Lemuria by Burt Clinchandhill (epub e ink reader TXT) 📕

“Amazing.”

They turned into an empty hallway. Bobbing his head, Ignatowski counted the doors. “Thirteen on the left and twelve on the right.”

“Let’s go door by door,” Lindsey suggested.

“Let’s take the doors on the left first, “Ignatowski suggested. “We know for sure there’s one occupied about halfway.”

“Agreed.” Lindsey knocked on the first door and waited a few seconds. “Nothing.” She pushed the card to the sensor. A click sounded, and she carefully pushed the door open. “Is anyone here?” she called out.

After a second of silence, Ignatowski walked into the narrow corridor. He passed an open door to his left and looked into the empty bathroom. He made his way into the combined living room and bedroom, walked on, and opened the curtain a bit. A balcony. “Empty.” He stepped back and looked around. “No suitcases, toothbrushes or anything.”

“Next.” Lindsey went to the next door.

Ignatowski quickly joined her.

“Here we go.” She knocked a few times. Nothing. Another click and Ignatowski was inside searching. Seconds later, he was back out again, shaking his head.

“And again.” She knocked on the third door, the fourth and fifth, all with the same results. As she went to the next door, they heard a click releasing the hallway’s entry door lock. Lindsey eyed Ignatowski, but before they could move, the door opened a few inches. Indistinguishable voices sounded from the other side of the door. A few seconds later, the door slowly closed again. Lindsey and Ignatowski sighed in relief.

“What was that?” Lindsey asked.

“I’m not sure. All I could make out was something like ‘not necessary’ or something like that. Anyway, let’s move on quickly. I don’t like these close calls.”

”Keep your shirt on.” Lindsey went to the next door and knocked. Waiting, she aimed the keycard at the sensor. Just as she moved her hand toward the sensor, a voice sounded from the room and she abruptly took the card back.

“One moment,” the voice said.

Lindsey and Ignatowski eyed each other. “I thought it was further up the corridor,” Ignatowski said.

“Maybe there are more occupied rooms than we thought.” Lindsey shrugged while sounds emerged from the other side of the door. As the door opened, a woman in her late thirties, tying up a bathrobe, materialized. From below the towel knotted onto her head, a few strands of red hair emerged.

“Who are you?” the woman asked bluntly.

Lindsey and Ignatowski eyed each other for a second. “Um,” Lindsey uttered. “We’re from Triple-A Hotel Inspection, and we’d like to interview you on your experience here at the French Bay Hotel.”

“Sure,” the woman said. “And is that why you have the name of the hotel wrong?”

Ignatowski tilted his head, staring at the woman.

“What’s going on?” the woman asked.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Ignatowski apologized. “Um, Miss Coleman?”

“Yes?” the woman replied.

Chapter 31 – Darwin Island

For the past forty-five minutes, the helicopter carrying Bishop and De Cremonese flew over the Pacific Ocean, showing nothing but blue horizons. The two had first debated the pros and cons of evolution, then switched to life beyond the stars, and now the two were discussing whether the world as we know it is the product of intelligent design.

“You are a far too intelligent man not to believe in God.” De Cremonese grimaced.

“I always say the exact opposite,” Bishop countered. “That I’m far too intelligent to believe in God, any God for that matter, Father. No offense.”

“None taken, Matthew. I love our discussions. It’s not every day that....” A click followed by a loud hissing noise sounded from the headset.

“Hi, you folks back there. This is your captain Mike speaking. I also enjoyed your discussions. Anyway, if you look at the front of the chopper, you’ll see the landscape changing from blue to gray and green. That is our destination coming up, and in about five minutes, I expect to land. There are some heavy winds over the north of the island, so I’ll drop you off at the south coast. I hope you’ve had a pleasant flight. Please put your trays back in upright positions, fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing.”

De Cremonese looked in front of him and mimicked putting up his tray where there was nothing.

“In his spare time, captain Mike is probably a comedian at a local club or hotel,” Bishop remarked. “How do you think Lindsey and Iggy are doing at the hotel?”

“Probably better than we are.” De Cremonese pointed to the rocky landmass that was now just ahead of the helicopter.

“But it is a beautiful sight.” Bishop looked at the rock faces.

Bishop clicked the button on the headset. “Mike, can you please circle the island a bit, so we might see where we need to go?”

“No problem.” Mike turned the helicopter, slowly flying over the white cliffs, bringing them over the small island.

At slow speed, the helicopter moved over the desolated looking island. First, it circled the coastal rim, and then Mike took it over the rocky landmass in three straight passes. Bishop and De Cremonese, both equipped with binoculars, scoured the land, the rocks, and the shrubs, continually moving the binoculars to and from their eyes.

“Nothing?” De Cremonese asked after the third pass.

“Nothing,” Bishop confirmed.

“Okay, thank you. Please take us down,” Bishop asked Mike through the headset.

“You would think we had a great view from up here, should there be something out of the ordinary down there,” De Cremonese remarked.

“Unless it’s very well hidden,” Bishop replied.

Mike took the helicopter back to the rim of the island until he stopped and hovered some one hundred feet inland. He skillfully descended the chopper until, without any noticeable bump, it hit the rocky ground and stopped. “And here we are,” he spoke through the headset, while the whirring of the rotors gradually subsided. “For the love of God, I don’t know what you think you’re going to find here, but you paid good American dollars, so it’s all yours. Please take off your seatbelts and headsets and meet me outside.”

Mike jumped out and opened the sliding door, letting