Vivica waited at the entrance to the center with Maddox, Fitch, Gaspar, Hans, and two officers.
Coulter thought she didn’t seem at all surprised to see him. “Well, well,” she said, inspecting him from head to toe, “looks like Mr. Tall, Blond, and Country will be joining us.”
“This is a one-time-only deal,” Coulter said. “I don’t want to catch whatever you have.”
Amused, Vivica tossed him what looked like a cell phone. “Walkie-talkie. Military issue, can withstand shock, vibration, and temperature extremes. It’s set on our frequency. Keep it on.”
Coulter clipped it to his jeans and looked up to see Hans staring at him, his gray eyes wide and unblinking. “Keep that pasty white body away from me. You hear?”
Hans turned away.
“Let’s do this,” Vivica said and followed the officers into the center.
Coulter brought up the rear.
They checked every inch of the first floor and finally ended up in the large cafeteria. The lights weren’t working and moonlight spilled from the windows, filling the room with shadows and illuminating the rows of empty tables and chairs.
“Hans, anything?” Vivica asked.
He shook his head.
Coulter looked at him. “Speak much?”
“It’s better if he doesn’t,” Fitch said. “He’s a little…” He made the crazy sign above his head.
“Temperature’s dropping,” one of the officers said. Coulter had almost forgotten they were there. They tended to just keep quiet and look stoic.
“Be alert,” Vivica ordered. “And don’t do anything stupid.” Her gaze rested on Fitch.
The cold descended. Coulter let out his breath and watched it turn into a small puff of fog.
And then they heard it.
A loud crash deep in the building.
Hans stared up at the ceiling and pointed. “It’s waiting.”
Vivica cocked her head. “Listen.”
Coulter heard it, a low sizzling sound. One by one all the lights flashed on and then turned off. “I can handle this,” he said and focused. The bulb directly above him turned on and burst in a shower of sparks.
“Let me guess,” Maddox said. “You can recharge ’em, you just can’t fix ’em.”
“It wants to come in,” Hans whispered. “I won’t let it come in.”
“Good boy, Hans,” Vivica said and patted his head.
“So how do we get rid of this thing?” Coulter demanded.
Vivica placed her hands on her hips and gazed around the room before stopping on him. “What’s the best way to flush out your enemy?”
“No freakin’ clue.”
“We engage it.”