“Destroy it. Burn it. Break it. Grind it into pieces. Whatever it takes. Or they’ll die.”
“Who? Who will die?”
“Everyone.”
Why hadn’t I listened to her? Why hadn’t I destroyed it when I had the chance?
I noticed a shadow. Lifting my gaze, I saw Benigno creep out of the far northeastern tube. Stepping quietly, he made a beeline for us.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a glimpse of light. But it wasn’t one of the red flashing bulbs.
Oh, no.
“Wait,” I yelled. “Get—”
Gunfire ripped out of the northern tube.
Benigno faltered. He spun around. Blood flew out of his chest and stomach. He collapsed to the concrete. A final breath escaped his lungs.
Then he died.
Chapter 82
My gaze shot back to the far northeastern tube. My eyes searched the area for Carrie.
Hide. Hide now.
I glanced at the north tube. Three guards were situated just inside it. They kept their distance, like snipers watching over the cavern.
“That bastard.” Graham shook his head. “She didn’t just leave us to die. She left guards behind to make sure it happened.”
I looked at Beverly. “Think you can find enough stuff in here to rig up some explosives?”
“Maybe.” She looked around. “There’s just one problem. We’re in close quarters. We might not survive the blast.”
As I twisted toward the ancient reliquary, I realized the stark choice before me. There was still a chance I could save the ancient box. I could take it to a boat. I could flee the island. But if I did that, I’d be dooming people — including the ones who meant the most to me — to horrible deaths.
My brain focused. I knew my next move would seal the reliquary’s fate. But the more I thought about it, the less I cared. Yes, the reliquary was an ancient artifact. Yes, it was an irreplaceable piece of history.
But it wasn’t worth more than the future.
“Leave that to me,” I said.
She ran toward a workbench and began taking an inventory of the lab’s contents. Meanwhile, I darted to the hydraulic lift and studied the controls. Then I activated the lift and began to operate it.
“Hold on,” Graham said. “You’re doing it wrong.”
“I know what I’m doing.”
“Really? Because you’re about to dump the reliquary on the ground.”
“Exactly.”
He frowned. Then his eyes started to shine and he pushed me aside. Taking the controls, he manipulated the hydraulic lift, raising it into the air. Then he tipped it. The dragon statue toppled off the lift and clattered against the ground. The lid was next to go, striking the floor with a dull thud.
Then the reliquary started to slide. Seconds later, it fell off the lift, shifted ninety degrees, and crashed sideways to the ground. Dust kicked upward, filling the air.
“Okay, this should work.” Beverly took an armful of supplies to the partition. “Just give me a second.”
“You’re going to blow up the wall?” Graham frowned. “Why not the door?”
“Because the other doors are probably locked, too.”
As she set up the materials, Graham and I ducked down and slid into the large space afforded by the reliquary.
Moments later, Beverly squeezed into the space with us. “Get ready, boys.” She grinned. “This is going to be a big one.”
Chapter 83
The air exploded. Metal cracked. Glass shattered.
A generator sizzled. The blaring alarms ceased. The flashing red lights went out. Light fixtures turned black.
I grabbed my gun and jumped to my feet. Through a thick cloud of dust, I saw a gaping hole in the partition.
Part of me was tempted to wait for the guards to enter the lab, to seek us out at close range. But I couldn’t be sure they’d do that. They might keep back, knowing we’d have to move sooner or later.
Using the dust as cover, I made my way to the partition. Peering forward, I saw a guard standing in the center of the room, flanked by two pillars. He held a rifle, which he swung back and forth. Despite his bulletproof vest, he still looked skinny.
Out of the corners of my eyes, I saw the other guards. They’d moved to the far ends of the room, taking cover behind other pillars.
As silently as possible, I crept through the gaping hole.
The middle guard shifted. His gun swung in my direction. “I got one,” he shouted. “Over here.”
Time slowed down as I dove to the side. I saw the tubes, the pillars. I saw the wreckage wrought by Beverly’s impromptu explosives. And oddly enough, I saw liquid streaming into the cavern.
My finger squeezed the trigger. The middle guard staggered as a barrage of gunfire slammed into him. A bullet caught his chin and he went down like a rock.
The other guards took aim at me. I retreated behind a cracked generator and laid down some cover fire. Graham and Beverly raced out of the gap and headed for my position.
“Not the worst odds,” Beverly said as she knelt next to me. “But I’d feel more comfortable if they weren’t the only ones with body armor.”
“Who cares?” Graham shrugged. “Just aim for their heads.”
The two guards hunkered down behind the last layer of pillars. A couple moments of silence followed.
“That looks like water.” I nodded at the liquid. It was two inches deep and rising at a disturbingly fast clip. “You don’t suppose Simona’s flooding the tubes, do you?”
“Makes sense,” Graham replied. “The Japanese could’ve booby-trapped this place back in 1944. Simona would’ve just had to get everything in working order.”
“Death by drowning, huh?” Beverly arched an eyebrow. “At least we’ve got time to escape.”
I sniffed. The air smelled of salt. “Not as much as you think. The water is moving fast. Coupled with the aging concrete, I wouldn’t be surprised if the walls start to give way.”
Her jaw tightened.
“If that happens, the water will saturate the soil,” Graham said. “This tunnel system could fail. Hell, the whole station could come crashing down.”
“Then we’d better hurry.” Beverly shifted her gaze. “Split up. I’ll take the guy on the right. Cy, you take the one in the middle.”
“What about me?” Graham asked.
“Keep us covered.”
Graham took up position next to the generator. I slid out from behind him and eased toward the middle of the cavern. Beverly passed behind me and made her way to the right side.
My boots sloshed gently in the water. It moved faster and faster. It splashed against pillars, walls, the broken partition, and everything else in the cavern.
I stopped next to a pillar. Kneeling down, I felt the middle guard’s pulse. He was dead. Quickly, I detached his vest and donned it.
A burst of gunfire filled the air. Instinctively, I ducked down.
I heard a soft grunt. Flesh slapped against water and concrete. I snuck a quick look and saw the right-side guard lying face down in the dark, swirling water.
Two down. One to go.
Water splashed.
“Watch out,” Beverly shouted. “He’s—”
Another gunshot rang out. I twisted around just in time to see the last guard fall to his knees.
Graham slid out from behind the generator. A puff of smoke drifted out of his gun barrel.
I ran to the last guard. Felt his pulse.
He was dead as well.
With gun drawn, I headed deeper into the manmade cavern. Graham followed me and we met Beverly on the back end. We cleared the rest of the area and then made our way to the far northeastern tube. “Carrie?”