“Tell that to the families of the men who lost their lives in those storms he cooked up,” Tam snapped.
“It doesn’t matter now. We didn’t extract the information from him, and we need to know how this thing works.” Maddock softened his voice. “Obviously, Daisuke experimented with the weapon before he used it against anyone, and he didn’t set off any natural disasters — only small, localized events. I give you my word we’ll exercise caution.”
Tam sighed. What Maddock said made sense, and a good leader didn’t ignore reason just because it came from and underling. Like her grandfather used to say, “Sooner or later, a stiff neck breaks.”
“All right. I’m relying on you to keep the big dummy,” she pointed at Bones, “under control.”
“Great. We’ll need Corey.”
“I can’t spare him. You can break in our two new team members. Don’t argue with me!” she added sharply. “I’ve heard all I’m going to hear about Ihara and Professor. I have my damn good reasons for wanting them on board, and I didn’t tell you before because I don’t want to listen to your hissy fits. You’re on the team; she’s on the team. Deal with it.”
“How long until my debt to you is paid in full?” Maddock’s tone was perfectly polite and nothing more.
“When the Dominion is finished. Now you two get this contraption out of here before I change my mind.”
Maddock hefted the device and carried it out of the room, Bones following with the bag of crystals.
“Lord, don’t let them sink Havana,” she muttered. Behind her, Kasey leaned against the wall, gazing thoughtfully at Tam. “Do you have a question?”
“What’s the story with Maddock and Ihara?”
“Why do you need to know?”
“Because we’re a team, and if there’s an issue between them that could affect the way we work together, I want to know about it.” Kasey grimaced. “I’m not questioning your choice. I just want to know.”
“They used to be an item, but Maddock dumped her in favor of Bones’ sister.”
“Awkward,” Kasey said.
“Very. But Ihara is an asset. I’ve profiled her thoroughly, and she’s smart, tough, and resourceful. She’s got a lot of what Maddock has, and I know for a fact she’s not hooked up with the Dominion. In fact, she wants to see them done in as much as I do.”
Kasey frowned.
“Don’t ask why. That’s her story to tell.”
“Fair enough. Any word from Avery?”
“They found their target and are proceeding as planned.” Tam’s cell phone vibrated. “It’s a text from Matt.” She read the message twice. “Do you know anything about caves in Naica, Mexico?”
“No. Hold on.” Kasey moved to a nearby computer and performed a quick search.
“It’s a small city in Chihuahua, about a hundred and fifty miles south of the border. Not much there except for mining operations.” Kasey paused as she scrolled down the page. “The only cave I see mentioned is one that houses the biggest crystals in the world.”
“Crystals?” Tam’s blood turned to ice. Her eyes snapped to the crystal skull resting on a table, and then to the machine they’d recovered from the Cuban temple. “Lord Jesus, if they’ve found a way to power their tsunami machine…”
“Every city on the coast is in danger.” Kasey’s eyes went wide.
“I need boots on the ground in Naica as soon as possible. Call Maddock back, and tell Greg to scare up weapons and transportation. I want you three there as soon as humanly possible.”
“You realize what this means?” Kasey said as she headed for the door. “Bones is going to try out that weapon without adult supervision.”
“One battle at a time, sweetie. One battle at a time.”
Chapter 29
“We’re going to go inside the caves without protective gear. We will only stay for fifteen minutes. The purpose is to impress upon you just how dangerous the heat and humidity are.” The guide turned, unlocked the door, and opened it.
Matt didn’t need any convincing. It seemed like common sense. But, he followed the others inside.
The heat assailed him immediately. His knees trembled the moment he hit the wall of hot, damp air. His discomfort, though, was immediately forgotten when his eyes took in his surroundings.
The cave was magnificent. The giant crystals, gleaming in the dim light, were so huge as to give the experience a dreamlike quality. They were everywhere, jutting up at angles like countless, miniature Washington Monuments. He glanced at Joel, who appeared immune to the magic of the caves. His eyes flitted from one member of the group to the next, his face set in a look of concentration.
“What’s up?” Matt kept his voice low.
“Just keeping an eye on things. I don’t trust any of these men.”
His words reminded Matt that they weren’t here for sightseeing. He searched out Robinson, who stood off to the side, his expression bored and detached.
There was nothing memorable about Robinson; nothing to make him stand out in a crowd. To an ex-military man like Matt, however, subtle clues named the newcomer a fellow veteran: his posture, the way he walked, his general bearing. Of course, a military background wasn’t a crime, but knowing he was associated with the Kingdom Church made him someone upon whom Matt and Joel would want to keep a close eye. Matt and the rest of Maddock’s crew had run afoul of the Dominion’s paramilitary elements too many times not to be on his guard around someone like Robinson.
“This place gets to you, doesn’t it?” Bill came staggering up to Matt. “I’m feeling a little…” His legs gave out and Matt grabbed him before he collapsed.
“I think he needs to get out of here.” Matt, aware of how weak he, too, felt, looked at Robinson, whose face remained impassive.
“All right.” Robinson motioned to Rivera, who ushered the group back out through the door.
The temperature in the tunnel outside the crystal cave was probably more than ninety degrees, but stepping through the doorway felt like being immersed in a cool bath. Rivera opened a cooler and passed around bottles of water.
Robinson moved to the center of the circle of men, his presence commanding their immediate attention. “We’ll take a ten minute breather,” he began, “after which, we’ll suit up and get to work.”
“We’re starting right now?” Bill sat with his back against the wall, clutching his water bottle like a lifeline.
“We have work to do, and it needs to be done quickly.”
No one in the group seem surprised at this. Apparently, only Joel and Matt had been led to believe this was a recreational trip.
“Do the rest of us need to be armed?” Matt asked.
“What?” The question had caught Robinson off guard.
“I notice you’re carrying, though I can’t imagine what we might encounter in there. Some kind of underground dwellers?” He forced a grin and the others chuckled.
Robinson’s face turned to stone, but softened in an instant. The smile he directed at Matt didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Just a habit. I won’t be carrying inside.”
Matt doubted that very much, but he didn’t say so.
“Are you trying to put him on the alert?” It was amazing how well Joel could enunciate without moving his lips. “We’re already the new guys. Why call attention to us?”
“I don’t know,” Matt admitted. “I guess I don’t want him thinking he can bully us. Besides, isn’t it the new guy’s job to ask stupid questions?”
“Only if the new guy is stupid. You might want to let me take the lead until things get physical.”
Matt set his jaw. He knew he was clueless as a spy, but he always trusted his instincts, and right now, his gut told him that Robinson needed to know that not all the men in this group were sheep.