The Armageddon Conspiracy (73 page)

The nun glanced at Harrington and he
nodded his assent.
‘Well, just for a few minutes.’

Gresnick struggled back to his feet.
He
dragged himself back to Lucy’s cell, ignoring Harrington.
He went
inside and closed the door behind him.
Gently, he removed the
pillow that Lucy was still pressing to her face.
‘It’s not all
over,’ he said softly.
‘We can fight this, Lucy.’

There was no response.
She didn’t utter
a sound.
Her eyes had become glassy, refusing to focus.

‘
I was too scared to
tell you this,’ he whispered, tidying away stray hairs that had
fallen over her eyes.
‘I love you.’

There wasn’t a flicker from Lucy.
Lifeless eyes…her spirit, her energy all gone.

Holding back his tears, Gresnick turned
towards the paintings.
He detested them more than anything on
earth.
They’d stolen Lucy from him.
In a frenzy, he tore them down,
every last one, ripping them to shreds with all the strength he
possessed.

‘
I don’t care what you
saw, Lucy.
I don’t care about any of it.
I just want us to be
together.
We need each other to get through this.
We can help each
other.
I’ll take care of you until you’re better.
You’ll be well
again, I promise.’

He hugged her, but her body was limp.
No reaction at all.
She was gone, and never coming back.
He turned
away, desolate, struggling to breathe.

As he reached the door, he heard a
sound.
He froze.
Lucy’s voice?

‘
What?’
He spun round.
She was looking straight at him, her eyes bright with tears.
In an
instant, he had crossed the space between them, throwing his arms
round her and hugging her for dear life, almost crushing her
against his chest.
‘Speak to me again, Lucy, I beg you.’

Then it happened.
Her voice was unable
to rise above the faintest whisper, but he heard every word with
perfect clarity.
As he felt her hand squeezing his, he started
laughing and crying at the same time.

‘
That’s right, Lucy,
that’s right,’ he said, overwhelmed by joy.
‘There’s infinite hope,
infinite hope, all the hope in the world.
Even for us
.’

CONSUMMATUM EST