After Beverly's rescue, he'd called Ben back to Kirby. They'd waited in the common room all night, sitting in the darkest corner. It had taken hours but their persistence had paid off when Reed and Holly walked into the kitchen area. The two of them had looked tired but cheery. It didn't take long for Roy to realize Beverly was going to be okay.
He'd waited until they were totally distracted. Then he and Ben had snuck past them and darted down the hallway. No one had seen them. No one would see them. The Ice Pyramid would remain a secret.
He cast his eyes from side to side. It didn't take him long to spot Beverly Ginger. She lay on a long table. A mattress, probably dragged in from one of the empty rooms, supported her weight. A soft pillow rested under her head.
Roy stood still for a couple of minutes. He listened to her soft breaths. He inhaled the scent of her blood. He tasted disinfectant and other chemicals in the air.
He walked to her side. He felt bad about killing her. She didn't deserve to die. But he didn't have a choice. The Ice Pyramid was too important. He couldn't allow her to reveal its existence to the world.
He picked up a pillow. He lingered for a moment.
Then he pushed it into her face.
Chapter 62
Beverly couldn't breathe.
It was strong, way too strong. It pinned her down, crushed her under its giant body. She thrust in every possible direction. But she couldn't escape it.
Snow swirled around her. It completely engulfed her, blocking her vision. Then it parted. She got a brief glimpse of the beast.
It lunged at her. She lifted her left arm, shoved it against the beast's throat. It grunted. Its gnashing teeth halted just inches from her neck.
What in God's name was it? She couldn't tell. It was moving far too fast.
Her lungs starved for air. She pushed her arm, driving the beast back a few inches. Then she coiled up her other arm and balled up her fist. With a sudden movement, she unleashed it. Her fist soared upward. It sank into a soft belly. The beast winced. Its eyes watered. Lifting its head, it sucked at the air.
For a split second, the heavy weight on her body vanished. Beverly tried to scramble away. But the beast was too quick. It fell back on top of her, smothering her beneath its massive weight.
She tried to breathe. But she couldn't fill her lungs.
The beast pushed down on her, forcing more air out of her body.
She saw hints of blackness. Swiftly, she formed another fist.
This time, the beast blocked her attack. Its paw felt pulpy and free of hair. It forced her right arm into the cold snow.
She jammed her left arm deeper into the beast's throat.
Another paw appeared. There were paws everywhere. What was going on?
A weight pressed against her left wrist. Beverly steeled her muscles. But the beast was too heavy, too strong. Slowly, it forced her arm toward the snow. Its jaws inched closer to her. Teeth grazed her neck. Blood—her blood—dripped down her skin and mixed with the white powder.
She started to pass out. It was over.
It was—
Chapter 63
Her bloodcurdling scream filled my ears.
I dropped my mug and darted out of the kitchen. I turned into the
Work
hallway and ran like hell. I reached the Whitlow laboratory in a matter of seconds.
Beverly screamed again. Her voice sounded weak, lifeless.
I grabbed the knob and threw my weight against the door. It crashed open and I raced into the laboratory. It was shrouded in shadow and flickering candlelight.
Beverly lay on the table. Roy Savala stood over her. He held a pillow in both hands. It was pushed against her face. She struggled to resist, but her movements were slow, lethargic. Ben Savala stood a few feet away, watching everything with mild disinterest.
I grabbed my machete.
Roy ducked behind Beverly's slumped body. "Shoot him," he yelled.
Ben started to lift a rifle.
Still rubbing his eyes, Jenner raced into the room. He quickly assessed the situation. He produced a pistol and leveled it at Ben. "Don't even think about it."
Slowly, Ben lowered his hands.
Where the hell did all of these guns come from?
I circled to the side. "What's this about, Roy?"
"She saw something she shouldn't have seen."
"And what was that?"
"Something I'll die to protect."
"Did you blow up the power plant?" I asked. "Did you kill Ted?"
"No." He shifted again, doing his best to keep Beverly between us. "I'm sorry about this. I never wanted anyone to get hurt."
