Kenner shook his head, but Dourado jumped in with the answer. “It’s Talos.”
Pierce wondered if he had heard her correctly. In Greek mythology, Talos was a giant living statue, made of bronze and powered by ichor, the magical blood of the gods. He had seen too much to dismiss the possibility that the myth might have some foundation in reality. Had Tyndareus located an ancient automaton—perhaps one of Alexander’s early experimental creations—and restored it to working order?
“The name is an acronym for Tactical Light Operator Suit,” Lazarus said. “It’s an armored, powered exoskeleton designed for use by the U.S. military. I thought they were still on the drawing board.”
“It is like Iron Man’s armor,” Dourado added. “There’s a whole section of the Cerberus mainframe dedicated to it. They stole the specs from Lockheed Martin. It uses a FORTIS load-bearing wearable exoskeleton, but the exterior shell is made of hollow titanium panels, filled with Kevlar fibers suspended in a non-Newtonian shearing fluid.”
Pierce understood about half of what she said. “Fine. They’ve got a TALOS suit. Good to know. Any sign of Fiona?”
The camera view pulled back, and Dourado resumed the process of scanning and tagging each member of Tyndareus’s group. The display tightened on a pair of walking figures that appeared to be holding hands, and Pierce felt his heart skip a beat as he recognized not only Fiona’s dark hair and slim build, but also the man who held onto her wrist.
“Rohn.” He spat the name out like a mouthful of bile.
“And the man in the suit must be Tyndareus,” Kenner said in a flat voice. Pierce regarded their prisoner for a moment, then turned to Lazarus who was staring at the computer screen, which had reverted back to a wide-angle view. “Any tactical suggestions?”
There was a long delay before the answer. “We have to get her away from the main group.” Another pause. “We’ll need a diversion, something to divide their forces. I’ll take care of that. A hit and run attack on their rear should draw some of them off. The rest of you can then move in and get Fiona out.”
“We would also be dividing our forces,” Pierce said. “You’re the only one with any hostage rescue experience. I’ll provide the diversion. You lead the rescue.” As much as Pierce wanted to lead the charge, real leadership came from identifying your team’s various skill sets and using them for the best possible outcome. Personal feelings just got in the way. He’d learned that from Fiona’s father, though he doubted the man thought Pierce would ever have to put the lesson to use to save his daughter.
Before Lazarus could reply, Kenner spoke up. “There’s a better way.”
Pierce regarded him with open suspicion. Although the man had been nothing but cooperative since his capture, even more so since learning Tyndareus’s true identity, Pierce was a long way from trusting Kenner. He had considered leaving the paleopharmacologist in Rome, but he didn’t want to make him Dourado’s responsibility. “Let’s hear it.”
Kenner looked at Gallo for a moment, as if hoping to elicit her support, then turned to Pierce. “Let me go to them. I can tell Tyndareus that I escaped from you in Brazil. Or better yet, I’ll say you’re dead. Then, as soon as I get the chance, I’ll tell the girl…” He winced and glanced nervously at Lazarus. “Ah, Fiona. I’ll tell Fiona to run.”
Pierce did not know how to react. It was a good plan, maybe better than Lazarus’s desperate diversion, but it would require trusting Kenner, and that was something Pierce was not ready to do. Before he could articulate a response, Gallo spoke up. “It won’t work. Fiona would never trust you.”
Thank you, Augustina.
Then she added. “I’ll go with you.”
“What?”
Gallo pushed ahead, ignoring Pierce’s outburst. “We’ll pretend that you captured me before escaping from the sinkhole. You can say that we figured out the Yellowstone connection together. We might even be able to convince him that you turned me.”
Pierce managed a tight smile. “Augustina, may I speak with you privately?”
Gallo acceded without protest, allowing Pierce to guide her a few steps away from the others. If her determined bearing was any indication, she was not about to back down, but Pierce felt he had to try.
“This is a very bad idea.”
“Actually, it’s a very good idea,” she countered, speaking in an urgent whisper. “You’re right not to trust Liam. If we let him go alone, he’ll sell us out in a heartbeat. But he won’t put me at risk. He still has feelings for me, George.”
The rationale surprised Pierce. “If he realizes you’re playing him, he’ll turn on you.”
“I won’t be playing him. I will simply provide an implicit reminder for him to do the right thing.” She placed a hand on his forearm. “You and the others can follow at a discreet distance. Cintia can watch us from the drone. If I get in trouble, I’ll give the signal, and then you can go to Plan B.”