Shadow Of The Past Trilogy ∞ THE DISPLACED

8 ∞ beyond all horizons

Day Two ∞ Saturday morning

DANNY PRESSED THE BLINKING BUTTON on the answering machine early the next morning. There was one message. "Dan, you've gone to bed already? Just calling to let you know I've arrived safely." He nodded in response and continued to the back to let Zorro out.

He stepped out on the porch and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. The cool damp air thrilled his lungs; it was filled with the scent of rain-soaked soil, wet grass, and leaves. He hadn't really noticed it yesterday. It smelled fresh and clean.

He looked up, conscious of the pain in his neck from falling asleep in the armchair last night. It was only drizzling now; the clouds were lightening up. Yeah. Maybe he could get some work done in the yard later today. But right now he needed to focus on breakfast. He had a guest to feed.

Humming a few notes, he opened the refrigerator door and looked inside while kneading the base of his neck. He contemplated what would constitute a light breakfast since the doctor's orders were light food. Eventually he settled for one of Gina's cups of yogurt, a couple of slices of bread, a fried egg, apple and glass of juice. He hoped the girl would like it.

He went upstairs to the room and knocked gently, pushing the door open. He paused when he got inside. She was still on her side, facing the window. He placed the tray on the bedside table, then straightened himself, looking at her profile. She was breathing quietly. Wondering whether he should wake her, he reached out to shake her shoulder but changed his mind. I'll give her some more time. It can't hurt.

He quietly left the room and went back downstairs, humming. His stomach was growling—he'd been fasting too long. Going to sleep early had its disadvantages. Normally he would have a snack before hitting the sack. He headed back to the refrigerator, turning on the radio on the fly—and stopped in his tracks.

"—ginally reported to be a weather balloon, authorities have confirmed that the object that crashed in the lake is a section of the Nimbus 4 weather satellite which is due for decommissioning next year. Recovery efforts have not yet commenced, as it is lying at a depth of thirty to forty feet. Access to the canal remains closed, and sections of the coastal area remain cordoned off by security and military personnel until further notice. Thousands of dead fish have washed ashore in the area, and the public is warned to stay away and not to handle these fish. Cleanup crews are currently at work sanitizing the area. No further details have been forthcoming. This has been a KJZ 96.9 FM news update. We return to our scheduled program...."

He stared at the radio as music started pouring out. So that's what Sis and Ray were talking about. Come to think of it... That must've caused the blackout in the area... and it probably caused his truck to stall too. The news report didn't mention anything about the blackout, though. But he was sure they were connected. The satellite would've caused the water to boil and steam with the heat generated by its traveling through the atmosphere, creating all that mist, and killed off the fish. Three puzzle pieces that matched up together.

Or did they?

His brow furrowed in thought as he glanced out the window. The rain had stopped. Now he knew what he'd be doing after breakfast.

∞

Danny placed the shovel across the wheelbarrow and straightened himself, rolling his shoulders back. Wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, he winced as he stretched the crick in his neck. He surveyed the broad strip of wet soil he had uncovered three feet away from the driveway, in three sections from the parking in front of the house almost all the way to the first pine tree.