constituents ever recorded. We’re talking way over 500 million years.”
“A lost civilisation?” Kennedy tugged at the waistband of her hipsters, still conscious of her figure, despite herself. “Like Atlantis?”
Hayden suddenly looked tired. “Who knows? And, frankly, who cares? Where it came from is not the issue here.”
“Well said,” said Drake nodding. He then looked the SOG commander dead in the eyes. “How good are you and your men, Bradey?”
“We have two full units here, Drake. Plus two hundred marines, Delta Force and other select companies. God couldn’t get into this room.”
“It’s not God I’m worried about. It’s a man who’s managed to convince the entire world for about thirty years that he’s just a myth,” he said, grimacing at Hayden. “And I’m sorry to say, that includes your super-geeks and your ‘chatter-monitors’ and all the rest of it.”
“A goddamn Transformer couldn’t get in here.” Bradey was starting to sound annoyed, but smoothed it over with a little grin. “Though I daresay Megan Fox might sneak through.”
There were a few moments while all the men considered the scenario before conversation caught up again.
“Time travel,” said Kennedy, who was again tugging up her jeans whilst contemplating the box on the table. “Has anyone given this thing a shake?”
Harrison gawped. “Are you kidding?”
Kinimaka looked sick. “Didn’t you see Terra Nova?”
Drake’s mind was still trying to get into sync with his enemies’. “Ok, so the logical next step is to search for the second device. To hold either piece will negate the effect of the other device. To hold both-” he left that hanging, aware that the U.S. government was strongly represented in the room.
“That’s the dilemma. No one knows where to start.” Hayden’s smile was tired and drawn. Nightmares of the last few days still moved in her eyes.
Drake said, “You start with the last place they were seen together. And then you follow whatever trail you can.”
“Been there,” Ben smiled. “Done that.”
Hayden gave him a forlorn look. “Is that another Dinorock tune. Don’t tell me they’ve got you doing it too.”
“No!” Ben’s shout was loud enough to make the marines stationed by the door glance around. “I will never join the Dinorock crew, Hey! You know that.”
“Look,” said Bradey as he started to walk away, his motion designed to break up their little party, “you’re not the only people working on this. Gut feeling? Someone’s gonna get lucky. I hope it’s you guys.”
Harrison took the unspoken hint. Quickly he lifted his huge briefcase and, despite its awkward bulk, took off at a fast pace.
Drake blinked at Ben. “I know what I said, mate, but I’m just the muscle here. Where the hell do we start?”
Ben opened his mouth to speak, but before he could express himself there was an explosion so loud they all looked up to see if the roof was caving in on them.
The entire ship shuddered.
Bradey was already on his wrist mic. He looked dumbfounded. “This ship is under attack,” he said in utter disbelief. “Under attack.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
For a long moment Drake and his friends stared at each other. Bradey took his marines and raced off, the shock of it all still apparent in his voice as he barked out orders.
Drake regarded the box. “ Last place we wanna be.”
He moved into the passageway. The fading footsteps of the racing marines still echoed from the bland walls.
“Remember the way out?” Kennedy asked.
Drake shot her a ‘don’t be silly’ look and set off. Moving blindly like this and with limited cover and escape routes, he felt extremely uncomfortable. Bradey needed his bollocks tweaking for not leaving them a gun. Harrison was blethering on, only further confusing the ex-SAS man’s radar.
“Let’s keep it down,” he rasped along the line. “We have no idea what we’re dealing with here.”
“I do.”
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