Survivalist - 15.5 - Mid-Wake (13 page)

Nataliafell to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes. “I beg you. All of you. Kill me, or give me to my husband, but—”

“Natalia!“It was John’s voice, shouting at her, but she didn’t look back, his shout choked off.

“Iam guilty of all you have said. I will accept any punishment. But do not kill this man. Please. Oh, please.” And Natalia crawled nearer to the desk on her knees.

“Nata—”

Shekept crawling toward the desk and when she was as near to it as she could get, the tears flowing freely now, she lowered her head to the floor, her forehead against it. “Please. Please. Please—”

Shewas jerked to her feet, Kerenin’s left fist knotted in her hair, her head pulled back unnaturally far, her neck aflame with pain. His eyes bored into her, and she realized that he knew and he didn’t care. “The woman is very convincing, comrades. I too have learned this. Request permission to carry out the execution of the German officer Wolfgang Heinz.”

“Granted,“the Chairman intoned. “And take her away.

Isuggest a constant guard that she does not attempt to take her own life.”

“Verygood, Comrade Chairman, comrades.” Kerenin looked at her once again.

Shewhispered to him, “I’ll do anything you ask me to do—anything—please—do not kill him.” He let go of her and she dropped to her knees at his feet. She could hear John behind her, struggling with the man who held him. Natalia Anastasia Tiemerovna touched her lips to Kerenin’s right boot.

Hedragged her up to her feet by her hair. His left hand crashed against her cheek and she fell to the floor.

Theguards were hauling her up.

Shesaw John one more time. She would always know he had loved her… .

“Youknow who I am.”

“IfI did, I would not say that I knew.”

“Youwant Natalia. But all her husband wants is to murder her in the crudest way possible. You are playing a loser’s game.”

Kereninstopped, drawing Rourke’s Crain LS System X knife and placing its point against Rourke’s throat. He told the guards, “Wait for us ahead, now!” And the guards moved ahead, leaving Kerenin and John Rourke in the corridor leading from the hall where the triumvirate had passed the sentence of death on Rourke. “If you move, your throat is cut.”

“Iknow that. And you will know you are killing the only prisoner you could possibly have for Karamatsov more valuable than Natalia.”

“Yes.“Kerenin smiled. He looked down at his hand, which held the knife, then into Rourke’s eyes. “I am afraid that I have never been more strongly attracted to a woman in my life than to Major Tiemerovna. I must possess her, even if for a short time. You should be happy. Perhaps I will be so moved that I will find some way of saving her from her fate.”

“IfI thought you could …” Rourke let the sentence hang.

“Shewill hate me for supervising your execution. But perhaps her hate can turn to something else. At least it is a strong emotion.”

“Takeher to the surface. Find my son. Tell him you saved her life. He is a man of honor and will see to it that you are not harmed. Do not give her to her husband.”

“Youlove her as much as she loves you. Fascinating.”

Rourkedidn’t say anything.

Kerenindid. “I have taken it upon myself to keep a promise, in a manner of speaking. I am showing you mercy in the only way I can. Personally, I would prefer your death to be the worst possible. But, for the sake of Major Tiemerovna, I am electing the alternate form of execution available. I have, of course, taken the time to obtain proper authority for doing so, on a pretext. You have much to thank me for, but little time in which to do it. Keep in mind that I would enjoy personally killing

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you.

“Iwill keep that in mind. And may I extend the same wishes.”

Kereninsmiled. “From the way she spoke of you, I must say I had anticipated more.”

“Weall have our bad days.” Rourke smiled. “But in the event I should survive, where did you put my guns and my other knife? And, while you are at it, where will you be keeping Natalia?”

“Youare trying to live up to the image of infallibility painted of you by Major Tiemerovna. Very good! Why not? She will be in the command module where we are now. In the building on the far left as you enter through the causeway. On our right, as we stand here. And your guns? I would imagine they are in the security complex which is in the main city. The dome furthest away from the submarine pens where you entered the city. You cannot miss it. Any other questions, my friend?”

“Howare you going to kill me?”

