“Of course. It was brave of you to arrive back,” I replied.
“We can’t live our lives in fear. Sometimes I come out here at night and stare at The Penn. I try to face my terror, but it lives inside of me,” Grace admitted.
“If you don’t think me rude, I’d like to leave now. We’ve warned you; it’s up to you what you do with the warning,” Staci said, getting to her feet.
We all hugged her and Grace goodbye, and Harry said he’d be in contact with the disclaimers allowing us to use their footage. As Levi and Sunny escorted them to their car, we sat in silence and stared at one another.
“Cellblock five is off-limits. And I ain’t fuckin’ arguing about it,” Sunny stated when he came back in.
“Totally agree,” I replied, and Sunny blinked in surprise.
“We’d be fools to disregard a warning like that, and Callum needs to know what he’s heading into. Can we send him that footage?” Jack said.
“You’re going to let Callum go in?” Levi asked incredulously.
“Levi, what do you think we should do? Run around and film ghosts? We’re investigators, and sometimes we have to end a haunting. This one has killed people; we can’t leave that evil inside unchecked. Callum will need backup, and we won’t let him inside until he has it,” I stated.
“You’re not going in,” Sunny ordered me, and I bristled.
“No, I wasn’t going to. I have a baby to worry about, but if Jack accompanies Callum, Michelle and whoever Callum brings, that’s his choice.”
“I don’t want to step—”
“Stop, Sunny. This is my job, and I do it well. I would never endanger the team, and you know it. I’m not Jane, Tom, or Dick. My team’s safety is paramount to me. I do not need you orderingme about and dictating. Just remember when you sought justice, I walked beside you and didn’t give you ultimatums,” I said, and Sunny smacked his lips closed. He couldn’t argue that.
“We’re going back to the original plan for tonight. One team in cellblock six and the other in the dining hall,” Jack said.
“Yes, but everyone remains kitted out with Holy Water, salt, and the protective bags. Now we know there is something there, we take extra precautions,” I demanded.
I received nods in reply.
“Good. If you suspect a situation is bad, don’t push your luck; get the hell out.” Sunny stated.
“Agreed.” Jack nodded.
Sunny
As everyone split into teams, I couldn’t help but want to grab Callie and run. But she was correct. She was a professional and wouldn’t ever risk someone’s health or their safety. The whole scenario was now worrying me. What had been a fun, albeit frightening, investigation had now turned into a very serious situation.
If I kicked off like I wanted to, I’d alienate Callie, and it would be a downward spiral. My marriage was worth more than that. It was a give-and-take, and we had a balance between us. Despite my nature to put my foot down, it would backfire spectacularly. Callie, while quiet, was not a pushover, and she’d kick back at me.
Instead, I’d stay by her side and protect her as best as I could. I’d earned beauty, and Callie was my beautiful world. I wouldn’t sacrifice that because I wanted to wrap her up in cotton wool. Ever since she’d discovered she was pregnant, Callie had takenextra precautions. Jack was handling the more dangerous stuff now.
And that was fine with both me and Jack. He was a good man, and I knew he relished his job. The team also adored Callie. There weren’t many calls for a full-time paid paranormal investigator. With Callie, they were working their dream job and getting paid for it. Sure, Callie did charge for private investigations or if someone called them in. However, fifty per cent of their time was spent investigating somewhere, and that hadn’t paid until their series had grown in popularity. Callie still paid them a salary, no matter what.
No, they all knew which side their bread was buttered on. They all genuinely loved Callie and looked out for each other. When I’d joined them, I’d been the outsider; it had taken months for them to get comfortable with me. Now I was one of them, but I’d no doubt they’d take Callie’s side. That warmed me.
As sad as it was, I’d die before Callie. With our baby and her ghost-hunting family, Callie would never be alone, and that soothed my troubled spirit. I was fifty-three years old, while Callie’s thirty. Yeah, I’d die well before my woman.
Most of the time, the age gap didn’t bother me, but when I thought of Callie being alone for at least two decades, it saddened me. I wanted to be unselfish and tell her to find someone else; she’d still be young enough. But I couldn’t. Callie was mine, and that was it. I didn’t want to think of someone else kissing her lips, stroking her hair, watching her sleep. Call me a motherfucking asshole, I didn’t care. I would never share Callie Dixon with anyone else. Never.
“Are you with me?” Callie asked, nudging me in my gut.
“Sure! Cellblock one, right?”
“Yup, things are meant to move there,” I replied.
“Yeah. Come on,” she said with a grin, but I could tell her energy was low. Staci and Grace’s story had done a number onthe team. Nobody looked excited to investigate. It was time to make a decision.
