The Death Mask Murders

by Gabriel Farago

  Smiling for the first time since he saw the strangers invading his private domain, O’Hara called up the computer program that remote-controlled all the sophisticated installations inside the mine, and prepared to send his elite soldiers he had kept in reserve, into battle. Only these soldiers didn’t fight with conventional weapons, but with something far more powerful: water.

  60

  Salzbergwerk Berchtesgaden: Escape from the salt mine, 9 November 2:30 pm

  With Tristan’s help, Lola turned Jack onto his back and was about to apply CPR, when water gushed out of Jack’s mouth, and he began to breathe. Moments later, he began to cough, opened his eyes, and looked at Tristan.

  ‘What took you so long?’ whispered Jack and tried to sit up.

  Tristan pushed him gently back down, leaned forward and kissed him tenderly on his forehead. ‘We almost didn’t make it. Never frighten me like this again.’

  ‘How do you feel?’ asked Isis.

  ‘All right. Incorrigible rascals are tough—’

  ‘Do you think you can walk?’ interjected Lola, frowning.

  ‘Perhaps not that tough, but I’ll give it a go.’

  ‘We must get out of here, fast!’

  ‘Good luck!’ said Petrinko.

  ‘No-one asked you!’ snapped Tristan.

  ‘You have no idea what you’re dealing with here.’

  ‘Ah, the other clown,’ said Tristan. ‘Just as I thought.’ He recognised the voice from the recent encounter at the chateau. ‘You’re the one who killed Lorenza!’

  ‘Shit happens,’ said Petrinko, who had been watching carefully and was biding his time. Slowly lowering his right arm, he reached into his pocket. He always carried a flick-knife; an old habit. When Cesaria turned to look at Jack lying on the ground in front of her and momentarily lowered her gun, he knew he had his chance. A street fighter since his teens with extensive military training and combat experience, he knew exactly what to do.

  Cesaria’s right arm was closest to him. Holding the knife firmly in his right hand, Petrinko lunged forward and stabbed Cesaria in the arm.

  Taken by surprise, Cesaria gasped in pain and dropped the gun, lost her balance and, slipping on the wet step, fell into the water. Carried forward by the momentum, Petrinko, a solid, powerful man, fell on top of her.

  Petrinko surfaced first. His eyes firmly fixed on the gun lying on the step in front of him, he tried to lift himself out of the water to reach it. Tristan, who had seen it all, was closest to the gun. A split second faster than Petrinko, he reached it first and pulled the trigger. Hit in the chest at close range, Petrinko was dead before he fell back into the water.

  ‘For Lorenza,’ said Tristan. ‘You should have killed me while you had the chance!’

  ‘Not bad for someone who listens to the whisper of angels,’ said Lola, and helped Cesaria climb out of the water.

  * * *

  O’Hara, who had seen it all on CCTV, punched in the code on his laptop that would open the large sluice gate valves on one of the upper levels. This would allow water from two small salt lakes to drain into the lower tunnels and shafts, to quickly flood the mine.

  * * *

  Supporting Jack under his arms, Isis and Tristan almost had to carry him because he was too unsteady on his feet. Both realised that this was the easy bit. The real challenge would come later: how to get Jack to the top of the miners’ slide by navigating the steep, narrow stairs wouldn’t be easy.

  As they dragged Jack past the alcove with the waterwheel, Jack turned his head and looked inside.

  ‘Jesus! I think drowning would have been easier,’ he said. ‘We can’t just leave him here.’

  ‘Let the police deal with that. This is a crime scene. Landru’s gone. You’re still very much alive. We’ve got to get out of here.’ said Tristan. ‘Quickly!’

  Just before they reached the wooden slide, Cesaria, who had walked ahead, held up her hand. ‘What was that?’ she said. ‘Did you hear?’

  ‘What?’ asked Lola, who was bringing up the rear.

  ‘Hush! Listen.’

  ‘Sounds like water,’ said Isis.

