The Hunt For Atlantis

“No idea. Leave that up to Frost, I guess…”

“Nina!”

Nina looked around to see Kari practically sprinting towards her, dressed entirely in white with her blond hair streaming over the top of her fur collar. She skirted the captives and ran to Nina, embracing her. “Oh my God, you’re alive, you’re okay!”

“Yeah, I’m fine, I’m fine!” Nina replied. “And I’m glad you’re okay too! When Qobras sank the Evenor, I thought I’d never see you again.”

“You almost didn’t.” Kari gave her a final squeeze, then released her. “I wouldn’t have made it without Eddie.”

“Not ‘Mr. Chase’ anymore?” Nina asked, a little mischievously.

Kari smiled, almost coy. “I think the employer-employee relationship changes somewhat after about the sixth time he saves your life.”

“Yeah, you can thank me with a threesome later.” Chase grinned. Kari jokingly rolled her eyes.

“I see some things haven’t changed,” Nina observed wryly. “But Kari, can you believe this? Can you believe what we’ve found?”

“What you’ve found,” Kari corrected. She gave an order in Norwegian to one of the black-clad commandos; he fired a flare, illuminating the buildings in the unearthly red light. “A re-creation of the citadel of Atlantis, almost intact…”

Chase glanced over at the collapsed remains of one of the nearby structures. “Er, yeah. Sorry about that.”

Nina patted his arm. “Considering the circumstances, I forgive you.”

“And another replica of the Temple of Poseidon as well,” said Kari. “It’s incredible.”

“Not as incredible as what’s in there,” Nina told her, indicating the much smaller temple inside the wall of gold.

“Is that the Temple of Cleito?” asked Kari.

Nina nodded. “Only it’s being used as a mausoleum. And guess who’s in it? The last king and queen of Atlantis!”

Sheer delight momentarily overcame Kari’s ability to speak. “Are you sure?” she finally gasped. “The actual bodies?”

“Well, I didn’t look, but that’s what it said on the sarcophagi-”

“Show me,” said a new voice, deep and full of authority. Nina looked around and was taken aback to see Kristian Frost, dressed in white cold-weather gear, striding towards her. He glanced at Qobras and the other prisoners before marching past, flanked by a muscular man whom Nina belatedly recognized as Josef Schenk, and a tall, square-jawed young guy with a blond military-style buzz cut.

“Father,” said Kari, her attitude immediately changing to one of respectful deference. Nina raised an eyebrow. Apparently here, Kristian Frost was 100 percent in charge.

Frost pointed at the Temple of Cleito. “Is it in there?”

“Yes,” said Nina, “but there’s no way in, you’ll need to climb over-”

Frost snapped his fingers. The blond man put down his backpack, quickly unzipping it and taking out an electric circular saw. He walked to the wall, sliding his fingertips over it as if feeling for flaws, then donned a pair of safety goggles and started the saw. It made a piercing squeal as the blade sliced through the gold.

“Well, that’ll work too,” Nina said, shocked, “but what about preserving the site? We should be trying to keep the place as intact as possible.”

“For now, my main concern is getting what I came here for,” said Frost. “How long will it take to cut through?”

“Just a minute or two,” the blond man told him.

“Enough time to take care of other business, then.” Frost pulled off his gloves, slowly slapping them against his palm as he turned around. “Giovanni. We finally meet.”

“You’ll excuse me if I don’t shake your hand,” Qobras snarled.

Frost walked to him, the circle of guards around the kneeling prisoners opening up to let him through. “What are we going to do with you? This would have been so much simpler if you’d been shot during the battle, but now…”

“Do what you will. You can’t hope to defeat the Brotherhood. Whatever you do, they will be there to fight against you.”

Frost laughed. “No. They won’t. Not after I take what’s in that temple.” He looked at the mausoleum for a moment. “You know, I’m almost tempted to let you go. Just so that you can fully realize how completely you and your organization have failed. Everything you’ve fought for, killed for… All for nothing.”

Qobras’s lips curled into a sneer. “You think that killing me will end the Brotherhood?”

“You really have no idea what’s going to happen, do you?” said Frost, laughing again. “I suppose I was more worried about your agents than I needed to be.”

“Just do whatever you’re going to do to me,” Qobras growled.

“I’m not going to do anything,” Frost said. “I think Dr. Wilde should have that privilege.”

“What?” Nina asked, confused.

Frost walked to her, his voice falling to a velvety burr. “Dr. Wilde… Nina. This man murdered your parents. He has to pay for what he’s done. Justice must be served.”

“The only criminal here is you, Frost!” Qobras shouted. One of the guards kicked him hard in the chest, leaving him gasping.

“Well, yes, but…” Nina looked at Qobras. “Shouldn’t he be put on trial for everything he’s done?”

“By whom? This man is above the law. He’s murdered with impunity for decades all around the world.” Frost unzipped his jacket and reached inside it. “The only justice he deserves is the same kind that he believes he delivers.” He pulled out a pistol, and pressed it into Nina’s palm. “For all the crimes he has committed, for everything he’s done to hurt you… you know what you have to do.”

Nina stared at the gun in disbelief, then looked up at Frost. There was no sign on his face that he was anything other than deadly serious.

“Hang on a minute,” said Chase, concerned. “I want this bastard dead as much as you do, but a summary execution? That’s not justice, that’s murder. And you can’t ask Nina to become a murderer!”

“Please stay out of this, Mr. Chase,” Frost said, almost dismissively. “This is a decision that only Dr. Wilde can make.”

“Kari!” Chase looked at her for support. She seemed torn, glancing between Frost, Nina, Chase…

“It’s… my father knows best,” she said eventually, not sounding entirely sure of her words.

Frost put his hands on Nina’s arms as he dropped his voice almost to a whisper. “It’s up to you, Nina. You know what he’s done, you know that he has to pay.” One hand closed softly around the gun, squeezing her fingers on the grip. “He killed your parents, Nina. He murdered them, right here inside this mountain. You should take from him what he took from you. Do it.”

Nina’s eyes filled with tears. Lips clenched tight, jaw trembling, she looked past Frost at the kneeling figure of Qobras.

“Far…” Kari began, but a single look from Frost silenced her. He released Nina and moved back.

Nina took a step forward, every muscle and tendon taut. The gun felt cold and heavy in her hand. Qobras watched her, the expression on his face one not of fear or anger, but cold contempt.

The burning pain in her heart transmuted, taking on form. Hate.

“Nina!” Chase called behind her, but she barely heard him.

She raised the gun, pointing it first at Qobras’s chest, then, more decisively, at his face. Starkman tensed, but remained still, his one eye watching warily.

Qobras stared silently back up at her. The man who had tried to kill her and her friends. Who had killed her friends, Castille and the crew of the Nereid.