pale green intestines, which were coiled around its walls. The tubes about three inches in diameter ran down the hole in a tightly packed spiral and seemed semi-transparent. Russell took a hasty step back.
"It was all a mistake, Adam,” Richard said, glancing down at the void over which Adam held him suspended. Adam kicked a small rock into the opening and about thirty seconds later Russell heard a faint splash.
"Let's go for a swim, doctor,” Adam said and stepped into the waiting hole.
"Jesus!” Henry said and was brushed to one side by Hank who peered down into the shaft. A green beam of light shot out of the hole, Hank's head and shoulders instantly froze. His legs collapsed and his lifeless body toppled headfirst into the shaft. From above them, something in the tree made a sound like a leg breaking and a thick branch from the oak tree crashed down only to be followed by another and then more. Those that fell into the beam instantly froze and then crumpled into frozen dust.
Russell saw that the beam of light, now some six feet square was now shining in an uninterrupted beam up to a height of about fifteen feet. The branches of the trees closest to it were covered in a thick white frost.
"What the hell is that?” Henry asked. He looked at Russell and shook his head. “I never should have allowed you to talk me into letting you kill Ben and Eve. Now they're all gone. Richard, our men, Adam and the child. Why did he kill her?"
"Who cares,” Russell said and fired a burst of bullets at the green tube. The bullets disintegrated as soon as they hit the beam. “Shit! And just for the record Henry, I didn't talk you into anything you didn't want to do. The thing now is we can't afford to relinquish the lease on this place for obvious reasons.” He pointed at the beam of green light. “After I've cleaned up here, I'll string up some camouflage nets to hide that. God knows how long that thing will last but we can't risk anyone seeing it. We'll us the Foundation's Adoption Agency as a cover and I'll organise another doctor."
Russell loaded the bodies of his men, Ben and Eve into the back of the Jeep. He reversed to the edge of the marsh and heaved the bodies into it. After the last one had been sucked under the surface, he returned to the hut to pick up Henry and Janine.
"Let's get back to the house,” he said. “I could use a shower and a drink."
Chapter 13
2008
Russell and Janine stood a few yards away from the opening of the shaft into which Adam had jumped to his death, taking Richard Maylor with him, thirteen years ago. The beam of green light only rose about eighteen inches out of the shaft now, but when Russell lobbed a stone at it, the stone disintegrated.
"I don't know what the hell that is,” Russell said, “but it would have made the ultimate weapon if we could find a way of duplicating it."
"We don't need it, Russell,” Janine said gently. “We're making a fortune with our adoption sideline and besides, I've had an idea."
Russell gathered her in his arms and kissed her. He'd been back in the States for over eight months and he'd missed her more than he'd ever thought he'd miss anyone in his life. He loved her, it was as simple as that, and each enforced separation only served to enforce the emptiness of his life without her. Breaking off their kiss, he nuzzled her neck. “I've had an idea myself,” he said.
She laughed a light tinkling laugh, and looked up into his eyes. “We've already made love twice since you arrived. You're getting insatiable.”
He smiled and shook his head. “I can't get enough of you, but that's not what I meant. I want you to marry me, Janine. I want to you to be my wife."
Her face clouded and she pulled herself free of his arms. “I love you, Russell, but I'm scared. We've been together as a couple for over twelve years now and it has been wonderful. Even when you have to go back to the USA, I can cope because I know that eventually you'll be coming back
"It was all a mistake, Adam,” Richard said, glancing down at the void over which Adam held him suspended. Adam kicked a small rock into the opening and about thirty seconds later Russell heard a faint splash.
"Let's go for a swim, doctor,” Adam said and stepped into the waiting hole.
"Jesus!” Henry said and was brushed to one side by Hank who peered down into the shaft. A green beam of light shot out of the hole, Hank's head and shoulders instantly froze. His legs collapsed and his lifeless body toppled headfirst into the shaft. From above them, something in the tree made a sound like a leg breaking and a thick branch from the oak tree crashed down only to be followed by another and then more. Those that fell into the beam instantly froze and then crumpled into frozen dust.
Russell saw that the beam of light, now some six feet square was now shining in an uninterrupted beam up to a height of about fifteen feet. The branches of the trees closest to it were covered in a thick white frost.
"What the hell is that?” Henry asked. He looked at Russell and shook his head. “I never should have allowed you to talk me into letting you kill Ben and Eve. Now they're all gone. Richard, our men, Adam and the child. Why did he kill her?"
"Who cares,” Russell said and fired a burst of bullets at the green tube. The bullets disintegrated as soon as they hit the beam. “Shit! And just for the record Henry, I didn't talk you into anything you didn't want to do. The thing now is we can't afford to relinquish the lease on this place for obvious reasons.” He pointed at the beam of green light. “After I've cleaned up here, I'll string up some camouflage nets to hide that. God knows how long that thing will last but we can't risk anyone seeing it. We'll us the Foundation's Adoption Agency as a cover and I'll organise another doctor."
Russell loaded the bodies of his men, Ben and Eve into the back of the Jeep. He reversed to the edge of the marsh and heaved the bodies into it. After the last one had been sucked under the surface, he returned to the hut to pick up Henry and Janine.
"Let's get back to the house,” he said. “I could use a shower and a drink."
Chapter 13
2008
Russell and Janine stood a few yards away from the opening of the shaft into which Adam had jumped to his death, taking Richard Maylor with him, thirteen years ago. The beam of green light only rose about eighteen inches out of the shaft now, but when Russell lobbed a stone at it, the stone disintegrated.
"I don't know what the hell that is,” Russell said, “but it would have made the ultimate weapon if we could find a way of duplicating it."
"We don't need it, Russell,” Janine said gently. “We're making a fortune with our adoption sideline and besides, I've had an idea."
Russell gathered her in his arms and kissed her. He'd been back in the States for over eight months and he'd missed her more than he'd ever thought he'd miss anyone in his life. He loved her, it was as simple as that, and each enforced separation only served to enforce the emptiness of his life without her. Breaking off their kiss, he nuzzled her neck. “I've had an idea myself,” he said.
She laughed a light tinkling laugh, and looked up into his eyes. “We've already made love twice since you arrived. You're getting insatiable.”
He smiled and shook his head. “I can't get enough of you, but that's not what I meant. I want you to marry me, Janine. I want to you to be my wife."
Her face clouded and she pulled herself free of his arms. “I love you, Russell, but I'm scared. We've been together as a couple for over twelve years now and it has been wonderful. Even when you have to go back to the USA, I can cope because I know that eventually you'll be coming back
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