“I’ve got him, Captain.” Janus staggered toward Micah. “Go.”
“Thank you.”
As Anna careened her way through the sprawled bodies and metallic fragments of the American helicopter in the hallway, her heart pulsed a slow martial drumbeat. Humanity was going extinct, and Americans and Russians were still killing each other. Blood pooled everywhere and red swaths streaked the floor where the dead had been dragged and thrown onto a pile at the far end of the hall. Choppers continued to hover outside, their blades throwing rhythmic shadows across the floor and walls, but she could tell from the sound that they were not American.
Cozeba called, “Asher, stand at attention.”
She snapped to attention, wondering what he was doing.
Cozeba braced his feet in front of Garusovsky, and said, “Is your offer still good? Will you allow everyone in the fort to live in exchange for the Marham-i-Isa?”
Garusovsky smiled. “Why would I? You’ve lost. Soon, the fort will be crawling with my men.”
“Yes, but in the meantime I’ll order Captain Asher to destroy the computer with the cure.”
Garusovsky looked shocked. “That would be a death sentence for America.”
“True, but I’d have the satisfaction of knowing I’d also killed Russia.”
Garusovsky wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and seemed to be considering. “Very well. But I want Borodino.”
Garusovsky gave Yacob a hateful look, and he paled.
Cozeba shook his head. “No. Not negotiable. He’s a small price, don’t you think? With the cure, your people will inherit the earth. What’s left of it.”
Garusovsky glared at Cozeba for a long moment. “Take me to the computer. I want to see it with my own eyes. No delays. No subterfuge.”
Cozeba nodded, and gestured for Anna to lead the way. “Take us there, Anna.”
“General, we can’t—”
“Do it.”
Anna squeezed her eyes closed, pivoted, and strode back to Bibi’s chamber with Cozeba and Garusovsky following behind her.
When she saw the computer on the table, she felt physically ill. The magnificent 3-D image was still there, spiraling out a message of salvation.
She forced herself to walk over, pick it up, and place the computer in Garusovsky’s hands. The general gave her a gloating smile that turned her knees to water.
“Now, leave the room, Captain,” Cozeba ordered. “The general and I need to talk.”
“Yes, sir.”
Anna walked out and went down the hall to the window, where she braced her hands on the sill to steady her weak knees.
The man in the Garden started singing again.
She looked down.
At the sight of him, Anna stood transfixed, leaning against the windowsill. He had his arms open to the heavens and was singing to the dying soldiers. In the rainy gloom, Hakari seemed not quite real.
For a long time, she just stood there.
It was him, wasn’t it? He wore the robes of a monk. Curly black hair hung to his shoulders and he’d grown a full beard. How had he gotten here? How could he have known she’d be here?
Yacob walked up beside her. “Did you have time to make a copy or sabotage the formula before you gave it to Garusovsky?”
“No. Everything happened too fast … and I’m not sure I could have sabotaged it if I’d wanted to. It’s too precious. Someone should live, even if it’s not us.”
As she said it, she felt empty beyond words. They’d lost. Garusovsky had the Marham-i-Isa, and Russian forces were closing in, surrounding the fort. They had maybe twenty minutes, before …
“All right.” Yacob hung his head and nodded. “Come on. There’s nothing more we can do here, and we don’t have much time. Once the rest of the Russian troops arrive, we—”
“Yes, we have to get to him before they find out who he is.”
“We can’t let them find out.”
Anna seemed to be moving in a dream. One methodical step at a time. The edges of her vision had gone hazy and sparkling, and a strange nothingness filled her mind, blotting out thoughts and fears.
“I’m sorry I arrived late at Bir Bashan and Karnak, Anna. I had my vaccine with me. I really was bringing it to you.”
“I knew you would. How does it work? Or rather, why?”
