Victor examined the mechanical figure of the nurse. “It’s a clockwork mechanism. Probably has to be reset after every injection. The syringe is empty. The first raider out of the tunnel accidentally cleared the path for the others.”

Harlan tried the door of the vault. “Locked. The raiders didn’t get inside.”

“Let me take a look,” Lucas said. “I think I’ve got a lock pick that can handle it.” He removed a small gadget from the pocket of his jacket. “It’s the latest toy out of the Foundation labs.”

He went to work. A short time later there was a sharp click and the sound of a bolt sliding aside.

“Stand back,” he said. “There’s always a chance Swan set another trap for anyone who got this far.”

Harlan did not argue. Neither did Victor. Dealing with safecracking and booby traps was one of Lucas’s skills, courtesy of his years in the CIA and a strong talent for finding that which was hidden.

The big vault door swung open. Currents of paranormal-infused air wafted out. So did the smell of death. They all looked at the body on the floor.

“One of the raiders actually made it this far,” Victor marveled. “Amazing.”

“No,” Lucas said. “I don’t think it went down that way. He’s been dead longer than the other raider.”

“I agree,” Harlan said. “No visible wound. Looks like the nurse got him. The Swans probably dragged him in here to hide the body but didn’t get a chance to dispose of it before Spode grabbed them.”

Victor contemplated the partially emptied shelves and then looked at the door that sealed the rear of the vault. “The Swans went through here on their way out of town. They packed up several pieces—probably the most valuable artifacts—and escaped through a tunnel on the other side of that door.”

Lucas examined one of the artifacts, a vintage typewriter. “Hotter than a two-dollar pistol, as they used to say. Must have hurt to leave these relics behind. Everything in here is worth a fortune.”

“Imagine the value of what they took with them,” Harlan said.

Lucas glanced at Victor. “I assume the Foundation will be claiming what’s left in this vault?”

“We’re taking control of the whole damn shop,” Victor said. “And the condo upstairs. Gwendolyn Swan owned both. I want a security team set up here immediately. I’ll also bring in forensics. Swan was in business for several years. She took off in one hell of a hurry. She will have left something interesting behind. They always do.”

Lucas looked at Harlan. “Back in the day, people in the Foundation said the bad guys never saw you coming. Evidently you aren’t the only one who’s got a talent for hiding in plain sight.”

CHAPTER 49