Midnight Sun (37 page)

Two
security
cameras
stared
down
from
atop
the
structures.
One
slowly
rotated
ninety
degrees,
stopping
before
they
were
in
its
line
of
sight,
then
turned
the
other
direction.
The
other
started
to
rotate
but
stopped,
jittered
in
place
for
a
second,
then
turned
back
to
its
starting
position.

Marcus
pointed
the broken camera
out
to
Mike.
“
Gotta
love
it
when
folks
rely
on
technology.
”

A
few
yards
from
where
they
stood, the
perimeter
fence
twisted
very
close
to
a
part
of
the
cliff
where
a
tall
spruce
tree
had
collapsed,
smashing
the
barbed
wire
and
bending
the
fence
to
half
its
full
height.
Using
the
spruce
as
a
bridge,
they
crossed
into
the
shipyard,
carefully
avoiding
the
sharp
edges
of
the
broken
branches
that
jutted
randomly
around
them
like
jagged
claws.
To
trip
and
fall
on
one
of
those
spikes
could
leave
a
nasty
wound,
or
worse.
Careless
loggers
or
hikers
alike
have
been
seriously
injured,
even
killed
by
such
rough
appendages
when
they
slipped
while
using
a
fallen
tree
as
a
bridge.
An
unlucky
father
and
son
had
recently
lost
their
lives
when
the
top
of
a
similar
tree
fell
on
their
campsite
as
they
slept
during
a
windy
night.
The
search
and
rescue
that
found
them
several
days
later
had
a
very
difficult
time
untangling
the
bodies
from
the
numerous
puncturing
branches.
Licensed
wilderness
guides
like
Marcus
had
been
required
to
undergo
additional
annual
training
to
make
sure
they
were
aware
of
the
dangers.

Once
over
the
fence,
they
jumped
the
five
feet
to
the
ground,
landing
with
a
whump
in
the
hard-packed
dirt.
Mike
let
out
a
soft
grunt.

“
That
was
a
lot
easier
when
I
was
twenty-five,
”
he
whispered,
his
face
tight
with
a
grimace
of
pain
as
the
shock
shot
through
his
knees.

Outside
the
range
of
the
cameras,
they
jogged
toward
the
Audi.
As
they
drew
near,
they
saw
that
it
was
parked
in
front
of
a
squat,
corrugated-metal
building
stuffed
between
the
fuel
tanks.
 
Its
engine
ticked
softly
as
it
cooled.
The
building,
about
twelve
by
twelve
feet,
was
not
big
enough
to
hide
many
people.
A
solitary
window
about
a
single
square
foot
in size
next to
a
solid
door
broke
up
the
monotony
of
horizontal
lines
in
the
wall
facing
the
vehicle.
Marcus
stole
forward,
Mike
right
behind
him,
watching
his
back.
Marcus
cautiously
peered
through
the
window.
The
interior
space
was
comprised
of
bare
white
walls,
a
gray
concrete
floor,
and a
white
acoustic
tile
ceiling. Opposite
the
entrance
was
an
opening
that
led
to
a
staircase
which
descended
into
a
subterranean
level
that
presumably
stretched
beneath
a portion of the ground for a considerable distance.