Connor pulled up outside of a simple two-storey house and sat for a long moment in silent thought. Memories ran through his mind of a pretty young woman in her mid-twenties with long, honey-blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. Eyes that see right through to a man's soul... Connor had to take control of himself as hot emotion welled within him. Even after all these years, the memories still hurt. Sighing, he got out of the car and approached the house, pleased to see that the lawn was nice and tidy and that the place had been kept in generally good condition. He walked up the stairs to the door and was about to knock when he noticed that the door was slightly open. He pushed it wider and called to whoever was inside. "Hello!" Getting nothing but silence, he tried again. "Hello! Anybody here?"  Still getting no answer, he entered the hall and closed the door behind him. The air was heavy, charged, making his skin prickle and the hair on his arms stand on end. A deep silence lay on the whole house, there wasn't a sound anywhere not even the ticking of a clock. Feeling distinctly uneasy Connor searched the house, ending in the living room. There was no sign of anyone. He looked around, memories of a time long ago flashing through his mind. The air in here felt even more oppressive than in the rest of the house. It closed around him, suffocating him. Unnerved, Connor decided it was time to leave. He headed for the front door but as he got close to it he was stopped by the appearance of a shimmering red mist. The air became oppressive, just as it had in the sitting room. He stood for a long moment examining the mist before cautiously approaching. It changed with every step he took, getting darker the nearer he came to it until it turned the color of blood. Feeling suffocated once more, Connor backed away from the door. The mist hung in the air for a moment and then abruptly disappeared. Heart pounding, Connor backed into the kitchen and went to the back door. Before he got within ten feet of it the red mist appeared, blocking his exit. Fear tingling along his spine, he went back to the living room where he remembered seeing a telephone. Fortunately it was still working. He quickly dialed the only people he knew who could help him.

"Case no #312-959. Case manager Curtis Rollins. We've been called to a house where there is a report of a haunting. The prime subject is a member of the OSIR, Connor Doyle." Curtis switched off the DAT recorder and looked speculatively at the house.
"What do you think?" asked Peter.
"Looks innocent enough." replied Curtis.  "Are you picking up any readings?"
 "Nothing out here. We'll see what happens when we get in the house." said Peter.
"If you get in the house."  said Curtis.
"I don't want to even think about that possibility." said Peter.
"Has anyone spoken to Connor?" asked Curtis.
"Anton's talking to him now." replied Peter.
"Let's go see what he has to say." said Curtis. Together they went to where Anton  was leaning against the front of the car, talking into a mobile phone.
"Okay Connor, we'll be with you soon." said Anton finishing the call.
"How is he?" asked Curtis.
"He sounds tense but he seems to be holding out okay." replied Anton.
"Good." said Curtis. "The mobile lab should be here any moment. I want full environmentals done before we enter the house."

