The Amber Secret

by David Leadbeater

  Gurka eyed him. “You’re right,” he said. “So Blondie, what does the name Klaus Meyer mean?”

  “I may be a historian, but I don’t know everyone from history, sir. Maybe Jemma can help you.”

  Bodie turned away to hide the grin. It was great to know Lucie’s feistiness remained intact.

  “Me,” Gunn said quickly. “Pass me a computer, and I’ll track the man down.” After a minute he gazed speculatively at the clouds. “The big problem is . . . to get GPS, or any kind of signal out here, you need to be able to see enough of the sky for it to be able to see enough satellites. If there is a signal, it will be intermittent.”

  Gurka motioned for someone to hand Gunn an eight-inch tablet. Gunn explained as he worked.

  “I’m searching the SS in 1945 for a Klaus Meyer . . .”

  “Those records are online?” Vash asked.

  “Some are plainly available,” Gunn said, still waiting patiently. “World War Two researchers, academics, and professors compiled extensive lists from the time, especially members of the armies on all sides. Every country. Commendations, deaths, lists of regiments. That kind of thing. I’m diving deep now, to find the one that I need.”

  Ten minutes later, Gunn was still waiting. Gurka clenched his fists with frustration. “You’d better not be wasting my time, you fucking geek. I’ll flay you alive and leave you here for the wolves.”

  “Hey.” Bodie stepped forward. “There’s no—”

  “Wait.” Gunn held up a hand. “Maybe there’s another way. Do you have a satellite phone?”

  Nina nodded at one of the mercs and then the backpacks. “Several. For emergencies.”

  “Let me see it. If it has Iridium internet access, we have a chance.”

  Bodie waited for Nina to hand over the phone, watching Gurka. The R24 leader was growing more and more hostile, edgier by the hour. Bodie doubted he even realized that, right now, his hand was gripping the haft of his military knife.

  Gunn turned the sat phone on. “I can tether the sat phone’s access to the tablet.”

  Bodie waited for Gunn to work his magic. He took a bottle of water from his backpack and washed down an energy bar with it. The minutes passed with little sound and movement, save for the still-panting mercs, Lucie’s shuffling as she was led away, and Gunn’s tapping at the plastic screen.

  “All right, I have something. There were several Klaus Meyers, as you can imagine, but only one with membership to the SS in that year. And in addition, this Klaus Meyer was attached to the unit under control of the SS Führungshauptamt, which occupied Königsberg at the time of the Amber Room’s disappearance.”

  Gurka still didn’t look happy. In fact, the ruthless Russian only scratched one of the old scars that lined his face and gestured for Gunn to get on with it.

  “I still find it impossible to understand that men and women adhered to the racist creed that certain kinds of people are subhuman,” Yasmine said quietly, “or that it still continues, of course.”

  “Waffen-SS commanders and its members were judged to be a criminal organization within the Nazi Party,” a female voice answered. Bodie was surprised to hear Nina answering Yasmine. “As you know, the atrocities they committed were numerous.”

  A somber silence followed, but then Gunn spoke again, this time without emotion. “We can see by the badge that this Nazi, Klaus Meyer, accompanied the Amber Room on its way out of Germany. He was on the train. Now, from the last clue, we’ve deduced that somebody on that train left a trail of bread crumbs for those who could follow. They either contrived a stop at this point or came back later. Possibly leaving the clues in reverse.”

  “Makes more sense,” Gurka allowed. “Do you think it was Klaus Meyer?”

  “Most definitely not,” Gunn said. “The records say he was killed and buried in a village graveyard among the Tatras.”

  Now Bodie leaned forward, despite himself. “Buried here? Where?”

  Gunn pointed at the screen. “Nica. A now-abandoned village.”

  “An abandoned graveyard?” one of the mercs moaned. “Out here? That’s all we need.”

  “The danger is good for you,” Cassidy said with a challenge in her voice. “I say, bring it on, and let’s see which one of us handles it best.”

  The challenge went unanswered by the mercs, but Gurka turned to address them all. “Nica, then,” he said. “Find it on the map, and let’s go. The less time we spend in these blasted hills, the better I will feel.”

