Black Sun Rising

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Nina felt the shiver of past panic take hold of her mind. She recalled the threat she felt on the mountain in Tibet when Walter Eickhart's goon pulled his gun and wasted Jodh, who was about to kill her. That same steely determination to survive pushed at the back of her head like an ice cold finger probing and with flashes of the barrel in her face overpowering the words of her therapist, the trauma reminded her that she was still alive. Behind her eyes something clicked, like the cock of a hammer, and she made her decision. With as much force as she could muster, Nina swung her baseball bat. She fixed her eyes on Cody's back, imagining him collapsing to the floor, winded, and giving them enough time to run.

Then he turned — only slightly, but enough to catch her movement in the corner of his eye. He dodged, but too late. He tried to duck the blow. The solid chunk of maple connected with his head with a sickening crunch.

Cody dropped to the ground and did not move. As Nina stared at him lying prostrate on the carpet of broken metal and plastic, a thin trickle of blood coursed down his face from ear to chin.

It was Purdue who had the presence of mind to kneel and check Cody's neck for a pulse. They waited as his fingers probed the fallen man's neck. Seconds ticked by. He adjusted his fingers, double-checking. Then at last he sat back on his heels and shook his head. "I think you might have fractured his skull, Nina," he said, his tone soft, even while his words were blunt. "Good work. You had to do it."

"He's right, Nina," Sam said, slipping an arm around her trembling shoulders. "If you hadn't, he'd have shot at least one of us."

For several minutes no one spoke. Nina stared intently at the corpse. Then she shook off Sam's comforting arm, stepped forward and picked up Cody's gun.

"We'll probably need this," she said. "Now, what are these activation codes he was talking about. How do we get hold of them?"

They strode swiftly through the empty mall, or at least as swiftly as Nina could manage, considering her injury. As they walked, Purdue told them of the three keys that could be used to activate the backup servers. They were essentially USB devices, each containing part of an encrypted access code that would not unlock unless all three parts were plugged into the same terminal. When used together, the three keys would reveal the passwords for the backup servers.

"If we have all three in our possession," said Purdue," we can take the whole thing offline once and for all. I can disable the most dangerous parts of FireStorm so completely that it would need to rebuild the code almost from scratch — and without me, that would take them years. The first will be easy enough to acquire, since it belongs to me. It is in my safe deposit box at the Verbena. The second belongs to Sara. I do not know who currently holds the third, but let us take care of the first two."

They found themselves back in Target, passing the long aisles full of half-stocked shelves. "Should we maybe take a few things before we go?" Sam asked. "I can't imagine the Verbena will be happy if we show up like this, and the last thing we want is for the staff not to let us in. Between the sand, water, bits of plastic, sweat, and blood, we could all do with a change of clothes."

"Good idea," said Purdue. "It's a pity the running water was cut off when the place fell out of active use, but you're right. Being presentable will help us considerably when we reach Las Vegas. Come on. We must be quick — if Sara is aware that I am no longer on her side, and she must be by now, she will surely try to take back possession of my key."

Swiftly they plundered the shop. Sam rummaged in a box until he found a pack of white T-shirts that looked about the right size, then searched for the most lightweight trousers he could find. He slipped on a pair, aware of how odd it felt to be changing in the middle of an aisle. Assured that they fit, he grabbed another pair for luck. Purdue reappeared in linen trousers and a black shirt, marveling at the sensation of polyester in a garment that was not intended as sportswear. Nina had chosen long, flowing yoga pants to cover her ankle, but she was carrying a smarter pair of slacks and a blouse for when they reached LA. She had also found a first-aid kit and raided it for a proper ace bandage, which she now wore in place of the makeshift one.

"Wait there a second," Sam told her, and he dashed madly through the aisles. When he came back, he held a folding cane in his hands. It was neon pink with splashes of lime green. Under normal circumstances she would have thought it the tackiest thing she had ever seen. Now she accepted it gladly, leaning heavily on it as she hobbled out to the parking lot. Sam glanced at her as they stepped out into the sunshine and she shot him the most heartfelt smile he had seen in a long time.

It was Cody's car that got them back to Las Vegas, another of the 4 x 4s from the FireStorm hangar. They found the keys still in the ignition. Cody must have been really confident that no one would find their way out here, Sam thought. This is a nice car. You don't just leave a car like this waiting to be stolen.

