“Girl?”
His laugh was deep and rich in the darkness. “It just sounded better that way.”
“Right.” She couldn’t help a smile herself. He was damned charming.
“Let’s get one thing clear, Dr. Alexander. I’m not leaving without you. Beetle or no beetle.”
“That might not be possible. As long as I’m here, I’m a bargaining chip for your safety.”
“Bargain away. But like I said…I’m not leaving you behind.” He slid off the bed and stood next to her. Their bodies were very close in the small space, and Marina’s breath caught as she realized he was reaching for her. She stepped nearer, her fingers brushing his arm, and tipped up her face.
His mouth was full and soft and warm, covering hers with confidence, yet without demand. One hand came up to curl around the back of her neck, just enough to steady her, his fingers weaving into her hair. She sank into him a little, enjoying a kiss that could only be described as thoughtful, thorough, and sensual.
When he pulled away, still touching her, Marina smiled. “Well, Dr. Sanchez,” she managed to say. “That was a surprise.”
“Definitely not going to leave you behind,” he murmured. Then his voice turned brisk, but still held a note of levity. “I think we can dispense with the formality at this point, Dr. Alexander. Besides, your name is too much of a mouthful, and if I need to get your attention quickly, I may not have time to speak six syllables.” He gave her a quick kiss on the mouth, then stepped back.
“All right then, Dr. Sanchez. Let’s see if we can get out of here and find your beetles. But first…let’s see if they left any of that antidote in here. Do you remember anything of what they did to you?”
“Some, but I was pretty out of it by then. I remember them taking my vitals, and maybe putting some topical cream on…and definitely I was the recipient of a shot. That I remember. Any idea how long we’ve been here?”
“No. I was—gone for a while, and when they brought me back it felt as if it were near evening. I ate…” She frowned. “Let’s look around.”
Marina fumbled in her cargo shorts—the same ones she’d been wearing yesterday (it had been yesterday, hadn’t it?) in Helen Darrow’s office. Deep in one of the cargo pockets was a small squeeze flashlight, no bigger than a large cherry—small enough it hadn’t been noticed by their traveling escorts, or they hadn’t cared.
She flashed it around and confirmed they were in the same room they’d been in when their treatments had been administered. The room next door, visible through the glass partition, was empty and dark. The door to the medical room also had a glass panel, and beyond, the area was unlit, leading Marina to believe it was night and everyone had gone to sleep. She turned back to the counter where the medical technicians had been working and, though her fingers were becoming tired from pinching on the light, she and Eli began to search through drawers and shelves.
There were more cannulas and some small unmarked vials. Though she wasn’t certain they were the antibiotic, she knew the medication Nora had administered to her was the color of Cabernet. She took two vials of dark red liquid and shoved them in her pockets, along with a couple of syringes. Eli filched a few as well, along with a small tube of gel.
“I think they put this on me,” he said, replacing the cap. “I remember the scent. Not pretty.”
Marina’s fingers gave out and the light winked into darkness as she rested her grip. They moved to the door without speaking and peered out the glass. The space beyond was filled with shadows of all shades of black and gray, along with tiny random lights that appeared to be from a computer or something else electronic. They blinked red, green, yellow, and orange
“There’s probably an alarm on the door,” she said. “Or it’s locked.”
Eli reached for the knob and turned. Nothing happened—neither an alarm nor the delightful sound of the door opening. “Shine that here.”
Marina obliged, training her tiny light on the knob. No keyhole on this side, no way to unlock it. “Got any other ideas?”
Eli had moved to the glass partition and peered through it. He knocked softly on the glass, then returned to the door and tapped on that glass. “Let’s break it.”
“The sound would bring everyone running.”
“Right. But…” He turned back to the cabinets and drawers and began to dig through one of them. Marina brought over her light without being asked, shining it for him while she considered other options. “Maybe there’s something in here we could use to cut it,” he muttered. “A scalpel? A diamond-headed cutter?”
