Dark Zone

108

Rubens jerked around as the voice came through the loudspeaker.

Lia, talking to the British authorities via the emergency phone system in the maintenance section of the Chunnel.

“They’ve split the train in half and separated the engine from the back half. There were at least two of them. Everyone in the back half of the train is dead. Cut the power. Stop them from getting away.”

“Can we talk to her?” Rubens asked.

“We should be able to cut right in,” said Telach. “Lia?”

A British operator asked who was interfering — then the line clicked and he was gone, his voice erased by the Art Room’s computers.

“Lia?” repeated Telach.

“Marie, are you on the line?” answered Lia, her voice fainter than it had been before.

Rubens punched his mike button. “Lia, this is Rubens. The terrorists have assembled a nuclear bomb on the train. I want you to talk to one of our experts on how to defuse it.”

“Are you serious?”

“I assure you I am very serious.”