CHAPTER Fourteen

 

 

With that announcement, Emily felt Nate move and heard a series of clicks as the first light revealed him flipping on a bank of switches. Artificial illumination exploded from above, shining bright enough to replicate the sun. She cried out and pitched her hand up over her eyes.

“What the—?”

Testing her endurance, she parted two fingers and squinted until her vision acclimated. Her hand dropped uselessly to her side and her jaw fell open. She took two steps forward, but her legs became too numb to cooperate.

The room was greater in size than any commercial airline hangar. Several jets could easily sit side by side under the vaulted ceiling soaring at least three stories above. The far walls were remote enough to lack focus, but they served only as a backdrop to the massive structure that filled nearly half the colossal chamber.

“Oh my God!” she whispered, but it echoed back as if she had shouted inside a belfry.

Caught up with the exhibit, Emily jumped when Nate moved in behind her, his palms resting on her shoulders. “I’ve seen a number of bizarre ventures deep in this facility,” he took a deep breath, “but I can honestly say that they’ve never tried anything like this.”

A shiver coursed through her. “They didn’t have Colin then.”

And with the curiosity and awe of a child, she crossed that concrete floor as if it were frozen, as if she was on top of the ice-crusted surface of some faraway planet. She approached the mammoth craft suspended by metal scaffolding, like a creature of the sea, imprisoned, wanting nothing more than to be immersed in the life-sustaining ocean.

Mesmerized, Emily began to pace the perimeter, studying the fine details of craftsmanship. The vessel looked like an enormous black manta ray, with its eyes formed by the bank of windows at the forward nose. The body of the ship flowed in aerodynamic waves as if even in these metal shackles it was gliding silently through the water, leaving the faintest of wakes.

Emily dared to step closer and stare up at the smooth, black underbelly. From this perspective she felt just as she had as a child in the Museum of Natural History, staring up at the blue whale suspended from the ceiling of the Hall of Ocean Life. She had felt so diminutive, like a tiny spec of plankton that would be inhaled without a thought.

The Hyperion was wider than that blue whale, but about the same length. It was made of a material that sparkled like black onyx. She walked for a span beneath it, but returned to Nate with a sense of urgency.

“You want to go inside,” he nodded, resigned.

“Yes.”

At the bottom of the rigging were staged an assembly of consoles with monitors and switches all rendered useless without power. Like a master pianist, he stood before that bank and roused the panel into life. Data poured freely into the monitors with a hypnotic effect, similar to watching the stock market ticker tape across the bottom of the TV. In sequence, this composer tapped his other hand as buttons illuminated and a subtle vibration began with a soft drone emanating from the Hyperion. With little fanfare, a flap disengaged and nimbly descended to the ground like a metal tongue reaching out to lap them up.

“Nate,” she cried in alarm, “they are going to hear this. They are going to come!”

“I’ve been inside this craft, Em. Right now, the interior of the Hyperion is the safest place for us. You’re going to have to trust me on this one.”

She looked from his earnest eyes to the ramp that beckoned, and then turned back to him in anticipation.

“Go, Em.” His eyebrow inclined. “Hurry.”

He had grown edgy and was now holding the gun up as he scanned the recesses of the chamber. That was enough motivation for her. Emily stepped onto the plank.

“You knew the Hyperion was constructed all this time,” she hesitated, “you never said—”

Nate moved in behind her. “If I told you, you would have wanted to come back here immediately, and I knew if you returned to NMD I might not be able to protect you.”

Had she even imagined that this craft was assembled, Nate was right, she would have found a way to get back here to see it. Flipping through the CAD drawings and raw data, a three-dimensional image had begun to form in her mind, but the likelihood of that image ever manifesting itself into something physical seemed implausible. She was infused with pride.

“What do you think?” Her voice was hoarse.

Nate’s head tipped back in consideration of the reflective wing. Mirror plating made exotic patterns over the onyx facade, a camouflage for the ocean. “I think you should be proud of your brother.”

Emily felt her throat constrict. “Let’s see this puppy.”

