Page 6 of Into the Dark

“Dr. Taylor?” asked a smooth voice from behind him.

He guiltily hung up even as he turned. Ethan stood there, his face solemn, his hands folded neatly in front of him. “Uh, yes?” Nigel asked.

Ethan gave no indication he even realized Nigel had been on the phone, let alone that he’d been talking about their boss. “Ms. Montague wished me to make certain you have everything necessary for the investigation as well as your stay here.”

Damn it—Lawson had been about to tell him something important. “We’re fine,” he said impatiently.

“Very good. If you need anything not already provided, let me know. Though given the remoteness of our location, it may take me a few hours to have it delivered.”

“Uh, thanks.”

Ethan gave him a polite nod, turned, and strolled back in the direction of the tents. Nigel immediately tried to call Lawson back, but the lone bar of signal had vanished.

“How’s it going,welcometoZeeking the Unknown! I’m Zeek!”

“And I’m Adrienne!”

“And together we investigatethespookiest places on earth!”

“Remember—we do this soyoudon’t have to!”

Chris let out a noise of disgust, though quietly enough for only Oscar to hear as they trudged through the long grass surrounding the asylum. Adrienne and Zeek had set up their intro shot at the end of what remained of the driveway, the ominous entryway in frame behind them and the vast wings of the building sprawling off to either side. Rather than wait for them to finish, Oscar thought it might be better to be proactive in front of Ms. Montague, so he’d suggested they find somewhere else to shoot their intro.

The front door was the obvious place. They could be more creative than the other team, right?

Zeek and Adrienne were really loud, though, their voices filling the emptiness in front of the somber building. That was part of the schtick. Their show had a different audience; no need to wonder if he should spice things up a little this time. Some people preferred a more measured approach to ghost hunting.

Still,Zeeking the Unknownhad millions of subscribers.OutFoxing the Paranormal…didn’t.

“How about here?” he asked. “In front of the barred window. We can intercut my intro with drone shots of the buildings to show how big it is.”

The drone, dubbed “Flying Bob” by Tina, was one of the new pieces of equipment they’d been able to pick up courtesy of Ms. Montague. It nice to use the newest technology…but they didn’t need it. If the money faucet turned off, they’d be fine.

They hadn’t been fine before. OtP had been bleeding money left and right, on the brink of closing shop before Montague’s cash infusion.

“Sure,” Chris said, sneaking a look at Adrienne and Zeek. Zeek was waving his arms around, emoting wildly, while Adrienne played it cool.

Once he was mic’d up and Chris was rolling, Oscar composed his face into a solemn expression. It wasn’t hard; though his back was to the massive asylum, he could feel it looming behind him.

“Welcome toOutFoxing the Paranormal,” he said. “I’m Oscar Fox, and today we’re investigating a location that’s a little better known than our usual fare.”

The wind must have shifted, because the faint sound of Zeek’s voice drifted to his ears. “I’d never even heard of this place before! Crazy, huh?”

The mic wouldn’t pick him up, hopefully. And if it did, Tina could just edit Zeek out. “The Howlston Lunatic Asylum sits within the ghost town of Howlston, West Virginia. Theclosest inhabited town, Weston, is about twenty miles off, down winding mountain roads.”

Was he being too monotone? Did he need to bring the energy up? Maybe they could shoot an alternative opening later.

“Completed in 1864, this monumental building was meant to house up to two-hundred fifty patients at a time. When it was built, this asylum represented the forefront in humane care for the mentally ill. The long, thin wings where the patients were housed were designed to give each inmate access to plenty of light, accompanied by calming views of nature.” He paused for a beat. “Unfortunately, the asylum was plagued by overcrowding almost immediately. At its worst, nearly ten times the patients it was designed for were held within these walls.”

He’d decided from the start to be honest about his personal connection, but it was surprisingly difficult now that the time came. The instinct of hiding his family’s troubles, ingrained by his dad, was a hard one to shake. “My grandmother, Barbara Fox, née Dillon, was one of them. If you saw our special on the Cloven Oak Distillery, you’ll recall she was a medium, like myself.” He swallowed, the words sticking in his throat. “I don’t expect to contact her here, but she’s the reason we’ve come. I want to understand better what she went through within these walls.”

Maybe they could intercut the line with a few frames of him looking wistfully at the building. “And I want to live up to the family legacy, and help any spirits still trapped inside.”

He let the silence hang for a few seconds before nodding at Chris to cut. As he did so, Zeek’s voice intruded again.

“…the damned souls within. Will we join them? Keep watching to find out! In the meantime,smashthose like and subscribe buttons!”

“I’d like to smash him,” Chris muttered. “Come on, let’s get away from these clowns.”

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