按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ve into the metal of the shaft； holding him and Vesper aloft long enough for her to regain purchase with her knees。
〃Serman？〃 he asked。
She was staring down and he saw her shake her head。 〃It looks like his neck is broken；〃 she said。
They reached him and the floor of the lower horizontal shaft a moment later。 Serman was dead； all right。
They crouched over him for a moment。 The whine of the turbines was very loud； and looking off to then： right； they could see the huge exhaust vents。 They had made it … they were at the end of the exhaust tunnel。
Croaker closed Serman's eyes。 〃We only had a few hundred yards left。〃
〃Let's go；〃 Vesper said； and he nodded。
They crept down the shaft in cramped； unfortable fashion。 Croaker was impatient to reach the exhaust grates； but Vesper appeared to be taking her time。
〃Wait a minute；〃 she whispered。 Ahead of him he could see her stretched prone on the floor。 〃Take a look at this。〃
He got down beside her。 At first he could discern nothing in the gloom。 Then； as he focused； he began to see tiny sparks in the air just above the level of the concrete shaft floor。 They looked like nothing more than fireflies。
〃What is it？〃 he asked； looking at the walls on either side。 〃A DARPA surveillance device？〃
〃Worse； I think。〃 Vesper turned over on her back； staring upward through the field of sparks。 〃Some kind of electrical field。 I think it's meant to discourage unauthorized intrusion； but this … or something a bit less sophisticated … could be the reason those poor bastards never made it out of here years ago。〃
Croaker looked at her。 〃How the hell do you know all this？〃
She pulled back from the verge of the field； turned over to face him。
When she made no reply； he said； 〃You know； I have the distinct feeling I haven't the faintest idea who you are。 If I'm right； neither do Margarite or Okami。〃
She gave him an enigmatic smile。 〃Do you know why actors act； Lew？ It's because they love playing roles； yes； but it's also because inside they are no one … or they can't bear to let anyone see who they really are。〃
〃Is that how you are？〃
She shrugged。 〃I have bee a product of the world in which I live。 I could have been anything； anyone。 Instead； I chose to bee no one … everyone。 Do you understand？〃
〃I'm trying … but you're chimerical。〃
She seemed to e abruptly alive。 〃Yes； yes； that's it precisely。 And therein lies my power … the power that lies within all of us … men and women。 It's frightening and it most often gets beaten down to the point of disappearing； but I was trained to recognize it and use it。〃
〃Trained？ By whom？〃
She gave him another enigmatic smile。 〃We'd better find a way through this electrical field or we'll never get out of here。〃
They turned their attention to the field； Croaker somewhat reluctantly。 He felt she had been on the verge of divulging a pivotal facet of her makeup。 He wanted to pursue the subject of her past but knew this was neither the time nor the place for it。
Vesper pointed to what appeared as three dark parallel lines indented into the concrete of the wall on their left。 〃Sensors。 There's a thermal ponent to the field。〃
〃You mean the sensor picks up a person's body heat； a circuit is tripped； and the field fries said human being。〃
Vesper nodded。 〃More or less that's it。〃
〃How do we disable the thing？〃
She continued to stare at it。 〃Once I got into it I know I could bypass the circuitry。 Problem is getting close to it。 Even the heat of my hand will set off the field。〃
Croaker held up his biomechanical hand and grinned fiercely into the gloom。 〃But mine won't。〃
〃Christ； you're right！ No flesh； no blood； no heat。〃 She looked from his hand to the sensor array。 〃Let's just hope we judged distances right； otherwise while you're reaching for the sensor； your wrist will set it off。〃
〃Let's try it； then。〃 Croaker rolled over until his left shoulder was against the wall。 Then be reached out with his biomechanical hand。 The titanium and polycarbonate fingers passed through the dancing sparks； then the hand itself。
〃Watch it！〃 Vesper said sharply。 〃Your wrist〃 She shook her head。 〃The sensor is too far into the field。 You'll never …〃
She stopped speaking as Croaker extruded the stainless…steel nails from the tips of his fingers until they passed across the array。
〃Okay；〃 he said。 〃Now what？〃
Vesper nodded； talking him through the procedure。 First； he pried open the protective clear Plexiglas cover； then he inserted one nail into a small slot in the center of the array。 At her behest he turned his nail to the right； then the left。 The front of the array popped off。 It was attached to the guts of the unit by three color…coded wires。
〃We're only going to have one chance；〃 Vesper said。 〃There's a red； yellow； and white wire。 We've got to cut the ground。 That will short out the circuit into its fail…safe mode without tripping the field。〃
Croaker could not even turn his head to look at her。 〃Do you know which one's the ground？〃
〃Cut the red one。〃
〃Is that the ground？〃
〃Cut it！〃
He did。
The field of dancing sparks disappeared； and Croaker put his head down on his outstretched arm。
Vesper let out a small sigh。 〃Thank God for the military mind。 All the grounds at this base are red。 I gambled …〃
〃You gambled！〃 Croaker picked his head up； stared at her。
She got up。 〃If you had a better gamble to take； you should have spoken up。〃
He got to his feet 〃I trusted you。〃
That enigmatic smile again。 〃Good thing you did。 We're through。〃
Croaker led the way past the now quiescent electronic field toward the huge grilles at the far end of the shaft。 But they were only halfway there when they saw the vents being lifted off。
〃I think we've had our allotment of fun today； Mr。 Croaker。〃 Dedalus peered in at them。 They could see his head and upper torso。 He was holding a 9mm Beretta。 〃Out；〃 he ordered。 〃I'm quite the expert with this thing； you know。〃
Vesper； crouched behind Croaker and hidden from the senator's view； whispered； 〃It's like 'The Lady or the Tiger；' only this 'lady' is toting a high…velocity weapon。 Let's back up out of here。〃
〃And go where？〃 Croaker hissed。 〃Back to the storeroom？ Into the nuclear ventilation chamber？ You heard what Serman told us about that。〃 He shook his head。 〃Not good enough。 Besides； I have a plan。〃 It was wild； it was exceedingly dangerous； it meant gambling everything on one chance； but this box was too clever by half； this was the only way out of it。
〃Look； you don't know …〃
〃It's do or die now。 I'm going to get Dedalus before he gets us。〃
〃Impossible！ The power he mands。。。〃
〃All his power is meaningless right now。 Because I know what he wants more than anything else； and I'm going to give it to him。〃
Vesper was abruptly wary。 〃What are you thinking of doing？〃 But she was a genius and she was already working it out。 〃You can't。〃
〃I can and I will。 Trust me； it's our only option。 We've got to give him the one thing we can't afford to： the place where Mikio Okami is hiding。〃
〃If he thinks the two of us are up to something； he'll eat us both for lunch。〃 She tossed her head。 〃Forget it。 I know him； you don't。〃
〃