rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第68章

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d　it；　and　watched　the　door　begin　to　close。
　e　on；　e　on！
　The　door　seemed　to　inch　its　way　toward　her。　As　soon　as　Megan　could　reach　the　grips　on　the　wheel；　she　began　pulling。
　She　saw　the　flash　of　the　saw　as　it　sliced　through　the　opening；　only　inches　from　her　suit　sleeve。　As　Reed　drew　back　for　another　strike；　she　managed　to　close　the　door　and　spin　the　wheel。　The　locks　set　and　Megan　pulled　the　emergency　lever　to　freeze　them　in　place。
　His　rasping　voice　made　her　heart　jump　into　her　throat。　〃What　a　clever　girl　you　are；　Megan。　Can　you　hear　me？　Did　you　fix　your　inter　too？〃
　Megan　pressed　a　button　on　her　unit　and　heard　a　faint　crackle。
　〃I　can　hear　you　breathing；〃　Reed　said。　〃Or　more　accurately；　hyperventilating。〃
　〃And　I　can　hear　you；　but　not　too　well；〃　she　said。　〃You'll　have　to　speak　up。〃
　〃I'm　glad　you　haven't　lost　your　sense　of　humor；〃　Reed　said。　〃Very　slippery；　what　you　did　back　there。　You　were　playing　possum；　weren't　you？　Waiting　for　me。。。〃
　〃Dylan。。。〃　She　didn't　know　where　to　begin。
　〃You　think　you're　safe；　don't　you？〃　he　said。　〃As　long　as　the　emergency　locks　are　set；　I　can't　get　in。　But　if　you　think　about　it；　Megan；　put　aside　your　panic　and　really　think；　that's　not　true。〃
　Megan　struggled　to　understand　what　he　was　referring　to　but　nothing　came　to　mind。
　〃No　matter　what　you　think　you　can　do；　you'll　never　leave　this　craft　alive；〃　Reed　continued。
　Suppressing　a　shudder；　she　replied：　〃You　won't　win　either；　Dylan。　I'm　going　to　destroy　the　horror　you　made　here。〃
　〃Really？　You　have　no　idea　what　I　did　in　there。〃
　Oh；　yes；　I　do！　〃I'll　find　it！〃
　〃With　less　than　sixty　minutes　from　touchdown？　I　don't　think　so。　It'll　be　all　you　can　do　to　stay　alive　when　we　go　through　the　last　stages　of　reentry。　And　Megan？　Even　if　you　found　it；　what　would　you　do…　dispose　of　it　through　the　waste　portals？　Not　a　bad　idea…　if　we　were　still　in　space。　But　since　you　have　no　idea　what　I　was　working　on；　how　can　you　be　sure　that　it　would　die　once　we're　in　the　earth's　atmosphere？　To　jettison　it　would　mean　running　the　risk　of　possibly　spreading　it。〃
　He　paused。　〃You　didn't　see　the　bodies；　did　you？　Just　as　well；　really。　But　if　you　had；　you　wouldn't　even　think　of　dispersing　a　virus。〃
　Reed　chuckled。　〃Now　you're　asking　yourself；　where　would　I　have　put　it？　How　would　it　be　disguised？　So　many　questions；　and　no　time　to　find　the　answers。　Because　we've　just　about　reached　our　next　bumpy　ride。　If　I　were　you；　I'd　find　something　to　hang　on　to…　fast。〃
　Megan　heard　the　click　of　the　microphone　as　Reed　signed　off。　Then　she　felt　a　tremor　race　through　the　ship　as　the　orbiter　cut　through　another　layer　of　the　earth's　atmosphere。　Without　looking　back；　she　began　pulling　herself　down　the　tunnel　toward　the　Spacelab。
　
　Reed　climbed　back　up　to　the　flight　deck　and　managed　to　strap　himself　into　the　mander's　chair　as　waves　of　turbulence　hit　the　shuttle。　The　orbiter　shuddered；　then　yawed。　Checking　the　instrument　panel；　Reed　noted　that　the　orbital　maneuvering　system　engine　had　fired；　slowing　the　craft　just　enough　so　that　gravity　could　take　effect。　If　all　went　well；　gravity　would　pull　Discovery　out　of　orbit　and　into　a　gentle　glide　to　earth。
　The　shudders　became　a　series　of　vibrations　as　the　craft's　speed　dropped　from　twenty…five　times　to　two　times　the　speed　of　sound。　Then　the　buffeting　ceased　altogether　and　Discovery　turned　into　its　glide　path。　The　munications　blackout　had　ended　and　Reed　heard　Landon's　urgent　voice。
　〃Discovery；　do　you　read？　Dylan；　can　you　hear　me？〃　After　a　pause：　〃Our　instruments　registered　an　onboard　explosion。　Can　you　confirm？　Are　you　all　right？〃
　I　don't　have　time　for　this　right　now；　Harry。
　Reed　closed　the　munications　channel　and　glanced　over　the　instrument　panel　until　he　found　what　he　was　looking　for。　He'd　told　Megan　that　she　was　mistaken　in　thinking　that　he　couldn't　get　past　the　locks　on　the　door　to　the　tunnel。　He　wondered　if　she'd　figured　out　how。　Probably　not。　As　bright　and　as　capable　as　Megan　was；　she　was　still　a　novice。　She　couldn't　have　known　that　a　switch　on　the　flight　deck　could　override　the　locks　on　the　tunnel　door。
