Coalescence (Camden Investigations Book 1) (19 page)

T
HE
TEAMS
shopped warily and navigated their cars cautiously,
unaware their enemies preceded their arrival to Chaco.

Mitch
believed whoever might tail them would follow indiscreetly. He banked on his
idea that whoever burned the lab and cornfield was still unaware of what the
dial was. If so, they might allow them to bring the dial to Chaco where their
task could be identified and catalogued. Then they would be expendable. He
sighed. Mitch was certain Evan was aware of this fact. He wouldn’t vocalize
this to the rest of the team that their trip might very well be a one-way
mission. Yet it had to be. Because Mitch believed Galloway’s predictions: those
who didn’t die in the transformation would fall victims of servitude. It really
didn’t matter if they died by a human hand in the coming hours. Dying wasn’t
always the better choice. But it was more palatable when you had reason to
soften its impact.

Mitch rapped
his hands on the wheel watching Iris and Kassidy cross in front of his camper.
Their destination for the moment was a clothing store. He felt a tear well up
in his eye.
Might as well let them enjoy this expedition. I bet whatever
evolutionary change comes won’t alter female shopping urges anytime soon.

T
HE
WOMEN
might have disagreed with Mitch’s logic. Although Iris
believed she and Kassidy enjoyed clothes shopping no less than any other living
woman, the attire they would be purchasing was anything but fashionable.

Outerwear
designed to shield the body from the harsh desert climate was what Iris
requested from the sales clerk. Kassidy rolled her eyes. “I’m so sorry,” she
said to the clerk. “We normally buy really cool dresses.”

Iris waited
for the clerk to disappear behind a changing curtain and jabbed Kassidy in the
ribs. “Hey, you don’t have to explain anything. Remember, we are supposed to be
discreet.”

“I know. I
just feel sorry for the poor woman. We’re buying khaki pants and hiking boots.
I don’t think she’s going to meet her sales quota.”

“Well, don’t
feel too sorry for her, Kass. She’s already abandoned us for whoever is behind
those curtains.”

“Ooh,”
Kassidy said. “I hope it’s not the enemy.” She waved her fingers imitating a
crawling spider.

Iris
whispered. “Hey, you guys wanted to get involved.” She placed her hand on
Kassidy’s shoulder. “So, I suggest you be ready for anything.”

“Way to go,
I. You can still dish it out, girl.”

“I’m not
looking to dish anything. I just want this to be over.”

Kassidy
returned her gaze to the changing rooms. “Do you really think someone will try
and harm us? I mean, burning a lab and field are quite different from killing
people.”

“The way
Mitch thinks,” Iris sighed, “I don’t know. I think it’s affecting me. I think
I’m starting to see shadows in every corner.” She wondered about that evening
she saw the light over her house. Was it surveillance? And if so, was it human
or otherworldly?

Kassidy
interrupted Iris’s daydream. “Well, let’s get shopping. It’ll take our minds
off it.”

“Yeah,
right, men hate waiting.”

“Oh, girl,
you
are
whipped!”

Iris
observed Kassidy shopping. Her behavior was unlike the confident, aggressive
friend she had always known. The way she fiddled with the hangers, swishing
them to the left and to the right on the rack. It wasn’t that Kassidy couldn’t
find her size. Iris could see the sizes clearly listed. Something had put
Kassidy into the kind of fog she had been living in as of late.

“What’s up?
Can I help you, Kass?”

Kassidy’s
eyes were glazed. “Oh, I’m dawdling. I’m sorry.”

“Come on.
Spill it. I can’t have my best team member distracted.”

“It’s just
beginning to all hit home. We’re leaving. And whatever happens is going to be
so strange. If we reestablish the defense system we’re going to have to live
with what might have happened.” She removed a pair of pants off the rack and
draped them over her arm. “But that’s not the worst outcome. I don’t know how
I’m—how we’re going to deal with the change if we should fail.”

Iris nodded
for her to continue.

