Page 30 of Innocence

“Code or Sly? Do you read?” asked Gaspar.

“Got you.”

“Find out who owns this cabin or who did.”

“Way ahead of you. No one owned it. The last owner died in 1989. He had no family, no will, nothing. So, the parish took over the land and the cabin. It was slated to be torn down at the end of the year.”

“Someone knew that,” said Nine. “Can we see if anyone was researching those records? Find out if someone wanted to know about this area.”

“On it,”said Sly.

“We need to back up a bit,” said Ghost. “We’re dealing with someone who is familiar enough with this area to have known the woods behind the ballpark, knew this path to an old, abandoned cabin in the bayou, seems to be homing in on people’s fears, and enjoys watching them suffer from those fears. He said that was his fear, dying in a fire.”

“I have all his information. Not sure how you’re going to let the authorities know, but Gifford Macklin born in Pascagoula, Mississippi. He was twenty-two years old, honors student with a double major in divinity and psychology. His intentions were to become a minister with a psychology degree to better counsel his flock. He was an Eagle Scout, played the piano, worked part-time at an animal shelter, damn. Damn, this kid was about as wholesome as they come.”

“Family?” muttered Gaspar.

“His folks still live in Pascagoula with his grandmother and a little sister. His grandfather was pastor of a church up there for many years. This just seems so wrong, you guys. This kid has done nothing wrong in his entire life.”

“Nothing except spoke his worst fear out loud,” said Nine. “Someone heard him say that. If he was a psych major, as well as divinity, I think we need to go back and speak to our professor at the university.”

“I have got time,” said Noah. “I would like to help with this one. That young man was about the purest soul I have ever met. He had no anger within him at all.”

“If you start to feel overwhelmed, just let one of us know,” said Ghost. “We’ll make sure to get you away from whatever it is.” Noah only nodded, knowing that it would take a great deal for him to become overwhelmed.

With the university bustling with activity, the men headed to the building where Professor Gates was working. First, they knocked on his office door, expecting to see him in there. When no one answered, the door locked, they walked down the hall to his lecture room. When Ghost pushed on the doors, they gave way slightly, but not all the way.

“It’s blocked,” he frowned. “Professor Gates? Professor Gates?”

“Knock it down,” said Gaspar.

Noah, Ghost, and Nine took five steps back into the hallway and then charged forward, pushing the door open. The long wooden beam which had been threaded through the handles splintered and fell away.

“Professor Gates?”

“Sshhh,” whispered Noah. He pointed to the long desk at the bottom of the hall, and they slowly, quietly took steps toward it. Peering over the edge, they could see the doctor on the floor, bound and gagged. Coiled on his chest were two king cobras. They appeared to be asleep, but the doctor was absolutely frozen in panic.

“Don’t move,” said Ghost.

He blinked twice as the men looked around the room, carefully assessing their options. Eyeing the trash can, Ian and Noah removed their jackets, slowly approaching the massive vipers. As if sensing their own demise, they suddenly awakened. The two men tossed the coats around their heads, gripping the necks of the snakes lifting them from his chest.

“Stun their heads,” said Ghost. “Hit their heads on the desk and stun them, then drop them in the can. It won’t last long, but we can seal the can.”

Noah and Ian nodded, slapping the heads of the cobras on the table. The writhing and hissing stopped, and they dropped them into the metal container, slamming the lid down. Using the packing tape on the desk, they wrapped the entire roll around the can.

Nine helped Professor Gates to his feet, cutting his bindings. He was cold and sweaty, his heart rate erratic.

“Are you alright? Did they bite you?” he asked.

“No. No, thank you! Thank you so much for arriving,” he said, wheezing.

“Did you see who did this to you?” asked Nine. Gates shook his head.

“No. I was doing some work on the board, as you can see, and someone entered. I turned, but there was no one there, so I went back to work.” He rubbed the back of his head, his fingers bloody. “I think they hit me on the head.”

“With this,” said Noah, standing at the door with the broken board. “There is blood on it.”

“Professor, is your fear of snakes?” asked Nine.

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