But she doubted Auschwitz’s Angel of Death was interested in gauging her reaction to a rodent infestation. Mice were often a disease vector. Had Tyndareus infected them with plague or Hanta virus? Was he going to watch to see how long it took her to die?
Tyndareus’s voice filled the room again. “An associate of mine was working to create a plant-based organic bio-weapon. The field tests were rather disappointing, but the concept is promising, and as I’ve already invested substantial resources, it only seems prudent to salvage what I can.
“There is an aerosol delivery system in the ceiling that will deliver the spores. You may feel free to take cover. In fact, I would prefer it if you did. It will provide me with a better understanding of how this organism spreads, if you are able to avoid initial infection.”
Fiona had only just begun to digest what the old man was telling her when she saw his hand reach for the tablet again, and before she could utter a single word of protest, his finger touched the screen. A hissing sound filled the air, and Fiona felt drops of liquid, like a light mist, falling onto her exposed skin.
32
Gazing up at the night sky, it was easy to comprehend how the ancients had looked to the stars and seen their gods. Hundreds of miles from the nearest civilization, there was no light pollution to mute the starlight. High up on a plateau above the Amazon rain forest — the locals called it a tepui, the weathered remains of a sandstone table land that had once stretched across the northern reaches of the entire continent — the sky was not merely a dome but an all-encompassing sphere, with planets and stars and galaxies scattered like gold dust on black velvet.
I never knew there were so many of them, Gallo thought.
They were not the stars she knew, at least not all of them, and yet they might very well have been the stars glimpsed by the ancient Greeks. Her enjoyment of this rare sight was dampened by the circumstances that had brought her here.
She had awakened on a plane already bound for Brazil, after having been sedated and blindfolded to preserve the secret location of Cerberus’s headquarters. Judging by the length of time they had spent in the air, she guessed it was somewhere in Europe, but there was no way to know for certain. Even Kenner was not privy to that information.
Now that she had given Kenner an exact destination, Gallo was uncertain about what he expected from her. She had been bundled onto the helicopter for the long flight to the tepui, but now that they were at the site, no one was paying attention to her. While the helicopter crew off-loaded supplies — food, gear, drums of fuel — Kenner, Rohn and the half-dozen Cerberus goons that were accompanying them had immediately gone to work rigging ropes for their descent into an enormous sinkhole, nearly two miles across, that corresponded with the coordinates Fiona had identified on the ancient map.
The sinkholes were a common feature of the tepuis, and some of the largest contained unique biospheres, with flora and fauna living and evolving in complete isolation for untold millennia. Because the tepuis were so remote, most of these unique biospheres remained pristine, untouched by all but a few bold explorers. There was no better place in the world to hide an Amazon city, and getting to it, or at least to the place where it had once stood, would require a rappel down several hundred feet of sheer cliff. Going in would be the easy part, since gravity would do all the work. Getting back out would require climbing those same ropes. There would be some risk involved, and while Gallo was undaunted by the physical challenge, she saw the impending descent as an opportunity to stand her ground.
She found Kenner at the edge of the sinkhole, peering down into the yawning void while the rest of the Cerberus team rigged the rappelling ropes under the glare of generator-powered work lights. His back was turned, and he was close enough to the brink that one good shove would have sent him over, but Gallo dismissed the idea as soon as it formed. It wasn’t the thought of taking a life or the psychological toll that action would have exacted that stopped her though. Killing Kenner simply wouldn’t help her situation one bit. Instead, it would make things worse, for her and for Fiona. But if he wanted her continued cooperation, Kenner was going to have to give her something in return.
“Wouldn’t it be wiser to wait for daylight?” she called out.
Kenner, smiling broadly, turned to face her. “I’m sure it would, but as they say, every second counts. Besides, the sun only reaches the bottom of this shaft for a few hours at midday. We’re going to need daylight to search for the Amazon city. That means we climb through the night.”
Gallo bit her lip and took a deep breath to gather her courage. “You need to let Fiona go.”
Kenner’s smile fell. “Augustina…”
“I won’t take another step, and I most certainly will not climb down into that hole, until I know she’s safe. Now, I suppose you could tie me up and lower me kicking and screaming. That’s up to you. But I will not help you unless you do this for me.”
He shook his head sadly. “If it were up to me, I would have already let her go. But it’s not. Mr. Tyndareus is running this show.”
“Then tell him—”
Kenner raised a hand to silence her. The gesture was so abrupt, and so out of character for him, that Gallo flinched. After a moment of tense silence, he spoke again in a low voice that was not completely unsympathetic. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Augustina, but the girl is probably already dead.”
Gallo felt the blood leave her face. A rushing sound filled her ears and she staggered back a step.
Kenner continued. “You must know that Mr. Tyndareus intended to kill you both as soon as you had told him what he needed to know. It’s nothing short of miraculous that I was able to convince him to spare you.”
Some primitive part of Gallo’s brain took control of her body. She launched herself at Kenner, arms extended to shove him off the precipice or perhaps carry him along in a suicidal plunge. Neither actually happened. Instead, he side-stepped, as if anticipating this reaction, and he swept her into a bear hug from behind, pinning her arms to her sides and lifting her off the ground. She squirmed, trying to wrench free. She kicked back at his shins, but he did not relent.
His voice hissed in her ear. “Your mistake was thinking that you still had anything left to bargain with. I don’t need your help anymore. I’m keeping you alive as a favor. Old times sake. You really ought to get down on your knees and thank me.”
He took her wrist in his hand and tugged up her sleeve, revealing the Herculean tattoo. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed this. Your allegiance is…regrettable. I might be able to overlook it, but others might not be so willing. Now, if you want to run, be my guest.” He twisted around, away from the edge, and then set her down, expelling her from his embrace with a shove that sent her lurching forward.
“I won’t stop you,” he continued, once more affecting a tone of commiseration. “Of course, there’s really nowhere to go. And I can’t promise that Vigor won’t hunt you down for sport. That’s rather his style, you know.”
Gallo propped herself up on hands and knees. The reptile brain was still in control, weighing the primal options: fight or flight? Both were equally futile, but the third choice — surrender — never entered into the equation. If Fiona was truly dead, then no matter what Kenner promised, that would be her fate as well.