Ice Shock by M. G. Harris

Author:M. G. Harris
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Walker Books
Published: 2009-09-28T16:00:00+00:00

23

The entrance in Structure X leads to a sloping tunnel. It’s wide enough for two people to walk abreast, and meanders deeper and deeper underground. The first few yards of the tunnel seem to be recently cut. After that the walls look exactly like those of the limestone tunnels around Ek Naab. My guess is that the entrance is part of the same system.

We walk just far enough behind “Marius” and the woman he calls “Professor” to be able to benefit from the light of their flashlights. At times it’s hard to believe that they don’t hear us. But they don’t stop yakking loudly for a second. The more I hear, the more uneasy I become.

Now I remember where I’ve heard the name “Martineau.”

Marius Martineau—the Mayanist from the Peabody Museum in Connecticut. The guy who replied to my dad’s e-mail about the Ix Codex, telling him that he was too busy to get involved chasing what was probably a hoax.

Yeah, right.

The NRO told me that Simon Madison sometimes uses the name Martineau.

In the house in Saffron Walden, Madison talked to Thompson’s niece about his father, and then she mentioned the Peabody. Coincidence? I doubt it.

Is Marius Martineau actually Simon Madison’s father? If he is, then it looks even more certain that Martineau and this “Professor” lady are also part of the Sect.

I have my suspicions, but I don’t have to wait long before the couple ahead of us confirm them.

“My son arrived last night. The boy, Josh, almost broke Simon’s wrist. As it is, he’s got a nasty sprain.”

The woman sighs. “We’re going to have to do something about the boy.”

“But what? I’ve always warned Simon not to kill him. If the boy’s death is traced back to me, it could be disastrous for the Sect.”

“Simon probably shouldn’t do it,” she agrees. “For a job like that, we need a professional. Simon’s never actually killed anyone intentionally.”

“Well, that’s partly the problem. Perhaps we should train him.”

“He doesn’t have the temperament, Marius. You ought to know!”

“You’re right, of course,” says Marius with a little sigh. “Now the girl, we should have trained to kill.”

“No, she was right for the job she did. She’s an excellent agent. I wonder how the boy broke her cover?”

They both take their time to ponder that one.

The woman says, “It’s high time we started graduating some of the students at Ticino.”

Ticino? Wasn’t that one of the places on that document?

“They aren’t ready. They’ve had barely half the time it takes the CIA to train an assassin.”

“And they need to be a lot better than the CIA,” she remarks.

“Hire someone from outside the Sect?”

“Never. We must stick to our own rules, Marius.”

“Yes, my dear, you’re right.”

“We’ll get Simon to bring the boy to us. Even if he really is there now, he won’t stay in Ek Naab forever.”

“You read his blog—he has an open invitation to go back.”

I close my eyes in dread. Ollie’s betrayal went all the way. She must have snooped on me when I was using my computer.

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