CHAPTER 34
Immari Jakarta Headquarters
Jakarta, Indonesia
Martin stepped out of the elevator onto the helipad. The sun had almost set. The sky was red and the wind at the top of 80-story building blew in from the sea, carrying the smell of saltwater. Ahead of him, Dorian Sloane waited with three of his men. When he saw Martin, he turned and motioned for the helicopter pilot to start the take-off sequence. The engine fired, and the rotor blades started to turn.
“I told you she wouldn’t talk,” Sloane said.
“She needs time.”
“It won’t help.”
Martin straightened. “I know her far better than you do—”
“That’s debatable—”
“Say another word, and I’ll make you sorry.” Martin stepped toward Sloane, now almost shouting over the roar of the helicopter. “She needs time, Dorian. She will talk. I urge you not to do this.”
“You created this situation, Martin. I’m just cleaning it up.”
“We have time.”
“We both know we don’t — you said it yourself. And I was quite amused at the other things you said. I assumed you hated me because you hated my methods and plans.”
“I hate you because of what you did to her—”
“Which wasn’t a tenth of what she did to my family.”
“She had nothing to do with that—”
“Let’s agree to disagree, Martin. And let’s focus on the task at hand.”
Sloane grabbed him by the arm and led him away from the helicopter where it would be easier to talk. And, Martin thought, where Sloane’s men couldn’t hear him.
“Listen, Martin, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll delay Toba Protocol until we find out if this can work. You let us work on the girl, we’ll get what we need in one, maybe two hours tops. If we leave now for Antarctica, we’ll have the information by the time we land. We could test a true Atlantis Gene Retrovirus within 8 hours. I know you’re looking for an entrance.” Martin began to speak, but Dorian waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t bother denying it, Martin. I have a man on the team. Within 24 hours, you and I could walk through the gates of the tombs together. No Toba. This is the only play you have, we both know it.”
“I want your word that she will not be harmed… permanently harmed.”
“Martin. I’m not a monster. We just need what she knows, I would never permanently harm her.”
“We’ll agree to disagree on that point.” Martin looked down. “We should leave now. The Antarctica site is rather hard to get to.”
As they walked to the helicopter, Sloane pulled one of the men aside. “Get Tarea out of that cell, and tell him to find out what Warner did to those kids.”