“Of course.” Nesbitt slams the palm of his hand into his forehead. “All we need is some mining equipment, explosives, lifting gear, a few diggers. Shouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks.”
We know he’s right. And I know that the only way in is the way I’ve thought all along.
“I have to go to the door and knock.”
They all look at me, except Gabriel, who acknowledges I’m right by keeping his head down.
“She won’t kill me. Not straightaway anyway. She’ll want to know if I’ve got Marcus’s head or heart.”
“How long do you think it’ll be before she works out the answer?” Nesbitt says.
“About ten seconds,” Gabriel replies, looking up at me.
“Yes,” I say. “But she’ll want to listen to what I have to offer. Last time I saw her she had just heard that Rose was dead, Marcus had given me three gifts and Hunters were invading her valley. She was furious and afraid. She’ll be neither of those when I walk in this time.”
“You hope,” Nesbitt says.
“So,” I continue, “I’ll say I want her to release Annalise. What will she accept instead of Marcus’s death?”
Gabriel comments, “Yours probably.”
“There’s the risk of that but I’m betting that Mercury will want to cause me as much pain as possible. She’ll want to show me Annalise, revel in her victory. I think she’ll invite me in. I think she’ll talk to me.”
They all stare at me.
“And then what?” Gabriel says. “Now you’ve done that so successfully.”
“And then . . . And then you guys will have sneaked in behind me and will overpower Mercury, give her the persuading potion, find out how to wake Annalise, and we’ll make our escape.”
Nesbitt laughs. Gabriel rolls his eyes.
Van says, “It might work.”
We all look at her in surprise.
“Getting us all in is the trick. Mercury knows that Pilot was going to bring her a new apprentice,” Van says, looking at Pers, who is scowling in the corner. “Perhaps there’s a way of using her.”
“I could take Pers to Mercury. She’d trust me,” Gabriel says. “I can watch Mercury to see what spell protects the entrance.”
Silence. Van smokes her cigarette.
I say, “I don’t think Gabriel should come.” If Mercury sees us together she’ll be more suspicious. “How about . . . I arrive with Pers. I’ve rescued her from Pilot’s attackers. ‘Don’t know what to do with her, thought she’d be happy with you, Mercury. Oh, and by the way, how’s Annalise?’ Mercury takes me to Annalise and Pers has time to work out the entrance spell.”
“She’s French. She doesn’t understand a word of English. And she doesn’t want to help you anyway,” Gabriel says.
“Tell her I’m bound to get killed and she’ll have the chance to watch. That should motivate her.”
“No,” Van says. “You and Pers are needed to get in but someone else will have to learn about the access spell. This idea is good, though. With a few small changes it might work . . .”
Mercury’s Bunker
The next morning we’re ready. It’s early. There’s a clear, pale blue sky. It’s going to be a lovely day.
Nesbitt says, “I’ve checked all around. This is the only entrance. Mercury must have a cut inside because I just don’t see how she can get the groceries in from this spot. The big question is . . . is she home?”
“Only one way to find out,” I say.
The entrance to the bunker is a narrow tunnel in the hillside. It gives no indication of how far it stretches as within a meter it’s black. The wooded hillside overlooks the lake. There are no footpaths, dog-walkers, or people. This isn’t England; this is Norway. Remote Norway.
Gabriel and I walk up to the entrance: the first wave of our infiltration. Gabriel has transformed to look like Pers and is wearing her clothes. He looks just like her, walks like her, talks like her, and scowls like her. I’m fairly sure that he’s going to spit at me at some point, for authenticity.
Our plan is for me and Gabriel to get into the bunker first. I’ll tell Mercury that I’m bringing Pers from Pilot and while I’m here I need to see Annalise, to be convinced she’s still alive. Mercury takes me to Annalise, and Gabriel slips away to let the others in. Nesbitt and Gabriel together surprise and overpower Mercury and give her a sleeping potion that Van has concocted. We think the two of them will have the strength to do this if they can get close enough without her suspecting. While Mercury is unconscious the persuading potion can be administered by Van.
There are numerous ways that the plan could go wrong and, if Mercury even smells a trick, we’re all in trouble, in which case we’ve agreed that we forget the plan to save Annalise and concentrate on saving ourselves. As Nesbitt said, “We can’t help her if we’re all dead.”