  It was only then that Vash let out a cry. “That mad Italian bastard. He’s gone!”

  “No.” Nina pointed at a slope. “He’s running. Get after him!”

  Out of the blue, Bodie saw their chance to escape had come.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Lucie saw Caruso drift away. It was an odd sight. The Italian simply looked as if he’d decided to leave the group of his own volition. He turned his back and started walking, but everyone was so engrossed in whatever Gunn was attempting to do with the computer that nobody noticed.

  Caruso picked his way among the foothills at a right angle to the mountains, disappearing down slopes and then reappearing as he ascended the next. He wasn’t trying to hide. He wasn’t running.

  Lucie feared for him; she feared for his family more. The void a dead family member left in your life couldn’t possibly be filled; their life experience could never be passed on. For Lucie, growing up as a teenager had been like starting all over again.

  Then a shout went up: Where was Caruso? Dudyk heard and rose from the seated position he’d occupied for the last thirty minutes. Lucie saw the whole camp in disarray. Nina started shouting. Gurka held up both hands in an expression of anger. The mercs stared at each other and then at the disappearing Caruso.

  Trust the mad Italian, Lucie thought, to do the unexpected.

  Dudyk was concentrated solely on his R24 colleagues and their orders. Lucie saw Bodie staring at her and felt a sudden jolt of instinct.

  Shit, they’re gonna do something.

  It was the first distraction they’d had. Lucie knew that the talent in their team—Heidi and Bodie, Yasmine and Cassidy—would attempt to escape.

  And Dudyk appeared to have forgotten she existed.

  Lucie watched Bodie. She rose to her feet and stretched her limbs. She looked for the easiest means of escape and for the closest cover. If she headed in Caruso’s direction, there were several successive hills and a thick but small stand of trees. It was the best shelter available. The chances of the Italian picking it by random were extremely low.

  Wolves howled in the mountains.

  Not there for us, Lucie hoped. And not now.

  Bodie nodded, a signal, and then the people around him sprang into action. Lucie didn’t waste a second. She put her head down and sprinted away from Dudyk, aiming for the first hill. She ran up the slope, topped it, and then barreled down the other side. The wind whipped her hair, blew it around her face. Her panting was as loud as a train in her ears. She pounded up the next slope.

  A shout came from behind, a vicious warning to stop. Lucie risked a glance back and almost tripped as her heart slammed into her mouth.

  Dudyk was training a handgun on her. “Stop there,” he cried. “Or I shoot your legs out from under you!”

  Lucie knew he’d do it. Gurka had chosen Dudyk to guard her for a reason. He would do whatever he needed to ensure her compliance, from threats to severe bodily harm.

  She ran down the next slope, temporarily out of sight. She had a fast and terrible decision to make. As she rose up the next incline, she was already looking back.

  Bodie and the others were fighting and running. Caruso was gone. Dudyk was walking forward, still aiming his gun.

  “Stop!”

  Oddly, she knew he could have fired several times already. Why hadn’t the Russian opened fire?

  Lucie had always believed she would die suddenly, of natural causes, an accident, just like everyone else in her family. Gritting her teeth,
forcing down the debilitating fear, she knew that right now, she had to test that theory.

  Bodie saw every mercenary either watching Caruso or listening to Gurka. They were as distracted as they were ever going to get. Aware that the other members of his team were watching him, he nodded and sprang into action.

  Grabbing the nearest mercenary’s arm, he ripped the rifle from his hands and threw it onto the ground. Then he elbowed the merc in the face. His attack barely had an effect, but it did surprise the man. Bodie was able to push him backward and trip him up, sending him to the ground. As he fell, Bodie grabbed a handgun from the man’s belt.

  Pointing it at his face, Bodie grabbed two spare clips of ammo and a map. As he was about to open fire, someone clattered into his back. The bullet flew wide. He staggered, regained his balance. The merc tried to rise, but another man fell across him. There was no time. Bodie knew they only had seconds to make their escape.

