Chapter 3

Jane the psychic came immediately over. Lester met her himself at the security gates and walked her through. She looked normal enough. She was an aging woman, who's hair was mostly gray with some streaks of brown through it. She wore a perfectly normal pant suit in teal, and wore sensible brown shoes. She wore a simple round locket with a long chain around her neck. Nothing about her screamed 'psychic.'

As she walked in with Lester, she clutched at her chest, like she couldn't breathe.

"Oh, my goodness James. It is so thick and crowded in here. You've never cleansed in here, have you?"

"Never quite got around to it. Busy with creatures, apocalypse minded crazy people and so on."

"Well, I am seeing a lot of different images, not all human, but not demonic, which is good," she said, looking around.

"Oh, yes. I agree that demon-free is delightful."

The team traded skeptical looks and disbelieving stares. Lester was capable of surprise. His sarcasm belied a caring interior, and his pencil-pushing job and attitude overshadowed his leadership skills and adeptness with a gun. This, though, was a whole new side of Lester.

"I'm getting mostly shadows, echoes," continued Jane. "I think a basic cleansing should do it, tidy up leftover residue. There has been a lot of violence here. Oh, my. You are all in constant danger, aren't you? I recommend some protective talismans for you all."

At the sound of scoffing, she merely replied, "Oh, you don't have to have them on your person, just keep them in your desk or locker. What's important is the connection to the protective energy. You merely need to assert that you are protected. It says to the spirits 'back off.'"

By the ADD she sensed nothing, which perplexed Jess.

"What was I hearing then?"

Becker just rolled his eyes. "There's a logical explanation, Jess."

Jane continued. "Oh, James dear! You have some residue connected to you, personally. You've gotten your hands dirty too, haven't you?"

"Well, I have had to defend myself on occasion."

"Of course, but now the spirits you defended yourself against are angry. I see one spirit, it is unbelievable. I don't know how to explain the hideous thing. I can feel that you've all had encounters with it, or with its species." She closed her eyes. "Hmm. Yes. It's from the future, yes. Oh, it's horrible, and it makes this clicking sound, like a bat."

"Future predator, saw one today," said Lester, matter-of-factly, "but it vanished."

"You saw its echo, dear. It wasn't a full-on apparition. In fact, I'm not even seeing that you killed it, but you were present at its death. Tell me, do have one of those elephant-like things?"

"A mammoth?" asked Lester. "Don't be ridiculous. They're extinct. What about it?"

Jane smiled. "You get so worked up, James. Your secrets are safe with me. I can't afford to seem like any more of a loon than I am already. I won't tell anyone, goodness. The mammoth will have some energy attached as well, since it kebab-ed the thing."

Abby looked at Connor and at Lester.

"Did you...say anything to her?" asked Abby.

"About what? Oh, yes, you saw a predator too...down in the menagerie," said Lester.

Jane smiled. "I'll put some sage and rosemary down there, and you should sprinkle some just outside its cage or whatever. Again, I'm not sensing a full on apparition. Here, James, put this sage and rosemary in your office."

Jane wandered into the armory, and nearly collapsed. "It is so muddy in there with violence, and blood. However, I do also get positive energy. I see images, people you saved and those you tried to save." She looked directly at Becker.

Jess took his hand and smiled. Becker said nothing.

"I'm going to need to make a lot of sage wreaths and then burn them. Here, dear, help me," she said handing Jess a handful of white chunks and powder.

"What is this?" she asked politely.

"Oh, Jessica dear, it's sea salt, the first step in cleansing. We'll sprinkle some at the doors to this...gun mecca...and it will serve to keep anymore shadows out. I am surprised there isn't anything worse in here with all the blood and violence I see. I suppose its because your intentions are just."

Becker scoffed. Matt smiled.

Jane turned to Lester. "I would suggest that those two not be present at the ceremony. They're skepticism is too loud."

"I'm skeptical!" cried Connor, offended.

Jane smiled. "You are Connor, however, you also have a thirst for knowledge. You don't scream at what you don't know," and she looked directly at Becker and Matt. "It would simply be better that they didn't block our intentions with their pungent skepticism.

They smiled.

"I'm so disappointed," said Matt.

