I Am Chosen

Model 1920

Kacey had no idea whether or not it would work.

J.D. had taken the paper and left without saying much of anything. Typical. But if J.D. did come through; if he could get his hands on that rifle...

What Kacey had learned was that a little-known legend existed regarding Sarah Winchester. She was the old gal who built the famous Winchester House throughout the late 1800s into the early 20s; the giant house with the stairways that led to ceilings and doors on upper floors that opened onto thin air. She had built the crazy domicile to fool the ghosts that haunted her; phantoms of those who had been shot with Winchester rifles, rifles made by her late husband. That much of the history was well known. What wasn't well known was what Kacey had uncovered at the library, a story that had been published in a single paper and for whatever reason had never really caught or held the public's attention...

Supposedly, toward the end of her life Sarah became convinced that the spirits would take corporeal form and seek vengeance by ripping her to shreds. The legends had it that Sarah held a séance, wherein she contacted the ghost of her dead husband and received from him the specifications for a singular rifle... one capable of killing even the most powerful of hell-spawned demons.

That was the Winchester Model 1920; only one of them ever made... the same gun that the Westco board of directors had supposedly tracked down and supplied to Booker Finn; the very same weapon allegedly used to kill the coal miner inmates of Pleasant Hills Asylum in 1930.

How much of that could be true? Kacey didn't know, but her view of what was believable or unbelievable had changed substantially in recent days. She pulled up in front of Hollis's house in her civilian vehicle, a beat-up Dodge Daytona. Hollis had taken her by her apartment before sunrise so Kacey could shower and pick up her car. He had walked her to her door and waited outside, then walked her to her car when she left to meet J.D.

For a crotchety old goat turd, Hollis was turning out to be an okay guy.

Kacey got out and knocked on the front door. Hollis answered in sweatpants and a T shirt, having apparently decided to go back to sleep once he got home.

A minute later the two of them were seated across from each other at Hollis's dining room table, coffee mugs in front of them. Kacey filled Hollis in on her conversation with J.D.

"Let's say he does get you the gun," Hollis said. "How do we find Crowe?"

"I was thinking about that," Kacey answered, leaning forward. "Now that the law is on to him, I don't think Crowe will use... "chosen" anymore. I think he'll go after the descendants himself."

Hollis set his mug down and rubbed his forehead. "We have no idea who he might target next. There's gotta be twenty people left on that list..."

Kacey's eyes twinkled as she spoke faster. "Yeah, but, once Crowe had done his... first sweep of Westco descendants, who did he try to knock off next? Brad Graham, brother to the first victim, Percy."

"You think he's being systematic?"

"Maybe," Kacey said.

Hollis's eyes flicked to the corner of the room as he thought. "Nicole Richards was the second victim," he said. Kacey nodded and said "Unmarried, no siblings, and of her parents, only her father's left alive."

Hollis took a sip of coffee. Then: "So you think we should stake out Nicole's dad."

"I think you should," Kacey said. "On the Graham side, Brad was also the only descendant left. Neither he nor Percy were married or had kids, and their parents are gone. But I think if Crowe is truly being systematic, or just plain stubborn, he might try to finish what he started with Brad."

"You're going to watch the hospital," Hollis responded.

"I watch Brad at the hospital, you watch Papa Richards. We stay in constant contact."

"And what if Crowe shows up but your brother hasn't gotten you the gun? What if you do get the gun and it doesn't work?"

"Then... we'll have to improvise," Kacey said, aware of how lame that sounded.

Hollis took a deep breath and blew it out. "This is a terrible plan," he said.

And he was right. It was a terrible plan. But it was the only plan they had. And until they came up with a better one, Kacey would just have to cross her fingers and pray to all her lucky stars that her brother would come through in finding that gun.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had a chance to tour the Winchester House a while back. Absolutely amazing! And what an incredible history it has. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you all in one week!