Vortex

Lucian shrugged. 'Collateral damage,' he stated. 'In every conflict there has to be a certain amount of acceptable loss. If you think it doesn't happen with our current systems of warfare, then you really are more stupid than I thought.'

But Ben just shook his head. 'You know what?' he said, not allowing his gun to waver from Lucian's direction. 'You're the crazy one, not your brother.'

Lucian snorted. 'It's amazing how many people seem to think so,' he said. 'Crazy old Lucian, stuck at Spadeadam for all his working life. Those do-gooding RAF muppets above ground treat me like I'm just as crazy as Joseph. But they're not the ones about to receive a five-million-pound payment and a one-way ticket to anywhere they want in the world. They're not the ones who have spent the past five years working on a project that governments around the world would pay millions to get their hands on.'

'Just shut up, Lucian!' Ben shouted him down, sickened by the man's greed. 'You're not going anywhere until we've found Joseph and made sure he's—'

But before Ben could finish, something silenced him. From the ceiling of the room, he became aware of a dull red light, flashing metronomically. He glanced up at it, and was aware that Lucian was also looking at the light with satisfaction.

'It's flashing all the way down the corridor, Ben,' he heard Annie say tensely from behind him.

Lucian smiled his unpleasant smile once more. 'Of course it is,' he said. 'It's been so nice having this little chat with you — thank you for being so interested in what I have to say. And while we've been jabbering away, of course, Flight Lieutenant Johnson has been a good little soldier and checked your cell, just as I told him to. They've discovered you're missing, and they're taking the necessary precautions.'

Ben and Annie looked at each other with barely disguised panic.

'You might as well put the gun down,' Lucian continued implacably, 'and stop your silly, childish little games. This is grown-ups' business now. They're shutting the place down and there's no way out. And when they get their hands on you, you'll be taken to the same place as Lucian. Sorry, kids, but I'm afraid you're not in for a very good day.'

Chapter Sixteen

The red light continued to flash. Somehow Ben felt it would be less sinister if there had been some kind of siren to go with it, but there wasn't: just a repetitive, silent warning that they were in real danger. Each time it lit up, it bathed Lucian's face in its dusty red glow: the flatness in his eyes and the strange effect of the lighting made him look somehow demonic.

Ben's mind was a mass of confusion, but he had to think quickly. No doubt some of Lucian's renegade soldiers were already on their way, heavily armed and under strict instructions to apprehend them, and then who could say what? There was no point running — they would only get lost in this underground warren of dingy concrete corridors — and soon enough they would be found and overcome. 'What are we going to do, Ben?' he heard Annie whisper.

'The only thing we can,' he said tensely as a sketchy plan started to form in his head. It wasn't much, but it would have to do until he could think of something better. He took a step towards Lucian, still brandishing the handgun. 'You're going to get us out of here,' he instructed, 'and you're going to take us to Joseph.'

One of the old man's eyebrows shot up. 'Really?' he asked sarcastically. 'And why would I do that? What possible reason would I have when I know there are armed soldiers on their way to deal with you?'

Abruptly, Ben walked around the table bearing Vortex and rushed up to Lucian. 'You're going to do it because you know we haven't got a thing to lose. If it's a choice between being blown to smithereens with Joseph, or shooting you, I swear I'll do what I have to do.'

Ben struggled to keep control of his emotions. He didn't really think he would ever be able to bring himself to shoot a man, even someone as loathsome as Lucian, but he couldn't let on that this was the case. Their lives depended on it. It seemed to work. As he thrust the gun into the loose flesh of Lucian's neck, the old man appeared suddenly wrong-footed and scared. 'I will shoot you,' Ben whispered with all the seriousness he could muster. Then, without taking his eyes from his hostage's face, he spoke to his cousin. 'Annie, are you wearing a belt?'

'Yeah. Why?'

'Take it off. We need to tie his hands behind his back. Do it tightly.'

Immediately Annie was there, belt in hands. Lucian, his face full of hatred, obediently put his arms behind his back, then winced slightly as Annie pulled the leather belt firmly around his wrists before tying it into a tight and sturdy knot. 'He won't get out of that,' she said.

'Right.' Ben was improvising as he went along, but he knew he had to sound sure of himself. He moved behind Lucian, pointed the gun between his shoulder blades and dug it in sharply. He felt his hand shaking as he did so. He didn't like holding a gun. It didn't feel right. 'Walk,' he said with more confidence than he felt. 'You're going to take us to the exit. Mess up and I'll shoot.'

Lucian stood still. 'You'll never make it,' he said. 'They'll be on their way even now.'

'Shut up and walk,' Ben growled. Slowly, Lucian made his way to the door, Ben following, the gun still pressed against the old man's back and Annie by his side. They started to walk down the corridors, which Lucian navigated with ease. Ben was acutely aware of the fact that he couldn't be sure if his hostage was leading them in the correct direction or not; he just had to trust that he had instilled sufficient fear into the old man to stop him from trying it on. It was a long shot — Lucian hadn't reacted to being at the wrong end of the barrel of a gun in quite the way he had expected. In fact, he had seemed far more distressed at the idea of his metal cylinder being damaged than anything else.

He jabbed the gun sharply into Lucian's back. 'Faster,' he said, and the old man picked up pace.

It was eerie, hurrying along those deserted corridors with the red lights flashing silently. Every time they turned a corner, Ben expected to see a group of heavily armed soldiers waiting for them, guns at the ready; but they never appeared. 'How close are we to the exit?' Ben demanded when they had been walking for a couple of minutes.

'Too close.' A voice rang out clearly from behind them, and they came to an abrupt halt. Ben's blood turned to ice as he realized they had been so concerned with checking what was coming up ahead of them that they had forgotten to look over their shoulder.

'The girl's in my sights,' the voice informed them. 'I'm going to count to five. If you haven't put the gun on the ground by then, I'll shoot her.'

Ben's eyes flicked over to Annie. She had instinctively put her hands in the air.

'One.'

He desperately tried to think what to do.

'Two.'

He could try and spin Lucian round so they were both standing in front of Annie.

'Three.'

But he couldn't risk a sudden movement. These guys weren't messing around.

'Four.'

Think, Ben. Think.

'F—'

'All right!' he shouted. 'All right, I'm putting it down.' He closed his eyes, lowered his arm then turned round. The soldier who had caught them was standing about ten metres away. He had an assault rifle aimed directly at Annie's back, and his finger was poised over the trigger in readiness. His face was filled with undisguised fury, and Ben realized instantly that this was the same guy they had locked in their cell.

'Put the gun down on the floor in front of you,' the soldier growled.

Ben did as he was told.

'Now kick it in my direction.'

He tapped the gun with his shoe and it slid a little way along the ground. The soldier approached, the butt of the gun still firmly dug into his shoulder as he aimed alternately at Annie and then Ben. Within seconds he was right up close to them. Lucian pushed past Ben and stood behind the soldier, a satisfied smirk on his face. 'About time for us to stop the heroics, wouldn't you say?'