“My father knew yours.”
Gideon nodded.
More than knew him.
Rosalie’s hands began to shake.
She opened one of the ledgers.
Names.
Dates.
Payments.
Her father’s name appeared repeatedly.
So did Dr.
Vale’s.
And beside several entries were the words:
Northern specimens.
Rosalie didn’t understand.
Then she found another page.
A list of ranch families.
Amounts of money.
Medical procedures.
And beneath Gideon’s name:
Subject survived.
Hearing compromised.
Continue observation.
Rosalie felt sick.
“What did they do to you?”
Gideon didn’t answer.
He pointed toward the glass jar.
Inside was another black object.
Dead.
Long and thin.
Rosalie stared at it.
Then she saw the final line in the ledger.
The organism appears to react to prolonged exposure to certain mineral deposits in the northern water.
She looked toward Gideon.
“These things came from the water?”
Gideon nodded.
His father had suspected that the creatures were entering the ranch through a contaminated underground spring.
