‘You thought the military would just stand back and let you run things?’ Eddie offered as a worried Macy joined him. ‘Sorry, but that’s never happened in the entire history of the world. Would have thought an archaeologist would know that.’

Hui spoke to Zan. ‘Have you told Gadreel what just happened?’

‘No,’ he replied, flustered. ‘I was . . . asking him if he knew any more about the fortress.’

‘Do not tell him the situation. We do not want him to think that we have lost control to the military.’

‘Y’know, he’s probably figured that out already,’ said Nina. The Nephilim now stood with arms folded and feet apart in an unmistakably dominant pose, looking down on the aggravated humans beyond the glass as if observing the reaction inside an ant farm after he had shaken it. ‘He might be five hundred years old, but he’s not senile.’

‘I still have to tell him the colonel commandant wants him to go with us,’ said Zan.

‘Do that. But . . . be subtle. Make it seem we still have authority.’

‘Good luck with that,’ said Eddie.

Zan turned pensively back to Gadreel. Nina’s expression as she faced Eddie and Macy was equally concerned. ‘Somehow I doubt the colonel’s going to let you come with me.’

‘So do I,’ the Englishman replied. ‘Still, at least we’re not prisoners. We might be inside a secret lab in an underground bunker guarded by hundreds of soldiers on a military base in the middle of a desert in China, but they haven’t actually locked us up. Yet.’

Nina smiled, then crouched to hug Macy. ‘Afraid I’ll be taking another trip without you. Will you be okay?’

‘Daddy’ll be with me, so . . . I guess.’ Not even her father’s presence was enough to overcome her misgivings. ‘Why do they need you to go? Daddy said it was because you’re the only person who can control earth energy.’

‘That they know of,’ Nina clarified – uncomfortably aware that there was a good chance Macy shared the same genetic key, and that if the Chinese had not yet come to the same realisation, they might do at any time. ‘They need me to open the fortress. If it’s still there – it could have been destroyed thousands of years ago.’

‘Let’s hope,’ said Eddie. ‘I get the feeling nothing good’ll come of it if you find the thing.’

‘Same here.’ She looked around as a phone rang.

Dr Hui answered, face falling in resignation as the caller spoke. ‘That was Major Wu,’ she said. ‘Professor, we are to meet the colonel and his team in fifteen minutes.’

‘I’ll get my gear,’ said Cheng.

His mother shook her head. ‘No. I’m sorry, but . . . the major’s orders were that only myself, Professor Wilde and Zhi are to come. And Gadreel.’