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azombiewritesTitle: A Twin Investigation
Rating: PG
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
AU: Scientific Paranormal Investigations
Main Characters: Ezra, and the rest.
Summary: A set of teenage twins decide to make life a little difficult for Ezra Standish.
Disclaimers: The guys are owned by CBS, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment Group, and The Mirisch Corp.
Spoilers: None
Status: Complete
Total Word Count: 23,773
Four Corners Morgue - Tuesday, 7:33am
Ezra walked behind Chris and Nathan as they moved towards the morgue. He was angry, at the two men in front of him and at his situation. He'd just spent two hours in the Emergency room of the local hospital, an hour of that was in the waiting room. They had only put two stitches in his shoulder, it wasn't really worth the effort going there. They had checked his temperature saying it was three degrees above normal. He didn't care, it wasn't high enough to kill him. The bruising around his throat made it difficult to swallow but it didn't stop him from drinking six cups of coffee while he waited. The Doctor had told him that there wasn't any damage to his ribs but the bruising was sever and would be pretty sore for a few days. Ezra could have told him that.
The walls that surrounded the three men were white. The brightness caused him to squint against the glare. Ezra could still feel the chill that had worked its way into his bones. He thought it was his fever, he didn't realise that he had a constant companion that wanted to follow him everywhere. His eyes lifted when he felt another presence. He searched for it but found nothing.
"You okay Ezra?" Nathan asked him. Ezra replied with a raised eyebrow. "I meant to do this." Nathan nodded towards the door.
"No, but I need to do it." Ezra waited for someone to make the first move to open the door, he didn't want to do it.
"You don't have to Ezra. I can go in for you." Chris watched him for a moment and the expression that Ezra was unable to hide told him that he wouldn't believe the result unless he looked himself. "Okay let's get it over with then."
Ezra hesitated before following them into the area that held the bodies that were no longer possessed with souls. He knew that one day he would be one of them. It was a part of life, it happened to everyone. He jumped when someone grabbed him and pulled him forward. It was Chris. Ezra felt like slapping him on the side of the head and telling him not to do that again. His heartbeat began to beat faster as he moved closer to the cabinets that held the body he hoped wasn't there.
Chris showed his ID to the man in the white lab coat and spoke to him quietly. The man glanced over Chris' shoulder at Ezra and smiled. Oh great, the men in white coats are coming to take me away. He watched as the man moved to the cabinets and pulled one out. A body lay on the tray. The figure looked thin and young. He stepped forward then froze. A voice whispered in his ear but he couldn't make out the words. He felt even colder than he did before and he pulled the coat that Nathan had lent him even closer to his body.
"Ezra?" Chris called to him. He frowned at the expression on Ezra's countenance. "Ezra?"
Ezra could hear the voice calling him but something stopped him from going any closer. It was fear. What if it was Jasmine lying there. It either meant that she was now haunting him or he was going crazy. His friends seemed to think it was the latter. How was he going to convince them otherwise. He felt someone take his right arm and lead towards what could turn out to be a living nightmare.
Chris nodded to the man and watched Ezra for his reaction. The sheet was removed to reveal Jasmine Simmons. A large hole had been placed on her right temple by a bullet. Ezra was facing her left side and didn't see it. Chris was grateful for small mercies. Ezra paled at the sight. He stared at the face of a young woman who was once beautiful on the outside if not in the inside.
"What if it's not her?" Ezra asked.
"What do you mean?" Nathan still stood beside Ezra to make sure he was alright. He was pale and his cheeks were flushed with the fever that lived within him.
"What if it's Jacinda?" Ezra looked up at Chris.
The mortician pulled the sheet further down her right arm. There was a small tattoo. "This is how her father identified her. He was hoping the same thing."
Ezra looked at the man then back at Jasmine. She was dead. He moved his head around slowly as he realised he hadn't had any contact with her since earlier that morning. Was he wrong? Did he imagine her? In the light of the day, it seemed less real. There was nothing, he didn't see her or hear her. Did I imagine what happened. But he was in pain, it had to have happened. He couldn't have done this to himself. He wasn't capable of it.
"Let's go Ezra. We need to talk." Chris left the room with Nathan and Ezra following him.
Ezra didn't want to talk about it, he didn't want to listen to them telling him that his fever was causing him to see things. He'd deny it. They would accuse him of causing his own injuries. He would then walk out before his anger caused him to say something he'd regret.
"There's nothing to talk about Chris." Ezra strode past him and left the cold room.
Chris grimaced at Nathan and followed Ezra out. This was going to be hard. How were they going to convince him that Jasmine didn't cause his injuries without making him think that they believed he did it himself. They had to work out what happened, why it happened and who did it.
Scientific Paranormal Investigations HQ - Tuesday, 8:24am
"Sit!" Nathan Jackson growled at the man and when the Southerner refused, he pushed him down onto the couch and then covered him with a blanket. Ezra made an attempt to remove it but the larger man easily tore it from his shaking hands and put it back in place. "I want you to take this, it'll help keep your fever down." Nathan handed him a pill and a glass of water.
Ezra reluctantly took what was being offered. The fever was causing him to feel ill, he also had a bad headache. Not enough sleep and too many dreams. They had to be dreams, Jasmine was dead. He had seen the body himself. So what the hell was happening. He didn't know.
"What happened Ezra and start with the car accident." Chris ordered him.
"I told you it was nothing. I saw something that distracted my attention and when I looked forward, I was going to hit the car in front of me. I put the brakes on and hit my head on the steering wheel."
"And?" Chris sat on the couch next to him.
"And what?"
"The split lip, the bruising on your chest, and the rest."
"I told you. Jasmine did it." Ezra looked down at his hands as he began to fidget. They weren't going to believe him, why should they. He was even finding it hard to believe but he had seen it himself. He had been there and suffered the pain.
"Jasmine's dead Ezra." Nathan told him.
"I'm not lying." Ezra retorted.
"You think you saw her. Your fever could be causing you to be delirious." Nathan explained.
"Have you seen her since this morning?" Chris took the glass of water from Ezra's hand.
"No." Ezra admitted to them. "I didn't do this to myself Chris. I wouldn't."
"It could have been a dream Ezra." Nathan looked at Chris then back at Ezra. "Maybe you hurt yourself without knowing it."
"I didn't do it!" Ezra growled at them as he stood up. "I can't believe you would think I would do this to myself, even in a dream."
"Ezra calm down." Nathan took his arm but Ezra pulled away from him and began moving to the door.
"Where are you going?"
"I feel sick, I think I'm going to throw up." Ezra lied.
"I'll go with you." Nathan started after him.
"No, I can manage or do you think I'm going to hurt myself." Ezra stormed out of the room. He didn't want to be on his own but he hadn't seen Jasmine all morning. He was hoping that he wouldn't see her again.
"I'll give him a few minutes then go after him." Chris stood up and began to pace the room. He had no idea what was going on. He didn't want to believe that Ezra had hurt himself but who else could have done it. Ezra claimed it was Jasmine but she was dead, they had even checked the body. "Nathan, give Buck and JD a call, tell them to get in here, I want them to find out everything they can about Jacinda Simmons' death."
"Sure. Don't push him Chris, just in case . . . " Nathan allowed his statement to hang in the tension of the room.
"You think he did it himself." Chris glared at him.
"No but just in case we're wrong." Nathan looked away from him. "We don't know what's going on Chris and until we do we have to assume that Ezra did it himself. Don't leave him alone for too long." He walked out of the room to follow the instructions he had been given.
******
Ezra stepped into the men's room and searched it for something he didn't want to see. There was nothing but white walls and empty stalls. The lack of silence unnerved him. He was aware of the tremors that his body was suffering from, it had to be a mixture of the fever and the chill that racked his form. It couldn't be fear, it can't be a fear of the unknown because he knew what was happening. Jasmine's ghost was haunting him, it was the only explanation. It had been her body in the morgue not her sister's, her father had indentified her. He couldn't be wrong.
He slowly made his way to the washbasin and turned on the cold water. His face was flushed with the heat of the fever but the rest of his body couldn't warm up. He filled his hands and shivered at the coolness of it. Ezra splashed it onto his face, it made no difference. He tried again and the attempt to cool his face failed again.
"Ezra." The soft voice spoke to him.
He was determined not to be afraid. Why did she have to show up when he was alone. Why now. Why not when the others were with him, they would believe him then. His head lifted and he could see her in the mirror, he turned around slowly. His hands continued to shake so he held them at his side.
"Jasmine."
"I see your fear is beginning to ease."
"I saw your body." Ezra told her.
"And?"
"You're a ghost. Why are you still here?"
"I told you Ezra, to make you pay for what you did to me." Jasmine smiled as she moved towards him.
"Why not your sister's killer, why aren't you making him pay for what he did."
"Oh he will, more than you." She got close enough to him to run a finger down the side of his face. It didn't burn like it had that morning when her sister had touched him.
"Where's Jacinda?" Ezra glanced quickly around the men's room.
"Couldn't make it, had something else to do." She smiled, an evil glint sparkled in her eyes.
"All I have to do is yell." Ezra warned her.
"And you think that's going to stop me."
Ezra's shoulders slumped, she was right. He couldn't do anything to stop her, he wasn't going to be able to protect himself against her. He berated himself for being so helpless. He reached out to touch her but she gripped his left wrist and twisted it violently. Ezra gritted his teeth and hoped she would let go. She wouldn't. He was beginning to feel real fear.
The hand turned and Ezra turned with it until his back was turned to Jasmine. He felt his body being lifted and before he knew it, he was being thrown across the room. He closed his eyes as he saw the tiled wall coming closer to him. He felt something break when he collided with it, then his body slid to the floor leaving a bloody trail on the white tiles. The darkness danced on the edge of his vision. He watched as Jasmine came towards him. He struggled to push himself away from her but he couldn't. Another figure appeared in front of him. The touch burned against his skin.
"You have to find my body Ezra Standish, it's the only way to beat her. She will leave you alone once you've found me." Jacinda whispered to him.
Ezra stared at her, the face was angelic and he knew she meant him no harm, she wanted only to help him. He nodded and the movement caused the darkness to close in on him. The last thing he remembered was hearing Chris' voice.
******
Chris stood outside the men's room listening for any sounds that indicated Ezra was in trouble. Only silence came from behind the door. He was about to enter the room when he heard Ezra's Southern accent. He was talking to himself. Maybe Nathan was right. He didn't want him to be, the thought of Ezra losing it made his skin crawl. He leaned closer to the door, the words that reached his ears were mumbled, and he couldn't make them out. He waited one second longer and opened the door. The scene before him scared the shit of him. Ezra had been picked up and thrown across the room. Chris winced as he heard the sound of impact. The smaller man fell to the floor then seemed to be looking at someone in front of him, he nodded then collapsed.
"Ezra!" Chris yelled out to him. He hesitated before going to him.
Chris stepped into the room and searched it, there was nothing but the prone figure against the wall in front of him. He rushed quickly to Ezra's side. His hands probed Ezra's body for injuries, he found two. The man's shoulder was dislocated and there was an open bleeding wound to his forehead. He knew Ezra didn't do this, he had seen what happened to his friend. He now believed Ezra's words, Jasmine had done it.
"Ezra?" Chris gently slapped his face. "Ezra, I have to leave you for a minute, I have to get Nathan." He touched his shoulder. "I'll be right back." Chris moved as fast as he could, he ran into the hall that led to their offices. "NATHAN!"
