(Chapter 7)
Mozzie was surprised by the amount of information he found on the Necromonicon and it's dark bloody history. It had been the beginning of and end of many wars in both good but mostly bad ways for both parties involved. The book was a tome of incredible power in the form of written tales and spells dealing with the history, ritualistic calling of and banishing of what the writers called "The Ancients." It had been kept at a long defunct university just north of Boston proper. He'd found more info about it from a friend who was more paranoid than himself whispering tales of what he knew about the book and those associated with it. Apparently any one who opened or touched the book pretty much disappeared or came to a bad end. This did not make Mozzie feel any better about trying to help Neal with his Suit issues but he liked Peter and El and if Neal needed him to help he would.
"Blood thirsty savages!"
He was reading a particularly dark tale about a couple who killed cats in a village. It was not only a story to inform but one with spells associated with it. He glanced at the symbols and committed them to memory since he had perfect recall which came naturally to him. He just had to make sure he remembered them in a certain manner. His friend had warned him of knowing too much. The con sighed, closing up the book as he returned it to a protective cover and removed the gloves he used to hold it. Once his friend had told him about direct contact with the book and the origins of the cover, he had washed his hands several times in typical OCD format before resorting to gloves and the protective cover. The idea that someone would or could think of binding a book with... he dared not think about it... human skin made him ill to his stomach not to mention the idea it was decayed and dried as a cow's skin... He wanted away from this whole mess with Knox and the Suit soon as he could.
Mozzie jumped as his phone buzzed in his pocket, taking the cell out to answer it. It was Neal. The line was staticy which made no sense to him as he tried to understand what was going on.
"Mozz? … hear me? Trou... ble... El…"
The call was breaking up even as he tried to fix it but something about the voice sounded off. It was Neal, he knew that much but the voice was far away and distant as if he were in a cavern. It wasn't being sent in the traditional manner by cell.
"Neal? I can't hear you. What's wrong?"
He waited for an answer but only heard whispers and faint hints of words until the line went dead. He thought he'd heard his friend say something about Elizabeth but didn't quite understand what it was.
Neal? Wake up... Neal!
Mozzie turned with a start as the faint voice seemed to pop out of nowhere. It was familiar but still far enough off he couldn't quite identify it.
Neal... please, wake up!
The voice was slightly louder now, a hint of panic in it as he turned to see a shadowy form slowly take shape near the far wall. Neal had told him reluctantly about the wet footprints and his dream about a cavern with something dark and fishy roaming its gloomy expanse. The con had heard similar stories while researching the book and from his friend. He shivered at the thought of something covered with slime and smelling of fish touching him as he stood and moved closer but still out of range of whatever was materializing. The form seemed to be short or kneeling, leaning forward over something before finally taking a more solid shape.
"Neal..."
Their voice was soft and they were crying, Mozzie blinking as he removed his glasses to wipe at them then look at the figure again. He picked up a cane from a nearby umbrella holder and moved a little closer to the now solid figure. He poked them with the wooden cane.
"Mo... Mozzie? Where..."
Elizabeth Burke looked confused, her hands holding something that wasn't there as she remained kneeling then paled, looking like she was about to pass out. Mozzie moved a bit closer, catching her before her head hit the hard floor as he tried to fathom how the Fed's wife had appeared here as if by magic. He wondered if it had something to do with the staticy call from Neal as he tried to rouse her.
"El? Hey..."
She didn't move, face taut with some hidden terror as she lay there, eyes closing as she passed out. Mozzie was at a loss as he gently lay her on the thinly carpeted floor and moved to the bed to grab up a blanket and pillow. He placed the pillow under her head and lay the blanket gently over her before sitting beside El and sighing. This Knox business was getting weirder by the instant as he tried to figure out how she had appeared in his hidden safe house.
()()()
Neal had felt the succubus drawing the very life from him, changing from Kate to Alex and even Sara at some point trying to break his spirit. He was giving in, his soul being sapped from his body until he heard her voice. It was angry and plaintive and made him take notice despite the false Sara doing her best to catch his attention. The voice broke through and made him pay close attention as he realized who and what they were speaking of.
