The Lethal Target(39)

Lauren shook her head. Lemski sighed.

‘Really, Ms Graham, I wonder why you bother with this pretence. It won’t help your situation. It concerns spontaneous human combustion. More precisely, the book contains the formula for an elixir to create it.’ He looked thoughtful. ‘It is based on observations Dioscorides made of the conditions under which it occurs in humans. We have tried to create the condition ourselves, but unfortunately — although they have succeeded — our formulae have had their limitations. In particular, they take too long to take effect.’

‘Just like you’re taking too long to get on with it!’ growled Muir. ‘What is it with you Ruskies! All this talk!’

Yes, please keep talking, Jake begged silently. With a sick feeling, he now knew what they were going to do. They were going to inject Lauren with the formula in the hypodermic, and hope to set off a reaction in which she would burst into flames. I have to stop them! thought Jake. But how?

As well as Lemski and Muir, there were the two other Russians in the room, both armed. They’d shoot him dead as soon as he burst out from his hiding place. His only hope was that Lemski would keep on talking long enough for Jake to come up with something. Some diversion. But even if he did, how would Lauren be able to get away? She was bound securely to the chair.

Suddenly there was shouting outside the door, an angry voice yelling and other raised voices talking in Russian. Then the door burst open and two Russians came in, dragging Robbie between them. Robbie’s hands had been cable-tied together behind his back, and there was a livid bruise over one eye, and blood around his nose and mouth.

One of the Russians said something to the professor, who nodded, and replied in Russian. At once, the two other Russians in the room pulled a chair over, sat Robbie in it and began to tie him up, ropes going around his legs and wrists, the same as Lauren’s bonds.

‘Well, well,’ said Lemski. ‘This is getting exciting, don’t you think, Mr Muir?’

‘You won’t get away with this!’ raged Robbie.

‘Oh, I think we will,’ said Lemski confidently. ‘After all, we got away with getting rid of your uncle when we caught him nosing around.’ He looked pointedly at Muir. ‘Although it was a very unsubtle way to dispose of him. Personally, I’d have preferred to have kept him for something like this.’

‘I didn’t have much choice,’ said Muir. ‘He came at me. I had to defend myself. And anyway, at that stage you didn’t have the book, and we weren’t sure you were going to find it.’

‘I was always sure we were going to find it,’ countered Lemski flatly. ‘The fact that Mr MacClain defended it so fiercely told me it was definitely hidden at this site.’

‘I’ll kill you for what you did to my uncle!’ Robbie spat furiously.

‘I doubt that,’ said Lemski calmly. He smiled. ‘In fact your arrival gives me a choice. Which one of you to use first for the experiment.’

Robbie looked at Lemski warily.

‘What experiment?’ he demanded.

‘He’s going to inject us with some stuff he’s made,’ said Lauren. ‘The formula was in the book. If it works, we’ll burst into flames.’

Robbie looked shocked.

‘That was what the book was about?’

Lauren nodded.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘And now it’s out in the open.’

Robbie shook his head.

‘That’s not possible,’ he said. ‘There’s no such thing. It won’t work.’

‘Oh yes there is,’ said Lemski. ‘We’ve been conducting experiments along this line for some time in Russia. Our big problem has been the time it takes for the reaction to happen. Too long. It allows time for our enemies to take some kind of action against us before combustion happens.’ He tapped the open book. ‘We’re about to find out if Disciorides has the answer to that problem.’

‘So can we finally do it?’ demanded Muir impatiently.

‘Yes.’ Lemski nodded. He looked at Robbie, and at Lauren. ‘The question now is, which one of you goes first.’

‘Do them both,’ said Muir.

‘No,’ said Lemski. ‘We need to keep one in reserve to double-check the results.’ He said something in Russian, and two of the Russians left the room. Muir frowned.

‘What’s happening?’ he said. ‘Why have you sent them to set up the byre? What’s wrong with doing it here?’

Professor Lemski looked at him with the air of someone lecturing a not very bright pupil.

‘This room has wooden panelling, wooden floors, and wooden supports for the ceiling. Do you really think it a good idea to start a fire in here?’