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  SHADOW

  ZONE

  ALSO BY IRIS JOHANSEN

  AND ROY JOHANSEN

  Storm Cycle

  Silent Thunder

  ALSO BY IRIS JOHANSEN

  Eight Days to Live

  Deadlock

  Dark Summer

  Quicksand

  Pandora’s Daughter

  Stalemate

  An Unexpected Song

  Killer Dreams

  On the Run

  Countdown

  Blind Alley

  ALSO BY ROY JOHANSEN

  Deadly Visions

  Beyond Belief

  The Answer Man

  SHADOW

  ZONE

  IRIS JOHANSEN

  AND

  ROY JOHANSEN

  ST. MARTIN’S PRESS NEW YORK

  Table of Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  SHADOW ZONE. Copyright © 2010 by Johansen Publishing

  LLLP, and Roy Johansen. All rights reserved.

  Printed in the United States of America.

  For information, address St. Martin’s Press,

  175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  www.stmartins.com

  ISBN 978-0-312-61160-6

  First Edition: July 2010

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  For Jerry

  A faithful friend

  who brought much love and laughter into the world

  SHADOW

  ZONE

  PROLOGUE

  Venice, Italy

  10:35 P.M.

  Marinth.

  Samuel Debney piloted his motorboat up Venice’s Grand Canal, wishing he had never heard that word.

  Marinth.

  He had been only vaguely aware of it before, but in the past two weeks the name had come to mean many things to him. Awe. Wonder. Wealth. Fear. Ugliness. Death.

  Marinth.

  Had it only been two weeks since it had totally consumed him, wrenching him from his old life? It had been a good life, a comfortable life, but one that was now lost to him forever.

  He shook his head. Can’t look back. He would soon have plenty of time to wrestle with his regrets.

  He hoped.

  The lights of Sestiere di Castello shimmered on the water as he eased off the throttle and turned down Fondamenta San Lorenzo. Three turns later, he was facing the white-plaster back side of an art gallery. He heard music in the distance, but other than that there was only the sound of water lapping against the building foundation. It was deserted and only partially visible from the adjacent waterway.

  He cut the engine. Why in the hell had he agreed to this?

  He knew why. Because he was tired. Because he wanted it to be over. Because he just wanted—

  “Thank you for coming, Mr. Debney.”

  He turned. Two men appeared from around the corner of the building. Debney tensed. He recognized them both. Gadaire’s men, whom he’d seen when he’d made the attempt to contact Gadaire. The red-haired man with the narrow face who had spoken was Tad Bekins. The smaller man with gray hair and muscles like a weight lifter was Ralph Johnson. Nasty bastards like all of Gadaire’s goons. This was not good.

  Debney tried to smile, and only then did he realize that his lower lip was trembling. “Hello, Bekins, I didn’t expect you.”

  “Why not?” Bekins and Johnson jumped off the concrete walkway and landed on his boat. Bekins stepped closer to him. “Mr. Gadaire was intrigued by the information you claim to have.”

  “I do have it.” His lips tightened. “And if he was so intrigued, why didn’t he come himself?”

  “Mr. Gadaire is a very busy man.”

  “So am I. I don’t have time to waste with—”

  Johnson slipped around and grabbed him from behind. As Debney struggled to break free, Bekins grabbed his arm and sliced his left wrist. Blood spurted onto the boat deck.

  Debney reached for the revolver tucked into his waistband, but Johnson got there first. The man hefted it and struck him on the back of the head. In the next instant, he felt an icy cold shiver of pain on his right wrist. He looked down and saw that Bekins had cut him there, too, and his blood was now pooling at his feet.

  “What in the hell are you doing?” Debney screamed.

  Johnson pushed him down onto the weather-beaten seat. “You’re losing blood fast. You’ll be unconscious in seven minutes, and dead in twelve. Unless you tell us exactly what we need to know.”

  “You’re out of your minds! I had a deal with Gadaire!”

  “Deal canceled. This is the new deal,” Bekins said. “Talk. Tell us where we can find the sample.”

  He was going to die. Debney rocked back and forth. “Mother of God . . .”

  “The sample,” Bekins repeated. “Tell us where—” Bekins suddenly arched, his face drooping. He stumbled backwards toward the side of boat.

  Debney stared in bewilderment as Bekins tried to speak. Blood. Blood pouring from his chest. Another step back, and Bekins tumbled into the canal.

  “What the—” Johnson spun around to face the walkway.

  A man was standing there, a tall, powerful shadow in the dimness. He took aim with the automatic handgun and fired two muffled shots. Johnson collapsed onto the cushion next to Debney, almost as if dropping down to rest.

  The man with the gun stepped down onto the boat.

  Debney looked up. A fog was creeping up from the back of his head. Must fight it. Must stay awake. Fall unconscious, and he was a dead man. “You . . . killed them . . .”

  “Yes. I’m sure neither of us is going to miss them.” The man was powerfully built, a gleam of silver burnished the hair of his temples, and he spoke with a slight accent. Russian? “I’ll offier you the same deal those gentlemen did. Tell me what I need to know, and I’ll save your life. The difference is, I will keep my word, which those two had no intention of doing.”