"I... I didn't hurt him, El. I swear..."
He kept telling her it wasn't him. He hadn't hurt Peter. It had been Knox but he couldn't tell her that. She wouldn't believe him but he wanted her to believe he would never harm his friend... her husband. Finally his eyes opened for real and met hers, his vision and mind clear and free for just an instant. She smiled softly at him, gently with concern and caring.
"Neal, I believe you. Welcome back."
She believed him. El was on his side. He smiled back feeling a warmth around him as she gently held him, hugging him close if not for his well-being then for her own. He sensed her uncertainty about something as his strength left him and he slumped against her. That thing was still there, whispering in the back of his mind and pulling him away from El.
She may believe you now but she will only hurt you, Neal. Come with me. Let him take care of her and I... will take care of you.
He was suddenly looking down at himself, standing beside the kneeling figure of Elizabeth Burke holding his body in her arms. She lay him back on the floor, wiping at his hair gently as he watched. Elizabeth cared about him even when... he might have hurt her husband. She gave him the benefit of the doubt he didn't deserve, guilt overcoming him as he thought about the consequences of this situation.
That's it. Wallow in self-pity and guilt. I will never turn you away, Neal. Let her go. He will soon be there to take her to her own inner darkness.
Neal perked up, turning to see the dark creature with glittering silver eyes staring back at him. Her hand brushed his cheek and it felt cool and slimy as that thing had in the cavern of his dreams. Was this the same creature? He took a few steps back seeing himself walk through El and his own body as he realized what he had to do. There had been something in that book. Something he had committed to memory.
E'zhra tem'ehras deith'tahns!
The creature looked at him with shimmering eyes, reaching for his hand and holding it tightly as he winced but continued to say the words, looking over at Elizabeth as he did so. It was too late when the creature scratched its free hand at his cheek, a feeling of warmth dripping down his cheek as El slowly disappeared from the basement of her home and his own body remained alone where she has knelt beside him. The creature pulled him closer, grasping his chin tightly in its webbed fingers and keeping him prisoner.
You free her but not yourself. You are willing to sacrifice for this person?
He stared into those eyes defiantly and felt himself beginning to cave as they glimmered hypnotically back, drawing him into that darkness he had tried to escape. The thing laughed coldly, fingers caressing his cheek with a cool, slimy touch. He sent out a weak call for help, seeing Mozzie in his mind's eye. The little guy had gloves on and was reading something. The creature scratched at his neck with a slender nail, the young man wincing helplessly.
If He wants her, He will find her but you are what he really wants. I will bend you til He has what he desires.
Neal felt himself falling into that darkness, pulled into those eyes as the shimmering colors faded to muted grays and finally a deep black. It continued to speak in many voices, sounding like Kate, Alex or Sara depending on what it was trying to do. It was working, his eyes rolling back as he slumped in its grasp.
You are such a pretty thing and wise beyond your years. He has chosen a good vessel to continue his time within.
The scenery faded from the basement to that of the cavern he had dreamed of before. The thing lay him on the floor as it moved towards a large wooden altar and another figure laying there. He heard a weak moan and opened his eyes enough to see Peter's slumped body on the large table-like plank. The thing had turned back into Elizabeth and was gently caressing the agent's face.
Everything will be ok, hon. Trust me.
He watched Peter nod, face easing into those hands that looked like El's but weren't. Neal wanted to cry out but he was still under its spell, icy blue eyes turning to smile coldly at him.
You resist even now but he will soon be gone and you... you'll both be here with me.
It smiled but its face was Elizabeth Burke's. The smile didn't match the person he knew El was as he tried to resist and found himself stuck where he lay, slumped on the cavern floor. It laughed.
I admire your strength of will. Most succumb to my charms and forget their worries. You... have a sense of being most of your kind do not. I will have fun breaking you.
He felt a pain in his side, a sharp stabbing pain that made him cry out as it continued and the thing with El's face smirked.
Just a reminder that you are mine. Understand?
Neal glared up at her, it, before his eyes turned to Peter who continued to be happily caressed by its hand along his cheek. If anything, he had to free the agent, his body responding enough he coughed out a quick phrase.
