The Haunted by Frank Peretti

Author:Frank Peretti [Peretti, Frank]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC042060;FIC042020;FIC031070
ISBN: 9781441231321
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2017-03-11T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

10

A Heated Debriefing

We gathered in the supposed safety of Van Epps’ home for the few remaining hours before daylight. We needed sleep, but of course we couldn’t get it.

When morning came, our eyes were burning and our nerves were raw. We were in no condition to butt heads over findings and procedures. Tank, wiser than I’d given him credit for, went for a morning jog to depressurize. The rest of us entered into battle, our pointing fingers our swords and coffee cups our shields.

“It’s gone,” said Van Epps. “And so is the opportunity! The House was yours and you let it get away.”

Brenda’s crazed eyes and dreadlocks made her a veritable Medusa. “Now listen here, you—” She described him from a library of expletives. “You weren’t there! You didn’t see it, you didn’t feel it, you didn’t almost get killed!”

“So where’s the data? How do we control this thing? Tell me!”

“Whatcha got on your video besides three hours of static?” She turned to me and Andi. “Guy can’t even run a camera!”

Van Epps came back at me, finger waving. “I did not desert my post!”

Fearing Brenda might round the kitchen table to scratch his eyes out, I intervened. “The data can only be understood by calm and objective minds in the light of day—”

“Oh, shut up!” She was just as angry with me. “Don’t give me that super scientist crap! You were about to piss in your pants.”

“Yes! Yes, I admit being terrified, but that’s my point. On a human level—”

She mimicked me, “ . . . on a human level . . .”

Disrespect always sets me off. “On a human level we can’t trust our impressions because they are skewed by emotion.”

Andi—my employee!—jumped in. “But emotions are part of it—they’re part of the message. We were supposed to be scared!”

“We are not dealing with a message. We’re dealing with an explainable phenomenon, with observations, data, that’s all.”

“The House was trying to get our attention!”

“Well, see, now you’ve assigned it some kind of personality.”

Brenda’s long fingernail pointed like a weapon. “She didn’t assign nothin’! She’s right, that thing’s talking and, baby, I’m hearing it and you’d better listen too if you want to save your sorry ass!”

Van Epps had a mini-fit in his corner of the room. “So this is the team you brought?”

How dare he? “I didn’t bring them!”

He shot a glance at Andi.

I pointed to Brenda. “Well, I didn’t bring her!”

Brenda slammed down her coffee cup. “That’s it, man! I’m outta here!” She addressed Andi on her way to the hall. “This guy ain’t human and that’s why he’s missing the whole point!” She glared at me. “You got as much sense as a refrigerator!”

She was looking for the closet to get her coat. The door she tried was locked. She struck it with her fist.

“Other door,” I said.

Andi perked up and went into the hall.

“You’re not leaving as well?” I asked.

She ignored me, preoccupied by that locked door.

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