The Valhalla Prophecy

19

‘Get behind me,’ Eddie told Nina and Tova, his eyes fixed on Slavin’s gun.

Tova obeyed, but Nina stayed beside him, crouching to check on Eisenhov. ‘He’s still alive — we’ve got to help him.’

She reached out to apply pressure to the gushing bullet wound, but Slavin jabbed his pistol at her. ‘No! Up! Stand up! Or I shoot you too.’ She reluctantly straightened.

‘You were working for the Americans,’ said Kagan, disgusted. ‘All these years, you were a spy for them! Why?’

The Russian officer was sweating, almost hyperventilating in his near-panic. ‘I–I lost money gambling,’ he gasped. ‘I had to borrow from gangsters to pay for it. If the Americans had not helped, they would have killed me!’

‘So you became a traitor?’ said Nina.

‘A traitor?’ Slavin said, nearly screeching. He stepped closer and stabbed the gun at her again. ‘To what? This country is run by gangsters, bottom to top — everyone is corrupt! If you do not have money, you are no one!’ He glanced at the fallen steel canister. ‘But I will have money — I will sell Thor’s Hammer to the Americans. And then I will disappear.’ With his free hand, he fumbled for a radio on his belt. ‘After I shoot the spies who have killed Dmitri Prokopiyevich!’ He spoke in frantic Russian into the handset.

‘He is telling them we murdered the Academician,’ Kagan warned the others.

‘Shut up!’ Slavin stepped over Eisenhov and pointed the gun at his commander. ‘I have wanted to do this for a long—’

Eisenhov jerked one leg sideways to hit Slavin’s ankle with his foot. It was only a light impact, but enough to make the already agitated officer flinch and look down.

His gun twitched away from Kagan—

Eddie kicked the armchair at Slavin. Its broad back hit the Russian, sending him reeling. Before he could recover, Eddie used the chair as a springboard to dive at him. Both men crashed against a bookshelf, volumes cascading down.

The Englishman took a particularly hefty tome to the top of his head. ‘Fuck!’ he yelped, quickly shaking off the pain, but the distraction gave Slavin an opening. He drove his elbow into Eddie’s stomach, knocking him back, then spun and brought up his gun—

Nina snatched up the steel container by its handle and smashed it against his outstretched hand with all her strength.

Slavin shrieked as two of his fingers broke, only for his wail to be abruptly cut off as Eddie drove a punishing punch into his face. The Russian tumbled back over the armchair, blood spurting from his burst lip.

Kagan retrieved the gun, then hurriedly checked on Eisenhov. ‘Nyet!’ he gasped, mortified. The scientist wasn’t breathing. Tova put her hands to her mouth in horror.

‘Slavin would have killed us if not for him,’ Nina reminded them. ‘He saved us.’

Though dismayed, Kagan nodded as he stood. ‘He was a good man — a hero.’

Eddie kicked Slavin. ‘Unlike this twat. What do we do with him?’

Alarm bells sounded. ‘Watch him,’ said Kagan, picking up the radio. He spoke rapidly into it, only for his face to fall as he listened to the reply. ‘This is not good,’ he told the others.

‘What did they say?’ Nina asked.

‘They believed him — they think we are spies, that we killed the Academician!’

‘But you are in charge here!’ Tova protested. ‘Can’t you tell them that we did not?’

Kagan glared at Slavin. ‘He is in charge of security at this bunker. They are his men, they are all chosen and promoted by him. Everyone is corrupt, indeed!’ He thought for a moment. ‘We must protect Thor’s Hammer,’ he said, indicating the container. ‘We cannot allow him to give it to the Americans.’ He stepped on Slavin’s injured hand, making him scream. ‘To get past his men, we will have to use him as a hostage.’

‘Or a shield.’ Eddie hauled the anguished Russian to his feet. ‘Is there any way out except for the lift?’ Kagan shook his head. ‘You lot weren’t big on health and safety in the Cold War, were you?’

‘You will not get out,’ rasped Slavin. ‘The bunker is locked down.’

