Mikhail frowned. "I've heard that name before. Who is he?"
"Chief of the Reich Main Security Office, which includes the Gestapo, Kripo, and SD—the intelligence agency of the Nazi Party. He answers directly to Heinrich Himmler, who just recently finagled control of the Abwehr, their German spy network. Himmler took it from Admiral Canaris, who has been key in several information drops. The admiral hates anything to do with the Nazis.
"That's going to put a damper on things for us," Mikhail muttered. "His intel was always good. What is he doing now?"
"I hope he's staying out of Heydrich's way and keeping his nose clean. There's been talk of Heydrich moving up the ladder, and that he's gunning for Himmler's position as leader of the SS. Not a good thing." Bernard pushed the horse's head away from him again.
"Why?" Jakob asked.
"According to my German contact, Canaris said Heydrich is a born spy and trained in code breaking. Heydrich only has contempt for the Nazi ideology, which is oxymoronic, if you ask me, since he's the one building on that belief system in everything he does. He has boundless energy and a ruthless hunger for power." With a sigh of disgust, Bernard turned to face the horse. "I wish you would quit trying to eat my hair. It hasn't been washed in a couple of weeks, so I can't imagine it tastes good." He pulled an apple from the top of a small bucket hanging from a nail beside the gate's latch and held it out, watching the horse's lips nibble at it. "A peace offering. You stop eating my hair, and I give you a treat."
Mikhail chuckled. "I think you've found a friend, Marchand."
"Oh, shut it."
"Isn't Heydrich the man behind the camps?" Jakob kept his voice as emotionless as he could, but even the mention of the Nazi camps made his blood boil.
"He is," Bernard answered, his fingers absently scratching the horse’s cheek. "On England's orders, a couple of Czech partisans tried to ambush Heydrich's car but failed. That was on May 27th of last year, and there have been several more attempts without success. Heydrich flaunts his importance and drives around in an open convertible, as if challenging anyone to try to kill him. He's unlike any Nazi we've come across. He seems to have some kind of guardian angel watching over him."
Jakob caught the way Mikhail's body tensed and wondered why, and if it had something to do with the cryptic things he'd said outside. From the firm set of his jaw, though, the man knew something. Instead of calling him out on that knowledge, Jakob stayed silent. Mikhail evidently didn't want to say anything in front of Bernard, and since they were being sent off together on their next mission, he would bide his time and ask once they were on the road.
"When do we leave?" Mikhail asked.
"Immediately." Bernard turned away from the horse and led them outside where a covered transport vehicle waited, the driver behind the wheel. "Henry will take you to the rendezvous spot—the church in Babruysk, or as far as he can. As I said, Nazi presence is thick in that area, so you both need to be extra careful." He took a few steps away then turned and shook Mikhail's hand then clasped Jakob's. Clearing his throat, he stepped away again. "Watch each other's backs and return safe."
Jakob climbed into the empty truck bed after Mikhail and settled down for the almost two-hour trip. Leaning his head against the canvas frame, he closed his eyes, hoping the journey was uneventful. He desperately needed to get some sleep. He'd only had a few quick naps in the last thirty-six hours because of the importance of his sniper mission. But then he'd met Aleksandra. Trying to figure out where she had gone—what had happened—had plagued him all the way to Minsk, making sleep all but impossible. He couldn't get Aleksandra's pale face out of his mind, her image haunting him.
With the gentle motion of the vehicle, his head rocked against the wooden bracket behind him. The road seemed to be in better condition than most, especially with the wide variety of potholes from tank and cannon fire. Few places in Europe had escaped the horrible outcome. The slow, side-to-side sway of the truck eased the tension from his worn-out body. Just as he fell asleep, one last persistent thought popped into his exhausted mind, almost waking him up again.
Where had Aleksandra gone—was she safe?
