He nodded. “Lead the way.”
Getting low, Carrie made a beeline back to the research station. Hooper and Graham followed at a short distance. They ran around the building, stopping just outside the loading bay.
The doors were open. Graham squinted, trying to see into the interior. But the darkness, combined with the exterior spotlights, thwarted his efforts.
They ran up a ramp and slid inside the building. Faint voices and the sounds of machinery rang out, coming from the hangar’s direction.
Carrie led them through a few corridors and then into a dark stairwell. As he ascended the steps, sweat beaded up on Graham’s hands. His heart pounded against his chest. His trigger finger twitched and twitched again.
At the top of the stairs, they paused. Hooper did a quick check and confirmed the floor was clear. Evidently, Eco-Trek’s entire staff was in the hangar preparing for the upcoming flights.
They crept down a familiar hallway, crossed Simona’s reception area, and entered her office. While Hooper kept an eye on the door, Graham hurried to the desk. Within seconds, he was hunched at the waist, his fingers flying across the keyboard, punching keys in endless patterns.
Carrie watched him for a few minutes. Finally, she cleared her throat. “How long will this take?”
“Five minutes? Five hours?” Graham shrugged. “How the hell should I know?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be a computer expert?”
“I’m the best Salvage Force has to offer.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
He gave her a grim smile. “There are only three of us.”
Even as Graham worked, he doubted his efforts. His odds of diverting the drones were incredibly low. He stood a better chance of disabling the model. But that would only have a temporary impact. Eventually, Simona would fix it. The planes would head for the sky.
The high-tech version of the Black Death would commence.
“Okay,” he said a few minutes later. “I’m in.”
“What exactly are you doing?” Carrie asked.
“I’m reprogramming the drones, changing their routes. I’m directing them toward the ocean, as far away from land as possible.”
“What about collateral damage?”
“I don’t follow.”
“What happens when Miasma aerosols hit the water? They might kill fish for miles.”
He paused in mid-keystroke. “Would you rather they killed people?”
“Not really,” she admitted.
He returned to his work. Then he lowered his face to the computer until his nose was practically touching the screen. “Uh, oh.”
“Uh, oh?” Hooper peered into the office. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone’s overriding my changes.”
“Simona.” Carrie clenched her fists. “Can you stop her?”
“Maybe.” He began frantically pounding away on the keyboard. Then he slammed his fists on the desk. “Damn it.”
Hooper’s jaw hardened. “I take it that’s a no.”
“I’m completely shut out of the system.” He shook his head. “It looks like Simona has commandeered her model from another location.”
“But what about the drones?” Carrie asked. “What about the new Black Death?”
His shoulders sagged. “I can’t stop it.”
Chapter 88
“Beverly.” I sprinted between two thick tree trunks. “Keep your distance, but follow my lead.”
She flashed me a nod and kept running. I hustled northeast, searching for another patch of soft dirt. After a brief run, I swung to the east. Beverly followed suit.
The massive dust devil whirled to the west. The wind died off and I saw something promising.
My boots pounded against the soil as I raced toward a deep pit. “You take the right,” I shouted. “I’ll take the left.”
Beverly nodded. With a sudden burst of speed, she shifted out a few feet and ran alongside the pit. As I ran along the opposite side, I glanced over my shoulder.
The Grueler, surrounded by flying dust, galloped after us. Its metal appeared orange in the darkness. Its hydraulics had risen to unbearable decibels.
It ran into the pit. Its metal legs churned. Its massive bulk surged forward and it began to slice through the soft soil.
I ran to the far end. Inhaling deeply, I watched the metal beast make its way toward the middle of the pit. Its legs moved quickly, easily.
Dirt squelched. Metal squealed.
The Grueler’s movements slowed as its legs slipped deeper into the loose dirt and dust. But it kept moving toward us.
My brain raced. I had no backup plan, no other ideas. If the pit didn’t stop the creature, we’d be forced to keep running.
The Grueler lifted its left front leg. The metal limb only rose partway out of the soil. The robotic beast tried to shift the leg forward. But the dirt resisted the effort. It lowered the limb and tried to lift the right hind one. But it refused to move as well.
I felt a strange sense of fascination as I watched the Grueler struggle to free itself from the pit’s clutches. It was like standing at the La Brea Tar Pits, watching a prehistoric animal trying to fight its way out of bitumen.
Beverly appeared at my side. Cocking her head, she studied the creature. “I think it’s—”
Abruptly, the Grueler’s front legs lunged forward in a single movement. Its back legs did the same and it shifted a few inches toward us.
“It’s not going to stop.” Unsheathing my machete, I strode to the edge of the pit.
“Where are you going?” she called out.
“To finish this.” I hopped into the pit. My boots sank into the soft dirt and I fought my way forward.
The Grueler tried to lunge at me as I drew within range. But it was too slow, too awkward. I easily sidestepped its effort and hoisted myself onto its back. It reared up. The hissing climbed another pitch. Then it began to jolt and buck like a horse.
I wrapped my legs around the chassis and gripped a piece of piping with my free hand. Using my machete, I pried open a section of protective casing.
The bucking increased. I began flying back and forth, barely maintaining my grip. Beneath me, I saw the Grueler’s inner workings. I scanned them, looking for a central control unit. Giving up, I fit my blade between various sets of pipes. Taking a deep breath, I plunged it downward.
My blade sliced through numerous wires. The bucking halted and I was able to catch my breath. Looking down, I saw a small metal box beneath the sheared wiring. Padding protected it on all sides. I shifted my blade and slammed it into the box.
I felt a small jolt. Electrical sparks flew outward. The Grueler froze. Then it slowly sank into the dirt.
I waited for the creature to stir, to come back to life. But it didn’t move. Slowly, its red glowing lights faded to blackness.
After a few additional seconds, I relaxed my grip and stood up on the partially submerged metallic carcass.
Beverly stood at the edge of the pit. I gave her a sly smile. Then I lifted my hands over my head in classic victory pose.
She faked a yawn. “Took you long enough.”
I stared at her in disbelief. “I was trying to give you a good show.”
“You thought that was a good show?”
Chuckling under my breath, I hopped off the Grueler and waded through the dirt. Then I climbed out of the pit.
She backed up a few inches.
Suddenly, I tackled her to the ground. With a soft squeal, she tried to squirm away. But I held fast.
Small dust devils soared around us, blanketing us. Dirt smashed into our bodies and faces.
With a grunt, she rolled me onto my back and climbed on top of me. Brushing back her hair, she stared at me with those stunning violet eyes of hers. Then her mouth was on mine, pushing hard. Our tongues met in the middle and electric sparks flew inside me.