Madonna. He took it off its nail and inspected it, testing it for strength. It was made of brass and felt sturdy enough. God was going to help out after all, he mused.
Gabriel jammed the bottom of the crucifix into the small gap he had made with the nail and pushed down on it, but it would not penetrate. He picked up the stone, turned it in his palm until it was snug and raised it up. ‘Forgive me, oh Lord,’ he said and brought it down heavily on top of the crucifix. It plunged into the sphere and Gabriel wiggled it around until he could pull it out easily.A thick, white, flaky substance oozed from the tear and crumbled on to the desk. Gabriel did not know for sure what it was, but since Stratton had described the device as explosive material surrounding a plutonium core he suspected it must be the explosive charge itself. He worked the crucifix along the seam, bending it back and forth, gradually widening the gap until the two halves suddenly popped apart. Both semi-spheres were filled with the white substance which surrounded the core, a sponge-like material no bigger than a tennis ball. He put down the crucifix and pulled at it. The surface broke apart easily to expose another sphere the size of a golf ball made of a dull silver metal. He pulled it out and held it in his hand and only then did it occur to him it was the radioactive nucleus, the plutonium. Gabriel realised he had effectively done what Stratton had asked of him. He had neutralised the device. But that could not be.
His mind raced over the images he had seen regarding his own destruction and began to wonder if they had been wrong. But how, since the other viewings had proven to be so accurate? To describe Zhilev well enough for anyone else to finger him in a line up would have been impossible, but after seeing the giant on the floor, he knew instantly it was the beast he had been frightened of all these weeks. Now it would appear he had been wrong about the explosion, but he still could not believe it.
Gabriel regarded the device on the table long and thoughtfully, the two pieces filled with the white substance, the crucifix and stone beside it, and realised he had seen the exact image before. He looked at the walls of the room, the icon, chair, the domed ceiling, all as he had seen it. As he looked back down at the bomb he saw a flash and heard the beginning of a loud explosion and then silence, and his heart leaped into his throat. It was not déjà vu. It was his viewing. He had not been wrong after all.
The device gave a single, short beep.
The explosion was thunderous and blew the doors clean off the crypt walls and into the walkway.
Stratton was close to the entrance and only survived because he was not in the direct line of the blast. It was like standing beside the muzzle of a huge cannon as it went off.The shockwave threw him over and the explosion rocked his brain. The entire walkway shuddered and went black as pieces of stone and mortar fell from the ceilings. The traders’ tables directly in front of the crypt were shredded and blown away, the lighter debris flying out of the end of the tunnel like feathers from a burst cushion, followed by bellowing smoke. It seemed as if the ancient building complex would cave in. However, having survived so many wars over so many centuries it seemed it was not about to crumble now, as if Christ and Allah had agreed to protect their interests. The shaking quickly subsided and the buildings remained intact.
Stratton lay on the ground with his hands over his head, his ears ringing and mind spinning, but conscious enough to ask himself if his time had finally come. As he opened his eyes, blinking rapidly to clear the grit from them, he could see a distant light penetrating the thick dust.
He eased himself back up into the sitting position and coughed painfully, surrounded by smoke. The walkways were in near darkness, the dead neon lights dangling from their wires, making the daylight at the ends of the three tunnels contrastingly bright.
His recollection of the previous few minutes began to reassemble and he suddenly thought of Gabriel. There was no point even considering the possibilities