The Lethal Target(40)

‘But spontaneous human combustion is supposed to happen without damaging the area immediately around,’ said Muir.

‘And you think it worth taking that chance?’ asked Lemski sarcastically. ‘The byre is made of stone. Perfectly safe.’ He said something in Russian to the two remaining men, and then gestured to Muir. ‘Come, let us make sure that everything is ready for the experiment. And while we do that, we can discuss which of these two will be our first guinea pig.’

Muir hesitated. He was obviously keen to get going, inject either Lauren or Robbie at once, but then he shrugged and left the room. Just before Lemski followed him, Lemski gave a last order in Russian; then the professor went out, pulling the door shut after him.

As Jake watched, the taller of the two men went to a cupboard and produced a roll of tape. Jake guessed they were going to gag Lauren and Robbie to stop them shouting out. Not that there was much chance of anyone hearing them at this remote spot; but they would have to drag them across open ground to the byre outside, and there was more chance of a shout for help being heard.

The tall man with the tape went to Lauren first and tried to tape over her mouth, but Lauren kept moving her head left and right, dodging. The tall man swore and tried to hold her head still with one hand and put the tape on with the other, but Lauren continued jerking her head around so it became an impossible task for the man. The tall man snapped something in Russian, and the other man, the shorter of the two, went to Lauren and grasped her head in both hands to hold it secure.

This is my only chance! thought Jake. It’s now or never! He picked up one of the dusty bottles, kicked open the cupboard door, and hurled himself into the room, swinging the bottle down hard on the head of the tall man. The bottle smashed and the tall man collapsed. The shorter man gaped at Jake, shocked by his sudden appearance. And then he reached for the gun in his holster.

Desperately, Jake snatched up the nearest object, the hypodermic needle lying on the table, and hurled it at the man with all his might. The long needle went through the man’s shirt into his chest. The man stumbled and fell backwards, and in an effort to regain his balance reached out towards Robbie, but he fell and banged the plunger of the hypodermic against the bound boy’s arm.

The man looked down at the hypodermic sticking out of him, the plunger now pressed in. He fell back, pulling at the hypodermic, tearing it out of his body, but even as he did so smoke began to rise from his skin. He screamed, a shrilly dreadful noise, and then his scream was cut off as smoke poured out of his mouth and nostrils . . . and then there was a blinding white flash, and his body was enveloped in flames.

Jake was only aware of this out of the corner of his eye, he was already using the sharp glass from the broken bottle to cut through the ropes that tied Lauren to the chair. As she came free, he turned his attention to Robbie.

Lauren stumbled to her feet, and Jake saw that her eyes were fixed in horror on the burning man, covered in flames from his ankles to the top of his head.

‘Help me!’ Jake urged her. Lauren snapped out of her trance, snatching up another piece of broken glass and set to work cutting the ropes around Robbie’s ankles as Jake freed the boy’s wrists. Outside, they could hear running footsteps approaching.

‘The table!’ yelled Jake.

Together, the three of them dragged the table across the room and placed it in front of the door. They were just in time; the door bulged inwards as weight was thrown against it. From outside came angry shouts in Russian, and then Muir’s voice calling, ‘What the hell’s going on?’

Jake gave the table one last push into place as Lauren snatched up the book, and followed Robbie, running for the cupboard, and the secret back entrance to the tunnel. Not that it was a secret any longer; the cupboard door was hanging open and shattered from Jake’s kick. And there was no time to slip the back of the cupboard into place; the enemy would be inside this room any moment. As Jake turned to follow Lauren and Robbie, there was the deafening sound of gunfire. Splinters of wood tore into the room from the door and Jake felt something rip at his jacket. A bullet! Jake hurled himself forward across the room, into the cupboard, as more bullets were fired blindly from the other side of the door.

As Jake dived into the tunnel, he heard a crash as the table was smashed back. They were in the room! By then he was running, almost falling down the stone steps of the tunnel, aware that their enemies were now very close behind them, armed, and ready to kill.





Chapter 22



Jake half ran, half fell down the stone steps of the tunnel, running blind and crashing into the rock walls.