Sidona became still, concentrating. Zan watched the display anxiously. ‘The power is growing,’ he said as numbers flashed up in secondary windows.

‘How long until it will be released?’ asked Gadreel.

He examined a shifting graph. ‘Fifteen minutes.’

The Nephilim did not know the human unit of time, but guessed from Zan’s tone that it was not long. And after so many centuries, he could wait a little more . . .

Sidona gasped again. Gadreel hurriedly crouched beside her. ‘What is wrong?’

‘Nothing,’ she whispered, a look of near-delight dawning. ‘I have just realised – this machine is more than a weapon. It . . . it is a focus for my power, it increases it.’

‘It increases your power? How?’

‘I do not know. But I know what it can do.’ She gripped his hand, eyes shining. ‘The larger the crystal, the greater my power becomes. I can use the key to wake our people. Not one at a time – all of them! All at once!’

Gadreel could not reply for a moment, absorbing the magnitude of her discovery. He had thought reviving all the imprisoned Nephilim would take days, but now he could have his entire army before sunset! ‘What about the attack that is under way? Will moving the machine affect it?’

‘No. Now that it has begun, even without me the power will continue to build until it cannot be contained.’ She proved her point by withdrawing her hands from the crystals.

‘She is correct, my lord,’ Zan said, checking the screen.

Gadreel helped Sidona stand, rising to his full height. ‘Then it is time to free our people. Every one of them!’

Nina drew back into cover as Gadreel and Sidona emerged hand-in-hand from the crystal chamber and started down the spiral. ‘What are they doing?’

‘Dunno, but they look far too happy about it,’ said Eddie. He watched them disappear around the glowing pillar, then looked back. ‘Ay up. Zan’s doing summat with the tracker.’

The group watched as the translator closed the laptop and bundled up the machine’s cables, then strained to lift it. He spoke to the warrior, who glowered disdainfully at him. ‘I think he was asking him to help carry it,’ said Cheng.

‘Looks like he got told to piss off,’ said the Yorkshireman. Zan hauled the tracker from the floor and carried it to the entrance in an undignified waddle. Eddie brought the rifle back up. ‘If I shoot him and the tracker goes over the side, that’s one problem sorted.’

‘We still have to find the key, though,’ Nina reminded him.

Barney had other concerns. ‘You’re just going to shoot him? That’s murder!’

‘He’s a traitor,’ Cheng said, with surprising vehemence. ‘Because of him, thousands of people have died – including your friend.’