  Around him, his team fought wildly. Cassidy kicked and punched two mercs until they fell to their knees, winded. Gurka and Nina both shouted orders, the numerous distractions overwhelming them and confusing their men. Heidi grappled with a long-haired individual, pretended to stumble, and then hurled him over her right shoulder. He landed with a clatter and a deep grunt. Heidi was on him in less than a second. Quickly, she searched every pocket she could reach.

  “We’re good.” She held up the greatest prize they could find—at this point even more valuable than the Amber Room.

  A sat phone.

  “Run!”

  Bodie kicked his opponent in the ribs. They couldn’t hope to outmatch the mercs, even if their numbers were equal, but they had the element of surprise, and all they needed was a weapon, a map, and a phone. Add to that the belief that R24 wouldn’t just order them shot, that it needed Caruso too, and they had a chance. They had debated it several times already on their journey. Now they were testing their conclusions.

  Bodie ran, pocketing the handgun and the map. He saw Cassidy relieve her opponent of a small pistol and then take off. Heidi and Yasmine caused disarray among the closest mercs, both women coordinating their attacks. Pantera had approached both Gurka and Nina, grabbing their attention, but had then smashed Vash across the skull and started to run.

  Gurka shouted, “Don’t let them escape.”

  Nina yelled, “Where’s Caruso gone?”

  But the mercs were in disarray, first headed for Caruso, then drawn into a fight with the relic hunters. R24 members screamed out conflicting orders. Dudyk was yelling at Lucie. Caruso, the focus of Gurka and Nina, had now vanished. Bodie and his friends gained thirty feet before the mercs picked themselves up off the ground. A weapon was fired, but Bodie gambled, thinking it would be a warning shot into the air. Jemma and Gunn were close by, running with their heads low and staying amid the pack. Cassidy was ahead, leading them over the hills and toward a huddle of trees.

  “I’ve been scouting the terrain all along,” she said. “At every rest point. Beyond the trees is a narrow but fast-running river, and beyond that, a group of mini peaks. Hopefully, we can get lost there.”

  Bodie eyed the mountains. Hopefully, they wouldn’t have to venture back into those desolate, haunted reaches. He searched the hills for Caruso, kept an eye on Lucie, and watched the mercs mobilizing back by the train tracks.

  “Run faster,” he said. “They’re coming.”

  And the shadows were lengthening as the Tatras prepared to welcome the setting sun.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Cassidy saw Bodie slow and check behind them again. Three mercenaries were chasing them like mountain runners, leaping from mound to mound, relishing the terrain and closing the gap at a rapid pace.

  “That does not look good.”

  “No way can we outrun them,” Pantera said.

  Yasmine glanced at them. “Keep going. I will stop them.”

  Cassidy felt reluctant but nodded at the Interpol agent. “I’ll help you.”

  Bodie alone knew what she was going through. “I’ll do it.”

  “No.” Cassidy didn’t even look at him. “This is my job.”

  Yasmine looked relieved and, with Jemma, Gunn, and Heidi, moved away. Cassidy did the same, rolling into a fold of earth and coming up with the handgun she’d stolen. Yasmine grabbed a good-size rock and crouched two yards to her left. Guilt tore through Cassidy. She couldn’t get Cross’s death out of her mind and the vulnerability that it had left. She fought it, trying to find her old self, but doubt clouded everything. She wasn’t scared of the approaching mercs; she was worried that another friend might die.

  Soon, they heard the beat of boots striking the earth and readied themselves. Cassidy rose as a shadow reared over her, surprising her opponent. She fired instantly into his midriff, knowing that he wore Kevlar plates but also knowing the impact of the bullet would knock him off his feet. He fell, gasping, gun falling from nerveless fingers. Cassidy shot a quick glance over to Yasmine and then leapt to meet the third runner head-on.

  Yasmine reached up and tackled her opponent around the ankles, sending him crashing face-first into the ground. His head hit soft grass and bounced, his yell barely heard. Before he could recover, she was on his back, punching the exposed ears and neck. In a few moments he was still.

