Incarnate: Mars Origin "I" Series Book III by Abby L. Vandiver Page A

crackpot alien theorist. The author
page of Justin’s second book had told him that her first book had been written
as a fictionalized account of a different origin for man than the one in the
Bible. But, she admitted, the alternative history she told of in that first
book was true and that she would provide irrefutable proof of it. He had got a
hold of a copy and what he read cut at the very core of his being. It was pure
agnosticism.
    He
hated her even more after that. Hated what she had become and what she’d done
to him. To his life. If it hadn’t been for her Hannah would have had time to
tend to his needs.
    Simon,
an anthropologist, archaeologist and linguist, was Harvard educated. He had
been a lead research scientist at MIT in anthropology helping the institution
forge critical acclaim in an area other than engineering. But he had gotten
caught siphoning grant money from his projects. Hannah didn’t have time to help
him, as she had promised to restore his good name, but once she found out that
Justin had published a book on the manuscripts all bets were off. She became
obsessed. It was about that time that he also realized that Hannah wasn’t
playing with a full deck.
    And
that fact - that Hannah was crazy - had become over time, a comfort to him when
he’d agonize over killing her. And the anger he felt for Justin, although not
based on any of her actions toward him, was enough to make him want to kill
again. And he vowed he would the very next time he crossed paths with Justin
Dickerson.
    He
had tried to help Justin when Hannah first set her sights on her. Without
giving away his relationship with Hannah, he had tried to discourage Justin
from pursuing the proof that she sought to prove her incredible claims. But
that hadn’t worked. She wouldn’t stop and Hannah wouldn’t either. So he killed
Hannah. And he tried to set Justin up to die too. That hadn’t worked.
    But
now, he had another plan.
    And
it took stealing government money - again - to get it done.
    A
cacophony of noises skirted its way out from the green canopy hills of the hot
and humid rainforest and shot into his ears, banging into his brain giving him
a shiver. He ran his fingers through his shoulder-length, coal black hair that
had drawn up from the humidity, and wiped his sweaty palms down his white
cotton shirt.
    He
picked up the binoculars and aimed them at the backside of the pyramid. There
he saw Logan coming out of the pyramid and heading over behind to the
astronomic observatory and into the jungle.
    Although
he had searched the pyramid each night after Logan left to see what she was up
to, he didn’t much care. Nor did he care why she took to the jungle now every day.
She was green, new to the world of archaeology. It wouldn’t be long before
being in charge of such a large endeavor would be more than she could handle.
Overwhelmed she would need help. She would have to call her mother.
    He
couldn’t wait for that to happen.
    It
might have seemed like an elaborate plan to kill Justin, but in his mind it
worked. Kill her in a jungle. Bury her in ancient structures. No one had any
idea he had killed Hannah. He was sure he could get away with killing Justin,
too.

Chapter Twenty
     
    “Where
did you find it?”
    I
had to start the conversation. Logan seemed lost in thought as she drove. We
were in Logan’s rental car heading out from the Belize City International
Airport. She started rushing me as soon as I arrived. I hadn’t seen her when I
got off the plane, so I went to the restroom. Before I could squat, she was
calling my phone.
    “Where
are you?” was what I got from the other end. Not, a “ Hi, Mommy. Thanks for
coming. I’m here to pick you up. ”
    It
was so hot and the breeze that met me when I stepped off the plane made me wet
and my clothes sticky. I had needed to take a minute and catch my breath, go to
the restroom, but she was ready to go. I threw some water on my face and dried
my hands. But once she got in the