“…your guess…”
“…up. The tracks…”
The voices were faint but they were audible.
And close by.
I looked at Beverly. “They’re here,” I whispered. “Clear away the explosives and make it fast.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to check on Cap.”
I ran back into the access tunnels and headed for the maintenance room. Inside, I found Cartwright lying on the ground underneath the engine.
“How’s it going?” I asked.
He looked up at me, his face covered with sweat and grease. “It’s not,” he grunted. “I barely understand what I’m looking at here.”
“Well, you’re going to need a steep learning curve. We’ve got company.”
“I need more time.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
I sprinted back to the station and saw Beverly kneeling on the ground, playing with wires. She looked at me. “What did he say?”
I grabbed a long piece of loose wire from the ground and examined it for a moment. “He needs more time.”
“He doesn’t have more time.”
“He needs it and we have to give it to him. I’ve got an idea. If it works, we’ve got a chance.”
“If not?”
“Well, then it’s been nice knowing you.”
Chapter 58
Although cool on the outside, my insides broiled. I shifted my footing, trying to get comfortable.
It didn’t work.
I stood just outside the pneumatic tube, slightly off to the side. My position mattered. When Chase penetrated the wall, he needed to see me. But he also needed to see the Omega.
The noise level outside the tube increased and I heard scuffling noises. It wouldn’t be long before they found the Sand Demons’ symbol and opened the door. Frankly, I preferred it that way. I was tired of waiting for the inevitable.
Gradually, I got my restlessness under control and expelled it to the far corners of my body. It was still there, just beneath the surface. Still, that was the best I could do given the circumstances.
Will Chase believe me? Or call my bluff?
The next few minutes would determine the future. Not just for me, not just for my friends, but for New York and perhaps, the rest of the world as well. It was all so simple, yet so complicated at the same time. I could count the possible outcomes on one hand, but predicting the most likely one was impossible.
How would it all end? Would I buy enough time to escape with the Bell? Could I manage to do it without causing harm to Diane? Could I rescue her?
Or would I die and in the process, enable Chase to recover one of the deadliest inventions in the history of mankind?
I directed my flashlight at the small, hunk of plastic in my hand. It looked real enough, but it, along with the wires that extended from it, was just a prop. I twisted to the side and followed the wires as they trailed across the floor. My beam finally settled on Beverly. She stood next to the Omega, leaning into the interior.
After a few moments, Beverly removed her head from the Omega. She caught my eye and flashed me a thumbs-up.
I heard a soft sliding noise. I spun around just in time to see the bedrock door open. Quickly, I stepped into the tube and leaned against the wall, adopting a casual pose.
Dust cleared. Chase materialized before me. He stood on the opposite end of the tube, arms crossed. His eyes reflected ecstasy as he stared over my shoulder and took in the Omega.
Chop off the snake’s head and the body will die.
My hand reached for my pistol. I wanted to shoot him right in his cleanly shaven face. But somehow, I managed to stay in control. The moment I opened fire, it would be open season on me, Diane, and everyone else. Even if I managed to kill him, I doubted his soldiers would stop shooting until we were dead.
Shifting position, I deliberately drew his attention.
His eyes flitted toward me. His expression changed, reflecting a mixture of surprise and suspicion. “Cyclone,” he said in a booming voice. “I can’t say I’m not surprised.”
“Me neither. I’ve been one step ahead of you this entire time.”
Chase strode toward me. I considered doing the same and meeting him in the middle of the tube. While it was essential for him to see the Omega, I didn’t want him to know about Beach’s pneumatic car just yet.
But he stopped after a few steps. His expression changed again, morphing into one of amusement. He snapped his fingers.
One of his guards marched forward, pushing Diane ahead of him. She looked weak and pale. But she was alive and I was determined to keep her that way.
I turned back to Chase. “We want to make a deal.”
He chuckled. Reaching for his jacket, he withdrew his Smith & Wesson Victory Model. “It’s too late for that.”
This was it, the moment of truth. I lifted my hand into the air. His eyes shifted to the hunk of plastic in my fingers and the long wires that trailed away from it.
“I don’t think so,” I replied. “If you want to live, put your gun away.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because if you don’t, I’ll use this device to blow up the Bell. You may have survived Hiroshima. But there’s no way in hell you’ll survive this.”
Chapter 59
Chase pointed his gun at me and I held my breath.
Then his hand wavered.
And in that brief moment, I saw a spark of uncertainty in his eyes.
Standish stepped forward, next to Chase. He folded his powerful arms across his chest and shot me an amused look. “You’re not fooling anyone.”
“Go ahead then,” I retorted. “Shoot me. Shoot me and see what happens.”
Standish looked at Chase. “You heard him, Jack. Shoot him and be done with it.”
I held up my hand, displaying the plastic hunk. “This thing here is hooked up to explosives. Those explosives are currently sitting in the Omega, surrounding the Bell. So, if you shoot me, I press this button. They blow up, followed by the Bell, followed by, well, everything.”
“That wouldn’t do anything but make a big mess.” Chase frowned. “The Bell is nothing more than a particle accelerator.”
“As we stand here, the Bell is creating Red Mercury.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“It needs to be in operation at all times.” I narrowed my gaze. “Otherwise it loses stability and becomes explosive. And since the Bell is always working, there’s always a small amount of Red Mercury inside.”
Standish glanced at Chase. “Don’t listen to this crap. He’s lying.”
“Maybe I am,” I said. “But are you willing to risk your life to find out?”
Chase gave me a skeptical look. “What do you know about explosives?”
“Nothing. But your old friend Beverly, well, she knows all about them. And she assures me that the moment I press this button, this whole place blows up.”
Chase pointed his gun at my face. “Then I guess I’d better shoot you quick.”
“Beverly’s in the Omega. If you shoot me before I reach the button, she’ll just blow the explosives manually.”
“I want to talk to her.”
“Too bad she doesn’t feel the same.”
“Beverly!” he shouted.
Glancing back, I saw her stick her head out from inside the subway car. “Did I hear my name?”
“This has gone far enough.”
“I don’t work for you.” Her voice stiffened. “Not anymore. Now do us all a favor and listen to Cy. No one needs to die today.”