“I created the live vaccine that resulted in the new strain of LucentB that emerged in Russia. I knew it was a possibility when I developed it, but … we were desperate. Trying anything we could. All I had to do was study the new mutation, then reverse engineer the formula to create a vaccine against it. But it only works for that strain, which means it provides immunity for barely twenty percent of those who are sick. It’s a short-term delaying tactic, that’s all. The other strains will get us eventually.”
“Was it you who vaccinated Hazor?”
“Yes. We stumbled upon him trying to get away from the firefight. I knew you were out there somewhere, and I figured that the military would find Hazor, realize he’d been vaccinated, and analyze his DNA. I knew they’d call you in, and you’d understand what I’d done. I gave him a new version of my vaccine for the Russian strain. Obviously, not a cure, but I was hoping you’d be able to build upon it to help America.”
“Unfortunately, I was long gone by that time.”
When she reached the door that led outside to the Garden, Yacob Borodino stopped and took a deep breath.
“Wait. Let’s talk for a second.” He held up a hand to stop her.
“What is it?”
“You understand, don’t you? He isn’t the man we remember. He couldn’t stand it, Anna. He knew what was going to happen, and he tried to tell the world, but no one listened.”
Wind whistled through the cracks around the heavy door. It sounded like far-away screams. “How did he get here, Yacob? Do you know?
Borodino shook his head. “He once told me that coming here with you was the happiest time of his life. In his madness, maybe he thought you were still here or that you would return. Maybe he even foresaw your return. Or maybe he came here to take refuge because of the mystical geometry etched into the megalithic tombs. Who knows?”
“For so long, I thought he was dead, and I could get on with my life, but then—”
“He may not even recognize you. Don’t get your hopes up.”
The possibility broke her heart. Anna nodded and gestured to the door. “Let’s find out.”
Yacob pushed it open, and she walked out into the rainy afternoon. Out across the ocean the storm wavered in misty veils. The wind had kicked up swells that battered the ships in the harbor.
There were no guards around the Garden. Dead? Or had Cozeba called every man into the fort to help protect it from the Russians?
She followed the path that led around to the south side of the fence and twined her fingers into the wire to watch Hakari. His back was to her as he administered last rites to an elderly admiral with gray hair. She hadn’t seen Hakari in years, and now he stood right in front of her.
All of the energy she had left drained away.
Anna leaned her forehead against the cold wet wire and closed her eyes. She couldn’t think anymore. Didn’t want to. He was alive. He was here.
She heard sluggish, erratic footsteps approaching.
Then large hands molded over hers where she gripped the wire. She knew that touch.
She said, “You made it difficult, James.”
“Not too difficult for you. Just for others.”
Yacob came up behind her. “Hello, James.”
Hakari’s shoulders shook. “I waited for you. You are the seventh.”
“The seventh?”
Hakari gripped Anna’s hands tighter. “Yes. God’s wrath has been poured out all over the earth. Now, there is only the Beast to defeat. And you will do that, my Anna. You will find it and defeat the Beast.”
Awareness was slowly seeping through her emotional haze, making itself known to her brain, and
she realized how warm his hands were. His fever had to be over 105 degrees. He was burning up.
Strangely, she did not pull away from him. By now, it was too late, anyway. Whatever version, or versions, of the virus he had acquired from the dying soldiers covered her skin.
She clutched his hands more tightly. “How did you figure it out, James? The new 3-D model is so—”
“So obvious,” he whispered. “The ancients understood. When we were together in Karnak, looking up at the pointed tops of the obelisks, I saw it. It was right there in front of my eyes. Four vertices. Four sides. Everything comes in fours. Just like DNA. But it was the contents of the jar that came as a revelation.”
“The contents of the jar. I thought it was empty?”
“Yes, but I took scrapings from the walls and analyzed them. A residue of the ointment remained, and it was filled with DNA. The symmetry of the sequence was so blindingly beautiful, filled with such light, I knew it was the heart of the DNA vaccine.” He leaned heavily against the wire. “But it took me too long to understand the Mark of the Beast. Too long. Forgive me for that.”
