Vapor (28 page)

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.”

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?”

A shadow appeared from inside one of the glass enclosures. She sprinted toward us. “I was playing dead. Is …?” Her words trailed off as she caught sight of Benigno’s body. “No. Oh, God no.”

“You can mourn him later.” Beverly grabbed Carrie by the arm. “Right now, we have to focus on escaping. Can you do that?”

Carrie blinked away a tear. Then she nodded.

I cast a quick glance at the reliquary. The stone had cracked from the force of Beverly’s explosives. Jerusalem’s dragon had been smashed to smithereens. But truth be told, I didn’t care. All I cared about was getting my friends to safety.

And destroying Miasma.

“How do we stop Simona?” I asked.

“We could take out the reservoirs back in the basement,” Graham suggested. “Stop the chemicals, stop the flights.”

“Tempting.” Beverly frowned. “But I’m willing to bet the chemicals are already on the move.”

I rubbed my jaw. “If we take down Simona’s model, we can ground her fleet. That might buy us time to figure out a permanent solution.”

Graham scrunched up his brow. “Even better, I might be able to reprogram it. Make her drones crash into the ocean.”

“Sounds good.” I glanced at Carrie. “Once we get topside, we’re splitting up. I need you to go with Dutch. You know this place better than any of us.”

She took a deep breath. “Okay.”

I darted into the far north tube, splashing through the rising water. Setting a fast pace, I made my way forward.

Graham caught up to me. “What about you and Beverly?”

“We’re going to take down Simona,” I replied. “Or die trying.”

I sprinted through the tube. Mentally, I pictured our location on the island. We were close to Pagan Bay.

I shifted my gaze just long enough to stare at the curving walls. LED lamps, their wires stringing back to the generators, were mounted every few feet. Some still worked. Others had gone dark.

Questions zinged through my brain as I ran forward. Surprisingly, they had nothing to do with Simona or Eco-Trek. Rather, I found myself questioning the tubes. Why had the Japanese military spent so much time fortifying them with concrete? Did the tubes connect in other places besides the manmade cavern? What had been their original purpose?

The tube curved to the west. Water splashed over the tops of my boots. It was at least a foot deep and rising quickly.

I ran faster.

A large ramp appeared, sloping gently toward the surface. At the other end of the ramp, I saw a bit of slanting light.

Pistol at the ready, I darted up the ramp. A large metal plate—presumably the other side of the hatch—rested above me. Taking a deep breath, I clutched a thick metal handle. “Let’s hope this works.”

I turned the handle. Metal clanked. Clicking noises rang out as the hatch rose into a vertical position.

I peered outside. A gust of hot wind struck my face. Squinting, I shifted my goggles into position.

The familiar stone-lined trail lay ahead of me. Keeping an eye out for guards, I hoisted myself to the surface.

While the others climbed out of the tube, I headed down the trail. Pagan Bay came into view. In the distance, I saw three people—Simona and two younger women—and two SUVs. The two women were already situated in one of the vehicles. Simona was walking toward it, heading for the passenger seat. Since the rest of the area looked clear, I assumed the second SUV was intended for the guards we’d killed outside the lab.

Their loss. Our gain.

Simona cast a quick glimpse at the hillside. Her eyes widened as she spotted us. She started for the second SUV.

I lifted my pistol. Squeezed the trigger. Unleashed a barrage of bullets.

Her arms flailed as she backpedaled. She retreated to the first SUV. Seconds later, it zipped forward, careening toward the research station.

I shifted my pistol. Tried to draw a bead on the vehicle. But it was moving far too fast. Exhaling, I holstered the gun.

Damn it.

“Wow.” Graham recoiled. “What the hell are those?”

I followed his gaze back to Pagan Bay. My jaw dropped.

Dust spun in the air. Only this time, the spinning wasn’t random chaos. Instead, the particles had joined together, forming dozens of mini tornados.

Dust devils.

I’d seen dust devils before, but never at close range. Fortunately, the ones before me were small, measuring just a few feet wide.

Following the trail, we descended toward Pagan Bay. The path was steep and it took us a few minutes to traverse it. At the bottom, I scanned the bay for additional guards. But I didn’t see anyone.

Silently, I started toward the remaining SUV.

Graham grabbed my arm. “That’s not a good idea.”

“Why not?” I asked.

“Simona’s people will see us coming.”

“They already know we’re coming. At least we can—”

A sharp hissing rang in my ears. A pair of red lights shone in the darkness, blinking haphazardly, with no discernible pattern.

Metal crunched as the Grueler tore past—tore
into
—the SUV. It gave way and the Grueler appeared before us.

My heart raced. Not because of the lost SUV. But because the Grueler stood on the pavement, utterly oblivious to the stones it had crossed.

“Simona must’ve turned off the fence.” I removed the goggles from my eyes and glanced at Graham. “Take Carrie and get to the research station. Shut this place down, no matter what it takes.”

