Page 55 of Clive Cussler's Quantum Tempest

“My conclusion as well, sir.”

“Whatever you do, make sure that woman stays alive. Spare no expense. I must have her for questioning.”

“I understand,” Tu said. This woman was the first Guardian they had ever gotten close to, let alone captured. Under proper interrogation techniques, Peng might finally break open the impenetrable wall of secrecy that had so far protected the global terrorist organization.

“I’m sure you understand the gravity of the situation,” Peng said before ending the call.

“Of course.”

Tu had been in the MSS long enough to know thatthesituation washissituation.

And if the woman died while under his custody, so would he.

29

Aboard theBaktun

Captain Stokes glowered at the tall, bearded Sikh standing guard outside of Dr.Bose’s office, barring his entrance. The ship was under Stokes’s command, but Bose was in charge of Project Q. Under normal circumstances, Stokes would never have allowed the effrontery of an armed man on ship not under his authority, but his employer, Fierro, permitted it.

Stokes bristled at the thought he couldn’t breeze through the closed door behind the broad-shouldered Sikh, but he held his temper. The Indian’s eyes blazed with contempt, his soul poisoned with the silent, generational fury of a proud warrior people humiliated by their former British colonial masters.

The British captain’s simmering rage threatened to boil over and engulf the Sikh, his mood befouled by theAgua Linda’s airburst shrapnel. Stokes managed to contain himself only because his two wounded crewmen were stabilized in the hospital and minor repairs had already been effected.

“Enter,” Bose said from behind the door.

The Sikh’s eyes smiled with contempt. “You may enter.” He didn’t bother opening the door.

Stokes sniffed as he brushed past the Sikh and entered the office. Bose didn’t bother looking up from the reports on her desk, a pair of reading glasses perched on her fine, aquiline nose.

“You wanted to see me?” Stokes demanded.

Bose turned in her seat and removed her glasses.

“You do realize the sudden power surge you stole from the reactor nearly crashed Project Q?”

Even angry, she was quite a handsome woman, Stokes noted. “It was an emergency decision.”

“You could have destroyed the organoid computer, you…youfoolishman.”

“And you realize if we had been captured or sunk, the result would have been equally catastrophic?”

“Your job is to keep either from happening—while allowing me to continue my work.”

“Not getting sunk allows you to continue your work.”

“I hope you understand the gravity of our mutual situation. As pleasant as Fierro appears to be, our lives are forfeit if we fail him. Luckily, I believe we can still meet our deadline.”

“I’ve known men like him my whole life. I’m well aware of the danger he poses behind that slithering smile. Trust me, I have no intention of falling into his disfavor. Forbothour sakes.”

Bose softened. They weren’t really enemies. In fact, the two fiery personalities shared an unspoken yet nearly irresistible attraction. She knew Stokes fully understood that Project Q consumed the vast majority of the ship’s energy stores. The whole reason Stokes was forced to rely upon the “demon pirate” games was to minimize power consumption—otherwise, theBaktuncould simply race away at the first sight of any encroaching vessel. So far, he had waged his stealth campaigns with great success.

“I’m grateful, Captain. In a few days, your superior efforts will bear much fruit. We’ll both make history.”

“And I will do everything in my power to ensure that happens, Doctor. The world deserves to know your brilliance.”

The arrogant pose of the genius computer scientist melted into a blushing schoolgirl’s smile.

30