to make himself as small as possible. He had the pistol hidden in his fatigues and carried both rifles in one hand. He made it to the white building without being stopped. Then he was inside, and able to breathe easier. He made his way to the lab, where he found the dead body of Walther Kerner.
"So the thieves are falling out," he muttered.
He looted the medicine cabinets for the chemicals he needed and within five minutes had a fire going. It was the type of fire that could never be put out. It would die out only when there was nothing left to burn. By that time the building would be a smoldering ash.
He was sweating now from the blazing flames.
He started out when he heard footsteps. Coming down the corridor was a thick-set man in a white jacket. He wore eyeglasses that were as thick as the bottoms of milk bottles. He was muttering in German. In his hand was a Luger.
Nick backed off, raising one of the rifles. The other was on the floor. The man stepped into the lab, saw the flames and Nick, and cried out something and aimed his Luger in Nick's direction.
Nick fired, and the bullet caught the man in the left shoulder. The man stood his ground. He fired again.
Nick felt a sharp stab of pain in his left side. He fired twice, and the German dropped the Luger, clutched his belly, and fell forward. The flames were at Nick's back. He didn't bother picking up the second rifle but ran for the corridor. He jumped over the dead German's prone body and raced down the corridor. At the other end, coming toward him, were Chinese guards. He fired his rifle till it was empty. Then he retreated. Back to the lab.
It was a raging inferno.
He picked up the dead German's Luger. He couldn't get the other rifle. The flames had engulfed it.
He had started the fire. He knew what it could do.
To his left was a doorway. That was the doorway Lotus had used when she had first found the lab. He made for it, stopped, turned, and got down on one knee, the Luger steady in his hand.
The guards poured into the lab, halted as the heat of the flames reached them. Then they saw Nick.
Nick made the Luger jump in his hand. The flames were now between him and the guards. He fired the last two bullets through the flames. Then, in an act of defiance, he threw the Luger at the remaining guards. He knew he had killed at least four of them.
He got up quickly and ran, his hand reaching inside his fatigues for the pistol he had taken from one of the guards Lotus had killed.
By some miracle the corridor was empty.
He was in the compound, amid chaos, confusion and screaming Chinese soldiers. Nobody seemed to notice him. One sergeant was trying to bring order out of chaos. He was telling the men to form bucket brigades.
Nick ran to the mess hall and found Lotus, watching the fire with excited eyes. "The roof is caving in," she said, pointing.
Nick watched the roof of the building collapse. He gripped the girl's shoulder. This is the time to make a break. Even if we break the circuit of the electric eye beams we may still get away with it. The guards have too much on their minds to worry about any alarms."
They walked slowly at first, skirting the mob of soldiers, then made a quick dash between two plaster poles. Nobody tried to stop them. They kept running till they were exhausted and then they dropped to the ground. Nick looked back and saw the fire still raging. It was orange and yellow against the hazy sky.
"Now what?" she asked.
"The man with the frozen face," Nick said grimly.
Chapter 13
Bormann was cradling the phone when Captain Stryker knocked urgently on his door. "Come in," he barked. Stryker walked in, his face florid. "Sim Chan is here. She insists on seeing you. I don't like the look of it She has blood in her eye."
"Too early in the morning to be melodramatic," Bormann growled. "Where
is
she?"
"In your office. I told her to wait there."
"Let me get dressed. Tell her I'll be with her shortly." Bormann watched Stryker leave, then started
"So the thieves are falling out," he muttered.
He looted the medicine cabinets for the chemicals he needed and within five minutes had a fire going. It was the type of fire that could never be put out. It would die out only when there was nothing left to burn. By that time the building would be a smoldering ash.
He was sweating now from the blazing flames.
He started out when he heard footsteps. Coming down the corridor was a thick-set man in a white jacket. He wore eyeglasses that were as thick as the bottoms of milk bottles. He was muttering in German. In his hand was a Luger.
Nick backed off, raising one of the rifles. The other was on the floor. The man stepped into the lab, saw the flames and Nick, and cried out something and aimed his Luger in Nick's direction.
Nick fired, and the bullet caught the man in the left shoulder. The man stood his ground. He fired again.
Nick felt a sharp stab of pain in his left side. He fired twice, and the German dropped the Luger, clutched his belly, and fell forward. The flames were at Nick's back. He didn't bother picking up the second rifle but ran for the corridor. He jumped over the dead German's prone body and raced down the corridor. At the other end, coming toward him, were Chinese guards. He fired his rifle till it was empty. Then he retreated. Back to the lab.
It was a raging inferno.
He picked up the dead German's Luger. He couldn't get the other rifle. The flames had engulfed it.
He had started the fire. He knew what it could do.
To his left was a doorway. That was the doorway Lotus had used when she had first found the lab. He made for it, stopped, turned, and got down on one knee, the Luger steady in his hand.
The guards poured into the lab, halted as the heat of the flames reached them. Then they saw Nick.
Nick made the Luger jump in his hand. The flames were now between him and the guards. He fired the last two bullets through the flames. Then, in an act of defiance, he threw the Luger at the remaining guards. He knew he had killed at least four of them.
He got up quickly and ran, his hand reaching inside his fatigues for the pistol he had taken from one of the guards Lotus had killed.
By some miracle the corridor was empty.
He was in the compound, amid chaos, confusion and screaming Chinese soldiers. Nobody seemed to notice him. One sergeant was trying to bring order out of chaos. He was telling the men to form bucket brigades.
Nick ran to the mess hall and found Lotus, watching the fire with excited eyes. "The roof is caving in," she said, pointing.
Nick watched the roof of the building collapse. He gripped the girl's shoulder. This is the time to make a break. Even if we break the circuit of the electric eye beams we may still get away with it. The guards have too much on their minds to worry about any alarms."
They walked slowly at first, skirting the mob of soldiers, then made a quick dash between two plaster poles. Nobody tried to stop them. They kept running till they were exhausted and then they dropped to the ground. Nick looked back and saw the fire still raging. It was orange and yellow against the hazy sky.
"Now what?" she asked.
"The man with the frozen face," Nick said grimly.
Chapter 13
Bormann was cradling the phone when Captain Stryker knocked urgently on his door. "Come in," he barked. Stryker walked in, his face florid. "Sim Chan is here. She insists on seeing you. I don't like the look of it She has blood in her eye."
"Too early in the morning to be melodramatic," Bormann growled. "Where
is
she?"
"In your office. I told her to wait there."
"Let me get dressed. Tell her I'll be with her shortly." Bormann watched Stryker leave, then started
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