They drove hell-for-leather, Sam and Purdue alternating between driving and sleeping, while Nina kept a lookout for police speed traps. By 10:00 PM they had the lights of Vegas in their sights. They abandoned the 4 x 4 several blocks from the Verbena and hailed a cab for the rest of the journey, using the last of the cash from the minivan owner's wallet.

"So what's the plan?" Sam asked, as they entered the lobby of the hotel. "We get your key, and then head back—"

He was cut off by the approach of a tall, smartly dressed man with a businesslike smile on his face. "Mr. Purdue," the man said, extending a hand. "Welcome back."

"Thank you, Tyrone," Purdue replied, shaking the man's hand before dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I must ask for a little discretion on this occasion. My friends and I need a room, but I would prefer if it was not my usual suite. And if you could charge it to Mr. Brodie's account, it would be much appreciated. And could someone please bring my safe deposit box to my room? "

"No problem, sir," Tyrone's professional smile was unwavering. He gestured to a bellhop who skipped straight to his side. "Show these guests to 414," he said, and then melted back into the crowds.

"Oh, my god." Nina collapsed onto the massive bed, sprawling out like a starfish. "Please tell me we don't have to do anything else today. I just want to lie here and never move again. Well, not quite. I just want to have a bath, and then lie here and never move again."

"That sounds like an admirable plan," said Purdue, dropping into an armchair to pull off his boots. "Should we order room service while you bathe?"

"Mmm. That would be great, thanks." She dragged herself onto her feet, and then disappeared into the bathroom. Sam and Purdue heard the click of the lock, followed by the muffled sound of rushing water.

"There is a second bathroom in the suite," Purdue said. He opened his safe deposit box and took out the only thing inside, which was a small USB stick on a chain. "It adjoins the other bedroom. Do you want to bathe too?"

Sam, slumped in the chair opposite Purdue's, shook his head. "I'll wait until after we've eaten, I think. I'm not much of a one for soaking, and I don't think I've got the energy to stand under the shower just now. Just a little rest and some food, then I can worry about getting myself clean."

He sat with his eyes shut, half-listening while Purdue called room service and ordered steaks, fries, green salads with balsamic vinegar, dinner rolls, sparkling water, and a bottle of robust burgundy. Even the sound of the word "steak" set his mouth watering. It would be a welcome change from the lentil-heavy diet offered at the campsite. "So what's the plan?" he asked Purdue. "We're staying here tonight, we're picking up your key… and then what? Do we destroy it before we go after the others?"

"It might be best if we do not," Purdue mused. "There are alternative methods in place in the event of anything happening to the keys. As long as the backup servers remain operational, destroying the keys alone will not be sufficient. First, we must get hold of all three so that I can wipe the backup servers. Then we will destroy the keys and leave FireStorm to pick up the pieces. I propose that in the morning, once we are rested, we collect Julia Rose's car from the valet service here and make our way back to Parashant, where I believe we will find Sara's key — and perhaps a little information on where to find the third."

A pang of guilt shot through Sam as he remembered Julia Rose, trapped in Nina's old cell beneath the campsite. To his shame, he had barely thought about her since their escape. "We need to find a way to get her out," he said. "I don't just mean if she's still in the cell. I'm really sure she won't be — I mean, she was really cozy with Sara, so I'm sure they'd have got her out. But I don't like the way they sucked her in. She's young, and they shouldn't be preying on vulnerable young women. We need to get her way from Sara, if we can."

Purdue nodded. "I am surprised that she became quite so caught up in FireStorm," he said. "My initial impression of her was one of resilience, not vulnerability."

"Mine too," Sam said grimly. "But I think we were wrong, and I feel responsible for getting her into all this. So let's go and get Julia Rose and the key."

By midnight Sam, Nina, and Purdue had all eaten and bathed and were wrapped in thick, soft robes. They sat around a small table sharing a twenty-five-year-old bottle of Talisker, discussing their plans.

"How dangerous are they likely to be?" Nina asked. "With Cody out of the picture, do you think Sara's likely to also be armed? And what about the acolytes?"

"To some extent," said Purdue, "Though I suspect Cody was their muscle. They have knives, we know that. I think our best hope is to try to isolate Sara and subdue her."

"I suppose that as soon as we get Sara's key from her, time won't be on our side," Sam speculated. "She'll contact whoever has the third key. Can we stop her from doing that?"