He didn't get a response, he looked to the still swinging door then back down the hallway. He didn't want to leave Ezra alone for very long but he had no choice. He ran down the hall calling out Nathan's name. After what seemed like an eternity, Nathan finally poked his head out of Ezra's office. It had been the closest to the conference room and the office that had the most distance between itself and the men's room.
"Where the hell have you been, I've been calling for you, why didn't you answer me!" Chris growled at him. He knew it wasn't Nathan's fault but he was scared. "Ezra's been hurt and this time I saw it. It's not him Nathan, it's something else, something that I couldn't see. I think it was Jasmine."
"Where is he?" Nathan asked him.
"I had to leave him alone. He's in the men's room."
"What happened to him?" Nathan followed Chris' speed as he ran.
"Something lifted him and threw him against the wall." Chris shrugged as though it were an everyday occurrence.
"And you didn't see who did it."
"There wasn't anyone there except Ezra and he didn't throw himself." Chris growled as he rushed through the swinging door into the men's room. Ezra still lay as he had left him. The pool of blood that had flowed from his head wound had grown larger in size.
"Call an ambulance Chris. Now!" Nathan ordered him.
"Aw hell! Why didn't we listen to him." Chris pulled out his mobile and phoned for the ambulance. "They'll be here in five minutes."
"Ezra." Nathan checked Ezra over with his experienced hands. "I'm going to put his shoulder back into place." With quick efficiency, Nathan put the socket back into its correct position. "Get me some paper hand towels." He only waited for a few seconds before Chris returned. Nathan placed the towels over the head wound and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. "Help me straighten him out."
Chris moved to the top of Ezra's form and laid the smaller man's head on his thigh while Nathan straightened him out onto the floor. "Is it bad?"
"I don't know Chris." Nathan lifted one of Ezra's eyelids. "Definite concussion. His shoulder should be okay. We'd have to wait for x-rays and cat scans to make sure there isn't any serious damage."
"He asked me not to leave him alone and what did I do." Chris wiped the damp hair from Ezra's forehead and left his palm on his face.
"Don't blame yourself Chris, you heard Ezra, he said he didn't want any help."
"I know but I can't help but feel I should have been able to help him." Chris couldn't take his eyes off Ezra's slack face. He had to look around Nathan's large hand as he tried to stop the flow of blood.
"He's going to need more stitches." Nathan lifted his eyes to Chris. "If this was Jasmine, then she's a ghost, how are we going to stop her?"
"Josiah might be able to help us with an answer." Chris could hear a disturbance outside. Buck and JD's voices were arguing with two men.
"Chris."
"Yeah, I'll get them." Chris carefully laid Ezra's head down on the floor then stood up. His friend looked even paler than the tiled floor he lay on. He walked away without looking back. He couldn't look at the crumpled form that he should have protected. He exited the men's room to find Buck and JD arguing with the medics. "He's in here." Chris held the door open for them.
"Chris what the hell is going on? Those guys said they'd gotten a call that someone here had been hurt." Buck looked him over and was satisfied that he was okay.
"Ezra's been hurt . . . "
"What happened to him?" JD stared at his boss.
"I'll explain later. I want you to do what I asked. I need the information fast." Chris looked back at the door. "Nathan and I are going to the hospital with him. I want you to send Josiah over when he gets here."
"He's going to be okay isn't he?" JD was also looking at the bathroom.
"I don't know JD. He's suffered quite a bit over the last twelve hours." Chris shivered when he thought about what Ezra had been through.
"We'll get the info you want and meet you at the hospital." Buck looked towards the door when it opened. He stepped back to allow the medics through. Ezra lay unconscious on the gurney, an IV tube had already been inserted into a vein. His face was pale causing the injuries to stand out against the whiteness of skin. Blood soaked through the bandage that had been wrapped around his forehead. Buck lightly touched Ezra's hand as he passed him.
"Come on JD. We got work to do." Buck pulled him by the arm so he didn't have to look at Ezra.
"He doesn't look too good Buck." JD continued to look over his shoulder at Ezra. He could no longer see his face but the expressions that Chris and Nathan held told him that Ezra wasn't okay.
"Let's do what we have to do then we can go and see him." Buck used his arm to turn JD's head. He knew the youngster was going to worry himself sick over Ezra. He wasn't going to worry any less himself.
Denver Hospital - Tuesday, 9:13am
Chris only allowed Nathan to pull him away from Ezra's side because he didn't think Jasmine would hurt him while he was surrounded by Doctor's and nurses. He had insisted that he be allowed to stay with Ezra as soon as he was going to be left alone. The Doctor had reluctantly agreed with him; only because Chris had threatened him with physical violence. It was a threat that had always worked for him. He had been told by others that he had a look that could kill. His blue eyes turned violently cold and sent a shiver down the back of every person who looked upon it. Except maybe the other members of SPIT7.
Chris paced the floor of the waiting room while Nathan watched him. "I saw it Nathan. Something picked him up and . . . just . . . just threw him across the room."
"You think it's Jasmine like Ezra said." Nathan wanted to tell Chris to sit down but he knew it would be useless. The man always worried himself sick when one of them was injured. It was the trait of a parent, one that he carried well.
"Yes. Why didn't I believe him? Why did I leave him alone?" Chris berated himself out loud.
"Too many why's Chris and not enough answers. How are we going to get rid of her? How are we supposed to protect Ezra?"
"Maybe she won't hurt him if the people who care about him stay with him." Chris suggested. "Josiah will know, he use to be an exorcist."
Nathan nodded as his eyes lifted to the clock on the wall, it had been nearly an hour already. Why was it taking so long to do a examination and a couple of tests on a head wound. He needed to talk to Ezra, the Southerner was going to be angry that they hadn't believed him. Nathan was angry at himself for not listening to Ezra. Their lack of support had resulted in another attack. This one obviously more serious than the last.
******
Ezra woke slowly, the pounding in his head worsened as the light became brighter. He was confused and scared. Why was he scared, he couldn't remember. He felt the clean stiffness of sheets beneath him. He was in a hospital. Why? There was something he was supposed to remember. Maybe one of the others were with him, they would be able to enlighten him to his dire situation. He felt the confusion drift away as he became more alert. The last twenty-four hours began to replay itself in his mind. Ezra's eyes flew open as the face of Jasmine Simmons became clear. Was she actually with him or was she just in his mind. Something pulled at his arm and he screamed out in surprise.
"It's okay Mr Standish. You’re in a hospital, you’re going to be fine." A sharp voice told him.
Ezra looked up at the homely features of an elderly nurse. Had he been here all the time, was it only a dream. No it wasn't. It was all too real. She had been there, she had put him here in this horrendous place that he hated so much. The employees of this hospital and any other were only nice to you because they had to be. He could see the complaining look in her eye. She had better things to do than to look after a scared thirty-year-old man.
He didn't want to look but his eyes travelled the room. He knew she would be there. She was but in a different form, she was a corpse. Jasmine stood at the foot of his bed, a bloodied hand rested on his leg. Her face was covered in blood, the bullet wound was large, and the brain was visible to his eye. Speckled pieces of flesh lined her shoulder. It was brain matter. He did this to her, his lie was the same as pulling the trigger.
"Chris!" Ezra knew he would be nearby. He had to have someone with him. Maybe she wouldn't hurt him if someone was with him. "Chris!"
"Calm down Mr Standish."
"CHRIS!" Ezra yelled. "CHRIS!"
Ezra began to push himself backwards, his feet were running circles beneath the sheets. He could feel his back pressing painfully against the metal of the bed. The large nurse grabbed his forearms and attempted to pull him back down into the bed. Ezra refused to do as she wanted. She began to use her weight by leaning on him. The breath was forced from his lungs and he began to panic.
"CHRIS!!" He could still see Jasmine at the end of the bed, she hadn't left.
"Get off him!" Chris Larabee yelled after he entered the room to see what was happening. He had heard his friend call out to him and the fear in the Southern voice caused Chris to become scared himself.
"Chris!"
Chris forced the nurse to let go of Ezra. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?"
"I'm trying to calm him down before he hurts himself again." the nurse answered.
"Get out!" Chris ordered her.
"It is not your place to . . . "
"Get out." Chris told her calmly and gave her the look he was most famous for.
Nathan held the door open for her then slammed it behind her. He rushed to Ezra's left side while Chris was trying to sooth him with his voice on his right side. Ezra was staring at something that they couldn't see. Jasmine? It had to be.
He looked back at Ezra who's green eyes were now looking up at Chris. He was nodding at Chris' voice but Nathan wasn't sure that Ezra understood what was being said. His body was shivering so he pulled the blankets up to cover the smaller man. Ezra jerked away from the touch but relaxed when he saw that it was Nathan and not Jasmine.
"Is she here?" Chris asked him. "Ezra! Is Jasmine here?"
Ezra didn't feel any of the fear leaving him. The presence of his friends didn't seem to help. He looked away from Chris to where Jasmine was standing. The corpse was gone and Jasmine stood there smiling at him. She winked then disappeared from his sight. He waited for the pain but nothing happened.
"Ezra!" Chris shook him to get his attention.
"No she isn't here." Ezra muttered as he continued to look where Jasmine had been standing.
"But she was, wasn't she." Chris demanded.
"No." Ezra lied. They didn't believe him.
"Ezra I saw what happened, I saw something throw you across the room. It was Jasmine."
"We believe you Ezra." Nathan rested a hand on Ezra's shoulder.
"You don't believe me, you believe Chris." Ezra shrugged Nathan's hand off.
"Shit." Chris' tone got Ezra's attention once more.
"I'm right aren't I. You didn't believe me until you saw it yourself."
"No." Chris admitted. "I wanted to Ezra but . . . "
"Whatever." Ezra sat up. "I want to get out of here."
"Ezra. We haven't even talked to the Doctor yet, we don't know how serious your head injury is." Nathan informed him.
"I don't care. I'm leaving."
"No you’re not!" Chris growled at him and pushed him back down. "Nathan, go and get some information on Ezra's condition. If he's okay we'll take him back to my place."
"I prefer to go home!" Ezra told him.
"Ezra stop being such an asshole. We didn't believe you but we do now and from what I saw you are in a lot of trouble. You’re going to need our help and we aren't going to leave you alone. Do you understand me!?"
Ezra looked at Chris then at Nathan. Chris was right, he didn't want to be alone and he was going to need help.
"Jacinda said the way to beat her is to find her body. She says once we find her, Jasmine will leave me alone."
"Now how hard can that be." Chris smiled down at him.
"Bastard." Ezra didn't like being reminded that it was going to be a futile effort.
******
Ezra sat in the back of the Dodge listening to Nathan give Chris a run down on his condition. He'd received a concussion that they would have to keep a close eye on. His dislocated shoulder was to stay in a sling, Ezra had already taken it off. And he had to be back in two weeks time to remove the eight stitches that were required to help close the large gash above his temple. His eyelids felt heavy, his body needed to sleep but he refused to give into its demands. He listened as Nathan phoned Josiah to ask him to meet them at Chris' home instead of the hospital. The conversation began to become slurred as his body took control, he could no longer refuse it's need for rest. His head fell back and rested on the seat as his eyes closed. His mouth fell open and he slowly fell into a peaceful slumber.
Chris glanced at the rear view mirror and saw that Ezra had fallen asleep. His face was relaxed, he wasn't in a deep enough sleep to dream. The cut on his forehead was covered, his face looked pale in comparison to the bandage. The bruise on his forehead was already beginning to turn yellow around the edges and the swelling on his lip had gone down. Ezra's cheeks were red and his face sweaty. In other words, his agent looked like hell. He was also going through hell and there was nothing he could do to help him. If the police were unable to find the body then how was he. Even if he did find Jacinda Simmons' body it could take weeks or even months, Ezra might not be able to last that long. Any normal person would be falling apart right now. Ezra wasn't normal but he also wasn't untouchable.
