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She sounded almost giddy and Inda exchanged a look with Lucas. “She’s psychotic,” Inda murmured.
“Yeah, she sounds a little too excited about this.”
“I developed a gas,” Dr. Zaitsev said. “But, again, I’m not exactly sure how lethal its effect will be. I was never part of the test phase when I worked on this in Russia.”
“So how does it work exactly?” Cross asked. “You spray it?”
“For safety’s sake, we need to move into the next room,” Dr. Zaitsev told them. “Then I will show you.”
Inda wasn’t sure why, but the more he spoke, the more nervous—skittish, even—the doctor sounded.
“What’s going on with him?” Lucas asked, clearly picking up on it, too. “He sounds weird. Anxious about the testing. Fuck, can this shit explode?”
“No, it’s a neurotoxin, not a bomb. But, you’re right. Something is definitely off.” She reached over and clicked the sound on for the middle room. “Just stay out of sight.”
They were pressed against the cool tile wall, directly below the window, when they heard Cross say, “Selma, dear, why don’tyou go ahead and get situated next door. I have a few more questions for Dr. Zaitsev.”
Uh oh. Inda wasn’t sure what kind of questions Cross had, but she felt a prickle on the back of her neck. While Selma walked out, she and Lucas waited to see what Cross would do. Meanwhile, since Inda had already flipped the speaker on for lab two, they could hear Selma. Her heels clicked across the floor and she sighed in annoyance.
Inda and Lucas waited, both of them on edge. Ready to bolt if need be.
“So, Doctor,” Cross said, “remind me again how potent this neurotoxin actually is.”
Zaitsev cleared his throat, sounding more and more uncomfortable. Dammit, Inda wished she could see what was happening. The chance of Cross or Zaitsev seeing them through two different windows and across the second lab was slim. But, unfortunately, Selma might catch sight of her if Inda risked peering through the glass above them. No, for now, it was best to stay below the observation window and bide her time.
“Well, Russia has produced several versions of Novichok. It belongs to a broad class of compounds called cholinesterase inhibitors, which are used in a wide range of medicines as well as poisons. They attack the normal ebb and flow of neurotransmitters, chemicals in the body that nerve cells use to regulate essential functions.”
“And what would that look like to an outsider?” Cross asked, even though they all knew the answer.
Inda held her breath. Something bad was coming. She could feel it.
“Um, well, the poison causes muscle spasms that can stop the heart. The resulting death easily escapes scrutiny because it looks like a fatal heart attack.”
“Very good, Doctor. Now, why don’t we test that batch you’ve created? Lock the rooms.”
A click sounded and Inda’s head jerked over. Their door had just locked.
“Shit,” she hissed and scrambled over, wrenching down on the handle. It didn’t budge.
“We’re sealed in?” Lucas asked, eyes widening. “What about the control panel?”
He hurriedly moved past her and studied the panel.
“Can you hack it and open the door?” she asked.
“I can sure as hell try,” he said and ripped the cover off, exposing a colorful bundle of wires.
Fuck.How could she have screwed up so badly? They must’ve known her team was there and that she’d followed them inside. But how?
Oh, God.She hit her comms. “Pharaoh, we’re locked in the third lab in the basement. I think they’re about to release the Novichok into our room.”
After a cursory inspection, Lucas swore under his breath. “I’m gonna need time. And a knife.”
They both knew Inda had the knife in her boot, but when a hissing sound began to fill the room, it was clear their time had run out.
Inda’s gaze collided with Lucas’ and her heart fell. She didn’t want to go out this way and she was furious with herself for allowing Lucas to die on her watch. How had Cross and Selma realized they’d been followed?
“I’m so sorry, Lucas,” Inda whispered.
