He ignored her until he had finished, his subordinates saluting and going to the tracker. They closed the laptop and carried the machine away. Major Wu went with them, taking out a phone to issue orders of her own. The colonel summoned Hui to follow as he moved out of Zan’s earshot. ‘Professor Wilde. You too.’

Nina and Hui exchanged worried looks, then went to him.

‘What are you doing?’ the scientist demanded.

‘We have location of fortress,’ he said. ‘We now find it.’

‘It is an archaeological site,’ Hui protested. ‘I am in charge of—’

‘I am in charge!’ Wu interrupted.

Hui tried to stifle her shock at the abrupt usurpation of her position. ‘I was appointed by the Central Committee,’ she said stiffly. ‘You have no right to overrule me on any matters concerning the Nephilim.’

‘I have orders,’ growled the colonel. ‘You obey, or I remove you.’ As Hui stared at him, speechless, he turned to Nina. ‘Now we know where to look, this project no longer scientific. It now military. No more delays. We fly there in helicopters and search.’

The way he was regarding the two women gave Nina the feeling she was about to receive some very unwelcome news. ‘You mean “we” as in “me and my team of soldiers and nobody else, especially not any Americans”?’ she asked hopefully.

‘You both come. And him.’ He pointed at Zan, who was back at his computer and speaking into his headset. ‘And . . . that.’ A final stab of his blunt finger at Gadreel.

‘Why do you need me?’ Nina protested.

Colonel Wu indicated Gadreel again. ‘He say only women can open fortress.’ He added some Mandarin.

Hui translated for Nina. ‘Priestess,’ she said. ‘Gadreel told Zan that only a priestess can open the fortress.’

‘Like I told Gadreel, I’m not a priestess!’

‘You come with us,’ said the colonel. It was a direct order, anger rising behind it.

‘What’s going on?’ Eddie demanded, coming closer with fists balled. A sharp look from Wu prompted guards to block his approach.

‘They’re taking me with them to find the fortress,’ said Nina. ‘And I’m sure they’ll honour their deal with Gadreel and wake up his family once we get inside, right?’

‘This is not my doing,’ Hui protested. ‘Colonel, I am still in charge of this operation! I will take this to the highest authority if I have to.’

‘Do that,’ Wu snapped. ‘But later. Now, you have orders.’ He called out to Zan, who reacted in dismay as he was given his new assignment. Then the commander turned on his heel and marched away, two guards falling in behind.

‘This – this was not supposed to happen!’ Hui told Nina. ‘I am sorry, I thought . . .’