Purgatech: Jess' Horror

Chapter Eighteen

Even though his team was working like a well-oiled machine, Dylan didn't feel like any of this was a win. Whatever they had unleashed was keeping Jess and the others in that house and somehow, he was going to have to get them out of there.

"Where are we with the security team?" Dylan asked.

"They're standing by," Lisa said.

Dylan nodded, not taking his eyes off the screen. Jess, Rob, and Grace were holed up in the small mud room at the back of the house again after the onslaught they’d faced in the front hallway.

Dylan was happy to see they were finally working together but that didn't mean that they were any safer than they were if they had never gone into that house. Something was keeping them in there. Something unseen, something that Dylan had not encountered up to this point with any of the other trial groups.

The infrared camera in the attic was still picking up the strange swirling orbs that had been up there for the last few hours. It was like something had been unleashed and was simultaneously trying to get them out of the house while leading them to an exit that was completely blocked up.

"It doesn't make any sense," Noah said, as though he could and he could sense what Dylan was thinking.

"What? What is it? Dylan asked

"Whatever – or whoever is leading them around that house sent them right to a room with there's no escape. And yet, whatever's upstairs is trying to get them out. I mean, we got the data here."

Noah held up his scratch pad where he'd been writing down the messages that were coming up on the Purgaware app.

“Something's trying to get them out of there what the same time it's trying to keep them in there, too."

"So, we really do have two entities. But who are they?"

"Well, we know one of them is Renee," Beth said quietly behind Dylan.

Dylan turned to her. "Have you been any other messages from her? I mean, any that actually prove that it's her talking?"

Beth quickly shook her head.

"Well, the message about it being my house has to be from Sarah Ridgely, right?" Noah said.

"I would guess so," Dylan said. "But if that other entity isn't Renee, then who is it?"

Everyone was quiet, watching the feeds, trying to absorb everything that they were witnessing. Dylan knew it was so much for all of them. They had been working on this 24-7 for the last few days and none of them had gone home or taken any kind of breaks. It was starting to take a toll on them, he could see it from their tired eyes and the way they were mainlining coffee and energy drinks. He was worried about them but he knew as well as they did that there was no way that any of them could take a break. Not while those people were still in that house.

Dylan studied each of the displays, trying to find some sort of clue as to what was going on. Jess and the others were still in the mudroom. There was no one in the corridor or up the hallway. The only other one in the house with them was Erica.

"Oh my God," Dylan said. He immediately clamped his hand over his mouth.

Noah spun in his chair, looking up at him. "What? What is it? What did you see?"

Dylan lunged forward and planted his hands on the desk, leaning forward as though he would be able to see the screen better.

"Can you bring up the attic feed? Full-screen?"

Noah spun in his seat and with a few clicks, had the feed pulled up on the screen. "What are you thinking?"

Dylan swallowed hard. He couldn't say it out loud. He didn't even want to think it but he had to know one way or another.

He studied the feed closer. It was calm and quiet up there, dark. The camera positioned over the entryway showed Erica laying at the bottom of the stairs where Jess had left her. She wasn't moving. She hadn't moved in all this time.

"It's her, isn't it?" Beth asked quietly.

Dylan looked towards her quickly. She must know what he was thinking.

"Her who?" Noah asked. "Sarah Ridgely?"

Dylan sighed, dipping his head low and shaking it from side to side with his eyes closed. "No. Not Sarah Ridgely."

It took a few moments for Noah to understand what was going on. When he did, he let out a long sigh and sat back in his chair.

"Oh no. Oh my God. It's… You think it's Erica, don't you?"

"It makes sense. The messages. They contradict one another. Some of them seem aggressive, accusatory. The others are helpful, warning us."

"So,what you're saying is one entity is trying to keep them in there and the other is trying to help them to get out?"

"That's my thinking."

"So, who do you think doing which?"

"Well, think about the history of the place. You all know the story of Sarah Ridgely. She was locked up in there by her husband, trapped in there, she died in that house and should been trapped in there all this time."

"You think she's the one trying to lead them out? So the same thing won’t happen to them?"

Dylan shook his head. "I don't think so. I think she spent all those years holed up in the attic only to die alone. Her spirit has been trapped in this house until we started poking around in there. I think, like any human, she felt betrayed, a prisoner, and seeing us in there poking around…in her eyes maybe even making light of the suffering that went on in that house, she wanted anyone who went in there to suffer the same fate as her."

Noah turned to him.

"You really think that's what's going on? I mean, to think that a ghost has that type of consciousness still is kind of heavy, is a huge deal."

