The Lost Night (27 page)

Harry sat on one of the bench-wide branches of an Umbrella Tree, his legs
hanging over the edge some fifteen feet off the ground. He studied the faintly glowing psi-prints below. The three sets of tracks disappeared into a cave that was faintly illuminated with psi.

“They went inside a couple of hours ago,” Harry said. “The storm delayed them, just like it did us.”

“Without the complications of the storm, this place would have been about half a day’s hike from the perimeter fence,” Rachel said.

She was perched on the branch beside him, her booted feet dangling over the side. Darwina crouched between them with Amberella. The dust bunny was fully fluffed, but all four eyes were open. She seemed to sense that this was not a game. Nothing like having a scary sea monster try to steal
your doll to make you take the situation seriously, Harry thought.

He estimated that the massive canopy of the Umbrella Tree covered about two acres. The extensive network of wide branches—two and three feet across in many cases—was supported by sturdy pillars of aerial roots that had originally descended to the jungle floor in clusters. In time the root strands had grown together and taken hold in the ground, forming thick columns that sustained the tree and allowed it to spread farther.

Beneath the tree an entire ecosystem thrived—vast fairylands of mushrooms, veils of spectacular orchids, and miniature fern forests. All of it glowed with psi even though it was mid-morning. The dense ceiling of leaves overhead created a perpetual twilight that today was deepened by the cloud cover.

“It’s true this cave is only about half a day’s trek from the boundary,”Harry said, “but only for someone who knows exactly where he’s going—someone who can also navigate the Preserve. That’s not a common talent.”

“Obviously the people who kidnapped Calvin knew where they were going and were able to find their way,” Rachel said. “Which probably means they’ve got one or more of those crystal flutes.”

“They might also have someone like me with them, a hunter-talent who can track psi-prints.”

He meditated briefly on the entrance of the cave. “We know that at least three people went in there—Calvin and the two guys who grabbed him. But I can make out another set of prints, too. Figure a total of at least four inside.”

“But Calvin is a prisoner, so that means
there are only three bad guys.”

“Ever the optimist when it comes to human nature,” Harry said. “It’s touching.”

Rachel ignored him. “You’d think there would be more people involved in whatever is going on down there.”

“First, we don’t know what is going on down there. Second, bringing in a lot of staff would be a hell of a lot easier said than done, not to mention very high-risk.”

“What do you mean?”

“The job requirements for anyone working here are fairly strict. Among other things, you’d need people who can handle the heavy psi inside the Preserve. This place isn’t nearly as accessible as the catacombs or the rain forest. Just getting people through the fence is a huge issue. Once inside, most folks get extremely disoriented very quickly.”

“Unless they know how to use one of the flutes,” she reminded him.

“Maybe,” he conceded. “But navigation problems aside, there are other, pragmatic considerations.”

“Like what?”

“Feeding your crew comes to mind.”

“Feeding them?”

“Living off the land here in Rainshadow is doable but not very practical. A large group of people would need to spend the majority of their time hunting and foraging in order to survive. Realistically, if you wanted to station even a small crowd here, you’d have to find a way to bring in provisions.”

“Ah, got it. That wouldn’t work well over
time. Sooner or later someone in town would be bound to notice.”

“Rainshadow is a natural fortress with only one little harbor and a few small pocket beaches. Anyone who tried to purchase a serious quantity of supplies in town on a regular basis would draw attention. Same goes for trying to bring stuff in by boat.”

Rachel gave him a look that was equal parts amusement and admiration. “You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?”

“It’s what I do. I can think like the bad—”

She held up one hand. “Don’t say it. You don’t think like the bad guys, you think strategically. That’s different.”

He smiled. “If you say so. I’m going to take a look inside that cave while you wait here with Darwina.”

Rachel pondered that briefly and shook her head. “No, I need to go with you.”

“I’ll just do a quick recon,” he said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“You’re going to need me.”

She sounded very serious. Energy whispered in the atmosphere. When he raised his talent, he saw that her eyes were a little hot. He knew without being told that more of her memories were coming back.