  “Who . . . are you?”

  “Kirov.” He checked his watch. “Your time’s running out. I suggest you begin talking now. If you talk fast enough, I’ll have time to stop that blood before those wounds kill you. But I won’t start until I have what I want.” He added with lethal softness, “Believe me. I don’t bluff, Debney. Marinth. Let’s start there, shall we? Before this is over, I’m going to know everything that you know about Marinth.”

  CHAPTER

  1

  Marinth Underwater

  Archaeological Site

  Atlantic Ocean

  Copernicus Research Vessel

  7:10 A.M.

  “Hey, I didn’t see you in the galley for breakfast, Hannah,” Josh Carnaby said as he strolled down the deck toward her. “You okay?”

  “Fine.” Hannah Bryson made a face as she gestured to the satellite phone in her hand. “I’m just trying to get through to my sister-in-law before we go down in the minisub. I want to talk to my nephew, and the time difference between here and Boston usually screws everything up.” Her lips tightened determi
nedly. “But I will get through, dammit.”

  “An emergency?”

  She shook her head. “It’s my nephew Ronnie’s twelfth birthday.” Her expression became shadowed. “It’s the first one since my brother’s death. I want to touch base with him. It’s going to be tough on Ronnie. It’s going to be tough on all of them.”

  Josh nodded soberly. “It’s only been a couple months since Conner died. The wound has to be still raw.” He was silent a moment. “Damn, I miss him. The entire crew misses him. Every time I see you, I expect Conner to be right beside you.”

  As he’d been beside her all through the years, she thought. They’d not only been brother and sister, they’d worked together on hundreds of undersea projects, traveled the world together, and been best friends. She missed his sweetness, his humor, his gentle way of opening her eyes to the good things around her when all she could see was darkness. Dear God, how she missed him. “Yeah, I know.” She swallowed hard and quickly gazed out at the sun-dappled sea. Get control. She mustn’t be all teary when she talked to Ronnie. “Conner would have loved this job. He was always telling me that I spent too much time involved with machines and not enough enjoying the wonders the machines could uncover.” She smiled with an effort. “Here I don’t have a choice. The wonders are all around me whenever I go down to that lost city that all the historians are trying to link with Atlantis.”

  “That city would be damn hard to uncover if you hadn’t been so brilliant and designed those minisubs.” He was silent a moment. “I just want you to know that I appreciate you letting me go down with you and having a part in this show. It’s the chance of a lifetime, and you’ve always been the best boss a guy could have. I’ll never be as good as Conner, and I know it probably hurts you to work with anyone else. But it’s been an experience I’ll never forget.”

  “Bullshit,” she said unevenly. “If you weren’t terrific at your job, I wouldn’t have chosen you. We make a good team.” She drew a deep breath. “Now get out of here and let me make my telephone call. We’re supposed to dive in thirty minutes, and I won’t go down until I’ve talked to Ronnie.”

  He grinned. “I’m on my way.” He moved down the deck. “I’ll even keep Ebersole away from you. He was asking for you at breakfast.”

  Hannah groaned. “Then I’m glad I skipped it. For the last three days, he’s been cornering me and squeezing every bit of progress information out of me.”

  “Imagine that. But since he’s chief operating officer of AquaCorp, and AquaCorp is funding our little expedition, you can understand how he’d have a slight interest in the operation.”

  “Moneymen,” Hannah said. “The bane of my life.” She made a shooing motion. “Go. Keep him off my back until I finish my call, and I’ll be eternally grateful.”

  “Consider it done.”

  She smiled as she watched him stroll away from her. Yes, Josh would find a way to give her these few moments’ respite. He’d been a member of her team for years, but she’d learned new respect and affection for him since she’d lost Conner.

  She dialed Cathy’s number again. It rang six times, but Cathy finally picked up.

  “Hi, I’ve been trying to get through to you. Everything okay?”

  “Sure, we’re about to cut the cake. Ronnie’s been on the phone with my mom.” Cathy chuckled. “And Donna had to have her turn. She doesn’t totally understand the concept of special treatment on birthdays.”

  “She’s only five.”

  “And Ronnie doesn’t mind. He’s a very protective big brother with her.” She was silent a moment. “Particularly since Conner died. He thinks I need help with her.”

  “He’s a great kid.”

  “You bet he is. The best.”

  “How are you doing, Cathy?”

  “I’m surviving. Some days are better than others. This one is not so great.” She changed the subject. “We saw you on the Discovery Channel this week. Donna was very excited.”

  “And Ronnie?”

  “Thoughtful. I was worried that he might be thinking about Conner. I tried to talk to him, but he closed me out,” she said. “We’re okay, Hannah. Stop worrying about us.”

  “You’re my family. It goes with the territory.”

  “We worry about you too. We’re not the one who’s careening around in the depths of the ocean in that weird contraption.” She paused. “You named that exploration minisub you use after Conner. It came as a shock when that announcer started talking about Conner One.”

