"The artificial what?” Lybrand asked.
"The silverbugs,” Connell said, never taking his narrowed eyes off Angus.
The word seemed to amuse Angus. “Silverbugs? How quaint. Very well, we captured a silverbug and dissected it.” Angus related the story of the dissection and the events leading from there to the rescue on the cliff. The news that the silverbugs were made from platinum stunned Connell, but he was far more shocked to learn of the silverbugs providing the phalanx shields.
"You're telling us,” O'Doyle said in a weak voice, “that the rocktopi didn't think of the shields, but the robots did?"
"It certainly looked that way,” Angus said. “The rocktopi may have instructed the silverbugs to go make the shields, but I doubt it. I'd be surprised if beings that use knives and rocks against firearms can work with such advanced machines. It appeared to me that the silverbugs told — or perhaps showed is a better word — the rocktopi where to go."
"It doesn't matter,” Connell said. “What we need to do is get everyone out of here. Angus, can you tell us how we can do that?"
Angus sighed and pulled the small monitor out of his bag. He quickly explained how the thumper navigation system worked and its accuracy. Randy continued to look at the ground, as if he knew what was coming.
Connell felt his anger rise even further. His hands involuntarily tightened into fists. “And you're telling me, Angus, that you've had a perfect map of these caves and you didn't inform me?"
Angus quickly looked around, seeing five pairs of tired eyes fix on him with murderous hatred.
"I didn't think anyone would need it,” he said, his voice an anxious squeak. “I mean, the map I gave Mack was already a technological feat of genius, really amazing stuff. Randy and I planned on being back today — I'd have the map for Mack before he penetrated far into the caves. I was going to show you the system then. I—"
Connell's fist smashed into Angus's nose, cutting off the explanation. Angus took one small step backwards, then fell hard on his ass. Mack had been a good man. The thumper map might have kept them out of harm's way, might have led them somewhere besides the dead-end cliff. Connell fought to control his rage: they needed Angus if they were all to get out alive.
Angus looked at Connell through tearing eyes. His fingers touched his nose and came away covered in blood. “Are you crazy? Why would you hit me?"
Connell stepped forward, kicking Angus hard in the stomach. Angus let out a whoof as air vacated his lungs, then rolled on his back and on his side, fighting for breath.
Connell felt strong arms wrap around his chest, pulling him away. The arms roughly turned him around — Connell found himself facing Sanji.
"Calm down now,” Sanji said, a look of concern on his face. “We need Angus, so stop this. This is not helping anything."
Connell blinked a few times, quickly regaining his composure. He nodded curtly. Sanji let him go. Connell breathed deeply and slowly, then walked over to Angus, who still struggled for breath. Connell knelt and grabbed Angus by his red hair, forcing him to look up.
"You're going to get us out of here, understand?” Connell said, staring into Angus's eyes, which were wide and white with fear. “You're going to tell us everything and you're not going to hide anything ever again. Do you understand?"
Angus nodded quickly.
Connell let him go and walked to a far corner of the cave. He didn't care about Angus's genius anymore, or what Angus could do for EarthCore. He didn't care about EarthCore, come to think of it. And, he realized, he didn't care about the platinum, or the money it would bring.
All he cared about was getting these people out alive.
You little fucking prick.
He'd found another way in. Kayla stared at the industrial computer's little screen, looking at a detailed map. The map showed a second way into the tunnels, a path labeled “The Linus Highway.” She downloaded the map into a handheld unit.
It wasn't too late. She could still pull it off. She could beat them all, Connell, André, and especially Angus Kool. Angus wanted her to fail? He wanted someone to come save him from the subterranean monsters?
No-no-no. No way, no how, little Angus.
Nobody was coming to help them. The little bastard wanted her to fail. He wanted her to remain the dishonorably discharged embarrassment to the NSA.
The monsters were down there, but she only needed one. Hell, she only needed a piece of one. As long as she was careful, she could get her sample and make it safely back to the surface.
And maybe, if she was lucky, she might find Angus. She wanted to find him, find his little ass and scrape it off her shoe. Just like she'd done with Cho. Angus wouldn't get away with this. He thought he was so fucking smart, a regular little genius, but she was no dummy, no sir, not by a fucking long shot.
No-no-no. No way no how.
Kayla dug into her canvas bag and removed the KoolSuit she'd stolen from the miner's hut. In retrospect, it was a damn good thing she'd grabbed it when she had — the attack struck less than half an hour after she'd slid back into her warren. She buckled on her web gear over the yellow suit, double-checked her handheld map, double-checked the COMSEC settings, grabbed the Marco/Polo unit and started up the mountain.
Connell watched Angus's finger trace patterns on the tiny monitor, illustrating the way out of the tunnel complex. Everyone huddled around them, trying to get a glimpse at a possible escape, trying to get a glimpse of hope.
Angus finished his explanation. Connell mulled over the possibilities the plan presented. “So, you're saying the fastest way out of here is by reaching the Dense Mass?"
"You got it,” Angus said, his voice nasally due to a first-aid kit cotton ball stuffed into each nostril. “This is the tunnel Randy and I came down. We call it the Linus Highway. If you look, it's pretty much a straight shot to the Dense Mass. About halfway down the Linus Highway, we branched off on a side tunnel and made our way to the Picture Cavern."
"So you haven't been to the Dense Mass?” Sanji asked.
"No, we left that for Connell and Mack,” Angus said, sounding quite magnanimous. “If the mine shaft is as bad as Mack told you, then the Linus Highway is the only way out of the mountain.” Angus tapped the keys on the monitor, bringing up a closer view of the tunnels. A flashing orange dot pulsed amidst yellow lines that indicated the network of tunnels. Red dots flickered at the map's edge, close to the orange dot.
"Our position on this map was updated at 5:19 a.m. The orange dot is us,” Angus said. “The red dots are silverbugs."
Lybrand went rigid with alarm. “They're right on top of us!"
"It just looks that way on the map,” Randy said, speaking up for the first time since they'd entered the hideaway. “We planted motion sensors all over this area before we dropped down to rescue you. We were scrambling them when we sealed off this cave, so they don't know we're here."
"How do you know that?” Lybrand said.
"Because they're just wandering,” Angus said, obviously annoyed. “When they know someone is present, they exhibit very structured behavior."
"We noticed,” Veronica said.
Angus continued. “Now we could go around to that shaft pretty much the same way Randy and I came to rescue you. It took us just under thirty minutes to get from the far edge of the kidney-shaped cavern to where we are now. However, Randy and I can move fast and quiet. Considering the wounded we have, that route would take about fifty-five minutes, possibly an hour. From there we would backtrack the path Randy and I followed and end up at the Linus Highway, then head for the surface. We know where we're going, but it's a long trip and there's many difficult areas that will slow us down. Also, I think we'd be exposed to rocktopi that whole time. With this crew, we'd sound like a bull in a china shop.