"Put her in the cells," Nina suggested. "I'm not keen on the idea of inflicting that on anyone, but it would buy us a bit of time. Mind you, that will only work if the initiates aren't around. Can we bide our time until the end of the Mind Meld?"

Sam shook his head. "They'll be waiting on Cody coming back. When he doesn't, they'll know something's wrong. Purdue, are they likely to figure out that we're after these keys?"

"I should think so," Purdue said, with a hint of hollow amusement. "Sara is many things, but she is not stupid. Because Cody was able to pinpoint our destination, we can safely assume that Sara knew that I would attempt to destroy those servers. No matter how confident she is in Cody's thuggish abilities, she would be a fool not to take steps to protect the key. She will be ready for us. I am just not sure what form that will take. Perhaps more drones, hopefully nothing worse. I was not directly involved in the development of the Parashant base, so I cannot speak for its aggressive capabilities."

"Are we out of ice?" Nina leaned over and looked into the ice bucket. "Damn it, we are."

"Then try drinking it properly," Sam teased. "Just whisky in the glass — no water, no ice, no nonsense. It's the only way."

Nina snorted. "Yeah. If you like the feeling of your throat burning. I'll just go to the machine and get some more. Back in a second." She pulled on a pair of white hotel slippers, grabbed the bucket, and reached for the door handle. "How do I unlock this? Is there a trick to it?"

Purdue crossed the room and tried the handle for himself. "It's not locked," he said, but the door did not budge. "Or at least, it shouldn't be. Perhaps I locked it without thinking." He pressed his hand against the plate above the handle, and then tried once again to open the door. Nothing happened, but Purdue's spine stiffened and his face went white.

In one swift, fluid movement Purdue ripped a panel from the wall beside the door, revealing a touch screen. He pressed his fingertips against it, then his whole hand. When this failed to get the result he wanted, he cursed softly and began tapping and swiping rapidly. "Nina, call reception," he said, not looking up from his task. "Ask them to confirm whether this door is supposed to be locked."

Scrambling across the bed, Nina snatched up the phone and pressed zero. A few moments later she slammed it down again. "They said it's unlocked," she said. "They told me to try again." Purdue tried the handle once more, but to no avail.

"Can we shoulder it open?" Sam asked. He scanned the outline of the door, looking for hinges, and then remembered that it only slid. He banged on it with his fist. "It doesn't feel that solid. We should be able to budge it open."

"Try your handprint first." Purdue seized Sam's wrist and pushed his hand against the panel. The uncovered screen flashed red. The door stayed in place. "No, not you, either… They have your handprint."

"Who?" Sam asked. "FireStorm? Why would they—"

"I think they have someone in the building. Someone who knows we are here and is overriding the door controls to keep us contained. If they had deactivated the doors for the whole building the reception staff would be bound to know by now, but it appears that it is just us. The door should unlock at the touch of my hand. Indeed, when opening from the inside, any door in this place should respond to the touch of any hand — the correct print is only required to gain entrance to a room, not exit from it. I can only assume that they have overridden that command specifically for us."

Sam racked his brain, trying to think when FireStorm could possibly have acquired his hand print. He could not remember giving them any identifying information, but there was so much that was strange and hard to remember about the events of his time at Parashant.

An image flashed in his mind of warm, damp earth, dark walls, and a strange glow in front of him. The trials, he thought. When we had to put our hands on that orb and keep them there… That must have been it. Staring into the pool, being prodded in the mouth by whatever that was. Were they harvesting biometric information? I thought they were just hippies…

"Nina!" Sam called over to her. "You didn't do the trials, did you?"

Her eyebrow shot up. "What? Why the fuck are you asking me that?"

"Never mind!" he yelled. "Did you do them?"

"No, I—" she was cut off with a yelp as Sam dived across the bed and swept her up, carrying her over to the door. He pushed her hand against the panel. At last, the lock clicked. Sam yanked the handle and the door slid silently open.

"Sorry, Nina," Sam said, gasping a little from the sudden exertion. "I just wanted to spare your ankle. I hope I didn't—"

"Get down!" she yelled. Sam obeyed on instinct, just in time to hear something whistling past his head.

Purdue was less swift. The knife hit him in the left shoulder. He stifled a cry of pain as he pulled it out, then, with a snarl, threw it straight back in the direction from which it had come. He hit the female acolyte square in the chest. She fell to her knees, collapsed onto the floor and began to stain the pale hallway carpet with blood.

"I think," he panted, "we can safely say that they know we're here."