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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’d reported seeing no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but there were those who wanted to see it otherwise.

Vickers didn’t want to get into any more of a pissing match. A match he knew he’d lose, because Kurt had the ear of the president and Vickers didn’t.

“I’m not as naive as you may think, Doctor Kurt.”

“But you don’t know what you don’t know, Eric.”

“I know remote viewing was cultivated from a decades-old, multimillion-dollar US government research project.”

He needed Kurt to know what he knew, and bullet-pointed that knowledge.

“I know in 1972 we learned that the Czechs, Chinese, Soviets, Germans, Israelis, and British were involved in the study of various aspects of what you call paranormal. I call it paranoia.”

“I didn’t mean to insult you, Eric.”

“I know people like Book claim to see people, places, and things separate, and far from their immediate reality. And I know our backs are against a wall, and the fact you’re here proves someone higher up believes the truth is out there.”

He picked up the remote view drawing of a battered Soviet Jeep, and the numbers on the side of it. It was the Jeep Catherine had seen the hostages in.

Vickers had sent those numbers to the Intel guys with the hope of tracking the Jeep. Find the Jeep. Find the Americans. Find Hashim.

Vickers shook his head and tossed the drawing back on the desk.

“Visualizing something thousands of miles away is not my idea of good science.”

“You’re lucky PSYOPs is still willing to work with you guys.”

The phone on the desk rang, putting their conflict on hold.

Vickers clicked on the speaker.

“Yeah,” he answered.

The agent on the other end spoke with urgency.

“They found the warehouse, sir.”

“And…”

“The numbers on the Jeep brought us to a source in Baghdad. That source confirmed its destination. But I just talked to the Pentagon, and Hashim is about to kill Julian and the reporter. The Pentagon sent in a rescue team, but they won’t get there in time.”

Vickers and Kurt stood there—powerless to prevent the coming slaughter.

4

4

The abandoned warehouse in the desert loomed large as the Soviet-made Jeep braked hard. Sand swirled.

The insurgents yanked Julian and Dominique out of the vehicle.

Hands and feet still bound, Dominique faltered and banged into the walls, close on each side, as she was shoved through the narrow passage. She heard Julian being dragged on the ground behind her.

She heard the faint echo of Arabic being spoken, as they were brought into a large, empty space and slammed into metal chairs.