Karma's Ghost

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A/N:

Chapter 21 (Hellish Storm Brewing)

Jade wept as she tried in vain to scrub away the marking on the floor. She'd been at it for what felt like an eternity, praying she could get it off though she knew Death stated it would remain in place forever-serving as a grim reminder.

"Katie, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She wiped the tears from her face with her forearm and gasped aloud in an attempt to breathe. "I shouldn't have left you all by yourself. Forgive me." She knew it was no use trying to talk to her. She was gone. Forever. "You should have been in heaven. An angel, a spirit, happy and precious. You didn't deserve this, you didn't deserve it!"

She was going to figure out who murdered her friend, and she was going to do her best to get justice for Katie. Though the girl would never know it, never would she smile down from the heavens, proud her killer was gone.

On her hands and knees, Jade's heavy breaths fell onto the smoky circle and her scrubbing at the floor slowed down. She leaned downwards, pressing her face against the floor and screaming in anguish. Her screams forced the doors in the room to fly open and the entire house to shake.

"Why! Why her? I don't understand." She looked up at the ceiling, glaring through it as a sob trembled in her body. "Tell me. What monster haunts this house? Tell me!"

A hand landed gently on her shoulder, causing her to flinch and turn sharply. Death gazed down at her with a mournful expression. "I'm sorry." He knelt beside her, staring down at the circle and speaking shakily. "I didn't see this, but now I understand. It upsets me that I missed something this important."

Hard as it was to believe her mentor missed something, she had to bite back on the anger within her. "Katie." She sucked in air through her clenched teeth, then blew it back out. "Is gone. Destroyed in the manner that you said before. What is this? What force is in this house?" Death closed his eyes and his lips pressed against each other firmly as his nostrils expanded. "Will you tell me?"

"I consulted the spirits about this matter. It's a grave one. I've seen it many times before, but I still can't imagine I didn't see this." His eyes opened partially and a soft sigh rolled away from his tongue. "They want me to guide you, but they want you to figure out the what for yourself."

"This isn't a game."

"I know, but it seems they expect you to make your own discoveries, come across your own decisions." Death swept his hand through the smolders and clenched his fist, letting ash drip from his hand like sand. Jade watched closely, sniffing and shaking her head.

"Can you at least tell me what I'm up against? Can you give me any clues at all?"

He raised his eyes skyward and grunted. "Yes." Her heart skipped for a second and she quickly asked if Beck were around to hear this. To which, Death lowered his hand and slid his eyes towards Jade. "Beck is a living human. The Vega house is locked and nobody is home. Do you really want to subject him to being in this house when they're not here?"

"Good point…I'll talk to him about this matter later." She sat against the wall near the circle and folded her hands over her lap, staring in bleakness at what was left of her dear friend. "So this thing." She swept her hair behind her ear and kept her gaze fixated on the circle. "This thing I have to save David from, does it threaten just him?" She thought for a second, shaking her head. "No that can't be, it's causing him to destroy his family…and it's not human…is it?"

"I'm afraid not. It's supernatural." She closed her eyes and ran her forearms over her abdomen, gripping firmly at her arms with her fingers. She took a deep breath and held it. "It's controlling him, manipulating him and draining him. It's feeding off his vices, causing him to act out and to do things he normally wouldn't."

"What am I up against, Death? Could whatever did this to Katie do it to me?"

"Possibly. That's why you must be careful. It's dangerous." Death narrowed his eyes. "You've not faced anything like this yet. You've encountered ghosts of different kind, but not this. You've never met one like this." He stroked his fingers along his chin and sighed. "This is a demon without being from hell."

Her heart clenched with fear and unrest settled within her gut as she opened her eyes and turned to him. "How can that be? Don't all demons come from hell?"

"All of Hell's residents are called demons. Devils. Just like all the residents of heaven are spirits or angels; but not all demons are from hell." Jade hummed and turned her eyes to a family photo on the wall. David was smiling bright in the picture, with Holly standing on his left, his hand around her back and on her outside shoulder. Trina stood between them and David's hand rested on her outer shoulder while young Tori stood before Trina, gazing up with a bright smile.

"That's an old photo. They look happy there." She saw something else though, a flash of redness in David's eyes that she'd never seen before. It was strange, since she'd seen the picture a million times before when she was among the living. "That's not redeye." Death turned his gaze upon the photo and frowned.

"It's not. David's haunted, and has been since the sisters were children. He's haunted by a very angry ghost, one that has harbored nothing but hatred and anger; and a lust for revenge." Death rose and put his hand on the smudged glass. "When an angry ghost remains on the earth long enough and the hate that's in their heart is never vanquished-their power and hate only grows until it is all-consuming."

"And they can become demons." The answer came in a short and abrupt voice, as she didn't need him to say whether she was right or wrong. She knew where that was heading. "So why did you not see it? It's killing David isn't it?"