“Why am I going to need you?” he asked.

“Because I’ve been inside that cave.” She did not take her eyes off the entrance. “Or one very much like it.”

“What do you remember?”

“The color of the ultralight that is
illuminating the entrance, among other things. The night I disappeared into the Preserve I woke up inside a cavern lit with that same kind of bronzy-gold energy. What’s more, I’m almost certain now that the creatures with the tentacles are inside that cave.”

“But they would be in water, not in a cave.”

“They’re in there, Harry. I don’t know how that’s possible, but they are inside that cave, I promise you.”

The charms on Rachel’s bracelet chimed softly.

“All right, I believe you,” he said. “But that’s not a good reason for taking you inside.”

“How about this reason? I may be the only one who can get you out.”

He contemplated the entrance of the cave. “You’re thinking about that frozen waterfall of rainstone, aren’t you?”

“It’s important.”

“You were running from someone when you went through the waterfall. Do you remember what he looked like?”

“No. I just remember Calvin waking me up and putting the flute in my hand.”

“Calvin had to wake you up?”

She touched one of the stones of her bracelet, seemingly unaware of the small action. He felt energy whisper in the atmosphere.

“Yes,” she said. “I’m sure of that much now. I need to go in there with you, Harry.”

*   *   *

There were no unpleasant surprises waiting inside the entrance of
the glowing cavern. No traps closed. No nets dropped. No guards appeared.

Harry glanced up, automatically checking for cameras even though he didn’t expect to see any. There were none. High-tech audio and visual monitoring devices were as useless in a heavy psi environment as most other hardware and software.

The radiance from the walls cast an eerie glow on the scene. But it was the colonnade of massive, glittering stalactites that hung from the ceiling and the wonderland of sparkling stalagmites rising from the floor that dazzled the senses. The crystal formations glowed like great jewels, creating a paranormal rainbow composed of ultra-light colors.

“This is incredible,” Rachel whispered.

“Do you remember this cave?” he asked.

“No,” she said.

Darwina was hunkered down on Rachel’s shoulder, partially sleeked out, all four eyes open. The little beast was not treating this venture as a game—she was ready to hunt.
Like me,
Harry thought.
We were both born for this. What the hell does Rachel see in either of us?
At least Darwina had the virtue of being totally cute when she was not in attack mode.

He studied the shadowy psi-prints on the floor of the cave.

“They came this way,” he said. He kept his voice low and put his mouth very close
to Rachel’s ear. “There are a lot of other prints but they’re too old and murky to make out clearly. I’d say people have been coming and going through here for quite a while.”

The whispering was probably unnecessary. The heavy energy in the vicinity had a dampening, distorting effect on sound waves, so voices could not carry far, but there was no point taking chances. A strong hunter-talent or someone with some version of an audio-clairvoyant sensitivity might be able to hear a pair of intruders.

They followed the three sets of tracks deeper, weaving a path through the glittering crystal formations. When they rounded one corner, the tunnel through which they were moving became abruptly regular in shape; the rocky surface of the floor, roof, and walls smoothed as if they had been bored by a huge machine, one that could function in a paranormal environment.

“Damn,” he said very softly. “This explains a few things.”

He heard Rachel’s sharp intake of breath and knew she had been hit with the same realization.

“This tunnel sure wasn’t constructed by humans,” she said. “Looks like you were right about the Preserve. The Aliens were here first.”

“But that still leaves the big question unanswered. What the hell were they guarding?”

“One thing at a time. First we find Calvin.”

He glanced at her. “I’m not the only one who knows how to set priorities.”

Her lips parted on a retort, but he raised one hand slightly to signal
silence. She closed her mouth very quickly. Then she went still, her eyes widening a little. He knew that she had felt the subtle shift in the atmosphere. The hair on the back of his neck stirred, and his intuition went to high-alert status. Even Darwina seemed to get the message. She sleeked out fully but she did not growl.

