Bennett nodded, and the three continued down the trail, this time more slowly. Once at the bottom, they crept into a row of ferns at the edge of the clearing. The site not only provided concealment, but it also gave them a panoramic view of the area.
After settling down into the plants, Zane reached to his left around Katiya and tapped Bennett. “Check the left for heat signatures,” he whispered. “I’ll clear the right.”
Zane eased forward a bit, regretfully leaving Katiya’s warmth. Pulling aside a large frond, he brought the binoculars up to his night vision visor, which was now pulled down over his eyes. Hundreds of orbs sprang into view, their translucent skin shimmering as they floated across the clearing. Like phantoms dancing across a ballroom floor, he thought.
As he continued to watch, he noticed that not all of the orbs were white. A few were pink, and several others even appeared to be a strange shade of chartreuse.
“Had no idea there were girlie orbs,” Zane whispered. “Looks like there are colors for every taste.”
Katiya gave a little chuckle. “Some think the colors are significant.”
“How so?”
“Whites are the most common, so they’re believed to possess the smallest amount of energy. The colored ones are—”
“Hold on,” Bennett said. “Twelve o’clock, coming up the slope.”
Zane slowly moved his binoculars back into place and immediately picked up a flash of orange just below the clearing. He tried to focus on it, but it disappeared behind a tree.
“What is it?” Zane whispered.
“I only had it for a few seconds,” Bennett said. “It was too large to be a monkey.”
“Where is it?” Katiya’s voice was barely audible. “I can’t see anything.”
“It’s behind a tree,” Zane replied. “Bennett?”
“Negative. I can’t see a thing.”
Seconds later, Zane saw a hint of orange on one side of the tree. The figure paused there briefly then stepped out into the open.
Zane’s pulse quickened when he realized what he was looking at.
“What is it?” Katiya asked.
“It’s a person,” Zane whispered.
“More specifically, a female,” Bennett added.
“Indigenous?” Katiya asked.
“Negative,” Bennett answered. “Doesn’t appear to be.”
Zane squinted. Bennett was right. It seemed to be a young Caucasian female, slight of frame, with long, straight hair. She stopped periodically and glanced behind her, as though afraid that someone or something might be following her.
“I see her now,” Katiya said. “She’s coming right toward us.”
“And she’s picking up speed,” Bennett whispered. “I’d estimate she’ll be here in less than thirty seconds.”
Zane got Bennett’s attention and raised a finger to his lips.
The girl was only about twenty yards away now, and he projected that if she stayed on course, she would enter the woods just to his right. That presented a dilemma, particularly if she was being followed. If he let her pass, there was a risk she’d see them and cry out. If he attempted to subdue her, he risked putting all three of them in harm’s way if she was armed.
Zane rose slowly to one knee. He had to bring the girl down. They were well concealed, but she would only be a few feet away. That meant there was a very high likelihood that she’d see them. And if she were armed, she might be able to inflict some damage if she acted first.
Zane gave Bennett a signal that he was going to act. The soldier nodded then drew a pistol, indicating he’d provide cover.
Soon the girl was so close that Zane could hear her breathing. It was heavy and erratic, suggesting she was both frightened and fatigued. Where was she going? And who did she think was behind her?
Finally, she reached the top of the clearing and paused a few feet to Zane’s right, her head turning slightly in his direction. Could she see him?
Zane couldn’t risk waiting any longer. He launched out of the ferns like a leopard pouncing on prey. He hit her with the full force of his weight, carrying them both out into the clearing. Despite tumbling several times, he managed to wrap a hand over her mouth, stifling the scream that he knew was coming.
As they came to a stop, Zane rolled on top, pinning the girl to the ground. She screamed again, but it died against the palm of his hand.
Realizing she might be armed, he pinned one of her wrists with a knee and the other with his free hand. She squirmed and thrashed but soon realized it was in vain.
“Easy, easy,” he said.
The sound of his voice seemed to calm her.
“Do you speak English?” Zane asked.
She stared at him for a while then nodded slowly.
Bennett appeared at Zane’s side. As he knelt down, the girl’s eyes widened at the sight of the gun.
Zane waved him off. “Someone may have been following her. Make sure we don’t get ambushed.”
“Roger that.” Bennett stood and set up a short distance down the hill.
Katiya appeared, kneeling next to Zane. The girl looked at her then back at Zane. She was calmer now, but there was still fear in her eyes.
“If I take my hand off of your mouth, are you going to scream?” he asked.
She shook her head immediately. It was a good sign.
“I can be a nice guy, but I may not be so nice if you scream. Is that understood?”
She nodded, so Zane slowly removed his hand. The girl opened her mouth, but only to gulp in breath. After a few seconds, she said, “Please don’t hurt me.”
Katiya leaned closer. “We’re not going to hurt you, honey.”
The girl coughed a few times.
“What is your name?” Katiya asked.
The girl paused for a moment, as though unsure whether she should answer or not. “Rebecca,” she finally whispered.
Zane studied her face. It was hard to read her expression in the dim light of the moon, but she seemed to be telling the truth. “What are you doing up here, Rebecca?”
Her eyes began to moisten, and seconds later she burst into tears. “Please don’t take me back. Please—”
“We’re not going to take you back.” Katiya reassured her by rubbing her arm. “We don’t even know who you are or where you came from.”
Rebecca cried a bit longer. Zane couldn’t tell if she was still afraid or if she was shedding tears of relief.
A moment later, she stopped, wiped her eyes, and looked up at him. “I told you who I was. Now who are you?”
“I’m Zane, and this is Katiya.” Zane eased off of her. As he pulled away, he could see that she was dressed in a long white robe, covered with black and green stains. Strange garb for a girl lost in the jungle, he thought.
Rebecca sat up, flexing her hands to get back her circulation. She took several deep breaths, as though trying to calm herself.
Katiya laid a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “How do you feel?
Suddenly Rebecca’s breathing grew labored, then she reached out and grabbed both of Katiya’s arms. “Please, I beg you… please don’t take me back to them.”
Katiya found the girl’s hands and held them. “Honey, take you back to who? Who are you talking about?”
The girl’s eyes moistened again, and she visibly trembled. Her mouth opened, but it was several seconds before the words spilled out. “The ones from the craft… the grays.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
“Let us know when you’re ready to talk,” Katiya said as she rubbed the girl’s leg.
It had taken them twenty minutes to climb back to the ridge. Amanda gave Rebecca a pair of jeans and a T-shirt since they were approximately the same size. They had already been worn but were a welcome improvement over the loose-fitting robe she’d had on before.