Shift:A Virals Adventure(5)

Not many did besides me. A point of pride.

After a few twists and turns, accompanied by Hi’s groans, we cleared the maze and hit open water. Morris receded behind us. Moments later a tiny landmass took shape on the horizon. Gradually, the green-brown blur sharpened into an island.

As we motored close, details emerged. A bone-white beach fronting high-canopied trees. Thick, tangled undergrowth. Gentle waves, spinning eddies in the wet sand. Not a building in sight.

I cut the engine and let Sewee drift. A habit of mine. You never know what you might see, if you’re quiet.

A hawk shrieked from the gloom of the island’s interior. Crickets hummed. Palmetto palms swished and rattled in the breeze.

And everywhere, the hooting of monkeys.

No matter how often I visited, Loggerhead Island always gave me a thrill.

A wild, untamed place, forgotten by time. Shrouded in mystery.

“We’re in a bit of a hurry.” Tory. Gently.

My expression soured, but I restarted the engine. We cruised down the shoreline, headed for Loggerhead’s southernmost point. Minutes later I pulled Sewee alongside the island’s single dock.

A glance spurred Hi and Shelton into position. As I eased close they tossed the ropes, then scrambled up to tie us off. I killed the motor.

“Permission to disembark, sir?” Tory had one foot on the quay. She knew I liked being captain, and was half apologizing for bossing me around.

“Granted.” I tapped my watch. “Shore leave, two hours.”

“Then we’d better dash.”

One final boat-check, then I followed the others down the pier. They waited where the paving stones gave way to a packed-earth trail, as close to a permanent road as you’ll find on the island.

Barely half a square mile, Loggerhead is even smaller than Morris. No permanent structures exist anywhere outside the LIRI compound.

We climbed a steep path and hiked into the woods.

The hooting gave way to howling.

“Monkey Town seems riled today.” Hi was scanning the canopy. “Banana crisis?”

The central forest is home to Loggerhead’s boisterous rhesus monkey colony. Dozens of free-ranging troops, squabbling in the trees or at feeder stations scattered about the woods.

No cages or corrals. The crafty little buggers go where they please. It’s not like they can escape—there’s nowhere to go.

The LIRI compound is fenced to keep them out, not in.

But yammering primates aren’t the only game in town. Cooper’s wolfpack family still patrols the woods. Every year, loggerhead sea turtles breed on the island’s protected beaches. Endangered seabirds nest in the tidal marshes. Deer, boar, duck, fox, raccoon, and dozens of other woodland critters inhabit the ponds, dunes, glades, and meadows.

Pure, undisturbed nature. Peace and quiet. Well, except for the monkeys.

I love the place. It’s one of a kind.

Cresting the final rise, we headed down a gentle slope toward LIRI’s front gate.

Which stood open. Weird.

I looked around. None of the dopey rent-a-cops were in sight.

“Where to now?” Hi asked as we reached the chain-link barrier.

“Lab Three,” Tory answered. “Scene of the crime.”

“Inside Building One,” Shelton pointed out needlessly. “Which means dealing with security.”

“Which means Hudson,” Hi finished. “Gonna be a problem.”

Terrific.

If anyone could ruin my day, it was that guy.





Ben was already scowling.

Never a good sign.

Tory turned and gave me her Serious Face.

“Hiram.” She forced eye contact. “We need to get by security without a fuss. So keep the jokes in check, um-kay?”

“Scusi?” I raised both palms in shocked affront. “Those dudes freaking love me. We’re talking about forming a boy band. Techno-pop stuff.”

Her eyes rolled. “We need access to Lab Three. That’s not gonna happen if they call Kit to confirm we’re allowed upstairs. Which is what they’ll do if you piss them off. So don’t. Capisce?”

“Totes.” I flashed my patented thumbs-up. “I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

Tory’s expression remained skeptical.

I doubled the thumbs-up. Smiled wide.

“God help us.”

With that, she strode toward Building One, the rest of us a step behind.

The LIRI complex is bombtastic. Totally baller. It consists of a dozen modern glass-and-steel structures surrounded by an eight-foot chain-link fence.

Only two ways in: the main gate we’d just invaded, and a smaller one around back. Security is tight: motion-sensing cameras, keypad entries, auto-locks, you name it.

Hidden in the woods, the place felt like a Bond villain’s secret hideout.

Translation: I heart LIRI.

The larger buildings consist mainly of offices, conference rooms, and research labs. The smaller ones are mostly sheds, workshops, and garages that store the institute’s heavy equipment and supplies.

Building One houses LIRI’s executive suite, administration hubs, the most primo offices, and the three largest labs.

And security headquarters, unfortunately.

My dad, Linus, worked in there, too. Kit had just promoted him to the exalted position of chief lab tech, which completely rocked. The Stolowitski clan’s rise to power cannot be stopped.