As Amanda had listened to the conversations earlier in the evening, she’d noticed that everyone seemed to be divided on the significance of Nash’s death. Some thought the incident was simply nature running its course. Predators had taken prey, and nothing else. But a few held to a more superstitious view. They claimed the jungle had exacted its revenge, clearly insinuating that the soldier had paid for his earlier misdeeds.
Trying to shake off all the negative thoughts, Amanda looked out across the camp. Something glowed red in the distance. Squinting, she saw it was the tip of Jorge’s cigar. He and Zane were huddled in a grove of trees just beyond the firelight. Ever since the attack, the two had been inseparable, wandering off to talk at every opportunity. What were they talking about?
Amanda’s eyes settled on Zane’s silhouette. He hadn’t been his usual self ever since they stepped off the boat. He was more quiet and pensive than usual. Perhaps it was just the responsibility of leading a group into a dangerous place. Maybe it was something else. Whatever it was, he was keeping it to himself.
Now that she thought about it, even Jorge had changed. He’d been a lively presence on the boat, telling jokes and doing everything he could to put the team at ease. But now he seemed to be perpetually serious, looking around with a wary eye. On several occasions, Amanda saw him turn his head quickly, his eyes locking on something out in the jungle. She’d tried to see what he was looking at but was always too late.
“A penny for your thoughts,” someone asked.
Amanda flinched. Katiya was hovering over her.
“Hey,” Amanda said.
Katiya smiled. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. Mind if I have a seat?”
“No, not at all.” Amanda patted the ground. “Please.”
The anthropologist sat down next to her and crossed her legs. “You looked so thoughtful, I just had to come over and find out what was on your mind.”
“Was it that obvious?”
“Yes.”
They both laughed.
Amanda wondered if she should share her concerns about Zane and Jorge. At this point, probably not. It was tempting to get someone else’s opinion, but there was no sense in getting others stirred up. The group needed to trust the two men to lead them.
“There’s just so much to think about,” Amanda said truthfully. “For one, I’ve never seen someone die before, and to be honest, I’m a little shaken up.”
“I understand.” Katiya squeezed her arm gently.
“And not only was it difficult to see someone die, but it makes me wonder what else is waiting for us out there.”
An owl screeched in the distance, its haunting voice echoing through the towering trees. Amanda thought she heard the faint sound of flapping after the screech died away.
Katiya looked at the fire. “You’re right. We’re in a beautiful world, but a dangerous one. You know, I don’t blame you one bit for being concerned. Heck, I’ve been in the jungle many times, but I’ve never seen anything that comes close to what I saw this afternoon.” She thought for a moment then said, “Even in the best of conditions, the rainforest has a way of overwhelming the uninitiated. It’s one of those places where safety is always on the tip of your thoughts. You just don’t expect to actually see someone die.”
They sat in silence for a moment. Finally, Katiya asked, “So can you tell me more about what happened in Europe?”
Amanda gave her a confused look.
“The operation in Switzerland and France.”
Amanda shook her head. “Sorry, my mind isn’t functioning too well right now. Is there anything in particular you want to know?”
Katiya threw a stick in the fire and watched as the flames engulfed it. “To be honest, I never felt like I got the entire story of what happened over there.”
“They didn’t brief you?”
“They did, but it seemed like a sanitized version. I had a very short phone conversation with Dr. Ross. He gave me a quick overview of the events at CERN, but he spent most of the time telling me about the sound NASA picked up. I guess he figured that was what I was most interested in. And he was right.
“But then, toward the end, he seemed to hint that some pretty bizarre things were seen that night. He sounded as though he was going to tell me more, but apparently he had to rush off to a meeting. I’m not sure if that was true or not, but it seemed to come at a convenient time.” Katiya chuckled.
“Have you talked to Zane?” Amanda asked.
“Not yet. I thought I’d try you first.”
Amanda smiled. “I guess I seemed like an easier target.”
Katiya laughed. “You seem very truthful, I’ll put it that way.”
“Thank you.” Amanda’s expression grew more serious. “The bizarre things you referred to all happened in the tunnel below CERN. Of the four people who were down there, only two survived.”
“And Zane was one of those people?”
“Yes, which is why I think you should talk to him at some point.” Amanda glanced toward the woods. He and Jorge were still in the grove. The Brazilian was waving his arms around, clearly emotional about whatever they were discussing. She turned back toward Katiya and continued. “Unfortunately, his mind seems to be on other things, so I don’t mind sharing what I know.” Amanda crossed her legs, resting her hands in her lap. “First of all, I want to be clear that I didn’t witness any of the things I’m about to discuss. I never entered the tunnel, and most of the information I have comes from my friend Philippe. Zane and I haven’t talked about it much.”
“Philippe?”
“He’s a Swiss pastor who helped us.”
“Yes, I remember him now.”
Amanda glanced around the area to make sure no one was within earshot. She didn’t mind sharing the entire narrative with Katiya, but she didn’t necessarily want anyone else to hear it. Satisfied they were alone, she said, “This is where it gets murky, and unfortunately I’m probably not going to be able to answer any questions you might have. I’m not even sure the people who were there could answer all of your questions.” She lowered her voice and said, “The bottom line is that something did happen that night.”
Katiya raised an eyebrow. “Meaning?”
“Meaning whatever Mironov and Marrese were trying to do with the collider apparently worked.”
Katiya’s eyes widened, but she remained silent.
“Zane and Philippe saw things in the tunnel that night,” Amanda said. “Creatures… whatever you want to call them.”
“Did they provide a description?”
“The only thing Zane said was that they were large. He called them giants. As for Philippe, he only shared a few small details, and I didn’t push him for more. He told me the main thing I needed to know was that God protected him that night.” She tossed a few leaves on the fire and watched them burn then continued. “But I can share one thing that Philippe told me: whatever creatures he saw down there, he doesn’t believe they were aliens. In fact, even before we got to CERN that night, he told me we were dealing with something from the supernatural realm.”
“It’s very interesting that he chose to use those words,” Katiya said. “He didn’t give you any indication of who or what that might be?”
“No. I think he’s trying to protect me. It’s almost like he believes something permanent may have taken place that night.”
“What did he mean by that?”
Amanda bit her lower lip. “Like something was released, and now we can’t put the genie back in the bottle.”
“Have any of these creatures been seen since?”
Amanda shook her head. “Not that I’m aware of. There was a final powerful explosion when the collider was shut down prematurely. Zane and Philippe were able to make it back to the surface alive, just before a fire gutted the tunnel completely. Most are working on the assumption that anyone or anything still down there was incinerated.”