‘Great, so if we don’t get shot, we’ll blow up?’

‘There’s nothing like the spearhead here.’ She glanced towards the lower chamber. ‘I think these people were like the Atlanteans, and the Veteres. Some of them had the specific sequence in their DNA that let them control earth energy, and they made use of it.’

‘For lights?’

‘And who knows what else? We’ve seen earth energy trap antimatter, levitate statues, make a sword chop through things like a Star Wars lightsaber. This place might use it for something just as incredible.’

‘“Incredible” is the right word,’ Imka said, disbelief plain. ‘What you’re saying sounds like magic.’

‘It’s not magic, it’s science. Just . . . extremely weird science. And I don’t pretend to understand it myself. All I can say is: it’s real. I’ve seen it.’

‘And you can control it,’ Cheng observed.

‘I wouldn’t say control. Influence, maybe. There were people in Atlantis who thought they could control it, weaponise it – but they were wrong. They tried to use it to give Atlantis unlimited power, but it ended up destroying them.’

Vorster had made his way to the entrance. ‘We’ve got more than mumbo-jumbo to worry about. I can hear them coming.’

‘Get over here,’ Nina told him. ‘Don’t give them any excuse to shoot.’

‘They might not need one,’ Eddie warned. ‘They already killed Marc.’ He moved around the altar. ‘Get behind this thing. At least take some cover.’

She joined him and Cheng behind it as Vorster scrambled down to rejoin Imka. All eyes went to the entrance. Sounds echoed up from below, feet scuffing on metal and snatches of curt speech. Flashlights probed the stairs.

Nina tensed, holding Eddie. The muzzle of an assault rifle came into view, followed by a man wearing a black balaclava. He surveyed the room warily, eyes and gun locking onto the figures by the altar. ‘They’re in here!’ he called. The accent was Nordic; Nina guessed Norwegian.

The intruder quickly and professionally checked for potential ambushers, then came fully into the room, the tactical light attached to his weapon fixed upon Nina, Eddie and Cheng. Another man in identical black cold-weather gear followed him in, his own gun aimed at Imka and Vorster. ‘Are there any more people?’ the leader demanded. ‘If you lie, I shoot one of you.’

‘We’re the only ones here,’ said Nina. ‘Where’s Marc, the man outside?’

‘Dead.’ The response was as icy as the surroundings. Imka gasped.

‘What about my ship?’ growled Vorster.

‘Sunk.’

‘Sunk?’ The bearded man’s eyes widened in fury. ‘You bastards! Where are my crew?’

‘They are dead too. We shot them.’ Several more black-clad men had now entered; the leader pulled off his balaclava.

Nina recognised the hard face beneath. ‘You!’ It was the blond who had led the chase in Hamburg.