The Atlantis Plague Part 45

"You will. You will remember, and then we'll have what we need."

One of Dorian's men grabbed her and dragged her out of the museum lobby.

CHAPTER 89.

St. Paul's Catacombs

Rabat, Malta

David felt a hand grip his shoulder and roll him over. The stone room was dark and quiet now. He still couldn't see a thing.

Slowly, a yellow glow expanded out into the room.

The figure seemed to be lighting the room from the palm of his hand. He cupped something-a tiny cube that sparkled.

David stared into the face. Ja.n.u.s. He had s.h.i.+elded David from the falling stone with the cube.

"Who the h.e.l.l are you?" David said, his voice hoa.r.s.e.

"Language, Mr. Vale."

"Seriously?"

Ja.n.u.s stood and spoke quietly. "I am one of two scientists who came here a very long time ago to study the hominins on this planet."

David coughed. "An Atlantean."

"What you call an Atlantean, yes."

David studied Ja.n.u.s's face. Yes, he knew it. He had seen Ja.n.u.s before. In Antarctica, days ago, when David had been in the tube, he had seen that face starting at him at the end of the chamber. Then the face had disappeared. "It was you-in Antarctica."

"Yes, though not in person. What you saw in Antarctica was my avatar, a remotely controlled representation of me."

David sat up. "You saved me. Why?"

"I'm afraid I need to be going, Mr. Vale."

"Wait." David stood and glanced at the rifle, considering whether to pick it up. No. Ja.n.u.s had incapacitated the soldiers with the cube. He could do the same to David. And Ja.n.u.s had saved his life-twice now. "The cure you sent to Continuity. It's a fake, isn't it?"

"It is quite real-"

"Does it cure us?"

"It cures what ails humanity."

David didn't like the sound of that, or Ja.n.u.s's demeanor, which said: this conversation is over.

Ja.n.u.s focused on the cube in the palm of his hand. He stuck his other hand into the light that radiated outward from the cube and began wiggling his fingers. It was as if he was programming it.

David considered his situation. Someone had planted bombs and set them off down here; it wasn't a bomb from above. During World War II, the Germans and Italians had dropped countless bombs on these catacombs and had not brought them down. Shaw. He closed the catacombs. And he would have Kate. Had he already delivered her to Dorian?

"Shaw has Kate," David said.

"Yes, I imagine so." Ja.n.u.s said, not looking up.

"She has your partner's memories."

"What?" Shock spread across Ja.n.u.s's face-the first emotion David had seen him display.

"The memories started coming several days ago, first in her dreams, then when she was awake, as if she couldn't stop them."

"Impossible."

"She said there was a third person that joined your expedition-a soldier. She colluded with him to change the genome. She said his name was Ares."

Ja.n.u.s just stood there, silently.

"Dorian has Ares's memories. He's captured Kate-that's what Shaw's mission was. I'm sure of it now. There were rumors at the Immari base in Ceuta. Dorian brought a case out of the structure in Antarctica. It created some kind of door. He's taking Kate there. She's in danger."

"If what you say is true, Mr. Vale, we are all in danger. If they reach the portal, if she is delivered to Ares, every person on this planet, and many more, will likely perish."

CHAPTER 90.

St. Paul's Catacombs

Rabat, Malta

David stepped to within arm's length of Ja.n.u.s. The soft yellow light from the cube lit both their faces from below, giving the impression of two men sitting around a campfire, their faces lit from flashlights held just under their chins.

"Help me save her," David said.

"No," Ja.n.u.s replied, his tone now sharp and urgent. "You will help me save her."

"What-"

"You have no idea what you are involved in, Mr. Vale. This is larger-"

"So tell me. Believe me, I'm ready for answers."

"First, I require your pledge that you will follow my orders-that you will do what I say, when I say."

David stared at him.