“If Evan’s
rapid evolution happens, and we were to survive, would we still be us? Suppose
we get all those keen abilities but lose who we are. Maybe someone like me
won’t want to drink anymore or make smart ass remarks. You would think that
would all be for the better, wouldn’t you? But if what we gain makes us lose
ourselves, our identities, our personalities, would it be worth it? Would we
even realize we had advanced? Or, would we become some kind of automatons?
Superior like robots except for personalities . . .”

“You think
we’re all going to lose our identities. Kass, I hadn’t thought of it like
that.” Iris placed her hand on her shoulder. “When you think of it that way, I
can see why it’s our duty to prevent the change from happening. I wouldn’t want
to lose you, or Rachel or DJ for a few enhancements. We’ve got to prevent
this.”

“Wait, you
didn’t say anything about Mitch. You wouldn’t want to lose
him . . .?”

She waved a dismissive hand. “I’m not going to lose him,
Kass. He’s already wrapped around my finger.” Iris waited a long moment for
Kassidy to smile. When she did, none of the Kassidy confidence lurked behind
it.

T
HE
LONGER
her shadow cast the smaller she felt. It was as if she
were in a gigantic stadium, yet there were no seats. Just emptiness contained
within towering walls some ancient aliens once might have used as an arena.
Tiny insignificant dots they were, Iris thought, drifting among the great ruins
of history. She didn’t need psychic sense to detect the team’s verve was
waning. It had only been a few hours since they arrived at the Chaco
campgrounds. Their early afternoon advent had already squandered precious
hours. Was that the reason for their less than exuberant demeanor? After all,
they had planned—okay, Mitch and Evan had planned—extensively for
the sojourn. Their very arrival should have been heralded even if not quite on
schedule. But by appearance, Iris didn’t believe the late start was the reason
for the lethargy.

Mitch
scrubbed a hand across his forehead and put his Indiana Jones hat back on. Iris
sidled up next to him and settled her hand in the crook of his arm. She
squinted from the sun, but appeared to be smiling at him. “Not what you were
expecting?” she asked.

He shook his
head. “Never is.” He fiddled with a canteen strapped to his shoulder. “What you
perceive your investigation to be like and what it turns out to be are usually
two different things.” He rubbed the toe of his boot in the sand. “Okay, break
is over. Let’s proceed.” Hearing Dan’s words, Rusty waved a hand to lead the
team.

“Damn,
everything here is brown. If it’s not dark brown, it’s light brown.”

Iris waited
for Kassidy’s rant to subside. “You okay back there?” Iris asked.

Kassidy and
Rachel walked behind Iris. “She isn’t drinking,” Rachel answered for Kassidy,
“what do
you
think?”

Kassidy
sloshed her canteen from side to side. “Well, I could use a little mixer for
this power drink since you mentioned it.”

Following
behind Kassidy and Rachel, were DJ and Darian. They had spoken little, moving
along stride by stride, hand in hand.

Evan carried
the dial. It was concealed within a duffel bag that was wrapped in a blanket
decorated in Aztec design. The scientist included an apron in the bag, much
like the ones dentists make you wear when they take X-rays. But by outward
appearance, one might never suspect what he carried was so life threatening.
Beside him, Gavin ribbed. “I hope people won’t think we have a small body
wrapped in that bundle.” Evan winced. “Well, this is Arizona. Hopefully they’ll
think it’s some evil alien and not a small, helpless child.”

Iris peered
into Mitchell’s eyes. He broke the gaze to turn and observe Evan. She was
certain she could read him. He was worried about an ambush. He wouldn’t state
it however. He simply said. “Come on. Let’s keep up with our guide.” She felt a
human attack was the least of their worries. Somewhere an alien weapon might
strike the area. If the enemy aliens believed the defense system to be
compromised they would surely strike. Galloway had impressed this notion into
her mind. She wondered about the lingering effect of their connections with
him. Iris could only hope Galloway’s accounts were true and that they needed to
reinstall the planet’s defense system for the greater good. Yet those accounts
were not so much words as images. And apparently, Mitchell’s inexperienced
psychic mind had absorbed even more of those images than she had. He had seen
the enemy’s vessel. What might these visions do to his psyche? Might a nasty
side effect result? Look what that connection had done to Ron. And then, if she
were to focus on her dream vision of the reptile she might really come apart.
Perhaps someone among them was alien. Not quite an enemy, but not quite a BFF
either. It made her shiver despite the unrelenting heat.
I’ve got to stop
thinking. Just keep walking. Focus. Keep yourself grounded.

