Tunnels 04, Closer

rattled them in his hand. "I'll be a couple of hours at the most." He turned to leave, then stopped. "And later this evening it would be useful if you would show me the way down to the EternalCity you mentioned. Near the cathedral."
    "St. Paul's or Westminster?"
    "Personally," Drake said, "I rather like the sound of the Westminster entrance."

    * * * * *

    "So what's her next move?" Rebecca One asked the Limiter General in a low voice.
    At the other end of the pyramid Elliott was kneeling beside Will, who'd hardly seemed to notice as the young medic had cleaned his wound and applied a dressing to it. And Will had only cooperated and put on a New Germanian shirt and peaked cap because Elliott had badgered him into it. But although Elliott was now talking to him, he was completely uncommunicative, as if he wasn't hearing a word she was saying to him.
    "Her options are limited, and she knows it," the Limiter General replied to the Styx twin. "The moment she hands the vial over, she's lost her ace, unless she's planning on taking a hostage so she has safe passage out of here."
    "What -- like one of us?" Rebecca Two said, exchanging glances with her sister. She smiled. "If she chooses either of us to accompany her, then you know exactly what to do. Kill both her and Will, regardless of who else gets hurt. We're all expendable when it comes to recovering the virus."
    "I know that," the Limiter General confirmed.
    "Oh, here we are -- some activity," Rebecca One observed.
    Elliott was trying to get Will onto his feet, but it was only on the second or third attempt that he staggered up. Still gripping the detonator, she used her other hand to head him across with her.
    As she stopped before the Rebecca twins and the Limiter General, Will had a faraway look on his face. Clutching his father's journal to his chest, he kept turning back to where Dr. Burrows lay. All the fight seemed to have gone out of him, as if he couldn't even summon up any animosity toward the Styx girls.
    "We're getting really tired of hanging around on this heap of old stone," Rebecca One said. "Tell us the deal."
    "Tell you the deal?" Elliott repeated, and laughed dryly. "I don't trust any of you Styx as far as I can throw you," she said. "Hey, you! Over here!" she suddenly shouted at Colonel Bismarck.
    He immediately did as she asked.
    "I don't know anything about you, or where you come from, but I want you to witness this," she said.
    The Colonel nodded.
    "I'm prepared to strike a deal, but with conditions attached," Elliott continued. "I'll give you your Dominion--"
    "Tell us something first -- what happened to the vaccine -- the vial with the white stopper?" Rebecca One butted in.
    "I couldn't get the lid off the medicine bottle. I was in a hurry so I had to smash it open with a rock. I was a little heavy-handed, but luckily for all of us, only the vaccine vial was damaged," Elliott explained. "As I was saying before you interrupted me, I'm prepared to give you the Dominion virus if--"
    "No!" Will exploded. "No, you sodding won't!" He seemed to be focusing on what was happening around him for the first time since his father's killing. "They'll take it Topsoil and use it!"
    "Leave this to me, Will," Elliott said.
    "You can't be serious! You're not actually going to give it to them, are you?" Will was incandescent now, as if Elliott and not the Rebecca twins was the enemy. Dropping his father's journal, he lurched toward her.
    Elliott took a step back from him, shocked by the ferocity of his outburst. "Will--"
    But he was still advancing on her. "Release the trigger now, Elliott! Destroy the Dominion! Remember what Drake said we had to do. They," he stuck his thumb in the direction of the Styx girls, "are not getting their stinking hands on it. All those people -- Drake and my mum -- have died trying to stop them," he ranted. "And we will too!"
    As she took another step away from him, he dived at Elliott, knocking her to the ground. Now on top of her, he seized hold of her arm. "Help me!" the girl cried, as Will concentrated all his efforts on her hand, trying to lever her fingers open and activate the trigger.
    "You're not going to let them have it!" he seethed. "You bloody traitor!"
    Elliott struck Will in the face with her elbow, but it was going to take more than that to stop him. Colonel Bismarck was the closest to the two of them as they struggled with each other, and reacted before anyone else. He grabbed Will by the neck and arm, trying to pull