“Sort?”
“First they separate the dying and devolving from the survivors. Every survivor faces a choice. Take the Immari pledge or refuse.”
“If they refuse?”
“They’ll put them with the dying and devolving.”
“What happens…”
“The Immari will evacuate the entire population. They’ll load those that pledge and the rest on a plague barge bound for one of their operations bases. Only those that pledge will arrive.” He grabbed the light bar and held it up so he could see Kate’s face. “This is important, Kate. If we’re caught along the way, and you face the choice, you have to pledge. Promise me you will.”
Kate nodded.
“They’re only words. Survival is what matters now.”
“And you’ll take the pledge as well?”
Martin let the light bar drop to the ground, and darkness again filled the space between them. “It’s different for me, Kate. They’ll know who I am. They’re looking for me as well, though you’re the real prize. If we’re caught, we must separate.”
“But you’ll pledge.”
“It won’t be an issue for me.” Martin let out a ragged cough, like a lifetime smoker on the verge of coughing up a piece of his lung. Kate wondered what sort of particles they were breathing down in the tunnels. It might kill Martin if the Immari didn’t. He shook his head. “I joined once. It was the biggest mistake of my life. It’s different for me.”
“They’re just words,” Kate chided him.
“Touché,” Martin murmured. “It’s hard to explain…”
“Try.” Kate took another sip of the water. “We’ve got a little time to kill.”
Martin coughed again.
“We need to get you some fresh air,” Kate said.
“It’s not the air.” Martin reached inside the pack and brought out a small white case.
Through the dim light, Kate saw him slip a white pill into his mouth. He dry swallowed it. There were only three other pills left. Each was shaped like a flower, with three large, heart-shaped petals and a ring of red in the middle. An orchid.
Shock spread over Kate, and she couldn’t find her voice. “You’re—”
“Not immune, no. I didn’t want to tell you. I knew you would worry. If we’re caught, I’ll be in the camp with the dying. If that happens, you’ll have to finish my research. Here.” He handed her something from the pack—a small notebook.
Kate set it aside with disinterest. “How many pills do you have left?” she asked.
“Enough,” Martin said flatly. “Don’t worry about me. Now get some rest. I’ll take first watch.”
CHAPTER 25
Old Town District
Marbella, Spain
“Kate! Wake up.”
Kate opened her eyes. Martin stood over her. Through the dim glow of the LED bar, Kate saw the alarm on his face.
“Come on,” he said as he dragged her to her feet. He grabbed the pack and handed it to Kate. He took something out. A handgun. “Put the pack on. Stay behind me,” he said as he turned to the far opening in the circular room.
Kate saw nothing, but there was… a faint sound. Footsteps. Martin pointed the gun at the opening. With his other hand, he reached down and silently clicked the light off, plunging them into total darkness.
Seconds dragged by as the footsteps grew louder. There were two sets of footsteps, two people, Kate thought. A glow emerged from the opening. Slowly it grew brighter, coalescing, forming a lantern. It crossed the threshold a half second before its bearer: a bearded, obese man who almost hid a younger woman trailing close behind him.
At the sight of Martin and the outstretched gun, the man dropped the lantern and scrambled backward, throwing the woman to the ground.
Martin closed the distance. The man threw his hands up and spoke in rapid Spanish. Martin looked from the man to the woman, then conversed with the man in Spanish. When they finished speaking, Martin paused for a moment, appraising them, seeming to consider the story he had heard. He turned to Kate. “Take the lantern. They say there are dogs in the tunnels and that soldiers are coming.”
Kate grabbed the lantern, and Martin motioned with the gun for the man and woman to get up and exit through the other corridor—the way Kate and Martin had come. The couple complied like prisoners on a perp walk, and the four of them set out at a brisk pace, moving in silence.
The corridor opened onto another round room, where they found six more people. They conversed hurriedly, and the new group joined Kate and Martin’s band, and they set off again.
Kate wondered how they would deal with the dogs and soldiers. Her gun was in the pack and, almost against her will, she considered reaching back for it. But before she could make a move, the tunnel ended in a large cavernous room, this one square with a high ceiling. There was no exit.
Two dozen people stood inside. Every head turned as Kate and Martin’s group entered.
Behind her, Kate heard the fat man shouting something. She turned. He was speaking into a handheld radio. What—
The far wall exploded, sending dirt, debris, and an invisible wave of force into the room. Kate felt herself hit the floor of the tunnel. Light flooded the room as the dust settled. She could see Immari soldiers pouring in through the breach. They dragged people out of the shattered stone room. The fat man and the woman and a half dozen others were helping them.
The bright light and ringing in Kate’s ears were disorienting. Her head swam, and she thought she would throw up.
Kate saw one of the soldiers pocket Martin’s gun from the ground, then hoist him up and carry him out. Then a soldier had Kate. She struggled, but it was no use. They had her. They had them all.
CHAPTER 26
Dorian opened his eyes and gazed through the wide pane of glass. He wasn’t in a tube—not the kind he had awoken in before. Where am I? Am I dead, really dead this time? He had to be. The guard had shot him in the head, back in the Immari base. He looked down. He wore a uniform—the same uniform the Atlantean had worn. The scene came into focus. The large window looked out into space. A blue and green planet filled the lower half of the window. Massive machines crawled across the surface, turning dirt and sending plumes of red dust into the atmosphere. No, it was more than dirt—the machines were moving mountains.
“The geological survey is in, General Ares. The tectonic plates in the northern hemisphere won’t be a problem for four thousand years. Should we leave them?”