E'zhra tem'ehras deith'tahns!
The creature hissed at him, moving away from Peter as he threw his glance back to Peter, the agent vanishing from the table before the thing could turn and bring him back. Once it realized what was going on, it moved quickly towards him. Neal was ready, will faltering only a moment when those eyes met his but he was already chanting.
E'zhra tem'ehras deith'tahns!
The thing transformed to that of its true self, a green scaly monster of indescribable horror standing before him as the scene faded away to darkness. He was cold, very cold to the bone as the darkness bore upon him then he heard a faint sound like a metronome beating quietly but steadily in time. It grew louder until he heard the added sound of someone gasping for air. His chest felt tight and painful but the voice drew him up and out of the darkness.
Breath...
The voice was familiar, comforting as the darkness and cold began to slowly fade and his eyes opened up, lips parting as he gaped for air.
"Neal? Hey buddy... relax."
The scene was blurry at first before Peter's face came into view. It was really him. Neal wanted to reach up and tell him about everything but his body was too weak, the spell he'd used draining him. He was a con not a magician much less a wizard of any sort. Knox had time and experience on them both but at least he had been able to pull them both back to reality.
"El..."
He was worried about her, his voice raspy as he spoke. Peter looked confused a moment before nodding.
"That wasn't her. Do you know where she is?"
Peter seemed to be remembering what happened which was unusual. Neal wondered about that as he nodded and tried to sit up. He felt pain and gave a soft groan as he continued to rise but finally fell back helpless and exhausted against the cool cement of the basement floor. Peter gently squeezed his shoulder.
"Don't tell me. It's probably best I don't know. He'll just find her again and I... Just don't."
Neal was curious what was wrong with his friend if he didn't want to know where El was. Something felt wrong as he noticed the guilty look on his friend's face.
"What... happ..."
He remembered the call from El that something had happened with the agent and wondered about the incident as brown eyes finally met his once more.
"I remember now... what I did. What... Knox did. I wish... I didn't."
The agent stood up and paced the small room, moving back and forth as Neal made another attempt to sit up and pushed himself up against the wall for support. The small action made him more tired as he watched Peter continue to pace, brow furrowed with something akin to frustration or anger at something.
"Tel...l me, Peter. Ple... eease."
The agent turned and looked at him, face flushed in shame it seemed before he stopped his motions and sat down beside him. Peter wiped a tired hand over his face and gave a frustrated sigh.
"I... I kidnapped my wife, Neal. Knox used me to get to her."
()()()
Elizabeth woke up to find herself on a hard yet warm surface. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she slowly opened them and focused on her surroundings. She couldn't remember why she had been crying, her memory a bit fuzzy as she blinked and sat up. It was a simple room, cinder block walls washed with dark paint and thinly carpeted floors with ornate rugs in spots. It made her think of Neal's apartment at June's minus the view. There was a large bed in one corner and a small sitting are with a large comfy sofa or couch not too far from what looked like the entrance. All the windows were shuttered tight and a soft dripping sound came from what looked to be a sink in a small kitchenette area. El pulled herself up to her feet and stumbled tiredly towards the sofa, plopping down onto its plush surface happily. She wrapped the blanket around her and curled up on top. She felt safe here, she wasn't sure why but she did. Her eyes started to close again as she felt sleep wash over her but the sound of someone pushing a key in a lock made her wary.
"I wonder where this storm came from. Why isn't Neal answering his cell?"
A familiar voice mumbled as she blinked at the figure walking in through the door. They hadn't seen her yet but a smile of relief crept up her face.
"Mozzie?"
She saw him freeze, nearly dropping the bag of what looked like groceries in his arms but he gained control of his emotions and blinked at her over his glasses as he sighed.
"You're awake! Thought I was going to have to find a Suit Charming to wake you up."
El smirked back as he smiled half way at her, moving to the small dining table near the kitchenette and dropping the bag there before coming over to sit beside her on the sofa. He looked relieved if anything.
"How... where am I? What is this place, Mozzie? I was at home and then... I woke up here. What's going on?"