“Or this!” She snatched up a roll of bandage tape in the drawer next to his.
They looked at each other and grinned. “That’ll do.”
Working quickly and efficiently, they tore strips of tape and crisscrossed them over the lower left quadrant of the door window.
“Ready?” Eli asked, holding a pair of heavy scissors. With a sharp movement, he slammed it into the center of the crisscrossed section. The glass crunched silently, held in place by the tape except for one shard that tinkled to the floor. Marina picked away enough of the pieces to make a hole through which her arm would fit.
After taking care of the jagged glass, she reached out and down and found the door handle. It moved, and the door unlocked audibly.
“Ready?” she whispered. “If an alarm sounds, head to those stairs there, and when you get to the top, look for the door right there. That’ll lead to the outside. I’m pretty sure we could find our way back to where they landed the plane.”
“Or…maybe we don’t want to be in the jungle at night without any protection,” he said, putting his hand over hers to keep her from turning the knob. “Maybe we hide somewhere in here—where they wouldn’t expect to find us; they’ll expect us to fly the coop, right?—until we can get our bearings and some provisions. I know better than to be out in the jungle without a plan—even if we could find the plane. I assume you’d be the one flying it? And I’d like to find those beetles. If I can get a specimen—a live one—and bring it back, it’ll help with the development of a treatment.”
Marina nodded. “I’m willing to take that risk if you are.”
“Damn straight.”
She turned the knob and pushed on the door…and it didn’t move.
“Bolt lock,” Eli said, stepping up close behind her. He reached his own arm out and around at an awkward angle, trapping her gently against the door. Marina heard the dull clunk of the bolt being thrown open. He withdrew his hand, brushing his fingers over her cheek in a light caress. “All right, Doc. Let’s go.”
Marina held her breath, turned the knob, and pushed the door slowly open. A low, moaning creak that seemed to shatter the silence had the hair at the back of her neck standing on end, but the rest of the world remained still. Eli's hand curled around her wrist as they slipped out of the room and into the dimly lit laboratory area.
The only sound was the soft scuff of her sandal and the low hum of the computer equipment on the other side of the lab. A soft blue-white glow from the perimeter of the room gave just enough illumination for them to navigate through the worktables and electronics stations.
She tugged him with her as she made her way to the computers. If there was an Internet connection and she could figure out how to access it, she could send some information to Gabe: that they had been treated for the bacteria, and, more importantly, that she’d left him a clue…and their general location could maybe be traced through her email.
She shifted a mouse, and the monitor rumbled awake with a soft buzz, casting a familiar circle of light into the area. Eli moved to the station next to hers and did the same. After a quick glance to make sure no one had appeared, Marina turned her attention to the screen. Her palm was slick and the mouse didn’t want to cooperate at first, but she got it working and began to fumble around the desktop—which wasn’t familiar to her, but she found something that looked like the Internet.
“Any luck?” Eli murm
ured, clicking and shuffling his mouse.
“Yes…I think…yes.” She’d gotten online, and quickly typed in her webmail address. “And the date—it’s already the 29th. We’ve been here more than a day.”
Her stomach was in knots as she logged in, and, without checking any of her messages, immediately created a new one. To Gabe. “As soon as we’re done here, let’s look for the beetles,” she said as she typed: Treated. Learned infection can be spread by touch!! Check my phone, she typed. Listen—
“So you want to see the beetles, do you?”
Marina’s heart dumped to her feet as she and Eli whirled around.
A man stood there, silhouetted by the soft light behind him. In his hand was the unmistakable shape of a firearm.
THIRTY-ONE
Marina swallowed back her heart, and swiftly clicked SEND as Eli bolted to his feet, putting himself between her and the newcomer.
“I was under the understanding Roman didn’t allow firearms in his workhouse,” Marina said, stepping out from behind Eli. Her heart was thudding crazily, and she hoped the email had gone.
