They reached the cabin in the mountains and looked around. It was a nice sized cabin by the lake. If Erica didn't know any better she would have taken it as an ordinary vacation home. There was a garden in the front with garden gnomes and windsocks scattered among the Blackeyed Susans and Coneflowers, a wraparound porch and a boat tied to the dock. 'Very all-American' she thought. Erica went around the back with her gun drawn. The back door was open, she motioned to Joshua and they went inside.
Everything seemed to be in place, no sign that it had been compromised. Joshua looked upstairs, Erica stayed on the main floor. She went to the kitchen and saw two plates with partially eaten food as if someone had been there recently. She saw the door to the basement and went down.
Behind some boxes she saw a figure moving. "Come out, we're friends, we're not here to hurt you." She then felt a surge of pain on her head and fell to the floor unconscious.
When she came to, she was lying on the living room sofa with Joshua and a woman standing over her. "Good, you're awake" said Joshua as he checked the ice bag he had placed on her head.
"Sorry I had to do that," said the woman. "We have to be careful these days."
"Erica, this is Dr. Pearlman, she was Valerie's doctor. Valerie was taken to the ship and Ryan went after her just as you thought. Anna must have them both now. If she hasn't killed them she is experimenting on them and their baby. They may still be alive. You need to tell Lisa." Joshua said hopefully. Erica took a moment to absorb the information.
A younger man about Tyler's age came into the room and smiled sheepishly.
"And who are you?" she asked the young man.
"I'm Peter. I am a fifth column member. Two more of us were on the ground when we got the warning message. We did not go back to the ship and have been here ever since."
"Where are the other two?" She looked around her head still throbbing.
"They are out getting food for us. We try to act as normally as we can, blend in to throw any suspicion from us."
Joshua interrupted them and sounded very excited. "Erica, there is a small lab here in the safe house, it has much of our technology. I spoke with Dr. Pearlman, she and I will work on the research and have some answers very soon."