"What have you got?" asked Curtis, coming up to Peter.
"The readings around the house are all baseline." replied Peter. "Whatever it is seems to be contained within the house. I'd like to go in."
Curtis considered a moment. "Okay but be careful and I want you wired."
"You got it." said Peter.
When he was ready, Peter cautiously approached the house. "I'm not getting anything so far." he said, checking his scanner. I'm going in."
"Take it nice and slow." said Curtis.
Peter walked up the few steps to the door and very carefully opened it. Pushing the door wide he saw Connor standing near the far end of the hall. The readings on his scanner jumped as he picked up high levels of  electricity from inside the house. "There's a lot of electricity but so far nothing else." he said. He looked at Connor. "Are you all right?" he asked.
Connor smiled. "I'm fine Peter." He looked relaxed but Peter could see the lines of tension around his eyes.
"I'm going into the house." said Peter into his comlink. He slowly entered the house, sweeping the hallway with the scanner. He moved to the living room and frowned as the readings on the scanner shot up. From there he went to the kitchen and then back to the dining room. Finally he came back to the front door. "The readings are highest in the living room. " he said. "The only thing I get is electricity. Tox, HAZMAT are all baseline. Do you want me to try and bring Connor out?"
"Go ahead but I don't want either of you taking any risks." said Curtis. "If anything starts to happen, back off."
"Understood." said Peter. He turned to Connor. "We're going to try and leave. Are you ready?"
"I'm ready." said Connor. He approached Peter by the door, but as he got close the red mist reappeared.
"Are you getting this?" asked Peter.
"Yes." replied Curtis looking at the video feed from the camera on Peter's headset. "Opinions?" he asked the rest of team gathered around the monitors.
"Some kind of non-corporeal entity?" asked Anton.
"Are you getting any readings Peter?" asked Curtis.
"I'm getting strong electromagnetic pulses as well as fluctuations in air pressure." said Peter.
"I've never seen anything like that." said Claire.
"Nor have I." said Lindsey.
"Id like to get Connor to approach the door." said Peter.
"Not yet." said Curtis. "Since he appears to be in no immediate danger, I want the equipment set up and a full environmental assessment done first."
"Okay." replied Peter. Turning to Connor he said, "Curtis wants to get the equipment set up before we get you out."
"I thought he might." said Connor. "Why don't I get some coffee while you set things up?"

"Lindsey." said Anton quietly into his comlink as he and Curtis stood watching Claire talking to Connor. "How are Connor's biostats?"
"He's showing signs of stress."  replied Lindsey.
"Okay Lindsey, thanks." said Anton.
"You wouldn't think he was under any stress." said Curtis. Whatever he was feeling, Connor looked outwardly calm and relaxed.
"Connor's not one to give anything away." replied Anton. "We'll have to keep a close watch on him. For now, why don't we see if he knows what's going on."
As they joined Connor and Claire in the living room, Connor stood up to shake hands with Curtis. "Thank you for coming." said Connor.
"You're welcome." replied Curtis. "Can you tell us anything about the situation?"
"I believe we're dealing with the spirit of a man named Thomas McGann." replied Connor.
"How can you be so sure?" asked Anton.
"Because I killed him not two feet from where you're standing." replied Connor matter-of-factly.
There was a moment of stunned silence while everyone looked at Connor. "I think you'd better tell us what happened." said Anton.
"I was on two days shore leave from the Navy and I had come home to spend the time with my fiancé." said Connor. "At 4am in the morning, we were awakened by a sound and went downstairs to investigate."
 

