| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted February 2, 2025 | Chapters: |
...26 27 -28- 29... 
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Eleanor's Visions
A chapter in the book Veil of Secrets
Veil of Secrets - Chap 28
by Begin Again
The storm had passed, but its fury lingered. Rain-soaked earth sagged and shifted, uncertain of its footing. Newly formed ribbons of rainwater snaked down the slopes, carving paths through the mud and washing away soil and roots. Water, relentless and searching, pushed into cracks and crevices, seeping into the unseen depths below.
Beneath the surface, the tunnels trembled.
Beneath the surface, the tunnels trembled.
A deep, ominous crack splintered through the underground passage, then collapsed.
Dirt and stone plummeted like a landslide, filling the air with choking dust. A deafening roar echoed through the tunnels as the earth gave way. Darkness swallowed everything.
Breathing was suddenly a struggle — from the dust and the sheer terror gripping every soul trapped inside.
A ragged cough broke the silence. Then another.
"Help—" A woman's voice, choked and weak.
"No, no, no —Jesus!" One of the captors, Paolo, clawed at the fallen debris, his fingernails scraping against cold stone, pushing and fighting to free himself.
"Shut up!" snarled Anders, his flashlight flickering in his unsteady grip. His breathing was sharp and erratic. He wasn't used to tight spaces, to tunnels. He was a New York man, a city man — his world was streets and alleys, not this goddamn graveyard beneath the earth.
A low, pained moan came from somewhere in the dust-clogged air. One of the women, Camila, coughed violently, her body half-buried under chunks of rock. Her ribs screamed with pain, but she didn't dare stop struggling. She had to get out. Had to.
"I'm trapped," she croaked, trying to move. A hand closed around her arm.
"I got you." The smallest among them, Maria, was trembling, but her fingers clawed at the dirt and rocks, pulling Camila free from the rubble.
Other women were coughing, moaning, struggling to stand. The men were in pure chaos. They weren't invincible down here. They weren't holding the power anymore. The walls were closing in.
"What the hell just happened?" One of them, Mickey, turned in circles, his breath heaving. A tear marred his expensive leather jacket, and dirt streaked his face. He looked more like a lost boy than a killer.
"The ground gave out, you dumbass!" Anders snapped, wiping blood from his forehead. His voice was strained, not so sure of itself anymore.
"The exit —" Paolo turned his flashlight toward where they'd come from, but it was gone. Not blocked. Gone. The walls had shifted, sealing them inside.
Something wet and warm slid down the back of Paolo's neck. He touched it and shuddered — blood. From where? His? Someone else's? It didn't matter. He was going to be buried alive down here.
Anders turned sharply to the women, pointing his finger at all of them. "You! Find a way out! Start digging! NOW!"
When no one moved fast enough, he kicked a woman in the ribs. She curled into herself, coughing, but Camila threw herself over her before he could kick her again.
"You're gonna die in here, same as us," she spat.
Ander's lip curled. "The hell I am."
Then, as if someone had opened a freezer, the temperature changed — not a slow shift — a snap. The sweat on their skin became ice cold. The already thin air seemed to thicken. A long, slow creak echoed through the tunnel.
Everyone screamed, expecting something to collapse again.
But everything remained as it was, and then each man and woman heard it. A low, bone-chilling laugh rolled through the darkness. It wasn't friendly or amusing. It was the laugh of a man who had long waited to take back the land, which he thought was his.
"You pathetic little worms," the voice sneered.
The flashlight beams jerked wildly, bouncing off the tunnel walls. Eyes were wide, some registering fear, as their lights landed on a figure.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dressed like something out of another time.
His voice, deep as thunder, filled the tunnel. "You dare disturb my land?"
The gangsters froze. Anders' hand went for his gun — a reflex. But when his fingers wrapped around it, his hand wouldn't move. Cold sweat dripped down his back.
Paolo tried to swallow, but his throat wouldn't work.
Anders, shaking off his unease, took a step forward. "Who the hell are you?"
The figure moved. One moment, he was near the wall. The next — he was standing right in front of the men. Not walking and not stepping, but moving.
The lantern flickered, casting shadows deep into the hollows of his eyes. "I am the one who has watched men like you soil my land for decades. The one who does not forget." His breath smelled like something rotting beneath the vines.