　
　
　
　
　There　wasn't　much　to　hang　on　to　inside　the　Spacelab；　so　Megan　improvised。　In　the　center　of　the　lab　was　a　metallic　object　that　looked　like　something　between　a　modern…day　torture　rack　and　a　high…tech　recliner。　Its　technical　name　was　a　Space　Physiology　Experiment。　The　crew　called　it　the　sled　chair。　There；　crew　members；　lying　on　their　backs　and　strapped　in　securely；　underwent　tests　on　joints　and　muscles；　the　effects　of　gravity　on　the　inner　ear　and　on　the　eyeball；　and　various　other　experiments。
　Having　strapped　herself　into　the　sled　chair；　Megan　managed　to　ride　out　the　turbulence。　Now　she　undid　the　straps　and；　with　substantial　effort；　got　to　her　feet。　Light…headedness；　caused　by　decreased　blood　volume；　hit　her　immediately。　Megan　knew　it　would　take　at　least　a　few　minutes　for　the　volume　to　increase　as　the　orbiter　approached　earth。　The　process　would　have　been　faster　if　she'd　had　some　water　and　salt　tablets。
　But　you　don't。　And　you're　running　out　of　time！
　She　looked　at　the　dozen　racks　that　served　as　stations　for　Spacelab　experiments。
　Think！　Where　would　he　have　put　it？
　Megan's　gaze　traveled　to　the　space　accelerator　measurement　system；　then　to　the　critical　point　facility。　No。　She　started　to　move　to　the　microgravity　vestibular　investigator　module；　then　stopped。
　A　virus。。。　Reed　rearranged　the　order　of　the　experiments。　He　put　himself　first；　taking　my　place！　He　needed　the　Biorack！
　Megan　stepped　over　to　the　Biorack　and　fired　up　its　systems。　The　LCD　was　blank。
　Whatever　he　did；　he　erased　the　records。
　Looking　into　the　Glovebox；　she　discovered　it　was　empty。
　This　is　where　you　did　your　work；　you　son　of　a　bitch。　But　where　did　you　put　the　results？
　Megan　checked　both　incubator　units；　the　access　and　control　panels；　and　the　power　panel。　The　latter　had　been　on　even　before　she'd　touched　the　Biorack's　operating　system。。。
　。。。because　the　cooler　is　on！
　Megan　opened　the　cooler　and　checked　the　contents。　Everything　was　in　place。　Nothing　had　been　taken　out　or　added。　That　left　the　freezer。
　Pulling　down　the　panel；　she　quickly　inventoried　the　contents。　At　first　glance；　everything　could　be　accounted　for。　Not　satisfied；　she　pulled　out　one　rack　of　standard　test　tubes；　checked　their　markings；　and　set　the　rack　back。　She　repeated　the　process　with　two　more　racks。　In　the　third；　she　found　a　tube　with　no　markings。
　
　As　soon　as　the　shuttle's　flight　had　stabilized；　Reed　unbuckled　himself　from　the　mander's　chair。　He　entered　an　override　program　into　the　puter；　set　the　timer；　and　activated　the　sequence。　If　his　judgment　was　correct；　he　should　reach　the　door　to　the　tunnel　just　as　the　program　released　the　emergency　locks。
　Climbing　down　the　ladder；　Reed　entered　mid…deck　and　plodded　his　way　to　the　door。　He　had　only　a　few　seconds　to　wait　before　the　locks　popped　open。　Working　the　wheel；　he　pushed　open　the　door　and　began　crawling　through　the　tunnel。　Reaching　the　end；　he　pulled　open　the　door　to　the　Spacelab。　There　was　Megan；　standing　by　the　Biorack；　searching　the　cooler。
　Reed　came　up　behind　her。　His　right　arm　caught　her　across　the　chest　while　his　foot　swept　her　legs　out　from　under　her。　Gravity　did　the　rest。　Megan　fell　back；　landing　heavily　on　her　shoulder　and　rolling　over。
　〃Don't　bother　getting　up；〃　Reed　said　into　his　microphone。　〃Can　you　hear　me？〃
　He　saw　her　nod；　then　opened　the　freezer　and　pulled　out　a　rack　of　test　tubes。　He　knew　exactly　where　he'd　placed　the　one　containing　the　variola　and　there　it　was。　Tucking　it　into　a　pocket　with　a　secure　Velcro　flap；　he　stepped　back。　Megan　had　rolled　over　so　that　she　could　look　at　him。
　〃You　can　still　stop　this；　Dylan。〃
　He　shook　his　head。　〃You　can't　put　the　genie　back　into　the　bottle。　But　at　least　you'll　die　knowing　that　it's　our　genie。〃
　Reed　never　took　his　eyes　off　her　as　he　backed　away　toward　the　door。　Stepping　into　the　tunnel；　he　closed　the　door　and　locked　it。
　The　overhead　clock　read　twenty　minutes　to　touchdown。
　
　CHAPTER　THIRTY
　　
　A　little　over　an　hour　had　passed　since　Air　Force　One　had　landed　at　Groome　Lake；　Nevada。　Escorted　by　a　pair　of　F…15　Eagle　interceptors；　it　had　e　in　on　the　same　runway　that；　a　decade　earlier；　had　been　built　to　flig