Chapter 22
The Trip
There were many rumors circulating describing a private community hidden in the dense forests of southern Highlands County. Some said it was occupied by a religious cult. Others claimed it was a secret government compound. A few even thought it was an alien outpost, the first beachhead of a planned invasion.
Dan wasn’t gullible enough to believe the latter, but new satellite image technology had revealed intense development in the area. What could it be? It was a rural region with ten times more alligators than people.
Haley wanted to go on a day trip to explore the area. Chris, Steve, and Dan were excited by the idea, but Brian and Matt were nervous. They suspected Haley knew more about the area than she was saying.
Dan borrowed his father’s Ford Explorer on Saturday morning. The boys stopped at Becky’s for breakfast.
Haley had already eaten, but joined them at the table. Dan was the first to notice a change in her appearance. He thought of Haley as a mousy little girl who had morphed into a beautiful teenager within weeks of her return from Houston. Today it was unnerving to see another transformation which occurred virtually overnight.
The teenager was gone, replaced by a stunning self-assured woman. She even looked taller, but Dan wasn’t the only one who noticed. Steve kept staring at her, and Chris was practically drooling.
Dan was too freaked-out to drive the car when they finished breakfast. Brian was familiar with the route, so he drove the longest leg of the trip to the Archbold Biological Station. Haley was sitting between Chris and Brian in the front seat. Brian kept watching Haley, especially when they approached Archbold. Chris seemed relieved when Dan took over the driving and Brian moved to the back seat. They continued traveling south on a deserted section of old State Route 8.
“Are we lost?” Steve asked repeatedly. “Are you sure we aren’t lost?” After reassuring him many times, Dan also began to wonder.
They turned right on Old Venus Road. It wasn’t much more than a dusty white trail. The tree canopy completely blocked out the sun while the heavy shade provided a welcome relief from the long hot drive.
After five minutes, Haley said, “we missed the turn.”
“I didn’t see anything” Dan argued, “and I was watching closely.”
They drove a few minutes longer and arrived at a dead end on a small waterway. It must have been Fish Eating Creek.
“So much for the mysterious compound,” Matt laughed. Chris, Steve, and Dan didn’t know what he was talking about, but they could tell he was relieved.
“I told you we were lost,” Steve crowed.
“We’re close,” Haley assured everyone. “We passed it a half-mile back on the left side of the road.
“I didn’t see it.” Dan said emphatically. “Did anybody else see it?”
Steve, Chris, Matt and Brian shrugged innocently. Dan turned the car around and drove slowly looking for a side road, gate, sign or anything that might indicate an entrance. An afternoon rain shower had produced a mist which rose from the leaves like dancing ghosts, while a thousand tiny rays of flickering sunlight pierced the dense canopy. Steve continued to insist they were lost, and then starting cracking jokes about man eating aliens.
“There,” Haley called out, pointing to a cleared area. Dan pulled the car off the road. The boys followed Haley for a closer look. There was a six-inch wide sheet of paved road protruding from underneath a wall of moss and vines. A further inspection revealed an immense concrete gate camouflaged to hide the entrance from view.
“Wow, this looks like something out of a James Bond movie!” Dan said.
“What makes you think this is it?” Steve asked Haley. “It doesn’t look like anything to me.”
“This is definitely it,” she replied. “See, there is a sign.”
A small obscure placard read:
Orion Institute
Private Property
Ring bell for service
Haley reached toward a button located beneath the sign. Steve grabbed her arm.
“What are you doing?” he asked. Haley smiled at him.
“Don’t you want to know what is in there?”
“Well yea, but what are you going to say?” he asked sarcastically.
“I’m going to tell them who we are, and we would like a tour.”
Steve shook his head and chuckled, “O.K. then.”
Haley was solemn, but Steve was smirking and acting as if it was a joke. Haley pressed the button and a woman’s voice responded from a rusty speaker, “May I help you?” The boys were giggling like little kids, but Haley answered calmly.
“I’m Haley King with five friends. We’ve come to tour the property.”
The voice responded, “Yes Ms. King, we’ve been expecting you. The Administrator wants to meet you personally. He’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Steve, Chris and Dan were beginning to suspect Brian had arranged the entire trip as part of an elaborate hoax, but stories of an alien outpost seemed less outrageous to Brian and Matt.
Haley was calm and composed. She stepped forward with confidence as the camouflaged entrance began to move.
“Follow me men,” she said with a laugh.