Free Council of Evil by Andy Briggs Page B

air rush into the cockpit, and he started to sweat under his thick leather jacket. A rich, fragrant aroma hit his nostrils, and a cacophony of birdsong whistled through the air. Before he could take it all in, the platform plummeted underground. Black walls immediately replaced his view. Jake looked up to see the circular portal of daylight grow smaller by the second.
    The chute gave way to a spacious cavern, and they came to a smooth halt. Several circular doorways radiated from the cavern like the points on a compass. The stolen Core Probe rested on a steel framework in the center of the chamber, connected to banks of computers. Tools and workbenches were strewn everywhere, giving theappearance of a disorganized garage. Dozens of thick power cables snaked across the bare rock walls and domed ceiling, powering suspended floodlights. There was nothing else in the room, and Jake had the feeling that the base had only recently, and hastily, been constructed.
    Basilisk spread his arms and boomed enthusiastically. “And here we are! What do you think?” His voice echoed from the rough stone walls.
    â€œUh, good?” Jake was feeling disappointed. He had expected more teams of people running around, computers, and other paraphernalia. All brand new and squeaky clean.
    Basilisk picked up on his unimpressed tone. “We’re a quarter of a mile below an active volcano, on my own private island! What does it take to impress kids today?”
    â€œI was just expecting more people.”
    â€œI have a skeleton staff running this joint. People cost money, boy! And that’s what we need right now.”
    â€œYou said you didn’t want money,” said Jake, who was always reluctant to part with his cash.
    â€œI said I didn’t want
your
money. And I also said that this is stage two. You’re going to help me get rich. ‘Us’ rich, I mean,” he added hastily.
    Jake followed Basilisk through one of the doors, which rotated open with a faint
schnickt
sound, like a camera iris. It led to an equally unimpressive passageway fortyfeet long that was hewn from the rock and ended in another circular door.
    The next room was slightly more impressive. It was roughly the size of Jake’s house, with a massive screen mounted on the wall showing multiple camera views across the island. More cables ran across the floor to dozens of computers on desks so new that the cardboard packaging was still propped against the wall. Six technicians, wearing white coveralls with their regular clothes underneath, sat at the terminals. They all looked up respectfully as their boss entered.
    â€œSatisfied?” Basilisk asked sarcastically.
    â€œIt’s better. I guess you haven’t had the place very long?”
    â€œLess than a month. Now pay attention to the screen.” The island views gave way to a live satellite image of the earth. “To rule, you must have power and money, and to get money you need leverage. And a command center like this,” he gestured to the room around him.
    â€œWhat do you mean by leverage?”
    â€œLeverage is something you use to threaten people to get your way.”
    â€œLike threatening to punch some kid if he doesn’t hand over his lunch money?” asked Jake, drawing from his own real-life example.
    â€œExactly. Except countries tend to be a little mean about handing over their lunch money, unless youthreaten more than one of them. Like the entire world, for example.”
    A flat map replaced the satellite image. A flashing blip indicated their location just below the equator in the Pacific Ocean. From the amateur quality of the graphics, Jake could tell they were created cheaply. But he kept quiet.
    â€œWe have the Core Probe, and with it the power to pierce the earth’s heart.” The computer graphics abruptly changed to a cutaway view of the earth, and the blinking dot traveled slowly through the different layers of the earth, toward