Day of Doom (28 page)

“Yes, but it’s electrified and they can’t touch it, much less disable it. But as I said, we’re running out of time.” Sandy

checked a display on a computer screen that he had programmed to monitor all meteorological data in the world.

He eyed the flow of data and said in a warning tone, “By my calculations our window of opportunity will be incredibly narrow. Perhaps no more than five minutes.”

Vesper One focused on him for the first time. His features held the annoyed look of a child who had been denied his

favorite toy.

“And the result? You’re sure?”

“The subduction zone interactive

magnification multiplier formulas are very straightforward and surprisingly easy to calculate with enviable accuracy. If only predicting the weather were as reliable.”

“And the result?” persisted Vesper

One.

“The city of Chicago and its three million–plus inhabitants will be under a hundred feet of water after Lake Michigan escapes its banks and floods the entire area. The loss of life will be catastrophic, the damage to property incalculable. The third-largest city in the country will be completely destroyed.”

“Impressive,” said Vesper One.

Sandy’s eyes shone. “And I will be there, after it’s over, of course, and a suitable level of safety has been ensured, to cover it all. I will be known the world

over as the meteorologist who cares in the aftermath of disaster. A disaster I helped cause, of course, but that’s simply a technicality. Ah, the blissful ignorance of the public; it’s truly a wonderful thing.”

“Exactly how much time do we have?” asked Vesper One. He obviously did not care about Sandy’s aspirations to be a world-beloved weatherman.

“One hour —  no more, no less,” Sandy said matter-of-factly after gazing at his meteorological data. “Oh, and a few more things you need to know.”

Vesper One glared at him. Sandy’s tone had been a bit too condescending.

Sandy,   realizing   this,   quickly changed tactics. “As the leader of the Vespers, you must have all the facts at hand so that you can make the best possible decisions on the way to world domination, Vesper One. I’ve always believed that and always will. I am here to serve, nothing else.”

Mollified, Vesper One said, “What

else do I need to know?”

“We captured Isabel’s men. But we have not gotten her yet. That means she is around here somewhere.”

“Without her men I’m not that

worried,” replied Vesper One. “She is troublesome, that is all. I trust that the Wyomings have been dealt with?”

Sandy checked his watch and smiled. “The water was programmed to come on several hours ago. I’m certain they’re dead. Now, back to Isabel. Obviously her status as Vesper Two can no longer stand. So, I thought . . . ?” He let his voice trail off and looked expectantly at his youthful leader.

“If Chicago is destroyed as planned, you will be elevated to Vesper Two, I give you my word.”

Sandy smiled. He didn’t believe it,of course. There was no such thing as a Vesper having a word to keep. They alllied, all the time. They would say or doanything to get what they wanted. Andbeing elevated to Vesper Two meant thathe had only one more person to eliminateto become the top evildoer. Because henever kept his word, either.

I would have been a remarkablepolitician,
 
thought Sandy.

“Thank you so much, Vesper One. You will never regret your decision.”

“I hope I won’t. I don’t likeregretting decisions. If you don’t believeme, just ask Isabel.”

The tone and look of Vesper Onegave Sandy momentary pause. But then, heshouldn’t have been surprised.

He is a homicidal maniac. In fact,

we all are.

“I hear you loud and clear, O Great

Leader.”

He looked at his watch again. “And

we   now  have   precisely  fifty-seven minutes and fourteen seconds for you to get in that room, insert the gear, and initiate the device. No pressure, just the facts.”

Vesper One nodded. “It will be done.”

Then his gaze fixed on one of the TV

screens.

“Brilliant!”

“What is it?” asked Sandy as he

hurried over.

Vesper One pointed with glee at the

screen.

There was Isabel, wandering down atunnel, looking lost and beaten.

Vesper One said, “I think it’s time tofinish dear Isabel once and for all.” He

called up his men on his secure phone.

“Kill her,” he said. “Now.”

Isabel
 
was
  
wandering   the   tunnels,hopelessly lost. One of her men hadcarried the GPS device that would have

allowed her to navigate the tunnels. But the fools had run off and now she was

alone. She could not see the embedded cameras, but she could sense that she was being watched.

As she passed one glass-enclosed room, she ducked down. There was a

guard   in   there   monitoring   several surveillance   screens.   Isabel   peered through the glass and saw images on one of the screens. It was the room with the

Doomsday device. She could see itclearly. She could see Amy and Dan, anda wounded Fiske. She smiled gleefully athis bandaged shoulder. Then her gazewent to the far corner of the room, whereshe saw two bodies under the blankets. One was big and one was small. Then shesaw Ian sitting next to the smaller body,crying.

As Isabel watched he drew back the

blanket, revealing the face of his dead

sister.

Something cracked in Isabel’s brainwhen she saw the image of her dead child. She had killed many people in her life.

She had disowned her children forbetraying her. She had boasted that shewould kill them both if she had to. Andshe had meant it.