She sounded exasperated if anything but her head hurt and she wasn't sure what to believe anymore. Her husband had tried to hurt her and something had attacked Neal. She had seen something weird on her PC at work after opening the email about that "book" Mozzie sent her info on but it didn't make sense. How could a book cause so many issues? She watched the little guy pale some and take her hand in his, something he rarely did. Mozzie was far from a touchy feelie person if anything. Something had to be very wrong for him to feel the need to comfort her.
"You got my email, I take it? The one about the book?"
El didn't know what to think but nodded, blanket warmly wrapped around her as she shivered still from her odd experience. Mozzie sensed her discomfort and stood up.
"I have tea. I can warm some up for you if you like."
The idea of a hot cup of tea made her feel normal as she gave him a smile and nod before he moved to the bag on the table and started to unpack it. She soon followed, sitting down at the table to wait while he went through his motions. Everything was in its own place she saw which was very much the way she knew Mozzie liked it to be. Patience was a virtue so she waited despite wanting to know how, why and what. It only took 15 minutes before Mozzie had everything put in its proper place and started the pot warming on the stove. 5 minutes later they were having a hot cup of chamomile tea with agave honey and lemon. The chill remained but her spirit was feeling better from the con's presence.
"Tell me what's going on, Mozzie. Please? That link..."
He stopped her right there, face paling as he stared at her curiously.
"Link? I removed all the links from that email. What link are you talking about?"
His voice had turned almost angry but not at her but something else which confused her.
"It was near the end of the document. It was over the word 'The Ancients' so I figured it must be ok if you left it there. The other links weren't available. I couldn't understand why you disabled them and not this one until... "
Her voice hesitated remembering the eerie voice through her speakers and the scenes on the monitor. She started to see flashes of memory and gasped remembering what had happened. Peter...
Someone touched her arm and she turned to see Mozzie standing beside her with concern.
"Until what, El? What happened?"
He sounded apologetic but more so he sounded guilty. She didn't understand why but she went ahead and told him.
"It's still fuzzy in my mind but I was at work when your email showed. I was reading about the book and how it had affected so many cultures... then I saw the one active link and clicked it. I didn't think anything about it until the screen went black. I thought the PC had gone offline but then their was this voice."
She shivered at the memory of it, the unearthly rattling of someone talking over her small speakers still bringing a chill down her spine. Mozzie placed a protective hand on her shoulder making her feel so much safer.
"I didn't think I had forgotten any links but if you heard a voice... That's not good. Anything else happen?"
He looked concerned if not worried, more so when she nodded.
"The monitor... I saw something. At first it was blurry and then... I saw Peter!"
Her voice picked up at the end, her face flushing some as she remembered what she'd seen. Mozzie hugged her, something he rarely did even with Neal but it helped.
"He was on the screen in some bad place. I... I wanted to help him but something dark... it blocked the screen and I saw eyes. They were cold and seemed to look through the monitor at me. I turned it off and unplugged the PC and screen when the site wouldn't shut down. What was it? Where is my husband?"
El knew she sounded crazy but Mozzie just hugged her a bit more, taking her cup to fill it with a fresh serving of tea. He sat beside her again and sighed.
"I don't know. Neal told me what happened but it makes no sense to me either. I'm a skeptic despite what people might think. All this esoteric stuff is a mystery to me but I've been studying. I know how to keep us all safe for now."
El looked at him as he convinced her of his need to protect her if not Neal and Peter. She knew what lengths Mozzie would go to protect the people he considered family. She took his hand in hers and he didn't flinch as her eyes met his.
"Thank you, Mozz. I just hope that Neal is ok. I was with him in our basement but... how did I turn up here?"
She wanted to understand everything happening but her mind was still trying to wrap around Peter not being Peter and the incident at her offices. Nothing made sense.
"The book. He probably used a teleportation spell. I can't think of any other means and I've just about read everything there is in and about the book. How was Neal when you left him?"
El hesitated but after a moment she finally said it.
"Hurt... I don't know how but something was attacking him. I couldn't see anything as I tried to wake him from the nightmare he was having. He kept talking about Kate and then suddenly he was looking at me and he smiled. I had a feeling something was wrong but he just kept smiling at me, reassuring me before I ended up here."
