The walkways were three feet wide, crossing at right angles to one another over the precise center of the pit. Thick metal rods, descending from the ceiling, held the walks firmly suspended in place. There was a door ending the walk to their left, and a third door, painted red, directly across from them. That door featured a large decal with the yellow symbol for a biohazard. Even from where he stood, he could read the words below the symbol: CAUTION RADIATION AREA.

Lou batted at a huge termite that buzzed past his face. “Behind that door is where they must be mutating the termites,” Lou said as much to himself as to Stone. “And the conveyor belt in the lab we just passed through is where they fire the termite reproductive genes into the corn seeds.”

He had been so astonished by what he was seeing that it took some time for him to register that the police chief was not.

Stone nudged the toe of his boot against a sturdy metal pole resting by his foot. The pole had what looked like several extension segments, and the head of it had a rotating claw for grabbing and gripping. Lou wondered if it was used for feeding.

“I’m guessing these are your bugs,” Stone said, too nonchalantly.

Lou looked over at the heavy service revolver and felt himself shudder. “No ladders. There’s a reason people don’t want to go down into that pit. The termites must not be able to scale that surface.”

Stone appeared somewhat troubled. “And you think the bugs little Joey adopted slipped out of a crack somewhere in the foundation here?”

“I do. Or else enough of them flew out and escaped this place to start a colony.”

“Let’s see if we can find where that leak might have happened. That infernal clicking and grinding can really get to you. Can’t hardly hear your own footsteps sometimes. It’s like they’re constantly eating.”

But eating what?

Stone stepped out onto the catwalk until he was standing above one of the larger mounds.

Now with his senses electrified, Lou followed. Stone’s haphazard approach to investigating the lab and observing the termite metropolis continued to gnaw at him. Even without firsthand knowledge of police departmental procedure, Lou assumed that Stone had violated many safety measures in this investigation.

If he’s so familiar with this place, Lou wondered, why did he even let me come down here? If anything happens to me, it would be Stone’s responsibility.

Lou glanced down into the pit again. Something between two mounds directly beneath him caught his eye—a glint of gold. He strained to get a better look. Then his body tensed and he broke into a chilling sweat. The golden object was a necklace with a handcuff pendant attached—Notso Brite’s necklace.

It was at that moment Lou knew exactly why the chief had let him tag along.

Chapter 44

CHAPTER 44