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"Something's going on inside," Lea whispered.
"Don't make any noise."
Michael could feel his pulse racing. They were now
less than ten feet from the house, and only sheets of
plywood separated them from the people inside. Any sounds
they made would be audible inside.
They moved closer. A shadow moved across the room,
and they froze, looking into each other's eyes. After
a safe pause Lea nodded and they moved forward again.
She took up a position on the left of the largest window,
Michael on the right. Inside seemed to be some kind
of laboratory. On the far wall was a bank of instruments
mounted in racks from floor to ceiling. They saw oscilloscope
screens and computer screens, but a lot more equipment
they didn't recognise. Running along the length of the
room was a long wide workbench. Everything was neat
and uncluttered.
"Can you see anyone?" whispered Michael.
She shook her head, and as she did so a humming sound
emerged from the laboratory. It grew louder and they
saw a glow that came from a part of the room that they
could not see. A man walked across the room. He was
tall, with a white coat and unkempt grey hair that stood
out from his head as if it held an electric charge.
They saw him flick a switch on the wall and the room
lights went out. A dim green glow filled the room.
By now they were becoming familiar with the special
effects. They began with the glow, alternately increasing
and decreasing, and the whining sound. Then the lights
in the surrounding houses started to dim as the glow
increased, and return to normal as they ebbed. Then
the street lights joined in. The small explosion inside
the room made them jump but the thunder storm that followed
didn't surprise them at all. They barely even turned
to look when it took out another tree in the park.
Suddenly Michael noticed that Lea had grown tense.
She cocked her head on once side and listened intently.
All that Michael could hear was the rain but he trusted
her instincts.
"Let's go," she warned urgently.
She grabbed his hand and set off down the garden path
at a run. Michael knew that the rain would mask much
of the sound. Nevertheless he was surprised that she
moved so recklessly. With the street lights off, the
garden was very dark. They stopped at the hedge, panting,
and looked back towards the house.
He could see two figures. They moved cautiously, until
they stood just where Michael and Lea had been a moment
ago. The only available light now came from the green
glow inside the laboratory. At first Michael could not
see enough detail to recognise the men but finally he
saw that they both wore uniform.
Michael tapped Lea on the shoulder and gestured towards
the hedge. She nodded. Very slowly and carefully they
eased themselves through, back into the park.
"Police?" she asked.
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