Page 68 of The Shop on Hidden Lane

“Oh, my,” she said in hushed tones. “Do you feel that?”

“You don’t need any talent to pick up that kind of energy,” Luke said.

“This really is a vortex site.”

“No doubt about it,” Luke said. “Which makes Hatch’s efforts to mask the background vibe even more interesting. Why bother if the whole point of establishing an art colony on the site was to use the energy to inspire artists?”

She glanced at him and saw that he was studying the compound in the distance with rapt attention. Focused. Probably connecting dots, she thought.

Bruce had been investigating the scents around a nearby rock. He lost interest, sat down, and yawned.

“Looks like the only one who isn’t impressed with the vortex energy is your pal,” Sophy said.

Luke took his attention off the compound long enough to glance at Bruce. “Maybe that’s because animals have a closer relationship with the natural world. They don’t try to control it. They accept it and live with it.”

“That’s a very philosophical insight.”

“For a CIA assassin? Thanks. I’m taking an online class in philosophy.”

“If you keep throwing that CIA thing in my face I may be forced to hire my very own hit man.”

“Noted.” Luke turned to examine the canyon wall. “There it is. I knew there had to be one.”

“One what?” she asked.

“A perimeter fence. I told you, the art colony is a fortress. It is only logical that Hatch would control all access points.”

She swung around. “I don’t see a fence…Oh. Right.”

The barrier was little more than a nearly invisible wire strung along the canyon wall.

“Not much of a fence,” she said. “Think it’s electrified?”

“No, but if you go beyond it you should assume alarms will be triggered somewhere back in the compound. You can bet some of Hatch’s people will be out to investigate before you get very far.”

“Are we going to set off the alarms?”

“No. What we’re looking for is back in the compound, not out here.”

“Understood.” She paused, hearkening once more to the beat of the planet. “The vibe does explain why people have been drawn to this place over the years. And probably why they don’t hang around. Energy like this is exhilarating for a while but it’s also disturbing. I’m sure that over time it would affect the senses.”

“How?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Maybe it would cause anxiety. Insomnia. Restlessness. The vibe in these canyons is just too powerful for humans to tolerate for an extended period of time. People might not be aware of it on the conscious level, but deep down they couldn’t help but react to it.”

“Hatch is aware of it. That’s why he’s using all the high-tech lighting to mask the vortex energy. There’s only one reason why he would blow a fortune on a third-rate art colony staffed with teenagers and retirees.”

“He needs the vortex energy for whatever he’s working on, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, and that is not good news. The connection is the weapon—Kaleidoscope—not art.”

“What about the hypnotic suggestion tiles?”

“I’m not sure where they fit in yet.”

She adjusted her glasses. “We know the Kaleidoscope program got its name because the weapons were constructed with mirrors and crystals.”

“You’re thinking of those polished tiles.”