“The Mark of the Beast? You mean LucentB?”
In the distance, she heard eerie voices rising and falling, then booms of thunder, and she saw lightning consume the clouds out at sea. When the thunder rolled over them, an earthquake briefly shook the ground.
Hakari blinked, “Anna? Are my eyes open? Look. Are they open?”
She lifted her head. “Yes, James, they’re wide open.”
He sagged against the fence. “Then it is truly done. It is done.”
“Listen to me, James, your vaccine is going to save countless lives. You did it.” Even if they are not American lives.
He appeared dazed. He blinked at her with dark wet eyes. “She was healed, you know. Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.”
Anna looked at Yacob to see if he understood.
Yacob shook his head, but said, “Book of Luke, I think.”
Then it occurred to her that Jesus had healed the daughter of Phanuel. Just as James must hope his vaccine would heal her.
James seemed to lose himself for a moment. He blinked at Yacob, then at Anna. In a faint voice, he asked, “Are you the thieves who will hang beside me?”
“I can’t stand this,” Yacob said in Anna’s ear, and stepped away.
The brilliant man they had once loved had started slipping away years ago, but now he was truly lost, wandering in delusions with no way out. Or maybe it was just the plague spreading through his body and brain.
Anna pulled her hands from James’s frantic grip, reached inside the fence, and slipped her arms around his back, pulling him close, hugging him as best she could through the wire. He worked his arms through to hug her back, and wept.
Softly, she said, “I’m right here, James. I’m not leaving you.”
But as Russian troops trotted up the shore with rifles in their arms, she knew there was only one way to keep that promise.
CHAPTER 60
SIX DAYS LATER … OCTOBER 29.
Micah sat in bed, propped up on pillows, looking out the window at the light snow falling across Malta. Flakes blew over the rooftops and swirled down the empty streets. He had no idea if Malta had ever experienced snow before, but it was pretty.
He shifted and winced. The submarine surgeon had glued his shoulder blade back together as best he could, but shattered was shattered. These days, the sling was actually the worst part. It made him feel like an invalid. The surgeon said he’d never have full use of his left arm again, but what did it matter now?
Sighing, he watched the snowfall. He’d had days to think about things. Especially about his family. And he knew they were not hiding out in some salt cave. When the plague struck, hospitals would have quickly been overwhelmed. No one would have even noticed they were sick. Even if they weren’t sick, fanatics who didn’t understand why not had probably killed them. Throughout history people who did not get sick during plagues were accused of being witches, or demons, or simply the carriers that spread the disease.
Micah didn’t want to face it. But, at some point, he’d have to.
While he was dwelling on the death of everything he’d ever cared about, it figured that Cozeba would open the door and enter his room. The general stood awkwardly before walking forward. His medals, like always, had been polished to a high luster, and his hair looked freshly washed.
“Good morning, Captain Hazor.”
“General.”
The man walked to stand over Micah’s bed like a menacing vulture. “Feeling well enough for a serious conversation.”
Micah shoved his blanket down around his waist. The look on Cozeba’s face was already affecting his heart rate. “Not really. Are the Russians truly gone? Janus says they are, but I’m not sure he isn’t humoring me because of my injuries.”
“He’s not. Garusovsky left with the cure the same day you were wounded.”
“Didn’t want to stick around, I suppose. With the plague everywhere.”
“No.”
“So…” Micah said, wondering when Cozeba would get around to the reason for this visit. “I assume you’re mass-producing Yacob’s vaccine as quickly as you can?”
“It’s slow-going with our limited facilities and personnel, but yes.”
Cozeba folded his arms and seemed to be examining the spiderweb in the corner of the ceiling.
“Any side effects?”
“Not from the vaccine, but once symptoms have progressed to a certain point the vaccine seems useless.”
“Is that what you came here to tell me?”
Cozeba walked over to the window to grimace down at the quarantine camp below. “Nadai is sick.”