"I see events leading up to a death, assuming those events are in close vicinity and directly causing the death. I didn't see this because there isn't an outcome is directly caused by a ghost."

"Like you saw me killing the guy that was going to kill Gary."

"Right. Every instance of David's death is caused either by himself or someone else. I knew a ghost was influencing him, but I thought it was Katie."

"You think this thing was using Katie as a cover? Hiding behind her?"

"I do."

"Great." Jade looked down the hallway, noticing for the first time dampness on the carpeting. She furrowed her brow and crawled towards one small damp spot. "Wetness." She pressed her hand on the spot and pressed down. "Like footprints. As if…as if this ghost were drowned; yet all I saw and felt was fire. How?"

"Fire and heat is significant with rage. This ghost is angry, and may no longer be a true ghost but a demon, which is also significant with fire. The ghostly features may still remain, however."

"David's a cop. There could be a number of vengeful ghosts that have attached themselves to him."

"There is just one."

"Yeah, but that one…who knows who it is?"

"That's what the spirits are wanting you to figure out for yourself." Death let out a long sigh and shook his head. "They're saying that you need to make a judgment call. You have to figure out if David has been punished enough and if he must be punished any further in life."

"Punished? This thing is punishing him?"

"He's paying for something he did in the past. Yes. I can't tell you what that is."

"I understand." Jade stood up and glanced at the camera on the ceiling. Recalling David's video cameras, she started to suspect she could perhaps see what happened to Katie. Ghosts could likely be seen by supernatural eyes on the camera, so it would help, as much as she didn't want to witness Katie's final moments. "Will you view the security footage with me, Death?"

"As much as I would like to, I cannot. I have an appointment to keep." Jade nodded and moved towards David's study, fearful of being left in a house by herself with a demon. Still, she would have to contend with whatever it was, one way or another.

Using her abilities, she hacked into David's personal computer and accessed the footage of the day. Before seeing what happened, she was aghast by the footage of David in the study earlier.

Something, or someone, was standing behind David and had their hands around his throat. "I didn't see you before? You can hide from other ghosts?" She began to sweat as her body temperature started to rise.

This thing was completely tinted in red and its body was sloshing around as though made of water. As his body sloshed about, water splashed out from his body, creating puddles around his feet.

The minute the whiskey glass toppled over, the demon turned its head and flickered away in a second.

Later, the demon entered David's body when he was gazing out the window, and remained there until Jade touched the man and yanked her hand away. "So that's you. Influencing him, changing him, manipulating him."

He looked bare, his head was bald and she could barely make out any facial features.

She watched Katie moving about the house on her own, and tears swelled in her eyes. "Oh Katie…" In each shot, the demon was near, scowling at her. Katie had an expression of fear on her face that seemed to suggest she was aware of the presence of this thing.

Eventually it stepped into view somewhere around the kitchen, causing Katie to turn towards it. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. Jade cupped a hand over her mouth and watched as the demon moved in flashes towards the girl. Katie turned and ran, screaming to be left alone.

He followed her up the stairs and grabbed her by the neck between the sisters' door. "You'll tell no one," spoke the demon in a deep, raspy voice. He stood behind her, his face toward the camera. His right hand was crushing her neck and his left arm wrapped around her waist. "Open a mental link to your father, I'll give you one last chance to tell him what you need."

"Please don't." Katie whimpered and her eyes flooded with tears. "I wasn't going to tell about you because I didn't want to die…" She looked at the camera, as if knowing Jade would see the footage. "J-Jade, I'm sorry."

Tears ran down Jade's face as she leaned forward. Her finger pounded the back of the computer mouse and her entire body started to shake with anguish. "You knew about him, Katie?" She couldn't be angry, not when it seemed Katie had been forced to be quiet.

"I stayed." Katie's voice bore a quiver and her head shook from left to right. "I stayed cause I thought my presence was saving Papa, but it wasn't. Don't let papa die, don't let him destroy everyone."

"Shut up," the creature demanded. Katie whimpered and slammed her eyes shut and appeared to create a mental link. Jade was surprised to see a static-like image of David and Beck standing side by side, with Beck's hand on David's shoulder.

"Katie?" David asked without hesitation. It was amazing to see he could recognize her.

Katie gasped through her tears and the demon snarled and gnashed his teeth. "Papa! Papa, I have to go. I love you, but you have to let me go. You have to be a father to the girls you have even though they're not yours. You can't be consumed by jealousy. Papa I know you're sad, I know you want a child of your own, but in order for that to happen…in order for you to be happy…you have to stop holding on to me! Please Papa, it's for the best."

"Katie…"

"I can't move on because you won't let go. Promise me, tell me you'll let go. Please. Please Papa."

"I...I will."

"Thank you." Katie smiled through her tears and started to sob as the mental link broke. The demon laughed and she threw her head up as if forgetting his presence. "Oh god."

