"No, I'm not. I don't want you to die. I don't want anyone to die." She reached into the tank and ruffled his hair. "I want to put you into a cryonic state. Years will pass and you'll stay frozen here with the others. Technology will improve. Diseases will be cured. Eventually, I'll revive you. You'll be reborn in a manner of speaking."
"Unless I never wake up."
"Face it, Dutch. You're an old man. You don't have many years left. Even Cy is worried about you."
"He is?"
"Yesterday, he asked me some hypothetical questions about a person dying of old age. It was obvious he was talking about you." Her eyes shone brightly. "Don't you see? You don't have to die. Cryopreservation can keep you alive while scientists figure out how to cure the problems associated with being elderly."
Her words resonated deep in Graham's heart. She had a point. But he wasn't ready for cryopreservation, not yet. "Shouldn't this be my decision?"
"Unfortunately, it's not that simple. I can't just let you go."
He shivered. "Then you might as well kill me. Because if I ever wake up, I'm strangling the life out of you."
"You won't get the chance. I have big plans for you. How do you like the idea of spending your new life as my experimental subject?" She gave him a teasing look. "That's not such a bad fate, is it?"
Graham dipped his head. Most people could only go so far. The human conscious could only take so much. Evil, by and large, had its limits.
However, Holly was a different sort of evil. She didn't want to hurt him. And she wasn't particularly interested in scaring him. Instead, in her own sick way she was trying to help him, to extend his life. She truly thought she was doing the right thing. And that made her more dangerous than even the most deranged psychopath.
Graham lost all feeling in his body. His voice started to slur. "Please. I don't want this. Not now."
"Just relax. Close your eyes. Go to sleep." Holly smiled. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you from now on."
Chapter 69
"It's a hidden panel," Jenner twisted his beam, tracing the edges of the wooden slats. "Pretty impressive bit of craftsmanship actually. It blends right into the floor."
Indeed, the slats looked perfectly normal. But on closer inspection, I noticed a slight separation between them and the rest of the wood.
"A hidden panel." Trotter exhaled. "Well, what are we waiting for?"
I held out my arm, blocking his path. "Hang on a second."
He glared at me. "Pete's down there. I can feel it."
"Listen—”
"It's the only thing that makes sense," he continued. "Don't you see? This is why no one knew about him. He's been underground all of this time."
"We can't rush into this. If he's down there — and that's a big if — then someone put him down there."
"You're talking about the Whitlows."
"That's the most likely scenario."
"I don't care." Trotter started forward again.
Again, I blocked his path.
His voice turned icy. "Get out of my way, Cy."
"Something's not right."
"What do you mean?"
I waved at the empty table. "You saw Beverly. She was out, unconscious. There's no way she went anywhere without help."
Trotter frowned.
"There was no reason for Dutch to move her. And even if he did, he wouldn't have closed the panel behind him." I shook my head. "No, something else happened here."
"Agreed." Trotter slammed his fist into his palm. "So, let's get down there before it's too late."
I hesitated for a moment. Then I brushed my hand over the panel. My fingers touched a metal ring. I glanced at Trotter and Jenner. Raised my finger to my lips.
They nodded.
I pulled the ring. The panel lifted noiselessly into the air. A soft breeze wafted over me. My ears detected banging noises as well as the hum of working machinery.
I removed Roy's pistol from my belt and glanced into a hole. It looked to be about twenty feet deep with a ladder running down one side. At the bottom, harsh halogen light illuminated a concrete floor.
"I'll go first," I whispered. "Aaron, you follow me. Dan, you stay here. Wait for Pat."
Trotter shook his head. "I'm going with you."
I studied him for a moment. His arms trembled. His hands quivered. I didn't like the idea of him having my back. But I knew he wouldn't stay behind either.
"Okay," I mouthed. "You bring up the rear."
I swung my legs into the hole. Quietly, I placed my boots on a rung.
The humming and banging noises grew louder as I descended the ladder. I kept my gaze locked on the ground. I didn't see anyone. But I did notice a section of wall jutting out into the room. I stepped off the ladder and positioned myself behind it.
A horrible, wrenching scream filled the air.
My blood froze.
Hold on, Dutch. Just hold on a little longer.
Chapter 70
The Sno-Cat sped up. It flew over several small snow banks, landing with a jolt each time. Roy Savala didn't care. He just kept his foot pressed to the pedal and his eyes locked on the landscape.
For the thousandth time, a wave of fear swept over him. He didn't mind dying. It was a part of life. But he couldn't die yet. First, he needed to complete his life's work. He needed to enter the Ice Pyramid. He needed to explore it, to understand it, to reveal it to the world.
He needed to shift the paradigm.
An image popped into his brain. He saw Ben's eyes — dead and unblinking — staring at him. He tried to ignore them, to excise them from his mind. But it didn't work. His stomach started to hurt. How had everything gone so wrong?
It came out of nowhere, a lone object in a desert of snow and ice. Roy's insides turned to jelly. He stomped on the brakes. Twisted the wheel. But he was too late.
The vehicle crashed into the Ice Pyramid. Roy slammed into the steering wheel. His head hit something hard and he slumped back into his seat.
He wheezed for air. His ribs had already been hurting from the fight with Reed. Now, they felt broken. He took a few seconds to check the rest of his body. Painful lumps sprouted out from his face. Blood poured from a large cut on his forehead.
Roy opened his door. Gingerly, he stepped out of the vehicle. His back ached. His left knee stung every time he put weight on it. He took a few practice steps and nearly passed out. His knee felt like it'd been twisted into a knot.
Roy felt his forehead. The blood was no longer flowing but it still caked much of his face. He knew he needed medical attention. But that would have to wait.
He shut the door. The snow eased off just a bit. But the wind picked up its pace, slamming into him with daunting force.
He cocked his head. He heard heavy winds. And there was something else too.
A loud purring noise burst through the blustery weather. Roy rotated his head. But he couldn't determine its point of origin.
The purring noise ceased. Wind and blowing snow filled the void.
He relaxed as he caught sight of a second Sno-Cat. Davis and Zoey sat inside it. They'd been following him ever since he'd fled Kirby.
A rushing noise pierced the air. It sounded like water tumbling down a gigantic waterfall. His nerves stood on end. Slowly, he lifted his chin. His jaw dropped.
For months, the Ice Pyramid had fought him. It had stubbornly resisted all of his efforts to shed light on its secrets. It had been immensely frustrating. At times, he'd even considered giving up on it.
The queasy feeling in his stomach subsided. Feelings of destiny formed within him as he stared at the slight gap. The west side of the pyramid wasn't a typical wall. It was a massive gate. He could scarcely believe it. It was almost as if the Ice Pyramid knew of his presence, of his efforts to save it.