"That's baloney," Maria said.
"I can assure you we have legitimate reasons for keeping it confidential. We're protecting the forest."
''How are you protecting the forest?'' Maria asked. ''And where are my clothes?"
''Being cleaned. What's left of them. I'm afraid they were badly torn in your fall out of the tree."
Dan realized now that he was completely nude under a wooly blanket. Judging from the bra straps on her shoulders, he surmised Maria still wore her underwear.
"I didn't just fall out of the tree. Something hit me in the chest."
"Really, I can't imagine what. Are you sure you are remembering things correctly? You were sort of knocked silly."
"I'm positive."
"Strange. At any rate we'll return your clothes just as soon as they are clean. Then the police will come and get you."
"The police?"
"We're making a citizen's arrest. You were clearly trespassing."
"Oh, come on," she said. "We weren't hurting anything."
''That really isn't the point, is it? We're entitled to privacy for our work. The nature of our project requires that we keep it completely confidential for the good of this ecosystem."
"You're on Metco or Amada land or both. Since when are they concerned about trees? They're in the business of cutting them down and making lumber."
"They're also in the business of growing them back. But I'm not going to bicker. Nothing improper is going on here. Quite the contrary."
"Well then, you shouldn't mind telling us what you're doing."
"Why were you carrying a radio receiver? What drove you deep into a private forest past barriers and numerous NO TRESPASSING signs?"
Maria glanced at Dan. He took a deep breath. "Look, is this going to be a trade? Our secrets for yours? Or is this a one-way street?"
"You were on our land. You were breaking the law. It's already a one-way street. You made it that way. So what were you doing here?"
"OK. We were picking mushrooms and this is a bad dream."
"A friend of Dan's is a biologist for Otran Enterprises," Maria interjected. "It's another timber company."
"We know who they are."
"Well, they're doing a study on land over the mountain there. We must've gotten a wrong radio signal, yours instead of theirs. Of course when we came out into this forest and found the barriers and all the signs, we couldn't imagine what anybody would be doing here."
"So you just kept coming even though you knew you were breaking the law."
"More or less, although we didn't consider that we were doing anything terribly wrong," Maria continued. "Like I said, he's an attorney for Otran Enterprises and was concerned that maybe you had something going on in your forest you didn't know about. Maybe a pot-growing operation or something. I mean, you do work for Amada or Metco. True?"
"And you are?" He ignored her question.
"She's my girlfriend," Dan said. "And she's an attorney as well."
"Also for Otran Enterprises?"
"She does a different kind of work-"
"Yes," Maria interrupted, and cut a look at Dan. "And I'd like my clothes immediately."
"We'll check on it. Your last name is Fischer?"
"Yes."
"And you are Dan Young?"
"You've been checking our wallets." Dan eyed their billfolds lying on a nearby table.
"Had to. We didn't know if you'd regain consciousness. We'll bring you your clothes when they're washed and dried. Please don't leave this room. The door will be locked and we ask that you not try to climb out the windows. The dogs will be right outside." The man started to leave, then turned back as if he'd forgotten something important. "And we're going to leave the lady with her blanket, but once we're outside, we'll ask you to pass yours around the door-we really don't want you leaving."
After they had left the room, one of the muscled arms snaked around the door, the hand beckoning.
"I'm keeping the blanket," Dan said as he rose.
The arm flung the door open, and the two big men walked purposefully over to Dan.
"Pass your blanket or we'll take it," one of the burly bodyguards ordered.
"Maybe you should give it to him," Maria said.
Looking at the dark-haired man, Dan guessed his weight at about 230 pounds. Of the two muscle guys, he appeared the leader. The second, who now stood beside him, was at least as big and a lot meaner-looking. With boots Dan gave himself a fair shot at taking them both. Without, he would probably lose. Giving in didn't occur to him. Making sure his eyes never wavered and his shoulder never dropped to betray his intention, he kicked straight at the lead man's testicles.
The man reacted too late. Doubling over, he groaned, and after a good breath, screamed. With his blanket wrapped around him, Dan moved in quickly with a very square upper-cut to the face. The guy went down deadweight. Now the odds were considerably improved. Instinctively he knew the legal situation might be manipulated if he did it right.
The remaining man assumed a fighting stance.
''Wait." The commanding voice of the white-haired man rang out. "Leave him alone." Then addressing Dan, he warned: "But I'm telling you, if either one of you tries to escape, we will use the force necessary to stop you."
"We aren't going anywhere," Dan said. "We're waiting for the police. In fact, we welcome the police."
Groaning, the man on the ground rolled over, staggering to his feet. With their disappointment clearly showing, the two men withdrew with their boss-the injured man still hunched over.
"That wasn't very bright," Maria said. She smiled a little. "So now that you've done your Tarzan act, what's next?"
"We look around," he whispered, pointing at the door. He had wrapped the blanket around himself as one would wrap a towel, but left a considerable amount of fabric on the floor. She turned away, wrapping her own blanket high on her body, tucked just under her arms.
"You take the drawers; I'll take the cabinets," she said.
"There's nothing interesting in here or they wouldn't have left us alone. It's a storage area for research equipment and supplies."
"So what, then?"
"So we're going through there."
Dan pointed at a vent grate.
"You'll never fit." Her tone betrayed a hopelessness.
"I can try. You'd clearly make it."
"Oh yeah. Right."
Dan began rummaging through the cupboards and drawers. ''We need a screwdriver.'' He found nothing resembling the necessary tool. He did find a spackling knife of the sort Sheetrockers use and immediately stood on his bed, loosening the screws. It was remarkably easy.
With the grating removed, he considered how he would get up into the duct. By putting a chair on the bed, he was able to stick his head in the metal passageway. The metal appeared thin and it was supported by little more than flimsy brackets and the Sheetrock. Even if he could fit, he would fall through the ceiling.
"You might have better luck over here," Maria said.
She had opened a big walk-in closet and had pulled aside a rack of brand-new lab coats. Behind the coats was a wall with an old pass-through door, probably used to access papers or supplies.
"Unless you like falling through the ceiling."
He got down quickly. It looked much more promising.
Taking the putty knife, they pried the drab green door. The flimsy metal bent.
"I'm sure this is a modular unit just set here. The pass-through was probably for another place and another time. I think it's painted shut. We need something stronger to pry with," he said.
Maria began rummaging in the drawers. Dan did the same. He found a first-aid kit with a pair of heavy scissors inside.
"These might do," he said, thrusting them under the sliding door. At first it moved a half inch, enabling him to get his fingers underneath. He needed leverage, so he jumped up on the sill in front of the pass-through, losing his blanket in the process. Maria retained a solemn expression, keeping her eyes fixed on her fingers that were now also thrust under the stubborn door.