Page 115 of The Lazarus Protocol

“All right, we split up into twos and search every building,” Adam ordered, digging in his backpack. “Take these with you.” He gave a radio to Ash, who clipped it to his belt.

Kyle looked at his phone, then said to Ash, “It’s that building over there.” He indicated a low concrete structure with broken windows.

In a place like this, she’d expect graffiti—and for anything useful to have been looted. But maybe the locals knew not to come up here and mess with the base and its buildings. She said, “We do need to find out about the history of this place. Maybe I should try to call the CIA.”

“Better idea.” Adam lifted his chin, indicating a missile silo. “Let’s go check it out.”

Steph wrinkled her nose. “I’m supposed to be a tough, independent woman.”

“Scared of the dark?”

“Isn’t everyone?”

Adam’s expression softened. “I’m thinking…maybe not.”

“Oh.” She cleared her throat. “I’m good. I’m probably just feeling some paranoid aftereffects of whatever Ice dosed me with.” Even though that felt like days ago, instead of just a few hours.

Hopefully, she sounded definitive.

Steph started walking, striding with confidence she didn’t have. Using the fake-it-till-you-make-it approach to international espionage. “That building has some of the same antennae on it that the ship did.”

“So it does.” Adam followed as she picked her way across the uneven terrain.

A cold breeze rustled through the trees and the sky darkened, the sun hidden behind the clouds. She spotted an old axle, the vehicle likely something the size of a Jeep. “Maybe your team should buy this place, if no one knows it’s here.”

“You think we should expand our real estate portfolio?”

“Maybe Ice needs a summer home. This place suits his personality.”

Adam chuckled. “He isn’t taking Winston.”

Steph stood at the door of a squat concrete building with a low roof, barely higher than her head. She pulled out a tiny folding knife from her pocket.

Most of the structure had become overgrown, with the trees around it covering both sides of the building and disguising most of it, besides the door. Weeds everywhere, up to her knees. Those tiny round deposits on the ground in groups, indicating the presence of rabbits. Probably the only living creature for a mile.

“Need a key?” Adam asked.

Steph finished working on the lock and eased the door open, pushing it wide into the darkness.

“Okay, then.” Adam chuckled. “Guess you don’t.” He got on the radio. “Steph got us into the missile silo, so we’re gonna check that out.”

The response came back. “Copy that, Nix. We’re looking through an office, searching for any door that might lead down.”

“Got it. Phoenix, out.”

“You think they’ll find a lab below ground?” Steph accepted the flashlight he handed over and said, “After you.”

His expression softened. “Happy to.”

He wanted to voyage first into the dark? She was going to let him. Even after everything he had been through, it didn’t seem to have given him a cold edge. He had every right to be vindictive, and bitter, after suffering so badly. And probably no one would blame him. It would be chalked up to “trauma.” And yet in spite of that, he still cared about people. He managed to be kind. He didn’t allow the past to change him—or it had, and it was good.

“Don’t fret.”

Steph said, “What’s that?”

“A Bible verse my sister sent me. It’s a command not to worry about evil people.”

“I don’t worry about them. I worry about my father.” She shined the flashlight around an entryway, off which there were two halls on either side and a set of doors in between.