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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

“Of course I am.”

“What would you have me say to our son?”

She turned to him. Her eyes bloodshot. Her voice on fire.

“Not the truth. That disappeared long ago, when all hell was about to break loose and all you could think of was saving your career. Why change that now? You’ve perfected lying. But it happened to our son. I knew it would.”

“Sins of the father, is that what you’re saying?”

“The thing that was a sin was your refusal to believe what happened to you was real. You abandoned a friend you loved to save yourself.”

“Jack Dean had his own issues. I wasn’t the one to blow his career.”

“You knew the truth then, and you know it now. You know what happened when that drone had a mind of its own. And what did you say to Julian? ‘You didn’t try to kill him? You had no idea what happened’?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m a coward.”

“Yes, you are. It’s the first honest thing you’ve said in years.”

“Are you going to tell him?”

“That his father also had an experience he didn’t know what to do with? Why would I do that? You’d deny it. You could’ve helped him. But you destroyed that years ago. He doesn’t need you now. You made certain of that. So, don’t try to make amends. It’s too late.”

That truth cut deeper into him.

“For the love of God, what have I done?”

Martha peered at him—caught off balance at his sudden vulnerability.

If there was ever a moment that could spark the affection they once had, it was now.

He stepped toward her.

She turned away.

27

27

Catherine Book commanded attention as she walked through the glistening marble halls, past columns that stood like an army of sentinels in the CIA offices in Langley, Virginia.

Her curves distracted men from the keenness of her mind. A hurdle she’d had to leap all her adult life.

Eric Vickers—whose interest in her ability had heightened in the wake of her finding the Mosul warehouse—accompanied her. She knew he doubted how far her ability could go. She also knew her paranormal talent added to the complexity of how people acted toward her. Jealousy. Snickers. Leers. Vickers was no exception.

Her remote viewing mastery to psychically see things far away had the added intricacy of pulling her close to the event. An occupational hazard she’d worked to keep at a distance as best she could. But she couldn’t shake the bond fusing her with the four survivors.