"And then there's Erica. She went into the house only because her friend was going in there. You guys aw her in there. She had a sense of adventure about it all. What happened to her was an accident, Sarah lashing out and taking away the one person who was in Sarah's eyes making light of the situation. But Erica, seeing her friends in there, it makes sense that she wouldn't want them to be injured in the way she was. So, she's trying to lead them out of there."

"But that doesn't make any sense. The spirit that led them to the back door must've known that the door was blocked in."

"Which means that was Sarah, not Erica."

"So, than how do we get Erica's message to come through and not Sarah's?"

"Somehow, we need to get in there and that the others know what's going on. Who to trust and who not to trust."

"But that means –" Noah didn't finish his thought.

Dylan nodded quickly. "The only one that can contact Erica is Jess. Which means Jess has to be informed that her friend's dead."

"How the hell are we going to do that?"

As if on cue, the door to the tech room flung open and Marshall came striding into the room. He wiggled one finger in Dylan's direction.

"I had my doubts about you, Nixon. Especially after that little outburst you had earlier."

Dylan exchanged glances with Lisa but didn't say anything.

"But now after seeing the footage that you and your team are getting from inside the house, I have to say Bravo. Regardless of how you feel about what we’re doing here, I think it's a testament to the type of man you are, that you’re continuing to move forward with our project. Not to mention the results you're getting. I mean this is unprecedented stuff. This is very exciting."

Dylan started toward him Noah jumped up and stopped him from lunging at Marshall. Marshall threw his head back and let out a throaty laugh.

"Maybe I spoke too soon. Maybe you can't handle what's going on here. Maybe your tech high guy here should take over."

Dylan started to respond but stopped himself. It was obvious Marshall didn't take anything he said into consideration. Words wouldn't work on him. Action would.

Dylan turned to his team, looking at each one directly as he spoke. "Beth you continue monitoring the upper floor. Lisa I want you to keep track of the information coming off the Purgoggles. And Noah, keep cataloging the messages coming from the app. I want to know what they're saying when they say it, got it?"

"Sure boss." Noah said. "But what are you going to do?"

"Don't you worry about me" Dylan said, grabbing one of the walkie-talkies from the desk. "You can reach me on this."

Dylan turned towards the door. Marshall stood in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest. He gave him a smarmy smile, the same one he gave them all the time when he knew when he thought that Dylan would just back down and cower away with his tail between his legs. But Dylan wasn't going to do that anymore.

He took a few steps toward the door but Marshall moved to block him moved end of line

"Yeah, what are you going to do, Nixon?"

"Oh, I'm not looking for a fight, Mr. Marshall. But you might have to catch me."

Marshall got a confused look on his face and before he could respond, Dylan bolted past him. He made to the door and had gone out to the hall before Marshall even responded.

"Where the hell are you going, Nixon?" Marshall shouted after him.

Dylan sped down the hall to the front door. He flew down the steps and landed on the gravel, his boots skidding on the ground. But he took off running, heading around the side of the house and making a break for the back door. When he got there, he saw the old exit, blocked with bricks. He slapped his palms against the stone but it wasn't any good. It was blocked up anyway. Those bricks were in there to stay.

Dylan pulled the walkie-talkie out of his jacket pocket. "Noah, you there?"

Static buzzed from the speaker before Noah responded. "Yeah boss. I'm here."

"What's going on in there?"

"Jess , Rob and Grace are holed up in the kitchen. Were getting some readings coming from the app."

"Tell me what it's saying."

"The message from Grace's phone is saying that they'll be trapped there forever."

"What about Rob's?"

"He isn't using his app. But he is using his Purgoggles. It shows that the entity that was up in the attic with Erica has moved down and followed them to the lower level."

"That's probably why we can't get them out of there. It's barring the doors."

From inside, he could faintly hear Jess calling to him. He moved to the left of the mud room and saw a small window.

"Jess! Jess can you hear me?"

"Dylan! I hear you! In here! We’re trapped!"

Dylan yanked open the old shutters. When the curtains parted and Dylan saw Jess's face, he felt a moment of relief. But the terror in her eyes made his stomach sink. He had to get her out of there, sooner rather than later. She pressed both palms to the glass. She looked exhausted. Her eyes were wide but they were bloodshot. Her hair was a straggly mess, pulled back into a hasty ponytail. Her mouth hung open as her eyes searched his, looking for some sort of solace.

"Don't listen to them!" Dylan shouted.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"There's more than one spirit in there with you! The one the try to leading you out of there is Sarah Ridgely. She's trying to trap you in there with her, trap you in the same way she's been trapped all this time."

"So what do we do? Dylan you have to get us out of here! And Erica! Erica still up there in the attic alone."

Dylan pressed both hands to the glass, wishing he could feel the warmth of her hands but it was cold. He lowered his head, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. How was he going to say this?

"Dylan, did you hear me? Erica! She’s still hurt, she’s still up there.

