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“Then they have a way out of the mountain that no one can see.”
“I know they absolutely did not take the road down to the lake. And they must be on a plane, no way a car could be moving that fast.”
“Why do you think the tracker came back online?”
“Maybe it rebooted itself once it was free of the EMP zone? Maybe she hasn’t been moving until now. Either way, go finish your shower. It’s probably the last chance you’ll have for a while. I’m calling Nicholas.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
The Kohath Letters
Tunguska, Siberia
July 6, 1908
My dearest Genevieve,
I will try to be home before our baby is born, but I don’t know that the storm will ease enough for me to leave this dacha anytime soon. Think of me with nothing but vodka and a fire as my companions.
Tesla left in the dead of night, a week ago, right after the storm hit. He was devastated by what he calls our failure. I told him over and over it was a great success, but you know Nikola, he’s as big a pessimist as he is brilliant—nothing is ever right for him. It is an incredible sight—the trees were blown down for miles, the skies were as bright as day. The Coil harnessed immense energy, and the explosion was unlike anything I have ever witnessed.
Now I know—it will work. The Coil can be used to draw the earth’s energy into a contained field. I must simply find a way to harness the power to send it straight into the sky and bring down the heavens with it.
I will return home as soon as the snows clear and allow me passage. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
With ardent love a
lways,
Appleton
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Castiglione del Lago, Italy
The Italian police were suitably concerned when Nicholas debriefed them, especially at the news of Lilith Forrester-Clarke’s murder. The officer he was riding with, Dr. Sienza’s deputy inspector brother, Nando, explained that the homicide team had been dispatched to the mountain, and offered to allow Nicholas to tag along while they did their investigation.
But this was the last thing Nicholas wanted to do. He convinced Nando to let him off at the Škoda. His backup gear and the go-bags were in the boot, along with his spare mobile. He got it out immediately and saw four missed calls from Adam.
He called him back. “What’s wrong?”
“Kitsune’s tracker was off, and suddenly, it just came back on. I’d swear no one left the mountain so they must have another way out. Sorry, Nicholas, I can’t think of any explanation. All I know is that somehow, undetected, they managed to get to either a helicopter or a plane.”
“Bugger all. All right, keep watch. Now, back to the Kohaths’ planned attack on D.C. Adam, do you see any weather system on the radar?”
“There is a storm in the Atlantic, yes. It’s been on the news because it’s such an early storm, out of season. Hold on, I’m pulling up the latest track—here we go. All the meteorologists are saying it’s no threat to the eastern seaboard. It’s supposed to move into the Gulf. But you believe the Kohaths can really change its course, strengthen it somehow into a hurricane?”
“Yes, I do, and imagine a tsunami in front of it inundating Washington, wiping out the entire city, killing thousands. They have to be stopped.”
“Nicholas, I’m not sure even you and Mike can stop a hurricane once it’s on course to landfall.”
“We’re going to have to figure out a way. If these two psychopaths can start storms, then Mike and I can stop them. And to have a prayer of doing that, we have to find out where they’re going.”
“With Kitsune’s tracker, I’ve got their coordinates. They’re moving fast—they’re already out of Italian airspace.”
“What’s their heading?”
“West by southwest. Toward Spain.”