"Catherine?" asked Anton gently.
"She died." said Connor, subdued. "Shot through the heart."
"I'm so sorry Connor." said Anton.
Before Connor could reply, a sharp pain on his arm made him flinch. At the same moment Peter's voice came over everyone's headsets. "I'm getting a rise in electromagnetic activity."
"Connor, what happened?" asked Claire.
"I've just been scratched." said Connor in amazement.
"Here, let me see." said Claire. As she took Connor's arm she could see the livid scratch that extended across the back of his forearm. "What could have caused this?" she asked.
"Peter? What are you seeing?" asked Curtis.
"Whatever it was, it's gone now." said Peter.
"How are Connor's biostats?" asked Anton.
"Stress levels have gone up, but otherwise normal." replied Peter.
"Thanks Peter." said Anton. Turning to Claire he asked, "How bad is it?"
"It appears to be nothing more than a scratch but it has broken the skin." replied Claire, indicating a thin line of blood down Connor's arm.
"Connor, can you tell us anything?" asked Anton.
"It was just like being scratched by a cat." replied Connor.
"Looks like this entity may be making his presence felt." said Curtis. "I want round-the-clock surveillance until we figure this thing out."
"I'd like to stay with Connor." said Claire. "If this entity gets violent he may need my help quickly."
"All right, but be careful." said Curtis.
"If I may have a word?" asked Anton. At Curtis' nod they walked away from the other two.
"What is it?" asked Curtis quietly.
"I don't think it's a good idea for Connor to be on his own right now." replied Anton. "He's under a great deal of stress at the moment and the last thing he needs is to be left alone in the house where his fiancé was murdered."
"I agree." said Curtis. "You and Claire stay with him for now. I'll send someone to relieve you later on."
"Thanks Curtis." said Anton.
As he rejoined Connor and Claire he was just in time to hear Connor say, "Tonight will be the fifteenth anniversary of her death."
"What do you know about this McGann?" asked Anton, steering Connor away from the more painful memories.
"He was a burglar with a string of violent crimes behind him." replied Connor.
"I'm getting a rise in electromagnetic activity". said Peter over Claire and Anton's headsets.
"He killed his last victim when she disturbed him during a robbery." said Connor. "Just like he killed Catherine." He suddenly jerked his hand away from the chair arm where it had been resting. Across the back was another scratch.
"What happened?" asked Anton.
"I've been scratched again." replied Connor.
"You know, this reminds me of something." said Claire.
"Isn't there a case of a family where the husband is continually scratched by the spirit of a child?" asked Anton.
"I remember that." said Connor. "The television program Sightings are following the case. Somehow I doubt McGann will be content with just scratches."
"You could be in for a rough ride." said Claire. "How do you feel?"
Connor gave her a tight smile. "I'm fine." he said reassuringly. It couldn't have been further from the truth. The oppressive atmosphere was getting to him as was being in the house. Everywhere he looked he saw Catherine and it was all he could do to keep his grief at bay.
"Whatever happens, we'll be here with you." said Anton gently.
"Thank you." said Connor gratefully.

"Sir I think you should see this." said Alberto Roberts.
"What have you got?" asked Curtis.
"We've found something in the cellar." replied Roberts.
"Show me." said Curtis. He followed Roberts into the kitchen and down into the cellar.
"There sir." said Roberts pointing to the far corner. Lying on the floor were two bodies.
"Claire." said Curtis into his comlink. "I think you better come down to the cellar."
"I'll be there in a moment" Claire replied.
A few minutes later Claire appeared. "What have you got? she asked.
"Two bodies." replied Curtis. "I think they might be the former occupants of this house."
Claire went and knelt beside the bodies, a man and a woman. A quick examination revealed no obvious signs of death. "Well they haven't been dead for long." said Claire. "We'll know for definite after the autopsy. Do you want me to handle it?"
Curtis considered for a moment. "No. I think it would be better if you stayed here with Connor. I'll get someone else to do it."
"Try Sarah Knight." said Claire. "She's pretty good."
"I'll do that, thanks." said Curtis.