"She's not hurt," he said.

"What are you talking about? Are you guys watching the feeds? She fell, her herself. She needs help. She's –"

"She's dead!"

Just saying the words aloud made Dylan’s stomach do a somersault. There was no easier way to say it.

Jess was quiet for a few moments. When he looked up at her, the look of expectation was gone. Now, her eyebrows pulled together in the middle and her forehead was wrinkled as she searched his face for an answer.

"Jess! Did you hear me?"

Still, she didn't say anything, but a stream of tears cascaded down her cheeks. She didn’t cry out or wail or even sink to the floor. She’d heard him, but he wasn’t sure she comprehended what he’d said. He pressed his hand to the window again, hoping it would be some sort of comfort to her.

Finally, she started shaking her head slowly from side to side.

"No. No! You can't be! I… I just saw Erica up there. There's no way! There's no way it can be her!"

The walkie-talkie and Dylan's hand crackled. "Dylan! Dylan do you copy?"

"Jess, I'm sorry. But the messages. The messages coming through on your app. We think – we think there from Erica. She's trying to help you to get out.”

Before Dylan could say anything else, he heard footsteps on the gravel beside him. Just as he turned, Marshall’s fist met with his chin. Dylan went staggering backward, barely able to keep his footing.

"You little bastard! You really think you're going to sabotage everything I've worked for these past for years?"

"You've worked for? What about all the work I've done? All the work all my techs of done my whole team. Everyone who was sent into this house. And all you care about is what you've done? How this affects you?"

"Aren't you the bleeding heart, Nixon? You know what, I'm done with you. I'm done trying to reason with you. If I wouldn't know you're such a soft you never would've taken you on my team. Not get the hell out of here."

"There's no way in hell I’m leaving until I get those people out of this house."

Marshall lunged for the walkie-talkie but Dylan yanked it away from him and moved aside. "Go, Noah!"

"Were getting footage from Rob's goggles. He's moved out into the corridor and is made a run for the front door. He's trying to get out!"

Dylan moved back to the window. "Jess! What's Rob doing?"

She spun around and looked behind her and then spun back to the window again. "He's gone!"

"He's going to the front door," Dylan said.

Before Dylan could say anything, just turned and ran from the window. "Jess!" He stood on his tip toes and things fist on the window but she didn't come back. She was making her in for two.

"There's no way in hell I'm leading them out of there before were done!" Marshall shouted.

He turned took off for the front of the house. Dylan cursed and followed after him. By the time he ran to the round to the front of the house, marshals at the front door, bracing and holding onto the door handle pulling the door closed. Rob was on the other side of the door banging his fists against the wood, shouting at the top of his lungs for them to let them out.

"Dylan moved beside Marshall tried to shove him off but he held tight.

"Haven't you had enough of this now,? You've put these people through enough! It's time to just let it go!"

"I'm not letting anything go, not until we get what we need!"

Marshall turned his head and looked at Dylan. His eyes, they looked different, darker. Was like something had come over him and not just his grasping desperation. He'd seen the same thing on the monitor what he was watching the footage with Erica and Jess up in the attic.

Dylan had enough of this madness. It's all his might, shoved Marshall aside then started throwing the full weight of his body with his shoulder against the door. 1…2…3 times but nothing the door still didn't budge. He could hear Rob on the other side he could hear grace sobbing. He could hear Jess, calling out for him, calling for him to get her out of there.

1…2…3 more times Dylan threw his shoulder against the door and finally, it gave. The door flung open and slammed against the opposite side. Marshall had jumped up and this time he shoved Dylan aside, and blocked the door. Rob came at him, trying to push past him, but something some unseen force grabbed him and threw him backward. He went skidding across the tiled floor and landed a heap at the other side of the entryway. Grace screamed, cowering to one side.

Dylan scrambled up onto his feet just in time to see Jess, coming toward Marshall swinging her arms at him.

"There's no way in hell you're keeping us in here any longer!"

"Jess!" Dylan shouted.

Dylan took a running start but just as he had made it into the entryway of the door, an intense force slammed the door in front of them and he went flying backward, falling onto his back on the porch.

He scrambled up onto his feet then threw himself against the door again but it was of no use. Marshall, Jess, Rob and Grace were all inside the house and there was no way Dylan was going to be able to get in there.

"Noah! What the hell's going on?"

A series of static bursts obscured Noah's voice, only allowing his message to be transmitted in broken fragments.

“..in there!…spirit…with them!”

“Noah!” Dylan shouted into the walkie-talkie. “Noah, repeat!”

More crackling and then Noah continued.

"The spirit! It's in there, in that foyer with them."

A long hiss of static came from the speaker and then the walkie-talkie went dead.