  ‘You’re right,’ said Cesaria and looked up. At first, water came rushing down the slide and ran along the floor towards the tunnel leading to the lake below. Moments later, the noise intensified, and water came rushing out of the tunnel above and cascaded down like a waterfall. Cesaria realised at once what was happening: water from above was flooding the area below. It would quickly reach the lake and then back up, filling the tunnel and the entire chamber completely.

  ‘What now?’ shouted Isis as the water kept rising. It had almost reached her knees. ‘We certainly can’t go up there!’

  ‘We can’t stay here either, or we’ll drown!’ said Tristan and let go of Jack’s arm. ‘As we walked past Landru just now, I think I saw something behind him.’

  ‘What did you see?’ Lola had to shout to make herself heard, the cascading water echoing through the chamber almost drowning out her words.

  ‘I’ll go back and have a look. Hold on!’

  As Tristan turned to leave, the lights went out and plunged the chamber into darkness, making the rushing waters sound louder and more threatening.

  ‘That’s all we need!’ he said. He reached for his iPhone, turned on the torch, pointed the cone of light at the rising water and then waded back to the alcove.

  Tristan returned moments later. By now, the water was reaching their waists. ‘There’s another way out,’ he said. ‘Come – hurry!’

  The first police car had just arrived at the farmhouse. Others were not far behind and the fire brigade was on its way.

  ‘They went down there,’ said the mayor, pointing to the open trap door. He was addressing the officer in charge, a burly Bavarian with a crew cut who had served in Afghanistan. ‘You better go down and see what’s happening.’

  The police officer looked down into the shaft. ‘The boys from the fire brigade should be here any moment. I think this is a job for them, don’t you?’

  ‘I’m worried,’ said Gruber. ‘My guests should have been back by now. They only went down for a quick look.’

  The officer turned to Wagner, who had just arrived after the mayor had called him and asked for his help. ‘What do you think’s down there, Leo?’ he asked. ‘You know this place better than all of us.’ The officer knew Wagner well. They shared the same Stammtisch in a Gasthaus in Berchtesgaden.

  ‘Part of the old mine. It reaches all the way across to here, but this entrance is definitely new. Ah, here are the rescue boys now.’

  Wagner pointed to the fire truck. ‘Let’s go and talk to them.’

  ‘All right, but first let me have a word with this guy here.’ The officer pointed to Dragan, sitting on the floor in front of the mayor. ‘He must know something.’

  The officer crouched down next to Dragan and looked at him. Tough guy, he thought, recognising all the signs. ‘I don’t have to tell you about the amount of trouble you’re in. I’m sure you know. You can improve your situation by telling me what’s down there, or things will get worse. Your choice.’

  ‘Your show, your problem, boy!’ hissed Dragan, pursing his lips in contempt.

  ‘All right, Gramps, have it your way.’

  Nodding, the officer stood up and turned to one of his men. He realised it was pointless to pursue the matter further. ‘Handcuff him, put him in the car and search the house.’

  With Gruber and the mayor anxiously watching at the trapdoor, three young firefighters, all mountain climbers with alpine rescue training, climbed down into the shaft to investigate.

  ‘What happened up here is bad enough,’ said Gruber, ‘but if something’s happened to them down there, well …’

  ‘I understand. You should have told me!’ said the mayor.

  ‘About the video?’

  ‘Of course. There’s a lot more to all this than we know, right?’

  ‘Looks that way,’ conceded Gruber, forever th
e pragmatist. ‘But now that we know, we have to deal with it and minimise the damage,’ he added.

  ‘I suppose so. Let’s see what the lads come up with. They are the best we have.’

  A few minutes later, one of the firefighters appeared at the top of the ladder. ‘We have a problem,’ he said, a worried expression on his face.

  ‘What do you mean?’ demanded the mayor.

  ‘It’s a mess down there. Water. It’s coming from everywhere and flooding the old tunnels. Part of the roof has already collapsed. There’s no way we can get through them from here. We were lucky to get out.’

  ‘What about the people who went down ...?’

  The firefighter shrugged and took off his helmet.

  ‘This is a catastrophe!’ said Gruber, his mind racing. He could already see the headlines, and his career going up in flames.