"You talk too much," Anders growled, trying to keep control. He raised his gun and fired. The shot rang through the tunnel. Dust fell from the ceiling. The bullet passed through the figure and slammed into the rock behind him.
The man didn't flinch.
Anders swore and stumbled back. "This ain't real," he hissed. "This ain't—"
Cornelius' face twisted with rage. "No, boy. This is VERY real." Cornelius' voice boomed. "You will not leave this place unpunished."
And that was the only warning they got before the walls shook again — another collapse threatening to bury them alive.
Anders and Paolo pressed their bodies against the piles of dirt and stone, neither able to understand what had just happened.
While the men were distracted and most of the women dug at the dirt, one woman who constantly repeated her rosary suddenly saw her prayers answered.
Light filtered through the smallest of holes above them — small, barely wide enough for a child or a petite four-foot-three woman.
Camila touched Maria's arm and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "There's a hole!"
Maria's heart pounded as her hands tightened on her rosary. She whispered, "Thank you, God."
Knowing every second counted, Camila whispered, "Go!"
"But you and the others —" More dirt rained down on them, and Maria choked on the dust.
"Do I look like I would fit through that small hole? You can —" Camila coughed. The other women were digging frantically in the spot where the tunnel entrance should have been. She nudged Maria. "Go. Get help before we all die."
Terrified, Maria glanced at the men, huddled together, arguing about what to do, and decided. She forced herself through the opening, gasping, kicking, pushing, and then — open air.
She tumbled out, sucking in deep gulps of oxygen, her body shaking violently. She was free, but she was lost.
And behind her, the tunnel roared with another collapse.
She whimpered, calling her new friend's name "Camila" before she scrambled through the soggy tall grasses.
*****
Garth sat at the kitchen table, staring into his coffee, the steam curling into the air in lazy tendrils. His body ached with exhaustion, but sleep had been a luxury he couldn't afford.
The house, a centuries-old mansion, was quiet except for the slow ticking of the clock and the occasional creak of the old floorboards settling.
Eleanor moved about the kitchen, her movements measured but tense. She placed a muffin on a small plate and set it in front of him. "Eat," she breathed. "You need your strength."
Garth's fingers tightened around the mug, his knuckles turning white. "You had another vision," he said, his voice hoarse with concern.
Eleanor hesitated.
His eyes lifted, filled with a glimmer of desperate hope. "Tell me it's about Rebecca."
The silence stretched. Eleanor couldn't lie to him. "Not Rebecca," she admitted gently.
The flicker of hope died in his eyes. He exhaled sharply, looking away, staring at nothing. His jaw clenched, his throat working around something unsaid.
Eleanor didn't push him. Instead, she nudged the plate closer. "Just eat," she repeated softly. "Please."
For a moment, it seemed like he might not. Then, finally, he picked up the muffin.
Eleanor watched him in silence.
Then — unexpected as usual — the world shifted. The kitchen blurred.
A woman was crawling, stumbling, and running. Her hands were raw and bloodied, clawing at the earth.
The sound of her sobs filled Eleanor's ears.
Eleanor's body tensed, her breath hitching as the vision slammed into her. She flinched violently, pressing a hand to her temple.
Garth noticed immediately. His hand shot out, gripping her wrist. "Eleanor?" His voice was sharp and urgent.
She gasped, fingers digging into the table's edge.
"What is it?" Garth demanded.
She could barely catch her breath. "I see — a woman," she whispered.
Garth leaned in. "Rebecca?"
Eleanor squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus. Shadows, movement, and terror distorted the image. "I can't see her face," she said through gritted teeth. "But she's running. Crawling. She's hysterical."
Garth tightened his grip on her wrist. "Where is she?"
Eleanor's fingers twitched. She let out a ragged breath. "I don't know."
Garth's shoulders tensed.
His grip loosened, then dropped away entirely. For a moment, he didn't move.
Then, they both heard a knock at the door. It opened, and Tango stepped inside without waiting. His eyes scanned the room, reading the tension instantly.
"Boss," he said, all business. "Where do you want the men to start?"
Garth exhaled hard, pushing himself out of his chair. "The vineyard," he said. "The cliffs. Everywhere. There's a woman out there running for her life."