Harry urged Rachel to the side of the cave. She flattened herself against the luminous rock, making as small a target of herself as possible. Evidently sensing that the action was going to be with Harry, Darwina gave Amberella to Rachel and then bounded up onto his shoulder.

He felt the tiny claws of her two hind paws sink into the leather of his jacket. When this was over, he thought, the jacket was going to have a few more souvenir scratches.

He motioned Rachel to stay put. She nodded once to show she had received the message. She looked anxious, but he knew she was a lot more worried about him than she was about her own safety.

He rezzed a little energy into the medallion and caught the frequency that gave him control of the blade. The deadly, serrated edges appeared.

He glanced back once and knew from the stubbornly determined expression on Rachel’s face that she had caught some of the backwash of his talent. But she angled her chin, letting him know that she was okay.

Cloaked in darkness, he and Darwina were not truly invisible, but he knew that to the normal eye they would appear only as shadows. The question was whether one or more of the kidnappers possessed some form of para-normal vision. A strong
hunter-talent would be able to detect them. As a precaution he hugged the wall when he turned into the branching cave.

He found himself at the entrance to a crystal tunnel through a sea that glowed with paranormal energy. The psi-hot ocean surrounded the transparent tube in which he stood.

Monsters swam through the radiant water. Tentacles writhed, iridescent scales glistened, oddly shaped fins rippled lazily in the currents. And everywhere, cold, pitiless eyes stared at him through the transparent walls of the tunnel.

The creatures came in a myriad of varieties, many so bizarre-looking that it would have been easy to believe that they had been transported from another world.
And in a sense, they had,
he thought. That other world comprised the unknown depths of Harmony’s oceans.

This was the prehistoric sea of Rachel’s nightmares. In reality, it was a vast aquarium, one that could only have been bioengineered by the Aliens.

Two men entered the tube from the opposite end. Harry knew from the way they moved that they were both hunter-talents. He could also see that they were young, about the same age as Pritchard and McClain.

Darwina rumbled a low warning and tensed, ready to spring. Harry raised a hand and touched her, trying to convey a silent message not to blow their cover. She trembled and bared her teeth but she stayed on his shoulder.

The two hunters appeared oblivious to the sea monsters on the other side of the crystal tunnel. They were talking in low, urgent tones. There was a tension in
their manner that made it plain they were not happy campers. As they moved closer Harry caught snippets of the conversation.

“… He’s flat-out crazy, I tell you. This lab is too damn dangerous. The money’s good, but I’ve had it with this job. I want off this damned island.”

“Forget it. You saw what happened to Tom when he tried to leave. He ended up as fish food. The bastard killed him.”

“All the more reason for us to get out of here while we can.”

“How the hell do you think you’re going to do that? It’s not like he’ll let us get anywhere near one of the flutes. No way to make it out of the Preserve without one.”

“Then we hold a knife to the SOB’s throat and make him get us out of here.”

“You can’t get close to him as long as he’s got that Alien gadget.”

The pair drew closer to where Harry waited.

“Tom’s mistake was that he got caught trying to steal a flute,” the first man said. “He tried to go it alone. But if you and I work together—”

The man stopped in midsentence. He stared hard at the wall. “Do you see that?”

“What?”

“Something over there near the wall.”

The second man tensed and swung around, searching for the source of the threat. “I don’t see anything.”

“Shadows. There shouldn’t be any shadows there.”

Harry moved forward, pushing the shock
wave of his talent ahead.

“There’s something here,” the first man said. His voice rose in fear. “Can’t you feel it?”

“Shit,” the second man looked around. The heat of panic burned in the atmosphere around him. “What’s going on? Maybe one of the monsters got out of a tank in the lab room.”

“None of those weird things can live long out of water.”

“How do we know what they can do? You heard the doc. He says he hasn’t even begun to figure out the secrets in this lab.”

“There’s something here,” the first man screamed.

He whirled and started to run back toward the far end of the tunnel. Harry jacked up his talent and touched the kid on the back of his neck. His mouth opened on a silent cry of horror. He dropped, unconscious, to the floor.