Phantoms

have ruled out the supernatural. What I’m trying to say, General, is that it could be anything . That’s why I can’t put a name to it. Let your imagination run wild, General. No matter what hideous thing you conjure up, we can’t rule it out. We’re dealing with the unknown, and the unknown encompasses all our nightmares.”
    Copperfield stared at him, then looked up at Sergeant Harper’s suit and helmet which hung from the meat hook. He turned to Pascalli and Fodor. “We won’t search the alley. The sheriff is probably right. Sergeant Harker is lost, and there’s nothing we can do for him.”
    For the fourth time since Copperfield had arrived in town, Bryce said, “Do you still think it looks as if we’re dealing with just a simple incident of CBW?”
    “Chemical or biological agents might be involved,” Copperfield said. “As you observed, we can’t rule out anything. But it’s not a simple case. You’re right about that, Sheriff. I’m sorry for suggesting you were only hallucinating and—”
    “Apology accepted,” Bryce said.
    “Any theories?” Jenny asked.
    “Well,” Copperfield said, “I want to start the first autopsy and pathology tests right away. Maybe we won’t find a disease or a nerve gas, but we still might find something that’ll give us a clue.”
    “You’d better do that, sir,” Tal said. “Because I have a hunch that time is running out.”
     

Chapter 25
    Questions
     
    Corporal Billy Velazquez, one of General Copperfield’s support troops, climbed down through the manhole, into the storm drain. Although he hadn’t exerted himself, he was breathing hard. Because he was scared.
    What had happened to Sergeant Harker?
    The others had come back, looking stunned. Old man Copperfield said Harker was dead. He said they weren’t quite sure what had killed Sarge, but they intended to find out. Man, that was bullshit. They must know what killed him. They just didn’t want to say. That was typical of the brass, making secrets of everything.
    The ladder descended through a short section of vertical pipe, then into the main horizontal drain. Billy reached the bottom. His booted feet made hard, flat sounds when they struck the concrete floor.
    The tunnel wasn’t high enough to allow him to stand erect. He crouched slightly and swept his flashlight around.
    Gray concrete walls. Telephone and power company pipes. A little moisture. Some fungus here and there. Nothing else.
    Billy stepped away from the ladder as Ron Peake, another member of the support squad, came down into the drain.
    Why hadn’t they at least brought Harker’s body back with them when they’d returned from Gilmartin’s Market?
    Billy kept shining his flashlight around and glancing nervously behind him.
    Why had old Iron Ass Copperfield kept stressing the need to be watchful and careful down here?
    Sir, what’re we supposed to be on the lookout for? Billy had asked.
    Copperfield had said, Anything. Everything. I don’t know if there’s any danger or not. And even if there is, I don’t know exactly what to tell you to look for. Just be damned cautious. And if anything moves down there, no matter how innocent it looks, even if it’s just a mouse, get your asses out of there fast .
    Now what the hell kind of answer was that?
    Jesus.
    It gave him the creeps.
    Billy wished he’d had a chance to talk to Pascalli or Fodor. They weren’t the damned brass. They would give him the whole story about Harker—if he ever got a chance to ask them about it.
    Ron Peake reached the bottom of the ladder. He looked anxiously at Billy.
    Velazquez directed the flashlight all the way around them in order to show the other man there was nothing to worry about.
    Ron switched on his own flash and smiled self-consciously, embarrassed by his jumpiness.
    The men above began to feed a power cable through the open manhole. It led back to the two mobile laboratories, which were parked a few yards from the entrance to the drain.
    Ron took the end of the cable, and Billy, shuffling forward in a crouch, led the way Cast. On the street above, the other men paid out more cable into the drain.
    This tunnel should intersect an equally large hole perhaps larger conduit under the main street, Skyline Road. At that point there ought to be a power company junction box where several strands of the town’s electrical web were joined together. As Billy proceeded with all the caution that Copperfield had suggested, he played the beam of his