He quietly hoped that Josiah would be able to think of something they could do to get rid of Jasmine. Josiah had once been a priest that specialised in exorcism but this was different. Ezra wasn't possessed, he was being haunted by a very angry ghost. Chris flinched when his mobile began to ring. He looked to make sure the noise hadn't woken Ezra up. The ex-criminal had changed position but that was all.
"Larabee."
"It's Vin. What's going on? I just got here and Buck tells me that Ezra's been hurt." Vin's tone held a hint of anger.
"I didn't have time to let you know. We're on our way to my place. Hurry Buck and JD up then meet us there." He hung up, the last thing he wanted was to discuss the situation while he was driving. His hands shook at the thought of what Ezra was and is going to go through.
Nathan twisted around when he heard Ezra moan. The smaller man was shivering. "Can you turn the heat up Chris."
He pulled his jacket off and covered Ezra with it. He noticed the blood on the original jacket he had lent him. He didn't mind, Ezra's drycleaner would be able to get rid of the stain. He leaned further into the back and placed his large hand on Ezra's forehead, his fever had gotten worse. Ezra needed to rest and get some fluids. He should have stayed in hospital but the stubborn fool never did what was best for himself.
"Do you think Josiah will know what to do?" Nathan asked him as he moved back into a more comfortable position.
"I hope so. I don't know if we'll be able to find Jacinda's body." Chris pulled into the driveway of his home. "What if it takes months."
"That's what I was thinking." Nathan agreed.
They got out of the car and while Chris ran to the front door of his home, Nathan opened the dodge's back door to get Ezra. He leaned forward and carefully took the smaller man's arm. He jumped and hit his head on the roof when Ezra screamed. The Southerner fell to his side and began to use his feet to kick out at his opponent. Nathan tried to catch Ezra's legs without getting himself hurt but he was too quick for him. He stood back and waited for Ezra to calm down. The larger man watched as the frightened green eyes darted wildly around. They settled on Nathan and he began to slow his movements.
"Sorry." Ezra looked down, he was too ashamed to look into Nathan's brown eyes.
"That's okay Ezra, not your fault." He reached out to take Ezra's arm to help him out of the car. "Come on, we're here."
"I must have fallen asleep." Ezra rubbed his eyes and grimaced at the pain in his shoulder. He realised he must have injured it when Jasmine . . . he left the thought alone and concentrated on getting out of the car. He allowed Nathan to help him, the nausea that attacked him drove his stubbornness away. If he attempted to get out on his, own he would end up falling on his face. He had enough painful areas on his body, he didn't want any more.
"What did she do to me?" Ezra asked Nathan as they walked towards the open front door. Chris was waiting for them, the concern on his rugged features unnerved Ezra.
"Dislocated your shoulder and gave you a concussion. A couple of day's rest and you'll be fine." Nathan explained to him.
"Only if she doesn't do it again." Ezra spoke more to himself than to Nathan but the scientist still heard him, he'd also heard the fear in the Southerner's voice.
"We'll do what we can to protect you Ezra."
"How can you protect me from a ghost." Ezra walked through the open doorway.
Chris took his arm and led him to the couch. Usually he would have taken him to the main bedroom but he didn't want his friend to be alone. They needed to stay with him. Safety in numbers, maybe. He knew Josiah would be with them shortly and maybe he would bring some hope with him. Hope that they would be able to defeat Jasmine without having to go through the trouble of finding her sister. Chris left Ezra in Nathan's capable hands and went to the linen cupboard to get some blankets and a pillow. Ezra was going to be staying a while, so would the others. He was sure none of them would want to leave Ezra. If there was one thing about SPIT7, the members protected each other at the risk of their own lives. They would do whatever was possible to save them. Chris didn't know if there was anything to be done in this situation. Ezra was in for a period of hell and how long that period would be he didn't know.
Home of Chris Larabee - Tuesday, 11:49am
Josiah Sanchez didn't bother with knocking on the door, he needed to see Ezra to make sure he was alright; at least physically. He knew how he would be mentally, he'd seen it plenty of times before in his previous line of work. A haunted look appeared in the eyes of the victim and stayed there for many months after the event had ended. This situation was different. Ezra knew what was happening. Usually when a person was possessed they weren't aware of what was happening to them, their mind even shut out the terrifying events that happened to them and around them. He was determined to do everything he could to end this quickly.
He walked into the living area to find Ezra asleep on the sofa, he was surrounded by Chris and Nathan. He looked at both men then knelt down in front of Ezra. The younger man's face was pale, too pale. Bruises lined his handsome features. A small amount of blood had stained the bandaged that covered the head wound he had sustained earlier. He wanted to lift an eyelid to see if the haunted look was there but Ezra would have to be awake. His mind was at peace and he didn't want to disturb him.
"How is he?" Josiah looked at Nathan.
"Physically he's fine, just needs a few days rest." Nathan shrugged.
"And?"
"Says we have to find Jacinda Simmon's body. Once we do that Jasmine will leave him alone." Chris drank from his hot cup of coffee, he was too worried to think about offering a cup to Josiah.
"That's not going to be easy."
"We were hoping that there was something you could do." Chris turned his blues eyes to Ezra's pale features.
"I have a few ideas." Josiah nodded. "My first plan is for Ezra to make contact with Jacinda, see if there's anything else she could tell us then I want him to talk to Jasmine."
"He won't like that." Chris assured him.
"He's not going to have a choice. It's that or nothing." Josiah warned him.
******
The three men were quietly discussing the situation when the front door opened once again. Three more men entered the living room of Chris' home. Each of the remaining members of SPIT7 stood before Ezra to assure themselves that he was alright. When they were satisfied, they turned to their leader. The expressions that they held told Chris that they wanted an explanation and they wanted it now.
"We all know that Jasmine Simmons died yesterday morning." He waited for them to acknowledge them. He wasn't sure how they were going to take this. He hadn't believed Ezra, neither had Nathan, it was only after he had witnessed one of Jasmine's attacks that he believed the ex-criminal. "Since then Jasmine has attacked Ezra at least two times."
"She isn't dead?" JD asked. His caring brown eyes turned to see Ezra still sleeping on the couch.
"She's dead JD. We went to the morgue to make sure. Her father had identified her as Jasmine Simmons." Chris told him.
"Her ghost attacked him." Nathan enlightened them, the looks of confusion was almost humorous.
"We're dealing with a ghost here." Vin looked at Chris who nodded in return. "How are we going to protect him from a ghost?"
"I honestly don't know Vin." Chris stood up, he needed another cup of coffee.
"We need to talk to Ezra, he has to tell us what happened. Jacinda, Jasmine's sister, visited him as well. Told him to find her body that would get rid of Jasmine." Chris spoke from the spacious kitchen.
"That's not fair, the police couldn't even find her. How are we supposed to find her?" Buck wanted to know.
"That's what I want Ezra to talk to Jacinda about. If she can give us some sort of clue then we might be able to find her." Josiah smiled, he thought it was a good plan. He just wasn't sure if Ezra would think it was a good idea.
******
Ezra didn't think it was a good idea at all. Couldn't they think of something else, something that didn't involve talking to a dead person. The conversation continued, Nathan was going through his injuries again. His mind began to drift away, he was trying to force himself to stay awake. Ezra thought he was safe amongst his friends but he would be alone in the darkness of sleep. What if Jasmine visited him in his dreams. He faked falling asleep, he didn't want to talk about what was happening to himself. He would have to explain the incident that resulted in the bruising of his chest. He felt foolish about that one.
His mind floated in a mist, someone was nearby, and he could feel their presence. He thought it was one of his friends but realised he wasn't with them anymore. He'd fallen asleep. Ezra tried to push himself up towards the waking world but something pulled him back down. It was Jasmine, it had to be. He found himself in a small room, the floor was made of dirt. It was cold, damp and smelt of death. He spun around when a soft voice began to speak to him.
"I'm here Ezra, I was buried here." Jacinda told him.
"Do you know where here is?" He asked knowing that if she did she would have told him already.
"No." Jacinda actually shivered. "It's cold here Ezra and I'm scared. I don't want to stay here, I want to go to a better place."
"We'll do what we can Jacinda." Ezra refused to make a promise. The last one he'd made was causing him nothing but trouble.
"Wake up Ezra." Jacinda spoke quickly. "She's here."
Ezra felt a coldness creep up his spine. He turned to find the source of it. There was nothing. Movement caught his gaze and he looked down at the damp earth beneath him. It was moving. A hand began to reach up towards him. It gripped his ankle and began to pull itself up. A head appeared, then a pair of shoulders. White teeth shone through the mud. Ezra's heart froze, he couldn't move.
"Want to join me Ezra? It's nice down here." Jasmine's invitation was refused.
Ezra began to fight but it was useless, Jasmine was too strong for him. He used his own hands to try and remove hers but the mud caused him to lose his grip. He tried to kick the hand away with his free foot but another hand reached up and took it. Jasmine then began to pull him down towards her. The ground opened up for him. The loose dirt closed in around his body. It was over in a matter of seconds. He began to scream but his voice was cut off by the dirt that began to fill his mouth and throat. Josiah was the first to hear Ezra's struggles. He moved to the restless form and placed a large hand on his forehead. He could feel the sweat that the fever was causing. He began to pray, his words were quick but his attempt to calm his friend was failing. Ezra began to fight his demons with even more strength. Josiah bent his head and his words became louder. He stopped when Ezra screamed but he became silent too quickly. He lifted his head to see Ezra struggling to breath.
"Move Josiah." Nathan ordered him, he had been standing behind him in case he was needed.
Nathan knew it was the same as the day before. Ezra was choking and fighting for each breath. He moved him into a prone position and began to slap his face in an attempt to wake him up. It wasn't until the fourth physical blow that the Southerner's eyes opened. Ezra cried out in surprise and swung his arm at the man who was hitting him. Josiah easily caught the fist before it struck Nathan's face.
"Aw hell." Ezra's body began to tremble and he couldn't stop it. He was cold, colder than he'd ever been in his life. Somebody wrapped a blanket around him but it didn't help. He felt a hand against his face.
"He's freezing." Nathan placed another blanket around Ezra. "Get a fire going Chris, we need to warm him up. JD, get Ezra a coffee, make sure it's hot and extra sweet but don't fill the cup."
"What happened Ezra?" Josiah lifted his chin then took the smaller man's hands and began to rub them.
"Jacinda tried to show me where she was but Jasmine showed up. Buried me in the dirt."
"What did she tell you?"
"She wanted to go to a better place, where she is cold and damp. She's in a small room, the floor's made of dirt."
"Did she tell you anything else?" Chris sat down next to Ezra and copied Josiah's moves by rubbing Ezra's back.
"She doesn't like it where she is, wants to go to a better place."
"Ezra?" Josiah frowned up at the man.
"It was cold, there was a smell, death, and it must have been Jacinda. She doesn't like there. I have to find her. I wouldn't promise though. Don't want to be haunted by another ghost. One's eno . . . " He felt the open hand hit him. He blinked and looked into Josiah's eyes. "Josiah, she doesn't like it there. I don't know where she is."
"We'll find her Ezra. I promise you." He saw the smile on Ezra's lips but it was overshadowed by the haunted look in his green eyes. "Ezra. Do you think you could try and talk to Jacinda when you feel up to it. I want you to try and get some more details of where she is."
