“And the treasure,” David said. “But we need to get out of here fast before anyone gets wind of what’s going on.”
“Didn’t you pay off the driver?”
David nodded. “I did, but that’s not going to matter once the Reichswehr unit starts offering large sums of money to whoever will give us up.”
“Why don’t we just drive to the train station?”
“We’ll never make it,” David said. “It leaves in five minutes, and it would take at least ten just to get there. By then it would be too late.”
Richard shrugged. “So we sit and wait it out. It shouldn’t be that difficult.”
“The Reichswehr troops will be hovering around the station just waiting for us to try and board. I would say we could head a few miles out of town and try to make a run for it to get on the train, but we’d never make it.”
“Why’s that?”
“You need to see this treasure.”
David poked his head outside the curtains again to see if anyone was watching them. When he deemed the area clear, he led Richard back to a home a couple blocks away. They cut down an alley and entered through a side door.
“The storage door opens to the back, which is how Sandeep gets his truck in and out of here.”
“Sandeep. Is that the driver?”
“The one and only. And he’s quite the character.”
David knocked on the door. Sandeep opened it slightly before recognizing his high-paying guest, waving him inside.
“Who’s this?” Sandeep pointed his dagger at Richard.
“He’s my colleague, Richard. Richard, Sandeep. Sandeep, Richard. Now that we’re all acquainted, let’s get back to planning how we’re going to get out of here with the treasure.”
Richard shook hands with Sandeep, who then sheathed his blade and spun around. He strode to the corner of the room, picked up a pungi, and then began playing it.
“What’s that all about?” Richard asked, gesturing toward Sandeep.
“Truck for hire by day, snake charmer by night,” David said.
Richard watched as Sandeep removed the lid from a basket and a cobra’s head slowly rose above the rim. The animal shifted from side to side, appearing to follow the end of Sandeep’s pungi.
“I’m not sure how I feel about holing up in a place with a venomous snake,” Richard said. “You know I’m all for adventure and I love animals, but this is pushing the limits, even for me.”
“Oh, I’m sure the snake his harmless,” David said, waving dismissively.
At that moment, the cobra hissed and struck at Sandeep.
“Harmless? You think that’s harmless? It’s a snake, David. It’s poisonous enough to put down an elephant.”
“Not when they’re hypnotized.”
“They’re not hypnotized. They’re just following that instrument around. And there’s no absolutely no way I want to stay in here.”
David huffed a laugh through his nose. “Don’t go all soft on me now.”
A knock at the door ended the conversation, and Sandeep covered the basket and shuffled across the room. He peeked outside before allowing another man inside.
The man’s brow was furrowed and he spoke rapidly in Hindi, waving his arms about.
“What’s going on?” David asked when the man finished.
Sandeep sighed and shook his head. “This is my cousin, Rajiv. He said the British constables are everywhere in the market. Someone has notified them that a major Indian artifact was stolen from the Jaigahr Fort today. And the description matches the two of you.”
“That’s absurd,” Richard said. “We didn’t . . .”
Richard stopped and buried his head in his hands. With someone within the British government on the side of the Reichswehr unit, he realized the fight was an unfair one.
“We should call Harvey and see if he can straighten this thing out for us,” Richard said.
“Absolutely not,” David said. “He won’t like getting dragged into what’s likely to be a diplomatic mess, not to mention a cultural one. Plus, our cover will be blown. None of those outcomes seem preferable to me.”
“Aren’t they preferable to the Reichswehr sneaking out of India with millions of dollars in stolen treasure?”
David shrugged. “Perhaps, but we don’t get to make that call. If we’re going to resolve this situation, we’re going to have to handle it some other way.”
Sandeep nodded. “And you’re going to need a very good disguise if you intend to go anywhere in the city.”
Rajiv started talking again, lines creasing in his forehead as he spoke.
“What did Rajiv say?” David asked.
“He said there’s also a bounty out for the two of you,” Sandeep replied. “It won’t be long before anyone who thinks they saw you enter this place with me will be reporting it to the British authorities in hopes of receiving a nice sum of money.”
“I’m sure you can convince them otherwise,” David said as he dangled another ten-pound note in front of Sandeep.
He snatched the money and pocketed it. “I will do my best, but I can’t promise how long you have before the British charge in here. And I prefer not to get entangled in this affair.”