  ‘Perhaps I can help,’ said Wagner, who had overheard the conversation.

  ‘What do you mean, Leo?’ said the mayor.

  ‘There could be another way into the mine further down.’

  ‘Can we get to it?’ asked the firefighter.

  ‘Access has been closed for years, but yes. I think so.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘From the mine that’s open to the public.’ Wagner pointed over his shoulder. ‘I could show you. It’s just over there.’

  ‘Here, look,’ said Tristan, and pointed to a narrow shaft leading into the mountain under the waterwheel. The entry to the shaft was a few feet above the water racing past them down to the lake below.

  ‘It’s our only chance,’ said Cesaria. ‘I’ll go in first.’ She handed the gun to Lola, and turned on the torch on her phone. ‘Let’s go, guys.’

  ‘Just when I thought I’ve been rescued,’ said Jack. ‘This?’

  ‘Count your lucky stars, mate,’ said Tristan. ‘At least this shaft is pointing up, not down.’

  ‘That’s something, I suppose,’ said Jack, trying to sound cheerful. ‘You don’t know what it’s like standing in this salt water for hours.’

  Tristan turned to Isis holding on to Jack’s arm next to him. ‘Can you believe this guy?’ he said.

  Isis shook her head. ‘Certain rascals are like that. That’s why they call them incorrigible. Come on, let’s go.’

  As Cesaria moved deeper into the mine shaft, it gradually narrowed and she had to get down on all fours. Ten metres further in, she had to get down on her belly and crawl until her head almost touched the low ceiling and she could barely move. Taking a deep breath, she raised her head a little and looked ahead. ‘A chamber,’ she shouted. ‘I can see a chamber!’

  ‘How far?’ asked Lola, who was just behind her.

  ‘Not far. I’m almost through. Tell the others.’

  Manoeuvring Jack through the narrow opening was difficult, but with Tristan pushing from behind, and Lola pulling at the front, they managed to get him through. Exhausted, his wet clothes torn and his knees and elbows bleeding, Jack lay on the ground. ‘You know what, guys?’ he said. Looking up at Tristan.

  ‘What?’ said Tristan.

  ‘I think I prefer the water.’

  ‘Ignore him, he’s just winding you up,’ said Isis, rubbing her aching back, well aware that Jack was using a little humour to make everyone feel better. She had seen him do this often before. ‘That’s better. At least I can stand up again.’

  Pointing her torch at the steep rock walls, Cesaria was exploring the chamber for a way out. ‘Here, look,’ she said. ‘Another shaft; a big one.’

  Lola walked over to investigate.

  ‘Oh no!’ said Cesaria, sounding exasperated.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Come.’

  Holding a rusty iron bar with both hands, Cesaria was furiously shaking a solid grate reaching from floor to ceiling, blocking her way.

  ‘The shaft’s been closed off,’ said Lola, running her fingers along a chain attached to an iron ring set into the rock wall. ‘It’s not moving. We can’t get out!’

  Looking defeated, Lola sank to her knees and buried her face in her hands. Jack crawled over to her and put his arm around her. ‘Don’t worry, Lola. We’ll get out of here, you’ll see,’ he said.

  ‘How can you say that?’ Just look at this!’ Lola began to rattle the grate with the chain.

  ‘It’s not our time.’

  ‘He’s right,’ said Tristan.

  ‘Come on, not you too!’ said Lola, tears in her eyes. ‘How can you be so sure?’

  ‘Because of that,’ said Tristan and pointed into the shaft on the other side of the grate. As Lola turned her head, she could see lights flickering in the distance. Then she heard voices. What Lola could hear were the voices of the firefighters coming towards them out of the darkness.

  61

  Adler Security Company compound, Obersalzberg: 9 November, 4:30 pm

  Ignoring the thunderstorm raging outside, O’Hara put down his binoculars and stared out of the window. He knew exactly what would happen next. More police, two additional fire engines and an ambulance had arrived at the farmhouse at the foot of the mountain. Dragan had been arrested and it was therefore only a matter of time before the authorities came knocking.