D
AN
CAMDEN
hiked in measured paces. He couldn’t very well come within
sight of his target: Jack and Will. It pained him to steer clear of his
daughters. He had watched their vehicles amble by from the window view of his
camper. That had been hours ago. There was still the possibility of Jack and
Will blindsiding the investigators. Perhaps their greed to capitalize on an
unexpected acquisition might bait them to forget their basic training. He
didn’t really worry about Jack that much. He was too calculating for such a
slip. But Will was another story. The man had always tried to bond with him.
And there was only one reason an
Organization
man would do that—to
get inside your head. This led Dan to conclude that Will was reckless in his
pursuits. He would utilize emotion to gain a step.

Emotion was
a dangerous thing. It took you out of your game plan more often than not. If it
hadn’t been for the chip in his head, distancing him from his psychic bond with
his daughters, he would have never been able to resist emotion to do his work.
He shuffled along, kicking up dust clouds, moving along South Gap Road toward
the great pueblos. He was angered to even have let such an emotional thought
enter his mind. He was here to do one thing: protect his daughters. That was
job one. It should have been a long time ago. He pulled down the brim of his
hat to cover his eyes and rolled his shoulders to adjust the padding in his
jacket. He wanted to appear bigger than his frame. It was a disguise to
hopefully deflect attention if either Jack or Will should see him. But what if
they already had? And wouldn’t he look stupid, profusely sweating inside his
jacket? So not the best planned disguise in the unrelenting heat of the desert.

P
UEBLO
BONITO
, with its D-shape, is among the largest constructs built
in Chaco. Ranging in age from 900 to 1,100 years ago, a partial wall on the
outer arc obstructs complete view from outside observers. But it was the view
from within the pueblo that Jack betted would be obstructed as well. With
nearly 650 rooms inside the construct, Jack was certain the investigators would
have no other choice but to search for their power source here. He gambled it
would be sooner or later. If not, he and Will would have wasted not only effort
but a chance that the investigators would experience beginner’s luck. There was
always a chance they could find what they needed right away. If that occurred
at some other point in Chaco, it would have devastating consequence. The light
bringer would not be able to commence the Alteration. And if there was no
Alteration, there was little chance someone like him could climb the
evolutionary ladder. He wouldn’t spend his remaining mortal time being a gopher
for the
Organization
. Acquiring alien objects was so twentieth century.
Things had to change, and they had to change now.

When Jack’s
gamble paid off, he choked down a smile. The arrogance welled within him. Will
wouldn’t even meet his gaze afterwards.
He’s probably so jealous he could
spit. He probably wonders how I can know so much. I think it’s a little thing
called destiny. I’m destined for this future.

Jack motioned
for Will to alternate their hiding spots. Instead of clinging to the inside of
the great wall, they would now position themselves outside of it. Now with the
teams securely inside the pueblo, any discovery they might make could be noted,
but more importantly, it could be stopped.

D
AN
PEERED
through binoculars. He spotted the tiny dots. It had to be
them. What if he took action now? Stopped the bastards before they had a chance
to harm Iris or DJ? Dan had no experience combating live enemies. The aliens he
encountered were already dead from accidents or their inability to survive in
the Earth’s atmosphere. He certainly hadn’t come up against human opposition.
He always believed in the “us against them” mentality, and now the “us”
threatened to murder his family.

He scratched
at the stubble on his chin. No. He couldn’t risk it. He could retrieve a rifle
from his camper and perhaps take out one of the men, preferably Jack, with a
single shot. Yet that shot would echo throughout the canyon reaching numerous
ears. If there were other campers, they might alert authorities. Worse, once he
fired, his element of surprise would be extinguished. The other man, probably
Will, would be free to pursue a hasty course of action, namely the killing of
his daughters and their friends. And to top it all off, Will might gain
possession of the artifact. Dan really didn’t know what the artifact was
capable of, but it certainly could alter a strain of corn given the right
conditions. It was deemed valuable by men like Will and Jack if not the entire
Organization
.
Well, they wouldn’t get their prize this time even if he had to die to stop it.
Because Dan had spied on his daughter, he realized she had to install the
artifact she labeled The Dial to prevent a catastrophe. His best scenario would
allow his daughters to complete their mission and to thwart their pursuers.
Working for the
Organization
, Dan learned best case scenarios rarely
materialized.