She sipped at the tea, the warmth filling her with some ease along with Mozzie's presence. He hugged her slightly and nodded.
"I'll call him. He has a phone so maybe... hopefully everything is still ok. Knox shouldn't be able to do much unless he gives up willingly."
He covered his mouth at the mention of what was going on, uncertainty making him look boyish.
"Knox? Isn't he... dead? He attacked Peter and Neal but he was shot. How is he involved with all of this?"
She thought about her husband acting oddly and his smelling of cigarettes when he didn't smoke. Mozzie shrugged helplessly.
"He... well, he is dead technically."
El didn't understand, wondering how this applied to what was going on with her husband acting oddly, the book Mozzie had emailed her info on and all the weird events including her showing up in the little guy's safe house. He looked a bit reluctant to tell her much but he finally relented as if she had twisted his arm.
"Knox... He was trying to, how do I say this where it makes sense?"
Mozzie seemed to be thinking harder than usual, his glasses in his hands as he wiped at his eyes tiredly then put them back on again.
"He wanted to be Neal but your husband got in the way so now he's sort of 'trapped' inside of him. Think The Exorcist if that's easier."
She shivered at the thought, that movie one of the few that still gave her nightmares even as an adult. So her husband... her Peter was possessed by a madman's spirit? It couldn't be real but she had noticed the way he acted when he thought she didn't see and the smell of cigarettes on him. Peter didn't smoke at least she had never seen him smoke anything but a cigar once and he hadn't been very keen on it.
"So basically you're telling me that this Knox person wanted to become Neal... but in the process of whatever 'spell' he cast, he got into my husband instead. Did Knox smoke?"
Mozzie blinked at her comment nodding at first then giving her a definite signal she had caught on. The idea of someone else posing as her husband made her reconsider so many things that had happened over the past month or so since the shooting. It made sense now the feelings she'd had. Peter had not... was not himself.
"We're going to fix this, El. Trust me. Neal and I have a plan."
She looked up at him with a hopeful glance but wasn't sure what to believe when faced with a stranger than fiction situation.
()()()
Neal lay on the sofa and slumped back against it. He was slowly feeling the strength he'd lost come back to him but even after 4 hours and a long nap, he wasn't quite feeling himself yet. Peter had been nothing but helpful, talking to Jones on the phone but not letting him know what was going on. The storm continued outside from earlier, bashing at the windows with a force that made one think of an intruder trying to break into the sturdy home. Wind howled and rain pattered loudly against the outside like the big bad wolf himself, windows rattling and the door shuddering in its wake. There was a feeling to the storm as if it were there for a reason, keeping them trapped within its cold wet grasp. He thought of that mystery thing in the other place and wondered if this was part of its plan to get at him and Peter now that they had come back to themselves.
Peter spoke quietly into the phone, only the occasional word or phrase sticking out making Neal curious what the agent was talking about with Jones. It seemed to be incoherent but maybe it was just his mind still being fuzzy from his fight back to reality. He lay back against the sofa in a semi-sitting position when he felt a warm hand laid gently against his forehead. His eyes opened to find Peter staring at him curiously, worriedly he thought as the agent pulled his hand away and gave a relieved smile.
"You're not feverish. You were talking in your sleep and sweating heavily but I guess it was something else. Jones says hi. He can't make it, nor can Diana with this storm blaring outside. Everything's been shut down, the mayor's calling it a typhoon of sorts. They don't know where it came from but it hit the Eastern coastline hard. Any chance Knox did this?"
He was half joking on the last part but Neal realized that's probably the game their invisible and dead antagonist was playing. Keep them isolated so that his plans went through. Nobody there to interrupt. Peter frowned, reading his mind.
"So we're trapped then? He's going to do whatever it was he meant to do. I heard what you said in your sleep, Neal. I know what he wants."
Neal cringed slightly. He didn't want Peter to be sacrificed for him not that he would be here. Knox was going to kill them both but only Neal would survive, his body alive for Knox to possess but Neal's spirit pulled into that other place along with Peter's to forever be tortured. He couldn't let that happen but he'd have to contact Mozzie to see if Elizabeth was where he thought.
