paranormal experiments put together by some of the greatest minds in the field.
It was Adam’s idea to start The Lab. Lockman didn’t see the benefit of fooling around with mojo, but the ogre had made the case they could use any advantage available. One of the things several of the scientists—if you could call them that—focused their experiments on were methods of killing vampires. They were hoping for some weapon or contagion that worked only on vamps and that could wipe out large numbers of them while leaving innocent mortal lives unscathed.
His initial doubts about The Lab would evaporate in a second if the doctor he now spoke with, Dr. Wendell Truman, could help with what Lockman was asking him about.
The doctor looked down at the long table that stretched between them. Piles of books of all size and manner of binding lay on the table, many of them open even while others were stacked on top of their pages. Truman didn’t seem to study any particular book. The one closest to his gaze’s aim was upside down and had a good amount of its pages torn out. He hummed to himself, scratched the side of his stubbled face. “The problem is—one of them anyway—is we aren’t sure of the nature of your daughter’s possession. I don’t even know if it is possession.”
“I don’t care what it is, doc. If that artifact put Gabriel in her, there should be a way to get him back out.”
“I don’t doubt it. But how?”
“Isn’t that what we brought you people here to figure out? Isn’t that what all these books,” he waved a hand at the table, “and all these experiments are for?”
Truman blinked and sniffed. “Frankly, Mr. Lockman, I was of the understanding our focus was on vampire weaknesses.”
Lockman clenched his teeth and took a measured breath through his nose. He reminded himself this wasn’t the Agency. No matter how much it seemed like what they were rebuilding here on this old Texan farm. “Vamps are the priority, yes. But you’ve been briefed. You know about the ogres’ prophecy.”
“Of course. In fact, I’ve even found literature that supports it.”
That stopped Lockman. He creased his brow. “What?”
Truman rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. “Oh, yes.” He scanned the pile of books on the table, looked over his shoulder at the two dozen bookcases that formed a partial cubicle separating Truman’s area from the others in The Lab. “I’d have to locate it. An old diary written during the American Civil War. It was kept by a wealthy slave owner in the South who apparently used slaves as test subjects in paranormal experimentation.”
Lockman’s stomach soured. He made a face.
Truman nodded. “His accounts are quite disturbing, indeed.”
“What could he have to do with a prophecy about Jessie?”
“It appears some of his experiments bore fruit, despite their distasteful nature. One area he seemed especially interested in was divination. Of course, who isn’t, right?”
“You mean predicting the future?”
A nod and another dab at his nose with his sleeve. Another peek to see if he’d left anything behind. “He wanted to foresee troop movements of the North. He never had much luck with that. However, his breakthrough came when one of his slaves turned out to be a sensitive.”
Lockman was having a hard time seeing how any of this could lead to a prophecy about Jessie and the end of the vampires.
Truman must have sensed Lockman’s doubts. He held up a hand. “Bear with me. The sensitive he discovered must have had a great deal of power, especially for a mortal. The only other mortals I’m aware of that come close are Gabriel Dolan and your daughter.”
“What did this guy make her do?”
“Petty things at first. Curse his enemies. Increase his wealth. Charm women.”
“All that power and she never fought back?”
“You have to understand. The woman had no idea what she was capable of. Not until this man began his experiments on her. She merely
It was Adam’s idea to start The Lab. Lockman didn’t see the benefit of fooling around with mojo, but the ogre had made the case they could use any advantage available. One of the things several of the scientists—if you could call them that—focused their experiments on were methods of killing vampires. They were hoping for some weapon or contagion that worked only on vamps and that could wipe out large numbers of them while leaving innocent mortal lives unscathed.
His initial doubts about The Lab would evaporate in a second if the doctor he now spoke with, Dr. Wendell Truman, could help with what Lockman was asking him about.
The doctor looked down at the long table that stretched between them. Piles of books of all size and manner of binding lay on the table, many of them open even while others were stacked on top of their pages. Truman didn’t seem to study any particular book. The one closest to his gaze’s aim was upside down and had a good amount of its pages torn out. He hummed to himself, scratched the side of his stubbled face. “The problem is—one of them anyway—is we aren’t sure of the nature of your daughter’s possession. I don’t even know if it is possession.”
“I don’t care what it is, doc. If that artifact put Gabriel in her, there should be a way to get him back out.”
“I don’t doubt it. But how?”
“Isn’t that what we brought you people here to figure out? Isn’t that what all these books,” he waved a hand at the table, “and all these experiments are for?”
Truman blinked and sniffed. “Frankly, Mr. Lockman, I was of the understanding our focus was on vampire weaknesses.”
Lockman clenched his teeth and took a measured breath through his nose. He reminded himself this wasn’t the Agency. No matter how much it seemed like what they were rebuilding here on this old Texan farm. “Vamps are the priority, yes. But you’ve been briefed. You know about the ogres’ prophecy.”
“Of course. In fact, I’ve even found literature that supports it.”
That stopped Lockman. He creased his brow. “What?”
Truman rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. “Oh, yes.” He scanned the pile of books on the table, looked over his shoulder at the two dozen bookcases that formed a partial cubicle separating Truman’s area from the others in The Lab. “I’d have to locate it. An old diary written during the American Civil War. It was kept by a wealthy slave owner in the South who apparently used slaves as test subjects in paranormal experimentation.”
Lockman’s stomach soured. He made a face.
Truman nodded. “His accounts are quite disturbing, indeed.”
“What could he have to do with a prophecy about Jessie?”
“It appears some of his experiments bore fruit, despite their distasteful nature. One area he seemed especially interested in was divination. Of course, who isn’t, right?”
“You mean predicting the future?”
A nod and another dab at his nose with his sleeve. Another peek to see if he’d left anything behind. “He wanted to foresee troop movements of the North. He never had much luck with that. However, his breakthrough came when one of his slaves turned out to be a sensitive.”
Lockman was having a hard time seeing how any of this could lead to a prophecy about Jessie and the end of the vampires.
Truman must have sensed Lockman’s doubts. He held up a hand. “Bear with me. The sensitive he discovered must have had a great deal of power, especially for a mortal. The only other mortals I’m aware of that come close are Gabriel Dolan and your daughter.”
“What did this guy make her do?”
“Petty things at first. Curse his enemies. Increase his wealth. Charm women.”
“All that power and she never fought back?”
“You have to understand. The woman had no idea what she was capable of. Not until this man began his experiments on her. She merely
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