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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

Vincente stood at the door to Jhana-Merise’s hospital room.

He watched her breathe.

She looked like an angel to him.

But she was still in a coma.

PART TWO: Re-Entry

PART TWO

Re-Entry

13

13

Thursday, September 10

Camp Victory Army Base, Baghdad. The military wasted no time debriefing Dominique and Julian, believing they had vital information regarding Hashim.

They were led into a squat, gray military compound in the Green Zone by more uniformed men than Dominique thought necessary, about to face an interrogation that would have questions Dominique knew would be driven by suspicion. The Defense Department’s new guideline was to treat journalists as “unprivileged belligerents.”

She and Julian waited alone in the antechamber.

“You’re not going to talk miracles in there, are you? That won’t be good for either of us,” he said.

“I’m not a fool.”

“They’re going to look for a way to compromise us. Maybe even be suspicious of us abetting Hashim and the kid’s escape. I wouldn’t hand it to them by saying we held hands.”

She knew if she mentioned the stone, or holding the hand of the man who’d executed her brother and wanted her dead, or the sunlight etched with strange script, her credibility would evaporate, and she’d find herself arrested. But what about Julian?

“What did you see that blinded you?” she asked.

He didn’t answer.

She pushed it.

“Did you see the words in the sunlight?”

He disappeared into himself. She was unable to talk her way into his silence.

The warehouse was a demarcation between the world she’d known and the one she’d crossed into. She knew Julian had crossed over into something, too.

She knew of mystical experiences. She’d read about them in the aftermath of her near-death when she was young. She was searching for meaning. She’d believed, questioned, doubted, even at times dismissed, that there was something more. Something beyond human reach. But she never could completely deny its existence, even when her memory was desperate to push what had happened to her as a child deep into the recesses of her mind. However slender that thread of experience, it never disappeared. The two others who were saved she knew must be questioning, doubting, and maybe even like Julian, dismissing what had happened. But it did happen. And there was a bond among them she knew she wouldn’t be able to shake. It terrified her that once again she’d be alone with no one to believe or share what had happened. But something had.

Julian was calm in his debriefing. He spoke of their luck surviving the blast. No mention of anything else. He said he was ready to rejoin his men in the field but was told by the General his tour of duty was over. The White House insisted.