The other half of the room was slightly smaller and less cluttered. But Krysty’s eyes were drawn instantly to two pieces of equipment. She remembered what Ryan had said about the faded sign.
Though they were much smaller than the mat-trans chambers she had seen in a number of buried redoubts, Krysty didn’t have the least doubt what she was looking athexagonal, made from armaglass, with small metal disks in floor and ceiling. They stood about fifty feet apart.
Then she knew.
Chapter Thirty-One
“It’s an amazing stroke of luck finding a window open like this,” Thea Gibson hissed. “Normally it’s locked tight as a fortress.”
Ryan carefully rearranged the slatted blind so that it looked secure to a casual passerby. “If it hadn’t already been open, we’d have broken a rotten latch like that in all of six seconds.”
The three of them had approached the institute in a looping way, following a narrow trail that the wind had scoured clear of snow. It had taken them hard against the sheer wall of rock to the west, through a screen of pines, close by the research wing of the institute.
Ryan drew the SIG-Sauer, leading the way along the small side passage to the corner of one of the main corridors. He glanced around the angle of the white-painted walls, seeing that it was empty to the right. A series of closed doors led toward the central atrium of the complex.
To the left there was a small sec door, partly closed. Beyond it Ryan could just make out what looked like a barred prison cell. The faint murmur of conversation came from behind the first door.
Ryan retreated to rejoin the other two. “Could be guards, to the left. There’s a half-open door. Like a cell beyond it.”
He turned to the scientist. “What’s there?”
“Experimental failures. They have to be kept locked away for their own safety.” It was clearly a touchy subject, and Ryan had the distinct feeling that the woman was hiding far more than she was telling.
“Sec men?” Trader asked.
“Normally a pair of them. But it looks like the institute is on alert with extra parties outside. So, there might only be one man there.”
Ryan shook his head. “No. Heard talking.”
Trader went to look for himself, then returned. “The way up to the rights clear and open. But we don’t know what’s behind that door to the left. Anyone could open it at any time and we’d be cold-cocked.”
Ryan nodded. “Yeah.”
Tbea Gibson looked from one face to the other. Her severe squint made it difficult to work out just which of them she was actually addressing. “You intend to creep along and murder those men!”
Trader smiled thinly at her. “You got it in one, lady. Guess that’s why you’re a whitecoat and I’m not.”
She swallowed hard. “You saved my life. I know that. I’ll never possibly forget that debt. But you are still enemies of what we do here. If you see the unsuccessful experiments, then you will hate me and hate all of us.”
“Why should that be?” Ryan whispered.
“Because there have to be sacrifices. For science to progress, there will be those who fall by the wayside. Melissa Crichton left us that firm, unshakable belief.”
“Can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs,” Ryan said. “That your belief?”
She looked puzzled, not familiar with the saying. Then its meaning penetrated and she nodded. “I guess so. We are more important than anyone outside the valley. The research matters. It’s so close. Any day now.” She smiled with a touch of smugness. “Any hour now.”
Ryan’s deep unease about why the whitecoats wanted to get their hands on Krysty became worse.
“You want to wait here while we go and do the business with the sec men?” Trader asked.
“Better we go the other way,” she said. “You truly wouldn’t like to see the failed experiments in those rooms beyond the barred door. Trust me, please.”
“We do trust you,” Ryan said, catching the expression on Trader’s face. The older man had moved to stand directly behind the woman.
“I know how much I owe you, but”