The man laughed softly. “What Roman doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Or perhaps it will. Move away from there now.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Hedron. And of course I am well aware of your identity, Mariska Aleksandrov. Welcome back to the fold.” The definite sneer in his tone belied the words. “Step away from there, if you please. I won’t ask again.” He gestured with the gun. “Unlike your uncle, I am not afraid to employ this sort of weapon. Now, come this way…slowly. No sudden moves, no sounds—or, I promise you, the treatment they gave you for the bacteria will have been wasted. I have no qualms about ridding the world of the Aleksandrov progeny.”
Marina and Eli did as he ordered, and as they drew nearer, Hedron moved quickly and neatly. The next thing Marina knew, he had her by the arm, and yanked her toward him. The barrel of the gun was jammed into her neck.
“Excellent,” he said, pushing it none too gently into the soft part of her throat as Eli froze, holding his hands up in surrender. “Now, sir, if you would lead the way—you did say you wanted to see the beetles, did you not? Down the corridor to the right.”
Even in the dim light, Eli was able to catch Marina’s eye before doing as ordered. She was relieved his expression was one of determination and not fear.
Hedron relaxed his grip only slightly as they made their way down the hall he’d indicated. Her best guess was they were moving toward what had appeared to be the back left side of the compound when they’d arrived.
“You made this very convenient for me,” Hedron said, gesturing for Eli to turn left at the end of a hall. “I thought I’d have to manufacture your escape, but you beat me to it. And rather quickly, too. Thank you for that. Now, do you see the door with the metal frame? Good. You will open it, and once we’ve stepped through, you’ll close it behind us. And remember, I’ll put a bullet in her neck the instant you step out of line.”
Eli complied, taking his time, clearly trying to think his way out of the situation. Once they stepped through the door, and it closed behind them, light flooded the place.
Marina blinked at the shock of illumination and heard the clunk of a lock, then, blessedly, Hedron released her with a rough shove. She stumbled, still half blind, and knocked into the wall. Eli pulled her to her feet.
For the first time, she could see their captor.
Hedron was younger than Roman, she guessed. Just sixty or so. He had a full head of stark white hair in a flattop buzz cut that was short over the ears. Clean-shaven, with olive skin and a pair of cold gray eyes, he presented a formidable picture. Dressed in the familiar garb of the Skaladeskas, he also wore a pair of gloves.
Having taken in the details of their captor, Marina looked around the room. There were no windows, and only two doors: the one through which they’d entered, and another one on the far wall. The space held the faint scent of rotten eggs, and it seemed to be coming from several canisters with hoses—they looked like rectangular fire extinguishers—lined up along the floor near her. There were no furnishings, and the rest of the space was empty except for an array of suits hanging along the fourth wall. They were made of white material, unlike the normal clothing worn by the Skaladeskas. Above each suit was a hood shaped like a helmet, and a pair of boots sat below.
Marina’s first impression was they were hazmat suits. And the fire extinguishers…
None of this was a good sign.
“Your uncle is a fool, leaving you unattended,” said Hedron. “But his folly will clearly be to my benefit.” He gestured to the opposite door, a heavy metal one that looked as if it led to a safe. “Through that door. Both of you.”
Marina and Eli looked at each other, but the gun was pointed directly in her face, and close enough Hedron couldn’t miss if he pulled the trigger. And she had no doubt he would. Whoever this man was, he had no respect or care for the Heir to Gaia, or whatever they were calling Marina.
Eli turned reluctantly and stumbled. A sudden loud clanging and clattering filled the air, and Eli glanced up guiltily as he righted one of several canisters he’d overturned. “Sorry. I tripped.”
“Be careful,” Hedron snapped, glancing at Eli, but with the firearm still pointed much too close to Marina.
“I didn’t mean to knock those over; good thing they didn’t break,” Eli said in a loud, nervous voice as he stooped to pick up the other canisters. “Whew. They smell awf—”
“Stop talking and open that door.” Hedron was clearly losing his patience, and Marina began to get a little nervous.