"Do I have too?"
"It's the only way Ezra."
"We don't have to have a séance do we?" Ezra tried to smile to lighten the mood in the room.
"That may not be necessary. If she comes to you in your sleep . . . well, we could do it that way." Josiah suggested.
"Jasmine also comes in my dreams." Ezra reminded him.
"I know Ezra, it's a chance we're going to have to take. You want to find her don't you?"
"Josiah, that was below the belt." Ezra grimaced and pulled his hands out of Josiah's. He reached out and took the cup of coffee that JD was offering him. His hands were still shaking, he was afraid of spilling it on Chris' carpet but the cup wasn't full. The black liquid swayed from side to side like a wave in a small pool. He took a sip and the warmth slid down his throat into his stomach. The shivering continued. He wrapped his fingers around the cup, maybe the heat will enter his fingers and travel through the rest of his body. It didn't work, he couldn't warm up. "I don't want to sleep."
Josiah looked down at his hands, he needed to convince Ezra that he had to do this. He lifted his eyes and looked into Ezra's haunted look. He decided to wait. The younger man needed time to get over his nightmare. "Get some rest Ezra, we'll talk about it later."
Ezra nodded slowly, he wasn't going to sleep but he needed to get himself together, he had to calm down or he wasn't going to get through this. He looked around the room at his friends and took some comfort in their presence. They wanted to help but what could they do? Nothing, he was alone in his nightmares. He couldn't fight this, why couldn't he have just been shot or something. It was easier to heal physically than to go through this. What if he went crazy, he'd end up in an institution strapped to bed. He would be alone again. At least his mother would put him in an expensive home.
"You okay now Ezra?" Chris asked him.
Ezra bit his tongue and nodded again. It was a lie, he wasn't okay. He was being haunted by a crazy bitch that wanted him to burn in hell while he was still living. No, he wasn't okay but he refused to let them know that. He took another drink of the coffee and noticed that he was gripping the cup too tightly. Ezra loosened his hold and his hands began to shake again.
"Good. Do what Josiah says, we're just going to be over here." Chris stood up and walked away from Ezra. He didn't see the look of anger in the green eyes.
I'm not a child Chris. Ezra glared at him then hung his head. The felt the others move away. Two of them touched his shoulder gently but he didn't look up to see who it was. He put the coffee down and pulled the blankets tighter around his body. In his mind, he could still see the look on Jacinda's face. She hated it where she was. Why is she helping me? The sudden thought shocked Ezra. Why wasn't she treating him the same way as Jasmine. She had even warned him to wake up. Something wasn't right. He frowned, it was a stupid decision but he had to do it. He had to find out why she was helping him. Ezra made sure the others weren't watching him then leaned back and closed his eyes. He was asleep in minutes. Ezra's mind drifted in darkness. His body moved, as though it was weightless, he didn't have to use his feet, a simple thought would cause him to go in a certain direction. He thought of Jacinda hoping that he would be taken to her. Ezra shivered as his surroundings became colder, he was getting closer to his quarry. His fear began to rise, he didn't want to be hear but he had questions that needed to be answered. The others would wake him up if something went wrong. If they didn't . . .
He searched the blackness but saw nothing. There was absolute silence, it filled his mind. The breath that travelled in and out of his lungs couldn't be heard. Ezra took a step forward, the sound of his boots hitting the floor sounded loudly in the silence. Hadn't his friends taken his boots off, he remember the old saying. 'He died with his boots on'. He felt a slight touch against his face and turned to find Jacinda standing behind him.
"Why are you here?" Jacinda asked him, the confusion on her features spoke a thousand words.
"Where's here?" Ezra returned with a question of his own.
"Nowhere." she began to walk away from him. Why would someone come here when they didn't have to. "Did you come looking for me?"
"Why are you helping me?" he still refused to answer her questions, he had too many of his own and he didn't know how much time he had before Jasmine showed herself to him.
"Helping you?" Jasmine looked around the darkness then back at Ezra.
"Will you stop that!" Ezra growled at her, he sighed when he saw the hurt look in her blue eyes. She looked exactly like Jasmine and yet her emotions were so different. "I'm sorry but I need answers, not questions. Why are you helping me?"
"You need it, how else are you going to stop my sister."
"You still haven't answered my question."
"I don't like what she's doing to you." Jacinda replied.
Ezra frowned in confusion. "That's it?"
"No there is something else. Jasmine is the one who . . . "
"You fucking bitch!" A third voice cried out.
Ezra jerked awake and his green eyes searched the room for the source of the noise. It came from his dream but something told him that she was nearby. His search stopped when he saw her standing in a corner of the large living room. Her greying features looked sickly against the pale blue walls. He pushed himself against the couch as she moved towards him. He no longer feared her but feared the pain she was going to cause him. He couldn't fight her, no one could, she was a ghost, and how do you fight a ghost. Ezra turned to look at his friends, they were huddled together discussing something that wasn't meant for his ears.
"Guys," he waited until his soft voice got their attention, "she's here."
Six pairs of eyes lifted at the sound of the three words. Their attention had been caught and was now unwilling to let go. The men moved as one to protect their own. Josiah began reciting prayers hoping that it would send the unwanted apparition away. It didn't. Chris sat protectively on the Southerner's right side while Vin sat on his left.
Ezra stared into Jasmine's eyes, it was a mistake that he wasn't going to make again. He felt his chest tighten and his breathing became awkward. Not again. He needed help.
"Jacinda . . . " Ezra croaked.
"She won't be helping you anymore Ezra Standish." Jasmine moved closer to her prey.
Ezra could hear the other voices around him. Josiah was going on about some prayer, like that was going to help him. Chris and Vin were asking him where she was. He couldn't answer them. And Nathan was trying to help him breath. He wasn't helping much. But he couldn't blame them, they were doing their best and that was good enough for him.
"I've taken care of her, she won't bother you anymore. Your all mine."
He felt something take his arms and pull him to his feet, other hands were holding onto his arms trying to keep him on the couch. They weren't strong enough. He felt himself being thrown across the room. His back slammed into the wall and the pictured frame that hung on it. A sharp pain caused him to crying out. Ezra heard someone call out his name as he was picked up before he could hit the floor. He was thrown into the kitchen and he landed on the tile floor, the fridge stopped his slide against the slippery surface.
Josiah's voice grew louder in his ears. The ex-preacher was ordering Jasmine to go over to the other side, to enter the light that would take her to a better place. Ezra heard movement then a sound of pain. He tried to open his eyes and focus on what was happening but couldn't. His own body was once again full of pain. Was it his own voice that he could hear, he didn't think so. Ezra felt a sudden weight on his body, he struggled against it but calmed down when he heard Vin whispering in his ear. His eyes finally managed to open and he looked up at Vin. The security expert was looking at something else. Ezra followed his gaze to find Nathan and the others kneeling over Buck.
"Your hell is going to include watching your friends die Ezra." Jasmine smiled down at him.
Ezra jerked at the sound of her voice and Vin gripped him tighter. He refused to look at her, he didn't want her to see the sudden fear in his eyes.
"One by one Ezra then you."
"Buck." Ezra spoke through clenched teeth. "BUCK!"
"Calm down Ezra," Vin began to defend himself against the smaller man's struggles.
"BUCK!" Ezra tried to push Vin away but the pain in his back weakened his attempts. He had to settle for being held in a friend's grip while they both waited to see if Buck was okay.
Vin could feel Ezra shivering beneath him, he knew it was fear. He was feeling some of it himself. He released his hold and help the Southerner to his feet. He grimaced when he saw the blood soaking into Ezra's clothing. Vin pressed his hand against the area of torn material. The blood started to soak through his fingers.
"Come on Ezra. You need some help with this." Vin stood up and pulled Ezra to his feet and half carried him back into the living room. He sat him down on the couch and made sure that Ezra put his weight against him and not the couch.
"You okay to stay here for a minute, I'll check on Buck." he watched as Ezra nodded his head and wrap his arms around himself. "I'll just be a minute Ezra." The ex-criminal nodded again and looked away from him. Vin patted his shoulder and felt Ezra jerk away at the touch. He moved away and knelt down next to the others. Chris lifted his head to look into Vin's eyes, his own held a question. "He's scared shitless." Vin growled at him. "Buck?"
"Just been knocked out." Nathan spoke up. "No concussion that I can see so he should be okay."
"Good. Ezra needs you!" Vin left them and went back to Ezra. "Nathan says he's okay, he's going to come and check you over."
Ezra just nodded again. His mind was going over what Jacinda had told him. She said that Jasmine was the one who . . . Jasmine had some sort of control over Jacinda. The murdered twin was scared of her sister. Ezra was able to see it in her eyes. But why. Jasmine acted as though she couldn't live without her - in fact, she didn't - and now in death she was treating her as a person she hated.
"Aw shit." Ezra groaned.
"What's wrong Ezra?" Vin asked him.
"Jasmine killed Jacinda." Ezra informed him.
"But the guy the police caught admitted to killing her." Chris told him as he came over, he'd heard the end of the conversation.
"Jasmine killed her. That's why we couldn't find Jacinda's body. She kept leading us away from it." Ezra stared at the carpeted floor beneath his feet. "She killed her own sister and blamed someone else. She hated me for not finding a body when she knew where it was all the time. She's doing this to me for some crazy reason other than a broken promise."
"She doesn't remember Ezra." Jacinda spoke from an area in the room that was darker than the rest. The blackness hid most of her form from him.
Ezra's heart leapt into his throat and Vin and to hold him down before he ran from the room. He allowed Vin to pull him back down onto the couch. "Why?"
"I don't really know. She use to do a lot of bad things, some of them to me but she never remembered them afterwards. I didn't know from one minute to the next if she was going to break or not. She was sick Ezra."
Ezra nodded again, the words refused to make themselves into a spoken sentence. "You have to show me where you are."
"I don't know where I am Ezra. How can I help you when I don't know."
Ezra shrugged Vin's hands off his shoulders. He moaned as the pain in his back worsened with his movements. He knew the others were watching him but he had to speak to Jacinda before she left or Jasmine showed up again. If she did, someone else was going to get hurt. He walked across the room until he was close enough to see into her eyes.
"Did she take you somewhere first? Do you remember where she killed you?"
"I remember being at home in my room, I drank something, then I woke up in a warehouse. I'm not sure where it is." Jacinda seemed to look off into the distance, she was listening to something that only she could hear.
"Is she coming?" Ezra asked her with a hint of fear in his voice.
"No. It was an old, dirty and full of machinery, not new ones but old ones." she shook her head. "It's cold where I am, the dirt is wet, it smells. I hate it here Ezra, I want to leave."
"I know Jacinda." he watched as she disappeared from his view. He yelped when his shoulder was touched.
"It's only me Ezra." Nathan took his arm and led him back to the couch.
The Southerner watched as Vin and Josiah carried Buck into the spare bedroom. He grimaced at the blood on the side of the moustached face. "I'm okay Nathan."
"No Ezra, you've cut your back open." Nathan pressed gently on either side of the cut. "More stitches I'm afraid."
"Another trip to the hospital." Chris sighed. He wanted to keep Ezra in a familiar place where they could try and protect him. He looked at Ezra then at the door that hid Buck, they weren't doing a very good job at protecting him and now it seemed that the others may be in danger. Buck had been nowhere near Ezra when he had been attacked.
"Vin, Josiah, get Buck into a car and take him to the hospital, we'll follow with Ezra." Chris grabbed Ezra's arm and pulled him to his feet. "We don't leave either of them alone."