‘I can override the lockdown when we get to the elevator,’ insisted Kagan.

‘If we get to the elevator,’ Nina said. ‘We’re at the opposite end of the bunker, and there are all those security doors to get through — as well as however many of his guys are waiting for us outside!’

Kagan gave her a grim smile. ‘Let us find out.’ He grabbed Slavin from Eddie, twisting his wounded hand behind his back and pushing the gun to his head. ‘You will tell your men to stay back, or I will kill you.’

‘If you shoot me, they will shoot you,’ Slavin growled in reply.

‘Then let’s hope nobody shoots anyone, huh?’ said Nina.

Kagan nodded. ‘Let us hope. Chase? Check the door.’

Eddie eased it open a crack. A man outside shouted in Russian. ‘What did he say?’

‘He wants us to let Slavin go, and surrender,’ said Kagan. He called out in his native language, then told Eddie: ‘Open it.’

‘You sure?’

‘I said I have him at gunpoint, and to pull back if they want him to live.’

‘Hope he wasn’t a shitty boss, then.’ Eddie took a breath, then swung the door wide.

They were not greeted by gunfire. ‘Okay, that’s a start,’ said Nina. She peered nervously around the two Russians to see several uniformed men, weapons raised, at an intersection thirty feet down the main corridor. ‘Although it’s still not exactly a great one.’

Kagan barked an order in Russian; when nothing happened, he ground the muzzle of his gun against Slavin’s head. His sweating prisoner reluctantly nodded, and the soldiers slowly backed away. ‘Dr Wilde, Dr Skilfinger — stay behind me.’

Pushing Slavin ahead of him, he advanced through the door. Nina and Tova followed, Eddie joining the slow-moving line behind them. Kagan spoke to the Russians again, only to be interrupted by Slavin — whose frantic gabble broke off with a cry of pain as the other man crushed his hand. ‘Govno!’ Kagan growled, before telling the others: ‘He told them to shoot us — if they can do it without hitting him.’

Eddie looked ahead. ‘They’ll cut us down from the side corridors. We’ll never make it fucking plodding along like this.’

Slavin managed a pained chuckle. ‘You think you can force me to run, Grigory Alekseyevich? Even with a gun to my head?’

‘Then we’ll have to do something else,’ said Eddie. He spotted a fire extinguisher clipped to a bracket a few paces ahead. ‘Kagan, are you a good shot?’

The Russian nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘A really good shot?’

‘Yes, yes!’

They reached the extinguisher. ‘Okay — then shoot this!’

Eddie yanked it from its clips and flung it down the corridor. It bounced off the hard floor with a loud clang, skittering into the intersection—

Kagan whipped the gun away from Slavin’s head and fired. The bullet hit the pressurised metal cylinder — which exploded. The blast knocked the soldiers down, a freezing cloud of carbon dioxide leaving them blinded and choking.

‘Run!’ Eddie yelled, racing past the others towards the junction. ‘Come on!’

Kagan shoved Slavin forward, but the traitor deliberately stumbled, dropping flat to the floor. Kagan hesitated, then ran after Eddie. Both women followed him, Tova skirting the fallen man while Nina trampled on his hand, making him scream again.

Eddie held his breath and ran into the cloud. It was already dispersing, shadowy shapes resolving into the Russian soldiers. He kicked the closest of the staggering figures in the head, then snatched up his AK-103 assault rifle. Another savage kick downed a second trooper, then he was through the swirling mist.

The corridor ahead was empty. ‘It’s clear, go!’ he shouted. Behind him, Kagan emerged from the cloud, Tova and Nina in his wake.

Eddie increased his pace. One of the security doors was ahead. ‘Kagan! Can you open it?’

‘Yes, my card will override it,’ came the reply.

‘Then bloody do it, quick!’ He turned to cover the rear as Kagan reached the door. The carbon dioxide had now mostly cleared — revealing one of the soldiers back on his feet, bringing up his AK—

Eddie fired first, sending the man crashing to the floor. Bright red blood stained the white tiles. Tova screamed, clutching her hands to her ears as the Kalashnikov’s clamour echoed off the walls. The other soldiers hurriedly retreated down the side passages, Slavin scrambling after them.

