year ago.
"I was looking for an excuse to get here after I heard about Burton's death," Dirk admitted. "When the admiral told me there'd been an accident and he needed a team, I jumped at the chance."
Dirk glanced to the side and Mac remembered his manners.
"Dirk, I'd like to introduce you to Lanie Weber. Lanie, this is Captain Dirk Adams."
Dirk turned to Lanie, and the obvious appreciation and interest in his expression irritated Mac.
"Ms. Weber, a pleasure. I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to meet you earlier." Dirk shook her hand, and Mac felt that he held it a little longer than necessary. Of further annoyance was that Lanie didn't seem to mind. She gave the captain a smile that would have turned any man's head. Mac was beginning to feel like a voyeur, so he cleared his throat and asked, "How's the cleanup going?"
Dirk released Lanie's hand and was suddenly all business. "We're no closer to having any answers," he admitted. "We think the animal that attacked you is the same one that attacked the men—the neck wounds and blood loss are similar. Unfortunately, we can't find the animal Ms. Weber shot. It may have crawled out into the jungle to die. Now that you're both up and about, I was hoping you could tell me exactly what we're looking for."
Mac gave a rueful laugh. "All I remember are sharp claws and teeth. Sorry." The details of the attack were fuzzy to him, so he turned to Lanie, hoping she could fill in the blanks.
She hesitated, and Mac wondered if the memories were too painful for her. She glanced quickly at Dr. Sanchez as he crossed the room to join mem. "It suddenly appeared—out of nowhere. You pushed me aside and it attacked you. I think shining the searchlight in its eyes is what caused it to release you. After that, I only remember firing the gun until it was empty. I thought I killed it and locked it in the cage, but my concern was getting you into the lab, so I didn't take the time to check on it."
"Well, it's not there now," Dirk said. "We looked."
Mac watched Lanie closely. He couldn't help feeling that there was something more she'd left out, or didn't want to share. About to press her on it, Dirk suddenly put his hand to his ear. They all stood silently while Dirk listened. "Roger, on my way."
"Well," he said, addressing their group. "They found the security tape from the night of the attack." He met Mac's eyes. "Want to check it out?"
Mac nodded. If the attack had been recorded, then seeing the tape could answer a lot of questions—namely, who or what killed those men. After Dirk started for the door, Mac felt a light pressure on his arm and saw Lanie's hand there.
"I need to talk to you." She glanced at the other men, now a short distance ahead of them. "In private."
He saw by her expression that this was serious. "Okay."
"Are you coming?" Dirk called back to them.
Mac, who'd been staring down into Lanie's face, looked over at him. "I forgot my shoes. You go on; I'll be right behind you."
Dirk nodded and, along with Dr. Sanchez, left the lab. Mac turned to Lanie, looking at her expectantly. Suddenly she seemed unsure of herself, so to give her time to collect her thoughts, he located his shoes and socks and put them on. When he finished, he found her watching him.
"Well?"
She looked at him. "How are you feeling?"
"I thought we already went over that." He started to feel irritated. "I'm fine. Now, can I go?"
"Mac, wait. I wondered if you felt, well, different somehow?"
He shook his head. "Yeah, it was a life-changing experience for me." His tone dripped sarcasm. "I'm not the man I was."
"Stop it," Lanie snapped. "That's not what I meant."
"Then what the hell do you mean, Lanie?"
She ran her fingers through her hair, clearly worried. "I found my father's journal. In it, he talks about the work he was doing here. He was studying a creature—El Chupacabra. Have you ever heard of it?"
"No."
"It's kind of like a vampire, but whereas a vampire is human, the origins of El
"I was looking for an excuse to get here after I heard about Burton's death," Dirk admitted. "When the admiral told me there'd been an accident and he needed a team, I jumped at the chance."
Dirk glanced to the side and Mac remembered his manners.
"Dirk, I'd like to introduce you to Lanie Weber. Lanie, this is Captain Dirk Adams."
Dirk turned to Lanie, and the obvious appreciation and interest in his expression irritated Mac.
"Ms. Weber, a pleasure. I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to meet you earlier." Dirk shook her hand, and Mac felt that he held it a little longer than necessary. Of further annoyance was that Lanie didn't seem to mind. She gave the captain a smile that would have turned any man's head. Mac was beginning to feel like a voyeur, so he cleared his throat and asked, "How's the cleanup going?"
Dirk released Lanie's hand and was suddenly all business. "We're no closer to having any answers," he admitted. "We think the animal that attacked you is the same one that attacked the men—the neck wounds and blood loss are similar. Unfortunately, we can't find the animal Ms. Weber shot. It may have crawled out into the jungle to die. Now that you're both up and about, I was hoping you could tell me exactly what we're looking for."
Mac gave a rueful laugh. "All I remember are sharp claws and teeth. Sorry." The details of the attack were fuzzy to him, so he turned to Lanie, hoping she could fill in the blanks.
She hesitated, and Mac wondered if the memories were too painful for her. She glanced quickly at Dr. Sanchez as he crossed the room to join mem. "It suddenly appeared—out of nowhere. You pushed me aside and it attacked you. I think shining the searchlight in its eyes is what caused it to release you. After that, I only remember firing the gun until it was empty. I thought I killed it and locked it in the cage, but my concern was getting you into the lab, so I didn't take the time to check on it."
"Well, it's not there now," Dirk said. "We looked."
Mac watched Lanie closely. He couldn't help feeling that there was something more she'd left out, or didn't want to share. About to press her on it, Dirk suddenly put his hand to his ear. They all stood silently while Dirk listened. "Roger, on my way."
"Well," he said, addressing their group. "They found the security tape from the night of the attack." He met Mac's eyes. "Want to check it out?"
Mac nodded. If the attack had been recorded, then seeing the tape could answer a lot of questions—namely, who or what killed those men. After Dirk started for the door, Mac felt a light pressure on his arm and saw Lanie's hand there.
"I need to talk to you." She glanced at the other men, now a short distance ahead of them. "In private."
He saw by her expression that this was serious. "Okay."
"Are you coming?" Dirk called back to them.
Mac, who'd been staring down into Lanie's face, looked over at him. "I forgot my shoes. You go on; I'll be right behind you."
Dirk nodded and, along with Dr. Sanchez, left the lab. Mac turned to Lanie, looking at her expectantly. Suddenly she seemed unsure of herself, so to give her time to collect her thoughts, he located his shoes and socks and put them on. When he finished, he found her watching him.
"Well?"
She looked at him. "How are you feeling?"
"I thought we already went over that." He started to feel irritated. "I'm fine. Now, can I go?"
"Mac, wait. I wondered if you felt, well, different somehow?"
He shook his head. "Yeah, it was a life-changing experience for me." His tone dripped sarcasm. "I'm not the man I was."
"Stop it," Lanie snapped. "That's not what I meant."
"Then what the hell do you mean, Lanie?"
She ran her fingers through her hair, clearly worried. "I found my father's journal. In it, he talks about the work he was doing here. He was studying a creature—El Chupacabra. Have you ever heard of it?"
"No."
"It's kind of like a vampire, but whereas a vampire is human, the origins of El
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