  “Conner would have liked this sub. I can hear him laughing because it’s so crazy-looking.”

  “Yeah, he always teased you about your mechanical ‘creatures,’ ” she said. “It’s kind of . . . comforting to have his name on one. Thank you for doing it, Hannah.”

  “I’m selfish. I did it for me.”

  “You did it for us, too. Now I’ll let you talk to the birthday boy. He’s right at my elbow.”

  Ronnie came on the phone. “Hi, Aunt Hannah.”

  “Happy twelfth birthday. I wish I was there.”

  “Me, too. Thanks for all the new soccer equipment. It’s cool.”

  “No, you’re cool. I’m expecting stellar things from you next season.”

  “I’ll try.” He was silent a moment. “I was thinking about skipping soccer next year. Mom may need me.”

  “She needs you to be a normal kid.” But he wasn’t a kid any longer, she thought sadly. He’d always reminded her of Conner, and since her brother’s death, she could see all Conner’s caring and serious responsibility mirrored in the boy. “She’s trying to hold everything together. Don’t make her feel like a failure.”

  “Mom’s great.” He was silent a moment. “I saw the TV show about you and Marinth. It looked . . . cool.”

  “It is.”

  “They said there are hundreds of dolphins who live down there.”

  “Yes, the people of ancient Marinth had a special relationship with dolphins. That’s why my friend Melis Nemid became involved in searching for the lost city. She’s a marine biologist, and she loves dolphins. She has two, Pete and Susie, who are her special friends. They’re absolutely amazing.”

  “I’d like to see them,” he said haltingly. “I think I should come there, Aunt Hannah.”

  She had been afraid this was coming. “To see the dolphins?”

  “No, to take care of you. My dad told me that you were alone, and we had to take care of you. Now that he’s gone, it’s my job.”

  So solemn, so endearing. It was breaking her heart.

  She would not tell him that she didn’t need him. “We all have to take care of each other. But right now you need to take care of Donna and your mom.” She paused. “Maybe I could arrange for you to have a working holiday with me next summer. Sort of an apprenticeship.”

  “Working together?” His voice was eager. “Doing stuff like Dad did for you?”

  “Exactly. I’ll look forward to it, Ronnie.”

  “So will I.” He paused. “But that’s months away. Is that okay? I don’t want you to be lonely, Aunt Hannah.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll keep busy, and you’ll be here before I know it. Now go back and have your cake. I love you, Ronnie.”

  “I love you too. I’ll study all the books in Dad’s library that have to do with mapping and scientific—”

  “You do that. I’m sure it will help. Enjoy your birthday. Good-bye, love.” She hung up.

  What had she gotten herself into?

  Dealing with a twelve-year-old. Responsibility. Duty.

  Love.

  As long as there was love, she could handle the rest. In fact, she was beginning to feel excited about the prospect of having Ronnie with her on the job.

  She gazed out at the sea. She hoped that Ronnie would be able to come here and see the wonders she’d viewed in the last weeks. If AquaCorp had its way, her team would be sent on their way long before next summer.

  I don’t want you to be lonely.

  She
didn’t want to be lonely either, but she’d made her choice. She’d tried marriage, and it hadn’t worked out. She was too driven and obsessed by her work to be able to make that kind of commitment. It would have to be an extraordinary relationship to ever tempt her to try again.

  Kirov.

  She veered away from the name that had suddenly slid into her mind like a seductive whisper. That was a promise that had never come into being. Just as well. Kirov might be extraordinary, but he was also deadly. She was better off alone than walking that path.

  Stop moping, she thought impatiently. She worked with great people, and she had Cathy and the kids to love and nurture. That was a hell of a lot more than most women had going for them.

  She turned and headed for the minisub at the docking station on the vessel.

  And she had work that was headily exciting and filled her life. When she was in that minisub exploring those wonders she had wanted to show Ronnie, there were exhilaration and curiosity and endless possibilities.

  And there was no loneliness.

  Dammit, he’d missed her again, Ebersole thought with annoyance as he watched Hannah climb into the minisub. He had an impulse to go down, pull her out of that sub, and throttle her. He knew she’d probably been avoiding him again, and Josh Carnaby had been a party to it.

  Yeah, sure. If he laid a hand on her, she’d very likely deck him. There was nothing fragile about Hannah Bryson. She was tall and slim but with shapely broad shoulders and beautiful long legs. Her wild curly dark hair reached her shoulders and framed a face whose deep-set brown eyes, high cheekbones, and wide lips made you want to keep on looking. The cameras loved her, and that face had been a bonus to the corporation when the Discovery Channel had been doing the interviews. Science was great, but charisma made it go down a hell of a lot smoother.

  But now she was proving to be a complete pain in the ass. She didn’t understand the common dollar-and-cents rules that governed expeditions like this. She wanted things her way and fought any limits they tried to put on her. She was stubborn and hardheaded and thought that the ships she built were almost human.