Ja.n.u.s continued, "I have observed that in high-stakes, high-stress situations, you prefer-or rather, demand-to be in charge. You have trouble taking orders-and taking risks, especially when lives are on the line, particularly Kate's. This is a liability. It is not your fault. It is perhaps a result of your past-"

"I'll pa.s.s on the psychoa.n.a.lysis, thanks. Look, if you promise you'll do everything you can to save her, I'll do whatever you tell me to."

"Believe me, I will do everything in my power. But I fear our chances are not good. Seconds will count, Mr. Vale. And we start now."

Ja.n.u.s stood, held out his hand, and the glowing cube flew from it, diving into the stone wall. A cloud of dust radiated out from the center.

David stood and watched. The cube moved deeper into the tunnel, chewing through the stone like a laser.

David touched the wall. It was smooth-just like the hollowed-out path outside the structure in Gibraltar, the darkened tunnel he had walked out of. I really am way out of my league here, he thought.

"So that's how you did that..."

"This little quantum cube has gotten me out of quite a few jams on my travels."

David glanced back at the dust cloud floating out of the smooth tunnel. "Yeah, well, thank goodness for... quantum cubes..."

On the ground, Milo stirred slightly. David walked over to him and knelt. "Will he be all right?"

"Yes."

David rolled Milo over. "How do you feel?"

Milo opened his eyes slowly. "Smushed." He coughed, and David helped him sit up.

"Just take it easy, we're getting out of here."

"We?" Ja.n.u.s asked.

"Yes. We're not leaving him here." David stopped short and shook his head. This new command paradigm would take some getting used to. "Or rather, I respectfully submit, for your consideration, that we should bring him along. He is a member of the Immaru. He found the Ark before us. His knowledge could be useful, and he could help us."

Ja.n.u.s walked closer and inspected the teenager. "Incredible. After all these years. How many of you are left?"

Milo looked up. "Just me."

"A shame," Ja.n.u.s said. "Yes, please join us..."

"Milo."

"A pleasure, Milo. My name is Arthur Ja.n.u.s."

Milo made the best bow he could manage from the sitting position.

At the opening to the room, the cube was cutting deeper into the new tunnel in the stone catacombs. The yellow light it emitted was fading as the cube moved farther away. David wondered how long it would take for the cube to reach the surface, and more importantly, if he could make it to Kate in time.

Kate had stopped struggling with Shaw and the guards at her side once the helicopter had lifted off. Where could she go now? She was trapped until they landed. Then what? Could she make a break for it?

They had strapped her in tight to the seat, and zip-tied her hands for good measure.

She stared at Dorian, who sat across from her. He seemed to have perfected the half-smile, half-smirk he always wore. It seemed to say: I know something you don't, something bad is going to happen to you, and I'll break into a full grin when it does.

She wanted to strike him. Shaw sat beside Dorian. He stared mildly out the helicopter's window, like a kid amused by his first plane ride.

"You killed Martin."

Shaw glanced up at her, as if he had just realized she was still there.

"You did," he mumbled.

"You broke his neck-"

"He was dying the moment Orchid failed. You prolonged his agony, Kate."

It was a lie. "Why, Adam?"

He tore his eyes away from the window for the first time. "I knew if he came to, he would recognize me, expose me. I'd a.s.sumed he would die without my help, but Chang's therapy, it made him better. When you left to... join David, it was the first chance I had. I did what I had to-to complete my mission. Nothing personal."

Dorian leaned forward. "Don't listen to him, Kate. We both know this is personal. Has been for, what, seventy thousand years now?" He smiled. "That's your big blind spot, isn't it? People. You never can get a read on anyone. You're clever as h.e.l.l, but you never see the big betrayal coming. I just, G.o.d, I love that about you. It's hilarious."

Kate closed her eyes and willed herself not to react. She could feel the anger rising inside her. How could he always get under her skin? He manipulated her so easily. The monster seemed to know where every one of her b.u.t.tons was. He pressed them with such ease, grinning the entire time, knowing exactly how she would react.

She tried to focus, tried to block him out. In the darkness, a voice called, "He betrayed us."