Fear

Book Two of the Roger Armstrong Mysteries

 

 

By Joseph P Hradisky Jr

Dedication

 

This is dedicated to all those who serve and protect.

 

To those who run toward the fires and not away.

 

To all the Nurses, and Doctors, who risk their lives to save others.

 

Thank you for being there, you are the real heroes.

Disclaimer

 

This is a work of fiction, any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

 

Though the characters are fictional some of the places are not.

 

Thank you for reading my book and I hope you stay safe, and healthy, through this trying time.

 

Remember the words of truth: There is no greater fear than fear itself.

1.

 

Roger pulled onto the shoulder of the road before stopping the car. They had reached their destination. For a moment he looked at the old stone wall, stairway, and cemetery before getting out of the car. He had been here a few times over the years. A very old church with much of the inside made of stone as well. Each time he entered the building he could feel the age of the building seep into his bones. It was a safe place.

 

      “Where are we?” Christine asked as she got out of the car.

 

      “Valhalla.” Was Roger’s short answer.

 

      “No, really?” Christine looked around the place. Everything spoke to her of old, yet she could feel an exuberance of life emanating as well. “It’s old.”

 

      “You have no idea.” Roger said as he went up the stone stairs to the entrance door. Carefully he touched the door in a certain spot. The result was the door swinging slowly open. Without a word he went in.

 

      Almost a minute passed before the others followed him. Bryan looked at the inside, as soon as his eyes adjusted, to see much of nothing. “I thought you said you were taking us to a safe place?”

 

      Pastor John Simms walked slowly to the front where the podium waited. He could barely breathe for what he was seeing. This place was a treasure of time, safety. “He did.” John said in awe. “How did you know of such a place?”

 

      “Like I said I have been here a few times. Once it was to attend a wedding. The moment I walked in I knew the peace, tranquility, of safety. When I sat in a pew this message seeped into me like meeting an old friend who you have not seen in several years.” Roger joined John at the front.

 

      John turned to his friend. “Did you learn this through some kind of research?”

 

      Roger shook his head no. “It told me.”

 

      With the solemnest in his voice John knew there was no denying the truth. “Then this will be our home till we figure out this problem.”

 

      “Not quite.” Roger headed for the door. “I will show you where we are actually living.”

 

      A few minutes later they were pulling up to a large building. The sign at the top of the driveway read Fontainebleau Inn. As the car came to a stop Christine asked. “Where is this place?”

 

      “Alpine, New York in Schuyler County.” Roger got out of the car to head to the building. As he got near a young man came out to meet him. “Joseph.”

 

      Roger shook Joseph’s hand. “Glad to see you again, Roger.”

 

      “How are the other guests?”

 

      “Better now that you did whatever you did. There hasn’t been any issues since. All your rooms are ready.”

 

      “Joseph I want you to meet my friends. Detective Bryan Banks, Pastor John Simms, and Christine Daniels.” Roger turned to the three. “Everyone this is Joseph Wingate; he is the owner of the Inn. I don’t know about anyone else, but I would love a hot cup of coffee.”

 

      The four followed Joseph Wingate into the Inn. He took them to a very nice dining area where a few guests were already there. Joseph showed them a table before heading to the kitchen. Soon he was back with five coffee cups and a large carafe of hot coffee. After pouring their coffee he sat down before pouring his own cup. Nearly five minutes passed as they drank the hot brew in silence. Finally Roger broke the silence.

 

      “So what has happened since I left?” Roger asked Joseph.

 

      “Interestingly enough, nothing.” This brought a smile to Joseph’s face. “No one has complained about any of the issues like before.”

 

      “What kind of issues are we talking about?” John asked.

 

      Joseph looked at Roger, who nodded, before answering. “The guests were seeing ghosts, hearing loud noises like a woman screaming, red eyes staring at them when they looked out their windows at night. So, Roger, are you going to tell me what you did yet?”

 

      “What did you do, Roger?” Bryan sounded in.

 

      Roger smiled. “What I always do, make deals.”

 

      “Do I have to ask?” Bryan, at times, found Roger to be annoying. Especially times like this, he never was good with words or explanations.

 

      “No. I pulled a whole bunch of favors from a lot of different sources.” Roger began.

 

      “Like angels?” John interrupted.

 

      “Yes, demons, nature spirits, and a few which have no names.” Roger finished his coffee before pouring some more. “One of the deals was with the residents of the graveyard. What was trying to attack the guests were not from there. I told them this and they were pissed to say the least. It is very interesting, even in death, how territorial people are. Even more interesting these residents have a stronger power because it is their home.”

 

      John nodded in agreement. “They are still a part of here until the end of days.”

 

      “I don’t understand? How did they owe you a favor.” Christine asked Roger.

 

      “I am a private detective who can speak with the dead. The dead have issues just as we do. If they have a problem they come talk to me. When I solve the problem, they pay back the favor by helping me out, since they have no money to pay me with, when I need something only the dead can give me.”

 

      “Like now?” Christine asked.

 

      “Like now.” Roger thought for a while before going on. “There is another part to the equation. Fear. It is a powerful thing which can do a lot of damage. What you must realize is everything, except God, is afraid. No exceptions. In order to use fear, as a weapon, you need to figure out what your target is afraid of.”

 

      “So what are you afraid of?”

 

      Roger looked at Christine. “Nothing right now.”

 

      “Nothing?” Christine pushed the topic. “Really?”

 

      Roger smiled. “Really, there was one person I was afraid of, but she is in heaven now.”

 

      “So you were afraid of your wife?”

 

      Roger was trying to figure out where she was going with this. “Yes, outside of her I fear nothing. Or, at least, let any fear I have from controlling me. Fear is all about control. Once you achieve it then the target will find it very hard to undo. I once let fear control my life, through nightmares, till I got tired of running. Then I destroyed the nightmare and was able to keep my fears from controlling me. What are you afraid of, Christine?”

 

      Christine stared at Roger. Since he had saved her she had been trying to figure out what kind of a person he was. Unlike other people she learned he was a ‘what you see is what you get’ kind or person. “Dying alone…no husband…no kids…no real friends…stuff like that.”

 

      “That is a big fear for many.” Roger looked at his cell. “Need to get to the church so I can speak to the elders.”

 

      “Elders?” Bryan questioned.

 

      “Those spirits who have been here the longest.” John answered in Roger’s place. “They will have more knowledge of what is going on than any other spirit.”

 

      The group left the Inn to head over to the church. They had just gotten to the end of the drive when Roger signaled them to stop. Slowly he moved forward to identify what he had seen from afar. It was a pentagram with a dead rabbit in the center. Roger stepped into the circle to

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Texte: joseph p hradisky jr
Bildmaterialien: joseph p hradisky jr
Cover: joseph p hradisky jr
Lektorat: joseph p hradisky jr
Übersetzung: joseph p hradisky jr
Satz: joseph p hradisky jr
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 21.07.2020
ISBN: 978-3-7487-5078-9

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Widmung:
This is dedicated to all those who serve and protect. To those who run toward the fires and not away. To all the Nurses, and Doctors, who risk their lives to save others. Thank you for being there, you are the real heroes.