The Portal (A Delphi Group Thriller Book 2) (32 page)

“Sounds pretty mundane.” He pointed toward the canopy. “What about these?”

“That’s what’s so exciting. We know these aren’t the result of flash photography, nor are there any power transformers nearby.”

“So where do they come from?”

She gave Zane a little smile. “Think about it. Wouldn’t an alien craft be the ultimate energy source?”

“So you think they’re simply bundles of energy from—”

Zane was cut off after almost running into Bennett. The soldier raised a hand in the air then pointed to something ahead. Zane saw that the trail was about to cross another clearing, this one smaller than the last.

The soldier quickly raised his binoculars. After studying the scene for a couple of minutes, he whispered, “I’m going to assume the trail resumes on the other side of the clearing. That means we can either cross it in the open, which will leave us exposed for a couple of minutes, or we can try to skirt it through the jungle.”

“Leaving the trail to circle the clearing doesn’t seem like a good idea,” Zane whispered, stroking his beard. “No telling what we’ll have to hack our way through. That might draw more attention than a brief scamper out in the open. Let’s set up at the upper edge of the clearing first. If everything looks clear, we’ll go straight across.”

Bennett nodded, and the three continued down the trail, this time more slowly. Once at the bottom, they crept into a row of ferns at the edge of the clearing. The site not only provided concealment, but it also gave them a panoramic view of the area.

After settling down into the plants, Zane reached to his left around Katiya and tapped Bennett. “Check the left for heat signatures,” he whispered. “I’ll clear the right.”

Zane eased forward a bit, regretfully leaving Katiya’s warmth. Pulling aside a large frond, he brought the binoculars up to his night vision visor, which was now pulled down over his eyes. Hundreds of orbs sprang into view, their translucent skin shimmering as they floated across the clearing.
Like phantoms dancing across a ballroom floor
, he thought.

As he continued to watch, he noticed that not all of the orbs were white. A few were pink, and several others even appeared to be a strange shade of chartreuse.

“Had no idea there were girlie orbs,” Zane whispered. “Looks like there are colors for every taste.”

Katiya gave a little chuckle. “Some think the colors are significant.”

“How so?”

“Whites are the most common, so they’re believed to possess the smallest amount of energy. The colored ones are—”

“Hold on,” Bennett said. “Twelve o’clock, coming up the slope.”

Zane slowly moved his binoculars back into place and immediately picked up a flash of orange just below the clearing. He tried to focus on it, but it disappeared behind a tree.

“What is it?” Zane whispered.

“I only had it for a few seconds,” Bennett said. “It was too large to be a monkey.”

“Where is it?” Katiya’s voice was barely audible. “I can’t see anything.”

“It’s behind a tree,” Zane replied. “Bennett?”

“Negative. I can’t see a thing.”

Seconds later, Zane saw a hint of orange on one side of the tree. The figure paused there briefly then stepped out into the open.

Zane’s pulse quickened when he realized what he was looking at.

“What is it?” Katiya asked.

“It’s a person,” Zane whispered.

“More specifically, a female,” Bennett added.

“Indigenous?” Katiya asked.

“Negative,” Bennett answered. “Doesn’t appear to be.”

Zane squinted. Bennett was right. It seemed to be a young Caucasian female, slight of frame, with long, straight hair. She stopped periodically and glanced behind her, as though afraid that someone or something might be following her.

“I see her now,” Katiya said. “She’s coming right toward us.”

“And she’s picking up speed,” Bennett whispered. “I’d estimate she’ll be here in less than thirty seconds.”

Zane got Bennett’s attention and raised a finger to his lips.

The girl was only about twenty yards away now, and he projected that if she stayed on course, she would enter the woods just to his right. That presented a dilemma, particularly if she was being followed. If he let her pass, there was a risk she’d see them and cry out. If he attempted to subdue her, he risked putting all three of them in harm’s way if she was armed.

Zane rose slowly to one knee. He had to bring the girl down. They were well concealed, but she would only be a few feet away. That meant there was a very high likelihood that she’d see them. And if she were armed, she might be able to inflict some damage if she acted first.

