The major ran along a rock corridor and burst in through the doors of a large laboratory. Jason, cleaned up and wearing a boiler suit, stood with Binning and two Russian technicians. The tile lay on a glass table in two halves with some of its components removed and set beside it.
‘Your man has escaped,’ the officer shouted.
Jason flinched in anger. ‘I warned you! Damn it. Where is he? Is he still in the complex?’
‘There are only two exits on the surface and my guards are there. Nobody has been in or out since I left him.’
‘Make sure it stays that way.’ Jason was livid.
‘Rowena,’ Binning exclaimed.
‘Have you checked with her guard?’ Jason asked the officer.
The Russian looked vexed as he reached for his radio. ‘No one can leave here. Don’t worry. She is locked in her room.’
‘Locked?’ Jason shouted.
‘But she’s—’ the officer stammered.
‘If you say she’s just a bloody woman I’ll shoot you,’ Jason growled as he walked towards him. ‘Get your men down here and search the place. Do it. Now.’
‘They’re on their way.’
‘You find him and you kill him. Immediately. No questions. Just shoot. I warned you about him.’
The officer understood. ‘And what about her?’
Jason glanced at Binning though he had already decided what had to be done.
‘She can’t go back with you now,’ Binning said.
Jason looked at the Russian. ‘Kill her.’
‘I’ll have to get authority.’
Jason’s expression darkened and he put his face closer to the major’s. ‘If they get out of here, I promise you, you will die.’
The Russian officer swallowed hard and ran from the room.
‘Idiots.’
‘I don’t like the thought of that man running loose around here,’ Binning said.
Jason’s expression changed to one of cynicism. ‘You’ve had nothing but contempt for him up until now.’
‘I’ve never underestimated how dangerous he could be.’
Jason had to agree. He took a pistol from a holster hanging on a hook. ‘Then we’d better ensure he doesn’t do any more damage. We’ve beaten him before. Let’s do it for the last time.’
Stratton lowered the last oxygen cylinder into position beneath the biochemical vat on top of the pipe and took a breather as he watched Rowena tape up the pipe connection. She found some wire wool, taped it around the opposite end of the pipe and walked back to the gas bottle that would be used to feed the lance. He saw her secure the pipe over the valve nozzle, using up the rest of the tape and wrapping it around continuously to ensure a good seal.
As a final test she turned the gas bottle’s valve fully open. The hissing gush of high-pressure gas filled the room. The taped joints held and she turned off the valve. ‘It doesn’t matter if there’s some leakage,’ she said, studying the simple but deadly system. ‘There’s enough pressure. It’s ready.’
‘How do we light the wire wool?’
‘The Russians’ll have a lighter. They stink of cigarette smoke even in their suits.’
Stratton walked over to the two men, dug into one of their breast pockets and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
‘Could you light me one of those cigarettes?’ Rowena asked. ‘And please, no quips about it being unhealthy.’
Stratton removed one of the cigarettes from the pack and gestured to the engineer to ask if it was okay. The man nodded enthusiastically. Stratton put the pack back into the man’s pocket, lit the cigarette and went over to Rowena.
He handed her the cigarette and walked over to the other end of the pipe that had the lump of wire wool attached. ‘How long do you think the pipe will take to burn down to the first vat?’ he asked, studying its length.
‘A minute, more or less.’
Stratton ignited the lighter and stared at the flame. He racked his brains for anything they had forgotten.
‘What about them?’ she asked.
He extinguished the lighter and looked at the frightened engineers who had clearly worked out that something very bad was going on.
‘Untie them.’
Rowena walked over to the men and untied the rope.
‘Don’t run until I say.’ Stratton gestured to the men, trying to convey the message.
They didn’t appear to understand but remained where they were. He had the gun and they could sense that he was a dangerous individual.
‘You happy where the lift is?’ he asked Rowena.
‘Yes.’
‘You ready?’
‘Yes.’
‘Turn on the gas.’
She went back to the bottle, crouched to grip the valve and looked over at him.
He lit the lighter.
Rowena turned on the gas and it began to hiss. But