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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

He stared at the crucifix that hung over the bed. Since his wife’s death he had a conflicted relationship with the man on the cross.

Vincente’s sister, Teresa, entered. Younger and not jaded by the world like her brother, she held the hope of religion’s promise.

“What did you say to Father Manuel that had him rushing out of the room?”

“I told him to get out.”

“He’s not the simple man you want him to be, Vincente. He knows the power of God.”

Unmoved by her plea, Vincente said, “What else did the doctor say about Jhana-Merise?”

“They’re going to do some tests.”

“What kinds of tests?”

“He said it could be a type of juvenile diabetes.”

“Diabetes?”

“Yes.”

“How is she in a coma, then?”

“The doctor said it could happen.”

Guilt darkened his eyes. He turned away.

“This isn’t your fault, brother.”

“She snuck out of the house again. What can I do? Lock her in her room?”

He was in turmoil. And his sister’s empathy wasn’t enough. Nothing was.

She’d comforted him when he’d lost his wife to cancer, and as hard as she’d tried, he refused to let her help him hold onto his faith. It had vanished with his wife’s death. Now his only child lay in bed, unconscious, and he had nothing but guilt and rage to cling to.

Vincente had accepted Christ because his wife had demanded it for their daughter. But after her death he discarded what he called a “useless devotion.”

“Thank you for coming, Teresa, but I want to be alone with my daughter. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Teresa gave her brother a hug before leaving.

Vincente stifled the panic rising in him—keeping his tears, and his fury at God contained.

3

3

Eric Vickers didn’t like playing with others. He was the new Director of Science and Technology at the CIA, and knew he had a lot to prove. He wasn’t good at restraint at one a.m. It was morning in Mosul, but the middle of the night at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia. He stared, restless, pondering the drawings on his desk. He had the responsibility to find Dominique and Julian, and didn’t appreciate being schooled in the psychic art of remote viewing by the solemn Dr. Adrien Kurt, who stood over him like a sentinel.

“Why are you fighting me on this, Eric?” Kurt said, as Vickers focused on the sketches of a large warehouse and the well-executed drawings of three faces: Julian Ledge, Dominique Valen, and Abd al Hashim.

“I trust you’re aware Catherine Book’s ‘psychic ability’ has given her a ton of blowback,” Vickers smirked.

“I trust you haven’t forgotten about the shitstorm between her and the agency over the famous WMD incident that gave cause for the war on terror,” Kurt shot back.