were crisp, not showing any of the aging that a building this old would exhibit.
“Yes,” Madame Mercier replied. “A few years ago, maybe five or six, the trustees received a gift from a benefactor.”
“Who?”
“Mrs. Edgarton. She’s on the board.”
Val’s eyes narrowed. Everyone knew Mrs. Edgarton. She practically ran the country. She only slept with men richer and more famous than herself. That left the general, President Charles, and the tsar.
“Mrs. Edgarton funded a redo of the school?”
“Just the basement and foundation and some structural supports. The theatre was refurbished, as was this studio, and the offices and practice rooms behind that door. She redid the electrical system, as well.”
“Why?”
“The school was about to be condemned. The basement was crumbling; the building could collapse. The electrical system could have burned the place down. It had to be done.”
“The girl must have come to and run away through that door,” Val said. “Unless something came out and dragged her back there.”
“Richard is the only one back there. He wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
“We’ll see.” Val raised her weapon and nodded to her men. “Follow me.”
The team reached the doorway at the end of the room and opened it. The hallway was absolutely black. They shot their high-intensity flashlight beams down it and could see nothing.
“Let’s go in,” Val ordered.
“Richard’s room is up there,” Madame Mercier called from the rear of the column.
They found a door with the top glass panel blown out. “That’s his room,” Mercier shouted. Val motioned the agents to enter. They had flak jackets, flashlights, and enough weaponry to subdue anything.
“Holy shit!” That was Will. “Jesus, what a mess.”
Val moved quickly through the door and shone her light inside. Her nose wrinkled. Few people knew how badly the contents of human intestines smelled when ripped open. She stepped over a severed leg. Muscle and skin, guts and their contents, and pieces of the body were thrown all over. The floor was slippery with blood. Lockers were tossed around as though a giant had been playing with them. A barbell loaded with weights was imbedded in the wall.
“Here’s his head,” Will said from behind some downed lockers. “Oh, my God.”
That kid Richard had been shredded by something that hated him very much.
“Madame Mercier... stop, don’t come in.”
But she had already entered the room and was standing beside the head of her favorite student and lover. It looked like it had been gnawed and partially consumed.
“Oh.” She held one hand to her throat for an instant. “Richard. Who did this to you?” She bent over his ruined head.
Val moved back to the room’s door and spoke into her walkie-talkie, leaving the other woman to her grief. “We need reinforcements. Full backup. This is Code Red. Repeat: Code Red. We have an act of terrorism.”
When the blast came, the only thing that saved her was the fact that she was in the doorway.
15
“T hat was well done, Mel,” a voice Eliana didn’t recognize said. “Find an alien and scare her to death.”
“I’m sorry, Jeremy. I wanted to keep her quiet until we could get her in here and explain.”
“Why didn’t you say, ‘Olga, I’m your teacher, Mr. Adams. We’re trying to save your life.’ That would reassure her, don’t you think?”
“Look, I’m sorry. I’ve had a lot on my mind. I mean, shit...”
“I’ve been having a bad day, too, Mel, trying to save my friends from the nuclear holocaust tomorrow morning. I just found out, too. I thought you could handle a skinny girl.”
The second voice was higher than the first one, which told Eliana that the person was younger. She was in a state where she could hear and think, but not move.
“How long until she comes out of it?”
“Beats me, Mel. I don’t know that much about aliens.”
“But you did predict this behavior.”
“Yeah. That comes from
“Yes,” Madame Mercier replied. “A few years ago, maybe five or six, the trustees received a gift from a benefactor.”
“Who?”
“Mrs. Edgarton. She’s on the board.”
Val’s eyes narrowed. Everyone knew Mrs. Edgarton. She practically ran the country. She only slept with men richer and more famous than herself. That left the general, President Charles, and the tsar.
“Mrs. Edgarton funded a redo of the school?”
“Just the basement and foundation and some structural supports. The theatre was refurbished, as was this studio, and the offices and practice rooms behind that door. She redid the electrical system, as well.”
“Why?”
“The school was about to be condemned. The basement was crumbling; the building could collapse. The electrical system could have burned the place down. It had to be done.”
“The girl must have come to and run away through that door,” Val said. “Unless something came out and dragged her back there.”
“Richard is the only one back there. He wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
“We’ll see.” Val raised her weapon and nodded to her men. “Follow me.”
The team reached the doorway at the end of the room and opened it. The hallway was absolutely black. They shot their high-intensity flashlight beams down it and could see nothing.
“Let’s go in,” Val ordered.
“Richard’s room is up there,” Madame Mercier called from the rear of the column.
They found a door with the top glass panel blown out. “That’s his room,” Mercier shouted. Val motioned the agents to enter. They had flak jackets, flashlights, and enough weaponry to subdue anything.
“Holy shit!” That was Will. “Jesus, what a mess.”
Val moved quickly through the door and shone her light inside. Her nose wrinkled. Few people knew how badly the contents of human intestines smelled when ripped open. She stepped over a severed leg. Muscle and skin, guts and their contents, and pieces of the body were thrown all over. The floor was slippery with blood. Lockers were tossed around as though a giant had been playing with them. A barbell loaded with weights was imbedded in the wall.
“Here’s his head,” Will said from behind some downed lockers. “Oh, my God.”
That kid Richard had been shredded by something that hated him very much.
“Madame Mercier... stop, don’t come in.”
But she had already entered the room and was standing beside the head of her favorite student and lover. It looked like it had been gnawed and partially consumed.
“Oh.” She held one hand to her throat for an instant. “Richard. Who did this to you?” She bent over his ruined head.
Val moved back to the room’s door and spoke into her walkie-talkie, leaving the other woman to her grief. “We need reinforcements. Full backup. This is Code Red. Repeat: Code Red. We have an act of terrorism.”
When the blast came, the only thing that saved her was the fact that she was in the doorway.
15
“T hat was well done, Mel,” a voice Eliana didn’t recognize said. “Find an alien and scare her to death.”
“I’m sorry, Jeremy. I wanted to keep her quiet until we could get her in here and explain.”
“Why didn’t you say, ‘Olga, I’m your teacher, Mr. Adams. We’re trying to save your life.’ That would reassure her, don’t you think?”
“Look, I’m sorry. I’ve had a lot on my mind. I mean, shit...”
“I’ve been having a bad day, too, Mel, trying to save my friends from the nuclear holocaust tomorrow morning. I just found out, too. I thought you could handle a skinny girl.”
The second voice was higher than the first one, which told Eliana that the person was younger. She was in a state where she could hear and think, but not move.
“How long until she comes out of it?”
“Beats me, Mel. I don’t know that much about aliens.”
“But you did predict this behavior.”
“Yeah. That comes from
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