Amy obeyed and tried to calm down while Nataliya spoke softly to her."I rarely leave the Lucian surveillance center. It's like being trapped underground, but flying the Shark feels like I've escaped my cage. I've never been to where you'll be going tonight. I've only heard about it. You're going to the place where my ancestors were gunned down in the upheaval of history.
What you find there, I fear, will not be pretty."Nataliya fell silent, letting the words sink in as Amy tried to keep from getting sick."I read all about the Amber Room," said Amy. "Can you believe it's been hidden here in Russia all along? There are a lot of people searching for it."
"We Lucians are good at hiding things. And now we've put a black circle around the Church on the Blood.
What's a black circle?""It means no Lucians except those given direct permission expressly from Vikram Kabra are allowed to enter."
"How will we know what to look for?" asked Amy."There is but one clock inside the room.
Set the time for midnight, then one, then midnight again. The face of the clock will open.""I can remember that.""You're a smart girl. I'm sure you can."The rest of the trip passed in silence as everyone watched the sun setting in the western sky. The closer it came to the horizon, the faster Nataliya pushed the Shark toward the Church on the Blood.
The noise in the cockpit became almost deafening as the great helicopter struggled to maintain speeds approaching three hundred miles per hour.The church was located on a small hill of grass in an otherwise sleepy section of town.
At this hour, there were few people walking and even fewer cars to contend with. Nataliya announced that given the lateness of their arrival, she would land them directly in front of the church itself. It would be quite a spectacle, but at least there wouldn't be very many people to see it."We may be too late," Nataliya said into her microphone.
"There's a door in the floor between your feet. You and your brother, get in there and hide. Quickly!"They were over the church now, descending toward the empty parking lot as the darkness approached.
"You'll need to enter the church through the door at the back using the gold key. Once inside, look for the trail of amber on the floor.
The orange key will reveal a set of seven dials. Set them all to amber, with alternating diamonds and hearts. This will open the last door and you'll be inside. Don't be alarmed by what you see. As I have been told, you must first pass through the tomb.
Beyond the tomb you'll find the Amber Room."Dan and Amy didn't comment on what had just been said.
There was only one tomb Nataliya could be referring to, the resting place of the six executed Romanovs. Amy's guidebook said they had been moved to the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
But the Lucians were powerful, especially in Russia. They must have decided to honor their dead more privately."Do you see Irina anywhere?" asked Dan."The monitors don't show anything," said Nataliya. "But that doesn't mean she isn't here. Irina isn't the type to stand in plain view."
"We're getting inside the hatch," yelled Dan."You'll find a flashlight you can use," said Nataliya.
"But don't turn it on until you're under the church or someone might see you. There's a monitor down there. Turn it on and you'll see the parking lot. Keep an eye out for a moment when you can escape. Good luck!"Nothing more could be heard above the noise of the massive black propeller as the Shark came down.
Night had arrived at the Church on the Blood.* * *
"Set a perimeter at a quarter of a mile, Braslov," Nataliya said. She had called Braslov, a surveillance technician who worked three doors down from her own, in the Lucian headquarters.
"I've come in a little fast and landed in the parking lot of the church.""So I noticed," Braslov answered. "I already made the calls.
"Nataliya was so immersed in the images of the Church on the Blood she couldn't help feeling like she was sitting in the Shark instead of the safety of a Lucian stronghold.
"Irina saw you and contacted me a few minutes ago," Braslov continued. "The area will be secured."
"Thank you, Braslov.""You're in the hottest Lucian spot on earth. Don't get burned."The lights of an approaching police car came into view even before Braslov was through warning Nataliya. A second car followed. The Lucians controlled every level of security in Russia.
The agents were fond of sitting around a big table at the Lucian headquarters, coming up with reasons for keeping people out of sensitive areas. The most effective tended to be hazardous spill alerts, which kept people out of designated areas and were often used in black circle situations. They'd been even more careful than usual with the Church on the Blood, which they had just designated a radioactive zone. The police cars were a backup, just in case anyone was curious enough to take a closer look at a giant helicopter.
Nataliya panned her cameras around the lot and saw the dark figure of Irina emerge from a stand of trees.
She walked with a stiff confidence, hands in her coat pockets, a woman in charge of her surroundings. A moment later, Irina was standing at the cockpit door, staring into the dark interior of the Shark."You couldn't land somewhere a little less conspicuous?" asked Irina.
"This kind of event makes problems for us."Anyone else would have thought Irina was talking to herself, but Nataliya heard the message loud and clear."I apologize, Irina. But I thought it was necessary to get here as quickly as possible. I've never pushed the Shark quite so hard.""She is a lovely beast, no? I look forward to flying her again.
"Nataliya watched as Irina peered into the Shark, then back at the church."Why so focused on two American brats?" asked Nataliya. "They seem hardly a threat. I've been tracking them from the start, just like all the other teams, and I don't see anything special.
They're hopelessly behind.""Don't underestimate them," said Irina. "They've outsmarted me before."Irina turned back toward the Shark."Let me have a look inside. I haven't taken her for a ride in months."Nataliya knew all too well how keen Irina's senses were. The slightest mistake on the children's part might lead to disaster.
She pressed a white button and the cockpit door unlocked. Then she watched as Irina pulled open the door."Keep an eye out with all those cameras of yours, won't you?" said Irina.
"Absolutely."Nataliya switched to the inside camera and watched as Irina studied the inside of the Shark for anything suspicious. Everything appeared to be in order, so she moved to the back and examined the seats.
Still nothing."I hope I didn't break something," said Nataliya. "I pushed the Shark getting here so fast.
"Without warning, Irina disappeared from view. Nataliya swung the inside camera from side to side, then down to the floor, where she saw Irina lifting the trapdoor. Nataliya's heart thrummed like a hummingbird.
It's over! We're caught!
But nothing happened. Irina dropped the trapdoor and stepped out of the Shark without a word.
'I’m going inside. You keep a watch out here."Nataliya breathed a short-lived sigh of relief. At least Dan and Amy hadn't been discovered. She could only assume they'd used what little time they'd had to escape into the church unseen. But they were anything but safe.
Irina Spasky was about to join them in the Church on the Blood.
CHAPTER 15
Dan was rubbing a sore shoulder as they stumbled through the interior of the church."Still hurts, huh?" whispered Amy."Falling out of a helicopter and being crushed by your big sister will do that to a guy. I'm just glad I didn't land on my head.""That makes two of us.
Next time, think twice before pressing the red button.""It got us out of there!" Dan protested.
Two seconds after the trapdoor in the Shark had shut, Dan had pressed a glowing red button that dropped the floor out, sending them both tumbling out onto the pavement before Irina got close enough to see them."Let's just find the Amber Room and get out of here as fast as we can," said Amy.