Clutching her clothes and shoes in one hand, securing the comforter around herself with the other, Olivia scrambled awkwardly out of the back of the SUV and hustled, barefoot, to the front door of the house. She was pretty sure she heard some giggling in the fog, but she ignored it.

“You know, viewed from a certain perspective, one could say this situation is sort of humorous,” Harlan said as she zipped past him into the hall.

“Only a dumbass would risk saying something really stupid like that.”

“Right.”

CHAPTER 36

Fifteen minutes later, his hair still damp from the shower, Harlan was in the trailer that served as the headquarters for the Fogg Lake Foundation crew. At Olivia’s insistence he had found a fresh set of clothes in his duffel bag, but he had not taken the time to shave. Thankfully, someone had placed a cup of coffee in his hand.

He put the landline phone on speaker so that Dexter Rose and some of his team could listen. Victor Arganbright and Lucas Pine were on the other end of the connection.

“What have you got?” Harlan asked.

“Not everything you need,” Lucas said. “Not by a long shot. But there’s been some progress on this end. North Chastain was able to stabilize Ash’s aura. The kid’s no longer in a deep trance, but he’s not fully awake. He keeps sliding in and out of a dreamstate. North thinks he’ll recover in a few hours.”

“Who is North Chastain?” Harlan asked.

“Long story,” Victor said. “All you need to know is that he has an artifact that can be used to stabilize psychic trauma in some cases.”

“When Ash is awake he’s in a state of near panic,” Lucas said. “He says he’ll die if he doesn’t get a dose of the serum. When he’s not fretting about that, he’s panicked about being separated from the rest of the team. Says if he’s not there when Barrow arrives, he’ll die.”

“Who is Barrow?” Harlan asked.

“We’re not sure yet,” Victor said. “But I think we can assume he’s the one who is supposed to pick up the team and take them back to the island.”

“Where does the team meet Barrow?” Harlan asked. “Ash must know that much.”

“Good question,” Lucas said. “We’re working on that angle, too, but Ash’s pals will have been picked up by now. They’ll be back on the island.”

“Maybe not,” Harlan said.

“Why would they be sitting around at the pickup point?” Victor asked. There was no sarcasm in his tone. He was intrigued.

“Because they failed,” Harlan said. “Got a feeling that is not an option for them. They’re young, they’re kept on a tight leash with the serum, they’re disposable. We need to find the rest of Ash’s crew before it’s too late.”