"How's it going?" asked Curtis, later that afternoon.
"The electromagnetic activity is still high but there's been nothing on the monitors." replied Peter.
"How's Connor doing?" asked Curtis, looking at the monitor which showed the living room. Connor was pacing up and down, his expression carefully neutral.
"Under a lot of stress." replied Peter. "When are we going to get him out?"
"Not yet." replied Curtis. "I want to monitor the situation for a while longer, to see what the entity does if anything."
"It could get dangerous." said Peter.
"I know, but Connor's one of us." said Curtis. "He knows the risks as well as we do."
Before Peter could reply, the instruments in the house started reacting. "We have a situation." he said, checking the readouts.
"Where?" demanded Curtis.
"First floor, second bedroom." said Peter. I'm getting environmental anomalies, irregular seismic activity and the temperature is dropping."
"Let's go!" said Curtis.
Both men made a dash for the house, Peter grabbing a scanner on the way.
"What's going on?" demanded Anton as they came through the front door. He, Claire and Connor were standing by the living room door, listening to the disturbances from upstairs.
"There's a lot of activity in one of the bedrooms." replied Curtis, as he followed Peter up the stairs.
"Stay here." said Anton to Connor and Claire as he too went upstairs. He found Peter and Curtis standing by a partially open bedroom door. There was an ominous silence from within. "What's happening?" he asked, his voice hushed.
"At the moment nothing much." said Peter. "The activity just suddenly stopped. The only thing that's going on right now is the temperature. It's below freezing in there."
"We heard the commotion from downstairs." said Anton. "It looks like McGann is flexing his muscles."
"I wonder what he's up to." said Curtis grimly.
"Intimidation, perhaps." said Anton. "That kind of activity can be very frightening for some people."
"At least that's one thing we won't have to worry about." said Curtis.
"I wouldn't be too sure." said Anton. "Connor's wound tighter than a spring right now."
"The scratches?" asked Curtis.
"They've been appearing all morning, but it's not just that." replied Anton. "It's this house. The atmosphere is oppressive, charged. It's enough to get on anyone's nerves."
"How are you and Claire holding out?" asked Curtis.
"We're fine." said Anton. "We've at least got something to occupy our minds."
"Try getting him to talk about old cases." said Curtis. "It might take his mind off what's going on."
"Will do." said Anton.
"Peter, what are you getting?" asked Curtis.
"The readings are jumping around all over the place." replied Peter. "I'd like to go in and take a look."
"All right, but the first sign of any activity and I want you out of there." said Curtis.
"You got it." said Peter. He carefully opened the door and entered the room, shivering at the sudden shock of cold air. He looked around, not quite believing his eyes. Everything was rimed in frost. "Curtis I think you'd better take a look at this." he said.
"What have you got?" asked Curtis, coming into the room. He stopped and stared at the ice covering everything. "I've seen cold rooms before, but nothing like this."
"McGann must be expending a great deal of energy to keep it this cold." said Anton from the doorway.
"The question is, why?" said Curtis. "If he can do all this up here, why not downstairs? Why content himself with just scratched?"
"Maybe he's building up to something." said Peter, blowing on his hands. "Maybe he's just taunting Connor, while at the same time demonstrating that he has the power to do so much more."
"Maybe he's just waiting." said Anton thoughtfully. "Tonight is the night Catherine was killed. Maybe he's waiting for the exact time of her death before doing anything."
"Sounds reasonable." said Curtis. "In the meantime, we've got to put up with this sort of thing." He indicated the room with a wave of his hand.
"I've got something." said Peter. Numb with cold, it had taken him a few minutes to realize what his instruments were telling him. "The temperature's rising, all other readings are returning to normal."
"Looks like McGann's run out of energy." said Anton.
"Unless he just got tired of the game." said Curtis. "We'd better get back downstairs in case he tries something down there."

"Wish I knew what was going on." said Connor in frustration.  "Now I know how Curtis felt when he was the subject of an investigation."
"There's not a lot going on." said Claire, who had been listening to reports over her headset. "All activity in the bedroom is returning to normal."
"I'm sorry." said Connor. "Guess I'm just frustrated with not being able to do anything."
"That's quite all right." said Claire. "In your position I'd be feeling the same."
"It gives you an appreciation for how experiencers must feel." said Connor with a tight smile.
"At least you have the advantage of understanding the nature of the phenomenon." said Curtis from the doorway.
"Curtis." said Connor. "What happened upstairs?"
"Seismic disturbances, environmental anomalies and some pretty amazing temperatures." replied Curtis. "We seem to be dealing with quite a powerful entity."
"Was there any activity down here while all that was going on upstairs?" asked Anton.
Connor shook his head, suddenly uncomfortable as everyone looked at him.
"Well that's something at least." said Anton. "I guess there's nothing more we can do for the moment until McGann tries something else."
"We'll be onto him as soon as he does." said Curtis with a look in Connor's direction. Connor gave him a brief smile of gratitude in return.