***

Even as they ascended, Nate’s hand tightened around the grip of the 9mm. There was a very strong likelihood that they were walking into a trap—a giant chrome and steel Disneyland-ride kind of a trap. But he had been inside this behemoth before and was aware of the capabilities of the Hyperion. Inside Colin Brennan’s subterranean leviathan he could protect Emily. The innate security system would deter their assailants for a period. How long of a period was the gamble he had not had time to calculate.

“I can’t believe it.” Emily’s voice sounded tinny inside the steel barrier. “It’s an exact replica.” She rotated, taking in the narrow corridor leading to the control deck.

Mesmerized, she approached the semi-circular bank of radar and operational panels luminous beneath a layer of thick laminated windows. Bullet-proof seemed an inferior description. These windshields could withstand the pressure of thousands of pounds of water and ice, the likes of which had never been tested. Nate watched as she stepped up to that vista and stared out into the empty hangar. The cement walls of the fortress were not far away, but he guessed by the misty look in her eyes, she was envisioning the craft slicing through the murky ocean depths.

For him, this had been a nagging project that suddenly took a drastic turn for the worse, but the wonder in her eyes made him realize the overwhelming nature of the beast.

“They’ve been working on this for nearly two years,” he began. “How long ago did your brother come up with these designs?”

Emily spun from the window, but her fingers trailed the row of instruments, a frown furrowing her eyebrows. “God, it seemed to be something he was toying with years ago. I know the first time he showed me some crude drawings he was still in college.”

“What’s wrong?” Nate stepped up, concerned by the look on her face.

“I don’t know.” She turned to view another panel of electrical conduits mounted along the far wall. “It looks as if—”

“It’s not finished.”

Nate whirled and aimed his gun. Emily’s sharp intake made his finger hesitate on the trigger as they watched the figure step out from the shadows.

Nate’s arm fell.

“Colin!” Emily screamed and launched at the man.

Colin caught her, but the impetus of her embrace propelled him back against the wall.

Whatever Emily did, she did it with gusto, Nate thought.

“My God,” She grabbed her brother’s shoulders and dragged herself back to look at him. “What on earth do you think you’re doing? Of all the places—why the hell are you here, Colin?”

“Good to see you too, Emmy.” A wicked smirk tilted his mouth. “You’re looking—” he frowned.

Colin’s sharp glance shifted between his sister and Nate. Though he addressed Emily, his glance narrowed on Nate. “—you’re looking well.”

“Well—well? I’ve been worried sick. Do you have any idea what I’ve gone through to find you? Did you have to be so damn cryptic, Colin Brennan?”

Nate winced and nearly sympathized with the young engineer. Each of her verbal assaults made her brother’s shoulders flinch.

Her censure was nowhere near over, so Nate took advantage of the elevated windows to survey the hangar for signs of an intrusion. He was apprehensive, aware that they had only a short time and a minimal advantage inside this craft. It was locked down from the interior panel. Barcuda’s men could not open the entry plank from the control bank outside.

Their upper-hand improved with the surprising appearance of the designer of the Hyperion, although Nate was not shocked to find him here.

“I’m serious, Colin. What on earth are you trying to do?” Emily’s arms were crossed.

Her brother looked contrite, but after his oh-so similar eyes flashed across the deck, conviction returned to them.

“You see it yourself,” he said. “They weren’t able to complete it. That’s why they’re so hot on getting their hands on my designs. Look at this,” Colin stooped over a bank of instruments and began to flip on buttons which started the submersible humming. He patted his shirt pocket, looking for a licorice stick, but the pocket was empty.

Nate’s head snapped at the sound of the engines. “What the hell? I know they’re going to find us, but no need to draw them here any quicker.”

Colin glanced up from the luminous panel. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ve been playing with these for two days. The sound is virtually mute externally. You know—don’t want to damage the eco-systems.”

“Right,” Nate nodded, unconvinced.

“Which brings me to my point,” Colin continued. “Look out at that wing and watch when I pass my hand over this sensor.”

Emily leaned against the console for a better perspective. Nate hauled his glance from her jean-clad bottom and joined the search as well. At first it seemed imperceptible, but he could distinguish the undulation of the wings, as if they were skimming across a wave.

“Okay,” Emily stood back up, and her eyes collided with Nate’s. There was a pleasant blush on her cheeks that gave him a wholly male sense of satisfaction. “So, they work?”