Zane gave Bennett a signal that he was going to act. The soldier nodded then drew a pistol, indicating he’d provide cover.

Soon the girl was so close that Zane could hear her breathing. It was heavy and erratic, suggesting she was both frightened and fatigued. Where was she going? And who did she think was behind her?

Finally, she reached the top of the clearing and paused a few feet to Zane’s right, her head turning slightly in his direction. Could she see him?

Zane couldn’t risk waiting any longer. He launched out of the ferns like a leopard pouncing on prey. He hit her with the full force of his weight, carrying them both out into the clearing. Despite tumbling several times, he managed to wrap a hand over her mouth, stifling the scream that he knew was coming.

As they came to a stop, Zane rolled on top, pinning the girl to the ground. She screamed again, but it died against the palm of his hand.

Realizing she might be armed, he pinned one of her wrists with a knee and the other with his free hand. She squirmed and thrashed but soon realized it was in vain.

“Easy, easy,” he said.

The sound of his voice seemed to calm her.

“Do you speak English?” Zane asked.

She stared at him for a while then nodded slowly.

Bennett appeared at Zane’s side. As he knelt down, the girl’s eyes widened at the sight of the gun.

Zane waved him off. “Someone may have been following her. Make sure we don’t get ambushed.”

“Roger that.” Bennett stood and set up a short distance down the hill.

Katiya appeared, kneeling next to Zane. The girl looked at her then back at Zane. She was calmer now, but there was still fear in her eyes.

“If I take my hand off of your mouth, are you going to scream?” he asked.

She shook her head immediately. It was a good sign.

“I can be a nice guy, but I may not be so nice if you scream. Is that understood?”

She nodded, so Zane slowly removed his hand. The girl opened her mouth, but only to gulp in breath. After a few seconds, she said, “Please don’t hurt me.”

Katiya leaned closer. “We’re not going to hurt you, honey.”

The girl coughed a few times.

“What is your name?” Katiya asked.

The girl paused for a moment, as though unsure whether she should answer or not. “Rebecca,” she finally whispered.

Zane studied her face. It was hard to read her expression in the dim light of the moon, but she seemed to be telling the truth. “What are you doing up here, Rebecca?”

Her eyes began to moisten, and seconds later she burst into tears. “Please don’t take me back. Please—”

“We’re not going to take you back.” Katiya reassured her by rubbing her arm. “We don’t even know who you are or where you came from.”

Rebecca cried a bit longer. Zane couldn’t tell if she was still afraid or if she was shedding tears of relief.

A moment later, she stopped, wiped her eyes, and looked up at him. “I told you who I was. Now who are
you
?”

“I’m Zane, and this is Katiya.” Zane eased off of her. As he pulled away, he could see that she was dressed in a long white robe, covered with black and green stains.
Strange garb for a girl lost in the jungle,
he thought.

Rebecca sat up, flexing her hands to get back her circulation. She took several deep breaths, as though trying to calm herself.

Katiya laid a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “How do you feel?

Suddenly Rebecca’s breathing grew labored, then she reached out and grabbed both of Katiya’s arms. “Please, I beg you… please don’t take me back to them.”

Katiya found the girl’s hands and held them. “Honey, take you back to who? Who are you talking about?”

The girl’s eyes moistened again, and she visibly trembled. Her mouth opened, but it was several seconds before the words spilled out. “The ones from the craft… the grays.”

“LET US KNOW when you’re ready to talk,” Katiya said as she rubbed the girl’s leg.

It had taken them twenty minutes to climb back to the ridge. Amanda gave Rebecca a pair of jeans and a T-shirt since they were approximately the same size. They had already been worn but were a welcome improvement over the loose-fitting robe she’d had on before.

Zane could see the girl better now. Her sallow features and gaunt appearance left no doubt that most or all she’d told them was true.

Rebecca took another long swig from the canteen, her throat rippling as though she hadn’t had water in weeks. After finishing, she wiped her mouth with a sleeve and said, “I believe they came to get me two nights ago. It’s the third time for me.”

Zane saw Katiya and Max exchange a knowing glance.

“Where do you live?” Amanda asked.