Curtis looked around the team as they gathered in the conference room of the mobile lab for a roundtable discussion.  "I'd like to review the case so far." he said. "Peter?"
"The electromagnetic activity has remained constant throughout." said Peter. "The only time it changes is when McGann does something. It's actually a pretty good indicator for when something's about to happen. The situation in the bedroom was pretty intense. Readings were all over the place so we got nothing definite." Peter paused. "If this is an example of what McGann can do, we could be looking at something pretty extreme."
"And potentially dangerous." said Anton. "I've been studying McGann's records and he was dangerously psychotic.  As well as killing people out of hand, he also tortured a number of his victims before subjecting them to a slow, agonizing death."
"He uses fear as a weapon too." said Claire. "The autopsy on the Smiths revealed no apparent cause of death. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that they appear to have died of fright."
"Recommendations?" asked Curtis.
"The situation is stable at the moment but it could degenerate very quickly." said Peter. "I say we get Connor out while we still can."
"Connor's highly stressed by the current situation." said Anton. "I'm not sure how well he'll cope if things get worse."
"Given McGann's tendency to us violence we could end up with a medical situation beyond our ability to cope." said Claire.
"I understand your concerns but we have an unprecedented opportunity for study." said Curtis. "We'll leave everything the way  it is for now. If the situation begins to look untenable, we'll pull out. Peter, I want you to look into all possible options for getting Connor out in a hurry should the situation warrant it."

Lindsey shivered. The atmosphere in the house made her skin crawl, she didn't know how Connor could remain so calm.
"You almost get used to it after a while." said Connor, seeming to read her thoughts. Too tense to remain sitting he was walking up and down the length of the room.
"I don't know how you manage it." said Lindsey. "It would get on my nerves after a while."
"Try not to think about it." said Connor. Abruptly changing the subject he asked, "Don't you have some holiday coming up? Thinking of going anywhere nice?"
"A friend and I are going to the Canaries." replied Lindsey. "We thought we'd get away from it all and soak up the sun on a beach."
"Beautiful area." said Connor. "It's been a long time since I was anywhere near a beach."
"You don't get away enough." said Lindsey." What you need is a tropical island somewhere with lots of sun, sea and plenty of people." She looked at him with a cheeky twinkle in her eyes.
Connor smiled, his tension easing for the first time in hours. "As long as there's a good reef to dive on." he said.
"Have you done much diving?" asked Lindsey.
 "I started out as a Navy diver." said Connor. "Used to dive on wrecks during my spare time." As he spoke, he began to feel a slight vibration from the floor. All around him objects began to rattle and shake as the vibrations grew in strength.
"What's going on?" asked Lindsey in alarm.
"Seismic episode." said Connor tersely, his tension mounting again.

"We've got activity!" called Dave Royal, one of the technicians in the main lab.
The team hurriedly left the conference room. "What's happening?" demanded Peter, as they gathered ion front of the monitors.
"Seismic activity, temperature fluctuations, the works." said Royal.
"We'd better get over there." said Curtis.

Connor ducked instinctively as glassware began exploding around the room. Aware of the danger of flying glass, he turned to Lindsey. "Get out of the room!"  he told her.
"What about you?" asked Lindsey.
"I'll be right behind you." said Connor. "Now get going!"
Lindsey started for the door but at that moment it slammed shut. Suddenly afraid, she leapt forward and grabbed the handle but the door was stuck fast.
Connor swore under his breath. "Stay by the door." he said, hoping she would be safe there.  A sudden wind sprang up out of nowhere and with it came a chill as the temperature plummeted. Ice began to form on the walls as the wind blasted around the room and before long both Connor and Lindsey were shivering violently with cold.

