〃I've been busy。 What is it？〃
〃Get out of the station。 Get out of the station now。〃
〃I can't do that now； Romeo；〃 Schofield said as he ran。
〃Scarecrow； you don't understand。 Air Force just called us。 A group of F…22s just shot down a British fighter about 250 nautical miles out； but the bogey got a shot off before it was hit。〃 Romeo paused。 〃Scarecrow； it's heading right for Wilkes Ice Station。 Satellite scans of radiation emissions from the missile indicate that it is nuclear。〃
Schofield felt a chill run down his spine as he ran。 He came to the fissure in the wall and dropped to the ground； baseball…style； and slid through the horizontal fissure。
〃How long？〃 he asked when he landed inside the small tunnel。 He ignored the others standing around him。
〃Two hundred and forty…three miles at 400 miles per hour。 That gives you thirty…seven minutes until detonation。 But that was nine minutes ago； Scarecrow。 I've been trying to get through to you； but you haven't been responding。 You have twenty…eight minutes until a live nuke hits that ice station。 Twenty…eight minutes。〃
〃Swell；〃 Schofield said； looking at his watch。
〃Scarecrow。 I'm sorry； but I can't stay here。 I've got to get my men to a safe distance。 I'm sorry； but you 're on your own now； buddy。〃
Schofield looked at his watch。
It was 10：32 p。m。
Twenty…eight minutes。 The nuclear missile would hit Wilkes Ice Station at 11：00 P。M。
He looked up at the group around him。 Sarah Hensleigh； Renshaw； Kirsty； and Wendy。 And Gant。 It was only then that Schofield realized that Gant was in the tunnel； too； sitting down on the icy floor。 He saw the ugly red stain in her side and rushed over to her。
〃Montana？〃 he said。
She nodded。
〃Where is he？〃 Schofield asked。
〃He's dead。 The seals got him。 But he killed Santa Cruz and he winged me。〃
〃Are you OK？〃
〃No。〃 Gant winced。
It was then that Schofield saw the wound。 It was a gut shot； to the side of Gant's stomach。 The bullet must have sneaked past the clasp on the side of her body armor。 It wasn't a nice wound to have…a gut shot was a slow and painful way to die。
〃Hold on；〃 he said。 〃We'll get you outta here…〃
He began to move Gant； but as he did so； Gant brushed roughly against his leg and dislodged something from his ankle pocket。
It was a silver locket。
Sarah Hensleigh's silver locket。 The locket that she had given to Schofield before she had gone down to the cave。
The locket landed face down on the icy ground； and in a fleeting instant； Schofield saw the writing engraved on the back of it：
To Our Daughter；
Sarah Therese Parkes
On Your Twenty…first Birthday。
Schofield froze when he saw the engraving。 He quickly pulled out his printed copy of Andrew Trent's e…mail。 He scanned the list of ICG informers。 And he found it。
PARKES。 SARAH T。 USD PLNTLGST
Schofield snapped up to look at Sarah Hensleigh。 〃What's your maiden name； Sarah？〃 he asked。
Snick…snick。
Schofield heard the sound of the gun cocking before he saw it emerge from behind Sarah Hensleigh's back。
Sarah Hensleigh held the pistol out at arm's length； pointed it at Schofield's head。 With her spare hand； she pulled Santa Cruz's helmet headset out from behind her and adjusted the channel dial on the belt clip。 She spoke into the headset。
〃SEAL team； this is Hensleigh。 e in。〃
There was no reply。 Hensleigh frowned。
〃SEAL team； this is Hensleigh。 e in。〃
〃There's no one up there； Sarah；〃 Schofield said； cradling Gant in his arms。 〃They've evacuated the station。 They're gone。 There's a cruise missile on its way here right now and it's nuclear； Sarah。 Those SEALs are long gone。 We have to get out of here； too。〃
Suddenly Schofield heard a voice e over Sarah's headset。 〃Hensleigh； this is SEAL mander Riggs。 Report。〃
Schofield cringed； looked at his watch。
10：35 p。m。 Twenty…five minutes to go。
He wasn't to know that the SEALs up in the station had switched over to a closed…circuit channel to launch their attack on Wilkes。 He wasn't to know that they didn't know about the nuclear missile ing toward the station。
