INNER DEMONS (THE CHASER CHRONICLES Book 4) Read online

  inner demons

  by

  John C. Dalglish

  2014

  Dear Reader,

  Before you embark on what I hope will be an enjoyable read, I wanted to address an issue that has presented itself in the early reviews of the first book in this series, CROSSOVER.

  I am a Christian. I believe in the plan of salvation and the infallibility of the Word of God. In writing this series, I have attempted to remain true to the character and love of our Lord.

  Having said that, I must tell you this book is written for pure enjoyment and fun. The concept of Chasers and Runners is purely a creation of my mind, and a vehicle for the story.

  It is not my desire to put forth any suggestion of this being a reality of the Spirit world.

  It is fantasy and fun.

  So please enjoy, and rest assured that my only goal was to entertain without any of the junk the world puts in its books.

  God Bless, John

  Excerpt from DESTINY (The Chaser Chronicles #3)

  My mother’s doorbell rang, and I heard her go to the door. It sounded like several voices talking back and forth, but I couldn’t make out what was being said. I was upstairs in my old bedroom, and she had given me something to take the edge off the pain.

  I heard footsteps on the stairs, and assumed the people at the door were now coming to my room.

  There’s that sharp P.I. mind of yours again.

  I giggled slightly, both amused at my own humor, and feeling more than a little drugged. When my visitors came in the room, I was smiling idiotically at them. Mom turned and looked at the two people. “Don’t mind him; he’s had a couple happy pills.”

  Taking the chair next to me was Brother Gary Edwards. Leaning against the wall, Rachel pushed her red hair out of her eyes, and smiled. “Hi, Jack.”

  I smiled back. “Hey, Rachel.”

  Gary touched my leg. “How you feeling? Your mom said you had a separated shoulder.”

  “Yeah, hurts like crazy. Pills help.”

  “I won’t ask for details, but I assume you being here means Mason is not.”

  I nodded. “He’s gone.”

  Rachel looked both relieved and excited. She gave a small pump of her fist. “I knew you could do it, Jack.”

  I shook my head. “It wasn’t me.”

  Confusion flashed across both their faces. Gary looked at Rachel, then back at me. “Who then?”

  “Holy Spirit.”

  Gary stood, a large smile across his face. “You get better, we’ll talk soon.”

  He moved toward the door, but Rachel stopped him and said something. Gary nodded, and left the room. She took the seat next to me.

  “Jack…”

  I looked into her green eyes, but didn’t answer.

  “…I’m glad you’re okay.”

  I smiled. “You’re not surprised are you?”

  “No…no.” She appeared embarrassed. “It’s just I haven’t felt this way about someone for a long time.”

  “Rachel, I can’t…”

  She reached over and touched her finger to my lips. “Don’t Jack. I know how you feel.”

  “I’m sorry…”

  She shook her head, and I could tell she was fighting back tears. “I just want you to know that if things change, or even if they don’t, I’m here for you. Anything you need, you can call me.”

  I stared at her for a long time. “Thank you.”

  She leaned over and kissed me softly on the forehead. “Bye, Jack.”

  I closed my eyes, not wanting to open them until she was gone, afraid I might call her back, ask her to stay, tell her I wasn’t sure.

  You can’t, Jack. You are sure and you know where your heart lies.

  I kept my eyes closed until I fell asleep.

  *******

  Three days of my mother’s care had me feeling better. She’d popped my shoulder back in herself, made sure I had everything I needed to recuperate, and I was finally beginning to feel like going home. Bear lay at the bottom of the bed, my constant companion, and would come up for a reassuring scratch whenever I made a noise.

  Despite numerous attempts, I still had not reached Mandy. Other than a short text message saying she was glad I was okay, she hadn’t responded to any calls.

  I was beginning to envision life without my best friend, and was tortured by the knowledge it was my fault. If I hadn’t told her everything, she would still be in my life, which was infinitely better than how I felt now.

  Bear sat up and started banging her tail on the ground. I hadn’t heard the doorbell, or any voices, but Bear was getting more excited by the second.

  “What is it, girl?”

  “Hi, Jack.”

  I looked toward the door, and standing there was Mandy. She wore a red blouse, jeans, and sandals. A red scrunchie held her blonde hair in a ponytail. She was beautiful.

  “Mandy…I…I didn’t know you were coming.”

  “I hadn’t planned on coming, but something happened, and I decided I needed to see you.”

  I pointed at the chair next to the bed. “You want to sit?”

  “Yes.”

  When she was settled, I looked into her eyes. “I’m glad you came. What was the something that changed your mind?”

  “I had a visitor.”

  “Oh, who?”

  “Sarah Daniels.”

  Suddenly, I understood. If I knew Sarah, she was just the one to help Mandy see the reality of the Chaser’s life. I reached over and took Mandy’s hand. She didn’t pull away. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too, Jack Carter.”

