Страница 56 из 68
"So they'll know right away when they see you?"
"Yes. Every Bluewe encounter, you will need to spirit punch immediately. Most of the Moths will die." The clipped tone wavered for a moment, thenresumed. "If there's multipleMoths, I'll try to revive the fallen Blues while you fight, and it will beeasier as we progress because our numbers will grow. However, the strongest Moths, particularlythe Five, can survive separation from the host. That's why, before we go for Noi, we need Nash."
"To drain, like he did the Rover." Some of what needed to be done wasobvious. Dominos, falling into place.
"Nash won't be possessed – he's being held for much thesame reason you were. Any Greens willneed to be shield-paralysed and locked up. Ideally, we want to collect Nash and free Noi as quickly and quietly aspossible. If an alarm is raised – well,that will involve ru
He led her to an access door and eased it open. Glancing down as they stepped inside,Madeleine saw that folded paper had been wadded into the gap in the jamb. Another domino. How had Théoden felt, this last day, puttingin place all the things which needed to happen after she killed him?
Madeleine took deep, calming breaths, trying to prepareherself. Going into battle, a thingwhich she'd technically accepted back when the Musketeers had been practicingcombat, now meant facing the probability of killing another Moth like Théoden. There was no way of knowing.
But she would do it. The consequences of hesitating were too large.
ooOoo
The next domino had been a card key, tucked behind a pictureframe in the first hallway.
"The elevators are monitored," Fisher said as hecollected it. "The cameras are inthe far right corners. Put your hood upand look down and to your left as we walk in, then turn and straighten. There should be no problem with anyone seeingme on camera – perhaps a little heightened attention, but not the full alertyou would inspire. The security room ison the same level as Nash, so we'll take it out first. It's usually ma
Madeleine tugged her hood well forward. "Is it only Noi and Nash in thisbuilding? Do you know where the othersare?"
"Min and Pan will be here. Emily is part of the sub-group led by anotherof the Five, based in the hotel next to this one."
"Okay."
The clarity of Fisher's knowledge made it obvious heremembered every detail of the time he was possessed, and she could not letherself think about that too much, could not spend time going over all thethings she'd said and done. But it wasno easier to think of killing people. Glad of the shadow of her hood, she followed him to an elevator, and didher best to move casually, bending her head as if she was glancing at Fisher'sshoes, turning unhurriedly.
They travelled more than a dozen floors down, and strode withcasual confidence to knock on and open a door, quite as if they belonged. The room beyond was lit by a grid of screens,images of corridors, rooms, the hotel entrance. Heart thumping triple time, Madeleine barely saw the people sittingbefore them, dark shapes turning, one getting to her feet. Fisher was quick, all three of the figuresjolting from a blow, but the one standing was still moving, the tiniestfragment of Moth song lifting, and Madeleine punched, panicked by the idea ofdozens of possessed people ru
Then it fell, becoming Madeleine's second kill that night,and she recognised with sick certainty that she would keep a count, andremember it always. But the Blue, a woman,had dropped back on the chair, limp and wrong, and Madeleine had to makecertain that the count didn't jump immediately to three. Rushing forward, she pressed hands aboveheart and pushed out a frightened little spurt of worry.
"Good." Fisher sounded as breathless as she felt, but he was already moving,turning on the room's light and closing the door. "I'm going to grab gear to tie themup," he said, bending over the two Greens and searching pockets, removingmobile phones. "Paralyse them againif they begin to revive before I'm back. Is she breathing?"
"Yes." Thewoman had blinked, and tears were now welling in brown eyes. Behind her, the limp corpse of the Moth slidoff the room's wrap-around counter to take up too much space on the floor.
"I won't be long," Fisher said, dragging one of theGreens into the corner furthest from any buttons. "Check the monitors for an indication ofhow many Moths are active."
He pulled the second Green across to the first, gave her aquick, sharp glance which she caught out of the corner of her eye, and thenleft. Madeleine turned to watch himstride into one of the elevators on screen and stand, hands in pockets, headbowed. Tense, strained, and alreadylooking tired. They'd only juststarted. How could they possibly preparefor the Core's return in a scant few hours?
"Thank you. Somuch."
The Blue she'd freed reached out deeply stained hands, onlyoccasional patches of brown visible. When Madeleine offered hers in automatic response, the woman gripped andsqueezed them painfully tight, then let go and began to explore her own face.
"I can't hardly believe..." She swept her hands slowly over softlycurling hair, squeezed shut her eyes, causing tears to break loose fromlashes. "Me again. At last."
"Welcome back..." Madeleine said uncertainly.
"Sarah," the woman said, making the name a release,a triumph. "Sarah Jeteneru."
"I'm –"
The woman widened her eyes, a momentary laughingexpression. "You're MadeleineCost. Do you think there's any of us inthis city who doesn't know the Core's great prize? And, oh, he's reached too far, hasn'the? You're here to bring him down."
"We're here to try," Madeleine said, startled andimpressed by the woman's rapid shift toward self-command. She surveyed the wall of monitors, wonderinghow many Moths were in the hotel. Acentral screen was flicking between images, and Madeleine caught her breath,staring at a person sitting cross-legged on a bed.
The picture changed to Nash, standing at a window, but afurtive sound demanded Madeleine's attention, and she turned to find one of thestu
"Eat," he recommended, putting down four bagsbrimming with blocks of chocolate, boxes of muesli bars, bags of driedfruit. He slid his backpack to theground, produced a mobile phone which he passed to her, then pulled out a largeroll of duct tape, turning purposefully to theGreens.
"This is Sarah," Madeleine said, opting to stockher backpack first. She refused tocontemplate crumb trays ever again.
"Fisher," he said, with a preoccupied nod. "How many people are up and about in thehotel?"
"Up, quite a number, watching the Buenos AiresChallenge." Sarah glanced toward alaptop, where images of an arena were being streamed, then pulled a keyboardinto reach and tapped out commands. "Most in their rooms, but there's a cluster in a guest lounge, andanother group in with the North."
"The North?" Madeleine asked.