  The lights inside the salt mine had gone out some time ago as the water kept rising and the tunnels collapsed, making the CCTV cameras inoperative, but O’Hara had seen enough. Landru and Petrinko were both dead, and the unwelcome intruders would have drowned by now in the flooded mine.

  Instead of feeling concerned, O’Hara felt strangely energised and elated. It was all part of the high-stakes game he lived for and, once again, he was clearly winning. In many ways, he had carefully prepared for a moment just like this, and it was time for the final masterstroke.

  O’Hara picked up his mobile and called his pilot standing by in the next farmhouse.

  ‘Get the chopper ready, we are leaving,’ he said. Then he took a last look at his much-prized Llanganates gems spread out on the desk in front of him, and smiled. These were the precious trophies collected over many years that would show him the way.

  Beginning with The Navarro Chronicles, he packed them carefully into a small metal case, as a bright bolt of lightning illuminated the control room with a ghostly light, and a loud clap of thunder rolled across the mountain, rattling the windows. To many, it would have sounded like a warning, but to O’Hara it was just the opposite: applause. He was about to leave the stage, leaving nothing behind for his opponents but unanswered questions and speculation. O’Hara, the master tactician and manipulator, wouldn’t have it any other way.

  The pilot opened the tall barn doors and activated the turntable. Slowly, the helicopter moved outside into the open, ready for take-off.

  Fully aware of the staggering implications of what had taken place inside the mine, Gruber had taken control of the situation. First, he had made sure that the paramedics carefully examined everybody as they came out of the mine. The firefighters and Wagner had done an outstanding job in bringing everybody out safely, and so quickly. Apart from some superficial cuts and bruises everyone seemed fine. Even Cesaria’s stab wound wasn’t too serious as it turned out, and stopped bleeding once a bandage was applied. Jack was the weakest, but he too would recover quickly. All he needed was rest and a hearty meal.

  Because no-one was allowed to leave, the mayor had arranged accommodation in the prestigious Kempinski Hotel on the Obersalzberg. The Kempinski was an excellent choice. Privacy and discretion were assured and because of the high-profile celebrity status of his guests, both were needed.

  Gruber realised that if only part of what Cesaria had told him about their escape was true, the matter would quickly become a sensation, involving law enforcement agencies from a number of countries. And that could quickly escalate and propel Berchtesgaden and the notorious Obersalzberg into the international spotlight, especially as some form of neo-Nazi involvement was a distinct possibility.

  A shrewd and experienced public servant, Gruber quickly
recognised this was a golden opportunity to advance his career. And what was happening around him was the opportunity of a lifetime he had to take advantage of. He was in the right place at the right time, and could therefore influence events and be noticed before Europol and detectives from Munich arrived and took over.

  The police officer in charge had been instructed by his superiors to secure the site, treat it as a crime scene, and wait for the detectives coming from Munich to arrive.

  Gruber walked over to the mayor, who was talking to the firefighters, and took him aside.

  ‘I think we should go back up to the Adler compound and have another look around. Whatever has happened down here is linked to Adler Security. They own this place.’

  Gruber was watching the mayor carefully. ‘We could do something useful before the detectives get here; what do you think? You mentioned a possible neo-Nazi connection ...’

  The mayor, also an ambitious man, nodded. He realised at once where Gruber was going with this: initiative was the key to advancement.

  ‘Why don’t you talk to the police officer in charge here, and ask him to come with us?’ suggested Gruber. ‘You seem to know him well. We could even take the firefighters along to add a little clout, in case they don’t let us in up there.’

  ‘Good idea. I’ll talk to them.’

  O’Hara stood at the window and watched two police cars and a fire engine approach the closed gate. It was raining heavily and dense mist was rolling in from the valley below, which almost obscured the view.

  Here they come, thought O’Hara and closed the metal case on the bench in front of him. Then he checked the detonator – a complex device – and carefully put it into his shoulder bag. Taking a last look out the window, he saw the fire engine crash though the boom gate. Definitely time to go, thought O’Hara. Then he hurried down to the basement and walked through the tunnel leading to the farmhouse where the helicopter was waiting.