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Two twelve person vans waited in the parking lot for the 'Ghost Busters'. After listening for a moment to the professor ranting about having to ride with the 'freaks', Chris ordered the scientific team and their gear to be loaded into one van, while the rest of them rode in the other one.
A feeling of being watched had Chris turning around to see an old pickup truck pull in beside the vans.
"Oh good, here's Vin Tanner," Mary smiled and started forwards.
Chris scowled and watched as Mary warmly greeted a grey haired lady climbing out of the driver's seat. The old woman simply nodded to Mary and began to unload a suitcase from the truck bed.
"I'll get that Ma'am," JD hurried over.
"Thank you son. Just the suitcase. Vin doesn't like strangers touching his things," Nettie smiled cheerfully.
Moving around to the passenger side Nettie coaxed Vin out. Leading him by the hand, Nettie gently urged the boy around the truck, the carved wooden pony clutched tightly in Tanner's other hand. It was obvious to everyone watching that Vin wasn't aware of his surroundings.
"God in Heaven, now they've got the village idiot," Professor Crooks blurted.
The professor was unprepared for the sudden response as Josiah jerked him off his feet and shook him.
"Please Dr. Sanchez don't hurt him. I want that pleasure." Casey snarled. "Professor Crooks was recommended as an excellent teacher. My career councilor was obviously wrong."
"Unhand me at once," Crooks garbled, outraged, before being dropped like a rag into a puddle of oil.
"Don't ever open your mouth like that around my brother again. I'll rip your tongue out and beat you with it, you sanctimonious boor," Casey hissed before stalking over to take Vin's backpack out of the truck.
"Her brother?" Crooks said in disbelief.
"Looks like your plan of tutoring that little girl just isn't going to work out Prof." Buck squatted down to study the stunned man. "Don't you be trying to flunk her either. You don't want Sharon Montgomery's missing journal to show up now, do you?" Buck smirked. "Last I heard it was still frowned on for a professor to fraternize with a student; an underage student at that." Patting the professor's shoulder, Buck stood up to tower over the other man before sauntering off.
The no longer quite so distinguished looking man paled at the unsubtle threat. How does he know about that bi . . . The professor's thoughts were cut off abruptly as Buck swung around piercing the man with a glare to rival that of his best friends.
"Hi Vin," JD said softly as Nettie led Vin nearer.
"Vin's autistic JD; he doesn't connect with our world," Casey sighed.
"Momma always said you should be polite," JD smiled.
"Your mother would be proud of you son," Nettie complimented. Thoughtfully, she studied her niece and the young man. So that's the way of it. Maybe something good will come of this mess after all.
Vin frowned slightly when Casey put his backpack on the roof rack of the van. He began to rock when Nettie's suitcase joined it.
"Son, I told you we were going to stay in a big house for two days," Nettie gently held Vin's face between her palms. "Then we'll go home."
Vin's eyes dropped avoiding Nettie's gaze.
"Two," Nettie said laying two fingers on the back of Vin's hand, which was clutching the horse. "Remember?"
Vin continued to rock a moment then stilled.
"Nettie, I'd like to introduce you to everyone," Mary began naming everyone.
"Vin, where would you like to sit?" Josiah asked calmly.
"Dr. Sanchez, Vin's really frightened of big men," Casey explained Vin's obviously growing agitation.
"Alright," Josiah immediately knelt down on the pavement. "Vin where would you like to sit?" he asked again.
Nettie's eyes lost their hard glint at the big man's gentle handling of her boy.
"He'll do better in the back by an open window," Nettie suggested.
"Just a second Aunt Nettie; let me grab my purse. I'm riding with you." Casey darted off.
"That girl wears me out just watching her," Nettie smiled looking after her niece.
"If we could only siphon off some of that energy to use on cold mornings," Josiah smiled, noting the affection clearly shining in the older woman's eyes.
The almost peaceful moment was shattered by Casey's angry voice.
"Keep your hands to yourself you jerk!" Casey's furious snarl carried clearly.
"True love waits, get real, you little freak," Trevor Ambrose smirked. "What are you, frigid?"
Casey growled and stalked back to the van. Vin's head raised as she stopped beside him. He pulled his hand away from Nettie and reached out to touch Casey's face. A faint troubled look came over the innocent features.
"He didn't hurt me." Casey patted the hand holding the horse. "No, Vin you don't do that," Casey tried to stop Vin from unbuttoning her blouse.
Gentle fingers brushed the growing red area at the top of Casey's right breast. A scowl drew Vin's brows together.
"I'm alright," Casey soothed re-buttoning her blouse while flushing in embarrassment.
Exchanging worried looks, the two women coaxed Vin into the backseat of the Van. Vin became upset as they tried to fasten his seatbelt.
