When she is through, he leans back against a lamp post, rubbing his brow. ‘Jesus, Lauren, how’d you get yourself into this mess?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘And you really think these people have connections within our government?’

‘Yes! Weren’t you paying attention?’

‘Okay, okay.’

‘Sam, that PAWS drone will alert the cops. We have to get out of here.’

He recalls Jacob’s last words. ‘I think I know somewhere we can go.’

Hangar 13
Friday Evening

The parking lot of Hangar 13 is filled beyond capacity.

HOPE employees are arriving by car and bus, board members by private helojet. An invading army of technicians and scientists, engineers and associates—all waiting their turn to view the alien starship berthed in the main hangar bay.

Inside the complex, away from the action, four people emerge from their hiding place beneath the Japanese A-frame.

The two bodyguards, Salt and Pepper, stand vigil at the front porch. Each is wearing an aluminum foil EMP suit, designed to shield their nervous systems from the effects of taser fire. Dominique is inside Jacob’s home, anxiously waiting for her son to finish working at his computer.

Mitchell Kurtz scans the atrium using his smart-glasses. ‘Here we go. Northern entrance. I see four guards, all carrying stun guns.’

‘They’re yours,’ says Pep. ‘I’ll get Dom and the kid.’

Jacob finishes uploading information from his computer terminal. ‘Computer, complete upload to mainframe, then erase all records … Password: Gabriel Alpha-Zulu-Delta-4 Ahau, 8 Cumku.’

UPLOAD COMPLETED. ALL RECORDS HAVE BEEN ERASED.

‘Jacob?’

‘Mother, listen to me carefully. Go with Salt and Pepper, they’ll get you out of here. Pick up Eve Mohr, then meet me at the rendezvous point.’

‘What about Manny?’

‘He’ll be all right.’ He forces a smile, then hugs her tightly. ‘Remember, do exactly what we talked about, and I’ll see you soon.’

Pepper yanks open one of the shoji panels, the powerful bodyguard literally tearing it from its frame. ‘We gotta go—now!’ He grabs Dominique by the arm, half-carrying her through the fragmented doorway.

She looks over her shoulder.

Jacob is gone.

Mitchell Kurtz glances up casually as four heavily armed Mabus security guards make their way across the bridge. ‘Evening, fellas.’

‘Don’t move. Don’t even blink.’

Kurtz smiles. In a millisecond, his thought energy is processed through the neural shunt connected to his biceps, igniting the taser strapped to his forearm.

The four guards drop like a house of cards.

Jacob is in the central garden of his home, seated in a lotus position. Registering the change in temperature, he opens his eyes.

Lilith is staring at him from the open shoji door. ‘Jacob?’

Jacob stares at her as if observing an approaching cobra, her smile electrifying his groin.

‘I always suspected you were still alive … always sensing the shadow of your presence.’ Her eyes flash violet. ‘You abandoned me!’

‘I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.’