Both the Fishers reacted angrily, Simeon advancing with his fists balled, but Cross waved him back. The cult leader was also furious, but contained it — just. ‘Unbelievers throughout history have accused God’s prophets of being mad,’ he growled. ‘Noah, Moses, even Jesus Christ — they’ve all faced mockery. But you’ll see the truth once all four angels are loosed. The army of the horsemen will be unleashed upon the earth, just as Revelation says — and as Babylon falls, I will know God’s plan.’ His voice rose to a shout. ‘I will know!’
Appalled, Nina turned to Dalton. ‘You can’t believe any of this? You’re a politician — you’re in this for yourself, not to fulfil some Biblical prophecy!’
‘Thank you for that vote of confidence, Dr Wilde,’ Dalton said sarcastically. ‘But you’re wrong. I do believe; I believe that finding and unleashing the rest of the angels will make America stronger. That’s my duty to my country, as a true patriot.’
‘Patriot, my ass,’ Nina snarled. ‘You’re so crooked, you make Nixon look like Mother Teresa.’
Now it was Dalton’s turn to be angered, but before he could reply, Cross, his composure now recovered, cut in. ‘I’m not asking you to believe, Dr Wilde. I’m asking you to obey. There are still two more angels out there. The Throne of Satan, and the Place in the Wilderness — where are they?’
‘I don’t know. And even if I did know, now that you’ve told me what you’re planning, there’s no way I’m going to help you find them.’
‘I didn’t only suggest using you to find the angels out of revenge — although I have to admit, that was a bonus after everything you and Chase did to me,’ said Dalton. ‘I genuinely believed you were the person most likely to succeed. But if you’re not going to cooperate, then you’re… surplus to requirements.’
‘No, no,’ said Cross, holding up a hand. ‘She will find them for us.’
‘Did God tell you that?’ Nina said with a sneer.
‘No. You did.’ His gaze intensified. ‘I was an intelligence officer, Dr Wilde. I know people — how they think, how they’ll respond to specific situations. And I know that you’ll do what I ask to protect your husband.’ He led the group back into the control room and went to the video wall. ‘I’ll demonstrate.’
A tap on the controls, and the screens blinked on — showing Eddie still secured to the chair. The camera had changed position, now staring down at him from his left side. He looked around, mouth moving as he responded to someone out of frame, but the audio was muted.
‘Waterboard him,’ said Cross. ‘Don’t hold back this time.’ Irton appeared, a towel in his hands.
‘God damn you,’ Nina gasped as Eddie tried in vain to break loose. A silent shout at Irton, who responded by punching him in the stomach. The torturer’s two assistants prepared to tip the chair backwards as their boss swaddled the Englishman’s head in the thick cloth. ‘Don’t do it, please!’
Cross was unmoved. ‘It’s up to you how long this goes on. A minute, an hour… all day. He won’t die, but he’ll wish he could.’ The chair was lifted and tilted back until its occupant’s head hit the floor. ‘All you have to do to stop it is tell me where one of the other angels is.’
‘But I don’t know,’ she protested.
Irton brought a bucket to the chair. ‘I think you do,’ said Cross. ‘You already know something, and you’re keeping it from me. Do you think I’m an idiot? I know when someone’s hiding the truth. Finding it is what I do. Irton!’
The bucket tipped, sending a gush of water over Eddie’s cocooned head. He convulsed, mouth open in a silent scream beneath the sodden material. Nina gasped in sickened, helpless fear.
‘I really think you ought to do what you’re told,’ said Dalton, tone patronising.
‘Your choice, Dr Wilde,’ Cross added. ‘There’s only one way to stop this.’
She stared in anguish at the man she loved, the father of her child choking as more water filled his airways. She tried to resist, but felt surrender swelling inside her as his torment continued, unable to contain it—
‘Berlin,’ she whispered.
Cross jabbed at a control, the monitors going black. ‘What?’
‘Berlin,’ Nina repeated. ‘The Throne of Satan from Revelation — there’s only one thing it can be, and that’s the Altar of Zeus from Pergamon. John had obviously been there, because he knew Antipas the martyr, so he would have known about the altar as well.’
‘Isn’t Pergamon in Turkey?’ demanded Dalton.
‘The whole thing was transported to Germany in the late nineteenth century. It’s a Greek relic, though — I don’t know of any connection to ancient Judaism or Christianity.’
‘But there must be one,’ said Cross. He touched the control pad. ‘Irton, let him go. For now.’ He turned to Nina. ‘Get back to work. Research this altar, find anything that might link it to the angel or the twenty-four Elders.’
She nodded, despondent. ‘I’ll do what I can.’
‘What about the Place in the Wilderness?’ he added. ‘Are you keeping that from me too? Because if you are…’
‘I don’t know anything about that,’ she insisted, truthfully.
His unsettling eyes stared into hers, then he nodded. ‘Okay. Focus on the altar for now.’
‘Do you want us to fly to Germany?’ asked Simeon.
‘No, Trant can handle it. Tell him to get the team to Berlin. You work out a plan to extract the angel once we find it.’
‘If we find it,’ said Dalton. ‘If this altar’s been moved, the angel might already have been discovered when it was dismantled.’
Cross shook his head. ‘No. It’s waiting to be found. I have faith. In God’s plan… and in Dr Wilde’s love for her husband. She won’t let him suffer.’
‘Go to hell,’ Nina muttered, filled with shame for having capitulated. She looked at the case containing the angel. ‘I should have smashed that thing when I had the chance.’
‘I’m glad you didn’t,’ said Dalton. ‘You’re doing what’s best for America. You’ll see.’
‘Anything that involves you can’t be what’s best for America.’ But there was almost no defiance left in her, just sullen resignation.
‘Norvin, take Dr Wilde back to her house,’ ordered Cross. ‘She has a lot of work to do.’ The bodyguard escorted Nina out.
Dalton waited until she was gone before speaking again. ‘Two angels found already? I knew she was good, much as I hate to admit it, but I’m surprised she located them so quickly. Mind you,’ he added, gesturing towards the empty screens, ‘you did give her an incentive.’
‘We got lucky,’ Cross said quietly.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean this.’ He tapped the touchpad again. The image of the warehouse reappeared — but this time it was a freeze-framed scene of chaos.
Dalton flinched as he saw a body at the end of a smeared trail of gore. ‘What the hell happened?’
‘Chase happened,’ came the reply.
‘Chase?’ The ex-politician rounded on Cross with a sudden flash of fear, which he had to fight to keep under control. ‘You mean he’s escaped?’
‘He broke out late last night. I don’t know what happened after he killed Berman — this was the last image before the video link was cut off — but since I can’t contact Irton or Raddick, I have to assume they’re dead too. What I just showed Wilde was a recording, flipped so she wouldn’t realise it was the same thing she saw before. If she hadn’t caved in when she did, I would have run out of footage, and she would have realised we don’t have Chase any more.’