7
Asgard
"Good day, Heimdall," Freyja called out as she entered the small, dome-covered room attached to the Bifrost. The Rainbow Bridge's caretaker rose in one fluid motion, his movements reminding her of a cat that belied his large size. She couldn't remember a time when she had seen the guardian without his golden armor on, which she thought a bit strange. Of course, he was not much different from Thor or any of the other warrior race of the Aesir living in Asgard. They all craved war and stayed prepared, no matter the discomfort. Men. She sighed in disgust. They may be her family, husband and son, but she didn't have to like how they acted. Thor, she would always claim, but Odin... He was another thing altogether.
She moved into the center of the room where the warrior stood, staring at her through his eerie golden gaze. "I need you to send me to Rome, Italy—on Midgard."
He continued to stare, as if he saw into her mind and soul, stealing her thoughts and true desires. She suppressed the shiver she always felt when his gaze touched hers. "Well? Can you do this for me?"
"Why would you want to visit Earth in the middle of their war, Mistress Freyja? It is not safe, as you well know." Heimdall's rumbling deep voice shook her insides, but she had always liked it, a truly masculine sound.
"I understand, but someone has reported damage to the Pantheon, and you know how important it is to our people. I need to see it for myself and decide if it should be repaired." She inhaled, forcing all emotion from her body so Heimdall wouldn't catch on that this was a ruse on her part in order to get help or why. She waited, knowing Heimdall saw almost everything. No one had ever been able to pull anything over on him. Her reason was for the good of Asgard...the good of every world, and she pushed that emotion to the forefront.
Heimdall's eerie gaze remained focused on her only a few seconds longer then he gave her a single nod and walked to the massive sword in the center of the room. Eons ago, the pointed end of the blade had been secured in the motor mechanism fueling the Rainbow Bridge. "Move to stand at the edge of the Bifrost, my lady."
She did as he instructed, watching the ice glow a soft blue then she heard Heimdall push the sword forward as the Bifrost came to life in a brilliant flare of colors. "Magnificent," she whispered.
"It is indeed," Heimdall said, startling her. She glanced up to find him standing beside her. His gaze focused on her, not the bridge. "I wish you well with your quest, Mistress Freyja, but heed my warning. Not all things are as they seem. There are many factions working against one another in the war on Earth and many fighting for their own agenda. There is one who can help you achieve what you search for but let him come to you. To actively seek him out would be to condemn him to death."
She laid her hand on his tree-trunk-like forearm and smiled. "Thank you, my friend. Others may not understand, but when all is said and done, it will save us all."
"Go with care. I will be watching." He stepped back and lowered his head in reverence as she walked onto the bridge. The color's intensity flared with each step as she made her way to the landing where her body would be projected down to Earth. The icy sensation disappeared as she sped toward the large, blue planet. Streaks of color infused the air around her then morphed into a white light. Heat streamed into her body and chased away the cold that had previously settled into her bones.
Speeding toward Italy, she stared down at the boot-shaped land as it grew larger. In seconds, she stepped out of the Bifrost's path and through the large gray granite columns gracing the portico of the Pantheon. She laid a palm over the smooth-cut stone, her memories taking her back almost three thousand years to when the temple was first constructed by Julius Caesar's grandson. It had been a simple wooden structure for worshiping the gods, but after being destroyed twice by fires, Emperor Hadrian rebuilt it into the magnificent granite building now standing.
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Alongside Juno and Minerva, she had watched as the humans quarried the large columns, floating them up the Nile and across the Mediterranean. For the time, it had been an impressive feat. So much so, when a storm had threatened to sink the boats, she had interfered, clearing away the angry clouds and fortifying the winds, so they could sail faster toward their destination.
She smiled at the memory. What fun she used to have with the Roman goddesses, especially Juno, Minerva, and Vesta. She had always admired the way the three had welcomed her and made her feel a part of their lives and homes. She had friends in all the pantheons, but to achieve what the Greco-Roman pantheon had done... To be loved and worshiped by two warring peoples had definitely been a challenge, but without the strength of these three women as they led the Greek pantheon into a new role as the gods and goddesses of Rome, the end result wouldn't have been quite as effectual and long-lasting.
