by John Sneeden
Zane nodded but said nothing.
“But that’s not why I called you over. I think we have a problem.”
A hard gust of wind blew through the clearing. A few leaves broke from tree branches and bounced across the ground. Zane could tell that the storm was about to unleash its fury. “I know. I was just about to get everyone to set up the tents—”
“No, not that. Something else.” The Brazilian motioned for Zane to follow him.
As they continued up the trail, Zane could see that it ended in a T-shaped intersection with another, larger trail that ran north-south along the east side of the stream. Before arriving at the intersection, Jorge stopped at a large grove of ferns on the left. He grabbed several fronds and pulled them back. Zane squatted and looked in the darkness beyond. There, lying hidden just out of sight, was a pile of ropes and boards.
The bridge.
“I found some more footprints and followed them here,” Jorge said.
Zane bent over and grabbed one of the ropes. He examined the end carefully, noting the strands had been sliced through cleanly. “I’d say it was cut with a knife, a very sharp one.”
Jorge nodded. “It confirms what I had already guessed, that someone took the bridge down on purpose.”
Zane tossed the rope back to the ground. “Who do you think did it?”
“That is the million-dollar question.”
“And what’s the answer?”
Jorge took a draw on his cigar and allowed the smoke to drift slowly out of his mouth. Finally, he said, “Someone who hoped a few of us would die crossing that stream.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
AMANDA TOSSED ANOTHER tree limb on the fire, sending a plume of crackling embers into the air. Thankfully, Artur had collected and covered some wood before the storm hit. And now that the fire was going, he had stacked some wet limbs and branches nearby to dry them out. The Brazilians were worth their weight in gold out here in the jungle.
A melancholy atmosphere permeated the camp in the wake of Nash’s death. Everyone was still stunned by the scene they’d witnessed only hours before. It was one thing to hear of a horrible death. It was another thing altogether to witness it for yourself. But it wasn’t only the shock of watching it; it was the shock of knowing they’d been on land for less than twenty-four hours and already someone had lost their life.
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.”
Katiya stared at the fire, lost in thought. After a moment, she looked at Amanda. “I think I’m starting to piece this together now.”
“Piece what together?”
“Do you remember our conversation on the boat?”
Not only did Amanda remember the entire conversation, but she could probably repeat it verbatim. She had hung on Katiya’s every word. She nodded.
Katiya’s eyes gleamed in the firelight. “I think I’ve discovered a link between CERN and the place we’re marching toward here in the Amazon. But it doesn’t stop there… I think I’ve been able to find a thread that links places all over the earth, including sites in the United States.”
“What?”
Katiya leaned forward and whispered, “In regards to extraterrestrials, you’ve probably heard the word disclosure. People keep waiting for governments to finally admit that alien life exists and that they’ve been visiting us for decades, if not centuries or longer. Well, if I’m right, then I believe that in the not-too-distant future, they won’t have a choice any longer. They’ll have to admit it because the flood gates will have opened, and there’ll be no turning back.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“OKAY, YOU’VE BEEN way too cryptic,” Amanda said. “Time for some answers.”
“I agree,” Katiya replied. “Stay right here.” The anthropologist rose to her feet, skirted the fire, and entered her tent.
As she waited, Amanda thought back on what Katiya had just said: that she’d discovered a link between CERN and the place they were trying to find deep in the jungle. But other than the audio transmission picked up by NASA, Amanda couldn’t imagine what that link might be. She’d conducted her own research on the crater while they were on the boat, and she’d only been able to find out a few insignificant facts. One being that scientists weren’t sure whether the crater had been caused by a meteor or whether it had simply formed that way.
Katiya returned with her tablet and sat down once again. “Okay, here we go.” She turned on the device as Amanda scooted closer. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to share this information. Remember, I’m an academic, which means I don’t like to share things until I’m certain I’m on solid ground.”
“Has Zane seen this?”
“No, but I’m going to show it to him as soon as we’re done.” Katiya tapped on a folder titled Global Research. Then she opened a subfolder titled Map. “I actually started putting this together a couple of years ago.”
An interactive map of the earth appeared, filling most of the screen. Hundreds of red dots were scattered across every continent.
“As you may have already guessed,” Katiya continued, “the red markers represent sightings, abductions… any event potentially linked to extraterrestrials.” She used a finger to rotate the image of the earth. Some places had only a few dots, while others had clusters so thick the entire region became red. “I thought it might be nice to see if there were any geographic trends.”