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
Master Fan Fiction List
Rating: PG
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
AU: Scientific Paranormal Investigations
Main Characters: Ezra, and the rest.
Summary: A set of teenage twins decide to make life a little difficult for Ezra Standish.
Disclaimers: The guys are owned by CBS, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment Group, and The Mirisch Corp.
Spoilers: None
Status: Complete
Total Word Count: 23,773
Four Corners Morgue - Tuesday, 7:33am
Ezra walked behind Chris and Nathan as they moved towards the morgue. He was angry, at the two men in front of him and at his situation. He'd just spent two hours in the Emergency room of the local hospital, an hour of that was in the waiting room. They had only put two stitches in his shoulder, it wasn't really worth the effort going there. They had checked his temperature saying it was three degrees above normal. He didn't care, it wasn't high enough to kill him. The bruising around his throat made it difficult to swallow but it didn't stop him from drinking six cups of coffee while he waited. The Doctor had told him that there wasn't any damage to his ribs but the bruising was sever and would be pretty sore for a few days. Ezra could have told him that.
The walls that surrounded the three men were white. The brightness caused him to squint against the glare. Ezra could still feel the chill that had worked its way into his bones. He thought it was his fever, he didn't realise that he had a constant companion that wanted to follow him everywhere. His eyes lifted when he felt another presence. He searched for it but found nothing.
"You okay Ezra?" Nathan asked him. Ezra replied with a raised eyebrow. "I meant to do this." Nathan nodded towards the door.
"No, but I need to do it." Ezra waited for someone to make the first move to open the door, he didn't want to do it.
"You don't have to Ezra. I can go in for you." Chris watched him for a moment and the expression that Ezra was unable to hide told him that he wouldn't believe the result unless he looked himself. "Okay let's get it over with then."
Ezra hesitated before following them into the area that held the bodies that were no longer possessed with souls. He knew that one day he would be one of them. It was a part of life, it happened to everyone. He jumped when someone grabbed him and pulled him forward. It was Chris. Ezra felt like slapping him on the side of the head and telling him not to do that again. His heartbeat began to beat faster as he moved closer to the cabinets that held the body he hoped wasn't there.
Chris showed his ID to the man in the white lab coat and spoke to him quietly. The man glanced over Chris' shoulder at Ezra and smiled. Oh great, the men in white coats are coming to take me away. He watched as the man moved to the cabinets and pulled one out. A body lay on the tray. The figure looked thin and young. He stepped forward then froze. A voice whispered in his ear but he couldn't make out the words. He felt even colder than he did before and he pulled the coat that Nathan had lent him even closer to his body.
"Ezra?" Chris called to him. He frowned at the expression on Ezra's countenance. "Ezra?"
Ezra could hear the voice calling him but something stopped him from going any closer. It was fear. What if it was Jasmine lying there. It either meant that she was now haunting him or he was going crazy. His friends seemed to think it was the latter. How was he going to convince them otherwise. He felt someone take his right arm and lead towards what could turn out to be a living nightmare.
Chris nodded to the man and watched Ezra for his reaction. The sheet was removed to reveal Jasmine Simmons. A large hole had been placed on her right temple by a bullet. Ezra was facing her left side and didn't see it. Chris was grateful for small mercies. Ezra paled at the sight. He stared at the face of a young woman who was once beautiful on the outside if not in the inside.
"What if it's not her?" Ezra asked.
"What do you mean?" Nathan still stood beside Ezra to make sure he was alright. He was pale and his cheeks were flushed with the fever that lived within him.
"What if it's Jacinda?" Ezra looked up at Chris.
The mortician pulled the sheet further down her right arm. There was a small tattoo. "This is how her father identified her. He was hoping the same thing."
Ezra looked at the man then back at Jasmine. She was dead. He moved his head around slowly as he realised he hadn't had any contact with her since earlier that morning. Was he wrong? Did he imagine her? In the light of the day, it seemed less real. There was nothing, he didn't see her or hear her. Did I imagine what happened. But he was in pain, it had to have happened. He couldn't have done this to himself. He wasn't capable of it.
"Let's go Ezra. We need to talk." Chris left the room with Nathan and Ezra following him.
Ezra didn't want to talk about it, he didn't want to listen to them telling him that his fever was causing him to see things. He'd deny it. They would accuse him of causing his own injuries. He would then walk out before his anger caused him to say something he'd regret.
"There's nothing to talk about Chris." Ezra strode past him and left the cold room.
Chris grimaced at Nathan and followed Ezra out. This was going to be hard. How were they going to convince him that Jasmine didn't cause his injuries without making him think that they believed he did it himself. They had to work out what happened, why it happened and who did it.
Scientific Paranormal Investigations HQ - Tuesday, 8:24am
"Sit!" Nathan Jackson growled at the man and when the Southerner refused, he pushed him down onto the couch and then covered him with a blanket. Ezra made an attempt to remove it but the larger man easily tore it from his shaking hands and put it back in place. "I want you to take this, it'll help keep your fever down." Nathan handed him a pill and a glass of water.
Ezra reluctantly took what was being offered. The fever was causing him to feel ill, he also had a bad headache. Not enough sleep and too many dreams. They had to be dreams, Jasmine was dead. He had seen the body himself. So what the hell was happening. He didn't know.
"What happened Ezra and start with the car accident." Chris ordered him.
"I told you it was nothing. I saw something that distracted my attention and when I looked forward, I was going to hit the car in front of me. I put the brakes on and hit my head on the steering wheel."
"And?" Chris sat on the couch next to him.
"And what?"
"The split lip, the bruising on your chest, and the rest."
"I told you. Jasmine did it." Ezra looked down at his hands as he began to fidget. They weren't going to believe him, why should they. He was even finding it hard to believe but he had seen it himself. He had been there and suffered the pain.
"Jasmine's dead Ezra." Nathan told him.
"I'm not lying." Ezra retorted.
"You think you saw her. Your fever could be causing you to be delirious." Nathan explained.
"Have you seen her since this morning?" Chris took the glass of water from Ezra's hand.
"No." Ezra admitted to them. "I didn't do this to myself Chris. I wouldn't."
"It could have been a dream Ezra." Nathan looked at Chris then back at Ezra. "Maybe you hurt yourself without knowing it."
"I didn't do it!" Ezra growled at them as he stood up. "I can't believe you would think I would do this to myself, even in a dream."
"Ezra calm down." Nathan took his arm but Ezra pulled away from him and began moving to the door.
"Where are you going?"
"I feel sick, I think I'm going to throw up." Ezra lied.
"I'll go with you." Nathan started after him.
"No, I can manage or do you think I'm going to hurt myself." Ezra stormed out of the room. He didn't want to be on his own but he hadn't seen Jasmine all morning. He was hoping that he wouldn't see her again.
"I'll give him a few minutes then go after him." Chris stood up and began to pace the room. He had no idea what was going on. He didn't want to believe that Ezra had hurt himself but who else could have done it. Ezra claimed it was Jasmine but she was dead, they had even checked the body. "Nathan, give Buck and JD a call, tell them to get in here, I want them to find out everything they can about Jacinda Simmons' death."
"Sure. Don't push him Chris, just in case . . . " Nathan allowed his statement to hang in the tension of the room.
"You think he did it himself." Chris glared at him.
"No but just in case we're wrong." Nathan looked away from him. "We don't know what's going on Chris and until we do we have to assume that Ezra did it himself. Don't leave him alone for too long." He walked out of the room to follow the instructions he had been given.
******
Ezra stepped into the men's room and searched it for something he didn't want to see. There was nothing but white walls and empty stalls. The lack of silence unnerved him. He was aware of the tremors that his body was suffering from, it had to be a mixture of the fever and the chill that racked his form. It couldn't be fear, it can't be a fear of the unknown because he knew what was happening. Jasmine's ghost was haunting him, it was the only explanation. It had been her body in the morgue not her sister's, her father had indentified her. He couldn't be wrong.
He slowly made his way to the washbasin and turned on the cold water. His face was flushed with the heat of the fever but the rest of his body couldn't warm up. He filled his hands and shivered at the coolness of it. Ezra splashed it onto his face, it made no difference. He tried again and the attempt to cool his face failed again.
"Ezra." The soft voice spoke to him.
He was determined not to be afraid. Why did she have to show up when he was alone. Why now. Why not when the others were with him, they would believe him then. His head lifted and he could see her in the mirror, he turned around slowly. His hands continued to shake so he held them at his side.
"Jasmine."
"I see your fear is beginning to ease."
"I saw your body." Ezra told her.
"And?"
"You're a ghost. Why are you still here?"
"I told you Ezra, to make you pay for what you did to me." Jasmine smiled as she moved towards him.
"Why not your sister's killer, why aren't you making him pay for what he did."
"Oh he will, more than you." She got close enough to him to run a finger down the side of his face. It didn't burn like it had that morning when her sister had touched him.
"Where's Jacinda?" Ezra glanced quickly around the men's room.
"Couldn't make it, had something else to do." She smiled, an evil glint sparkled in her eyes.
"All I have to do is yell." Ezra warned her.
"And you think that's going to stop me."
Ezra's shoulders slumped, she was right. He couldn't do anything to stop her, he wasn't going to be able to protect himself against her. He berated himself for being so helpless. He reached out to touch her but she gripped his left wrist and twisted it violently. Ezra gritted his teeth and hoped she would let go. She wouldn't. He was beginning to feel real fear.
The hand turned and Ezra turned with it until his back was turned to Jasmine. He felt his body being lifted and before he knew it, he was being thrown across the room. He closed his eyes as he saw the tiled wall coming closer to him. He felt something break when he collided with it, then his body slid to the floor leaving a bloody trail on the white tiles. The darkness danced on the edge of his vision. He watched as Jasmine came towards him. He struggled to push himself away from her but he couldn't. Another figure appeared in front of him. The touch burned against his skin.
"You have to find my body Ezra Standish, it's the only way to beat her. She will leave you alone once you've found me." Jacinda whispered to him.
Ezra stared at her, the face was angelic and he knew she meant him no harm, she wanted only to help him. He nodded and the movement caused the darkness to close in on him. The last thing he remembered was hearing Chris' voice.
******
Chris stood outside the men's room listening for any sounds that indicated Ezra was in trouble. Only silence came from behind the door. He was about to enter the room when he heard Ezra's Southern accent. He was talking to himself. Maybe Nathan was right. He didn't want him to be, the thought of Ezra losing it made his skin crawl. He leaned closer to the door, the words that reached his ears were mumbled, and he couldn't make them out. He waited one second longer and opened the door. The scene before him scared the shit of him. Ezra had been picked up and thrown across the room. Chris winced as he heard the sound of impact. The smaller man fell to the floor then seemed to be looking at someone in front of him, he nodded then collapsed.
"Ezra!" Chris yelled out to him. He hesitated before going to him.
Chris stepped into the room and searched it, there was nothing but the prone figure against the wall in front of him. He rushed quickly to Ezra's side. His hands probed Ezra's body for injuries, he found two. The man's shoulder was dislocated and there was an open bleeding wound to his forehead. He knew Ezra didn't do this, he had seen what happened to his friend. He now believed Ezra's words, Jasmine had done it.
"Ezra?" Chris gently slapped his face. "Ezra, I have to leave you for a minute, I have to get Nathan." He touched his shoulder. "I'll be right back." Chris moved as fast as he could, he ran into the hall that led to their offices. "NATHAN!"
