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Back The Occurrence Save as PDF
Chapters (117)
  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. PART ONE: Up From Buried Light
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. PART TWO: Re-Entry
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. PART THREE: Convergence
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. PART FOUR: Surrender
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. PART FIVE: The Tablets
  67. 58
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. PART SIX: The Trial
  76. 66
  77. 67
  78. 68
  79. PART SEVEN: The Cave of Memory
  80. 69
  81. 70
  82. 71
  83. 72
  84. 73
  85. 74
  86. 75
  87. 76
  88. 77
  89. 78
  90. 79
  91. 80
  92. 81
  93. 82
  94. 83
  95. PART EIGHT: Guardians
  96. 84
  97. 85
  98. 86
  99. 87
  100. 88
  101. 89
  102. 90
  103. 91
  104. 92
  105. 93
  106. 94
  107. PART NINE: Into Buried Light
  108. 95
  109. 96
  110. 97
  111. 98
  112. 99
  113. 100
  114. 101
  115. 102
  116. 103
  117. Acknowledgments

She wanted also to say to him what she’d said to Bruton—that we will never reach the level of evolution the tablet speaks of until everyone reveals the scope of their operations, and the heart and soul of how they think. But she decided to not do anything that would jeopardize how far she’d come.

“Is there something else on your mind, Miss Valen?” the president asked.

Bruton gave her a look that communicated he knew what she was thinking. The look said, don’t fuck this up now.

“No, sir. Not at this time.”

“Keep me posted, Charles.”

“Yes, sir.”

The president left the room.

“It was wise you stopped yourself again,” Bruton said.

“I know.”

“Don’t put that quid pro quo in the space anymore with him, or you’ll find yourself in huge trouble.”

“I’m not a fool, Charles. America’s never been good at giving this for that at a level that could change the world. And, we’ll never reach the level of evolution the tablet speaks of until everyone sees the evil they’ve committed, and gives up something they don’t want to reveal.”

She turned to leave. He reached out to her. She stopped.

“They’ll use anything to justify what they do.”

“And we don’t?”

Are you certain about the imam?”

“Like I told the president, I’m betting my life on it.”

“You’re betting your life on a lot of things.”

“If I didn’t think it worth it, I would’ve chosen a safer line of work.”

“We need to bring Catherine Book in on this, to keep an eye on all of what happens.”

“I’ll talk with her.”

“I already have.”

97

97

Tuesday, October 27

The young driver of the pickup truck flipped down the visor as morning sun shot across the windshield. His passenger did the same.

The truck fit in with the others on the road and drew no attention as it made its way through the streets of Fremont County, Colorado. It was the opposite of the armored entourage that brought Hashim here. The driver and the two men in the backseat were FBI. They wore work clothes and were armed. Hashim, in the passenger seat, was dressed like them, in a plaid shirt and wool cap over his head.

It was late morning when the truck pulled up to the white line passenger drop off at Denver International.

Two undercover agents who took over control of the situation greeted the FBI men and Hashim.

“Where the fuck you guys taking him?”

The agents ignored the question and moved with Hashim into the terminal.