Were here, came the response. It was Polowski.
Im heading into the building-cant be sure the signal will get through those walls. So if you dont hear from me-
Well be listening.
Ive got a message for Cathy. Put her on.
There was a pause, then he heard, Im here, Victor.
I just wanted to tell you this. Im coming back. I promise. Copy?
He wasnt sure if it was just the signals waiver, but he thought he heard the beginning of tears in her reply. I copy.
Im going in now. Dont leave without me.
It took Pete Zahn only a minute to look up Archibald Blacks license plate number. He kept a Rolodex in the booth, though he seldom referred to it as he had a good memory for numbers. He knew every executives license by heart. It was his own little mind game, a test of his cleverness. And the plate on Dr. Blacks car just didnt seem right.
He found the file card. The auto matched up okay: a gray 1991 Lincoln sedan. And he was fairly certain that was Dr. Black sitting in the drivers seat. But the license number was all wrong.
He sat back and thought about it for a while, trying to come up with all the possible explanations. That Black was simply driving a different auto. That Black was playing a joke on him, testing him.
That it hadnt been Archibald Black, at all.
Pete reached for the telephone. The way to find out was to call Blacks home. It was after midnight, but it had to be done. If Black didnt answer the phone, then that must be him in the Lincoln. And if he did answer, then something was terribly wrong and Black would want to know about it.
Two rings. Thats all it took before a groggy voice answered, Hello?
This is Pete Zahn, night man at Viratek. Is this-is this Dr. Black?
Yes.
Dr. Archibald Black?
Look, its late! What is it?
I dont know how to tell you this, Dr. Black, but Pete cleared his throat. Your double just drove through the gate
Im through the front door. Heading up the hall to the security wing. In case anyones listening. Victor didnt expect a reply, and he heard none. The building was a concrete monstrosity, designed to last forever. He doubted a radio signal would make it through these walls. Though hed been on his own from the moment hed entered the front gate, at least hed had the comfort of knowing his friends were listening in on the progress. Now he was truly alone.
He moved at a casual pace to the locked door marked Authorized Personnel Only. A camera hung from the ceiling, its lens pointed straight at him. He pointedly ignored it and turned his attention to the security keypad mounted on the wall. The numbers Jerry had given him had gotten him through the front door; would the second combination get him through this one? His hands were sweating as he punched in the seven digits. He felt a dart of panic as a beep sounded and a message flashed on the screen: Incorrect security code. Access denied.
He could feel the sweat building up beneath the mask. Were the numbers wrong? Had he simply transposed two digits? He knew someone was watching him through the camera, wondering why he was taking so long. He took a deep breath and tried again. This time, he entered the digits slowly, deliberately. He braced himself for the warning beep. To his relief, it didnt go off.
Instead, a new message appeared. Security code accepted. Please enter.
He stepped through, into the next room.
Third hurdle, he thought in relief as the door closed behind him. Now for the home run.
Another camera, mounted in a corner, was pointed at him. Acutely conscious of that lens, he made his way across the room to the inner lab door. He turned the knob and a warning bell sounded.
Now what? he thought. Only then did he notice the red light glowing over the door, and the warning Laser grid activated. He needed a key to shut it off. He saw no other way to deactivate it, no way to get past it, into the room beyond.
It was time for desperate measures, time for a little chutzpah. He patted his pockets, then turned and faced the camera. Hello? He waved.
A voice answered over an intercom. Is there a problem, Dr. Black?
Yes. I cant seem to find my keys. I must have left them at home
I can cut the lasers from here.
Thanks. Gee, I dont know how this happened.
No problem.
At once the red warning light shut off. Cautiously Victor tried the door; it swung open. He gave the camera a goodbye wave and entered the last room.
I can cut the lasers from here.
Thanks. Gee, I dont know how this happened.
No problem.
At once the red warning light shut off. Cautiously Victor tried the door; it swung open. He gave the camera a goodbye wave and entered the last room.
Inside, to his relief, there were no cameras anywhere-at least, none that he could spot. A bit of breathing space, he thought. He moved into the lab and took a quick survey of his surroundings. What he saw was a mind-numbing display of space-age equipment-not just the expected centrifuges and microscopes, but instruments hed never seen before, all of them brand-new and gleaming. He headed through the decontamination chamber, past the laminar flow unit, and went straight to the incubators. He opened the door.