Eli must have caught on, for he kept himself focused on the door without turning back. He slid open the three bolts that held the door closed, then, with an apologetic look over his shoulder at Marina, pulled it open.
“Go on.” Hedron gestured sharply with his weapon.
Eli took her by the hand and yanked her through the opening so quickly she nearly tripped herself. No sooner had they stepped through than the door clanged shut behind them.
Marina whirled to see that Hedron had not followed, and then heard the dull clunk of a bolt being thrown.
“What the hell?” said Eli. He sounded more disappointed than confused, and that was when Marina noticed he was holding one of the canisters. “I was going swing around and brain him with this,” he explained, letting the can slide to the floor. “Damn.”
“Good thinking,” she said, impressed. “And nice sleight of hand, picking it up.”
“What do you think this place is? And what’s he up to? I bet he’s going to release some of the beetles in here. Did you see all those hazmat suits?”
Unfortunately, Marina was inclined to agree. “There’s no way out, I’m guessing.”
They were in a much smaller chamber now—hardly bigger than a closet. The light in here was dim and frosty green, filtering from the periphery of the ceiling and shining down in a doubtful glow. The rest of the chamber was completely empty, except for one wall cloaked in a heavy, dark curtain.
Eli appeared eerie and ghostlike in the strange color, and he gestured to the drapery. “I have a feeling I know what’s behind the curtain. And it isn’t the Wizard of Oz.”
When he tugged the covering aside, Marina was prepared for anything—but the moment was anticlimactic. Behind the swag was a door, and next to it was a large window. And on the other side of the window was the same eerie green light, and—
“There she is,” Eli said in a hushed voice. He stepped up to the glass as if drawn by a rope, planting his fingers on the glass as he peered through. “There they all are.”
Marina joined him, stunned and fascinated by the sight revealed through the glass. “It looks like a…like an underground temple,” she murmured. Her breath fogged the window, and she stepped aside to a clear spot. For the moment, she forgot about Hedron locking them in, about being trapped, and possibly being exposed to the beetles…
Because what she
saw was incredible.
Whatever they were looking at was certainly man-made, and ancient. It was built into the earth; a cave, perhaps, that had been formed into a rectangular room with a tall ceiling, underground. Through the dim green light filtering through the window and in the temple itself, she could see the edges of rock and natural formations between the room where she was, and where the underground chamber’s walls and floors ended.
The cavern had smooth walls, floor, and ceiling of an iridescent, foamy-green hue. A dais was situated in the center, and on it was a pedestal. Other than that, the space was empty. The metal of the walls glinted dully in the light, and seemed to glitter like the bottom of a fountain filled with pennies. Rusty glints, shimmering with movement, filtering over the walls and floor.
“Copper,” she whispered. “It’s all copper. The walls, the ceiling, the floor…”
“And it’s crawling with my beetles,” Eli murmured like a lover. “Look at those beauties.” He caressed the glass where several of the coppery insects crawled, safely on the other side.
“It’s amazing,” she breathed, then jumped when the door opened behind them.
“I see you’ve discovered our little secret.” Hedron still held his weapon, but he’d taken the time to don one of the white suits, boots, and helmet. He closed the door quickly behind himself, but not before a shaft of bright light blazed into the chamber for a moment. On the other side of the glass, the beetles caught in the sudden illumination suddenly took flight in a startled, crazy swarm.
Eli made a sound of fascination and went back to staring through the glass. “They don’t like the light.”
“No, hence our convenient little antechamber.” Hedron gestured to include the space. “White or bright light sends them into a frenzy. Not a surprise, for those bugs have been living and breeding there in the dark for millennia—if your grandfather is to be believed.” This last was, of course, directed at Marina. “Would you like to take a closer look?” He laughed unpleasantly.
“Did you build this place? This building?”
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