Tango nodded sharply, already pulling out his radio. "Team One spread toward the cliffs. Team Two fan out along the vineyard. If anyone spots movement, call it in. No one moves alone." He turned back to Garth. "I'll lead a team myself."
Garth grabbed his coat, his movements sharper now, fueled by purpose.
Eleanor gasped and collapsed into the chair. Her body went rigid as another wave of sensation crashed over her. She sucked in a sharp breath, her fingers gripping Garth's arm. A cold shock rippled through her. Her eyes flew wide. And she saw it.
The collapsed tunnel. A gaping wound in the earth. A place where the ground had swallowed something whole. A tremor ran through her as she turned, her voice barely above a whisper. "Garth —"
He spun to her, startled by the raw fear in her eyes.
She lifted a shaking hand and pointed past the porch toward the property boundaries. Her voice trembled. "There are women trapped beneath the ground."
The two men stared at her, afraid of what else she would say.
Tango's radio crackled, but no one spoke. Garth's expression hardened.
Tango lifted his radio. "Change of plans," he barked. "Get men to the Webb Estate now. Bring digging equipment."
A sick feeling settled in Garth's gut. If Eleanor was right —there wasn't much time.
 Recognized |
Main Characters -
Spirits from the past -
Eleanor Bennett - ghost detective
Danni - jr. ghost detective working with Matthew Donatelli
Cornelius Webb - Miriam's nemesis and murderer
Miriam Cascio - Trevor's murdered bride, Rebecca's grandmother and protector of the Vineyard
Antonio Maggio - Rebecca's grandfather and Miriam's first love
Bayside's Community --
Jenna Bennett - Event planner, Eleanor's daughter, Maggie's mother, Donatelli's love
Matthew Donatelli - Bayside's lead detective and Maggie's father
Rebecca Cascio Stillwell - recently inherited the Vineyard after discovering her adoption
Garth Woodman - FBI Agent and widower (Allie) and potentially interested in Rebecca
Joseph DeLuca - Bayside detective
John Doyle - Ex-judge, nemesis to all, and escaped prisoner from Joliet State Prison.
Vince Rossi - mobster and Doyle's cellmate and escaped prisoner
Grayson Webb - grand nephew and recently inherited the Webb Estate
Althea Webb Cascio - mother to Travis and half-sister to Rebecca
Travis - missing boy
Amelia - girl in the caves
Phil Henderson - Bayside family lawyer
Criminals -
Zhang Wei - once involved in human trafficking with Doyle, seeks revenge for his career losses after Doyle's downfall from the Judge's bench.
Frank DiVito - retired gangster and childhood friend of Garth
Sam - Frankie's right-hand man and friend
Jack Lexington - Chicago kingpin
Tony "The Hawk" - Salvatore "Sal" and Vito Greco -- the New York mob
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Spirits from the past -
Eleanor Bennett - ghost detective
Danni - jr. ghost detective working with Matthew Donatelli
Cornelius Webb - Miriam's nemesis and murderer
Miriam Cascio - Trevor's murdered bride, Rebecca's grandmother and protector of the Vineyard
Antonio Maggio - Rebecca's grandfather and Miriam's first love
Bayside's Community --
Jenna Bennett - Event planner, Eleanor's daughter, Maggie's mother, Donatelli's love
Matthew Donatelli - Bayside's lead detective and Maggie's father
Rebecca Cascio Stillwell - recently inherited the Vineyard after discovering her adoption
Garth Woodman - FBI Agent and widower (Allie) and potentially interested in Rebecca
Joseph DeLuca - Bayside detective
John Doyle - Ex-judge, nemesis to all, and escaped prisoner from Joliet State Prison.
Vince Rossi - mobster and Doyle's cellmate and escaped prisoner
Grayson Webb - grand nephew and recently inherited the Webb Estate
Althea Webb Cascio - mother to Travis and half-sister to Rebecca
Travis - missing boy
Amelia - girl in the caves
Phil Henderson - Bayside family lawyer
Criminals -
Zhang Wei - once involved in human trafficking with Doyle, seeks revenge for his career losses after Doyle's downfall from the Judge's bench.
Frank DiVito - retired gangster and childhood friend of Garth
Sam - Frankie's right-hand man and friend
Jack Lexington - Chicago kingpin
Tony "The Hawk" - Salvatore "Sal" and Vito Greco -- the New York mob
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