When Eleven and the others arrived, they found Dr. Brennan trussed up like a hog and a swarm of federal agents possessed by vengeful spirits, shambling like zombies. The sight sent a cold spasm through every heart.
Who else but Richard could pull off something like this so effortlessly?
Richard had gagged Dr. Brennan with duct tape and, as if appraising pork at a wet market, patted the old man's face while smiling at the psychics. "You're here. What shall we do with the fossil?"
"Burn him." Jamie rubbed flames between her palms and snarled.
Ricky's feelings were tangled; he hated Dr. Brennan, yet realized, now that the moment had come, he no longer burned to kill him. Marcy's small face was equally gloomy, her mood mirroring Ricky's.
Carly regarded the bound old man with indifferent eyes. "I have a better idea—I can make him wish he were dead."
Everyone looked at her. "I've worked out a trick," she said calmly. "By burning a huge amount of mental energy I can plant a hallucination so deep it takes root. From then on he'll be like a schizophrenic, seeing things that aren't there."
She gave a cold laugh. "I'll sow his deepest terror in his mind so death and dread will dog every breath he takes. Whether he regrets his crimes doesn't matter; what matters is that it'll feel fantastic to me."
Ricky considered, then nodded. "Good plan."
"Agreed." Eleven dipped her head.
Jamie and Marcy exchanged glances and also consented. Jamie regretted she couldn't personally incinerate the old bastard who had tormented them for years, but eternal torment instead of death sounded even sweeter.
"Hah." Richard chuckled. "Then let me add the finishing touch. I'll stuff something into his soul. He loves studying the supernatural, so I'll give him plenty to study. I'll bind a vengeful spirit to his life. When he dies he won't find Heaven or Hell—only that spirit, waiting for the 'fruit' to ripen, will open its jaws. No afterlife, no rebirth, not even the rights of a ghost."
Everyone shuddered. Richard always spoke in that calm, pleasant tone, yet could utter the most blood-curdling things—and carry them out.
Hopper couldn't bear to listen, but he knew Brennan deserved every second. He pretended he hadn't heard, muttering the bits of a funeral psalm he could never fully remember.
Dr. Brennan's eyes were frantic and desperate. He begged with his gaze at the children who once called him Papa, finally fixing on Eleven. He still remembered her as a tiny girl, sweetly clinging to him; now she stared back with pure hatred, not a shred of pity.
Carly had meant to let him speak, but Richard stopped her with a smile. "Don't let the sly old fox start weaving excuses. If anyone's resolve wavers, he'll twist you. Let's get this done."
With those words the last spark of hope in Brennan's eyes died; he accepted his fate.
Carly slapped her palm onto the crown of his head, fingers clamping his skull.
Brennan's heart raced. As she inhaled, a surge of force seemed to pour from her fingertips and flood his brain.
Everyone saw his breathing change at once—eyes bulging, whites flooding with blood, temples throbbing as if something blocked his windpipe. His face flushed crimson, then purple; his eyes rolled back and spittle dribbled from the corners of his mouth.
The sight was so horrific that those who had sworn to watch turned their faces away.
Richard showed little reaction; he was more concerned with Carly's condition.
Carly looked scarcely better than Brennan. The technique was still crude, her power barely under control; blood already trickled from her nostrils and the corners of her eyes.
After a long, soundless scream, Carly severed the link to Brennan's mind. She staggered back, pale as paper, and was caught by Jamie and Marcy.
"You pushed too hard," Eleven said worriedly. "You're not coming to The Upside Down."
"No… I can go." Carly tried to stand, only to be dropped by a swift chop to the neck from Richard.
Richard caught her as she pitched forward, looking faintly surprised. "Still hasn't learned, has she? Forgot how the last teammate died? Never overrate yourself, and never let emotion decide."
Eleven tugged Richard's sleeve. "Chade, that was harsh. She only meant well."
"I know." Richard smiled. "That's why I'm letting her cool off. Better she sleep than let good intentions turn disastrous."
He pulled three small dolls from his backpack—a family of three—and tucked them into her arms. "Precaution. With this family of spirits watching, no one can touch her while she's helpless."
As an afterthought he stuffed a rag doll into Dr. Brennan's hand. "Almost forgot you." He whispered chillingly to the doll—words like curse, flay, kill—audible enough to make everyone's skin crawl.
Hopper cleared his throat, breaking the macabre spell.
"All right, let's end this unlawful business," he said with a shake of his head. "We've still got a hard fight ahead."
He stared grimly at the sealed door from which a sinister red glow seeped, redder than blood.
Richard rose. "Henry is waiting. From the moment we arrived—or from when I killed the first Demo-Bat—he knew we'd enter through this door. Inside may be crueller traps than we can imagine. Ready?"
"We can't run forever," Ricky said. "If I don't stand now and we fail, The Upside Down will swallow the real world. How strong will it be then? Strike while we still can."
"I'll protect everyone," Eleven declared, eyes blazing with resolve.