The Doomsday Box Read Online Free

Potolo, sir,” said Michael’s escort. “That’s everybody now.”
    â€œThank you, Captain,” Saltzman said.
    â€œCaptain?” Michael echoed in surprise. He glanced at his security guard.
    â€œCaptain Alison Woods,” she said quietly. “Don’t let the uniforms fool you—nothing’s what it seems around here.” She snapped off a quick salute to the colonel, then left. As the door closed behind her, Michael found himself thinking of a saying from his native Mali: What you see, it’s not what you think.
    Colonel Saltzman pinched the bridge of his nose in a tired gesture and scowled. “Okay, we got a situation here, and they tell me you guys can help.” He looked from one face to another, with the bewildered expression of someone examining the evidence from an alien autopsy. “You’re psychics—right?”
    No one seemed in a hurry to answer him before Mr. Carradine said, “Not exactly, Colonel.”
    The colonel stared at him for a moment. “You’re an American, Mr. Carradine?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œCIA from what they tell me?”
    Carradine nodded. “Currently with the Shadow Project in Britain, but yes: I’m still CIA.”
    â€œSo tell me, Mr. Carradine, what’s a CIA operative doing mixed up with a bunch of kids from The Twilight Zone ?”
    Mr. Carradine gave a slight smile, but Michael could tell he was not particularly amused. Even in the short time Michael had been with the Shadow Project, he’d realized Mr. Carradine felt protective toward his operatives.
    Carradine said carefully, “Let me see if I understand the situation here, Colonel. The government has authorized a revival of the Montauk Project, and we’ve been drilling to open up the old space-time rift. That about the size of it?”
    â€œYes.”
    Carradine said softly, “I believe the alarm has gone off, Colonel Saltzman.”
    A wary look entered Saltzman’s eyes. “Yes.”
    â€œWhich means something from another place, another time—from outside of our reality, in fact—could be trying to get in.” He stopped, holding the colonel’s gaze and raising one eyebrow.
    The colonel shifted uncomfortably. “I suppose you could put it that way.”
    â€œWhat other way would you like to put it?” Mr. Carradine asked. When the colonel was silent, Carradine said, “Let’s cut the bull, Colonel. Somebody has convinced the president that the old Project Rainbow may have stumbled on an answer to the energy crisis, and an order has come down to reopen the space-time rift. If you stop drilling, the president is going to be very unhappy. But if you keep going, you have no idea what you might let through. We both know what happened in the old days. You’re in trouble here, and my people—these kids as you call them—are the only ones who can bail you out. They’re not psychics and they’re not circus freaks. They’re trained operatives with a very special talent—and that talent could be the solution to your problem.”
    There was a long, tense silence, then Saltzman’s shoulders suddenly slumped. “I’m sorry, Mr. Carradine. You’re right. They dumped this whole thing in my lap when the alarm went off, and I’ve only had a few hours’ sleep since then. Makes me tetchy.” He looked around the group. “Okay, what’s the plan?”
    Fifteen minutes later they were gathered round a plan of the Montauk underground complex spread across the colonel’s desk and weighted down by a variety of objects, including his cell phone and, alarmingly, his sidearm. The place, Michael thought, was huge—almost twice the size of the Shadow Project. That was pretty much the American way. They liked to do things bigger and better than the British.
    â€œOf course, it’s been abandoned for years,” Colonel Saltzman