“No,” Colin shook his head. “In my design there are no external moving parts. Nothing to stir up sediment, nothing to disturb the ocean floor. This craft is supposed to glide along underwater with absolutely no wake, as if it were the water itself. And well,” he paused, bending over for a better view of the wing, “the real purpose of this puppy is to bore through ice. Deep ice. Celestial ice. You don’t need movable wings to get through Europa’s ice. They’re what you would call, cosmetic—designed to look cool on the space voyage.”

He moved closer to the window and gestured. “The body of the Hyperion will heat up and emit a series of gaseous substances intended to recurrently melt its surroundings. You can’t chance getting twenty miles down and being trapped forever in ice that re-freezes around you.”

“Barcuda looked at the schematics and just started making conjectures?” Emily injected. “The idea that this craft could be used for exploration on Jupiter’s moon turned him on so much that he started production without the full picture? And now that he’s so close, he realizes that he wants your latest electrical drawings.”

“Right,” Colin bounced his head. “But he is off on the acid compound that needs to be excreted. And the bone density monitor was never installed. Microgravity is a bitch. Nobody would ever survive the journey with the Hyperion like it is right now.”

“And so,” he glanced around the cabin, “can you guess why I’m here?”

Emily’s brow creased. “No.”

“Sabotage?” Nate offered.

Colin’s eyebrows climbed, as did his grin. “Exactly.”

“Sabotage?” Emily’s voice pitched enough to make Colin wince. “Are you insane?”

“Some people say so.”

Her mouth twisted with pain. “Yeah, well some people don’t know their ass from—”

“Emily,” It wasn’t that he relished being the voice of logic, but Nate suddenly understood this complex young man. And with that, he began to develop a level of respect for Colin Brennan. “At this point, I think Colin is right. Sabotage is the best form of revenge.”

She whirled on him. “You condone this? Why?”

He drew in a deep breath. “I condone it because I saw the woman I—because I saw you hunted down by a group of fanatical stooges blindly following the orders of their egotistical leader—a psycho who would think nothing of killing you and your brother to get what he wants.”

Her mouth formed a small o.

In a way, he was pleased to finally render her speechless. Of course he wasn’t pleased to have almost let loose an outlandish declaration. Why did he say that now? And the blank look on Emily’s face wasn’t doing anything to allay his doubts.

A vacuum of silence siphoned the air from the craft while Emily’s eyes fixed on his.

“Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, and half shut afterwards.”

They turned in unison to look at Colin, but he tipped his head to the side. “Don’t look at me.”

It was impossible not to glance at the vacant doorway. Nate shook his head, half-expecting to see a man clad in colonial splendor.

“Nate,” Emily began in a tight voice.

“Look,” he held up his hand. “I’m only saying that Colin is correct here. If he feels that the Hyperion is a hazard to anyone that commands it—well, Barcuda is too far gone. He won’t care about logistics. I’m guessing he has already sold this to the highest bidder, and if they want this out in space, he will send it out there—vulnerable−a death trap for anyone that mans it. Or he’ll drill it deep into the Antarctic sea and some poor crew will be frozen in place.” He paused and then added, “Either way, people will die.”

In Colin cerulean eyes, Nate saw limitless wisdom. The engineer nodded in silent communication, making Nate wonder if he was also a tad psychic.

“Sabotage it so it can never leave this building. Destroy it, so that it can never be assembled,” he offered.

Colin nodded, and the wise countenance was swiftly replaced by the fervor of youth.

“You’re both insane.” Emily stared aghast.

Slow in coming, a smile formed on her lips as she whispered, “Let’s do it.”

***

Emily noticed Nate watching her with a combination of curiosity, concern, and something else. He had feelings for her, but to what extent she could only hypothesize.

When he had showed up at the cabin, she had been scared. Yet on some inexplicable level, there was an illicit anticipation in his presence. For as dire as the reason for his being at their family retreat, there had been no denying the magnetism between them. But could a man such as this ever fall in love with her given this deceitful introduction?

Did it matter?

Were any of them going to leave NMD today?

“Are you sure, Emster?”

Colin’s tone sought her validation as it always did.

I will be there for him. I will always be there for him.

“So what’s the best way to go about this,” she asked her brother. “With a hammer?”

