CHAPTER ELEVEN

"You're going to what?" echoed the voices of a dozen people.

"It is no surprise to you that we can implant thoughts into your minds when we sense danger or unrest. We have done it many times."

"They sneak in healthy food now and then, too," frowned Ethan.

"We must do what we must to help you all," smirked Yori. "Allow me access to your mind, and I may find a memory you don't know is there."

"Will it hurt?" frowned Sor.

"You will feel nothing except blissful, dream-like sleep," smiled Yori.

"Just how many times have you ghosts done this?" asked Luke. Martha walked toward him, smiling with Franklin and Nathan by her side.

"We help where and when we can. Sometimes, we can't wait for permission," she smiled. "You have all needed help remembering or deciding about things from your futures or in your pasts."

"Maybe let us know what you're doing next time," frowned Eric, scratching his head. "I'd like to know who's in my brain scrambling my memories."

"We scramble nothing. We bring clarity when there is none. And believe me. Some of you have no clarity. One-track minds. Like cheeseburgers, steaks, coconut cake, and," he said, turning to face his grandson, "knives."

Trak only shrugged, not surprised at all by this revelation.

"Ya'll are just full of surprises, aren't you?" said Hex. "It's up to you, Sor. Your choice. Your brain."

"Well, if they think it will help. I'm game. How do we do this? Do I need to lie down somewhere? Maybe listen to music?" Yori stared at him quizzically.

"No. Just hold still."

The others chuckled, shaking their heads at the unusual ghost. His lean fingertips touched Sor's head, making his eyes close. Sor said nothing, his palms flat on his thighs. Yori tilted his head sideways.

"What do you see?" he asked.

"The cave entrance. There are a ton of people outside. Mothers, grandmothers crying, or at least that's what they look like. They're begging for help. There are some local authorities, but it's all such a chaotic mess."

"Who are the men in uniform?" asked Yori, seeing his vision through him.

"They're the special forces. They're arguing with some old guy that they have to get into the cave. He's angry and says it's his property and the cave is sacred. We got tired of listening to them argue and walked past them."

"You were angry," said Yori.

"Yes. I was very angry," said Sor. "I didn't understand why he was waiting. Those kids were going to die if we didn't get to them."

"What happened next?"

"The local team caught up to us, thanking us for breaking the barrier. It was rough. It took us hours to squeeze through openings, dive beneath the caves, walk narrow ledges. Our equipment was heavy and wrapped, but it was close."

Yori was silent for a moment, gently massaging Sor's head.

"You thought about the pretty woman in your cabin. You were confused about her." Sor blushed, then smiled.

"I did. I didn't know what I was going to do about her. But I damn sure thought of her."

"You see the children up ahead, but there's something above their heads. You see it."

"I-I don't see anything," said Sor quietly. "I didn't see anything except the kids."

"Yes, you do. You see something. Look again."

Sor stared at the image in his mind. It was like looking through a camera lens and needing to focus. It was blurry, then small, then large. Too dark. Too light. Then it was there.

"It's the image," he said calmly. "It's the same image from Marshall's apartment. There's a ledge with skulls on it. Why didn't I see that before?"

He opened his eyes and pulled away from Yori's hands. Yori let out a sigh, shaking his head.

"You've broken the connection. You saw something else."

"I saw the symbol and the skulls. Lots of skulls. Then I focused on the kids," said Sor.

"I have the pictures! I have the pictures!" yelled Ivy. "There are…"

"Kids," whispered Sor.

"Kids!" she yelled. Then she turned, staring at him in disbelief. "What did you say?"

"What did you say?" he asked Ivy.

"Kids. There were skulls and kids. Dead children against the wall. Dozens in different states of decay. Whoever was using that cave was killing children."

"How could I have missed that?" said Sor.

"I don't think you did," said Eric. "I think you saw blackness and bodies, and you thought they were the kids you were helping. In a dark cave, chaos around you, you probably thought they were alive. The skulls are higher up. Look at the photos."

Sure enough, the ledge that the skulls were sitting on was at least neck-high for Sor and the other men. When the kids saw the men, they started crying and praying. That distracted him and had him hyper-focused on helping the children. Luke gripped his shoulder.

"The adrenalin was probably pumping so hard you didn't give any of it a second thought, brother. But someone knows what you saw. Someone knows that you saw the skulls and the dead bodies. We need to find out who."

"I think it was your friend," said Ivy, handing him a piece of paper. "This was folded into a tiny little square in one of the canisters. I almost threw it away."

Sor opened it, reading it to the others.

Sorry I broke in, Sor. I knew I could hide these in your cabin. Get your girl somewhere safe.

"He took these. I didn't even see him do it. I didn't even know he had a camera on him. I can't believe how much I missed."

"Not missed, brother. You were focused on the mission, and your mission was saving those kids. His was watching your back," said Hex.

"He's out there somewhere, and we need to find him and keep him alive," said Sor. "I think he saw more than what's on those rolls of film." Hex nodded at the younger man.

"Then let's find him."