Our movements caused a series of light breezes. They extinguished most of the candles, sending the room into near darkness. Just three candles remained lit. They cast small, wavering shadows on the walls.
My palms started to sweat. The machete felt slippery in my fingers. "You don't have to hurt her."
"I'm afraid that's not true."
"There's no way out of here."
"Is that right?" He snaked his arm around Beverly's neck. "Back up, into the hallway. Otherwise, I'll kill her."
He was planning to kill her anyway. So, I coiled up my body and sprang at him. At the same time, I thrust out my arm, aiming for his exposed side.
He parried the blow and socked me in the jaw. My vision exploded into lights. I went low and kicked at his legs.
He grunted in pain and released Beverly. Then his other fist slammed into the side of my head.
I dropped the machete. My cheek started to sting. My vision blurred.
My boot lashed out again. It slammed into his left leg. His knee buckled. He clutched at it and lost his balance. Moments later, he crashed to the floor.
Gunfire erupted from both sides of the room. It sounded like a full-scale riot. The air swished. Another light vaporized.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Roy yank a pistol from his belt. I grabbed my machete and ducked under his gun. My arm coiled up and I snapped a vicious fist into his ribs.
They cracked softly. He gasped for air.
I sliced my blade at his thigh. It cut through his pants. Blood seeped out of his leg. It stained his clothes, giving them a pinkish hue.
He roared in anger.
I rose up, punching at the same time. My fist connected with his jaw.
He crumpled to the ground. I started toward him but a hail of gunfire drove me backward.
I scrambled across the room. Ben swung his gun, tracking my movements. Bullets chewed at the air around me.
Jenner squeezed his trigger finger. Bullets sailed into Ben. His chest exploded. Blood flew everywhere.
"Ben." Roy scrambled across the room. "Damn it, Ben. Get up."
I crouched down and pulled Beverly off the table. Then I picked up Roy's pistol. Sweat poured from my fingers, leaving my hands a big sloppy mess. But I managed to keep hold of the weapon.
The air swished again. The last candle blew out. Cold darkness overtook every inch of the room.
A map materialized in my brain. I pictured the long table. I imagined the desks, chairs, and other pieces of furniture. I conjured up memories of wastebaskets, books, and other items dotting the floor.
Pushing away from the wall, I crept forward.
I stayed light on my toes. With each step, I expected Roy to jump out of the darkness with Ben's rifle in his hands. Before I could move, he'd fire a hail of death in my direction. But as I continued to cross the room, I saw nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing.
Show yourself, damn it.
My senses heightened. My visibility increased a couple of feet. I detected scuffling sounds coming from the opposite end of the room.
Is that you, Aaron?
I took cover behind a filing cabinet and peeked around the corner. I saw a hint of Ben's shadowy figure. It lay behind a table. I kept my eye on it for a few seconds.
It didn't move a muscle.
I crept toward Ben. He was huddled on the ground, surrounded by blood. I felt his pulse. Then I exhaled.
One down. One to go.
I heard a click. The door opened and bit of light entered the room. Then it closed over again.
Damn it.
I jumped to my feet and ran to the door. I twisted my head, studying every inch of the hallway.
But Roy had vanished.
Chapter 64
"What the hell happened?" Graham hobbled into the laboratory. He turned his head, taking stock of the situation.
Trotter limped in after him. His face looked pale. "Everyone okay? It sounded like World War III in here."
"Did you see Roy?" Jenner asked.
"Sure did," Graham said. "Just a second ago. He was running toward the common room. Nearly knocked me down."
Carefully, I set Beverly on the table. I placed a pillow beneath her head. Then I lifted my hand and held it over her mouth. I felt nothing.
Nervous energy flowed through me. I shifted my arm. My fingers grazed her neck. Holding my breath, I felt her pulse. But my fingers trembled and I couldn't get a read on it.
I wiped my hand on my shirt. Steeling it, I checked her pulse again. It was soft, but steady. Then I checked her breathing. This time, I felt soft air push against my hand. She'd be okay.
At least for now.