Hensleigh said； 〃SEAL mander。 I have the Marine leader down here with me in the cavern。 I have him under forced arrest。〃
〃We'll be down there soon； Hensleigh。 You have authority to kill him if you have to。 SEAL team out。〃
〃Sarah； what are you doing？〃 Renshaw said。
〃Shut up；〃 Hensleigh said； swinging the gun round so that its cold barrel touched Renshaw's nose。 〃Get over there；〃 she said； waving Renshaw and Kirsty to Schofield's side of the tunnel。 Schofield noticed that Sarah Hensleigh held the gun with confidence and authority。 She had used guns before。
Schofield said； 〃Where are you from； Sarah？ Army or Navy？〃
Sarah looked at him for a moment。 Then she said； 〃Army。〃
〃What section？〃
〃I was at the CDC in Atlanta for a while。 Then I did some work for the Chem Weapons Division。 And then； wouldn't you know it； I suddenly felt the urge to teach。〃
〃Were you ICG before or after you went to teach at the university？〃
〃Before；〃 Hensleigh said。 〃Long before。 Hell； Lieutenant； the ICG sent me to teach at USC。 They asked me to retire from the Army； gave me a lifetime pension； and sent me off to the university。〃
〃Why？〃
〃They wanted to know what was going on there。 In particular； they wanted to know about ice core research…they wanted to know about the chemical gases people like Brian Hensleigh were finding buried in the ice。 Gases from highly toxic environments that disappeared hundreds of millions of years ago。 Carbon monoxide variants； pure chlorine gas molecules。 The ICG wanted to know about it…they can find uses for that sort of thing。 So I got into the field； and I got to know Brian Hensleigh。〃
Renshaw said； 〃You married him to get information out of him？〃
Over in the corner of the tunnel； Kirsty watched this conversation with almost stunned interest。
〃I got what I wanted；〃 Sarah Hensleigh said。 〃So did Brian。〃
〃Did you kill him？〃 Renshaw asked。 〃The car accident？〃
〃No；〃 Hensleigh said。 〃I didn't。 ICG wasn't involved in that at all。 It was exactly that； an accident。 Call it whatever you want； destiny； fate。 It just happened。〃
〃Did you kill Bernie Olson？〃 Schofield asked quickly。
Sarah paused before she answered that
〃Yes；〃 she said。 〃I did。〃
〃Oh； you fucking bitch；〃 Renshaw said。
〃Bernie Olson was a liar and a thief；〃 Hensleigh said。 〃He was going to publish Renshaw's findings before Renshaw did。 I didn't really care about that。 But then when Renshaw struck metal fifteen hundred feet down； Olson told me he was going to publish that； too。 And I just couldn't allow that to happen。 Not without the ICG knowing about it first〃
〃Not without the ICG knowing about it first；〃 Schofield repeated bitterly。
〃It's our job to know everything first。〃
〃So you killed him；〃 Schofield said。 〃With sea snake venom。 And you made it look like Renshaw did it。〃
Sarah Hensleigh looked at Renshaw。 〃I'm sorry； James； but you were far too easy a target。 You and Bernie fought all the time。 And when you fought that night； it was just too good an opportunity to miss。〃
Schofield looked at his watch。 〃Sarah； listen。 I know you don't believe me； but we have to get out of here。 There is a nuclear missile…〃
〃There is no missile；〃 Hensleigh snapped。 〃If there were； the SEALs wouldn't be here。〃
Schofield glanced at his watch again。
10：36 p。m。
Shit； he thought。 It was so frustrating。 They were stuck here； at the mercy of Sarah Hensleigh。 And she was just going to wait here until the nuke arrived and killed them all。
It was at that moment that Schofield's watch flicked over to 10：37 p。m。
Schofield hadn't known about the eighteen Tritonal 80/20 charges that Trevor Barnaby had laid in a semicircle around Wilkes Ice Station with the intention of creating an iceberg。
Hadn't known that exactly two hours ago…at 8：37 p。m。… when Barnaby had been inside the diving bell alone； Barnaby had set a timer to detonate the Tritonal charges in two hours' time。
The eighteen Tritonal charges exploded as one and the blast was absolutely devas