“Amazing how many sightings there are.”
“Keep in mind these only represent the ones we’ve accepted. Each event has to go through a vetting process. First, we screen each one for fraud. As I told you before, we do that by conducting interviews and performing background checks on the person or persons making the claim. Next, we make sure the sighting couldn’t be explained by something mundane. For example, UFO sightings near Air Force bases are often just stealth bombers or other classified aircraft.”
Amanda nodded. “I’ve often wondered about that.”
“If an event makes it through each of our hurdles, it becomes official. It’s then, and only then, that we place a red marker on the interactive map. As expected, we discovered there are indeed areas of high activity around the world. You can see a UFO anywhere, but they tend to be clustered in areas we call hot zones.” Katiya used the touch screen to zoom in on the southwestern US. She traced a finger along a rectangular red blotch that seemed to stretch for hundreds of miles. “This corridor in Arizona and New Mexico is one of the biggest on the planet.”
“Amazing,” Amanda whispered.
“It is, but you haven’t seen anything yet. What I’m about to show you will blow your mind. Take a look at this.” Katiya selected an option from a drop-down menu, and suddenly green dots appeared, many of them clustered in the same places as the red ones. “As we plotted all of this out, one of my graduate students noticed something strange. As our map began to take shape, she recognized something immediately. She noticed that the places with the most UFO sightings were also places associated with high levels of paranormal activity: floating orbs, mysterious lights, ghosts, apparitions, strange creatures, animal mutilations… basically things that go bump in the night.”
“How did she know that?”
“She had been obsessed with paranormal things her entire life. She watched horror movies and read books on ghosts as a kid… she was even a ghost tour guide at one time.”
“So do you think there’s some sort of a connection?”
“There is no doubt in my mind there’s a connection. To be sure, there are a few places where the correlation isn’t precise, but it’s the exceptions that confirm the rule. Here, let me give you another example.” She moved the map until the eastern United States came into view. She pointed at a spot along the southeast coast that was smothered in red and green. “This is Savannah, Georgia. I always knew it was famous for its resident ghosts, but until we started gathering data, I had no idea it had more than its share of UFO sightings as well. Go fifty miles in any direction, and the sightings seem to dry up.”
Amanda nodded slowly. “My parents took me to Savannah when I was a kid. I remember hearing someone say it’s the m
ost haunted city in the United States.”
“Precisely. Show me a haunted area, and I’ll show you lots of UFOs and abduction claims. The two go hand in hand.”
Amanda leaned back. “Any theories as to why that might be?”
“The way I see it, there are really only two possibilities. You could take the alien view, which means extraterrestrials are responsible for events that we would classify as paranormal. Or, conversely, there are some who might say that all of these things, including UFOs, have some sort of spiritual explanation.”
“I’m confused. How can extraterrestrials be responsible for ghosts?”
Katiya shrugged. “Cloaking devices, for one. We may see them only when they want us to or only when there is a malfunction of their technology. Ghosts could also be some sort of hologram, images projected by the aliens. A lot of this could be experimentation, with Earth as their test tube.”
“Okay, so we know we’re dealing with either ETs or something from the spirit world,” Amanda said. “Whatever the source, why do they congregate in certain areas?”
“That, my friend, is what I’ve been working on night and day. And I think I have the answer.” Katiya looked at the map again. “Let’s go back to the area of high activity in the southwestern US.” She zoomed in on the area. “As you can see, a large corridor of markers stretches across two states, Arizona and New Mexico. The most infamous event in this zone was the crash of the alien craft in Roswell, New Mexico. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.” Katiya pointed at the swath of green that also covered the area. “What most people don’t realize is that this region is also known to have some of the most haunted pieces of real estate anywhere on earth.”
Amanda lifted an eyebrow. “I didn’t know that.”
“As I said, most don’t. The paranormal side of the equation doesn’t get as much publicity as do UFO sightings. I think it’s because it’s easier for people to believe in alien life than it is for them to believe in the supernatural, although that’s changing.” She turned back to her screen. “Anyway, let’s look at a couple of places within this zone, specifically in Arizona. One is a remote mountain range known as the Superstition Mountains. The Apache Indians call it the Devil’s Playground.”