"Oh, me too. I wanted to hold hands and chant," said Becker.

Jane ignored them, Jess frowned, Abby and Emily smirked, but Connor was bothered by something.

"Wait," said Connor. "I didn't tell you my name."

"Come to think of it," said Jess. "Neither did I."

"Good grief," said Becker, with. "Lester did."

"No, I didn't. Why would I? She doesn't need to know their names, only mine. I only care about me."

Jane laughed. "They don't believe that, James," she said quietly.

Everyone looked shocked, even Becker. How could she know that?

"Alright, Let's get started," said Jane. "You two," she said to Becker and Matt, "Scat."

The two outcast smirked, and left the armory.

The ceremony began with Jane assembling everything on a table. First, she put down a small white candle and lit it and some incense. She put sea salt in a bowl, and placed the candle in it. She then placed a broom of natural fibers she constructed herself, in front of the bowl.

"Now. The most important part of the cleansing is this: you all must have a firm intent to rid the entire building of the shadows and lingering spirits. You must push doubt out of your mind. You must believe in the power to remove these things, or this will not work."

"I want each of you to concentrate on the candle. See the candle light grow. It becomes a bright, purifying light. Now, picture the light expanding out through the entire building into every nook and cranny, approaching and embracing every being, human and creature. Good. I can feel it. You are all doing well."

Jane picked up the broom and swept counterclockwise over the whole armory. "Normally you must do the whole house, unless there is one room or area that seems to be attracting the spirits. This room seems to be where they are deposited. James, as the director, you must be assertive. You must say the chant."

In the Ops room, Becker and Matt watched the ceremony from a monitor near where Becker had been working, the unfinished reports still on the desk.

"Huh, you were right," said Matt, "there is chanting."

Becker smirked. "I can't see Lester actually doing it, though."

In the armory, Abby raised her eyebrows, and Connor smirked, but Lester was too focused to notice.

He took a wreath Jane made of sage and rosemary, and lit it. "By the power of all things good and just. By the sea, stars, earth, and fire I command you to leave," he said loudly, in a firm, strange voice with a lilt to it.

Becker and Matt exchanged looks.

"I don't believe this," said Matt.

Jess, Abby, and Connor were all given wreaths to burn.

"Is that wise?" asked Becker, his voice raising slightly. "I don't think Connor should have access to open flame."

Connor burned his wreath in the lab, managing not to set fire to anything else. Jane said the lab needed cleansing because there was 'remnant' energy from the dead future beetles.

Abby burned one in the menagerie to rid the residue of the future predator attached to the mammoth. It would also cleanse any leftover energy from other creature kills.

While they did their appointed tasks, Jane gave Jess one. "Now, Jess. I want you to burn this wreath in the area with all the big trucks. You know, where they unpack the creatures."

"The loading bay," said Jess.

"Right, dear. I sense a recent commotion there that released a lot of negative energy."

Still watching from Ops, Matt snickered. "That's an understatement."

Becker still felt pain in his chest. "No kidding. I'm going to meet Jess at the loading docks," he said, vacating the chair.

Matt sat in it. "Whoa, now that's a cushion-y chair," he said.

Becker caught up to Jess a few corridors from the loading bay.

"Christmas already?" asked Becker, referring to the wreath she carried.

"Go away. You're negative," she said with a grin.

Becker smiled. "You don't believe this mumbo jumbo do you?"

"I don't know. I'm open. I don't scream at what I don't understand," said Jess, winking at Becker.

They reached the loading docks, Becker punched in the special security lock-out code, and Jess swiped her bracelet. Becker moved to follow her in.

"What are doing? You can't come! You're 'loud,' remember?" she said, with a grin.

Becker waited for her to burn the wreath, then shut the door and punched the lock code.

"That's a wonderful smell," he said, coughing.

"Well, I suppose it has to be strong to run the things away."

"The things?"

"I told you, I don't know what they are, so how can I call them anything but things?"

Becker smirked and walked Jess back to the ADD.

Everyone, including Matt waited there.

"Good work, dear," said Jane, walking to Jess and taking the wreath from her. As she did she passed Becker.

Jane fell to her knees, and clasped her chest.

"Oh! My! You are haunted!" she cried at Becker.

End of Ch 3