Nina quickly checked the remainder of the text. ‘Nothing that seems relevant.’
‘Great. In that case, stick it back in the box and let’s get out of here.’
Nina closed the leather case, placed it back in the envelope, then returned it and the folder to their container. She picked up the box and was about to send it down the chute back to the automated library when her phone rang, startling them both. ‘We’ve got reception all the way down here?’ she said, puzzled, as she fumbled it from her pocket with one hand. The number was unfamiliar.
‘They must have a booster,’ said Eddie, suddenly wary. ‘You expecting any calls?’
‘Nope.’ She answered it. ‘Hello?’
‘Hello, Dr Wilde.’ Dalton.
Nina lowered her voice so Ogleby or the guard wouldn’t overhear. ‘Hello, Mr President,’ she said, making the title sound almost derogatory. Eddie instantly became more alert than ever, checking what was happening outside the cubicle. As yet, nothing – but he was certain that wouldn’t last. ‘To what do I owe the extremely dubious honour?’
‘What do you think of Silent Peak?’
‘It’s impressive, if you like colossal wastes of taxpayer dollars. But you didn’t call me to get my opinion on that, did you?’ Eddie leaned closer to listen to the other side of the conversation.
‘No, I didn’t.’ The ex-president was relishing every word. ‘I called to say . . . goodbye. The base commander is just being told about a major security breach. I’d imagine you’ve got less than a minute before they come for you. In force.’
A sickening chill ran through Nina’s body. ‘A breach that’ll be traced back to you,’ she said with straw-grabbing defiance.
Dalton almost laughed. ‘No. It won’t. For one thing, my people covered their tracks, and for another . . . you won’t get the chance to tell anyone. So once again – goodbye, Dr Wilde.’
‘Son of a bitch!’ Nina hissed – but Eddie had taken the phone from her.
‘President Victor Dalton, before you hang up,’ he said, receiving an odd look from Nina at his use of Dalton’s full name, ‘I’ve got something to say.’
‘You’re going to threaten me, I suppose, Chase?’ came the reply. Eddie could almost see his smirk. ‘Use your little video of our discussion as leverage? It’ll never get out, I assure you. My contacts will see to that. Forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes.’
‘No, what I actually wanted to say is al-Qaeda bomb kill the president jihad terror!’
Silence, then: ‘You limey bastard!’ The line went dead.
‘What the hell was that?’ Nina demanded.
He gave her a grim smile. ‘The NSA records every phone call made in the States. All those red-flag keywords’ll make sure it’s a priority for investigation. Deal with spooks like Alderley for long enough, and you pick up tips. Maybe someone’ll recognise Dalton’s voice and realise he just admitted to getting us in here.’
Another phone rang – one on the wall by the airman. ‘That’s great,’ said Nina as he answered it, ‘but it’s not going to help us much right now, is it?’
The guard’s expression jumped from boredom to sudden concern as he listened. ‘Dr Ogleby!’ he yelled, dropping the receiver and drawing his sidearm. ‘We have a security breach!’ He ran to Nina and Eddie’s cubicle. ‘You two, freeze!’
Ogleby scurried up behind him. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Sir, these two are intruders! They’re not authorised to be here!’
‘What? But – but they were on the system!’
‘I’m just going by what Colonel Kern told me, sir.’
Eddie cautiously raised his hands. ‘Hey, ah don’ know wart the prahblem hee-ah is, but there’s ahhbviously been some mistarke.’
Ogleby boggled. ‘Where exactly are you supposed to be from, captain? Australia?’
The airman stepped into the cubicle. ‘I’ve got orders to take you both into custody. Miss, drop that box.’
‘No, don’t drop it!’ Ogleby snapped. He glared at the guard. ‘The contents are fragile, you idiot! Dr Wilde, put it down very carefully.’
‘Like this?’ Nina said, tossing it straight at the airman.
He reacted instinctively, pulling the trigger—
There was a loud clanging impact and a crack of glass. The flying box jolted, but carried on along its arc to hit the man’s gun hand. Before he could bring his weapon back up, Eddie lunged at him and drove a crunching punch into his face. The airman fell, a heel to his groin making sure he wouldn’t be getting up for a while.
Eddie shot a look of mixed anger and relief at his wife as he took the gun. ‘That was a fucking stupid thing to do.’