Nothing opened this time.
Instead, a disc of brass came free. The size of a small plate, it was circular with cogged teeth all around and markings around the edge.
‘That’s it!’ Gabriella exclaimed.
‘It’s amazing,’ Sam said, holding the disc. ‘This was in your dream?’
‘Yes! It was!’ Gabriella’s joyful shout reverberated around the room.
‘OK,’ Sam said. ‘Now, listen carefully.’
Gabriella grew serious once more and looked into his eyes. ‘Yes, Sam?’
‘You’re going to stay hidden here until Lora and her guys come to get you. Take these,’ Sam hurriedly took the book-like box out of his backpack and handed it to her, along with the brass disc. He tugged at the strap of his dreamcatcher, taking the golden key from the leather cord and placing it in her hand. ‘Go with the others, they’ll keep you safe.’
‘No, Sam, please. Don’t leave me alone,’ she begged.
‘You’ll be alright, I promise.’ Sam spoke slowly, recalling how calm Lora was in a crisis. ‘Remember, you can do this. Trust yourself, you know you’ll be OK.’
Gabriella nodded, and hugged him. ‘And you?’
Sam hesitated before standing up. ‘I have to lead Solaris away while you and the others escape.’
The space was suddenly filled with the ominous sound of gigantic doors groaning open slowly. Sam walked away from the altar, stepping into the main hall under the dome.
There, standing in the doorway at the far side of the circular room was an unmistakable silhouette.
Solaris.
‘Just you and me, Sam …’
The metallic voice, inside here, was so loud that Sam had to cover his ears.
‘Hand over what doesn’t belong to you,’ he demanded.
Sam looked to his right. A side door. Maybe twenty metres away. He could crouch down, draw fire away from Gabriella, hope Solaris would miss …
Sam ran for it—
Fire streaked out, hitting the wall beyond his head as he ducked and dived. He rolled onto his feet and kept running, the second stream of fire hitting the ground behind him.
‘Over here!’
Sam turned to see Gabriella standing at the altar, making Solaris hesitate just long enough for Sam to get to the door.
Get down! Sam willed her, seeing a ball of heat deflect off the curved marble wall near the altar as Gabriella ran for cover behind the ornate column to her left.
‘Hey! Leave her alone!’ Sam cried out. ‘I have what you want!’
Sam burst out of the door and was faced with an open run down a narrow and dark lane. With no side streets or diverging paths he’d be a sitting duck. Resisting the instinct to run, he waited, holding his breath.
Solaris came running out—
Sam caught him with an outstretched arm at his throat, but Solaris was too big for Sam to knock him off his feet.
Solaris retaliated immediately with a swinging blow, which Sam blocked. He twisted Solaris’ arm and tried a jujitsu move and in the process felt something go POP. He realised Solaris’ flame thrower had well-concealed metal tubing that snaked around his wrist, which Sam had disconnected. It was leaking a thick liquid that smelled like petrol. Not so superhuman after all.
WHACK!
Sam was knocked to the ground. He felt the force of a heavy boot in his stomach, and he rolled with the impact across the cold stone road. He tried to catch his breath. His vision blurred and he felt like he was about to slip out of consciousness. Through the blinding pain he could make out Solaris standing over him, trying to reconnect his flame weapon. So far, without success. Good.
Splat, splat, splat—
‘Argh!’ Sam spun up and off the ground, wiping the sticky fuel off his face.
‘The key!’ Solaris demanded, threatening with the flamethrower at point-blank range.
Sam’s hand instinctively moved to where he was used to the key hanging around his neck, before remembering he had given it to Gabriella.
‘Or else what?’
Solaris said nothing.
‘You won’t kill me,’ Sam said. ‘You need me.’ Before Solaris had a chance to react, Sam made a break for it.
Sam’s heart beat loudly in his ears and he felt his chest running out of oxygen, his body starting to succumb to the night’s stress and fatigue. He was desperate to get out of this open lane, with nowhere to turn off and nowhere to hide.
Solaris’ footfalls behind—
Close.
Closer.
Closer still.
Sam ducked and spun in the same moment that Solaris made a move to tackle him. Carried by each other’s momentum, arms locked, they rolled down the steep street, over an old sandstone retaining wall, crashing onto the ground nearly two metres below.
Sam was flat on his back, seeing stars.
Solaris was next to him, motionless, his hand clinging to Sam’s pack, ripped clean off Sam’s back in the tussle. Blood on a large rock near Solaris’ head explained why he had not woken yet.
Sam dragged himself up and grabbed one of the straps to pull the backpack free. Hesitating slightly, heart in his mouth, Sam slowly reached down towards the concealed face of his enemy, ready to pull off his mask, but this one had no seams like the impostor’s in New York.
What am I expecting to see?
Solaris twitched and began to stir.
Don’t push your luck, go!
Sam turned and ran.