Glass vials tinkled in their compartments. He took one out. Pink fluid glistened within. The label read Lot #341. Active.
This must be it, he thought. This was what Ollie had told him to look for. Here was the stuff of nightmares, the grim reaper distilled to sub-microscopic elements.
He removed two vials, fitted them into a specially padded cigarette case, and slipped it into his pocket. Mission accomplished, he thought in triumph as he headed back through the lab. All that lay before him was a casual stroll back to his car. Then the champagne
He was halfway across the room when the alarm bell went off.
He froze, the harsh ring echoing in his ears.
Dr. Black? said the guards voice over some hidden intercom. Please dont leave. Stay right where you are.
Victor spun around wildly, trying to locate the speaker. Whats going on?
Ive just been asked to detain you. If youll hold on, Ill find out what-
Victor didnt wait to hear the reason-he bolted for the door. Even as he reached it, he heard the whine of the lasers powering on, felt something slash his arm. He shoved through the first door, dashed across the anteroom and out the security door, into the hallway.
Everywhere, alarms were going off. The whole damn building had turned into an echo chamber of ringing bells. His gaze shot right, to the front entrance. No, not that way-the guard was stationed there.
He sprinted left, toward what he hoped was a fire exit. Somewhere behind him a voice yelled, Halt! He ignored it and kept running. At the end of the hall he slammed against the opening bar and found himself in a stairwell. No exit, only steps leading up and down. He wasnt about to be trapped like a rat in the basement. He headed up the stairs.
One flight into his climb, he heard the stairwell door slam open on the first floor. Again a voice commanded, Halt or Ill shoot!
A bluff, he thought.
A pistol shot exploded, echoing up the concrete stairwell.
Not a bluff. With new desperation, he pushed through the landing door, into the second-floor hallway. A line of closed doors stretched before him. Which one, which one? There was no time to think. He ducked into the third room and softly shut the door behind him.
In the semidarkness, he spotted the gleam of stainless steel and glass beakers. Another lab. Only this one had a large window, now shimmering with moonlight, looming over the far countertop.
From down the hall came the slam of a door being kicked open and the guards shouted command: Freeze!
He was down to one last escape route. Victor grabbed a chair, raised it over his head, and flung it at the window. The glass shattered, raining moonlight-silvered shards into the darkness below. He scarcely bothered to look before he leapt. Bracing himself for the impact, he jumped from the window and landed in a tangle of shrubbery.
Halt! came a shout from above.
That was enough to jar Victor back to his feet. He sprinted off across a lawn, into the cover of trees. Glancing back, he saw no pursuing shadow. The guard wasnt about to risk his neck leaping out any window.
Got to make it out the gate
Victor circled around the building, burrowing his way through bushes and trees to a stand of oaks. From there he could view the front gate, way off in the distance. What he saw made his heart sink.
Floodlights illuminated the entrance, glaring down on the four security cars blocking the driveway. Now a panel truck pulled up. The driver went around to the back and opened the doors. At his command two German shepherds leaped out and danced around, barking at his feet.
Victor backed away, stumbling deeper into the grove of oaks. No way out, he thought, glancing behind him at the fence, topped with coils of barbed wire. Already, the dogs barking was moving closer. Unless I can sprout wings and fly, Im a dead man
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Somethings wrong! Cathy cried as the first security car drove past.
Polowski touched her arm. Easy. It could be just a routine patrol.
No. Look! Through the trees, they spotted three more cars, all roaring down the road at top speed toward Viratek.
Ollie muttered a surprisingly coarse oath and reached for the microphone.
Wait! Polowski grabbed his hand. We cant risk a transmission. Let him contact us first.
If hes in trouble-
Then he already knows it. Give him a chance to make it out on his own.
What if hes trapped? said Cathy. Are we just going to sit here?
We dont have a choice. Not if theyve blockaded the front gate-
We do have a choice! said Cathy, scrambling forward into the drivers seat.
What the hell are you doing? demanded Polowski.
Giving him a fighting chance. If we dont-
They all fell instantly silent as a transmission suddenly hissed over the receiver. Looks like I got myself in a bind, guys. Dont see a way out. You copy?
Ollie snatched up the microphone. Copy, Gersh. Whats your situation?
Bad.
Specify.
Front gates blocked and lit up like a football field. Big time alarms going off. They just brought in the dogs-
Can you get over the fence?
Negative. Its electrified. Low voltage, but more than I can handle. You guys better hit the road without me.