Matthew Reilly - 1999 - Temple by Matthew Reilly

Author:Matthew Reilly
Language: eng
Format: MOBI, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

FIFTH MACHINATION

Tuesday, January 5, 1815 hours THE MADRE DE DIOS GOLDMINE

‘Who are you?’ Odilo Ehrhardt demanded in German, slapping Renee hard across her face.

‘I told you,’ she yelled back at him. ‘My name is Renee Becker and I am a special agent with the Bundes Kriminal Amt?

The white helicopter was now flying low over the river, heading east. Race and Renee sat in the rear compartment, handcuffed. Before them sat Ehrhardt, Anistaze and Craterface. A lone pilot was up front flying the chopper.

Ehrhardt turned to face Race. ‘So who, then, are you?’

‘He’s American—’ Renee said.

Ehrhardt hit her again. Hard. ‘I wasn’t addressing you.’

He turned back to Race. ‘Now, who are you? FBI? Or are you Navy? A SEAL team, perhaps hell, you must be SEALs to take out our boats like that.’

‘We’re DARPA,’ Race said.

Ehrhardt frowned. Then he began to chuckle softly. ‘No, you’re not,’ he said, leaning forward, sticking his round fleshy face right in front of Race’s.

Race thought he was going to be sick. Ehrhardt was disgusting, vile, obese to the point of being grotesque, reeking of body odour and possessed of an evil moonlike face. A thin string of saliva smacked between his lips when he spoke and his breath smelled like horseshit.

‘I’m working with Doctor Frank Nash,’ Race said, trying desperately to remain calm. ‘He’s a retired Army colonel working with the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency in conjunction with members of the United States Army.’

‘Frank Nash, eh?’ Ehrhardt said, expelling his foul, rancid breath all over Race’s face.

‘That’s right.’

‘And who, then, might you be, Little Man Trying To Be So Brave?’ he said, as he lifted Race’s Yankees cap off his head.

‘My name is William Race,’ Race said, grabbing his cap with his cuffed hands. ‘I’m a professor of ancient languages at New York University.’

‘Ah,’ Ehrhardt said, nodding. ‘So you are the one they brought along to translate the manuscript. Very good, very good. Before I have you killed, Mister William Race, professor of ancient languages at New York University, I would like to correct a certain misimpression that you appear to possess.’

‘And what is that?’

‘Frank Nash is not with DARPA.’

‘What?’ Race said, frowning.

‘And he most certainly is not a retired Army colonel, either. On the contrary, he is most active indeed. For your information, Colonel Francis K. Nash is the head of the United States Army’s Special Projects Unit.’

‘What?’ Race didn’t get it. Why would Nash say he was DARPA when in fact he wasn’t?

‘Ahha!’ Ehrhardt cackled, clapping his hands. ‘I love to see the look of betrayal on a man’s face just before he is about to die.’

Race was thoroughly confused now. He didn’t know what to think. Even if Nash wasn’t with DARPA, what did it matter? The Supernova was an Army project, and Nash was with Army Special Projects. Unless … Ehrhardt turned to Anistaze.

‘So. The American Army is here, too. What do you say about that?’

‘There must be another mole,’ Anistaze said, ignoring Race and Renee entirely.

‘In DARPA?’ Ehrhardt said.

Anistaze nodded.

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