Alec Tate came very close to redeeming himself that night. He organized the rendezvous with Ophelia, who was waiting for backup at the edge of East Wood.

Mick disappeared into the living room, reappearing minutes later with the pair of samurai swords that usually hung above the fireplace.

“Told you these beggars would come in handy one day.” He winked at Apple and whirled them experimentally around his head. Pulling off his suspenders, he fashioned a rudimentary holster for them. Then he rummaged in the cupboard under the stairs and retrieved his snooker cue, grouping it with the emergency flares he had taken from the hold of the Diamond Lil.

“Shouldn’t you wait for Bill?” asked Apple fretfully. “He’s still trying to make some calls to London to get a search warrant.”

Mick shook his head. “By the time he gets a warrant, it could be too late.”

CHAPTER 24
BANGED UP

“I do hope you two young gentlemen don’t mind sharing a room,” purred Lucas Scale in his new, soothing tones. Nat and Woody looked at each other, confused.

What’s he talking about? thought Nat. What did I miss?

Scale fixed them both again with his molten eyes. “On behalf of the Proteus project, I do hope you enjoy your stay. Do please let room service know if there’s anything special you would like.”

Nat found himself beginning to warm to Lucas Scale. Maybe he’s OK after all, he thought. Maybe I misjudged …

“Look away!” howled Woody. It was too late. With supernatural speed, Scale reached out, hooked open the door next to Teddy Davis’s cell, and shoved Nat roughly. He fell inside, crying out in pain as the side of his face struck the ironwork of the crude bunk bed. Before Woody could react, Scale had dragged him inside by the neck, holding him so tightly he almost lost consciousness. The whole procedure had taken just seconds.

Deprived of oxygen, his senses reeling, Woody took a moment to realize what had happened. As hard as he’d tried to fight it, as much as he’d tried to warn Nat, they’d both been tricked by Scale, who’d been hypnotizing them from the moment he’d found them in the pod room.

Woody jumped up and grabbed the bars, shaking the door.

“Let us out, you stinking monster!” he howled. “Let us go!”

“Sticks and stones,” murmured Scale distractedly. “We’ll talk again later. In the meantime, get some sleep. And I’ll see you in your dreams.”

Woody continued to shout and howl, calling Scale by a variety of rude names, using words he’d picked up from late night television programs on the less educational channels. He watched in despair through the bars as Scale disappeared out of sight.

Deep in the secure unit, Gabriel Gruber was ecstatic.