“You want us out of here?” Richard asked, cutting his eyes over at the snake basket.
“I would greatly appreciate it if you were gone by the morning,” Sandeep said. “It’s nothing personal. I’m sure you understand.”
David and Richard both nodded.
“Looks like we’ve waded into waist-deep trouble here,” David said. “This won’t have an easy solution.”
Richard took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. “Actually, I think there’s a way we could wriggle out of this and still reach our goals, which is preventing the Germans from getting the treasure and evading a situation that could cause a diplomatic nightmare for Harvey and the American government.”
“I’m listening,” David said.
“It’s really quite simple, to be honest.”
“Well, stop dancing around and say your idea, Richard. You’re driving me nuts.”
Richard grinned. “We’re going to hide the treasure back in the fort.”
David grimaced. “You might want to take a look at the treasure first.”
Chapter 21
RICHARD FOLLOWED DAVID into the back of the truck, which was covered with white linen. Grabbing a crowbar lying in the bed, David pried open one of the crates. Inside was a wooden chest piled high with jewels and gold. Richard plunged his fingers into the treasures as they spilled out over the top and splashed into the bed of the truck. Staring wide-eyed at the haul, Richard’s mouth fell agape.
“There’s four more just like this one,” David said.
“How much do you think this is worth?” Richard asked.
David shrugged. “Millions and millions. If this isn’t enough to get the German military back up and running to full strength, it’d go a long way toward accomplishing that.”
“I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“I doubt that Reichswehr unit had either,” David said. “It’s why they enlisted the help of the British. The Germans are going to claim they discovered this, pay off the Brits and Indian officials with a portion of the spoils, and disappear back to Deutschland.”
“We can’t let that happen.”
“You’ve got that right,” David said as he nodded. “But this does present a serious obstacle to what you just suggested. How do you propose we sneak all of this treasure back into the fort to hide it? We can’t very well wheel it up there in carts in broad daylight.”
Richard and David exited the truck and drew a cord, pulling the covering taut so no one could see inside.
“Did Sandeep look back here?” Richard whispered.
David shook his head. “I told him that it was just some artifacts the Germans were stealing which need to be returned to their home.”
“If he sees this, he’s going to get greedy and je
opardize everything.”
“Just leave that to me,” David said. “So far, so good when it comes to satisfying Sandeep.”
A shrill noise from the corner of the room arrested Richard’s attention. He glanced toward the sound and saw Rajiv playing with a monkey, which had climbed up Rajiv’s back and was covering his eyes.
Wide-eyed, Richard glanced at David. “These are the people who are going to help us get out of this situation? Snake charming, a monkey—it’s like we’ve fallen into the middle of a carnival act.”
“Isn’t the carnival where you would go if you wanted to disappear?” David asked with a shrug. “Besides, it’s not like I handpicked these guys from hundreds of job applicants. Sandeep was driving the truck, and Rajiv is part of the package.”
“How did we get the short end of the stick here?”
“The what?” David asked with a furrowed brow.
“It’s what we say in Memphis when you get a bad deal.”
“We can’t do anything about how we got here, but we can change our future. Now, let’s figure out a way to get this treasure back to the fort and get the hell out of here.”
David looked down at his leg as something tugged on his pants. Wearing a toothy grin, the monkey looked up at David and squawked again.
David knelt and held his hand out to the monkey, which circled him several times before running back to Rajiv. As David eased to his feet, he patted his back pocket. He put his hands on his hips and smiled.
“That’s quite an animal you have there,” he said to Rajiv.
Rajiv nodded and smiled.
“His English isn’t that great,” Sandeep said. “Let me translate.”
Sandeep relayed what David had said before softly answering, “Thank you.”
“And I believe it stole my wallet,” David said.
Rajiv’s forehead creased as he turned to Sandeep for translation. Sandeep glared at Rajiv and spoke sternly to him in a hushed tone.
“My cousin apologizes,” Sandeep said. “I’ve warned him before that not everyone thinks that joke is funny.”
“But it isn’t a joke, is it?” David replied. “How often does he pull that trick on unsuspecting people milling around the market?”
Sandeep strode across the room with his hands in the air. “Rajiv didn’t mean to offend you. He was only playing around with Smita.”