“I said to hold on a minute.” Colin sounded annoyed as he glared into the corner.

“I gather Benjamin proposes an alternate plan?” Emily turned towards the vacant doorway.

With his head cocked to the side, Colin studied the empty space and shook his head. “Ummm-no, won’t work.”

“What’s he saying?” Nate asked.

Nate’s casual acceptance of the colonial entrepreneur made her smile.

“He already started the demolition,” Colin launched a hand into his hair. “The Hyperion operates off a massive battery pack. Well, not massive. I had to keep it light. This craft would be heavy enough carrying all the equipment necessary for a sufficient exploration, but this battery—”

“He’s draining it?”

Colin’s gaze jumped back towards Nate with an approving look. “Yes,” he murmured. “That’s exactly what he’s doing.”

“Ben Franklin was always crafty that way.” Nate didn’t hesitate. “Maybe he can get into that panel and rewire the propulsion system—disable it permanently?”

“Exactly what he suggested,” Colin marveled.

Emily stared slack-jawed at Nate. “Taking up engineering now, are you, Morrison?”

“Do you think I’m only used for muscle around here?”

“Knock, knock.”

***

Cold steel kissed her temple.

Emily froze.

They were behind her. As to how many, it was impossible to speculate. Along with the pressure of the bleak muzzle, the air now teemed with menace. In front of her, she caught the grim narrowing of Nate’s eyes.

A muscle pumped on his jaw as he cast a deadly glare beyond her shoulder. For a second his eyes met hers and his features softened. In that silent communication, she pleaded with him to be safe, above all, be safe, and protect Colin.

As the gun bit uncomfortably into her skin, Nate’s glance shifted again beyond her shoulder. The menace that clouded his eyes made her shiver.

“It’s about time you got here, Morrison.”

Emily heard Barcuda’s raspy voice. Chill bumps popped up on her arms.

“I was about to say the same to you,” Nate answered. His tone was lethal as he added, “I’m only going to say this once. You’re not going to do anything to her. Do you understand, George? You’re not going to hurt her.”

A tsking sound brushed against her ear. Emily recoiled and struggled to pull away, but in addition to the gun, hands suddenly seized her arms from behind to restrict her.

“Ummm, interesting. If I didn’t know better, I would think that the formidable Nathan Morrison harbors some lust for our engineer. How convenient. You have several disadvantages now.” A nasal whistle resonated as he inhaled. “Your first disadvantage is sitting in ICU at the hospital.”

Emily watched Nate’s right hand curl into a fist, the muscles on his forearm swelling with restraint.

Behind him she detected a motion and saw Colin inching his way along the deck. She shook her head to deter him, but he kept moving.

“Oh, don’t worry about him,” Barcuda whispered into her hair, making her flinch. “He’s not going anywhere. As a matter of fact, Ms. Brennan, your brother will get to know his submersible intimately.”

“This isn’t my submersible!” Colin cried with resentment. “You think I would design something this magnificent and load it with the low-budget crap you’ve put in here?”

Emily suffered for Colin’s outburst. The metal barrel jerked hard against her temple, and then a piece of gauze was thrust across her mouth.

Wildly she caught Nate’s eyes. He surged towards her, but men in dark uniforms emerged from behind to arrest him. His stark litany of curses was overshadowed by Barcuda’s deep chuckle.

She realized what the gauze was and tried her hardest not to breathe, but when the butt of an AK-47 pistol crashed into the base of Nate’s skull, she screamed for all she was worth and sucked in tainted air.

***

Nate opened his eyes. It wasn’t dark, nor was it cold like the first time his angel had appeared. The gentle staccato of frosted tree limbs had heralded her arrival, but now there was only a hum like a horde of locusts in the distance. He searched for the deity, but this light was too harsh, something to shun. It made his head throb as he called out her name, hoping to feel those fingers slip into his.

A shadow eclipsed the hostile lights, and for a bewildering moment Nate thought she had returned. He wanted to believe they were her divine eyes. These pensive orbs were blue, but not the crystalline color of the sea.

“Nate. Yo, Nate.”

And, well—that was most definitely not his angel’s voice.

