He thought back on the thing in the tunnel. Seeing that face had drawn vague images to mind, hazy memories that had caused him to realize that he had little actual recollection of his life before the army. He remembered college, he remembered living in a little house in a garden, and with these memories came a kind of homesickness, as if he had left behind his real place in the world.

Who was he, really? Was he only part human? These were agonizing questions, but the answers seemed far away. If he was as that creature had described him and had been created by human science, then somebody had made fantastic progress in genetic manipulation.

When he heard the last of the ambulances pull away, he went to the front of the Glade and stood in the door watching them go. He did not go farther, not and risk Gina’s wrath.

Linda and Pete now stood across the broad street in front of the dark motel, speaking intently together. From time to time, they glanced toward him.

They came over, walking briskly under a sky that was glowing with faint predawn light. The fireline on the ridge behind the motel continued to flare, but less than before.

“Mark,” Pete said, “why don’t you come out? You’ve been in there all night.”

The dawn wind had come up, bringing with it the sweetness of the forest, the awakening tang of the pines and the perfume of flowers, blowing away the oily smoke that had been hanging over the town since about three.

“Come on, Mark,” Linda said. “You haven’t reported to Gina in hours. You need to report.”

“Gina can see.”

Pete spoke, his voice urgent. “What’s wrong, Mark? What aren’t you telling us?”

“You went to Fort Huachuca. Didn’t they tell you about me there?”

They watched him, their faces carefully neutral. “We all went to Huachuca. It was for reaction-time training. To keep up with you.”

“Did they tell you why you’d need special training to keep up with some fat, old colonel?”

They both laughed, but not a lot.

“Colonel Bryan,” Linda said, “we don’t know how you do what you do, but we’re here, and a lot of lives are saved because of you.”

“I took a couple of long jumps, like a hybrid might. Does that concern you?”

Linda raised her eyes to his. “So, are you a hybrid? Is that what you’re trying to tell us?” She looked away.

He said nothing. Nothing said everything.

*   *   *

A hand covered Gina’s hand, warm and encompassing, firmly male.

She had the presence of mind not to react immediately, but she would have this asshole of a guard brought up on charges, that was for damn sure.