“What about you guys?”

“Don’t worry about us.” I backed up a few steps. “Just run!”

The dust devils shifted back and forth, side to side. They grew larger, more ferocious. Then they broke free and began to shoot off in all directions.

A large dust devil expanded rapidly, growing to thirty feet in diameter. It started toward us, hot on the trail of several smaller dust devils. They blew at the Grueler, slashing at its metallic sides, and drowning out its hydraulics.

The Grueler broke into a run. Graham and Carrie backed toward the bay. Beverly and I waited a few seconds, making sure it was focused on us. Then we twisted around.

And ran for our lives.

The dust devils drew closer as we retreated up the hill and darted into the forest. Behind me, I heard crunching wood and clicking claws. Twisting my neck, I saw the Grueler barrel between two mid-sized trees. Their thin trunks shattered from the force and they toppled over, crashing to the ground.

My first instinct was to head for the hatch. But I didn’t know if we could get it closed in time. And even if we managed to do so, we’d still have to contend with the floodwaters.

I glanced at Beverly. “Split up!”

Immediately, she angled off to the northeast and sprinted through a different section of forest.

My brain raced. We couldn’t run forever. Eventually, we’d have to fight it. But how? Our bullets and my blade would just bounce off its metal casing. Meanwhile, it would carve us to bits.

Glancing back, I saw the Grueler, framed in the giant dust devil, charging after me.

It’s a killing machine.

I veered toward some tall rocks. They rose up before me, but the darkness obscured their details.

The air sparked with electricity. The Grueler hissed loudly. Its claws pounded against dirt as it closed the gap.

Hot air pressed against my neck. Dirt struck the backs of my pants.

My adrenaline increased. I ran faster than I knew possible, faster than my body could even control. One wrong step and I’d have no chance to recover. I’d crash to the ground and the Grueler would deal the deathblow.

As I neared the rocks, I saw crags and nooks. None of them were big enough to hide me.

Can’t beat it, can’t outrun it.

The air grew hotter, more oppressive. I could scarcely breathe.

From past experience, I knew only one way to throw the Grueler off my trail. As I reached the rocks, I veered again, this time to the east. Then I doubled back. The Grueler tried to twist around, but once again it reacted too slowly. Scrabbling frantically at the ground, it slid along the soft surface. One second later, it slammed into the rocks. Debris shot into the gloomy sky and was quickly entrapped in the smaller dust devils. Large pieces of rock crumbled away. They collapsed in a heap, burying the metal monster. The hissing noise died off.

Thank God.

The air buzzed. The buzzing picked up volume until it sounded like a dozen chainsaws, operating all at once.

The heap of rocks trembled. The trembling turned to quaking.

My chest cinched tight. I knew I needed to keep running. But I couldn’t move a muscle.

Abruptly, the pile exploded. Small rocks shot to the sides as the Grueler climbed to its feet. Its closest head twisted toward me.

Damn it.

I sprinted northeast. The creature raced after me, moving much faster than I remembered. Tree branches splintered and shattered. Claws struck the dirt evenly and neatly, with no sounds of slippage.

What now?

I ran up a small hill. My feet slipped at the top and I allowed myself to slide into a shallow ditch filled with soft dirt. Looking back, I saw the Grueler reach the top of the hill. Even though it lacked eyes, its glowing red lights still felt like they were staring at me.

Metal creaked. The hissing stung my ears.

Then the Grueler raced toward me.

I darted out of the ditch. The beast crashed into the soft dirt and charged after me. But the soil slowed it by a considerable margin.

Dust devils continued to rage. The wind shifted and dirt particles began to assault me at an angle. As I ran up another hill, my mind raced.

How does it work?

The Grueler was highly dangerous. It combined the strengths of robotics and predators with few, if any, of their attending weaknesses.

But if I wanted to survive, I had to stop thinking of the Grueler as the perfect machine. Instead, I needed to figure it out, to understand it. Only then would I be able to defeat it.

I heard faint footsteps above the hissing. Looking east, I saw Beverly’s feminine figure running through the woods. She moved quickly, gracefully.

The Grueler hesitated. Then it angled itself eastward. It ran after Beverly for a few seconds. Then it ran westward again. It proceeded to run back and forth, switching its focus between us.

It can’t decide.

I racked my brain. How was the Grueler tracking us? Surely, the dust devils obscured auditory and visual clues.

Body heat?

I thought back to our first encounter with the Grueler. It had lost interest in us once we’d entered the crevice. Maybe that was because the rocks blocked our body heat.

It’s just a robot.

My brain went into overdrive. The Grueler was a machine, subject to programming. And at that moment, its programming was causing it to chase after both Beverly and I. Swiftly, I remembered other things I’d noticed about the Grueler. Maybe we couldn’t outrun it. Maybe we couldn’t beat it in a fair battle.

But we could outthink it.