He didn't get a response, he looked to the still swinging door then back down the hallway. He didn't want to leave Ezra alone for very long but he had no choice. He ran down the hall calling out Nathan's name. After what seemed like an eternity, Nathan finally poked his head out of Ezra's office. It had been the closest to the conference room and the office that had the most distance between itself and the men's room.
"Where the hell have you been, I've been calling for you, why didn't you answer me!" Chris growled at him. He knew it wasn't Nathan's fault but he was scared. "Ezra's been hurt and this time I saw it. It's not him Nathan, it's something else, something that I couldn't see. I think it was Jasmine."
"Where is he?" Nathan asked him.
"I had to leave him alone. He's in the men's room."
"What happened to him?" Nathan followed Chris' speed as he ran.
"Something lifted him and threw him against the wall." Chris shrugged as though it were an everyday occurrence.
"And you didn't see who did it."
"There wasn't anyone there except Ezra and he didn't throw himself." Chris growled as he rushed through the swinging door into the men's room. Ezra still lay as he had left him. The pool of blood that had flowed from his head wound had grown larger in size.
"Call an ambulance Chris. Now!" Nathan ordered him.
"Aw hell! Why didn't we listen to him." Chris pulled out his mobile and phoned for the ambulance. "They'll be here in five minutes."
"Ezra." Nathan checked Ezra over with his experienced hands. "I'm going to put his shoulder back into place." With quick efficiency, Nathan put the socket back into its correct position. "Get me some paper hand towels." He only waited for a few seconds before Chris returned. Nathan placed the towels over the head wound and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. "Help me straighten him out."
Chris moved to the top of Ezra's form and laid the smaller man's head on his thigh while Nathan straightened him out onto the floor. "Is it bad?"
"I don't know Chris." Nathan lifted one of Ezra's eyelids. "Definite concussion. His shoulder should be okay. We'd have to wait for x-rays and cat scans to make sure there isn't any serious damage."
"He asked me not to leave him alone and what did I do." Chris wiped the damp hair from Ezra's forehead and left his palm on his face.
"Don't blame yourself Chris, you heard Ezra, he said he didn't want any help."
"I know but I can't help but feel I should have been able to help him." Chris couldn't take his eyes off Ezra's slack face. He had to look around Nathan's large hand as he tried to stop the flow of blood.
"He's going to need more stitches." Nathan lifted his eyes to Chris. "If this was Jasmine, then she's a ghost, how are we going to stop her?"
"Josiah might be able to help us with an answer." Chris could hear a disturbance outside. Buck and JD's voices were arguing with two men.
"Chris."
"Yeah, I'll get them." Chris carefully laid Ezra's head down on the floor then stood up. His friend looked even paler than the tiled floor he lay on. He walked away without looking back. He couldn't look at the crumpled form that he should have protected. He exited the men's room to find Buck and JD arguing with the medics. "He's in here." Chris held the door open for them.
"Chris what the hell is going on? Those guys said they'd gotten a call that someone here had been hurt." Buck looked him over and was satisfied that he was okay.
"Ezra's been hurt . . . "
"What happened to him?" JD stared at his boss.
"I'll explain later. I want you to do what I asked. I need the information fast." Chris looked back at the door. "Nathan and I are going to the hospital with him. I want you to send Josiah over when he gets here."
"He's going to be okay isn't he?" JD was also looking at the bathroom.
"I don't know JD. He's suffered quite a bit over the last twelve hours." Chris shivered when he thought about what Ezra had been through.
"We'll get the info you want and meet you at the hospital." Buck looked towards the door when it opened. He stepped back to allow the medics through. Ezra lay unconscious on the gurney, an IV tube had already been inserted into a vein. His face was pale causing the injuries to stand out against the whiteness of skin. Blood soaked through the bandage that had been wrapped around his forehead. Buck lightly touched Ezra's hand as he passed him.
"Come on JD. We got work to do." Buck pulled him by the arm so he didn't have to look at Ezra.
"He doesn't look too good Buck." JD continued to look over his shoulder at Ezra. He could no longer see his face but the expressions that Chris and Nathan held told him that Ezra wasn't okay.
"Let's do what we have to do then we can go and see him." Buck used his arm to turn JD's head. He knew the youngster was going to worry himself sick over Ezra. He wasn't going to worry any less himself.
Denver Hospital - Tuesday, 9:13am
Chris only allowed Nathan to pull him away from Ezra's side because he didn't think Jasmine would hurt him while he was surrounded by Doctor's and nurses. He had insisted that he be allowed to stay with Ezra as soon as he was going to be left alone. The Doctor had reluctantly agreed with him; only because Chris had threatened him with physical violence. It was a threat that had always worked for him. He had been told by others that he had a look that could kill. His blue eyes turned violently cold and sent a shiver down the back of every person who looked upon it. Except maybe the other members of SPIT7.
Chris paced the floor of the waiting room while Nathan watched him. "I saw it Nathan. Something picked him up and . . . just . . . just threw him across the room."
"You think it's Jasmine like Ezra said." Nathan wanted to tell Chris to sit down but he knew it would be useless. The man always worried himself sick when one of them was injured. It was the trait of a parent, one that he carried well.
"Yes. Why didn't I believe him? Why did I leave him alone?" Chris berated himself out loud.
"Too many why's Chris and not enough answers. How are we going to get rid of her? How are we supposed to protect Ezra?"
"Maybe she won't hurt him if the people who care about him stay with him." Chris suggested. "Josiah will know, he use to be an exorcist."
Nathan nodded as his eyes lifted to the clock on the wall, it had been nearly an hour already. Why was it taking so long to do a examination and a couple of tests on a head wound. He needed to talk to Ezra, the Southerner was going to be angry that they hadn't believed him. Nathan was angry at himself for not listening to Ezra. Their lack of support had resulted in another attack. This one obviously more serious than the last.
******
Ezra woke slowly, the pounding in his head worsened as the light became brighter. He was confused and scared. Why was he scared, he couldn't remember. He felt the clean stiffness of sheets beneath him. He was in a hospital. Why? There was something he was supposed to remember. Maybe one of the others were with him, they would be able to enlighten him to his dire situation. He felt the confusion drift away as he became more alert. The last twenty-four hours began to replay itself in his mind. Ezra's eyes flew open as the face of Jasmine Simmons became clear. Was she actually with him or was she just in his mind. Something pulled at his arm and he screamed out in surprise.
"It's okay Mr Standish. You’re in a hospital, you’re going to be fine." A sharp voice told him.
Ezra looked up at the homely features of an elderly nurse. Had he been here all the time, was it only a dream. No it wasn't. It was all too real. She had been there, she had put him here in this horrendous place that he hated so much. The employees of this hospital and any other were only nice to you because they had to be. He could see the complaining look in her eye. She had better things to do than to look after a scared thirty-year-old man.
He didn't want to look but his eyes travelled the room. He knew she would be there. She was but in a different form, she was a corpse. Jasmine stood at the foot of his bed, a bloodied hand rested on his leg. Her face was covered in blood, the bullet wound was large, and the brain was visible to his eye. Speckled pieces of flesh lined her shoulder. It was brain matter. He did this to her, his lie was the same as pulling the trigger.
"Chris!" Ezra knew he would be nearby. He had to have someone with him. Maybe she wouldn't hurt him if someone was with him. "Chris!"
"Calm down Mr Standish."
"CHRIS!" Ezra yelled. "CHRIS!"
Ezra began to push himself backwards, his feet were running circles beneath the sheets. He could feel his back pressing painfully against the metal of the bed. The large nurse grabbed his forearms and attempted to pull him back down into the bed. Ezra refused to do as she wanted. She began to use her weight by leaning on him. The breath was forced from his lungs and he began to panic.
"CHRIS!!" He could still see Jasmine at the end of the bed, she hadn't left.
"Get off him!" Chris Larabee yelled after he entered the room to see what was happening. He had heard his friend call out to him and the fear in the Southern voice caused Chris to become scared himself.
"Chris!"
Chris forced the nurse to let go of Ezra. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?"
"I'm trying to calm him down before he hurts himself again." the nurse answered.
"Get out!" Chris ordered her.
"It is not your place to . . . "
"Get out." Chris told her calmly and gave her the look he was most famous for.
Nathan held the door open for her then slammed it behind her. He rushed to Ezra's left side while Chris was trying to sooth him with his voice on his right side. Ezra was staring at something that they couldn't see. Jasmine? It had to be.
He looked back at Ezra who's green eyes were now looking up at Chris. He was nodding at Chris' voice but Nathan wasn't sure that Ezra understood what was being said. His body was shivering so he pulled the blankets up to cover the smaller man. Ezra jerked away from the touch but relaxed when he saw that it was Nathan and not Jasmine.
"Is she here?" Chris asked him. "Ezra! Is Jasmine here?"
Ezra didn't feel any of the fear leaving him. The presence of his friends didn't seem to help. He looked away from Chris to where Jasmine was standing. The corpse was gone and Jasmine stood there smiling at him. She winked then disappeared from his sight. He waited for the pain but nothing happened.
"Ezra!" Chris shook him to get his attention.
"No she isn't here." Ezra muttered as he continued to look where Jasmine had been standing.
"But she was, wasn't she." Chris demanded.
"No." Ezra lied. They didn't believe him.
"Ezra I saw what happened, I saw something throw you across the room. It was Jasmine."
"We believe you Ezra." Nathan rested a hand on Ezra's shoulder.
"You don't believe me, you believe Chris." Ezra shrugged Nathan's hand off.
"Shit." Chris' tone got Ezra's attention once more.
"I'm right aren't I. You didn't believe me until you saw it yourself."
"No." Chris admitted. "I wanted to Ezra but . . . "
"Whatever." Ezra sat up. "I want to get out of here."
"Ezra. We haven't even talked to the Doctor yet, we don't know how serious your head injury is." Nathan informed him.
"I don't care. I'm leaving."
"No you’re not!" Chris growled at him and pushed him back down. "Nathan, go and get some information on Ezra's condition. If he's okay we'll take him back to my place."
"I prefer to go home!" Ezra told him.
"Ezra stop being such an asshole. We didn't believe you but we do now and from what I saw you are in a lot of trouble. You’re going to need our help and we aren't going to leave you alone. Do you understand me!?"
Ezra looked at Chris then at Nathan. Chris was right, he didn't want to be alone and he was going to need help.
"Jacinda said the way to beat her is to find her body. She says once we find her, Jasmine will leave me alone."
"Now how hard can that be." Chris smiled down at him.
"Bastard." Ezra didn't like being reminded that it was going to be a futile effort.
******
Ezra sat in the back of the Dodge listening to Nathan give Chris a run down on his condition. He'd received a concussion that they would have to keep a close eye on. His dislocated shoulder was to stay in a sling, Ezra had already taken it off. And he had to be back in two weeks time to remove the eight stitches that were required to help close the large gash above his temple. His eyelids felt heavy, his body needed to sleep but he refused to give into its demands. He listened as Nathan phoned Josiah to ask him to meet them at Chris' home instead of the hospital. The conversation began to become slurred as his body took control, he could no longer refuse it's need for rest. His head fell back and rested on the seat as his eyes closed. His mouth fell open and he slowly fell into a peaceful slumber.
Chris glanced at the rear view mirror and saw that Ezra had fallen asleep. His face was relaxed, he wasn't in a deep enough sleep to dream. The cut on his forehead was covered, his face looked pale in comparison to the bandage. The bruise on his forehead was already beginning to turn yellow around the edges and the swelling on his lip had gone down. Ezra's cheeks were red and his face sweaty. In other words, his agent looked like hell. He was also going through hell and there was nothing he could do to help him. If the police were unable to find the body then how was he. Even if he did find Jacinda Simmons' body it could take weeks or even months, Ezra might not be able to last that long. Any normal person would be falling apart right now. Ezra wasn't normal but he also wasn't untouchable.