And yet as she looked at dead Natalie and sobbing Ian, Isabel could notseem to remember doing any of thosethings.

Her child was dead. Someone had

killed her. And she knew who had done it.

Vesper One.

Isabel did it before she could evengive the decision a second of thought. Shedug out the flask from the knapsack shecarried, opened it, and drank the contentsdown to the last drop.

She waited for a moment, unsure ofwhat would happen next.

Had the idiot Dan Cahill made the

serum correctly? Would it work? Or would she instead be poisoned? Quite ironic, since she was the queen of poisons.

Five seconds went by and Isabel was on the verge of believing that nothing would happen.

And then, in the blur of an eye, everything happened.

Everything.

“They’re probably watching us,” Dan

whispered to his sister.

“I know. I’m sure this whole

complex is wired for surveillance.”

“Do you think they’ll be coming soon?”

“Soon enough,” said Amy.

“We’ve got four guns and thirteen people. They’ll have a lot more than that.”

“That’s okay. We’re always the

underdogs. Makes us work harder.”

“You’re just trying to make me feel better.”

“Pretty much, yes.”

“Think we can get out of this one, Amy?”

“I think we have as good a shot as anyone. Under the circumstances,” she added.

“Quite diplomatic of you,” said Fiske, who had been listening.

Amy wasn’t really listening to Fiske. She was once more staring up at the Doomsday device. She drew closer.

“Amy, don’t get that close,” warned Dan. “It might suck you in or something.”

Amy was staring at the empty niche where the gear would have to be inserted for the device to fully work.

Dan drew next to her and looked atwhere she was staring.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“I’m thinking that in order for Vesper One to start up this sucker, he’s going tohave to turn off the ‘force field’ to insertthe gear.”

Dan’s eyes widened. “You’re right. But how does that help us?”

“We’ll see,” his sister said vaguely. “But with the power off, we might haveour chance. Remember we were trying tothink of a way to short-circuit it? That waywe won’t have to. He’ll do it for us.”

“I hope you’re right,” said Dan uneasily.

Hamilton   called   out,   “I   hear something.”

They all froze and listened intently.

Jake   said,   “They’re   coming. Everyone get ready.” He stepped backfrom the door, took cover behind somelarge boxes, and slipped out his gun,aiming it at the doorway.

Hamilton did likewise at the portalhe was guarding.

All the others took up variouspositions of hiding around the room, but inplaces where they could attack in aninstant.

Sinead ran over to Reagan. “Let mehave your gun.”

“What?”

“Your gun, let me have it.”

“Why?”

“I’m a better shot. And you’re better fighting with your feet and hands. We all have to play to our strengths.”

“The only problem is, I don’t trust you,” Reagan shot back.

“But I do.”

They both turned to see Amy there. She held her gun out to Sinead.

“I trust you, Sinead.”

“Are you sure?” asked Sinead, looking surprised. She didn’t move to take the weapon.

“I don’t have any choice.”

Sinead slowly reached out and took the gun.

Reagan gave her gun to Amy. “Sinead is right. Play to our strengths.” She raced over to guard another doorway.

Sinead looked at Amy. “I won’t disappoint you. I’ll fight to the death.”

“I know. We all will. We have no

choice, really.”

The two young women shared a hugand then headed off to different parts ofthe room.

Amy ran over to where Dan waskneeling behind some boxes. He wassmacking his fists together, his eyesrotating among the doors in and out of the

room.

Amy knelt next to him, her gazedarting around the room as well.

“This is it,” she said.

“Yep,” said Dan.

“Wish you had the serum?”

He turned to her, clearly surprised bythe question. “No, I’m glad I don’t.”

“Want to win fair and square?”

“Something like that, yeah.”

“What separates us from the Vespersof the world.”

“I guess it does.”

“Whatever happens, I love you,

Dan.”

Her eyes grew misty and Dan’s did,

too.

Brother and sister shared a quick

hug.

“I’ll see you when it’s over,” said

Dan.

“Yes, you will,” replied his sister.

Amy hurried off. She stopped near the device and eyed the empty niche and then her pistol. She listened to the hum of the electricity coming from the device. Then, as she drew closer, she felt something  tug  hard   on  her  pistol. Surprised, she looked up at the Doomsday device, the idea coming to her in a flash.

If only it could work,
 
she thought.

She ran to the others. “Put the gunsdown,” she said. “And take off any metalyou have now.” They all looked at her likeshe was crazy. “Just do it now. Please. It’s the only chance we have.”

The pistols were placed on the floorand everyone took off any metal they had

on.

Amy put the pistol down, ran to oneof the crates, threw it open, and pulled outthe copper wiring. Carrying it wrappedaround her shoulder, she raced back to thedevice and began to walk around it,unspooling the wire as she did so. Shejumped back as the wire flew from herhands and wrapped itself around thedevice like a mummy’s bandages.

Praying that it would work, she ranover to the others, who were staring at