Inside the grand structure, her eyesight acclimated to the dimmer light streaming in through the open hole in the center of the dome overhead. Her gaze skimmed the round room and its beautiful multi-colored marble and gilt floor, finally landing on the two alcoves situated at the back of the portico. Early Christian officials had turned them from alcoves into small chapels and at an even later date, added the ornate frescoes. The large altar and choir area spanning the far section of the room were impressive, but she missed the simpler elegance of the original design.
The late afternoon sunlight streamed through the oculus as she walked directly underneath it, stopping with her head tilted up to the heavens. Using her seidr, the special magic only she and Odin wielded, she waited for the last human to leave the building then centered her power and concentrated. Like the God's Glass back in Asgard, as well as the Bifrost, the oculus was a transporter between worlds. It was how the gods and goddesses in the early days of Earth interacted with the humans. She had no idea what had happened, but one day it stopped working, trapping the Greco-Roman pantheon in their world.
She whispered the words to open the doorway to the heavens and held her breath. It had taken two thousand years to discover the exact wording for the spell and a lot of trial and error on a much smaller scale before she'd felt comfortable enough to try it now. At first, nothing happened. She felt the ground tremble beneath her feet and worriedly stared at the brick and cement rotunda above her. The last thing she wanted was to bring the incredible creation down around her.
A thin line of golden light appeared at her feet and zigzagged along the floor and up the wall, disappearing through the oculus. The shimmery line widened then suddenly split in two and encircled the room, traveling around her in only a few seconds as the modern world disappeared. She stared around her in wonder. Years of exhaust residue and the grime of time was gone, replaced by the vibrant white of the marble and granite stones. The Christian paintings and additions had also been changed back to the original statues and reliefs of the ancient world. The world she had missed so much was returned.
"Freyja, is that really you?" A soft feminine voice called down to her.
Her gaze snapped up. The sight greeting her filled her with joy as she matched the wide smiles from the women staring down at her through the oculus. "My friends!" she said, laughing.
Juno's beautiful face came into view, her golden hair piled high on top of her head in an intricately braided design. She leaned over the oculus, blocking the light and creating a larger-than-life shadow over Freyja. "I knew you would figure out how to fix this worthless contraption. Can you use it to transport here, or are we still stuck in our separate worlds?"
"Give me a moment," Freyja said and placed her palms together, as if in prayer. Closing her eyes, she bowed her head and let her power expand as she whispered another spell, relishing the tingling and subsequent weightlessness taking over her body. Several sets of arms wrapped around her before she could open her eyes, the love from her long-lost friends almost overwhelming.
The three goddesses pulled away, wiping away tears of joy and relief. "I sorely regretted all the grumbling and complaining we did after the transporter was damaged by the eruption of Santorini's volcano. At least it worked some of the time. I would have taken that any day in comparison to the total absence of power when Vesuvius completely closed the doorway." The golden-haired goddess met the gaze of the brown-haired woman standing to her left then the redhead on her right before she leaned toward her and cradled Freyja's face between her hands. "I have missed you and your brightness."
"As I have you, Juno," Freyja said.
The redhead smiled, her green eyes glittering as she reached out and squeezed Freyja's hand. "It is so good to lay eyes on you once more, my friend."
"You as well, Minerva."
The brown-haired woman leaned over and kissed her cheek, warmth pooling where her lips had touched her.
"I have missed your calmness, Vesta. The worlds lack the special feeling of home only you can provide." Freyja's heart felt close to explosion as love for these three women filled her.
"Has it been so long you've forgotten? We may have different names to the ancient Roman peoples, but we will always be Hera, Athena, and Hestia, my friend."
Athena crossed her arms and uttered a sound of complete disgust. "Minerva...really! What a totally horrid name."
Freyja bit back her grin. Knowing Athena as well as she did, the goddess of wisdom and war would not appreciate her laughter. She was a master at her craft and never failed to come up with a way to get back at whomever had displeased her. Athena was the perfect person at have with her in this battle.
