the sedative. Just before the drug took effect, Crane looked over at Abbie and smiled reassuringly. Abbie smiled back and then Crane's eyes closed.

Abbie stared at him as his breathing slowed. Finch sat next to her and took her hand in his. She gave him a thin smile and they watched together as Crane slipped away.

Crane found himself standing in the familiar misty forest as his wife appeared before him.

"Ichabod!" she cried and threw herself into his arms. He held her for a minute then gently kissed her. "How are you here? Are you dying?" Katrina asked with concern.

"I haven't much time," he said. "A friend gave me a powerful narcotic and will administer the antidote in moments. But I need to ask you, who has been raising Hell Hounds? They have already killed several people and I must stop them."

Katrina nodded. "Raising demons requires powerful magic and the knowledge to control such powerful forces. There was more than one coven in Sleepy Hollow and one of them was dedicated to dark magic. Some of the members of that coven have prolonged their lives using magic and they continue to live, even unto the time where you now reside. One of them has called forth the Hell Hounds and will continue to bring forth demons if you do not stop them. Look for one of three names: Jones, Barrington or Percy. It must be one of them."

Suddenly, Crane felt a prick on his neck and he started to slide backwards away from Katrina. Shaw must have administered the antidote. "NO!" he cried. "I'm not done here!"

Katrina called after him as he slid away from her, "Be careful, Ichabod! They have grown very powerful after so many years!"

Crane awoke with a start and he took a deep ragged breath.

"Whoa, careful there Prime Minister," he heard Miss Shaw say as his body jerked. He felt hands on him holding him down.

"Crane!" he heard Abbie's voice say. He turned his head and saw her kneeling next to him; her beautiful eyes open wide with worry.

Crane tried to talk, to reassure her that he was fine, but no words would come. His head was gently raised and a straw was placed between his lips. He gratefully sipped some water and he looked up see that it was Abbie who was holding him and the water glass. As dizzy and disoriented as he was, he knew everything would be alright as long as she was there. He smiled weakly at her. "I'll be fine in a few minutes, Lieutenant," he managed to croak out.

Shaw checked his vitals and gave Finch the thumbs up. "He's fine. He just needs to rest for a few hours."

Shaw watched as Abbie held Crane's head. Abbie's didn't try to hide the concern on her face as Ichabod closed his eye and took a few deep breaths in an attempt to clear his head. Shaw couldn't help comparing the look Abbie was giving Crane to the looks Joss would get when John was injured. She got a strong sense of déjà vu as Abbie gave Crane another sip of water and brushed some hair out of his face.

Shaw glanced over at Finch who was also watching the couple intently. Finch felt Shaw's eyes on him and he turned to his employee. The look at passed between plainly said that they were both seeing the same thing.

"Did you see Katrina?" Abbie asked Crane softly.

Crane sipped his water and then nodded. "There was another coven in Sleepy Hollow, rival to Katrina's, but dedicated to evil. Followers of Moloch."

Shaw sniffed with disdain. "Why would anyone follow a demon?"

"Power and riches, Miss Shaw," Finch said. "Demons promise their followers whatever they want."

Crane took another long pull on the water Abbie was holding for him. "In this case. Moloch seems to have promised eternal life as well. According to Katrina, three members of that coven are still alive today."

Shaw gaped. "They would be like 250, 300 years old by now."

"Yes Miss Shaw and we have to find them before they raise more Hell Hounds," Crane sighed.

Shaw frowned. "How you go about finding a witch? I mean Sleepy Hollow ain't New York, but it's still a decent sized town."

The room fell silent for a few minutes while they contemplated that problem. After a few minutes had passed, a sly smile formed on Finch's face. "I think I have a solution to the problem."