Rebecca turned and looked at her for a moment, as though the answer were hard to remember. “Prescott… Prescott, Arizona.”

Katiya nodded as though she had somehow expected the answer. At least, it didn’t surprise her.

Rebecca took another swig from the canteen then said, “They first came late last year. I’d been having trouble sleeping… which isn’t like me. Normally I sleep like a rock. My roommate often stays up late working, and I never hear her. Ever.”

Katiya’s brow knit together. “So your roommate was or was not in the house on the night you were taken?”

“No, she wasn’t. They seem to know when I’m going to be alone.” Rebecca stared at the ground for a moment, lost in her thoughts. “Anyway, I tossed and turned that night, and finally—I think it was well after midnight—I began to drift off. Only it wasn’t the way I normally go to sleep.”

“How so?” Katiya asked with a frown.

“It was strange, almost like I’d been drugged.”

Katiya looked at Max and mouthed something that looked like
telepathy
.

“So you went to sleep?” Brett asked.

“Not completely. Right as I was about to, I knew that someone or something was in the room. And then, when I opened my eyes, I saw him… or it… just standing there, watching me with those eyes.” She visibly trembled, so Katiya reached over and rubbed her leg again. The small gesture seemed to comfort her. “I know you’re going to think I’m crazy, but this person, this creature… it looked almost like the ones in the movies. It had a bulbous head”—she held her hands about a foot apart—“and these large, black eyes like bottomless pits.”

“What did their bodies look like?” Katiya asked.

“Thin, but you get the impression they’re not weak.”

“And did they pull you out by force?”

Rebecca shook her head. “No. I couldn’t move, so they didn’t have to force me to do anything. I tried to scream, but I couldn’t even open my mouth.”

“Highly advanced telepathic powers,” Katiya whispered.

“So how did they get you out?” Amanda asked.

“I just floated. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true. They had the window open, and about the time I passed through it, I just blacked out.” Rebecca’s eyes moistened at the memory.

“I know this is difficult, but do you remember anything after that?” Katiya asked.

“A little, but not much. There were times I came to, and when I did, I would soon feel a pinch on my arm, and then I’d pass out again.”

Katiya nodded. “It sounds like they were administering something to keep you under.”

Rebecca pulled her knees up against her chest and stared out into the jungle. As she rested, Zane wondered how much of what she’d said was true. She seemed like an honest girl, and he doubted she’d purposefully lie, but it was also obvious she’d been heavily sedated. No telling how many drugs were coursing through her veins.

But why else would she be out in the middle of the jungle? The only thing that seemed remotely possible was the sex trade. Maybe she’d been kidnapped at one of the local resorts.

After a long minute of silence, Katiya asked, “So, did you report this first incident to the authorities?”

Rebecca shook her head. “The first two times I thought it was a dream, a really bad nightmare. The three people I shared it with told me I should see a psychologist.”

“How did you ever find out it was real?” Max asked.

“A couple of things happened.” After taking another sip of water, she said, “After the second abduction, I ran into a neighbor the next day as I got into my car. She asked what was going on the night before, and I asked her what she was talking about. Apparently her dogs had run over to the fence separating our backyards and wouldn’t stop barking. She eventually had to go out and pull them back in.”

“Did she see anything?” Zane asked.

“Nothing. Not a light. Not anything. She has some pretty thick bushes on her side, and I have a row of trees on mine, so that didn’t surprise me. But that’s when I started thinking that my dreams might not be dreams after all. I mean, her dogs weren’t even the type to bark. And yet, that night they couldn’t stop.”

Zane ran his fingers though his hair. “You said there were a couple of things. What was the other one?”

“Yes.” She trembled briefly but gathered herself. “It was when I got home. I went upstairs to change into something more comfortable, and that’s when I saw that my window was shut on my curtain.”

Max frowned in confusion. “Why is that so surprising?”

“Because I have allergies and I never open my windows. I’m also big time OCD, so if I ever did, I certainly wouldn’t shut it on the curtain.” She gave a little chuckle, the first Zane had heard from her.

“So what happened this time?” he asked.

“I was abducted again, and once again they injected me with something. After some period of time, I just woke up.”