finger. “Of course not. This is ordinary meteoric iron. Nothing more.”
“Then I don’t understand.”
McKnight spoke up. “The radiation signature can’t be ignored. It’s too exact to be random. Something happened. The only explanation isthat somehow the meteor had antimatter stored within it, in some unknown stabilized form. The electrical discharge by the ball lightning destabilized it and created a cascade effect with the resulting explosion. Whatever antimatter had been present was consumed during the blast.”
“Leaving only this shell behind,” the admiral said, nudging the stone.
Silence settled over the room. The implications were enormous.
Admiral Rector picked up the chunk of iron. “Can you imagine the significance if we’re right? A source of almost unlimited power. If there is some clue as to how this is possible—or better yet, a sample —it must not fall into other hands.”
Painter found himself nodding. “So what is the next step?”
Admiral Rector stared hard at him. “We can’t let word of this connection leak out, not even to our own allies. Too many ears are connected to too many mouths.” He nodded for Dr. McKnight to continue.
His boss took a deep breath. “Commander, we want you to lead a small team over to the museum. Your cover has already been established as American scientists specializing in lightning research. You’re to make contacts when and where you can. While there, your objective is simply to keep your ears to the ground and to note any new discoveries that might be made out there. We’ll continue research here with all departments mobilized. If any further investigation on site is needed in London, your team will be our go-to people.”
“Yes, sir.”
There was a flicker of eye contact between Admiral Rector and Dr. McKnight, an unspoken question.
Painter felt an icy finger trace his spine.
The admiral nodded again.
McKnight turned to face Painter. “There is one more factor here. We may not be the only ones working this angle.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you remember, the director mentioned a pair of researchers from the Defense Sciences Office over in London.”
“The ones who investigated the ball-lightning sighting.”
“Correct.” Again a flicker of contact between Painter’s two superiors. Then his boss fixed him with a hard stare. “Four hours ago, they were found shot, execution style, in their room. The place was ransacked. Several items were stolen. The Metropolitan Police are considering it a robbery homicide.”
Admiral Rector stirred behind his desk. “But I never could stomach coincidences. They give me heartburn.”
McKnight nodded. “We don’t know if the murders are connected to our line of investigation, but we want you and your team to proceed as if they were. Watch each other’s backs and keep alert.”
He nodded.
“In the meantime,” the admiral said, “let’s just hope they don’t discover anything significant out there until you get across the Pond.”
09:48 P.M. GMT
LONDON, ENGLAND
Y OU HAVE to remove the heart.”
Safia glanced up from her measurements with a tiny silver caliper. The Arched Room of the museum lay dark all around. There were only the three of them left: Kara, Clay, and herself. Edgar and the inspector had left twenty minutes ago. It seemed the exacting measurements and notations of minutiae had not held their interest, diminishing the momentary wonder of the statue’s origin as a funerary sculpture for the tomb of the Virgin Mary’s father.
Safia returned to her measurements. “I’ll remove the heart eventually.”
“No, tonight. ”
Safia studied her friend closer. Kara’s face was limned in the halogen spots. The stark light bled all the color from her face, but Safia noted the silvery sheen to her skin, the wide cast to her pupils. She was high. Amphetamines again. Three years ago, Safia had been one of the few who had known Lady Kensington’s monthlong “vacation
“Then I don’t understand.”
McKnight spoke up. “The radiation signature can’t be ignored. It’s too exact to be random. Something happened. The only explanation isthat somehow the meteor had antimatter stored within it, in some unknown stabilized form. The electrical discharge by the ball lightning destabilized it and created a cascade effect with the resulting explosion. Whatever antimatter had been present was consumed during the blast.”
“Leaving only this shell behind,” the admiral said, nudging the stone.
Silence settled over the room. The implications were enormous.
Admiral Rector picked up the chunk of iron. “Can you imagine the significance if we’re right? A source of almost unlimited power. If there is some clue as to how this is possible—or better yet, a sample —it must not fall into other hands.”
Painter found himself nodding. “So what is the next step?”
Admiral Rector stared hard at him. “We can’t let word of this connection leak out, not even to our own allies. Too many ears are connected to too many mouths.” He nodded for Dr. McKnight to continue.
His boss took a deep breath. “Commander, we want you to lead a small team over to the museum. Your cover has already been established as American scientists specializing in lightning research. You’re to make contacts when and where you can. While there, your objective is simply to keep your ears to the ground and to note any new discoveries that might be made out there. We’ll continue research here with all departments mobilized. If any further investigation on site is needed in London, your team will be our go-to people.”
“Yes, sir.”
There was a flicker of eye contact between Admiral Rector and Dr. McKnight, an unspoken question.
Painter felt an icy finger trace his spine.
The admiral nodded again.
McKnight turned to face Painter. “There is one more factor here. We may not be the only ones working this angle.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you remember, the director mentioned a pair of researchers from the Defense Sciences Office over in London.”
“The ones who investigated the ball-lightning sighting.”
“Correct.” Again a flicker of contact between Painter’s two superiors. Then his boss fixed him with a hard stare. “Four hours ago, they were found shot, execution style, in their room. The place was ransacked. Several items were stolen. The Metropolitan Police are considering it a robbery homicide.”
Admiral Rector stirred behind his desk. “But I never could stomach coincidences. They give me heartburn.”
McKnight nodded. “We don’t know if the murders are connected to our line of investigation, but we want you and your team to proceed as if they were. Watch each other’s backs and keep alert.”
He nodded.
“In the meantime,” the admiral said, “let’s just hope they don’t discover anything significant out there until you get across the Pond.”
09:48 P.M. GMT
LONDON, ENGLAND
Y OU HAVE to remove the heart.”
Safia glanced up from her measurements with a tiny silver caliper. The Arched Room of the museum lay dark all around. There were only the three of them left: Kara, Clay, and herself. Edgar and the inspector had left twenty minutes ago. It seemed the exacting measurements and notations of minutiae had not held their interest, diminishing the momentary wonder of the statue’s origin as a funerary sculpture for the tomb of the Virgin Mary’s father.
Safia returned to her measurements. “I’ll remove the heart eventually.”
“No, tonight. ”
Safia studied her friend closer. Kara’s face was limned in the halogen spots. The stark light bled all the color from her face, but Safia noted the silvery sheen to her skin, the wide cast to her pupils. She was high. Amphetamines again. Three years ago, Safia had been one of the few who had known Lady Kensington’s monthlong “vacation
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