Nate sat up. Quickly. The resultant pain lanced his skull. “Son of a—”

“Ben knows this trick they used to perform in congress, when you would cramp up sitting in the wooden seats for too long, although he was usually the guy standing—anyway,” Those intense eyes were coming into clarity now. “Want him to give it a try?”

Nate blinked. “What?” He blinked again. “No.” He swept a glance behind him. “Hell no.”

Colin shrugged, but there was no mistaking the concern in his features. “They took her.”

It was coming back now. With each throb, the fog of confusion dissipated. A rush of recollection converged into an image of Emily’s eyes swelling in shock.

Nate groaned. His fist clenched to prevent that sound from escalating into a howl.

Emily.

“Hey, did you hear me? Are you still with me, Nate?”

“Yeah,” He sought balance, and finally labored to his feet, relying on the wall for leverage. “Where—” That was all he could manage past his clenched teeth.

It took several tight laps before Colin responded. He patted the pocket of his frayed flannel shirt. “Uh, she—she collapsed, and Barcuda’s goons grabbed her. Barcuda told them to take her to his office for now.”

The term seeing red seemed appropriate to Nate. It felt like blood obstructed his vision, and was pounding in his ears. Actually it felt as if his entire head was filled with blood seeking to jet out of every orifice. Fear for Emily tormented him, and the only reason he did not launch into a one man militia was the sight of the tears that had begun to blur Colin Brennan’s eyes.

“Look,” Somehow Nate managed to sound calm, and that drew up the distracted gaze of the engineer. “Did they leave anyone outside to guard us?” Even as he asked this, Nate moved towards the window only to confirm that the hangar was empty.

Colin shook his head and glanced imploringly over Nate’s shoulder. “Go ahead, tell him.”

Nate snapped around. Ben. At this point he didn’t care where the source of information came from. He demanded of the vacant space, “What do you know?”

“We can’t get out,” Colin’s monotone voice emanated from behind, but Nate did not turn and risk upsetting the young man. “They sealed the entrance. We even tried the access panel in back, and down below—nothing.”

“There has to be a way out of here—you—I mean Colin designed this.”

“When it was designed,” Colin said hollowly, “he wasn’t looking for a means of escape. Next time maybe he’ll rethink his blueprint. But it gets worse—”

Alright—patience when it came to finding Emily was not his strong suit. Nate spun back towards Colin and took a deliberate step. “Worse?” he prompted.

Instinctively Colin retreated, but his narrow chin hefted and his eyes sparked. At that moment he looked so much like his sister. “They turned off the generators. We’ll run out of oxygen soon.”

Great. Anything else?

Nate felt inordinately sluggish, but couldn’t fall prey to the setback. Searching the sweeping panel of switches on the control deck, he was baffled to find it lit up like a Christmas tree.

“I don’t get it. We obviously have power.”

“The oxygen is stored in canisters. They haven’t gotten around to setting up the electrolysis system yet. You know, where they convert water to oxygen—like the water that escapes with your breath, it gets restored—”

“Yeah,” Nate nodded, but his mind had already shifted ahead. “Think Colin. You’re our only hope here. Tell me more. Can we restore power to those canisters? A UPS maybe?”

The engineer shook his head helplessly. Actually his skull seemed to loll atop his neck. Nate recognized the lethargy as a sign of oxygen deprivation.

“Come on, Colin. What else? There’s got to be a way out of here.”

Colin giggled.

“Hey look, friend.” Nate moved in now, his hands cupping the young man’s shoulders. “Stay with me.”

Azure eyes that were hauntingly familiar focused on him. “Nate, I think my sister loves you. I can see it all over her face.”

Nate’s head snapped back. Pain flooded him anew, but he brushed it aside. “The only way I’m going to find that out is if we can get to her, and right now you’re telling me there’s no way out of here for us—that Barcuda has left us in here to die.”

The young man sniggered again, his gaze aimed beyond Nate. “What a lame idea.”

“What?” Nate’s fingers clawed into Colin’s shoulders. “What’s the lame idea?”

“Drill.”

“Drill? You’ve got a drill on here—you think we can get through this hull?” Wrapping his knuckles on the metallic wall, he highly doubted that.

“No, no. Through that wall.” Colin flung his arm towards the window and the two-story rampart outside.