Kagan found his keycard and jammed it into the slot. A warning buzzer sounded, but he stabbed a four-digit code into a keypad and the door heaved itself aside. He pulled out the card, gun raised as he scanned the corridor beyond. ‘Okay, it is clear!’

‘Go!’ Eddie said, backing towards the door. Kagan went first, the women right behind. The Russian waited for Eddie to come through, then hit a button on the door’s control panel. It slammed shut. ‘Can Slavin open that?’

‘Yes,’ Kagan told him. ‘We must hurry.’ He ran down the central corridor to the next junction, peering around the corner to check the adjoining passages. ‘Clear.’

The group hurried through the intersection and headed for the next security barrier. Nina glanced through the window into one of the laboratories as they passed. Confused scientists, locked in their workspaces when the alarm sounded, stared back, reacting with horrified shock when they saw what she was carrying. Unlike the Tsar Protocol, Thor’s Hammer was clearly no secret to Unit 201’s staff.

Kagan entered the code into the next door, which opened. Again he checked that nobody was lying in wait on the other side before going through. ‘Two more doors, then we reach the elevator,’ he said.

Nina followed him. ‘Shit! Here they come!’ she cried, looking back to see the first barrier opening again. Someone poked their head around it, jerking back as Eddie fired.

‘Hope the fucking lift’s still at the bottom,’ he said, coming through and hitting the button. The door rolled shut — as a bullet hit the other side with a piercing clang. ‘Okay, we need to pick up the pace!’

They ran past more labs, some occupied, others dimly lit and empty, and reached another security door. Kagan entered the code again. The door opened — followed a few seconds later by the one behind them.

Eddie fired two more shots to deter their pursuers, then darted through the narrowing gap as Kagan closed the barrier. More bullets twanged off the other side. ‘Only one more,’ said the Russian.

They quickly reached the last door, Kagan using his card to open it. The barrier behind them opened almost in sync. This time, Slavin’s men were already in position and ready to shoot. Nina shrieked as a bullet shattered a tile just behind her. Eddie switched his AK-103 to full auto and unleashed a deafening burst of fire down the corridor, one of the crouched figures taking a bloody hit to the shoulder and falling with a wail. His comrades retreated into cover.

‘Chase!’ shouted Kagan. ‘The elevator, we are almost there!’

Eddie backed through, the door closing behind him. He looked down the passage. The elevator was twenty metres away, at the far end of the lobby area. There was one more intersection to cross, but beyond that it was a straight run past the final labs. He quickly moved to the junction and glanced down each of the side passages.

No one there. ‘Clear here,’ he said, looking back at the elevator as Kagan ran past him. Still nobody in the lobby.

Wait…

Overhead lights in the reception area were casting shadows on the floor at the end of the corridor.

Moving shadows—

‘Back, get back!’ he yelled, pulling Nina into one of the side passages. ‘They’re waiting for us! Tova, down here!’

Tova fearfully rushed after them. Kagan skidded on the tiled floor, then reversed direction — as several soldiers leapt out from hiding and brought up their AK-103s.

The Russian dived after his companions as gunfire exploded tiles into shrapnel behind him. He hit the floor hard — and hurt, a red slash marking where debris had caught his calf. Nina and Tova pulled him into cover as Eddie sent a couple of shots at their attackers to force them back.

Nina checked the wound. ‘It doesn’t look too deep. Kagan, can you walk on it?’

‘Help me up,’ he said through clenched teeth. ‘I will try!’

‘Try fast,’ said Eddie. He looked up the new corridor. ‘Where does this go?’

‘Only to offices,’ said Kagan, grimacing as he put weight on his injured leg. ‘It is a dead end— No, wait!’ He pointed with sudden excitement at a doorway a few metres from them. ‘We can go through this laboratory — there is a door on the other side just across from the elevator!’

