Siegfried’s response was an angry tirade that forced Cameron to hold the receiver away from his ear. Even Corrina cringed.

Cameron handed the phone back to the receptionist. He’d not heard every word of Siegfried’s invective but the meaning was clear. Cameron was to get reinforcements over there immediately and detain the alien doctors.

Cameron unsnapped the straps over both his Beretta and the radio simultaneously. He pulled the radio free and made an emergency call to base while he started for the hospital.

Room 302 turned out to be in the front of the building with a fine view out over the square looking east. Jack and the others had found the room without difficulty. No one had challenged them. In fact, they hadn’t seen a person as they’d made their way from the elevator to the room’s open door.

Jack had knocked but it was obvious the room was momentarily empty although there’d been plenty of evidence the room was occupied. A television with a built-in VCR was on, and it was showing an old Paul Newman movie. The hospital bed was moderately disheveled. An open, half-packed suitcase was poised on a luggage stand.

The mystery was solved when Laurie noticed the sounds of a shower behind the closed bathroom door.

When the water stopped running, Jack had knocked, but it wasn’t until almost ten minutes later that Horace Winchester appeared.

The patient was in his mid-fifties and corpulent. But he looked happy and healthy. He cinched up the tie on his bathrobe and padded over to the club chair by the bed. He sat down with a satisfied sigh.

“What’s the occasion?” he asked, smiling at his guests. “This is more company than I’ve had the whole time I’ve been here.”

“How are you feeling?” Jack asked. He grabbed a straight-back chair and sat down directly in front of Horace. Warren and Natalie lurked just outside the door. They felt reluctant to enter the room. Laurie went to the window. After seeing the group of soldiers, she’d become progressively anxious. She was eager to make the visit short and get back to the boat.

“I’m feeling just great,” Horace said. “It’s a miracle. I came here at death’s door and as yellow as a canary. Look at me now! I’m ready for thirty-six holes of golf at one of my resorts. Hey, any of you people are invited to any of my places for as long as you want to stay, and it will all be on the house. Do you like to ski?”

“I do,” Jack said. “But I’d rather talk about your case. I understand you had a liver transplant here. I’d like to ask where the liver came from?”

A half smile puckered Horace’s face as he regarded Jack out of the corner of his eye. “Is this some kind of test?” he asked. “Because if it is, it’s not necessary. I’m not going to be telling anyone. I couldn’t be more grateful. In fact, as soon as I can, I’m going to have another double made.”