And if all else failed . . . there was the nuke.

Leaving Liu, the man bearing the bomb, to guard Macy and Sandra at the junction, Wu led the rest of her team to the bottom of the tunnel. ‘They aren’t expecting trouble,’ the waiting scout whispered.

Wu checked for herself. The Nephilim were in several groups, but relatively close together. ‘That balcony’s accessible from the other tunnel,’ she said, indicating it. ‘If we position some men up there, we can attack from two angles simultaneously—’

A shout from beyond the towering chamber – then the crackle of a Nephilim spear weapon. A moment later, an explosion echoed down the shaft.

Whatever had just happened, the warriors were unprepared for it. Several jumped up, looking towards the huge shaft in confusion – before grabbing their own weapons.

No time now for carefully coordinated ambushes. ‘We attack now!’ Wu hissed, raising her weapon. ‘Move in! Wipe them out!’

She took the lead as her team rushed into the cathedral, splitting up to use the fallen boulders for cover. Another qigun shot tore up the shaft, several warriors running through the giant arch—

She snatched the pin from a hand grenade and lobbed it into one of the groups of Nephilim. The metallic smack as it hit the ground made some of them turn. Inhuman shouts of alarm as they saw the intruders—

The grenade exploded, blast and shrapnel tearing the closest giants apart.

Other grenades arced through the chamber, killing and wounding more warriors. Wu felt no pity, focused completely on extermination. She opened fire on a monster bringing up his qigun. His armour sparked with unnatural light as the rounds hit home, but the earth energy shielding it was not enough to withstand the assault. He fell backwards, holes torn through his chest.

More guns chattered, warriors falling, but now they had overcome their surprise. They dropped into cover – and fired back.

Macy and Sandra reacted in shock at the sound of battle below. Liu also responded with alarm. The hulking guard turned, moving a few steps to look down the sloping tunnel—

‘Run!’ Sandra cried. She grabbed the girl by her arm and raced back up the narrow side passage.

Liu yelled for them to stop, then lumbered in pursuit. The weight of the nuclear bomb on his back slowed him. Sandra rounded a corner, towing Macy after her. They passed into darkness—

The Australian stumbled over a protruding stone.

Macy ran into her from behind – and fell. Sandra lost her hold. She stopped, grabbing at her charge, but Liu was already gaining. ‘Sandra, run!’ Macy yelled as the Chinese soldier came around the corner, his light pinning her.

She tried to stand, but his weapon rose—

The sound of gunfire in the confined space was deafening. Macy screamed, dropping flat and covering her ringing ears. The noise stopped. Before she could recover, Liu was upon her, seizing her roughly and dragging her back to the intersection.