Part 49 (1/2)

The man got to his feet. In the preternatural glow of stone, they all watched him stagger across to a porthole near the doorway. With the stealth of an intruder, he cautiously lifted his head to the opening. And slid back down again.

'What did you see?' Spurrier whispered.

The geologist was silent.

'Hey, Ruiz.' Finally, Spurrier crawled over. 'Christ, the back of his head's gone!'

At that instant the a.s.sault commenced.

Huge shapes poured in, monstrous silhouettes against the gleaming stone.

'Oh, dear G.o.d!' screamed Twiggs.

If not for his cry in English, they would have been shredded with gunfire.

Instead there was a pause.

'Hold your fire,' a voice commanded. 'Who said ”G.o.d”?'

'Me,' pleaded Twiggs. 'Davis Twiggs.'

'That's impossible,' said the voice.

'It could be a trap,' warned a second.

'It's just us,' said Spurrier, and s.h.i.+ned his light on his own face.

'Soldiers,' cried Pia. 'Americans!'

Lights snapped on throughout the room.

s.h.a.ggy mercenaries ranged right and left, still crouched, ready to shoot. It was hard to say who was more surprised, the debilitated scientists or the tattered remains of Walker's command.

'Don't move, don't move,' the mercenaries shouted at them. Their eyes were rimmed with red. They trusted nothing. Their rifle barrels darted like hummingbirds, searching for enemy.

'Get the colonel,' said a man.

Walker was carried in, seated on a rifle held on each side by soldiers. To Ali, he looked starved, until she saw his blood. The knifed-open rags of his pant legs showed dozens of bits of obsidian embedded in the flesh and bone. It was pain that had hollowed his face out. His faculties were unimpaired, though. He took in the room with a raptor's eye.

'Are you sick?' Walker demanded.

Ali saw what he saw, gaunt men and women barely able to sit. They looked like scarecrows.

'Just very hungry,' said Spurrier. 'Do you have food?'

Walker considered them. 'Where's the rest of you?' he said. 'I recall more than just nine of you.'

'They went home,' said Chelsea, p.r.o.ne beside her chessboard. She was looking at Ruiz's body. Now they could see that the geologist had been sniped through the eye.

'They're going back the way we came,' said Spurrier.

'The physicians, too?' Walker said. For a moment he was hopeful.

'It's just us now,' said Pia. 'And you.'

He surveyed the room. 'What is this place, a shrine?'

'A way station,' Pia said. Ali hoped she would stop there. She didn't want Walker to know about the circular map, or the ceramic soldiers.

'We found it two weeks ago,' Twiggs volunteered.

'And you're still here?'

'We ran out of food.'

'It looks defensible,' Walker said to a lieutenant in burned clothing. 'Set your perimeters. Secure the boats. Bring in the supplies and our guest. And remove that body.'

They set Walker on the ground against one wall. They were careful, but laying his legs out was an agony for him.

Mercenaries began arriving from the beach with heavy loads of Helios food and supplies. Not one retained the look of the immaculate crusaders Walker had a.s.siduously groomed. Their uniforms were in rags. Some were missing their boots. There were leg wounds and head injuries. They stank of cordite and old blood. Their beards and greasy locks made them look like a motorcycle gang.

Their veneer of religious vocation had rubbed away, leaving tired, angry, frightened gunmen. The rough way they dumped the wetbags and boxes spoke volumes. Their escape attempt was not going well.

After a few minutes, Walker returned his attention to the scientists. 'Tell me,' he said, 'how many people did you lose along the way?'

'None,' said Pia. 'Until now.'

Walker made no apology as the geologist Ruiz was dragged from the room by the heels. 'I'm impressed,' he said. 'You managed to come hundreds of miles through a wilderness without a single casualty. Unarmed.'

'Ike knows what he's doing,' said Pia.

'Crockett's here?'

'He's exploring,' Troy quickly inserted. 'He goes off days at a time. He's looking for Cache V. For food.'

'He's wasting his time.' Walker turned his head to the black lieutenant. 'Take five men,' he said. 'Locate our friend. We don't need any more surprises.'

The soldier said, 'You don't hunt that man, sir. Our troops have had enough, the last month.'

'I will not have him roaming at large.'

'Why are you doing this?' Ali demanded. 'What's he done to you?'

'It's what I've done to him that's the problem. Crockett's not the sort to forgive and forget. He's out there watching us right now.'

'He'll run off. There's nothing here for him anymore. He said we've given up.'

'Then why the tears?'

'You don't have to do this,' Ali told him softly.