"Vin, look at me," Nettie ordered holding Vin's head between her palms. "Look-at-me, You know you have to wear a seatbelt when we go for a ride. No, don't look away. You understand me," Nettie scolded gently.
Vin allowed the seatbelt to be fastened without further protest. The rest of the 'talents' took their seats as Chris climbed into the driver's seat and Mary hurried around to take the shotgun seat.
Buck was fumbling with his seatbelt latch trying to get it to catch, when it suddenly locked in place, and the belt tightened itself snugly. Raising startled eyes, he momentarily caught Vin's gaze. //Was that you, Vin?//
The momentary connection was lost as Vin began stroking his pony, rocking in his seat.
Suddenly, a panicked scream was heard coming from the other van.
"What in blue blazes?" Josiah spluttered. Everyone, with the exception of Vin looked to see what had happened. The autistic young man simply rocked and cuddled his pony.
"It would appear one of Mr. Ambrose' hands has been closed in the vehicle's sliding door," Ezra announced.
"Couldn't happen to a nicer fella." Buck snorted unsympathetically.
"Brother Nathan, our services might be required," Josiah sighed. "They're having a great deal of difficulty opening the door."
"Let me go check on him first," Nathan huffed, climbing back out of the van.
A moment later Nathan yelled, "Josiah! Come give me a hand this thing is wedged tight."
Josiah climbed out and added his strength to the three men already trying to open the door without obvious effect.
"Stop it, Vin," Casey hissed almost silently, pulling the carved horse from Vin's grasp.
Vin immediately reached for his toy.
The stuck sliding door broke loose with a bang and now hung crookedly on the side of the van. Josiah and Nathan were attempting to free themselves from the pile up of bodies due to the door's sudden release.
"Once it let go, Josiah dang near ripped it off," Buck chuckled.
A furious Nathan climbed back in the van and took his seat with a huff. A seething Josiah was right behind, closing the sliding door as he entered.
"Are we going to the hospital with them?" JD asked.
"No!" Nathan snapped.
"Dr. Crooks' is calling for a cab to take Trevor Ambrose to the hospital. He doesn't have time to waste on such carelessness on Ambrose's part. They're moving to their own vehicles for the trip to the Folly. Nathan wasn't allowed to examine him. They want a real doctor to examine the boy's hand, not some quack." Josiah growled.
"Excuse me, I shouldn't have snapped at you, JD," Nathan sighed rubbing his forehead.
"I understand Doc," JD smiled sadly.
"Dr. Jackson, might I suggest placing your bag out of view. Mr. Tanner seems distressed by its presence." Ezra Standish spoke softly.
"It would be for the best," Nettie said while stroking Vin's hair, attempting to calm him, as the vehicle got underway.
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Once the vehicles arrived at Petrie's Folly, Chris got out to unlock the gate. He seemed to study something for a few moments. Opening the gates, he climbed back into the van.
"Somebody cut the chain," Chris grunted as he started down the long drive.
"So we have trespassers?" Buck straightened.
"Maybe," Chris agreed.
"Does this monstrosity have modern amenities?" Ezra demanded, looking out a window at the huge looming house.
"The house has plumbing and is wired for electric. The electricity is unreliable and will go out for no obvious reason. Don't bother calling the electric company though, the house hasn't been on their service line since the forties," Mary answered mischievously.
"It has its own generator?" JD questioned.
"No, and no one can explain why it has running water and electric. I did have the phone service reconnected. It could prove unreliable as well." Mary laughed.
"Oh Joy," Ezra muttered.
"The gardens have been let go," Josiah said sadly.
"The grounds keeper was let go in the late nineties. The house was built in the late 1800's by a very wealthy eccentric widow named Barbara E. G. Petrie. Associates claimed she was building the house for her true love, although no evidence has been found of such a person existing. The house was built on a Ute burial ground. It has been rumored 'haunted' ever since the foundations were laid. In its heyday, this house was visited by the elite of society. Presidents, politicians, actors, authors, business magnates and the equally infamous have walked these halls. There have been at least four unexplained disappearances including Barbara Petrie. Seven or possibly as many as nine suicides and at least two murders have occurred here." Mary briefed them on the history of the house. "It was beautiful; I was here several times as a small child."
"She hates," Buck whispered.
"Who hates?" JD asked curiously.
"The house. It's . . . aware," Buck muttered, then shook himself.
"Buck's not the first one to say that," Mary laughed.
Chris parked the van and the other vehicles pulled in behind and stopped.
"We're not the first ones here," Nathan studied the rental car parked in front of the house.
"Your trespasser, stud." Buck eased back the sliding door and climbed out, followed by the rest of the group.
Chris walked over and opened the car door. Picking up some papers off the passenger seat, he quickly scanned the forms. "His name seems to be Jock Steele."
"He's a piece of slime from Inquiring Minds," Mary fumed.