He quietly hoped that Josiah would be able to think of something they could do to get rid of Jasmine. Josiah had once been a priest that specialised in exorcism but this was different. Ezra wasn't possessed, he was being haunted by a very angry ghost. Chris flinched when his mobile began to ring. He looked to make sure the noise hadn't woken Ezra up. The ex-criminal had changed position but that was all.
"Larabee."
"It's Vin. What's going on? I just got here and Buck tells me that Ezra's been hurt." Vin's tone held a hint of anger.
"I didn't have time to let you know. We're on our way to my place. Hurry Buck and JD up then meet us there." He hung up, the last thing he wanted was to discuss the situation while he was driving. His hands shook at the thought of what Ezra was and is going to go through.
Nathan twisted around when he heard Ezra moan. The smaller man was shivering. "Can you turn the heat up Chris."
He pulled his jacket off and covered Ezra with it. He noticed the blood on the original jacket he had lent him. He didn't mind, Ezra's drycleaner would be able to get rid of the stain. He leaned further into the back and placed his large hand on Ezra's forehead, his fever had gotten worse. Ezra needed to rest and get some fluids. He should have stayed in hospital but the stubborn fool never did what was best for himself.
"Do you think Josiah will know what to do?" Nathan asked him as he moved back into a more comfortable position.
"I hope so. I don't know if we'll be able to find Jacinda's body." Chris pulled into the driveway of his home. "What if it takes months."
"That's what I was thinking." Nathan agreed.
They got out of the car and while Chris ran to the front door of his home, Nathan opened the dodge's back door to get Ezra. He leaned forward and carefully took the smaller man's arm. He jumped and hit his head on the roof when Ezra screamed. The Southerner fell to his side and began to use his feet to kick out at his opponent. Nathan tried to catch Ezra's legs without getting himself hurt but he was too quick for him. He stood back and waited for Ezra to calm down. The larger man watched as the frightened green eyes darted wildly around. They settled on Nathan and he began to slow his movements.
"Sorry." Ezra looked down, he was too ashamed to look into Nathan's brown eyes.
"That's okay Ezra, not your fault." He reached out to take Ezra's arm to help him out of the car. "Come on, we're here."
"I must have fallen asleep." Ezra rubbed his eyes and grimaced at the pain in his shoulder. He realised he must have injured it when Jasmine . . . he left the thought alone and concentrated on getting out of the car. He allowed Nathan to help him, the nausea that attacked him drove his stubbornness away. If he attempted to get out on his, own he would end up falling on his face. He had enough painful areas on his body, he didn't want any more.
"What did she do to me?" Ezra asked Nathan as they walked towards the open front door. Chris was waiting for them, the concern on his rugged features unnerved Ezra.
"Dislocated your shoulder and gave you a concussion. A couple of day's rest and you'll be fine." Nathan explained to him.
"Only if she doesn't do it again." Ezra spoke more to himself than to Nathan but the scientist still heard him, he'd also heard the fear in the Southerner's voice.
"We'll do what we can to protect you Ezra."
"How can you protect me from a ghost." Ezra walked through the open doorway.
Chris took his arm and led him to the couch. Usually he would have taken him to the main bedroom but he didn't want his friend to be alone. They needed to stay with him. Safety in numbers, maybe. He knew Josiah would be with them shortly and maybe he would bring some hope with him. Hope that they would be able to defeat Jasmine without having to go through the trouble of finding her sister. Chris left Ezra in Nathan's capable hands and went to the linen cupboard to get some blankets and a pillow. Ezra was going to be staying a while, so would the others. He was sure none of them would want to leave Ezra. If there was one thing about SPIT7, the members protected each other at the risk of their own lives. They would do whatever was possible to save them. Chris didn't know if there was anything to be done in this situation. Ezra was in for a period of hell and how long that period would be he didn't know.
Home of Chris Larabee - Tuesday, 11:49am
Josiah Sanchez didn't bother with knocking on the door, he needed to see Ezra to make sure he was alright; at least physically. He knew how he would be mentally, he'd seen it plenty of times before in his previous line of work. A haunted look appeared in the eyes of the victim and stayed there for many months after the event had ended. This situation was different. Ezra knew what was happening. Usually when a person was possessed they weren't aware of what was happening to them, their mind even shut out the terrifying events that happened to them and around them. He was determined to do everything he could to end this quickly.
He walked into the living area to find Ezra asleep on the sofa, he was surrounded by Chris and Nathan. He looked at both men then knelt down in front of Ezra. The younger man's face was pale, too pale. Bruises lined his handsome features. A small amount of blood had stained the bandaged that covered the head wound he had sustained earlier. He wanted to lift an eyelid to see if the haunted look was there but Ezra would have to be awake. His mind was at peace and he didn't want to disturb him.
"How is he?" Josiah looked at Nathan.
"Physically he's fine, just needs a few days rest." Nathan shrugged.
"And?"
"Says we have to find Jacinda Simmon's body. Once we do that Jasmine will leave him alone." Chris drank from his hot cup of coffee, he was too worried to think about offering a cup to Josiah.
"That's not going to be easy."
"We were hoping that there was something you could do." Chris turned his blues eyes to Ezra's pale features.
"I have a few ideas." Josiah nodded. "My first plan is for Ezra to make contact with Jacinda, see if there's anything else she could tell us then I want him to talk to Jasmine."
"He won't like that." Chris assured him.
"He's not going to have a choice. It's that or nothing." Josiah warned him.
******
The three men were quietly discussing the situation when the front door opened once again. Three more men entered the living room of Chris' home. Each of the remaining members of SPIT7 stood before Ezra to assure themselves that he was alright. When they were satisfied, they turned to their leader. The expressions that they held told Chris that they wanted an explanation and they wanted it now.
"We all know that Jasmine Simmons died yesterday morning." He waited for them to acknowledge them. He wasn't sure how they were going to take this. He hadn't believed Ezra, neither had Nathan, it was only after he had witnessed one of Jasmine's attacks that he believed the ex-criminal. "Since then Jasmine has attacked Ezra at least two times."
"She isn't dead?" JD asked. His caring brown eyes turned to see Ezra still sleeping on the couch.
"She's dead JD. We went to the morgue to make sure. Her father had identified her as Jasmine Simmons." Chris told him.
"Her ghost attacked him." Nathan enlightened them, the looks of confusion was almost humorous.
"We're dealing with a ghost here." Vin looked at Chris who nodded in return. "How are we going to protect him from a ghost?"
"I honestly don't know Vin." Chris stood up, he needed another cup of coffee.
"We need to talk to Ezra, he has to tell us what happened. Jacinda, Jasmine's sister, visited him as well. Told him to find her body that would get rid of Jasmine." Chris spoke from the spacious kitchen.
"That's not fair, the police couldn't even find her. How are we supposed to find her?" Buck wanted to know.
"That's what I want Ezra to talk to Jacinda about. If she can give us some sort of clue then we might be able to find her." Josiah smiled, he thought it was a good plan. He just wasn't sure if Ezra would think it was a good idea.
******
Ezra didn't think it was a good idea at all. Couldn't they think of something else, something that didn't involve talking to a dead person. The conversation continued, Nathan was going through his injuries again. His mind began to drift away, he was trying to force himself to stay awake. Ezra thought he was safe amongst his friends but he would be alone in the darkness of sleep. What if Jasmine visited him in his dreams. He faked falling asleep, he didn't want to talk about what was happening to himself. He would have to explain the incident that resulted in the bruising of his chest. He felt foolish about that one.
His mind floated in a mist, someone was nearby, and he could feel their presence. He thought it was one of his friends but realised he wasn't with them anymore. He'd fallen asleep. Ezra tried to push himself up towards the waking world but something pulled him back down. It was Jasmine, it had to be. He found himself in a small room, the floor was made of dirt. It was cold, damp and smelt of death. He spun around when a soft voice began to speak to him.
"I'm here Ezra, I was buried here." Jacinda told him.
"Do you know where here is?" He asked knowing that if she did she would have told him already.
"No." Jacinda actually shivered. "It's cold here Ezra and I'm scared. I don't want to stay here, I want to go to a better place."
"We'll do what we can Jacinda." Ezra refused to make a promise. The last one he'd made was causing him nothing but trouble.
"Wake up Ezra." Jacinda spoke quickly. "She's here."
Ezra felt a coldness creep up his spine. He turned to find the source of it. There was nothing. Movement caught his gaze and he looked down at the damp earth beneath him. It was moving. A hand began to reach up towards him. It gripped his ankle and began to pull itself up. A head appeared, then a pair of shoulders. White teeth shone through the mud. Ezra's heart froze, he couldn't move.
"Want to join me Ezra? It's nice down here." Jasmine's invitation was refused.
Ezra began to fight but it was useless, Jasmine was too strong for him. He used his own hands to try and remove hers but the mud caused him to lose his grip. He tried to kick the hand away with his free foot but another hand reached up and took it. Jasmine then began to pull him down towards her. The ground opened up for him. The loose dirt closed in around his body. It was over in a matter of seconds. He began to scream but his voice was cut off by the dirt that began to fill his mouth and throat. Josiah was the first to hear Ezra's struggles. He moved to the restless form and placed a large hand on his forehead. He could feel the sweat that the fever was causing. He began to pray, his words were quick but his attempt to calm his friend was failing. Ezra began to fight his demons with even more strength. Josiah bent his head and his words became louder. He stopped when Ezra screamed but he became silent too quickly. He lifted his head to see Ezra struggling to breath.
"Move Josiah." Nathan ordered him, he had been standing behind him in case he was needed.
Nathan knew it was the same as the day before. Ezra was choking and fighting for each breath. He moved him into a prone position and began to slap his face in an attempt to wake him up. It wasn't until the fourth physical blow that the Southerner's eyes opened. Ezra cried out in surprise and swung his arm at the man who was hitting him. Josiah easily caught the fist before it struck Nathan's face.
"Aw hell." Ezra's body began to tremble and he couldn't stop it. He was cold, colder than he'd ever been in his life. Somebody wrapped a blanket around him but it didn't help. He felt a hand against his face.
"He's freezing." Nathan placed another blanket around Ezra. "Get a fire going Chris, we need to warm him up. JD, get Ezra a coffee, make sure it's hot and extra sweet but don't fill the cup."
"What happened Ezra?" Josiah lifted his chin then took the smaller man's hands and began to rub them.
"Jacinda tried to show me where she was but Jasmine showed up. Buried me in the dirt."
"What did she tell you?"
"She wanted to go to a better place, where she is cold and damp. She's in a small room, the floor's made of dirt."
"Did she tell you anything else?" Chris sat down next to Ezra and copied Josiah's moves by rubbing Ezra's back.
"She doesn't like it where she is, wants to go to a better place."
"Ezra?" Josiah frowned up at the man.
"It was cold, there was a smell, death, and it must have been Jacinda. She doesn't like there. I have to find her. I wouldn't promise though. Don't want to be haunted by another ghost. One's eno . . . " He felt the open hand hit him. He blinked and looked into Josiah's eyes. "Josiah, she doesn't like it there. I don't know where she is."
"We'll find her Ezra. I promise you." He saw the smile on Ezra's lips but it was overshadowed by the haunted look in his green eyes. "Ezra. Do you think you could try and talk to Jacinda when you feel up to it. I want you to try and get some more details of where she is."
