Dorian glanced away absently. In the background, he heard the radio crackle and the security man barking orders. Reed was here, trying to kill the power. He wouldn’t be alone. Where had he been for the last four years — if he wasn’t dead? Why the power?
The security chief leaned over. “We have the charges and timer. We’re taking them out of the building. We’ve reviewed the security footage since he entered, they are the only threat. We’re surrounding him. Do you want us to—”
“Don’t shoot him. Where is he now?” Dorian said.
The chief held up the tablet, pointing to a place on the map.
Dorian tapped another location on the map. “What is this room?”
“One of the reactor halls, just a passage way between reactors one and two.”
Dorian pointed at two large doors on opposite sides. “These are the only two entrances and exits?”
“Yes. And the room has 10-foot concrete walls on all sides.”
“Perfect. Drive him in there and close the door,” Dorian said. What was he missing? He waited while the security chief worked the radio. The children. “What’s the status of the children?”
The chief looked confused at the question. “In their holding cell.”
“Show me.”
The chief jabbed the tablet. Then looked up in surprise.
“Find them,” Dorian said.
The chief yelled into his radio. They waited a few moments, the radio squawked a few times and the chief typed into the tablet, handing it to Dorian just as another video came to life: Naomi, and with her, Kate Warner and the children. Was it the worst news ever or the best news ever?
The chief was screaming into his radio with the other hand.
Dorian thought. Could it be just the two of them?
“We’ll have them momentarily, sir. I don’t know how—”
Dorian held a hand up, not looking at the man. “Stop talking.”
What to do? Clearly there was still a security breach, a serious one. And there were only a few suspects. Dorian motioned to one of the staffers he’d brought with him. “Logan, send a memo to the Immari Council: China facility under attack. We are attempting to secure, but anticipate all research capabilities will be destroyed. As such, proceeding with Toba Protocol with all haste. Will post further updates as events develop. Include the videos of the man in the power plant and the two girls trying to extract the children. I want to know the minute anyone responds.”
The chief rocked back on his heels. “We have them, sir.”
“Great work, truly,” Dorian said derisively.
The chief swallowed and said with less confidence, “Should we…”
“Take the two girls to the Bell, put them in with all the other subjects that are ready, but make sure they get in. I want them at the front of the line. Then throw the switch as soon as possible — tell Chang no excuses.” Dorian paused. Kate Warner, in the Bell room, it was such sweet, sweet justice. And there was nothing Martin could do. There would be nothing anyone could do soon. It was actually working out better than he could have planned. Dorian motioned to Dr. Chase. “Are all the nukes on train cars?”
“Yes, except for the Belarus devices and… the portable—”
“Good.” Dorian turned back to the chief. “Put the kids on the train car with the nukes and move it out of here right now.” He swiveled on Dr. Chase. “And I expect you to be on that train as well, and by the time it reaches the coast, either those eggs will fit in a backpack or you will. You understand?”
Dr. Chase nodded and looked away.
The chief listened, then dropped the radio to his side. “The saboteur is locked in reactor hall two.”
“Alright. Make sure none of the remaining train cars leave. We need them to move something else.” Dorian walked over to Dmitry Kozlov, second-in-command of Dorian’s personal Immari Security unit.
“When the Bell is finished, load the bodies on those train cars and move them out,” Dorian said. “We need to set up a loading zone, probably Northern India, somewhere with access to airports.”
“What about the rest of the staff here?”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Dorian said as he led Dmitry farther away from any of the other staff. “They’re a liability. We certainly can’t let anyone leave, at least not until Toba is in full swing. We have another problem. There are only 119 human subjects on-site.”
The man saw the implication immediately. “Not enough bodies.”
“Not even close. I think we can solve both issues, but it won’t be easy.”
Dmitry nodded and glanced over at the scientists milling around in the lab. “Process the staff through the Bell? I agree. It would require Chang’s team to operate the machinery… on their own people. Doable, but it could get ugly. There are at least 100 security personnel on site. They won’t go quietly, even if we segregate them and orchestrate it as a drill.”
“What do you need?” Dorian said.
“50, maybe 60 men. Immari Security or Clocktower field agents would be ideal. Immari Security is purging the New Delhi Clocktower station now. We might be able to task the remaining field operatives.”
“Make it happen,” Dorian said as he stepped away.