and motioned Heath forward. “Keep your senses alert,” I cautioned. “If this gets too intense, we’ll set off a grenade and push back the energy.”
“It already feels intense,” Heath said quietly.
I knew exactly what he meant. I felt bombarded by energy coming at me from all sides. It was a bit like entering an unseen crowd that was pulling on your clothing or whispering in your ear. At one point I even batted the air next to my head when I felt a cold breath blow the hair around my neck.
It was hard to get focused and think clearly. Hell, it was even hard to move. To distract myself, I reached back into the duffel and pulled out an electrostatic meter. I turned it on and immediately it began to register activity. “We’re in a hot zone,” I said.
“You don’t need a gadget to tell you that,” Heath said.
I smiled ruefully. “Well, it helps to see it on the meter sometimes.” I put the gadget on the floor of the long cavern near the wall. “Gil?” I asked. “Are you picking up the readings?”
There was a whistle in my ear. “Man,” Gil said. “Where are you guys?”
“In hell,” Heath answered, and I had a feeling he wasn’t really kidding.
“Readings are off the charts,” said Gilley. “Your meter’s already in the red. M. J., you might want to secure a camera to the wall where you’re standing. It seems like it’s a good spot to pick up some activity.”
“Copy that,” I said.
With some help from Heath I was able to secure one of the small cameras to the wall, and then I stood in front of it and backed slowly away so that Gilley could tell us if he had a good picture on his monitors. “A little to the left,” he told Heath, who was in charge of adjusting the lens.
After a few tweaks Gilley was satisfied and we continued to move deeper into the corridor. “How’s your breathing?” I asked Heath at one point, only because I felt the air all around us had gone from damp and chilly to hot and stifling.
“I’m having a hard time catching my breath,” he admitted. “Also, I think I’m running a fever.”
I placed a hand on his forehead and he did in fact feel warm. “Oh, man,” I said.
“What’s the matter?” Gil asked.
“Heath’s sick.”
“Does he need to come out?”
Heath shook his head. “I’m okay,” he assured us. “Just a little queasy, but I can push through. Come on, let’s get this baseline done already.”
We continued for about another forty-five minutes and my concern for Heath’s condition mounted. He looked pale and shaky, and he’d broken out into a cold sweat. He also appeared to be having difficulty swallowing and I swore the lymph glands around his neck looked thick and swollen.
“That’s it,” I finally said to him as we encountered another hot spot and I got out the seventh camera. “This is the last camera we’re putting up. I’m calling it a night.”
Heath didn’t argue with me; instead he just blinked drowsily. “Okay,” he agreed as if saying the word took effort.
As we were struggling to fasten the last camera in place, I heard Gilley’s voice burst into my ear, “What the freak is that ?!”
Gopher’s voice joined Gilley’s in the background. “Holy shit! Did you see that?!”
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
Heath winced and pulled his headset off. “They’re too loud,” he whispered.
“M. J.!” Gil shouted. “Ohmigod! You’re not going to believe what we just captured on film!”
At that moment I was struggling with the camera, which wouldn’t stay still against the slippery rock. “I’m a little busy, Gil. Can you tell me later?”
“No,” he said. “I can’t.”
I sighed and stepped away from the rock with the camera still in hand. “Fine, what’s going on?”
“Something big and black just dashed across camera one,” Gil said excitedly.
“Human?” I wondered.
“Definitely not,” Gil said.
Gopher’s voice took over—he’d obviously donned a headset. “M. J., it
“It already feels intense,” Heath said quietly.
I knew exactly what he meant. I felt bombarded by energy coming at me from all sides. It was a bit like entering an unseen crowd that was pulling on your clothing or whispering in your ear. At one point I even batted the air next to my head when I felt a cold breath blow the hair around my neck.
It was hard to get focused and think clearly. Hell, it was even hard to move. To distract myself, I reached back into the duffel and pulled out an electrostatic meter. I turned it on and immediately it began to register activity. “We’re in a hot zone,” I said.
“You don’t need a gadget to tell you that,” Heath said.
I smiled ruefully. “Well, it helps to see it on the meter sometimes.” I put the gadget on the floor of the long cavern near the wall. “Gil?” I asked. “Are you picking up the readings?”
There was a whistle in my ear. “Man,” Gil said. “Where are you guys?”
“In hell,” Heath answered, and I had a feeling he wasn’t really kidding.
“Readings are off the charts,” said Gilley. “Your meter’s already in the red. M. J., you might want to secure a camera to the wall where you’re standing. It seems like it’s a good spot to pick up some activity.”
“Copy that,” I said.
With some help from Heath I was able to secure one of the small cameras to the wall, and then I stood in front of it and backed slowly away so that Gilley could tell us if he had a good picture on his monitors. “A little to the left,” he told Heath, who was in charge of adjusting the lens.
After a few tweaks Gilley was satisfied and we continued to move deeper into the corridor. “How’s your breathing?” I asked Heath at one point, only because I felt the air all around us had gone from damp and chilly to hot and stifling.
“I’m having a hard time catching my breath,” he admitted. “Also, I think I’m running a fever.”
I placed a hand on his forehead and he did in fact feel warm. “Oh, man,” I said.
“What’s the matter?” Gil asked.
“Heath’s sick.”
“Does he need to come out?”
Heath shook his head. “I’m okay,” he assured us. “Just a little queasy, but I can push through. Come on, let’s get this baseline done already.”
We continued for about another forty-five minutes and my concern for Heath’s condition mounted. He looked pale and shaky, and he’d broken out into a cold sweat. He also appeared to be having difficulty swallowing and I swore the lymph glands around his neck looked thick and swollen.
“That’s it,” I finally said to him as we encountered another hot spot and I got out the seventh camera. “This is the last camera we’re putting up. I’m calling it a night.”
Heath didn’t argue with me; instead he just blinked drowsily. “Okay,” he agreed as if saying the word took effort.
As we were struggling to fasten the last camera in place, I heard Gilley’s voice burst into my ear, “What the freak is that ?!”
Gopher’s voice joined Gilley’s in the background. “Holy shit! Did you see that?!”
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
Heath winced and pulled his headset off. “They’re too loud,” he whispered.
“M. J.!” Gil shouted. “Ohmigod! You’re not going to believe what we just captured on film!”
At that moment I was struggling with the camera, which wouldn’t stay still against the slippery rock. “I’m a little busy, Gil. Can you tell me later?”
“No,” he said. “I can’t.”
I sighed and stepped away from the rock with the camera still in hand. “Fine, what’s going on?”
“Something big and black just dashed across camera one,” Gil said excitedly.
“Human?” I wondered.
“Definitely not,” Gil said.
Gopher’s voice took over—he’d obviously donned a headset. “M. J., it
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