"Delicious. You're ready to move on to the spirit world, but I've caused a bit of a stir haven't I? Death can't help you, he's off seeing about his little protégé. I welcome the distraction." Katie started whimpering as the demon raised his heavy hand to her face. His fingers were long and the veins bulged beneath the surface of his skin like bubbles. "Little Katie, you weren't a threat to me. I had no reason to kill you…"

"Oh god please."

"Then you had to decide you wanted to tell Jade and Death about me."

"They're going to find out anyway." Katie huffed and started hyperventilating as he removed his hand from her face, leaving behind a strange red light. Katie's hyperventilation grew louder and more intense as the light started to fall around her body like a shroud. "No. No, no, please! Please! Stop!"

"When one of David's little girls cries stop, you know I won't listen."

"Please!"

Jade's stomach churned and she fought the urge to look away, watching in horror as her dear friend started to explode. Her eyes filled with anger and her fists clenched tight as the demon turned to face the camera.

A sickening grin twisted across his face and he cocked his head to the right. "I hope you enjoyed the show. Nothing can stop me. I'd like to see anyone try…I'm going to destroy David and his entire family." The demon let out a malicious laugh before spreading out his arms and vanishing.

A few days later, Jade's answer came when David awoke from his coma and was released from the hospital. She followed him to a private dock where he rented a speedboat. She was confused by his action and thought little of it as he drove across the pacific.

"Where are you going?"

The journey was long and silent, and with dawn quickly approaching, Jade could feel herself almost growing seasick from the endless blue waves. He traveled for well over a full day, so Jade had to begin calculating how far he was going.

Based on knots, he averaged between 50 to 80 knots and judging by the amount of time passing, she figured he went at least 2200 to 2500 miles into the pacific until stopping in a tiny, obscure landmass.

This mass was essentially a small open cavern with incredibly deep water. "What is this?" She touched his shoulder, wondering if there was any effect from the demon, but his body temperature seemed normal.

He was gazing down at the water, with narrow eyes. "Fish food," he muttered. "You deserved to die. For what you did."

Her heart stopped and she held her breath as fear began to rise up in her. "Oh god, don't tell me you killed someone."

Death appeared beside her, gazing at the waters with a frown. "It was a murder." Her heart began to sink. "Yet there's grey area. While he regrets it, and he's been paying for it…it's who the one is that the grey area exists."

"I suspect it's that angry ghost."

"Yes." Death folded his arms and Jade found herself transported to the bottom of the sea, where she was amazed to find the water was not affecting her. She looked up, thrilled by all the sea life traveling around and the aura of light far above her.

As much as she wanted to explore, she knew this wasn't the reason Death sent her down there. "In college, David took scuba diving classes." Death appeared before her and pointed to something nearby. Four long chains had been bolted into the rock. "When Tori was five years old, he committed a murder…beating his victim senseless multiple times until he took out his diving suit and came all the way out here."

"Oh god." She could see that someone had been shackled to these chains at one point, but their body was long gone. The tools David must have used to do this were long gone, she was certain. "And his diving suit?"

"Gone. He got rid of everything. He did leave his victim with an oxygen tank, which of course left the victim alive and bleeding for a while."

It was gruesome, and knowing David's rage, it didn't take long for her to figure out who the victim might have been, based on the clues already given.

"Leroy." She breathed softly and pictured the man struggling as he watched David return to the surface. "And no one will ever find the body?"

"Correct."

"Has he ever been reported missing?"

"No. He never had any family to speak of and lived as a vagrant on the street until David met him. He gave Leroy some money and helped him start to get on his feet, but he never did. His only friend was David. He was a despicable man in life too, but David didn't see the signs."

"How despicable?"

"The one family he had was his sister. When he was a teenager, they were orphaned and he looked after her." Death sneered and Jade looked at the shackles. "He was seventeen, she was ten. He took advantage of her and murdered her because he wanted to know 'how it felt' to rape and murder someone…His little sister was an easy target…"

"Wow…"

"He was a juvenile at the time, so the courts didn't sentence him more than twenty years. By the time he got out, he was homeless because he couldn't get a job or make a life for himself. He would often prey on women walking by on the streets, grabbing their butts and whistling at them."

"How did Dave miss that?"

"I think that pissed him off more. He was a regular cop at the time and he couldn't protect Tori from someone that he didn't realize even had a record. So, it would seem Leroy is trying to destroy David's life, his family…evil in life, evil in death."

"Yeah." She looked upwards, gazing as far as she could. She knew what had to be done. "Would it be wrong if I said I have no sympathy for Leroy and say David's already paid for the murder whether he realizes it or not?"

"I can agree to that, I suppose."

"Good. And as for Leroy." She balled up her fists and growled as the words he spoke on the camera came back to taunt her, suggesting that no one would ever stop him. "I'm going to stop him. One way or another."

Well, we've learned the identity of what Jade's up against. Can she win this fight? Can she save the Vega clan? What is to come? Find out...