The Secret Royal World III: The New York Obelisk and the D.C. Rendezvous

Tenedos Island

Aegean Sea near the Turkish coast

27 December, 0955 hours (local time)

36 hours earlier

Iolanthe, Nobody and Bertie stood in the darkness of the vault of Troy listening to Chloe’s voice coming from a speaker in the darkness.

‘. . . Unfortunately for you, my people have already come and gone through this vault and found the information we needed. The answer is London, by the way. It’s time your mission ended, you spoilt little rich girl. It’s time for you to die. Ta-ta.’

Then, a minute later, the colossal explosion ripped through the vault, destroying it and leaving no-one alive inside it.

In that minute, however, a lot happened.

A ring of red pilot lights blazed to life all around them: the pilot lights of twelve Semtex explosive packages wired together.

A shrill beep echoed out from the middle wad and Nobody leapt into action.

A former Navy man turned oceanographer and treasure hunter, he knew these kinds of explosives: they were sequential demolition charges, all connected by wires to a central control unit. He dived for the middle wad, jammed his finger down on the detonation switch and kept it depressed.

And nothing happened.

Iolanthe froze.

Bertie froze.

‘What just happened? Or didn’t?’ Bertie asked.

Nobody gasped. ‘I just stopped these bad boys from going off. Only there’s a problem.’

‘What?’

‘I can’t release this switch,’ Nobody said. ‘As soon as I lift my finger off it, all these Semtex wads will go off and they’ll be mopping us off the walls and floor.’

Iolanthe gazed into his eyes. ‘Oh, God.’

‘Iolanthe,’ Nobody added, ‘it’s more than likely Chloe left people to watch this place from somewhere outside, to make sure the explosives go off. They’re probably on a boat offshore. If we go out, they’ll kill us. If there’s no explosion, someone is almost certainly going to come in here to make sure we’re dead. You two have to get the information you need and get out. Then I’ll release this switch and, well . . .’

Iolanthe swallowed. ‘And die.’

‘Yeah.’

A long silence followed.

It was Bertie who broke it. He had been looking up at the giant statue of Priam.

‘Io, my sweet. I know how to overcome this situation.’

‘How?’

‘You two will leave—via Aeneas’s door—and I will stay.’

‘And die in the explosion?’ Iolanthe said. ‘Bertie, no . . .’

‘I’m old, child,’ Bertie said, gazing fondly at her. ‘My life is all but over anyway. And you two make such a lovely couple. It’d be a shame to cut short your time together.’

‘But—’

‘No buts, girl!’ Bertie snapped. Then, in one swift movement, he shoved Nobody away from the control unit, sliding his own finger onto the detonation switch as he did.