“No one’s looking for me. And whoever’s responsible won’t be up there now. Not if it’s been entered. If Lauren’s there . . . Fuck.”

“Thomas, are you sure?” Anne said. “I can come.”

“What about Carina?”

“What about me?”

They turned to see the girl in the doorway to her bedroom. She wore pajamas, held a stuffed toy.

“Go back to bed, sweet pea. It’s the middle of the night.”

“Daddy.” Carina walked over to her father. He picked her up.

“Everything’s okay.”

But the girl sensed something and began to cry.

“Who’s the person?” she said, pointing at Kane.

“You remember Edward. We met him by the beach yesterday. He’s a friend.”

“Hey, Carina,” Kane said.

The girl hid her face against her father’s shoulder.

“How might you be getting off the island?” Kane said.

“There’s a plane going to Florida tomorrow night,” Anne said. “I don’t know if we can get you on it too, if that’s something you need. It may be your best option.” Anne gazed at her daughter’s back, deep in contemplation. Then a radio transceiver on the kitchen table crackled into life and she picked it up, walking away.

“Command, this is Alpha 1.” She stepped into the kitchen, came back a few seconds later.

“I’m going to have to go in,” she said grimly.

“At this time?” Thomas said.

“Yeah, at this time.”

“What’s going on?”

“Issues. I can be back in an hour.”

“Well, I need to take a look at Devil’s Ashpit before it starts getting light.”

“I can keep an eye on things,” Kane said.

“Are you sure?” Anne said. “I won’t be too long.”

It wasn’t the worst option, he reasoned. He needed means of communication to alert Taylor to the tracking station and the new territory he’d found himself on. From Kane’s experience of US bases there’d be decent internet—both laptops around and public PCs. Maybe a free phone. Maybe something in the Lindgrens’ cabin. And then? The police and Administrator were a problem. His total absence of trust in them was a problem. Most of the potential plans of action involved revealing that he was more than an academic. He needed at least three men, armed, who would take orders that superseded those of the police and possibly any senior military personnel. That might involve establishing an autonomous chain of command from the UK.

Carina was howling now. “Don’t go, Daddy.”

“I’ve got to go do something, sweetheart. I’ll be back.” He handed the girl over to her mother. “I’m not wasting another moment. Where’s this entrance to the basement?” he asked Kane.

“There’s a door off the largest room, in the center of the building, marked with an electrical-hazard sign. The hatch is on the other side.”

“Okay. I’ll be back, one way or another.”