“Please—leavesomething for expectation. You will

learnsoon enough. But now, move ahead. The guards grow restless.” He prodded gently with the knife, still at Rourke’s throat, and Rourke started ahead, the cord still looped about his neck—he imagined in the event he tried to resist—and his wrists bound behind him with the seemingly unbreakable plastic restraints.

Natalia—shehad wept after she had kissed Kerenin’s foot to beg for his, John Rourke’s, life. He looked at Kerenin once.

Rourkeinhaled, exhaled, walked ahead in the company of the guards, two on either side of him, two in front and in back, all Marine Spetznas, all with their Sty-20 pistols drawn. He knew well by now the inevitability of the effect from the darts the Sty-20s fired.

Theyreturned to the artificial sunlight, Rourke squinting against it. One of the Gullwing cars awaited and Rourke ducked his head as he entered behind three of the guards, Kerenin placing himself in the seat just aft of the driver. Kerenin ordered the driver to take them to the pens.

JohnRourke didn’t like the sound of that, but he liked nothing else here either.

Hishead ached and he was stiff, the ache the result of having eaten nothing in more than twenty-four hours. But the effect of the drug used in the Sty-20 pistols seemed at least moderately cumulative. He shook his head, wiggling his toes inside his boots, moving his fingers behind him, trying to increase his circulation and burn off the drug as much as possible.

TheGullwing passed through the deactivated energy barrier, the armored personnel carriers and other vehicles behind them now.

Hewould have one chance at best, and, if he failed, Natalia would die and the world of the surface would be in deadly peril. He would have to make his one chance work to fullest advantage. He began deep breathing, careful that in his debilitated condition he would not begin to hyperventilate. He closed his eyes, summoning’energy first to one part of his body, then to another, focusing his

concentrationon the inner self, cleansing his mind of all but his single purpose and its multifaceted goals.

Hefelt the motion of the Gullwing, subtle, letting his body rhythm blend with it, the idle, subdued chatter of the guards pushed from his mind.

Aquietness came over him, peace. His breathing evened.

Thevehicle stopped. He felt the change of rhythm. Slowly, John Rourke opened his eyes.

Therewas a pneumatic-sounding thwack as the gullwings opened. Kerenin was already stepping out onto the curb. Three guards, then Rourke followed in their train.

Theartificial sunlight, however it was generated, was strong here. And he smelled seawater very strongly. Beyond the walkway, there were massive doors and lettered above them in Cyrillic thewords “People’s Institute for Marine Studies.”

Theguards fell in around him. He asked Kerenin casually, “Taking me for an outing to the aquarium?”

Kereninlaughed. “You might say that, you might indeed.

Theyentered into a high-ceilinged, formal hall, a bank of elevators at the far right. Kerenin started for them, saying something to one of the guards, the man jogging ahead to signal on the elevator call-button panel.

Anelevator, not unlike the one aboard the submarine, opened, Kerenin stepping inside and waiting beside the interior panel, the guards still surrounding Rourke, their guns drawn, Rourke standing at the approximate center of the elevator, waiting for the movement to start. It did, noticeably downward.

Theelevator stopped. “Are we below the level for the main portions of the dome?”

Kereninlaughed. “You are incorrigible. Yes—yes, we are. Come—there is more of the tour before—well, before.” Kerenin stepped into a dank-smelling, fishy-smelling metal-walled antechamber, three guards, then Rourke after him, the other three guards behind him, then one

fromin front and one from the rear falling in on either side of him, their Sty-20s pointed at him almost casually.

Theybegan walking down a long corridor, wide enough for two trucks to pass one another easily, watertight doors lining it on the right every few yards.

“Weare passing beneath the Institute for Marine Studies and will soon be entering a special section. You are very fortunate. This is a maximum-security area you will be entering.”

“I’mflattered.” Rourke kept altering his stride to work muscle groups differently, flexing his upper and forearms, moving his fingers, loosening his shoulders as subtly as he could.

Atthe end of the long corridor there was a more massive watertight door, and beside it something that looked like an alarm switch. Kerenin signaled one of the guards to activate it. It proved to be nothing more than a doorbell. Television cameras mounted over the watertight door—he had noticed eameras in other portions of the complex as well—buzzed and hummed, scanning.

