Possess

in her chest that had been with her for the last year evaporated. Her dad was dead, that would never change, but she’d gotten a second chance to say good-bye.
    Bridget blinked her eyes open and realized she was staring directly at the spot at which the phantom cat had been clawing. The dust had settled back onto the floor, coating the wooden beams and gathering in the crevices to form little gray channels between the planks. But a few of them looked as if they had been broken. A horizontal line of dust bisected several of the wooden planks. Odd. Bridget leaned forward, drawing her nose to within a few inches of the beams. Something wasn’t right: The broken line looked like it had been cut through with some sort of power tool.
    She slipped a fingernail into the crevice and wiggled the board. The entire corner of wooden floor shifted.
    Bridget dashed to her closet and grabbed a wire coat hanger, then unbent the hook and shoved it down into the crevice. It easily poked down several inches into a compartment beneath. Twisting the hanger so the curved end rotated beneath the broken floorboards, she carefully pulled up and out. The flooring popped up just enough for her to get her fingers beneath it, and she pried the compartment open.
    It was a small space, no bigger than a shoebox, and it held a large yellow envelope.

Thirty-One
    T WENTY MINUTES LATER , B RIDGET SAT cross-legged on her bed. The envelope lay unopened before her, but she was ready to see what it held. Her laptop was powered up so she could listen to any recordings; she had a pen and paper for notes. All she had to do was open it.
    Bridget picked up the yellow envelope gingerly, felt its weight in her hand, turned it over, and examined the seal. Just a simple piece of Scotch tape held the flap closed, and there was no writing on the outside to give a hint as to who placed it there or why. Not that Bridget needed a hint. There could be only one reason.
    She slipped a finger beneath the flap, then stopped. What was she doing? Trusting the advice of a bunch of demons trapped in the body of a man who may or may not have murdered her dad? Or a demon cat that may or may not have been the incarnation of her dead father? Had she totally and completely lost her mind?
    Rule Number Three: Do not engage.
    Rule Number Four: Do not let your guard down.
    Rule Number Five: They lie.
    Fail, fail, fail. Not only had she engaged the demons, she’d purposefully sought them out at Sonoma State Hospital. She’d let her guard down when she tried to release the entities from Undermeyer’s body. And now she was trusting what they told her to do. Trusting a demon, a minion of evil, instead of Monsignor Renault.
    Exorcist-fail.
    Maybe she should call Monsignor and ask his advice?
    Bridget shook her head. She’d come this far on her own. She had to see what her dad had left hidden. She had to do it alone.
    Bridget took a deep breath and broke the seal.
January 7
Patient: Milton Undermeyer
Session 1
Duplicate File
Severe case of demonic possession. Sensing anywhere from four to six entities. Repentants, I believe. Patient and his entities refuse to disclose why they broke into the sanctuary at St. Michael’s. Something tells me this is no ordinary crime. Not there. Contacting J from OSM for further instructions.
January 14
Patient: Milton Undermeyer
Session 2
Duplicate File
Patient’s entities say they have a message for the Watchers, but there seems to be a disagreement among them in regards to sharing. Want to make sure they will be released afterward. Will decide once I hear their message. Still no answer about the break-in at St. Michael’s.
January 21
Patient: Milton Undermeyer
Session 3
Duplicate File
Entities extremely agitated. Something spooked them. Possible they’ve had contact with the Emim. A threat of some kind. Which would mean the Emim are aware that the entities are attempting to pass a message to the Watchers. Unsure how Emim came by this information. J calling emergency meeting of the OSM. Awaiting word.
January 28
Patient: Milton Undermeyer
Session 4
Duplicate File
Stephen called. Undermeyer attempted suicide in his cell this morning. Had him brought to the house while Annie and the kids are at her mom’s. Change of scenery made a difference. Entities have conveyed the following message:
Amaymon calling his servants. Attempting to regain the mortal world. Must not let him. Stop the priest. The Emim cannot conjure Amaymon without him. They need the