“What?”
“He must have contracted the disease from one of the soldiers in the helicopter that brought him to Malta.”
“But didn’t he get Yacob’s vaccine?”
“Yes, but it came too late for him. He’s in the Garden now.”
Micah’s chest deflated with a silent exhale. “What about everyone who had contact with Nadai, including you, Anna, and me?”
“We’ve all received Yacob’s vaccine. Now we wait.”
As Micah thought about it, he felt more and more hollow. “Where is Anna? I haven’t seen her since I woke up four days ago.”
Cozeba turned halfway around to fix Micah with sober eyes. “Let’s talk about Operation Eucharist first. I have a mission for you.”
“A mission? General, I’m in no condition to undertake a mission. My left arm—”
“Your injury will not affect your ability to carry out this mission.”
Micah took a moment to brace himself. “Go on, sir.”
Cozeba shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Here’s the situation: There are seventeen quarantine zones across America. Those people need Yacob’s vaccine desperately. Even if it isn’t the cure, it’s better than nothing.”
“Yes, sir.”
“We’ve messaged President Stein the formula, but have received no response. I have to know what’s happening in America. Once we have a few thousand doses of vaccine manufactured, maybe in a month, I’ll need someone to volunteer to carry the vaccine, and the formula, to America, and report back to me on the status of the country.”
The very idea of trying to make it to America in this devastated world boggled Micah’s mind. “What will I find when I get there? A dead zone? Rioting in the streets?”
Cozeba shook his head. “For the most part, you’ll be crossing a dead country, but no one knows what’s really happening out there in the hinterlands.”
The faces of Gembane, Ranken, and Beter appeared behind his eyes, staring at him with knowing expressions on their faces. They’d become his conscience, always there to remind him of why he’d spent his life fighting to protect his country.
“I volunteer. Now tell me where Anna is.”
Cozeba inhaled a deep breath and let
it out slowly. “I guess you’re strong enough to hear it, though Janus advised against it. As Russian troops were advancing on the fort, Captain Asher walked into the Garden and closed the gates behind her. She’s the one who vaccinated everyone in the Garden. She says she’s not coming out until she’s the last one alive.”
Micah felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. She was locked in the pit of death, and there was nothing he could do to save her. Goddamn her. She’d always been willing to sacrifice herself to save others. “Is that how we know Yacob’s vaccine doesn’t work if your symptoms are too far along?”
“Yes.”
“But she’s still alive.”
“So far.”
“Any symptoms?”
Cozeba shook his head. “Not yet.”
Micah absently studied the folds in the blanket that covered his legs. “I have a question, General. If Hakari knew the ultimate vaccine, why didn’t he—”
“Vaccinate himself? I went down to the Garden to ask Hakari that very question. He just kept repeating, ‘It is done,’ as though his work on earth was finished. And he might not have understood my question. He was out of his mind with fever by then.”
Or maybe Hakari was just tired of living in a devastated world and wanted it over with. “What about Yacob Borodino? Is he sick?”
“No. He’s leading vaccine production aboard the Mead.”
Micah’s gaze returned to the snow falling beyond the window. He missed Hakari’s voice. The man used to sing at night, and it was so beautiful everyone in the fort had stopped to listen.
“Are you going to fly me to America, or do I have to paddle with one arm?”
A small grim smile touched Cozeba’s lips. “I’ll fly you as far as the minuscule amount of fuel we have left will take you. That ought to get you to Germany. Hopefully, we’ll find more fuel there.”
“Let’s hope we don’t have to kill a bunch of our German allies to get it. By the way, in addition to what we’re producing for America, how much of Yacob’s vaccine are we flying around the world?”
Cozeba pulled his shoulders back. “There isn’t enough for anyone else, Hazor.”
Despair filtered through Micah. “… So we’re only making it for Americans. And I assume the Russians are only producing the cure for their people?”
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