"Do I have too?"
"It's the only way Ezra."
"We don't have to have a séance do we?" Ezra tried to smile to lighten the mood in the room.
"That may not be necessary. If she comes to you in your sleep . . . well, we could do it that way." Josiah suggested.
"Jasmine also comes in my dreams." Ezra reminded him.
"I know Ezra, it's a chance we're going to have to take. You want to find her don't you?"
"Josiah, that was below the belt." Ezra grimaced and pulled his hands out of Josiah's. He reached out and took the cup of coffee that JD was offering him. His hands were still shaking, he was afraid of spilling it on Chris' carpet but the cup wasn't full. The black liquid swayed from side to side like a wave in a small pool. He took a sip and the warmth slid down his throat into his stomach. The shivering continued. He wrapped his fingers around the cup, maybe the heat will enter his fingers and travel through the rest of his body. It didn't work, he couldn't warm up. "I don't want to sleep."
Josiah looked down at his hands, he needed to convince Ezra that he had to do this. He lifted his eyes and looked into Ezra's haunted look. He decided to wait. The younger man needed time to get over his nightmare. "Get some rest Ezra, we'll talk about it later."
Ezra nodded slowly, he wasn't going to sleep but he needed to get himself together, he had to calm down or he wasn't going to get through this. He looked around the room at his friends and took some comfort in their presence. They wanted to help but what could they do? Nothing, he was alone in his nightmares. He couldn't fight this, why couldn't he have just been shot or something. It was easier to heal physically than to go through this. What if he went crazy, he'd end up in an institution strapped to bed. He would be alone again. At least his mother would put him in an expensive home.
"You okay now Ezra?" Chris asked him.
Ezra bit his tongue and nodded again. It was a lie, he wasn't okay. He was being haunted by a crazy bitch that wanted him to burn in hell while he was still living. No, he wasn't okay but he refused to let them know that. He took another drink of the coffee and noticed that he was gripping the cup too tightly. Ezra loosened his hold and his hands began to shake again.
"Good. Do what Josiah says, we're just going to be over here." Chris stood up and walked away from Ezra. He didn't see the look of anger in the green eyes.
I'm not a child Chris. Ezra glared at him then hung his head. The felt the others move away. Two of them touched his shoulder gently but he didn't look up to see who it was. He put the coffee down and pulled the blankets tighter around his body. In his mind, he could still see the look on Jacinda's face. She hated it where she was. Why is she helping me? The sudden thought shocked Ezra. Why wasn't she treating him the same way as Jasmine. She had even warned him to wake up. Something wasn't right. He frowned, it was a stupid decision but he had to do it. He had to find out why she was helping him. Ezra made sure the others weren't watching him then leaned back and closed his eyes. He was asleep in minutes. Ezra's mind drifted in darkness. His body moved, as though it was weightless, he didn't have to use his feet, a simple thought would cause him to go in a certain direction. He thought of Jacinda hoping that he would be taken to her. Ezra shivered as his surroundings became colder, he was getting closer to his quarry. His fear began to rise, he didn't want to be hear but he had questions that needed to be answered. The others would wake him up if something went wrong. If they didn't . . .
He searched the blackness but saw nothing. There was absolute silence, it filled his mind. The breath that travelled in and out of his lungs couldn't be heard. Ezra took a step forward, the sound of his boots hitting the floor sounded loudly in the silence. Hadn't his friends taken his boots off, he remember the old saying. 'He died with his boots on'. He felt a slight touch against his face and turned to find Jacinda standing behind him.
"Why are you here?" Jacinda asked him, the confusion on her features spoke a thousand words.
"Where's here?" Ezra returned with a question of his own.
"Nowhere." she began to walk away from him. Why would someone come here when they didn't have to. "Did you come looking for me?"
"Why are you helping me?" he still refused to answer her questions, he had too many of his own and he didn't know how much time he had before Jasmine showed herself to him.
"Helping you?" Jasmine looked around the darkness then back at Ezra.
"Will you stop that!" Ezra growled at her, he sighed when he saw the hurt look in her blue eyes. She looked exactly like Jasmine and yet her emotions were so different. "I'm sorry but I need answers, not questions. Why are you helping me?"
"You need it, how else are you going to stop my sister."
"You still haven't answered my question."
"I don't like what she's doing to you." Jacinda replied.
Ezra frowned in confusion. "That's it?"
"No there is something else. Jasmine is the one who . . . "
"You fucking bitch!" A third voice cried out.
Ezra jerked awake and his green eyes searched the room for the source of the noise. It came from his dream but something told him that she was nearby. His search stopped when he saw her standing in a corner of the large living room. Her greying features looked sickly against the pale blue walls. He pushed himself against the couch as she moved towards him. He no longer feared her but feared the pain she was going to cause him. He couldn't fight her, no one could, she was a ghost, and how do you fight a ghost. Ezra turned to look at his friends, they were huddled together discussing something that wasn't meant for his ears.
"Guys," he waited until his soft voice got their attention, "she's here."
Six pairs of eyes lifted at the sound of the three words. Their attention had been caught and was now unwilling to let go. The men moved as one to protect their own. Josiah began reciting prayers hoping that it would send the unwanted apparition away. It didn't. Chris sat protectively on the Southerner's right side while Vin sat on his left.
Ezra stared into Jasmine's eyes, it was a mistake that he wasn't going to make again. He felt his chest tighten and his breathing became awkward. Not again. He needed help.
"Jacinda . . . " Ezra croaked.
"She won't be helping you anymore Ezra Standish." Jasmine moved closer to her prey.
Ezra could hear the other voices around him. Josiah was going on about some prayer, like that was going to help him. Chris and Vin were asking him where she was. He couldn't answer them. And Nathan was trying to help him breath. He wasn't helping much. But he couldn't blame them, they were doing their best and that was good enough for him.
"I've taken care of her, she won't bother you anymore. Your all mine."
He felt something take his arms and pull him to his feet, other hands were holding onto his arms trying to keep him on the couch. They weren't strong enough. He felt himself being thrown across the room. His back slammed into the wall and the pictured frame that hung on it. A sharp pain caused him to crying out. Ezra heard someone call out his name as he was picked up before he could hit the floor. He was thrown into the kitchen and he landed on the tile floor, the fridge stopped his slide against the slippery surface.
Josiah's voice grew louder in his ears. The ex-preacher was ordering Jasmine to go over to the other side, to enter the light that would take her to a better place. Ezra heard movement then a sound of pain. He tried to open his eyes and focus on what was happening but couldn't. His own body was once again full of pain. Was it his own voice that he could hear, he didn't think so. Ezra felt a sudden weight on his body, he struggled against it but calmed down when he heard Vin whispering in his ear. His eyes finally managed to open and he looked up at Vin. The security expert was looking at something else. Ezra followed his gaze to find Nathan and the others kneeling over Buck.
"Your hell is going to include watching your friends die Ezra." Jasmine smiled down at him.
Ezra jerked at the sound of her voice and Vin gripped him tighter. He refused to look at her, he didn't want her to see the sudden fear in his eyes.
"One by one Ezra then you."
"Buck." Ezra spoke through clenched teeth. "BUCK!"
"Calm down Ezra," Vin began to defend himself against the smaller man's struggles.
"BUCK!" Ezra tried to push Vin away but the pain in his back weakened his attempts. He had to settle for being held in a friend's grip while they both waited to see if Buck was okay.
Vin could feel Ezra shivering beneath him, he knew it was fear. He was feeling some of it himself. He released his hold and help the Southerner to his feet. He grimaced when he saw the blood soaking into Ezra's clothing. Vin pressed his hand against the area of torn material. The blood started to soak through his fingers.
"Come on Ezra. You need some help with this." Vin stood up and pulled Ezra to his feet and half carried him back into the living room. He sat him down on the couch and made sure that Ezra put his weight against him and not the couch.
"You okay to stay here for a minute, I'll check on Buck." he watched as Ezra nodded his head and wrap his arms around himself. "I'll just be a minute Ezra." The ex-criminal nodded again and looked away from him. Vin patted his shoulder and felt Ezra jerk away at the touch. He moved away and knelt down next to the others. Chris lifted his head to look into Vin's eyes, his own held a question. "He's scared shitless." Vin growled at him. "Buck?"
"Just been knocked out." Nathan spoke up. "No concussion that I can see so he should be okay."
"Good. Ezra needs you!" Vin left them and went back to Ezra. "Nathan says he's okay, he's going to come and check you over."
Ezra just nodded again. His mind was going over what Jacinda had told him. She said that Jasmine was the one who . . . Jasmine had some sort of control over Jacinda. The murdered twin was scared of her sister. Ezra was able to see it in her eyes. But why. Jasmine acted as though she couldn't live without her - in fact, she didn't - and now in death she was treating her as a person she hated.
"Aw shit." Ezra groaned.
"What's wrong Ezra?" Vin asked him.
"Jasmine killed Jacinda." Ezra informed him.
"But the guy the police caught admitted to killing her." Chris told him as he came over, he'd heard the end of the conversation.
"Jasmine killed her. That's why we couldn't find Jacinda's body. She kept leading us away from it." Ezra stared at the carpeted floor beneath his feet. "She killed her own sister and blamed someone else. She hated me for not finding a body when she knew where it was all the time. She's doing this to me for some crazy reason other than a broken promise."
"She doesn't remember Ezra." Jacinda spoke from an area in the room that was darker than the rest. The blackness hid most of her form from him.
Ezra's heart leapt into his throat and Vin and to hold him down before he ran from the room. He allowed Vin to pull him back down onto the couch. "Why?"
"I don't really know. She use to do a lot of bad things, some of them to me but she never remembered them afterwards. I didn't know from one minute to the next if she was going to break or not. She was sick Ezra."
Ezra nodded again, the words refused to make themselves into a spoken sentence. "You have to show me where you are."
"I don't know where I am Ezra. How can I help you when I don't know."
Ezra shrugged Vin's hands off his shoulders. He moaned as the pain in his back worsened with his movements. He knew the others were watching him but he had to speak to Jacinda before she left or Jasmine showed up again. If she did, someone else was going to get hurt. He walked across the room until he was close enough to see into her eyes.
"Did she take you somewhere first? Do you remember where she killed you?"
"I remember being at home in my room, I drank something, then I woke up in a warehouse. I'm not sure where it is." Jacinda seemed to look off into the distance, she was listening to something that only she could hear.
"Is she coming?" Ezra asked her with a hint of fear in his voice.
"No. It was an old, dirty and full of machinery, not new ones but old ones." she shook her head. "It's cold where I am, the dirt is wet, it smells. I hate it here Ezra, I want to leave."
"I know Jacinda." he watched as she disappeared from his view. He yelped when his shoulder was touched.
"It's only me Ezra." Nathan took his arm and led him back to the couch.
The Southerner watched as Vin and Josiah carried Buck into the spare bedroom. He grimaced at the blood on the side of the moustached face. "I'm okay Nathan."
"No Ezra, you've cut your back open." Nathan pressed gently on either side of the cut. "More stitches I'm afraid."
"Another trip to the hospital." Chris sighed. He wanted to keep Ezra in a familiar place where they could try and protect him. He looked at Ezra then at the door that hid Buck, they weren't doing a very good job at protecting him and now it seemed that the others may be in danger. Buck had been nowhere near Ezra when he had been attacked.
"Vin, Josiah, get Buck into a car and take him to the hospital, we'll follow with Ezra." Chris grabbed Ezra's arm and pulled him to his feet. "We don't leave either of them alone."
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
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