"What's the hurry?"

Vanya smiled. "Let's just say that my power grab relies on something very big and terrible happening so as to start the cracks of unbalance back in Beijing."

"What the h.e.l.l does that mean? What have you got planned?"

"You no doubt realized that there were very few people still around last night?"

Annja nodded. The place had seemed deserted. "Yeah, I noticed all right. What about it?"

"They're all dead."

"You killed them?"

Vanya shrugged. "They had fulfilled their requirements. Each one of them was contracted to work for a certain amount of time and then they were to be released in order to go back to China proper."

"All that to sell us on the idea that this was Shangri-La?"

"You still don't get it, do you? This isn't Shangri-La at all. I told you that."

"I know that. So what is it?"

Vanya stared at Annja. "Are you going to join us or not?"

"I don't think so."

Vanya frowned. "That's truly unfortunate. Very well, then. You leave me no choice but to finish what we've already started." She glanced at Hsu Xiao. "Kill her."

33.

Tuk led Mike back down the corridor. Each man was armed and Tuk felt better about Annja's chances now that there was definitely help on the way. And hopefully, Garin would find his way into the cave and bring reinforcements.

But he knew they couldn't rely on that. Tuk raced along the corridor and then drew up short as they approached the room with the giant Buddha statues. He pointed out the explosives to Mike.

"Vanya has the entire room wired to go up at any time. It's what she used to get us to come out into the open."

Mike inspected one of the bundles and shook his head. "This is serious military-grade stuff. How did she ever get her hands on it?"

"I don't know, but Vanya is certainly not all that she seemed last night. She's much more dangerous."

"I'd guess so, judging from how these were positioned. She had to have help from the military in order to do this."

Tuk pointed. "We're almost there."

Mike nodded. "All right, how do we play this? Straight-up a.s.sault or do we hold back and make them think we're more than we actually are?"

Tuk frowned. "I don't know much about military tactics, Mike. Your guess is as good as mine, if not better."

Mike checked the status of his gun and nodded. "I say we just shoot them both and be done with it. No sense letting them hang around any longer than necessary. And considering what Vanya is trying to pull here, it'd be better if she was dead."

Tuk held up his hand. "Wait, shouldn't we keep her alive so she can stop the installation from exploding?"

"I don't know if she even could," Mike said. "Short of fis.h.i.+ng those bodies out of the treatment facility-which would mean exposing ourselves to immense radiation-there's nothing we can do. And when the treatment facility goes, everything else is going boom. This is the last place we want to be."

"I see." Tuk frowned. The idea of a nuclear waste treatment plant exploding made his heart ache with the thought of what would happen to the surrounding region.

"I know what you're thinking," Mike said. "But it can't be helped. If we had a team who knew what they were doing and had equipment, then maybe. But we don't have any of that. And we'd die trying."

"I know," Tuk said. "It just seems like it's going to result in a terrible environmental catastrophe."

"It will," Mike said. "Absolutely. But we need to find Annja and then get the h.e.l.l out of here or no one is going to be alive to care about the cleanup. And we have to ensure this kind of thing doesn't happen again somewhere else."

"All right." Tuk made sure his weapon was ready. "Let's go and get this done before my heart goes soft."

"Just remember what Vanya's plans will do to your country and use that to fire yourself up," Mike said.

Tuk nodded. "I will."

Mike stepped forward and then stopped. His voice was a harsh whisper. "Tuk."

"Yes?"

"Don't...move...a muscle...."

"What's the matter?"

Mike pointed at the floor. "There's a trip wire and my foot is resting against it. If I move anything, this whole room will blow up."

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me. Look at the wire and tell me what's it's connected to. And hurry up about it."

Tuk carefully followed the line of almost invisible wire across the room to where a large bundle of explosives sat wedged in with a claymore mine. He read the lettering front toward enemy front toward enemy and then retreated back to Mike. He'd seen them before in his intelligence days. and then retreated back to Mike. He'd seen them before in his intelligence days.

"Claymore and an explosive package wedged in with it. The claymore is American."

Mike frowned. "It is?"

"Yes."

Mike nodded. "All right. I'm going to ease my foot back. But before that, I want you to go into the corridor we just came from. If I do this wrong, one of us has to stay alive and help Annja. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure. I just can't figure out where this could have come from. I ran down this corridor only a few minutes ago in order to get to the trapdoor."

"It might well have been meant for you," Mike said. "Vanya's men could have easily laid this trap in the hope you would hit it on the way out. Did Vanya seem almost willing to let you go earlier?"

Tuk frowned. "Actually, yes. She didn't put up nearly the fight I thought she would have."