"She's fine." I nodded at the corner. "I can't say the same about Ben though."
Trotter's eyes widened. "You killed him?"
"I did. He didn't give me much of a choice." Jenner looked at Graham. "Is Roy still in the common room?"
Graham shook his head. "He ran outside."
I glanced at Graham. "Can you keep an eye on Beverly?"
He nodded.
"Lock the door behind us. Roy might try to double back." I looked at Jenner and Trotter. "Come with me."
We ran to the common room. Then we threw on our parkas and darted to the door.
I lifted my newly acquired pistol. "Stick together and keep your eyes open. He could be anywhere."
We ran outside of Kirby. Sharp wind stung my face. I raced to the vehicle shed. One of the Sno-Cats was missing.
"Damn it," Jenner said. "He got away."
"Maybe for now." Kneeling down, I studied the snow. "Next time, he won't be so lucky."
Chapter 65
"This place can't get any crazier," Graham mumbled to himself. "It's impossible."
He shut the door and locked it. Using his flashlight, he located a lighter. He quickly relit the candles. They flickered gently.
He returned to Beverly's side. He'd heard a lot about her over the last few weeks. Actually, he'd heard far too much. When it came to Beverly, Reed was like a broken record. Beverly did this. Beverly stole that. Damn, it was annoying.
At times, Reed had claimed to hate her. He'd even seemed to believe it. But of course, it was bullshit. Reed certainly felt strong emotions toward her.
But hate sure wasn't one of them.
Graham draped a blanket over her body. Carefully, he tucked it under her chin. He'd never actually met her. Hell, he'd never even seen her until they'd dug her out of the Sno-Cat. So, everything he knew about her was second-hand.
But he could see why Cy was so attracted to her. She wasn't all bones and straight lines like those so-called supermodels. Instead, she reminded him of a tightly toned athlete.
He studied her face. She was definitely pretty, maybe even beautiful. Still, she wasn't Liza Oliver. No sir.
There was just one Liza Oliver.
He checked Beverly's breathing. From all indications, she was fine. However, he was worried about how long she'd been unconscious. Wasn't that a bad sign?
Something creaked behind him.
His nerves tingled. He spun around.
A couple of feet away, a small section of floor started to quiver. It looked like some bizarre trick of the light.
Graham rubbed his eyes. But the floor continued to quiver. Then it lifted into the air, swinging noiselessly on a couple of hinges. A shadowy head appeared. It turned slowly, inspecting the surroundings.
Graham frowned. "Rupert?"
Rupert froze. "Dutch? What are you doing here?"
"You're popping out of the floor and you want to know what I'm doing here?"
"It's just a basement. We use it for storage." Rupert hoisted himself out of the hole. "Want to see it?"
Rupert's body language bothered Graham. He was tempted to edge toward the door. But he couldn't very well leave Beverly behind. "Tempting offer. But I'll pass."
"I insist."
"I've got to stay here." Graham nodded at Beverly. "Someone needs to keep an eye on her."
"Don't worry. She'll be fine."
"Maybe later."
Rupert reached to his belt. Then he swung his arm. Metal flashed.
A pistol slammed into Graham's forehead. He slumped to the ground.
"It might not seem like it." Rupert stepped over Graham's fallen form. "But this is for the best."
Chapter 66
"Do you believe in heaven?" The voice was soft, almost angelic.
Graham blinked. His eyes fluttered open. Everything looked blurry. "What … where …?"
He blinked again. Everything still looked blurry. It took him a few seconds to realize he was staring through some kind of thick acrylic glass. It took a few more seconds to realize the glass constituted one side of a giant vat.
A platform rested directly behind him. Holly sat on it. She dangled her legs just a few inches from his outstretched hand. "Where's Beverly? If you hurt her, I swear to God I'll—”
"Relax," Holly said. "She's fine. Now, please answer my question."
"Why the hell should I?"
"Indulge me."
He tried to stretch his arms but bindings held them tight. His legs were restrained as well. He looked down at his naked body. "You didn't have to go through all this trouble to see my birthday suit. You could've just asked."