CHAPTER 7
Two Miles Below Immari Operations Base Prism
Antarctica
The Atlantean stared at Dorian with a look of mild amusement. Dorian’s bullets had gone right through him. Or had his shots missed? Dorian’s eyes went to the other pistol in the chamber.
“You want to try another gun, Dorian? Go ahead. I’ll wait. I’ve got all the time in the world.”
Dorian froze. This thing knew his name. And it wasn’t afraid.
The Atlantean stepped closer to Dorian. He stood in the pool of blood, but not a single drop stuck to his feet. “I know what you came here to do, Dorian.” He stared at Dorian, not blinking. “You came down here to save your father and kill your enemy—to make your world safe. You’ve just killed your only enemy down here.”
Dorian tore his gaze from the monster and scanned the room for something, anything he could use. Sensation had returned to his legs and he stood and staggered backward, away from the Atlantean, never taking his eyes off him. The Atlantean fixed Dorian with a smile, but made no effort to move.
I have to get out, Dorian thought. His mind raced. What do I need? An environmental suit. His father had worn Dorian’s suit out. Kate’s suit had been damaged, but maybe he could repair it. The suits her two mute children had worn would be too small for him, but perhaps he could use some of the material to patch Kate’s suit. He only needed protection from the cold for a few minutes—just long enough to get to the surface and order the attack.
He turned and darted down the corridor, but the doors slammed shut in front of him and all around him, sealing every exit.
The Atlantean materialized in front of Dorian. “You can go when I say you can go, Dorian.”
Dorian stared at him, a mix of defiance and shock on his face.
“What’s it going to be, Dorian? The easy way or the hard way?” He waited, and when Dorian didn’t respond, he nodded dispassionately. “So be it.”
Dorian felt the air drain from the room like a vacuum. All sound faded and a sharp punch hit him in the chest. He opened his mouth and tried in vain to suck a breath. He fell to his knees. Spots dotted his vision. The floor raced up as he fell into darkness.