Page 73 of The Night Island

“Nathan Gill,” Talia said.

“Or whoever is providing the funding for this project,” Luke said.

“It’s absolutely terrifying to know that Finch was working for someone who wants to turn people into psychic assassins,” Phoebe said. “What a creepy idea. Talk about creating Frankenstein monsters.”

Luke did not respond to that, but Talia could feel the tension in his energy field. She knew what he was thinking.Not Frankenstein monsters. Jekyll and Hyde killers.

“So what makes you think this isn’t Bluestone Project 2.0?” she asked quickly, hoping to distract him.

“The whole setup is too small,” Luke said. “The security is minimal. The Unplugged Experience is inadequate as a cover. None of the people involved, including the Venners, are trained, professional agents. Pomona Finch was obviously unstable. She may have been a genius, but it’s clear she required constant supervision. Management problems must have been overwhelming. Gill has been forced to control things both underground and aboveground for months. He appears to be working alone. He doesn’t seem to have been able to delegate any of the responsibilities. It’s also clear he’s working with a limited budget. Say what you will about the government, it isn’t in its DNA to do things on the cheap.”

“I’ve got to admit those are insightful observations,” Talia said.

“Glad you’re impressed,” Luke said. “I worked hard on them.”

Luke humor, Talia thought. She opted to ignore it.

“How do you know all that stuff about how secret government ops work?” Phoebe asked.

“Before I became a history professor I was in the intelligence business for a while,” Luke said. “I learned a few things.”

“So if we don’t report this situation to the local authorities, who do we report it to?” Talia asked.

“I’ve also learned a few things as a history professor,” Luke said.“I’ve spent a lot of time doing research in the parapsychology library at Adelina Beach College. I think I know who to contact.”

That should have been good news, Talia thought. So why did it sound like the very last thing Luke wanted to do was contact the individual he thought might be able to deal with the situation?

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Some twenty minuteslater Talia followed Luke and Phoebe through the last of the underground jungle and stopped at the foot of the glowing steps that led up into the conservatory. The vault door was closed. A whisper of panic iced her senses.

“Luke,” she said.

He put his hand on her shoulder. “Use the key.”

She realized the device was pinging. “Right.”

She aimed the key at the door and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the rumble of gears.

The door began to lift on the big hinges. The gray light of a cloudy day streamed into the stairwell.

“I was a little concerned, too,” Luke said quietly as he moved past her into the conservatory.

Talia noticed that he still had his pistol in one hand.

“Glad I wasn’t the only one,” she muttered.

Phoebe stepped out of the opening and glanced first at Luke and then at Talia. “What are you two talking about?”

“We were just commenting on the fact that the door unlockedwithout a hitch,” Talia said. “Frankly, we weren’t sure what to expect.”

“Oh.” Phoebe managed a weak smile. “Thanks for not letting me know you were worried that we might be locked inside those gardens forever.”

“You’re welcome,” Talia said. “All part of theLost Night Filesservice.”

Phoebe surveyed the glass-and-steel chamber. “What is this place?”

“It’s a conservatory,” Luke said. “You would have been unconscious when Nathan Gill brought you through here to take you down below.”

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