As they ran back, Zane carrying Bennett, he asked, “Have you seen Tocchet?”
The soldier’s eyes said everything. Zane wanted more information but knew there wasn’t time to listen to an explanation. After handing the Green Beret to another soldier, he turned back toward Osak. He gestured for him to come, but the boy shook his head and backed away.
“We have less than a minute, sir,” Keiko shouted.
Suddenly someone hopped to the ground and ran out to the boy. Max. The linguist spoke to him in a loud voice then pointed back at the chopper. At first the boy seemed confused, but finally a look of understanding spread across his face. Apparently Max had been able to convince him that his life depended on getting inside the strange metal bird.
The two ran toward the chopper. Amanda stepped out, helping the boy into the bay.
After everyone was inside, Zane looked at the pilot and said, “Get us out of here.”
The pilot nodded, and the chopper rose straight into the air. Everyone stiffened as it rose through the fog. Zane looked over at Osak. His eyes were the size of saucers, and his arms and shoulders trembled with fear.
Zane was about to get an update on the time from Keiko then decided against it. What did it matter? Either they would make it or they wouldn’t. The time she was keeping wasn’t precise anyway.
Seconds later, the chopper broke out of the fog and into the night sky. Hundreds of stars appeared in every direction, and the edge of the Milky Way sparkled on the horizon.
As the chopper began to move horizontally, Zane pulled his legs back inside and slid the door shut.
“What is that?” Brett asked, pointing at something in the distance.
Everyone crowded up against the window.
Zane looked out over the horizon. Finally, he saw what Brett was referring to. A thin sliver of brightness appeared in the distance. It slowly grew wider, as though a door to another dimension were being opened.
“Good grief,” Amanda whispered.
“What is it?” Brett asked.
“It looks like some kind of portal,” Amanda said.
“Look… down there,” Jorge said.
Zane lowered his eyes. The dark triangular form of the alien ship rose toward the light. It was moving so quickly that it seemed like it was being sucked upwards by some celestial vacuum. Moments later, it slid into the light and the portal closed, transitioning the night sky back to darkness.
Suddenly Zane caught a flash on the summit below. It began as a point of light then expanded into a towering fireball.
They must have left an explosive device behind, he thought. They knew their outpost was breached, and they wanted to destroy any remaining evidence of their presence.
Zane turned and shouted for everyone to hold on.
Seconds later, the chopper was rocked violently by the blast wave. The big bird tilted on its side, shaking from the impact. There were yells and screams as everyone rolled toward the bay door.
After rocking dangerously, the bird finally righted itself and continued on, shooting out over the dark jungle below.
CHAPTER SIXTY
Zane Watson placed the last of the four drinks on the tray then left the kitchen and exited the house through the sliding glass door. The sun had almost sunk below the horizon as he stepped out onto the deck and closed the screen panel behind him.
The sound of soft conversation greeted him as he made his way over to the semicircle of chairs. He approached the one on the far left first. A brown-haired woman was seated there, her beautiful features flickering in the light of a nearby tiki torch. He extended a pineapple martini. “Dr. Mills.”
“Why thank you, Dr. Watson,” she said.
He moved two chairs down and handed Brett Foster a bottled beer.
“Thank you, sir,” he replied.
Zane then approached the last chair and lifted a glass off the tray. “And finally, a non-alcoholic watermelon and kiwifruit splash for our nondrinking resident Christian.”
“Thank you,” Amanda said, taking the glass from him. “Hey, I did have two glasses of wine. I just have my limits. Any more and I might start dancing.”
Brett snapped his fingers and pointed at the house. “Zane, another glass of chard for the lady, please.”
Amanda popped his arm playfully.
After setting the tray down on the table, Zane took his beer and sank into the seat next to Katiya. She reached over and gave his hand a little squeeze out of the sight of the others.
“I still can’t get over this view,” Amanda said.
Zane nodded in agreement as he looked out at the private cove behind the home. It was encircled by palm trees, their limbs swaying gently in the evening breeze. In the distance, the last sliver of sun sat on the ocean, casting a few final rays of orange and lavender across the water.
“It must be nice to have rich friends,” Brett said. “So how did you swing this place again?”
“Let’s just say we’ve developed a bartering system,” Zane said. “I maintain his planes. I clean them, service the engines… I do whatever’s necessary to keep them purring like kittens.” He waved his hand toward the cove. “In return, he lets me enjoy this little slice of heaven. Oh, and I also get to use his condo in Breckenridge if I’m in the mood for a change in climate.”
Brett shook his head. “The southern tip of Florida or the mountains of Colorado? It must be horribly stressful trying to make up your mind.”
“I think you’re getting the better end of that barter,” Katiya said.
Zane smiled and took another sip. The four sat for a few minutes in silence, enjoying the view. Suddenly Zane heard the sound of flapping wings. He looked up and saw several white ibis soaring across the cove before disappearing into a grove of palms.
Brett looked at Katiya. “So, you really believe the grays were fallen angels? Considering your profession, I might have expected a different answer.”
Katiya kept her eyes fixed on the sunset. “I only said it was possible, which is a big move for me. I have to follow the facts where they lead. As you know, I’m not a particularly religious person.” She took a sip of her martini and set the glass down on the table. “But through my years of research, I have come to believe in the supernatural. The evidence for another realm of existence is overwhelming, and I accepted that long before our little trip into the jungle.” She looked at Brett. “As for the grays, I can’t rule out the possibility that they were some sort of alien species either. But everything we discovered, particularly what was in that temple, points to the biblical narrative.”
Brett’s eyes narrowed. “So you’re saying they built that temple?”
Amanda addressed him. “Katiya and I have discussed this over the last few days. We believe the Nephilim built all of the stone structures we encountered. The bridge, the mountain tunnels, and the temple.”
“Remember the Nephilim were incredibly large,” Katiya added. “Both the ancient texts and the historical record indicate many were in excess of fifteen feet tall. It would’ve taken immensely large beings to transport some of those stones to the mountain summit.”
Amanda nodded in agreement.
Brett looked at Amanda. “You mentioned that the fallen angels descended on Mount Hermon. Let’s assume for argument’s sake that story is true. How did their offspring, the giants, end up in South America?”
“That’s a good question,” Amanda said. “Many believe there was a global diaspora of Nephilim after the Israelites conquered the Levant. I’m sure you remember God instructing them to wipe out the tribes living there.” After Brett nodded, she continued. “You may also remember that the Israelites weren’t completely successful in carrying that out. Some of the Nephilim fled on foot to places like Egypt. Others boarded boats that took them to points as far away as North and South America.”