What Hides Inside: Bay City Paranormal Investigations, Book 2

the cracked and stained stone wall at the far end, Bo’s thermometer read ninety-two degrees.
“I wondered if I’d imagined it getting hotter before as we got near the end of the tunnel,” Sam said as he jotted down the unbelievable reading. “Guess not.”
Bo frowned at the irregular rectangle of rough brick on the wall to his left. “Do either of you remember Mr. Innes saying anything about any electrical equipment in this blocked-up side tunnel?”
Cecile glanced at Sam, who shrugged and shook his head. “No,” she answered. “Why, what are you getting?”
“The EMF goes up a bit right next to the bricks.” Holding the detector with the display outward so they could see it, Bo swung the instrument away from the bricked-up entrance, then back again. The reading went from three-point-two to five. “See?”
Sam laid a palm against the bricks. They felt warm and clammy, almost like flesh. He pulled his hand away, fighting the urge to shudder. “If it’s electrical, the source is either a little ways off or pretty weak.”
“Let’s ask Mr. Innes for a blueprint of the school’s electrical system,” Cecile suggested. “And a list of any electrical equipment on, what, the first floor of this building?”
Bo nodded. “That’ll be good. We shouldn’t be picking up anything on the second floor.”
“We need to find out more about these side tunnels, too,” Sam added. “They weren’t on the map he sent me, just this main tunnel was.”
“Right.” Bo’s sharp gaze flicked between Sam and Cecile. “Do either of you feel anything different here?”
Drawing a deep breath, Sam let his mind float the way Cecile had taught him, detaching himself from the physical world just enough to let himself sense what lay beyond. What he felt was a palpable wave of menace that knocked the wind from him.
“Oh, shit,” Cecile gasped. “Sam, did you feel that?”
Sam nodded, leaning against the wall and waiting for the world to right itself. “Yeah. Fuck.”
Moving closer, Bo brushed a hand down Sam’s arm. Sparks crackled in the wake of his fingers, drawing Sam back to solid reality. He was grateful that Bo’s touch grounded him this time instead of throwing his mind and body into turmoil like it usually did.
“Are you all right?” Bo’s question was directed at them both, Sam knew, but those deep brown eyes were only for him. Slipping a hand into Bo’s, Sam gave his fingers a quick squeeze that said everything he couldn’t voice right then. Bo smiled, looking relieved.
“We’re okay. Just kind of shaken up.” Cecile’s voice quavered a little.
“What was it?” Bo asked, resting his back against the wall next to Sam. His position effectively hid the fact that his hand still clutched Sam’s.
Sam glanced at Cecile. She looked as puzzled as he felt. “I don’t know,” he answered. “It had the same sort of underlying feel as what I sensed in Oleander House, but it was different somehow. I can’t really explain it.”
Bo stared into space, teeth worrying his bottom lip. His thumb rubbed tiny circles on the back of Sam’s hand. It took every ounce of control Sam had to resist the urge to pull Bo into his arms and kiss him. He settled for sliding infinitesimally closer to Bo, until only a breath separated them.
“Is there anything else we need to do right now, Bo?” Cecile peered at them with wide, nervous eyes. “I feel very uncomfortable here. I’d like to get outside for a while.”
Shooting Sam a brief, sidelong glance, Bo let go of Sam’s hand and pushed away from the wall. “That’s a good idea. Let’s meet up with the rest of the group, then we’ll head back upstairs and work out a plan for the rest of the day.”
“We’re not leaving?” Cecile’s expression didn’t change, but Sam heard the plaintive note in her voice. He understood perfectly.
“It’s kind of freaking me out, too,” Sam said. “But I guess we need to set up cameras, which means we’ll have to stay. Right?”
“I suppose we could leave the equipment here,” Bo mused, sounding apologetic, “but I’d rather not. We can’t afford to replace any of it right now, and I feel like we’re too vulnerable to theft if we leave the cameras unguarded down here.”
“Yes, that makes sense.” Cecile sighed. “Well, if I need to stay down here, I will. Just don’t make me stay alone.”
Sam stepped forward and kissed the top of Cecile’s head. “Don’t worry. You’ll have me for company, at least.”
Cecile