Chapter 35
ALICE SENSED THE SEETHING ENERGY EMANATING FROM the pyramid before they walked into the subterranean chamber. The instant she saw the glowing ruin she knew that it was only a matter of time before it exploded. The dark, heavy currents coming off the crystals that formed the pyramid felt inherently unstable. They flooded the atmosphere with an invisible sea of hot psi.
The only part of the structure that was man-made was the heavy mag-steel door at the entrance. Under most circumstances, mag-steel was strong enough to block paranormal radiation, but Alice had a feeling that in this case the door would not last much longer.
The fierce, wild energy swirling in the outer chamber lifted Alice’s hair as if she were floating in water. Goose bumps prickled her skin. The waves of psi were both unnerving and exhilarating. She did not know how it was possible to be terrified and at the same time thrilled, but she did know how to conceal her emotions. She kept her stage face in place.
“I gotta tell you, Zara, as a research scientist, you’re a real loser,” she said. “What did you think you were doing, fooling around with Alien technology this powerful? That pyramid feels like it’s going to blow at any moment.”
“You can save the sarcasm,” Zara said. “Because if it does blow, all of us, including you, are going with it.”
Alice glanced at Pete. His right hand was handcuffed to her left hand. A two-foot-long chain connected them. Egan gripped Pete’s upper arm.
Pete was probably even more frightened than she was, Alice thought, because he had been inside the pyramid and knew what they were about to encounter. But he was doing his best to appear calm and stoic. Maybe he actually had some faith in her promise that rescue was on the way.
Alice turned back to Zara. “That Chamber is big, and according to what I’ve been told, I’m not going to be able to see my hand in front of my face once I’m inside.”
“That’s correct,” Zara said. “You’ll be completely blind. One step past the entrance and you won’t even be able to look back and see the opening. The para-energy inside overwhelms light from the normal end of the spectrum. It’s like going into a cave.”
“How am I supposed to find the crystals?”
“Trust me, you’ll sense them. They’re so hot now that even someone without much talent can pick up the energy emanating from them.”
“So why don’t you send Egan in after them?”
Fury and frustration flashed across Zara’s face. “Because only someone with a strong light-oriented talent can get through the force field at the entrance without going unconscious within seconds. Back at the start, it was possible for any talent to come and go from the Chamber. It was similar to walking through the psi-fence that surrounds the Preserve. But now it’s a thousand times worse.”
“Because you heated things up with the crystals. You’re a real twit, aren’t you?”
Zara’s eyes were hot with rage, but she pulled herself together with visible effort. “Egan will put a rope around your waist. He’ll hold the other end. When you have the crystals, signal him by yanking on the rope a couple of times. He’ll pull you out.”
“We both know if it was that easy, you would have done it yourself. You’re a light-talent. But you can’t even get past the entrance, can you?”
Zara gave her a thin smile. She was still in control, but cracks were appearing in her icy composure. “You are wasting time, Ms. North. Egan will slide open the door for you.”
“What a gentleman,” Alice said.
She walked slowly toward the entrance of the Dream Chamber, drawing Pete with her.
“Shit,” Pete whispered. “I hate this place.”
Egan followed. He picked up the rope that was coiled on the floor at the entrance and looped the noose-like end around Alice’s waist. She shuddered in revulsion when he touched her. He did not appear to notice, let alone take offense.
Satisfied that the line was secure around her, he grasped the other end firmly in one hand. Then he used both hands to haul aside the heavy steel plate blocking the entrance.
Night and energy from the farthest end of the spectrum swirled just inside the opening. Fog-like tendrils of power stormed in the Chamber.
“Hurry,” Zara shouted. “There isn’t much time left.”
“Too bad you didn’t think of that before you started fiddling around with those crystals,” Alice called over her shoulder.
“This is your fault, damn you,” Zara shrieked. “Get those crystals out of there or we are all dead.”
A frisson of awareness whispered through Alice. Drake was somewhere nearby. She could sense it.
She glanced toward the vaulted opening at the far end of the cavernous room. She could not see anyone, but the certainty that Drake was close was growing stronger.
She was equally certain of another fact. Zara and Egan would not hesitate to use Pete and her as hostages.
There was no such thing as telepathy, or so the experts claimed. But she shared some kind of psychic connection with Houdini. On stage he always seemed to get his cues right. As for her bond with Drake, that was a lot more complicated, but she no longer doubted that it existed. He certainly could not read her mind but he had a gift for strategy. If she gave him an opening, he would seize it.
Step one was to keep Zara and Egan distracted for a few more minutes.
“It’s going to be okay, Pete,” she said quietly.
She reached back for his hand, gripping his fingers tightly, and moved to the entrance. She needed physical contact for what she was about to do.
Pete looked as if he might be ill but he stumbled forward with her.
“Trust me,” she whispered.
“Not like I’ve got a lot of choice,” Pete said. “Sure hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I’m the box-jumper,” she said. “The magician’s assistant. That means I know the secret of the trick.”
“Yeah? So where’s the magician?”
She was careful not to look back over her shoulder. “He’ll be on stage any minute now.”
“What part am I playing in this performance?”
“You’re the volunteer from the audience.”
“I was afraid of that.”
She tightened her grip on his hand, kicked up her talent, and pulled him with her through the wall of midnight.
Chapter 36
THE GREEN GHOST FIRE BLOCKED THE QUARTZ TUNNEL, forcing all of them to a halt. The ball of Alien energy was fueled by the chaotic currents that burned at its core. It had no doubt been blazing just as fiercely ever since the Aliens had vanished.
Drake watched the ghost through his mirrored glasses. He could have removed the shades because all of the energy that emanated from the quartz catacombs was paranormal in nature. But he did not know what surprises Zara might have in store. Even a simple amber-rez flashlight could temporarily blind him.
Houdini, stationed on Drake’s shoulder, rumbled impatiently and blinked his hunting eyes.
