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Monk gave Adam and Phoebe a big smile. “Looks like it’ll just be me joining you.”
“With that settled, let’s get you on your way.” Byrd waved to the waiting helicopter. “Safe travels. Stay in communication at all times. And we’ll do the same.”
The group split off in opposite directions as the helicopter’s rotors spun up.
Monk called back to his companion. “Don’t break anything!”
Kowalski shrugged, clearly promising nothing.
Adam frowned between the two, even more certain about one detail of this mission.
I’d be better off on my own.
10
January 23, 11:48A.M.SGT
Republic of Singapore
Under a dreary drizzle of rain, Gray headed over a pedestrian bridge that crossed the Ayer Rajah Expressway. He carried an umbrella and wore a blue windbreaker against the weather. The day was warm, in the mid-eighties, and sticky.
Below the bridge, traffic was sparse for the normally vibrant and bustling city. The entire region seemed to be holding its breath, hunkering down. Singapore had felt the quake and caught the edge of the tsunami, but it had experienced little of the devastation suffered along the coasts of China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The death toll steadily climbed as rescue operations continued.
And the worst might not be over.
Gray hoped that the geologists’ warnings of a greater cataclysm to come proved to be overblown. For now, all he could do was focus on the task at hand. Monk and Kowalski had already reached the Titan Complex in the Coral Sea. He had also confirmed that Kat was in the air, headed home in a private jet arranged by Painter. Jack and the girls, with the resiliency of the very young, were already recovering from the night of chaos and terror.
With the kids out of harm’s way, Gray felt more centered on the mission. As he reached the end of the pedestrian bridge, he studied his target as it loomed into view.
The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum rose like a seven-story dark gray boulder sitting at the edge of the National University of Singapore. The monolithic structure was nearly windowless, covered from top to bottom in molded concrete planks. The angular shape of its roof and sides made it look as if a giant ark had beached itself on the campus.
To Gray, it was a concrete safe that he needed to crack in order to solve a mystery.
What did the Chinese want with this museum?
Behind him, Seichan murmured with her mother, while Zhuang kept alongside Gray. The two triad leaders had accompanied them to Singapore to assist in the investigation. Guan-yin had a slew of contacts in the area. With the timetable so short, Gray had accepted their help—not that he could have persuaded Seichan’s mother otherwise.
Guan-yin had already proven herself valuable by helping them ferry weapons into Singapore. Gray carried his SIG Sauer P229 at the base of his back, hidden under the fall of a light sweater and a windbreaker. Seichan had Monk’s pistol, a Glock 45, secured in a Kevlar ankle holster.
No doubt, Guan-yin and Zhuang were similarly armed—though the triad lieutenant had left his saber at the hotel on the other side of the expressway. As an extra precaution, Guan-yin wore a crimson silk niqab that wrapped her head and neck, with a gauzy veil over the lower half of her face, hiding her tattoo and scarring.
Zhuang shifted closer to Gray. “What do you hope to gain from coming this early? If the Chinese strike, it will surely be after hours, under the cover of night. And we can already see inside the museum via its security cameras.”
“Cameras are not as good as one’s own eyes.”
While they had been traveling here, Sigma’s resident tech guru, Jason Carter, had hacked the camera feed, offering them a continual view into the museum. But Gray had not been satisfied. There remained too many blind spots. Before nightfall, he wanted to get a better lay of the land, which was best done on foot.
Painter had already confirmed that nothing out of the ordinary had happened at the museum so far. Apparently, it remained unmolested.
Sigma’s director had also delivered a care package to their hotel. It held encrypted sat-phones and e-tablets, radios and throat mikes, but most importantly it contained a quad of IVAS military goggles. The Integrated Augmented Vision System eyewear not only came with the latest night-vision tech, but it allowed the hacked camera feed to appear in the heads-up display inside the goggles.
Before leaving the hotel, Gray had them all insert radio earpieces and tape throat mikes in place. The devices were nearly invisible unless one looked closely. He wanted the group in constant communication. He split the remainder of their gear into shoulder packs, which they all carried.
Gray checked his watch and got them all moving more swiftly. “We need to pick up the pace.”
At noon, they were scheduled for a private tour arranged by Sigma’s contacts at the Smithsonian Institution. It had not been difficult to arrange. Sigma’s headquarters were buried beneath the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall. The site was chosen due to its proximity to both the extensive research labs of the Institution and to the neighboring halls of power in D.C. The location had served the group in the past—and did again now. This tour would allow his team access to the museum’s private spaces, while also bypassing the metal detectors and bag searches at the public entrance.
Gray continued around to the front of the museum. Its façade changed dramatically. The far corner of the building had been carved away, forming a reef of exposed balconies. They were overgrown with trees, shrubs, and ferns, all cascading down in a fall of leafy vegetation. It was meant to represent the lush cliffs of Singapore’s outer islands. Other gardens also surrounded the museum.