‘Is anyone in there?’ Nina asked, remembering the scientists she had seen in the other labs.

‘No, it is empty. Quick, quick!’ He hobbled to the door and inserted his keycard, then readied his gun as the barrier slid open.

‘Is it clear?’ Eddie demanded from the junction.

Nina checked. The long room was in shadow, the only light coming through a window beside another door at the far end. Boxed-up equipment lurked on workbenches, but there was no movement. ‘Think so.’

‘Okay, go. I’ll be right behind you.’

Kagan went through the door, Tova following. Nina hesitated as she heard the clatter of running footsteps. Slavin and his men were through the last security door. ‘Eddie, come on!’

He backed up. ‘I’m coming, don’t bloody worry!’ The soldiers approached the intersection. Eddie fired two shots, shattering more wall tiles, and the footsteps hurriedly halted. He ducked through the door and hit the button to close it.

Tova helped the limping Kagan through the dimly lit laboratory. Nina quickly caught up. Through the window, she saw the elevator. ‘Jesus, we’ll be completely exposed.’

‘It is the only way out,’ Kagan reminded her grimly. ‘Chase! How many bullets do you have?’

Eddie had been counting his shots. ‘About ten.’

The Russian grimaced again. ‘It will have to do.’ They reached the other exit, and he raised his keycard once more. ‘We only need to hold them off until the doors open—’

A shrill, piercing alarm filled the room, lights snapping on. But these were not the glaring overheads illuminating the rest of the facility; they were instead a sickly yellow. ‘What’s that?’ said Eddie.

Kagan’s expression was one of utter, trapped horror. He shoved the card into the lock, but the only response was a warning rasp and a flashing red light. ‘Govno,’ he gasped, stumbling back. ‘The alarm — they have started the sterilisation procedure!’

‘What?’ Nina cried. She checked the ceiling. The lab was overlooked by two of the sinister black domes — which split as she watched, their casings opening up like hardened flowers to expose a cluster of metal nozzles pointing outwards. ‘Oh my God! Stop it, use your override!’

‘I cannot!’ Kagan replied. ‘Once it is activated, there is no way to stop it.’

‘There’s got to be a way!’ She grabbed his card and jammed it back into the lock, but the buzzer sounded again.

Outside the window, some of the Russian soldiers appeared, peering warily through the glass — followed by Slavin. The sweating officer now wore a nasty, triumphant smile. ‘How long do we have?’ Eddie asked.

Kagan regarded the nearest set of nozzles. ‘The gas must build up pressure before it is lit — about thirty seconds.’

Eddie whipped up his AK and fired a burst at the window — aiming directly at Slavin. The Russian jerked back in fear as bullets smacked against the glass, but quickly recovered his composure, his smirk widening as he saw that the window was cracked, but not broken. ‘Shit!’

‘Shoot it again!’ Tova cried.

‘It won’t make any difference,’ he said, looking around. ‘But… that might!’

Amongst the boxes and equipment on one of the benches was a squat red cylinder topped by a pressure valve. Eddie couldn’t read the Cyrillic text on its label, but the symbol of a flame in a warning triangle beside it was immediately understandable. He swung the heavy container on to a small trolley, then pushed it to the window. ‘Everyone get behind that bench.’

‘What are you doing?’ Nina asked.

‘Remember that fire extinguisher? Same thing — only the bang’ll be a bit bigger.’

‘If you blow it up, it will kill us!’ protested Kagan.

‘It might kill us — but that’ll definitely kill us,’ Eddie replied, pointing at the nearest dome. ‘Come on, get down!’

Nina hunched behind the bench, clutching the steel canister. A new sound became audible over the alarm: a rumble coming from the nozzles, slowly but steadily rising in pitch. ‘Oh God,’ she whispered as the others joined her. ‘It’s starting!’

‘You ready?’ Eddie called out as he crouched beside Nina, taking aim around the side of the workbench at the gas cylinder. Slavin’s eyes widened as he realised what the Englishman was going to do. ‘Cover your ears!’