"I'm sorry... Peter. I had no..."
The agent held up a hand and smiled back. He chuckled slightly then sighed.
"Odd as it sounds, I can see why he'd want to be you. It's not a hard idea to grasp but he intends on getting rid of me. It will look like..."
He hesitated, wiping a hand through his hair before Neal reached up and grasped his arm.
"I know what it will look like, why do you think I ran? I thought maybe that would keep you safe. I didn't want to hurt El but he's already involved her. I need to..."
His voice trailed off and Peter nodded back. They both knew he might still have Knox in the background listening if they tried to do something.
"It's ok. Lock it if you have to but I need to know she's ok... Please."
Peter pleaded slightly with him, moving away as Neal slowly pushed himself up to his feet and stood. He felt dizzy but managed to stay up as he moved towards the stairs, Peter in tow. He turned, pausing on the first stair as he looked at his friend.
"I just need to use the facilities..."
Neal watched the agent nod as he stepped back and watched him climb the stairs slowly. Peter called up when he was nearly at the top.
"I'll make something if you're hungry!"
It was random but they needed that as Neal nodded down to his friend and watched him disappear back towards the kitchen area. He continued up the stairs, limping to the bathroom till he was inside and closed the door. He looked at himself in the mirror when he was done, washing his hands and throwing water on his pale, wan looking features. His cheeks seemed sunken in, his skin sallow unless it was just the light in the bathroom. He heard the rain pattering harder than ever against the little frosted window of the bathroom as he moved to exit, something catching his eye as he passed the mirror. Neal turned and saw something of a shadow behind him, a formless dark figure standing back in the mirror. He turned and saw nothing there, looking back to see it point at the shower curtain which was closed. Neal didn't know if he should but he pulled the curtain aside and found a yellow lump of fur laying there inside the tub. He crouched beside the bath and gently petted it.
"Satchmo... hey boy."
He kept his voice low but the dog barely responded, the spot where he had shaved him earlier still clear but something else had knocked the animal out. Maybe he'd been drugged but by whom? Neal contemplated this when he heard a knock.
"Neal? You ok?"
Peter was outside. Had his friend done this without knowing? He had to know as he reached for the door and opened it up. Brown eyes met his, no hint of the green highlights he'd seen in the past.
"Satchmo... he's in the tub."
He was blunt but the agent nodded.
"I brought him up to dry off. He was soaked through and dirty. Once I rinsed him off I went ahead and left him there to rest. I guess he's still sleeping off..."
The agent hesitated, eyes glassy for a moment then coming back. Peter backed away and leaned against the hallway wall outside. A look of horror was on his face as if he had remembered something terrible.
"You didn't... Peter. It wasn't you."
He remembered finding the lab dirty and wet in the trashcan when he'd come to Elizabeth's rescue. The dog had been sluggish and now he was ok far as he could tell but his friend... Peter wasn't ok. He looked absolutely horrified.
"But it was me, Neal. He'll remember that I did that to him no matter who it really was. I tried to... stop. I couldn't help but do it."
The agent sighed, slipping down to the floor and sitting with his face in his hands. Neal crouched beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder and feeling the tenseness there. Peter was a wreck and if they didn't fix this soon, Knox would win regardless. The agent would lose his sanity and from what he recalled of the spell... his very soul.
"You'll be ok, Peter. Trust me."
He wasn't lying but he was being a little more hopeful than he probably should be but he had to cheer up his friend. Peter had to know they'd fix this. Brown eyes met his and he saw a smile form on the agent's lips as he helped him to his feet. He had rarely seen the man look so helpless but now it was his turn to be the rock if that's what Neal's role was to be.
"Thank you Neal. Uh... there's food downstairs."
Neal's stomach growled in reply, the situation lessening a bit as both men smiled.
"I guess I could go for a little sustenance. Lead the way."
oOoOoOo
Author's Note: Long delay but my PC is being a pain, work's been crazy and I've been having schedule issues. Finally got this out. Quieter chapter but things will pick up again.