Peter and Curtis entered the house at a run and headed for the living room. Beneath their feet the floor was vibrating and they could hear crashes and bangs coming from behind the living room door. Peter tried to open it but it was shut tight.
"Lindsey! Connor!" he called, banging on the door.
"Peter! Get us out of here!" Lindsey called back from behind the door.
"We've got a problem!" said Royal urgently over the team's headsets. "The temperature's gone through the floor. They're going to freeze in there!"
"I'll get blankets." said Anton, heading for the stairs.
Peter and Curtis exchanged looks. "Come on!" said Curtis.
Together they put their shoulders into the door, trying to break it down.  After a few minutes it gave unexpectedly and they were hit by a blast of cold air as they fell into the room. Connor was kneeling by the door, holding Lindsey in his arms and trying to keep her warm. Both of them were blue with cold. Scrambling to his feet, Curtis picked Lindsey up and carried her from the room. Behind him, Peter hauled Connor to his feet and followed. Outside, Claire directed them to the dining room where Anton was waiting with blankets. "Peter." he said. "We could use some coffee. Not too hot."
"I'm on it." said Peter, depositing Connor in a chair.
"Lindsey?" Connor asked as Anton wrapped a blanket around him.
"Claire's taking care a look at her now." replied Anton. "What about you? Are you hurt at all?"
"I'm fine." said Connor, shaking uncontrollably. "Just cold."
"What happened?" asked Curtis.
"While we were talking there was a seismic disturbance." replied Connor. "I ordered Lindsey out when the glassware started exploding but the door slammed shut trapping us in the room. That's when the temperature dropped."
"Here. This should help." said Peter, handing Connor a mug of coffee.
"Thanks." said Connor gratefully.
"How are you feeling?" Peter asked gently, handing Lindsey the second mug.
"I think I know how a side of freeze-dried beef feels." said Lindsey with a brief smile. "That was definitely too cold."
"Lindsey will be fine." said Claire. They weren't in there long enough to have suffered any harm."
"This time." said Anton. "Next time we might not be so lucky."
"Point taken." said Curtis. "Peter, we need to get Connor out. I want you to start termination procedures immediately."
"Will do." said Peter. A sudden blast of wind slammed doors and rattled windows, making everyone jump. In the silence that followed, they all looked uneasily at each other. "I don't think McGann liked your suggestion." said Peter quietly.

For the rest of the afternoon and on into the night, the team tried various elimination technologies but nothing proved effective. "This is getting us nowhere." said Peter in frustration as he joined the others in the living room. Anton, Lindsey and Claire were sitting watching Connor and Curtis, who were both pacing the room. "McGann's too powerful. Nothing we do seems to work."
"So where does that leave us?" asked Curtis.
"We could try an exorcism." suggested Anton.
"Why not." said Peter. "We've tried everything else."
"There's a good priest at St. Mark's." said Connor quietly. "I've consulted with Father Williams quite often about these sort of things."
Anton looked sharply at Connor. Ever since the incident with Lindsey he'd withdrawn into himself and Anton was worried about his state of mind.
"I'll get him out here as soon as I can." said Curtis.  "You going to be okay Connor? You look tired."
"I'm okay." said Connor. " Just get me out of here."
"As soon as we can." said Curtis sympathetically.
"What happens if the priest fails?" asked Peter, hating to be the one to ask the question.
For a moment nobody spoke. They all looked at Connor who fidgeted uncomfortably under their gaze. At length he sighed and said, "If he fails, then we just have to wait and see what McGann plans to do."

Peter entered the kitchen in search of more coffee. Mug in hand, Connor leaned against a counter staring moodily into the distance. A muscle twitched along his jaw revealing his tension and his eyes were shadowed with fatigue. "You should get some rest." said Peter.
"I wish it was that easy." said Connor. "I can't get her out of my mind, Peter."
"Catherine?" asked Peter.
Connor nodded. "I keep expecting her to walk through the door at any moment, coffee in hand and full of the joys of life. It feels like no time at all since she stood in this kitchen telling me her plans for the house."
Peter leant on the counter next to Connor. "Must have been tough losing her like you did."
"It was." admitted Connor. "I couldn't bear to be anywhere near this house after that night. I sold it and everything in it and immersed myself in the Navy."
"Have you ever considered another relationship?" asked Peter.
"A few times." replied Connor. "But nobody touched me the way Catherine did. She was special, Peter."
 "I know." said Peter gently, gripping Connor's shoulder. "I know."

