Twilight: Bay City Paranormal Investigations, Book 3

two photos back to back. His heart pounded in his throat, the rush of blood loud in his ears. His knees shook.
“It’s not coming after us,” Dean whispered, keeping the video camera trained on the thing plunging through the forest. “I’m following it.”
Before Sam or Bo could say anything, Dean bounded after the creature, camera held as steady as possible in front of him. With a swift glance at each other, Sam and Bo followed.
“No change in EMF,” Bo called. “Sam?”
“Energy’s the same too.” Sam darted a concerned look at Bo. “You’re limping again.”
“I know.” Bo stumbled, his features twisting in a grimace. “Fuck. Stay with Dean.”
“I’d rather not leave you alone.”
An odd look came over Bo’s face. “I don’t think it’ll hurt us. Just stay with Dean. Hurry, he’s almost out of sight.”
“But—”
“Trust me, Sam.” Bo shoved his shoulder. “Go!”
Despite his irritation at Bo for insisting he leave him, instinct told Sam Bo was right. He picked up his pace, darting through the trees as fast as he could. Within seconds, he’d caught up to Dean. Bo limped along several yards behind them.
“It’s just ahead,” Dean panted, leaping over a fallen tree. “See?”
Sam looked in the direction Dean pointed. A translucent black mass moved from tree to tree before them. Fear curled in Sam’s belly.
“I still can’t feel it,” Sam said. “But there it is. Looks just like the others.”
Beside him, Dean slowed to a jog. “It’s stopping.”
Indeed it was. As Sam watched, the thing came to a halt, one black claw poised in front of its body. The level of energy in Sam’s head didn’t change. Feeling reassured by this, Sam raised the camera and took three more stills while Dean filmed it.
An uneven crunch of pine needles under hiking boots announced Bo’s arrival. “What’s it doing?” Bo murmured, laying a hand on Sam’s shoulder.
Dean shook his head. “Nothing. Just standing there.”
In a clump of rhododendrons not far from the creature, something moved. Sam squinted, trying to make it out. A flash of dull orange peeked from between the close-packed branches. Adrenaline jolted through Sam’s blood as he realized what it was. He dropped the camera, letting the strap around his neck catch it.
“Shit!” Without stopping to think about what he was doing, Sam sprinted toward the alien thing and the person it had trapped in the rhododendron thicket.
A string of colorful curses and pounding footsteps behind him told him Bo and Dean were following him. He wanted to order them both to stay back, but knew there was no point. Neither of them would listen.
“There’s a person there,” Sam called as he ran. “I’ll try to send the thing back if I can. Be ready to help whoever this is.”
He didn’t wait for an answer. The creature loomed mere feet in front of him. Focusing his mind on it, Sam searched for the fiery string of energy connecting it to the portal he was now sure must be here.
He couldn’t find it. The weird, blank feeling which had been there all along remained static and unchanged.
Panicking now, Sam opened his mouth to tell the trapped person to run for it. Before he could say anything, the creature flowed like smoke into the cluster of bushes and sliced the person’s head off.
A horrified cry from behind him told him Dean, at least, had seen the same thing he had. Frozen, Sam watched helplessly as the creature tore its victim apart. He couldn’t find the thing in his head, couldn’t connect with its mind, and he didn’t know what to do.
Bo’s arm snaked around his waist, pulling him away, but Sam barely felt it. All he could think was, I’ve failed again. Another person’s dead because I couldn’t send that fucking thing away fast enough.
Icy hands framed Sam’s face, forcing him to turn. He stared into Bo’s worried eyes, feeling sick. “It happened again,” he said, his voice shaking. “Did you see?”
“Yes, I did.” Holding his gaze, Bo leaned closer. “Did you feel anything this time?”
Sam shook his head. He swallowed, throat aching.
Brushing a kiss across his forehead, Bo pulled Sam into his arms. “It’s gone,” Bo murmured against Sam’s ear. “It disappeared. Did you send it away?”
Surprised, Sam pulled back and looked at the spot where he’d seen the thing kill someone. The woods were bare and undisturbed, just like nothing had happened.
“No. I tried to send it back, but I couldn’t find it.” Sam drew a