They did so — as Slavin made a hasty retreat, barging soldiers out of his way.

Eddie pulled the trigger—

The Kalashnikov barked once — and the container exploded.

A room-shaking blast shredded the far end of the workbench and hurled blazing equipment across the laboratory. Broken ceiling tiles dropped around the crouching fugitives like hailstones. ‘Jesus Christ!’ Nina screamed as a sharp-edged piece hit her.

Eddie didn’t even bother checking the results of his handiwork, simply grabbing her and jumping up to run for the window. Either it was broken — or they were all dead. ‘Go, go!’

Even with his leg wound, Kagan found a burst of speed as he and Tova followed the couple. The lab was littered with burning debris — but amongst it was shattered glass. The weakened window had been blown apart.

Still holding the AK, Eddie hurdled through the opening with Nina. Those soldiers who had not reacted quickly enough to follow Slavin lay on the floor, faces cut, uniforms ripped and smouldering. Slavin himself was sprawled on the far side of the lobby area. The thought of shooting him flashed through the Englishman’s mind, but survival outweighed it — they were not safe yet. ‘Get to the lift!’

He pushed Nina ahead of him as Tova scrambled through the broken window. She started to run for the elevator, but Kagan yanked her with him to one side— High-pressure acetylene gas gushed from the nozzles, electric igniters sparking — and the laboratory was engulfed in jets of white-hot flame.

The swelling fire surged through the remains of the window. Tova screamed, Kagan pressing her against the closed metal door and shielding her with his body. One of the soldiers managed to scrabble clear of the blaze, but the luckless man beside him was instantly incinerated. Eddie and Nina dived away from the inferno, landing by the elevator.

But the danger was not over. The nozzle clusters began to rotate, searing jets blasting like deadly lighthouse beams over every square inch of the laboratory — and out into the lobby. More soldiers fled, another man being hit by the fire and instantly bursting into flames. The back of the door glowed red as burning gas washed over it, Kagan’s hair scorching as heat rose behind him—

The jets stuttered, then cut out. Every part of the lab had been sterilised by fire almost half as hot as the surface of the sun, even stainless steel warped and ceramic tiles cracked by the pitiless heat. What pieces of equipment had not been smashed by the explosion were melted or burned to charcoal.

Smoke poured from the lab. ‘Is it just me, or is it warm in here?’ said Eddie, coughing as he stood. He tried to open the elevator doors, but they were locked. ‘Kagan, get the lift open!’

Kagan hobbled to him. Tova followed, trying not to look at the burning remains of the dead soldiers. The Russian put his card into the reader and entered his override code; after a moment, the doors rumbled apart.

Eddie ducked through, keeping the AK raised to cover the soldiers, but they all seemed shell-shocked, more concerned with escaping the flames than hunting down their targets. Slavin raised his head; on seeing the Englishman, he made a frantic dash for a side passage. Eddie tracked him, but before he could shoot, Kagan had closed the doors.

The car began its ascent. ‘What do we do when we get to the top?’ Nina asked.

Kagan leaned against a wall to take the weight off his injured leg. ‘I will tell the base commander what has really happened. I know him — I am sure he will believe me over Slavin.’

‘Won’t Slavin already be talking to him, though?’ Eddie asked. He pulled out the AK’s magazine to check his remaining ammunition; including the one in the chamber, he was down to his last three rounds. ‘It’s no good you being mates with the guy if he’s already told his security forces to shoot us!’

‘We will see what they do when we reach the surface. If they will listen to me, we may have a chance.’ He closed his eyes, grimacing as he straightened. ‘If they will not…’

‘We have to shoot our way out of an airbase in the middle of Russia?’ Nina finished for him. ‘Oh boy.’

Tova put her head in her hands. ‘How could this happen to us?’

Eddie reseated the magazine. ‘I wanna know how it could keep happening to us! Kagan, are you ready?’

The Russian opened his eyes again. ‘I am.’

‘Great. Let’s see what’s waiting for us.’