Part 43 (1/2)

AUTUMN RAIN.

What's your problem?” asks the Operative.

It figures. Alone of all of them, he's already processed the Room's vast contents-takes them in with a single glance and the expression of a man who resolved long ago never to be surprised. He's thus the only one to notice the expression on her face.

”Sinclair's no longer here,” she says. ”Neither is Control.”

”Be more precise.”

”I can't detect them.”

”That's more like it,” says the Operative.

She nods-starts giving orders. The group starts to deploy onto parallel elevator-trains. Riley, Maschler, and the Operative in one; Sarmax, Velasquez, and her triad in another; Linehan, Lynx, and herself in the third. They drop down toward the inner Room, trying to make sense of what they're seeing- We're in the kingdom of heaven,” says Linehan.

”Shut up” says Lynx.

But it's true all the same. Even if Lynx is too blind to see, Linehan's not ... and all he can do is thank G.o.d for sending him this-for giving him this life, for taking him to this place where all paths converge. He sights his guns on those terrariums sprawling past-vast s.h.i.+mmering walls that contain more greenery then he's ever seen.

So the stories were true,” says Velasquez.

”Every last one,” says Sarmax.

This is just gone,” says Maschler.

”It'd be even better if someone explained it,” says Riley.

”Just keep your eyes peeled,” says the Operative.

The Room's stretching out all around her in the panoply of false color and she can't see any movement anywhere. But the Operative's right: Sinclair's still here. Where else could he be? Especially with the Room continuing to power up. Behind her, she can sense the membrane's energy reaching the critical threshold. The voice of the Operative drifts in past her.

”No way anything's getting through that now,” it says.

”When I want your opinion I'll ask for it,” she snaps-cuts him off. She gets what he's driving at, though. Sinclair could could have stopped her from leaving the Room. Or maybe not ... maybe he hadn't throttled up the Room's engines enough by that point. Truth of the matter is that she no longer knows. It's like she's driving full tilt into black. She's on the cusp of future now, can no longer see anything in front of her. She hasn't felt this way since before she knew she was Manilis.h.i.+. She figures it's only fitting-that she's come full circle. She starts to get glimpses of the inner Room gleaming in the distance. have stopped her from leaving the Room. Or maybe not ... maybe he hadn't throttled up the Room's engines enough by that point. Truth of the matter is that she no longer knows. It's like she's driving full tilt into black. She's on the cusp of future now, can no longer see anything in front of her. She hasn't felt this way since before she knew she was Manilis.h.i.+. She figures it's only fitting-that she's come full circle. She starts to get glimpses of the inner Room gleaming in the distance.

What in f.u.c.k's name is that that?” asks Riley.

”The end of the road,” says the Operative.

”We got movement,” says Maschler.

No one fire,” she says.

No one is. They're just looking at the two insectlike figures standing on the very surface of the sphere that's now coming into view. Those two figures are looking up at them.

”You made it,” she says.

Wasn't easy,” says Spencer.

But the directions the Manilis.h.i.+ gave him were enough to do the trick, using one of two teleport chambers with the ability to reach the Room directly. All the others were just sideshows. But all that matters now is- ”We were being followed,” he says.

”By who?”

”They were Rain. Couldn't tell beyond that.”

”But you blew the rig behind you?”

”Yeah. There's no way they could have-”

”a.s.sume nothing,” she says.

”Yes ma'am.”

”This man you have with you?”

”Alek Jarvin-”

”High time I talked to him.”

You were Sinclair's man,” she says as she scans his mind.

”I was cut off in HK when he was arrested.”

”I know.”

”He wants to make himself G.o.d Almighty.”

”He may already have,” she says. ”Who was following you?”

”His final triad.”

She nods. She's presuming it was the same one that pursued her. But why it would still be operating outside the Room makes no sense to her. The only thing that counts now is in here. Meaning she has to a.s.sume that somehow that triad got in too. Thus the dilemma: it's imperative to destroy your teleportation devices behind you, yet you can never be totally sure you've done it. The fact that Sinclair still has servants is one more reason why she's sought to acquire her own-one more reason why she's not going in alone. The metal to which Spencer and Jarvin have affixed their armor starts to slide aside. The inner Room's opening once again, in accordance with her zone-instructions. She gives more orders, watches as everyone starts to scramble from the elevator cars.

Seb Linehan,” says Spencer.

Linehan looks at him with eyes that seem to have gone hollow. ”Spencer,” he whispers slowly.

”Good to see you again, man.”

”I'm not the man you remember,” says Linehan.

”Let's move,” says the Operative.

The inner Room's as she left it. Except for the fact that there's no longer any presence looming here. She stares through the maze of ramps and girders at the innermost sphere of all. She can detect nothing within. But there's only one way to be sure. The ceiling of the inner Room slides shut above them as they close in on the hub that sits astride the very center.

You've got to listen to me,” says the Operative.

”I know what I'm doing,” she says.