Journey to the Heart of Luna - Andy Frankham-Allen [65]
“You?” Tereshkov looked back at him. “You and your government have no control here. Only the Heart does, and it will be mine! All of it!”
He moved quickly, grabbing hold of Grant. Folkard pressed his finger on the trigger, his clear shot now compromised by the two struggling men. The glow enveloped them both, and for a moment they stopped, frozen to the spot. They stared into each other’s eyes. Folkard stepped forward, hoping to get a better shot, but the glow was increasing, its brilliance blinding Folkard.
He staggered back, arm covering his eyes.
Finally the full effect of the glow dissipated. Folkard lowered his arm only to find Doctor Grant now laying on the ground unconscious, with Tereshkov standing above him, the soft glow still about his person. If it was possible the Russian doktor looked even more insane.
“Now it will be mine,” he said, his voice dangerously calm.
“I am afraid I must disagree,” Folkard said, aiming his gun once more. He did not know what the Heart was, but he had a deep seated fear that somehow to allow the Russians to possess it would mean suicide for the British Empire. He could not allow that. “This ends today.”
“Drop your weapon,” said a thick Russian voice behind him, “or this man dies.”
Weapon not wavering, Folkard glanced back. The Russian soldier, a sub-praporschik, barely a full ensign, now stood there, the barrel of his own gun pressed violently against Professor Stone’s head.
3.
IT ALL happened so fast. Nathanial had shielded his eyes to protect them from the glow, and listened to the sound of the two scientists struggling and then, barely a moment after normal vision returned, an arm wrapped itself around his neck, wrenching him backwards until the barrel of a gun was forced against his head.
He looked at Folkard, but the captain showed no sign of disappointment. Perhaps he understood that the light had served to both disorientate and distract Nathanial. He certainly hoped so. Although he would never say that he and Folkard were becoming fast friends, there was certainly a level of respect developing between them. Nathanial would hate for that to be washed away by circumstances beyond his control.
“Drop your weapon, or this man dies.”
Nathanial blinked. If this had happened yesterday he knew he would have been afraid, out of his depth, but instead he felt an odd sense of calm overcome him. Folkard looked towards him and the Russian, but his carbine did not waver from Tereshkov.
“And so will your doktor,” Folkard said, his voice calm.
In the distance Nathanial heard a familiar sound. It was the lift beginning its descent. He swallowed hard. “You hear that, reinforcements are on the way. You will soon be outnumbered.”
The Russian tightened his grip. “Nyet! The Tsar will triumph. You British pigs cannot win.”
“It will be mine,” Tereshkov said softly, and all heads turned to him. He pointed at the metal wall. “The secrets of the Heart, I will uncover them. Not this American fool!” He violently kicked the unconscious Grant. “Those are my reinforcements. You think I chose Kondrashov at a whim? He is, as you British say, tenacious. The British Empire will fall before mother Russia.”
“Not so,” said another voice, this time female and American. “Not when it has allies like the Selenites.”
Nathanial was spun around and before him, standing at the mouth of the tunnel with K’chuk next to her, was Annabelle! A wave of relief overcame him, and his body sagged, as if all the fear of her death was flowing out of him like hydrogen from a dirigible. By sagging he unintentionally gave Annabelle the perfect shot. She raised the carbine in her hands and squeezed the trigger. Nathanial felt the whoosh of the bullet as it sped past his head. Once more he was jerked back, only this time the