Page 83 of Dark Shaman: Eternal Hope
"There's something else I've learned today," he said quietly. "Lord Navuh told me that a new scientist is arriving soon to continue experimenting with the enhanced soldiers. A Russian he had extracted from an insane asylum."
Tony's eyebrows rose. "Navuh is trusting a psycho to continue the enhancement program?"
Eluheed smiled. "Brilliance and insanity often walk a thin line. Gorchenco, the warlord responsible for me being here, secured the scientist's release." Eluheed rubbed his temples, feeling the phantom pressure of the enhanced soldiers' minds. "He'll get here as soon as the new testing facility is completed."
"Why does that matter to us?" Tula asked.
"Because once the program resumes, Navuh will want me interacting with the test subjects regularly, and every session weakens my shields. Eventually, they'll break through and discover that I'm plotting escape."
Tony paled. "They could tell Navuh."
"Or worse." Eluheed joined Tula and leaned on the vanity counter. "They could use the information themselves. Thirty-nine minds working in concert, with knowledge of the submarine, the tunnel, and every other secret we've managed to gather."
Tula shifted again, her hand still on her belly. "Let's assume that you find the submarine and that you know how to operate it. What's your next move?"
"Once the cameras are disabled, it's a ticking clock," Eluheed said. "We should leave the next morning, right after Navuh leaves for the mansion."
"What if he doesn't spend the night in the harem?" Tula asked. "If there is a lot going on, he stays in the mansion."
"Then we wait another day. Our best window of opportunity is when he's traveling the tunnel."
Eluheed studied their somber faces. They were amateurs planning an impossible heist, but it was their only option, and the vision of Tamira in New York gave him hope that the impossible would become possible.
"We should get out of here," Tula said. "We've been in here for too long."
They filed out of the bathroom, Tamira turning off the taps. In the bedroom, they made a show of discussing plant varieties, with Tony even pulling out his notebook to sketch placement suggestions.
The conversation felt hollow after their real conversation, and Eluheed wondered if they were fooling anyone. To him, the performance seemed obviously fake, but then he knew it for what it was. To unsuspecting ears and eyes, it might seem genuine.
If they succeeded, they'd be free to find Tamira's son, free to search for Eluheed's sacred treasures, free to live as they pleased.
It was worth the risk, but it wasn't free of guilt.
They would be leaving the rest of the ladies and the entire population of the island to an uncertain future that didn't look good.
The Russian scientist would make everything worse. A madman working with mad soldiers, creating new abominations forNavuh's army. The thought of being forced to touch those new creatures, to open himself up to whatever twisted consciousness they might develop, made Eluheed's skin crawl.
34
TAMIRA
It was already hot at seven-thirty in the morning, the sun mercilessly beating down on the chaos of evacuation. Tamira stood near the pavilion entrance, watching servants hurry past with armloads of cushions, baskets of food, and folded blankets. Children darted between the adults, their excited voices rising above the general din. For them, this was an adventure—an unexpected holiday from the routine of chores and schooling.
"Mind the glassware!" a maid called as two young boys nearly collided with her. She was balancing a tray of cups, her face flushed more because of the heat than exertion. She was one among many, and they were all pitching in.
It always astonished Tamira how many servants worked to maintain the harem. She and the other ladies normally interacted only with the select few who served food in the dining room, cleaned their quarters, and took care of the laundry, but there were so many more.
The restoration tent stood ready on the lawn, its white canvas sides rolled up to allow what little breeze existed to flow through.Tables had been arranged beneath it, already laden with fruit, bread, cheeses, and cold meats prepared the night before. It looked festive, almost celebratory, and Tamira's stomach churned at the disconnect between appearances and reality.
Somewhere in the bowels of the harem, Eluheed and Tony were hidden in a utility closet on the fifth level. They'd slipped away during the evacuation confusion, when servants were busy gathering things for the outdoor picnic and guards were focused on clearing the floors. The plan was for them to wait until the building was empty, then make their way to Areana's quarters and the hidden tunnel entrance.
But what if the air ran out faster than they'd calculated? What if someone did a more thorough check and found them?
"Ladies, this way please!" A guard gestured toward the tent. "We need everyone accounted for before the power shutdown."
Tamira caught Tula's eye across the crowd. The other woman was helping a little girl carry a large pillow. She was dressed in a loose gown, but in the bright sunlight, Tula's condition seemed more obvious than ever.
"Where is Elias?" Beulah asked from behind her. "I haven't seen him or Tony this morning."
