BooksBarbecue
Back Point Last Seen
Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

She wanted him in that bed with her. She thought human contact would keep the terrors away.

He hoped to hell she was right—about her terrors and his—and climbed in. He rested on his back, his arms outside the covers.

She reached for his wrist and tugged, brought him onto his side and placed his arm around her waist, spooned her.

This night was one torment after another. He might as well bid slumber farewell.

Then, unexpectedly, he fell into the dark, warm depths of sleep.

8

Aboard the Research Vessel Arcturus.
Off the Central California Coast.

“WHAT’S THE HELICOPTER DOING HERE?” DeAnna stepped out into the morning sun and watched it spill onto the deck of the Arcturus.

Liam whipped around to face her. “Did you not hear what happened?”

“When?”

“Last night!”

“No. Those rough seas... I don’t know how you guys drink and party when it’s that rough. I was downstairs tossing my cookies.”

“We’ve got a disaster on our hands.” Liam’s face was grim. “Last night around nine, Stephen disappeared from the party.”

“Stephen Penderghast?”

“Yes, Penderghast!”

EMTs leaped out of the helicopter with a stretcher. Someone in the dining room was waving them in the door. The crew ran into the dim depths.

DeAnna leaned forward. “Tell me.”

Because Stephen Penderghast was the man who funded this research vessel. The hundred-and-sixty-meter Arcturus carried sixty scientists, interns and students who studied, among other things, marine biology, undersea currents, meteorology and, because of the lack of light pollution on the high seas, astronomy. The vessel supported a removable lab van, multibeam sonar, a subbottom profiler (subject to much humor among the younger researchers) and an excellent telepresence that brought in land-bound researchers. The accommodations were luxurious and included a gym and cruise-ship-quality mess hall. All this, and the only thing they had to do was keep Stephen Penderghast up-to-date on developments in their fields.

Scientists no longer got to be nerdy, pocket-protector-wearing, unsociable lab masters. To be on this ship, they had to present Stephen with explanations about how their research would add to the base of knowledge and forward the progress of humanity. He would check up on them, too, requiring face-to-face meetings to ask them questions and listen closely to the answers.

What amazed the researchers was how much from every field he understood, how well he put them at ease and how he never took advantage of his power.

“He’d been gone about a half hour when Lily decided to call it quits. When she came back in, she was sopping wet, sobbing and carrying on, and we couldn’t understand her. Then we didn’t believe what she was saying.”

“You guys are such jackasses,” DeAnna said contemptuously.

“You know she gets hysterical about nothing.”

“Finding the rubber rat you planted in her desk is not nothing.”

People were appearing on deck, gathering in small groups, talking anxiously.