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“I’ll do my best I’ll let you knohen I uys with the spearguns an excuse to use you for target practice”

They were directly above the hemispherical-shaped structure at the hub of the lab complex Zavala remembered it as the transit module where the airlock for the shuttle vehicle was located Phelps swam under the transit module, past fourpuppies, then up into a shaft that opened into a round pool at the center of a circular chamber

Phelps removed his mask and couards surfaced seconds later By then, Phelps and Zavala had used a ladder on the side of the pool to clied froear on wall hooks The guards took their uns aside and produced machine pistols from their waterproof backpacks

Phelps pressed a switch and a door slid open He led the way along a tube-shaped corridor to another door that opened into a seway, and then he and Zavala stepped inside

Half of one asseveral workers dressed in white biohazard suits The workers looked up when Phelps rapped his knuckles on the glass All went back to work except one, aved in acknowledgment and disappeared behind a door labeled DECONTAMINATION

Minutes later, Lois Mitchell stepped into the roo a lab coat and slacks, and her raven hair was still damp from the decontanaled his appreciation of Lois’s striking good looks with a slight smile Lois saw it, and the corners of her lips turned up

“I know you,” she said

Zavala did a fast h the years and drew a blank

“Have we met?” he asked cautiously

Lois laughed

“I saw you on TV,” she said “You were the engineer from NUMA who made the dive with Dr Kane in the bathysphere” She furrowed her brow “What on earth are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the sa,” Zavala said

Phelps said, “Dr Mitchell, this is Joe Zavala from NUMA”

“Lois,” the scientist a her hand

“Hate to break up this party,” Phelps said, “but things arefast, Dr Mitchell My boss is on his way to the lab My guess is that he wants to check on your project”