  Chapter 1

  Since my encounter with Harbinger, things had settled down quite a bit. Despite my insistence that I was well enough to go home, I’d been overruled and spent another week recuperating at my mother’s home. Mandy had come to see me every day, or in the evening when she had to work, and we grew closer all the time.

  Immediately after the battle with Harbinger, I’d felt like my best friend and love of my life, was gone for good. The gamble I took in telling her the truth about Chasing had driven her away, and I felt responsible for ruining the friendship we had. Now, things couldn’t be better.

  I was nearly a hundred percent now, and we were on our way to Journey Chapel. Brother Edwards had called and requested a meeting, specifically asking that Mandy come along.

  As we drove, I recalled how Mandy had used the time I was laid up to pepper me with questions about my ministry as a Chaser.

  “Do you know when a vision is coming?”

  “No, it just happens while I’m asleep.”

  “Do you always see their face?”

  “Usually, but if I don’t, there’s always enough other information to find the Runner.”

  “Have you ever failed to cross someone over?”

  This was an interesting question. I hadn’t ‘failed,’ as she put it, but I had modified the rules a few times. Failing to cross a Runner meant death, either for me or for an innocent. If a Runner connected with someone here on Earth before I crossed them over, I would be responsible for the consequences, including the death of a person I was supposed to protect.

  I hadn’t had to face that, but just thinking about it made me very uncomfortable.

  “No, I haven’t failed.”

  “Who’s your boss?”

  I laughed, which hurt my shoulder. “God!”

  Mandy cocked her head sideways, her blonde hair falling to one side, and gave me an accusing look. “You know what I mean; do you answer to anyone here on Earth?”

  “Sort of. I have a Counselor whose purpose is to guide me in cr
itical decisions, and then there’s the Council.”

  “The Council?”

  “I’ve never met them, although I have had contact with one of their emissaries. The Chaser Council oversees all ministry activity so I guess you could call them my bosses.”

  “Who’s your Counselor?”

  “Brother Edwards.”

  “At Journey Chapel?”

  “Yup.”

  She fell silent, as she often did after a question and answer session, absorbing it all. She no longer asked if I was making it up, or even if I was crazy. Mandy had decided to believe, and that settled it for her.

  We were in her yellow VW bug, and I was watching her as she drove. Detective Amanda Myers, despite being less than five foot six, managed to be an imposing figure. Her green eyes could penetrate steel, especially when she felt she was being lied to, and I’d seen bigger men than me turn to mush under her glare.

  She suddenly realized I was staring at her. “What?!”

  “Nothing.”

  “Don’t you lie to me, Jack Carter. What are you thinking about?”

  “Well, if you must know, I was thinking about how cute you are.”

  “Yeah, right! Well, cut it out. You’re making me more nervous than I already am.”

  Mandy being nervous was nothing less than Earth-shattering news. She was one of the calmest people I’d ever seen when the crap hit the fan. She’d blazed through gunfights without even messing her hair. She’d taken down guys more than twice her size while still having a smile on her face. I thought she liked the conflict.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know I’ve ever seen you this nervous before.”

  She cast me a sideways glance. “Think about it, Jack. I’m being sized up for possible service on God’s Special Forces. That’s just a little nerve wracking.”

  I laughed and muttered to myself. “If you ask me, God’s probably more nervous than you are.”

  “What did you say?”

  I shook my head. “Never mind. I think you’ve already been approved, anyway. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here in the first place, so relax.”

  She pulled into the chapel’s parking lot. If a place was ever misnamed, it was Journey Chapel. A giant spiritual edifice, which reached toward heaven itself, was as much a chapel as Disney World was a playground.

  As usual, the electronic signboard continued its nonstop dispersal of information and the grass was perfectly manicured. To look at the building, you wouldn’t ever guess the suffering the congregants of Journey had seen recently.

  Mandy parked around back, and we climbed out. The original church was a small stone sanctuary, which dated back nearly two hundred years and now served as the pastor’s office. It was that stone structure that had served as a type of headquarters for Counselors and Chasers ever since it was built, but now a modern church dwarfed the original chapel.

  Coming up to the small but heavy wooden door, which was rounded across the top, I knocked. Several minutes passed, and when the door finally opened, Brother Edwards stood there. His usual big smile was absent.

  “Hi, Jack. Hi, Amanda. Come in.”

  “Hi, Gary. Everything okay?”

  “Oh, sure, sure. Just some news from the Council, but we’ll get into that later.”

  Silently, we followed the pastor down the dark hallway lined with stone walls and deep purple carpet. At the end of the hall, Gary opened his office door and led us in. Mandy had been here before, during the investigation of Brother Timmons’s murder, and the size of the office didn’t surprise her. However, it was obvious she was looking at things with a different perspective this time.

  The large medallion over the fireplace was the center of her focus when she sat down. I sat next to her on the plush loveseat in front of the pastor’s car-sized desk. Mandy leaned over and whispered. “What’s that?”

  Gary caught her stare and pivoted, looking up at the medallion.

  “I tell you what; let’s talk for a little while, and after we’ve sorted some things out, then I’ll answer your questions.”

