The Doomsday Code

CHAPTER 8

2001, New York

Maddy and Becks were treading water in the perspex tube one moment and gone — along with sixty gallons of diluted disinfectant solution — the next. The large plastic tub flexed inwards with a loud thud that echoed through the archway.

‘Jay-zus! Does that tube always do that?’

Sal nodded. ‘The pressure of all the water suddenly not there … it makes the perspex flex.’

‘Oh, right.’ He looked round at Sal sitting patiently beside him, hands crossed in her lap. ‘So what normally happens now?’

Her smile was resigned. ‘We haven’t had “normal” yet. Either we’ve been hiding from cannibal mutants or we’ve had secret-service agents knocking at the door.’ She laughed skittishly. ‘It seems like we’ve been hopping from one crisis to the next since we first arrived here, doesn’t it?’

Liam nodded. ‘Well then, while it appears the sky hasn’t yet fallen on our heads again, and while we’re waiting for this machinery to recharge, perhaps Miss Vikram would like to go for a breakfast in one of those charming Scottish restaurants.’

‘Scottish restaurants?’

‘One of them McDougal places?’

‘McDonalds?’

‘Aye, that’s the fella. The ones with the big fancy yellow M.’

She pulled a face. ‘Breakfast sounds good … but maybe somewhere else?’