  Cassidy shoulder barged her second opponent as she rose. His momentum was enough to send her flying backward, but at the same time he flew sideways, completely losing his equilibrium. He landed in a heap. Cassidy staggered but caught herself, then reached the merc before he had a chance to react. She didn’t waste a bullet this time, didn’t want to kill the man in cold blood as he lay there wheezing. She struck him a blow across the temple with her gun and then one more for good measure.

  Yasmine jumped to her side.

  “Well done,” Cassidy said.

  “Thanks. How does it look back there?”

  “R24 is leading the rest of the mercs at a steady pace. They’re tracking us rather than chasing.”

  “Caruso?” Yasmine asked.

  “No sign. But we’re headed in the same direction.”

  “Let’s go.” But before Yasmine could move, Cassidy reached out a hand and placed it on her wrist, stopping her.

  “You did well out there. Thank you for stepping up.”

  Yasmine smiled. “Anytime. I don’t just want out of here; I want to fit in with you guys.”

  Together, they crawled through the terrain’s deepest wrinkles until the ground started rising. Then they broke out into a run, following Bodie and the others into the thick stand of trees. The sudden darkness deceived their eyes at first, making Yasmine trip over a rotting branch. She caught herself, stumbling in Cassidy’s wake for a few feet. Cassidy glanced back between the trees.

  “I see them ahead. A few hundred yards to the northeast,” Yasmine muttered.

  “Yes, keep going.”

  Cassidy saw Bodie and the main team running at a pace that wouldn’t rapidly deplete their energy. Bodie was angling their run to the east—the direction Caruso had gone. Cassidy caught up to the group.

  “You seen that mad Italian yet?” she asked.

  “No, but we have to find him. How’d it go back there?”

  “Three temporarily disabled. The rest are coming more slowly.”

  She turned her attention to Lucie. “Are you okay? That bastard Dudyk didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  The blonde slowed a little as she answered. “He’s a vicious man, but only with words. But it felt like he wanted to hurt me. You remember when Gurka ordered him to.” She shivered. “He smiled.”

  “I’ll teach him ‘vicious’ real soon,” Cassidy spat.

  “Asshole doesn’t deserve to live,” Heidi said. “So what does Bodie go and do? Saves his life.”

  The Londoner looked over. “I don’t do cold-blooded murder, and neither should you. Self-defense, well, that’s a different matter.”

  “I won’t,” Heidi said. “But if he hurts Lucie . . .”

&n
bsp; Their historian’s face became worried. “You implying he’s gonna get another chance?”

  Heidi pursed her lips. “It’s touch and go. Unless we go back into the higher mountains, there’s very little cover.”

  That spurred them on. The wood was thick and demanded concentration to avoid falling into a bough or tripping on a tangle of roots. Lucie waited a few moments before saying, “Dudyk did have a chance to fire on me. Had me lined up in his sights.”

  “You’re saying he let you go?” Cassidy asked.

  “No. But he could have stopped me. Opened fire. Maybe he’s good enough to have nicked me; I don’t know. But . . . he didn’t even try.”

  “Probably worried he wasn’t good enough, and they need you,” Cassidy grunted. “R24, between them, don’t have an ounce of empathy. They’re ice-cold killers. They may think they’re like us, but they’re the complete opposite.”

  Lucie nodded. Bodie slowed and looked back, then gestured for the others to do the same. There were no sounds of pursuit. He wondered for a moment if those following them had decided to circumvent the stand of trees.

  “C’mon,” he said. “I don’t want to get captured again.”

  Ahead, the trees seemed to be thinning. Bodie could see a gentle downhill slope leading to a fast-flowing stream and, beyond that, a series of rising peaks.

  We need to get lost in there.

  And it was going to be easier than he’d first thought. The sun was starting to set. Shadows were lengthening.

  Another night in the Tatra Mountains beckoned.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Cassidy and Yasmine put their heads together and agreed that they could track Caruso. Bodie and Pantera watched their extremities as they broke from tree cover and raced toward the stream, confident that nobody was flanking them.

  At the edge, Cassidy and Yasmine ranged left and right, looking for a sign of Caruso’s passing. Heidi had borrowed the gun from Cassidy, and Bodie still held the other. Together, they watched the trees at their back, waiting for Cassidy and Yasmine.

  Minutes passed.