Blue Gold (NUMA Files 2)

“She might be connected to an alarm,” Zavala said, echoing Austin’s own thoughts.

“I was wondering the same thing. But why would they bother? The neighborhood around here isn’t exactly swarming with burglars.”

“We don’t have a lot of choice,” Zavala said. “Go for it.”

Austin pushed against the glowing button. If an alarm went off, they didn’t hear it. A section in the support leg slid silently aside to reveal an opening shaped like a mouth wide open in a yawn. Zavala gave Austin the okay sign and swam in first. Austin was right on his fins. They were in a chamber shaped like the inside of a hat box. A metal ladder hung down from the ceiling. On the wall was a duplicate of the switch that opened the door. Austin pushed the glowing green button. He accidentally nudged the pack with their weapons, and it fell through the opening in the air lock.

“Forget it,” he said, anticipating Zavala’s question. “We don’t have time.”

The outer door closed, and a ring of lights flicked on inside. The chamber was quickly pumped dry, and a circular hatch popped open in the ceiling. Still no sign that their presence had been noted. All was quiet except for the hum of distant machinery.

Austin pulled himself up the ladder and poked his head through the hatch. Then he motioned for Zavala to follow and climbed the rest of the way. They were in another, larger circular room. Several dark green dry suits hung from the wall. Air tanks were stacked on shelves. A large cabinet held various specialized tools.

Austin removed his headset, mask, and tank and picked up a long-handled brush with stiff steel bristles. “They must use this stuff to clean the intake ports out there. The openings would get clogged up with algae otherwise.”

Zavala went over to a door in the curving wall and pointed to another red-green switch. “I’m beginning to feel like a monkey in one of those intelligence tests where the chimp presses a button for food.”

“Not me,” Austin said. “A chimp would be too smart to be in a place like this.”

On Austin’s signal, he hit the green button. The door opened, and they stepped into a room with four walls. The room contained shower stalls and shelves. Austin removed a plastic-wrapped packet from a shelf and opened it. Inside was a white two-piece suit made of a light synthetic material. Without further conversation they got out of their dry suits and quickly pulled the white uniforms over their thermal underwear. Austin’s distinctive silver-platinum hair made him stand out from the crowd, so he was glad to see that each packet held a tight-fitting plastic cap.

“How do I look?” he said, aware that the suit wasn’t made to accommodate his wide shoulders.

“Like a large and unsavory white mushroom.”

“Exactly the image I was trying for. Let’s go.”

They were in a cavernous chamber with a high, curving roof. Pipes and conduits of varying widths crossed the space. The hum they heard earlier was so loud it almost hurt their ears. The sound seemed to be coming from everywhere.

“Bingo,” Austin murmured softly.

Zavala said, “Reminds me of a scene from that movie, Alien.”

“I wish these were aliens,” Austin said.

A white-clad figure unexpectedly emerged from behind a fat vertical duct. They tensed and groped for their missing weapons, but the technician, who was carrying a portable gauge, hardly gave them a glance before disappearing into the maze. The huge room had two levels divided from each other by metal scaffolding and catwalks. They decided to climb above the main floor, where they would have a better view of the entire facility and have less chance of running into other technicians. They ascended the nearest stairs and made their way toward the center. The technicians below were intent on their work, and no one looked up. From their elevation the facility was even more impressive. It looked like a futuristic hive filled with drones.

“We could spend all day searching this place,” Austin said. “Let’s see if we can find a guide.”

They descended stairs that took them back onto the main floor and hid behind a large pipe. Standing before a large console were three technicians. The figures had their backs turned, obviously engrossed in their task.

Two technicians moved off, leaving the third alone. With a quick glance to make sure he was unobserved, Austin swiftly closed on the unsuspecting figure and hooked his thick arm around the person’s throat.

“Don’t make a sound, or I’ll snap your neck,” he growled, then dragged his catch back behind the pipe. “Meet our new guide,” he said.

Zavala stared at the technician. “We’ve already met.”

Austin spun the technician around. Francesca. The terror in her face turned to relief. “What are you doing here?”

The pleasure at seeing Francesca overcame Austin’s surprise. “We had a date, remember?” he said with a grin. “Time and place to be announced.”

Francesca smiled through her nervousness. Calmer now, she glanced around and said, “We can’t stay here. Follow me.”

They wound their way through the labyrinth into a small room furnished with a plain plastic desk and chair. “I asked for this space so I could work quietly. We’ll be safe for a few minutes. If anyone comes, pretend you know what you’re doing.” She shook her head in wonder. “How in God’s name did you get in here?”

“We took the bus,” Austin said. “Where’s Gamay?”

“This is the desalting facility. She’s in the main compound. They have h