"How have you all been?" Freyja asked.
"Nothing ever changes. Everyone's constantly arguing, and someone is always trying to prove they're better than the others. How about you and your family?" Hera asked.
"Idunn is doing wonderful and Thor is his usual boisterous self. I won't speak about my husband, though."
Athena chuckled and clapped Freyja on the back of her shoulder. "Men are all annoying. Zeus, Odin, Ra... Don't give them the satisfaction of believing they are getting to us, and they will eventually straighten up."
Hera glared at her stepdaughter but didn't respond. "Why did you choose now to re-open the portal, Freyja?"
"It took me forever to find the spell—remind me to tell you before I leave so you can travel between the words again—but you're right. I do have another reason. I am in need of your talents, my friends. Have you been watching the developments on Earth?"
"Zeus has mentioned a war covers the planet but hasn't gone into much detail. When asked, his response remains unchanged—the humans no longer have need of us, and we should let them decide their own fate."
"Do you agree with him?" Freyja asked.
Hera waved her hand. "Of course not. Over the millennia, Zeus has begun to think he's all-knowing. Not even the Oracle of Delphi has been able to convince him he's wrong about most things. We would never turn you down, so fill us in on everything."
Hestia clapped her hand several times. The surrounding air shimmered then turned into a table and chairs. Two fauns appeared, one holding a tray laden with plates piled with sweets, breads, and cheeses while the other held a large crystal pitcher of ruby red liquid and four matching glasses.
Excitement filled Freyja. She hurried over to the table and poured the drink into each cup. She raised hers to her lips and sipped, savoring the fruit-filled burst of flavor. Her grip tightened around the long stem, and she closed her eyes for a moment only then smiled at Hestia. "Thank you. I have missed the taste of ambrosia."
Hera added food to a plate and set it in front of Freyja. "Don't forget the sweet cakes, soft breads, and cheeses, my dear. Hestia has outdone herself and made them even more delicious since you last tasted them."
"I find that quite impossible. They were perfect before." Freyja bit into one of the honey cakes and groaned. "I stand corrected. I don't understand how, but this is even better."
Once they were all seated with filled plates of their ow
n, Freyja told them everything that had happened on Earth in their absence. "Now, with the German army overtaking every country in Europe, it is imperative we stop Hitler. If his Third Reich comes into fruition and all countries conquered, the chaos our pantheons run on will end. You know as well as I, mortals tell tales of how their worship and sacrifices are what tempers our rule and gives us our strength, but in reality, it is the chaos their constant warring creates that fuels our powers." She held each goddess's gaze, seeing the fear in their depths. "Do you see why we must interfere?"
Athena set what remained of her cheese and bread on the plate and nodded. "More than most, I'm afraid. The glimpses I've caught from Earth were anything but reassuring, and I've had a growing suspicion, which you have just reinforced. Ladies, we must do everything we can to rectify this situation before it is too late. Freyja, what do you propose we do?"
"I have begun creating an army of amazing women. They fly through the air in planes and execute the most daring feats of heroism night after night. Idunn has gifted them with a second chance of life—almost immortality, but not quite. They have each been chosen because of their abilities, both obvious and hidden, as well as tasked to perform what I ask of them."
With a slight frown on her face, Hestia stared at Freyja. "You use mortal women to go into battle?"
Athena raised her eyebrows. "And why not? As the goddess of war, I know more than anyone what feats a woman can achieve. We are all just as adept as men, no matter what they may think." She bent one arm across her stomach and rested her elbow on top, her thumb under her chin as her finger tapped a rhythm on her closed lips. Her eyes narrowed a moment before her mouth curled into a smile. "You said the current leader of Italy has sided with this Hitler?" Freyja nodded. "If he is as you described, then the Italian people need better. He is not a just ruler and needs to be deposed." She turned to Hera. "What do you think?"
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