For the
moment, Dan would continue walking his measured pace. He would pretend to be a
sightseer. He only hoped to God that when his daughters did make their
discovery he could reach them in time to thwart their pursuers.

J
ACK
WATCHED
the teams traipsing along from his concealed vantage
point. He forced himself to contain his excitement. But he could feel a grin
coming on like an itch as he peered through his binoculars. He envisioned
swooping in as if a vulture once he received the signal. Will had stupidly
asked what that signal was. “The hoopla,” he had told Will. “They are just a bunch
of inexperienced kids pretending to be investigators. Trust me, once they find
their grail they’re going to whoop and holler. And then,” Jack caressed his 9mm
Beretta, “we’re going to put a quick end to that party.”

“A
IN’T
THIS
the grandest party you’ve ever been to?” Kassidy inquired.
Her snide remark earned Mitchell’s stare.

Iris
grunted. She wasn’t going to disagree with Kassidy’s summation. Her legs felt
like rubber. They had searched in vain for only mere hours despite Rusty’s
assistance. How would her legs react to daylong hikes?

At that
instant, she thought she observed the ground rising toward her. It was the same
ruddy clay soil she had seen before. It appeared as if her world had turned
upside down. It couldn’t be, but it was. The soil was not that of Chaco or
anywhere else on this Earth for that matter. This soil belonged to the
devastated, gutted home world of the Greys. The last thing she remembered was a
huge wall behind her transforming from rock to a giant plasma screen.

B
ILL
SIPPED
from his bottle. He had always felt the entire weight of
the Hopi Nation was on his shoulders. He took another sip. Now it felt that way
more than ever. His fingers kneaded Tawa behind the ears. The collie’s reaction
was always the same to this gesture of affection. Her mouth opened wide,
mimicking the grin of a human. But comfort from drink and a pet was not going
to shift the boulders off his shoulders. Not this time.

A young man
had gone missing. Bill was certain Rusty had not been abducted or even harmed.
He surmised Rusty had gone willingly with the two men that had visited the
nation a short time ago. They needed a guide. Rusty would serve as well as
could be expected from a youngster. The boy had hiked in the canyons on
numerous weekends for the past decade.

Bill rose
from his chair. He would survey Rusty’s quarters. It wouldn’t be a complete
invasion. Rusty did odd jobs for Bill. He was sort of an employee, maybe even a
son.

The message
he had hoped to find was as clear as a note. A printout from a website sat on
top of the boy’s desk. It was the crop circle. The figure appeared to represent
Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. The medical profession used this same
symbol, the caduceus, as a means to convey an image of healing. But Bill saw a
lot more behind the symbolism.

Where the
serpent was involved, things were never clear. Bill believed serpents or
reptiles had once lived below ground. Perhaps they knew of natural power
sources connected to the Earth’s core. It was quite possible that what the investigators
were seeking did still exist. But how could this be? Bill wondered. The ancient
power sources that most likely gave sustenance to the ancient pueblo people
surely must have withered. It was why the people of Anasazi, as Mitchell had
referred to them, might have not only abandoned Chaco but the entire Earth a
millennium ago. Could it be the reptile beings that originally held this
knowledge still existed?

Bill shook
his head and dropped the picture back onto the desk.
This can’t be
. The
notion shook the very foundation of his belief system. He believed any ancient
peoples had either left or had been wiped out of existence in previous end
times. But if the ancient ones still existed among them, maybe another
cleansing would be coming soon. Bill had received no signal from the Kachina of
this fifth end time. It’s why he refused to help Mitchell and Evan. Old
beliefs. Could it be possible old beliefs weren’t entirely correct?