"Are you ready for this?" asked Curtis.
"As ready as I will ever be." said Father Steven Williams. He knew he had a hard task ahead of him, but was undaunted by the prospect.
"I'm bringing Father Williams in." said Curtis into his comlink.

On his way into the kitchen with Connor, Peter paused in the hallway as Curtis' message came over his headset.. Ahead of him, Connor entered the kitchen, unaware that Peter had stopped.
"We've got activity!" Royal's voice came excitedly over the team's headsets.
"Where?" demanded Peter.
"The kitchen." answered Royal.
Peter looked up at Connor who asked, "What's happening?"
"Get out of there!" yelled Peter.
The warning came too late. The door slammed shut separating them and the temperature in the kitchen immediately began to rise. Within minutes it was like an oven. Both men tried the door but the handle turned red-hot forcing them to let go.
"What's going on?" demanded Curtis.
"McGann has locked Connor in the kitchen!" said Peter urgently. "We can't get him out!"
"The temperature's rising rapidly." said Royal.
"Hang on! We're coming in!" said Curtis. He and Williams started to run for the door.
"The temperature's just jumped!" yelled Royal.
"Wait!" said Peter, thinking rapidly. "I think it's got something to do with Father Williams. His presence is causing McGann to attack Connor."

Inside the kitchen, the heat was so intense the sweat dried on Connor's skin almost before it was formed. He'd tried wetting a towel to wrap around his head but the taps were so hot he couldn't touch them. The searing heat made it difficult to breathe and it leeched all the energy from his body leaving him feeling leaden and weak. He slumped down near the door with his head on his knees to await his fate. Before long, he passed out.

"I've taken Father Williams back to the lab." said Curtis into his comlink. "Try the kitchen now, and hurry. Connor's not going to last much longer in there." He looked at the monitors and Connor lying unconscious by the door.

"Try this." said Anton, offering Peter a blanket that he'd retrieved from the dining room.
Wrapping the blanket around the door handle, Peter tried opening the door again. This time it opened easily. He took an involuntary step backwards as a wall of hit him. Shielding his face, he entered the kitchen and saw Connor lying near the door. Lifting Connor over his shoulder, he left the kitchen and went out into the hallway. "Where do you want him?" he asked Claire.
"Upstairs." replied Claire. "A bed will be the best place for him to rest."

Connor stirred restlessly, his sleep plagued by sinister dreams. He awoke with a start from a nightmare, breathing heavily and with his heart pounding. He stared around wildly for a moment not recognizing where he was. Then he saw Peter sitting close by.
"How are you feeling?" asked Peter.
"Better, thank you." replied Connor.  "What happened?"
"McGann attacked you when Curtis tried to bring Father Williams into the house."
"How long have I been out?" asked Connor.
"A few hours." replied Peter.
"What time is it?" asked Connor.
"After three in the morning." replied Peter. "It's almost time."
"I have to get downstairs." said Connor.
"No you don't." said Peter, moving to the bed and pushing Connor back down onto the covers. "Not until Claire says it's okay."
 "Peter." said Connor.
"No arguments." said Peter. Activating his comlink he said, "Claire it's Peter. Connor's awake."
"I'm on my way." replied Claire.
Connor lay back and relaxed, smiling faintly. "Guess I'll make a Case Manager out of you yet." he said.
Peter smiled back. "Maybe." he said.
A few minutes later Claire entered the room. "How are you feeling?" she asked Connor.
"Better." Connor replied as she quickly checked him over and removed the drip from his arm.
"I see no reason for you to stay up here." said Claire. "Just make sure you get plenty of fluids. That incident in the kitchen left you fairly dehydrated."
"I will." said Connor. He got to his feet and followed the other two downstairs, where he was greeted warmly by the other members of the team.
"You gave us quite a scare." said Anton. "We thought we were going to lose you."
"I was confident you would find a way to reach me." said Connor.
"Once Peter realized Father Williams was the cause of the attack we were able to resolve the situation." said Curtis.
"I'm just glad we did. If it had gotten any  hotter in there, we might have burned the house down." said Peter with a twinkle in his eye.
"Thanks Peter." said Connor dryly.
They all laughed, breaking the tension. "What else are friends for?" asked Peter.
"I hope you don't treat all your friends that way." said Lindsey.
"Only the ones I work for." said Peter with a cheeky grin.
"You better watch out Curtis. You're next." said Claire.
"Not if you value your job." said Curtis in mock seriousness. "Remember I can always have you re-assigned."
"Would I?" asked Peter innocently.
"Yes, you probably would." said Anton.
"Thanks Anton." said Peter.
"You're welcome." replied Anton.

