“We’ll never be able to move all this in time,” Chin said. “We have only fifteen minutes.”
Kowalski nodded. “Time for Plan B, boss.” He looked over at Painter. “You do have a Plan B, right?”
Painter headed back into the main temple. “We can try to move as much as we can. Maybe lessen the chance it’ll ignite Yellowstone’s caldera.”
Kowalski followed, pitching other ideas like hardballs. “How about we come down here with blowtorches? Doesn’t heat kill this stuff?”
“Take too long,” Chin said. “And I don’t think a flame’s even hot enough.”
“Then how about we drop a bunker buster up top.”
Painter fielded that one. “We’re too deep.”
“What about the nuclear option?”
“Last resort,” Painter said. “And we might end up causing what we’re trying to prevent.”
Kowalski tossed his arms high. “There’s got to be something we can do.”
As they entered the Holy of Holies chamber, a thin figure burst through the gold chain curtain. He skidded to a stop, gaping momentarily at all the gold.
Kai stepped toward him. “Jordan . . . ?”
He held up a hand, panting to catch his breath. “Washington called . . . timetable got shortened . . . stuff is gonna blow at six-oh-four.”
Painter didn’t have to check his watch. His internal clock had been counting down all on its own. Two minutes. All eyes stared at him for some solution, some insight.
They were out of options—except for one.
He pointed to the door. “Run!”
Chapter 41
June 1, 6:02 A.M.
Yellowstone National Park
Two minutes . . .
Kai raced with the others through the massive temple. Jordan stuck to her side, which helped keep her on her feet. A part of her simply wanted to crash to her knees and give up. But Jordan would glance her way, silently urging her to stay with him—and she did.
Plus she had another massive incentive.
Ashanda was running alongside her like a juggernaut. If Kai fell, she was sure the woman wouldn’t even slow; she’d simply drag her along. Past Ashanda’s shoulder, Rafael was being carried between his two soldiers, hanging from their shoulders.
The group reached the exit to the temple.
Kai’s uncle and the team geologist led the way, bounding down steps two at a time. Despite their speed, they were deep into a discussion. The geologist pointed to the boiling fountain. Uncle Crowe shook his head.
Behind them all came Kowalski. His large form was not meant for sprinting. He wheezed in the hot air, his face glowing and running with sweat.
“We’ll never make it to the surface,” Kai mumbled as she and Ashanda hurried down the steps.
Jordan refused to give in to despair. “The mouth of the tunnel is pinched. If we get past that squeeze point, we should be okay.”
Kai didn’t know if such an assessment was based on anything more than hope, but she took it to heart. Just get to the tunnel.
With a goal set, she felt better, ran faster.
A cry sounded behind her. Ashanda skidded to a stop. Kai wasn’t as fast and got pulled off her feet by the handcuffs linking them together. Jordan braked and came back to them.
Behind them, Rafael and his two guards tumbled down the stone steps, landing in a tangled heap.
Ashanda headed back to them. Kai had no choice but to follow.
The soldiers disentangled themselves. One limped away a couple of steps, wincing on a twisted ankle. The other simply bounded to his feet, looked around in wild-eyed panic, and fled toward the distant tunnel.
The other guard watched him, seemed to reconsider his own options, and with a hopping, painful bounce to his step, chased after his comrade.
Jordan called to them: “What’re you doing? Help us!”
Uncle Crowe and the geologist stopped as the guards ran past.
Kowalski waved Painter and Chin on. “Go! I got this guy!”
He bent to pick Rafael off the ground. The Frenchman screamed as Kowalski lifted him. Both of the man’s legs were canting at odd angles. Broken. Startled, Kowalski almost dropped him again, not expecting such injuries from a simple tumble.
But Rafael hung on with one arm. “Merci,” he said, his brow pebbling with pained sweat. One hand palmed his ribs on that side, probably broken, too. He pointed his other arm, his eyes catching apologetically on Ashanda. Like Kai, he knew she wouldn’t leave him.
“Go,” he said, both to Kowalski and Ashanda.
They set off again.
Uncle Crowe and the geologist slowed enough not to leave the others totally behind. Kai’s group gave chase, but that small delay may have doomed them all.
Less than a minute left.
“Run ahead!” Kai urged Jordan.