"That was probably part of her plan. With you blown up, the surprise would have enabled her to overpower Annja. Only the way you ran or walked must have carried you right over the trip wire."

"So I missed being blown up by luck?"

Mike smiled. "I could use a little bit of that luck right now, my friend." He nodded at the corridor. "Now go and let me get this done. One way or another I've got to get free of this or else we'll die."

Tuk retreated to the corridor and wedged himself in against the wall. If Mike was unsuccessful, the explosion would no doubt cause some serious damage to the facility, especially given how much explosive was in that room.

Tuk shook his head. How had he managed to get himself wrapped up in all of this, anyway? All because some stranger named Garin had hired him to look after Annja and make sure she was safe.

Tuk sighed. He didn't think he was doing such a wonderful job.

Mike's face appeared around the corner. "Okay. I think we're all set now."

Tuk let out a breath. "Thank G.o.d. I thought the entire room was going to explode if you didn't manage it."

Mike nodded. "I got myself free and then replaced the pin in the claymore so it wouldn't go off. I did a quick check of the room to make sure there weren't any other surprises lying in wait for us. It's clear."

"They probably didn't have time to set anything else up," Tuk said. "And then Annja killed them, anyway."

Mike smiled. "She did, did she?"

"Oh, yes."

"She's a marvel that one." Mike gestured with his gun. "Now come on, let's get out there and see what we can do to help."

Tuk led them back to the statue room and then toward the doorway. He could hear voices. And he gestured for Mike to get low.

Tuk looked out and saw Annja with her sword in her hands. Across from her stood Hsu Xiao and Vanya. Tuk frowned and looked at Mike. "Annja's injured."

Mike nodded. "I can see that. But how badly? Do you think she can still fight?"

"You've known her longer than I have," Tuk said. "But if I had to place a bet on whether or not she could, I'd definitely say yes."

"So would I."

"Look at Hsu Xiao's leg. It seems like Annja managed to get something in on her, too."

Mike chuckled quietly. "Good, that means she'll be easier to take care of."

Tuk looked at him. "I don't know. She scares the h.e.l.l out of me."

"Nothing to it. She'll die as fast as anyone else once she's got enough bullets in her."

"Well, do you mind shooting her, then? I'd rather not have to deal with her."

"Fine."

Tuk leaned back and looked at Mike. "Are you ready?"

"Time's ticking, my friend. Let's get this done."

Tuk got to his feet and readied the a.s.sault rifle. Everything was set to go and he flicked the selector switch to semiautomatic. Perhaps, he thought, if he got the drop on Vanya quickly, he wouldn't have to shoot her. That would be a good thing. Maybe there was a way to stop the facility from exploding. Maybe Vanya knew what to do.

"Tuk!"

Tuk looked at Mike. "Sorry."

"Come on, man, let's get this done. I'll go after Hsu Xiao and you take down Vanya. Don't stop for anything until we have them both down and dead, okay?"

"Mike, what if Vanya knows how to stop the facility from exploding?"

Mike shook his head. "Listen to me, Tuk. That treatment installation is not going to tolerate the infusion of scores of bodies. It wasn't designed for that. Vanya knows that and that's exactly why she's done what she's done. She wants this place to blow up. She's got no interest in saving it, and if you think she does, you're wrong." Mike leaned closer to Tuk. "Now listen to me. I know this isn't what you signed on for, but we've got to do something here or else we're all going to die. Do you understand?"

Tuk nodded. "Yes. I understand. Sorry."

"I'm not a killer, either, Tuk. This isn't something that I do every day. But at the same time, I know that these people are responsible for unleas.h.i.+ng some truly bad stuff on the world. And I think it's fairly safe to say that they deserve to be punished for their crimes."

"I agree with you, Mike. It's just that, in all my years of work, I was always beyond that type of work. And I never minded being there."

"I'm afraid there's no one else who can do what needs to happen. Two targets. Two of us. It's the only way to make sure we're successful," Mike said.

"All right. I'm sorry."

"Forget about it. Let's just get this done."

Tuk moved up and took his position. "I'm ready."

Mike brought his gun up into his shoulder and sighted. "On three, okay?"

"Okay."

"One..."

Tuk took a series of deep breaths. His heart pounded against the inside of his chest like a hammer going a thousand times a minute.

"Two..."

Tuk steeled himself. He let his trigger finger come to rest just outside the trigger guard. He brought the weapon up so he had a clear sight picture. He settled the sights on Vanya. Mike was right, he decided. Better to finish this and then get the h.e.l.l out of here. No sense dying for no reason. And at least they'd be able to tell the world what happened so it didn't occur again elsewhere.

Tuk heard Mike start to say "three" but the word died on his lips as they suddenly heard another voice from somewhere behind them.

"Stop."