  Mandy nodded. “Of course.”

  Gary leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands together in front of his mouth, and looking over them at Mandy. In his mid-fifties, Brother Edwards was a fit two hundred twenty pounds.

  “Amanda…”

  “Mandy is fine, Pastor.”

  “Okay. Mandy, I’ve had several long conversations with Jack since the death of Harbinger. I feel like he’s got a pretty good grasp on the difficulty of the ministry he’s undertaken, but I’m not entirely convinced he understands how it will affect you.”

  I tried not to look like I’d been telling secrets out of school, but Mandy’s suspicious glare told me I failed. She turned back to Gary. “Okay.”

  “It’s my feeling that he is still too new to the ministry and can’t properly prepare you for the sacrifices and trials you’ll face.”

  He paused.

  “So, it has fallen to me to make sure you understand the commitment you’re making, and the possible consequences.”

  He paused again, standing this time, and walked around the desk to the door. “I think it’s better if you wait outside, Jack.”

  The surprise on my face must have given me away.

  What could he have to say to Mandy that I can’t hear?

  He tried a partial smile. “It’s okay, Jack.”

  I stood slowly. “Well…I guess. Is it okay with you, Mandy?”

  She nodded, but I could tell her nerves were on overload.

  As I walked through the door, Gary patted me on the shoulder. “It won’t take long, Jack. She’ll be fine.”

  When the door closed behind me, I was left standing in the dimly lit hallway, the portraits of all the Counselors and Chasers that had come before me staring down.

  I felt they were looking down at me with knowing eyes.

  He’s having ‘the talk’ with her, isn’t he?

  Even though the question was in my head, I answered out loud.

  “Apparently so.”

  It echoed down the passage, and I decided that talking to an empty hallway was probably not a healthy thing. I paced instead.

  *******

  Forty-five minutes later, the door opened and Mandy stepped out into the hallway, followed by Brother Edwards I was relieved to see she was smiling. I met them halfway down the passage and took Mandy’s hand.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yes.”

  Gary pointed up at the portraits. “This is what I was telling you about, Mandy. Each one of these people made a choice just like yours, to believe or not to believe, to serve or not to serve. In some cases, their choice cost them their lives.”

  Mandy studied them for a long time, walking the length of the hall as we watched. “I’m noticing something in all of these, Pastor.”

  “Oh? What would that be?”

  “None of these people look troubled. There is a peace about the photos.”

  Gary was obviously impressed. “I’ve always noticed that myself. These men would not have changed their decision, regardless of the circumstances. Each one carried ‘a peace that passeth all understanding’ with them throughout their lives.”

  Mandy smiled at the reference to a familiar scripture. She poked her thumb in my direction. “I’m gonna need some of that peace to put up with this one!”

  The pastor laughed. “No doubt.”

  I pointed back at Mandy. “Oh, look who’s calling the kettle black!”

  We walked down the hallway to the door and out into the fresh air. Gary touched me on the shoulder, motioning for me to hang back. Mandy continued on toward the car. When she was out of earshot, he looked directly into my eyes.

  “I spoke to her alone, Jack, because I didn’t want her answers to be influenced by your presence.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “She has a call on her life to be by your side, but there’s a part of her that’s struggling with it, and with some of the things I told
her today.”

  “Like what?”

  “Another time. For now, you need to pay special attention to her, especially as she is confronted with new realities. She will need you to help her work through the struggles. Accepting a world she has only believed in through her faith, but never actually battled in, will be difficult for her.”

  I didn’t understand why it would be more difficult for Mandy than me or anyone else, but I knew Brother Gary, and he was to be trusted when it came to the matters of being a Chaser.

  “I’ll do my best.”

  He smiled. “I know. Goodbye.”

  He shut the door as I walked out to the car. Mandy was sitting behind the wheel, her eyes closed.

  “Are you okay, Mandy?”

  Her eyes popped open, a contented smile coming to her face. “Never better.”

  Chapter 2

  We had dinner at Ruby Tuesdays and she dropped me off at my house not long after eight. Bear waited impatiently for me. Fortunately, she didn’t jump up on me when I came through the door. A Bernese Mountain Dog is not a lap dog by any stretch, and Bear had grown to monstrous proportions. I let her out back.

  After going to the bathroom, she was back at the door, knowing full well I had brought home a doggie bag. I dumped it in her bowl and left her to enjoy.

  A few minutes with a crossword puzzle and my eyelids were drooping. I went to bed, followed by the padding of Bear’s feet, and passed out.

  *******

  The ringing in my ears turned out to be my phone. Looking at the clock, I was surprised to see it was just four in the morning. Fumbling with the phone as I tried to fight the lingering effects of sleep, I finally got it right side up and to my head.

  “Hello?”

  “Jack?”

  “I think so… Who’s this?”

  “Rachel Tanner.”

  “Rachel? Why are you calling me at four a.m.?”

  “I’m sorry, Jack, but it’s an emergency.”