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A massive fifteen-foot-tall door rose up at the end of the corridor. A lone guard stood off to one side. It was clear Lind and the others had come to see whatever was behind the door.

Pelser approached the biometric keypad, entered a code, then put her eye against the screen. After the scan was complete, there was a loud beep and click.

As they entered, Lind read the sign next to the door: DH10. DH10. It was an identifier of some kind, but what did the letters and digits stand for? He wasn’t sure, but he committed the characters to memory.

The darkened room beyond was small and round. The floor was concrete, and the walls were natural rock. On the far side of the space was a long rectangular window with tinted glass. The whole chamber seemed like an observation platform.

“Come,” Brehmer said as he led Lind over to the window.

Lind stepped up to the glass and noted the space beyond was dark.

“It will take your eyes time to adjust,” Pelser said.

A half minute later, forms and shapes began to emerge. As Lind watched, he realized they were looking down into some cavernous containment area.

“Look to the left,” Pelser said.

Lind followed her gaze. Even though his eyes had adjusted, he still found it difficult to pick up much detail. A few seconds later, he saw something large moving in their direction. Even though the glass was thick and tinted, the thing — whatever it was — seemed to have recognized they were there.

“Add some light,” Brehmer said.

Removing a small tablet, Pelser typed a series of instructions. A moment later, soft red light came on inside the containment chamber. It wasn’t much. Just enough to bring about a little more detail.

Brehmer looked at Lind. “That’s the most light we can allow. Any more, and we’ll have a problem on our hands.”

As the dark figure continued in their direction, Lind leaned closer to the window for a better look

“Dr. Lind, this is the pinnacle of our work,” Brehmer said. “This is DH10.”

The figure now stood below them, about twenty feet away. Even though it was still difficult to see, Lind could make out a few more details. A chill ran down his spine as he realized what he was looking at.

After watching for a few more seconds, he turned toward Brehmer. “You monster, what have you done?”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Terre-de-Haut

ZANE WATSON ENTERED the living room shortly after ten the next morning. Still groggy, he yawned as he ran a hand through his long brown hair. It had been a long night, and the morning had come much too quickly.

Amanda Higgs was standing in the kitchen. Now a full-time operative, she had joined the Delphi Group through a unique set of circumstances. A couple of years prior, Delphi had launched an investigation into the death of Ian Higgs, Amanda’s father. At the beginning of the investigation, Zane interviewed Amanda in London. She had received a letter from her father just prior to his death, a letter that contained clues regarding his killer. After the London meeting, Amanda began an investigation of her own, and she started by visiting her father’s former apartment in Vienna, Austria. In a strange twist, she stumbled into Zane and Carmen, who were there for the same purpose. After helping the two operatives find a clue her father had left behind, Amanda asked to join the official investigation. Zane was initially reluctant to bring her on board, but he eventually saw the value in having her help. After all, she knew Ian Higgs better than anyone else.

During the investigation, both Zane and Carmen gained a great appreciation for Amanda’s mental faculties. Smart and tough, she had a dogged desire to pursue the truth. In short, she had all the traits necessary for helping an organization like Delphi. And her prior experience as an archaeologist only enhanced her qualifications.

In a move surprising to no one, Dr. Alexander Ross invited Amanda to join the Delphi Group full-time. She accepted but only after Ross agreed to let her remain on staff at the University of Texas. The faculty position would allow her to teach the occasional summer class as well as lead digs in the Middle East.

Amanda turned at the sound of Zane’s yawn. “Up already? I’m impressed.”

“Believe me, I’m not up because I want to be here,” Zane said. “To be honest, my body could use a few more hours.”

“You could have slept in. Remember I was going to wake everyone up at eleven.”

Zane walked over to the kitchen island and set his elbows on the granite countertop. “I appreciate it, but with Carmen still missing, I just can’t seem to sleep very long.”

“Believe me, I understand.” Amanda opened a cabinet. “I think I’ve averaged about four or five hours since she went missing.”

“On top of everything else, I’m starting to question my decision last night.”

“Which one?”

“The decision not to go in immediately.”

“You did the right thing,” Amanda said. “This isn’t someone tied up in a house. From what you told us, there are multiple levels of security. Rushing in without a plan might have put her in even more danger.”

“That’s what I keep telling myself.” Zane looked at the living room. “Where’s Brett? I thought I heard his voice in here a few minutes ago.”

“He said he was going out for a jog. I think he wants to make sure we don’t have any unwanted visitors lurking around the neighborhood.”

Zane nodded.

Amanda opened the fridge and held up a carton of eggs. “How about some breakfast?”

“That would be wonderful, but I can make it myself.”

“Stay right where you are. You guys did all the dirty work last night.” After setting the eggs on the counter, she removed a stick of butter, a package of precooked bacon, and a loaf of bread.

Zane frowned. “No pancakes?”

“Keep talking and I might change my mind.”

“I guess I’ll shut up.” Zane walked over to the coffee maker. “Never insult someone who’s offering to cook food.”

Amanda cracked an egg then looked at him. “I can’t stop thinking about what James told us last night. That’s one of the most bizarre stories I’ve ever heard. Any idea who or what he saw out there?”

After the team returned to the house in the wee hours of the morning, they had given Amanda and Brett an update on all that had transpired on the island. During the debrief, Pratt recounted the story of the strange humanoid beings he saw.

Zane poured himself a cup of coffee. “My opinion is still the same as it was last night.” He added a dash of cream then took his first sip. “Despite the temptation to call them something else, all of the evidence indicates they were people just like you and me.”

“He said they sniffed his urine and growled like dogs.”

Zane shrugged. “What else could they be? When I’m tracking someone, I often follow their scent.”

“Maybe they’re some species of ape.”

“Brett and I already looked into that. There are no large primates in the Caribbean. As best we could tell, there aren’t any primates at all.”

“They could be escapees.” Amanda used a fork to scramble the eggs. “Even Florida has a few established communities of nonindigenous monkeys.”

Zane slid onto a stool and scooted up against the island. “I think we both know James didn’t see monkeys last night.”

“I’m just saying that whatever was out there isn’t necessarily native to the area. To me, the behavior was too bizarre to be a human being.” She paused for a moment. “You’re right. Some humans do track by scent. But how many times have you ever heard someone growl?”

Zane had to admit the behavior was bizarre, but he thought there was a practical explanation. “It was strange, but I think he probably heard them grunting something to one another, and it sounded like a growl.”