Free Past Life by C S Winchester Page A

thinking?” Will asked.
    Frankie shook her head; this wasn't the place to talk. She knelt down, took off one of her gloves, closed her eyes then touched the grass, the ground and the stones around the animals.
    Will saw a number of expressions cross her face and none of them looked pleasant. When she opened her eyes she looked pale and slightly queasy. He noticed that she was careful to keep her back to the press who were waiting a little way down the hill.
    Finally she seemed satisfied and stood beside him. She still looked pale.
    “ You okay?”
    “ I'll be fine. Do you have a hat?” she asked.
    “ A hat?” Will looked incredulous.
    “ Yeah, they weren't interested in me on my way up but I don't want to be photographed on the way back.”
    “ Ma'am,” the constable who was waiting by the scene took a step towards them. “Here,” he handed her a black beanie.
    “ Thank you. I'll leave it with D.C.I. Campbell.” Frankie smiled and pulled the woollen hat on.
    “ I'll have to stay and speak to the press,” Will said. “Where do you want to meet up?”
    Usually Frankie would say her house, because from there she could access the station computer and any files related to the case but with her parents staying there, she knew that wasn't an option,
    “ I'll meet you at the station.”
    Will nodded and they headed down the hill. Frankie kept her head down and pushed through the crowd. The press focused on Will and he gave a brief statement before taking a few questions. 
     
    When Will got back to the station, he headed straight to his office expecting to find Frankie waiting for him but his office was empty. There was however, a message on his desk saying she was waiting in reception for him. He went down to collect her, wondering why she hadn't just flashed her M.I.5 identification.
    “ I didn't want you to face any awkward questions,” she explained.
    Will was touched by her consideration. When they got to his office he closed the door and sat behind the desk.
    “ What did you see?” he asked, getting straight down to business. If he had to accept this supernatural stuff, he was going to be as reasoned and rational about it as he could.
    “ Nothing nice. It's definitely a human man doing these things, they're sacrifices to his God, Hermes.” Frankie shuddered at the memory.
    “ Did you say Hermes? The Greek God of the underworld.”
    Frankie nodded. “I have no idea if gods are real or not, but I do know there are things in parallel dimensions or other realms, whatever you want to call them. Those creatures sometimes have huge amounts of power. Maybe they're gods or demons or the devil, I don't know, but they are real and some people figure out how to harness some of their power.”
    “ So this god or demon wants dogs sacrificed to it?”
    “ I have no idea,” Frankie shrugged. “These sorts of legends are usually full of untruths. There are a few reliable occult manuals, but mostly they're very closely guarded and any sensitive information is never reprinted. Most of these cults are based on Chinese Whispers, things get passed down from generation to generation, and each retelling adds another layer of exaggeration to the tale, but there's usually some basic truth there. Maybe this creature does want Fluffy sacrificed to it, or maybe it's just blood magic and the actual sacrifice isn't necessary.”
    “ So what happens to the blood he drains from these animals? SOCO said there was very little at the scene.”
    “ He drinks it,” Frankie explained, looking queasy. “He bleeds them into clay pots, adds some herbal mix and... drinks it.”
    “ Oh God!” Will turned a little green himself. “Why?”
    “ He's after eternal life.”
    “ Why doesn't he just become a vampire? Sounds like he'd be good at it,” he sounded bitter.
    “ Vampires only change people they like, Will, I doubt any of them would go near a creep like that with a ten foot barge pole.”
    Will rubbed his hands over his face as