Kereninidentified himself and there was a different sound, like a burglar alarm, but of short duration, the watertight door opening, then swinging outward. Kerenin stepped over the flange, three guards, then Rourke following him, Rourke glancing over his left shoulder at the other three guards.

Helooked ahead then, a comparatively narrow walkway at his far left, and directly ahead and extending well away to his right a huge pool.

Theinterior guards waited at their posts, Kerenin leading the way, the six guards surrounding John Rourke staying in formation as Rourke followed them.

Kereninbegan to speak as they took to the walkway at the left. “It is a merciful death which awaits you.”

“Thankyou.”

Kereninwent on, saying, “To guard against the actions of enemy divers, sharks are kept, a great variety of them. Electrodes are implanted in the cortexes of their brains, as I understand it. I am not a science technician. But the

sharksare controlled by a central command console. They serve as guards against unwanted intrusion.”

“Justfascinating,” Rourke told him. He was working to build a scenario and no opportunity could be missed, however meager.

Kereninturned off the walkway and approached the pool. “Of course, there are other sea creatures perhaps equally as vicious, and sharks as well, none of which are under our control. But when work is being performed outside the domes of the complex, or when the implants are being checked or some reprogramming is required, the sharks which we do control are penned inside here. Beyond those gates.” Kerenin extended his hands over the water. Rourke smiled at the Biblical allusion it suggested. There were massive steel or steel-like gates at the far end of the Olympic-length pool.

“Andis this their exercise yard?” Rourke asked.

Kereninsmiled. “You might say that. The sharks are programmed to kill; but, of course, they will kill of their own volition, which is why it is sometimes necessary to bring them in.” The water of the pool was calm, the surface perfectly quiet. Kerenin turned away from the water, facing Rourke, who now stood behind him. “The prescribed means of execution, lest you think me to be deceiving you, is far worse than this. The sharks will make quick work of you. The other means is ejection into the sea through a missile tube, hands and feet bound and an oxygen breather attached to your mouth. You are crushed to death by the pressure, the internal organs destroyed—a horrible death, I understand.”

“Yes—muchnicer to be devoured by hungry sharks. I assume you keep them hungry enough, titilate them with human blood in the water?”

Kereninsmiled. “You are the cool one—or so you would have me believe. But I essentially promised Major Tiemerovna that a pressure tank would not be used to kill you, and the preferred method is very similar.”

“Ratherlike Jehovah promising Noah he would never again end the earth by flood,” Rourke observed.

Kereninevidently didn’t understand the Biblical allusion. “Now, before we end it,” Kerenin continued, “would you care to see the control room?”

“Certainly.I was hoping you would ask.” Rourke smiled at him.

Kereninreturned to the walkway, Rourke following him as the guards fell in almost as an afterthought, Rourke urging them, “Come along, comrades.” Kerenin glanced at him quickly, then looked away. Was it working? Rourke wondered, hoping. He kept walking.

Thewalkway ramped upward toward what was evidently the control booth, at the far end of the pool area, as long as the pool and some eight feet or so high, well-lit, fronted with plexiglas or some similar transparent substance. Men and/or women (the short haircuts and unisex attire making it difficult to tell which was which at a distance) were moving about busily inside. Rourke used a long-strided, slow-paced walk to move up the ramp, stretching muscle groups in his legs.

Atthe height of the ramp, Kerenin signaled one of the guards to admit them to the control booth, the guard opening the door, Kerenin and the other guards passing inside, Rourke in their midst. Rourke nodded at the guard who held the door for him.

Thepersonnel in the control booth continued working at their tasks, as if no one had entered. Television screens were everywhere in banks over each control console, the outside of the domes visible, sharks moving occasionally through the field of view of one of the cameras. “I thought your pets were indoors today.”

Kereninanswered good-naturedly, “Recall that I mentioned some of the sharks are not under our control.”

“Yes,that’s right.” Rourke nodded.

Rourkeslowly moved about the control room, Kerenin making no attempt to have his progress arrested. Everything was in diode readouts. It seemed dials were a thing of the past here. One group of technicians was apparently responsible for what fell within one bank of cameras, the outer regions of the underwater complex zoned for better