“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 her in a heavily guarded cell on the first level.”

“How do we get there?”

“I'll show you. There's an elevator that takes you from the lab. It goes to a tram. The car goes through a tunnel to the main compound. Then an elevator will take you up to her level. Do you think you can rescue her?”

“We won't know until we try,” Zavala said with a slight smile.

“It will be very dangerous. You may have a chance, though. The guards are preoccupied. There's some kind of meeting planned. You must move quickly before people start coming here.”

“What kind of meeting?” Zavala asked.

“I don't know, only that it's extremely important. I have to have this facility up and working by then, or they'll kill Gamay.”

She glanced out of the office to see if the coast was clear. Then she led them to the elevator. Austin thought that she looked exhausted. There were black circles under her red-rimmed eyes. She wished them well and disappeared into the network of pipes.

Wasting no time, they stepped into a strange egg-shaped elevator. The elevator rose through the water to the tram room Francesca had described. They got aboard the tram car and sped along the tunnel to its terminus. From the tram room they stepped into a passageway. The elevator door was a few paces away. The light over the door indicated that the elevator was moving down.