Andy McDermott - The Hunt For Atlantis

“But really, we should…” Nina cringed again as the second lid slammed to the ground. She went to look inside while Frost was still engrossed with the first corpse, teasing a piece of the king’s curled lips into a plastic container.

Queen Calea was in much the same state as her husband, only the tattered remains of the clothing providing any immediate indication that the body was that of a woman. “It’s Camilla Parker-Bowles!” Chase exclaimed jovially as he peered into the sarcophagus.

“Will you shut up?” Nina demanded.

“Kari,” said Frost, not looking up from his “operation,” “I think it might be safer if you took Nina back to the helicopter.”

Kari looked puzzled. “Safer? I’m sure Josef’s men can keep Qobras’s people under control.”

“I want to be sure. Go on, Kari.”

“But there’s still so much to do. We haven’t even started to explore the other temples yet,” Nina objected.

“Once the site is secured, we can return to it at any time. This was a rescue mission, not an archaeological survey-we don’t have any of the necessary equipment.”

“Except for your surgical kit, apparently…”

Frost fixed her with a stern look. “I’m not prepared to argue about this. Kari, you told me her safety was your first concern. You can make sure she stays safe by taking her back to the helicopter. Go.”

Kari seemed about to object, but then gave in. “Yes, Far,” she said. “Come on, Nina.”

“What about Qobras?” Nina asked dubiously.

“We’ll turn him and his men over to the Chinese authorities,” said Frost, snapping his sample container closed and moving to the second sarcophagus. “He committed murder on their territory, they can handle him.”

“Might be hard to prove after all this time,” said Chase. “And I thought you said he was above the law.”

“I have some influence with the Chinese.” Frost looked up at Kari and Nina. “Please, go to the helicopter. I’ll take care of things here.”

“Okay…” said Kari with a little reluctance, taking Nina’s hand. Considerably more reluctantly, Nina allowed herself to be led out of the temple. Chase waved at her. She returned the gesture.

“He’s right,” said Kari. “It’s safer, at least until we can secure the site.”

“You don’t sound convinced,” Nina observed.

“I’m… disappointed,” she admitted. “I wanted to explore this place as much as you do. But…” She looked at the black-clad guards around the prisoners. “Father’s right, it’s not safe.”

She told two of Frost’s men to escort her and Nina back to the helicopter, and they began the trek out of the vast cavern.

“Got it,” said Frost, closing a second plastic container. He carefully placed it next to its twin in the pouch, then slipped it back inside his coat. “That’s it. Everything I came for.”

“I thought you came here to rescue Nina?” Chase said pointedly. Frost ignored him, leaving the temple. Schenk went with him. Chase made a face, then jogged down the steps after them.

He clambered through the hole and took in the scene. Nina and Kari had gone, but Qobras and his surviving companions were still on their knees surrounded by guards. Frost and Schenk were talking quietly.

He decided to check the bomb again. Its timer was paused at just over five minutes to detonation. “Shouldn’t we disarm this thing?” he called to Frost.

“It will be fine for the moment, Mr. Chase,” Frost replied, before resuming his muted conversation.

Chase shrugged, then walked over to the prisoners. He stood before the kneeling Starkman, who still had his hands behind his head. “So, Jason. Now that we can actually have a proper chat, you mind telling me why you betrayed your mates and joined up with this twat?” He jabbed a thumb at Qobras.

“Because he’s the good guy, Eddie,” said Starkman, his eye glittering in the flashlight’s beam.

“Murdering innocent people, blowing stuff up, sinking ships-yeah, he sounds like a right Samaritan to me.”

“It’s for the greater good, believe me. You know me-”

“I used to know you,” Chase interrupted. “I thought I knew you. Now? I don’t have a fucking clue what’s going through your head.”

“You should still know that I wouldn’t take on a job if I didn’t believe in what I was doing. That never changed in all the years I knew you. It still hasn’t.”

“So you believe in what you’re doing,” Chase was forced to concede. The Texan had always been consistent in that much, at least. “Doesn’t make it right.”

“There are things I haven’t been proud of, sure. But the alternative’s worse. Which is letting your buddy Frost there get what he wants.”

“I already have what I want, Mr. Starkman,” Frost cut in.

“And why do you want it?” Qobras demanded, still defiant. “You’ve found the last outpost of Atlantis-and a sample of pure Atlantean DNA. But for what purpose?”

Frost gazed down at him, a half-smile on his lips. “I’m almost tempted to let you go to your grave without ever knowing the truth. But…” The smile vanished, his expression turning to stone. “We’re going to remake the world as it should be. With a ruling elite of pureblooded Atlanteans-and the worthless trash of humanity removed.”

Qobras’s disbelief slowly turned to horror. “My God… you’re even more insane than I thought. You never wanted a pure DNA sample so you could identify the rest of your kind-you wanted it so you could immunize yourselves! That lab of yours-you’re using it to create a bioweapon!”

“Wait, what?” said Chase, looking anxiously between the two men. “A bioweapon? Is this true?”

“That doesn’t concern you, Mr. Chase,” Frost replied, not taking his eyes off Qobras. “But now, Giovanni, now that you know the truth, now that you know the Brotherhood has failed … it is over.”

He pulled out his pistol and fired.

He had lied to Nina. It was loaded.

The crack of the shot echoed off the surrounding buildings as the back of Qobras’s skull blew open, splattering the men behind him with gore. Philby screamed, trying to scramble away until one of the guards kicked him back.

“Jesus!” Chase gasped, appalled.

“Get him up,” Frost told one of his men, indicating Philby. The professor shrieked in terror as he was hauled to his feet. “Shut up,” Frost snapped. “We’re taking you with us. Move him away from the others.”

Philby was pulled aside as the other guards, responding to a nod from Schenk, raised their MP-7s to a firing position.

“Wait, wait, stop!” Chase protested, stepping between Starkman and the nearest guard. “What the hell are you doing? You can’t just execute them!”

“Actually, Mr. Chase,” said Frost, “I can. In fact, now that I have what I came for…” his expression turned more stony than ever, “I’m terminating your employment.” He barked an order in Norwegian… and Chase found the guards’ guns pointing at him.

“What the fuck is this, boss?” he asked, warily raising his hands. Schenk took his Wildey and pushed him back into the circle of prisoners.

“This is the end,” said Frost. He looked at Schenk. “Restart the timer.”

“There’s only five minutes left,” Schenk replied. “Will that be enough time to get clear?”

“It will if we run.”

“Wait,” said Chase, “after everything you’ve been through to find this place… you’re just going to blow it up?”

Frost shrugged. “I no longer need it. These DNA samples are worth more than any amount of ancient treasure. Start the timer,” he ordered Schenk again. The German nodded and moved to obey.