Half an hour later, Royal's voice came over the team's headsets. "We have activity." he said.
"Where?" asked Peter.
"Your location." responded Royal.
"It's happening." said Peter to Connor.
They all looked uneasily around the room, uncertain what to expect. Connor, standing in the middle of the room, was the first to see it. "He's here." he said as a dark cloud formed a short distance in front of him. Then it coalesced into the form of a woman. "Catherine!" gasped Connor in shock.
The figure did indeed appear to Catherine but not as he remembered her. The woman before him was bedraggled, her hair matted, her face dirty and there was a huge bloodstain down the front of her blouse. Her hands were extended, her fingers hooked like claws and there was hatred in her eyes. Connor was badly shocked by the sight of her. "I don't understand." he said, his voice little more than a hoarse whisper.
"Look at what you've done to me!" Catherine said venomously. "You betrayed me!"
"No!" stammered Connor. "I could never betray you."
"Enough!" A blue cloud appeared to Connor's right and rapidly coalesced into a strikingly beautiful woman. He blue eyes flashing in anger she said, "It's time to stop this McGann!"
"Catherine?" Connor asked in surprise.
"Hello Connor." said Catherine. "It's been a long time."
"What's going on here?" asked a bewildered Peter.
"This is Catherine." said Connor, indicating the woman to his right. "The other one is McGann."
"Very clever." said McGann as he assumed his own form. "And how very touching. After I kill you the two of you can spend eternity together."
"I can't let you do that." said Catherine.
"You can't stop me." said McGann. He lifted his hand and clenched his fist, a triumphant smile on his face. Connor gasped and collapsed as a sudden, stabbing pain went through his chest.
"Connor!" yelled Lindsey. She tried to go to him but Peter grabbed her. "Let me go!"  she said.
"No Lindsey! There's nothing we can do." said Peter.
"But I can!" said Catherine. She stepped in front of Connor and raised her hands, palms outward. Connor immediately relaxed as the pain left him. "Get out of here, now! I can't hold him for long!"
Peter and Curtis grabbed Connor and dragged him to his feet.
"No!" shouted McGann. "You can't do this!"
"Hurry!" said Catherine.
Needing no further encouragement, Peter and Curtis hustled Connor and the rest of the team out of the house. As they ran up the garden there was a howl of rage and a deafening concussion that blew out the living room windows, showering them in broken glass. Room after room went the same way as McGann went berserk. Finally it was over and everything went quiet. Connor gazed sadly at the house thinking he had seen the last of Catherine when she appeared before him.
"Hey." she said with a gentle smile. "You didn't think I would go without saying goodbye."
"I wish you didn't have to go at all." said Connor, moving apart from the rest of the team. "I miss you Catherine."
"I know." said Catherine. "One day we will be together again. Until then, I will always be by your side, even if you can't see me."
"And McGann? Will he always be there too?" asked Connor.
"No Connor." said Catherine. McGann's power is centered around that house. Father Williams is strong enough to break that power."
"Will I see you again?" asked Connor?
"Maybe." said Catherine with a smile. "If you look hard enough."  With that, she was gone.
"Come on." said Peter, coming up to Connor and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go home."