“Smita?” Richard asked.
“It’s the name of the monkey,” Sandeep said. “It means ‘happy face’.”
“There’s never been a more appropriate name,” Richard said. “That monkey knows how to smile.”
“And how to pick my pocket,” David said.
“I apologize on Rajiv’s behalf,” Sandeep said. “I’ll make sure he instructs Smita not to do it again.”
Richard sighed. “Look, I really need to get a better idea of where we are so I can figure out how we’re going to get out of here.”
“You can get to the roof by using those stairs in the corner,” Sandeep said.
Richard nodded and gestured for David to join him. The pair hustled up two flights of stairs before emerging into the day’s fading sunlight atop the building. In the distance, Richard saw Fort Jaigahr’s walls rising above the ridge that surrounded the city. Though it was getting late, people were still trudging up the long ramp to the gate entrance, hoping to take a quick look around at the majestic and ancient structure before the sun set. And while some people slogged their way up the steep hill to access the fort, the smarter and wealthier patrons rode on the backs of elephants.
“What are you thinking?” David asked after a few minutes.
“I’m thinking it’s nearly impossible to figure out a way into that fort, especially with all the British constables buzzing about like Tennessee gnats. They’d catch us for sure if we went a more conventional way.”
“Maybe we need to rethink our strategy,” David said.
“No, our strategy is solid,” Richard said. “However, our methods need to be tested for me to feel confident about pulling off a job of this magnitude.”
“We may not have much of a choice about anything,” David said as he nodded toward a corner a few blocks away where teams of constables worked their way along the street.
“Think they know we’re staying with Sandeep?” Richard asked.
“Let’s not wait around to find out.”
They raced back down the steps and rushed inside the storage room where Sandeep had parked the truck. He shot a look at them as his eyes grew wide.
“What is it?” Sandeep asked.
“The police are coming this way,” David said. “We need to hide the artifacts now.”
“I can help,” Sandeep offered.
David shook his head. “You and Rajik go inside. It’s better that we hide it in case you get questioned. If you know nothing, you won’t look guilty when they start demanding answers.”
“What do I tell them?” Sandeep asked.
“Tell them that you had two flat tires and the Germans who hired you took all their belongings out of the truck and hired another one that drove by so you could go find help,” David said.
“But what if they don’t believe me?”
“If you can charm a snake, I have full confidence you can convince the police you are innocent,” David said. “We’ll make it worth all this trouble, I promise.”
Sandeep sighed and waved Rajik over to him along with Smita. They exited the room and entered the house.
“You think we have time to hide all this treasure?” Richard asked.
“There’s only one way to find out.”
David found some space in the corner, which was room enough for all the chests, while Richard found a large burlap blanket that could be used to cover the entire fortune—and themselves if necessary.
They worked quickly, unloading each ancient chest and setting it down in the designated spot. After three minutes, they’d managed to unload everything and spread the blanket over it. They inspected the back of the truck to make sure no stray jewels or gold pieces had fallen out before heading toward the entryway that led back into the house.
Richard crouched low and placed his ear against the door.
“Do you hear anything?” David asked.
“Yeah, they’re coming this way.”
Richard and David scrambled toward the corner in search of a place to hide. Unable to fit comfortably in the space with the treasure, Richard located a pair of hand-woven baskets in the far corner, large enough for them to hide in.
“Make sure there aren’t any snakes in yours,” David said with a wry smile.
“That’s not funny,” Richard said as he poked his head inside. Satisfied that the basket was snake free, he jumped in and pulled the top down tight.
Richard listened as Sandeep led the officers on a tour around the room.
“Here’s the truck,” Sandeep said. “Feel free to check the back. I don’t even know what they placed inside. They just asked me for a ride to the train station. And while we were on our way, I stopped for a cow in the road. When the road was clear, I realized I had two flat tires and couldn’t go anywhere.”
“And then what happened?” asked an officer.
“These men took their stuff and left, so I came back to my house.”
“He’s lying,” said a man in a German accent.
Richard peered through a slit in the basket and noticed one of the men with the officers was a member of Wilhelm’s team.
“Who’s truck is this?” asked the officer.
“It’s mine,” Sandeep said. “My uncle died last year and left it for me to carry on the family business. It’s what I do to take care of my aunt.”
“Where is the artifact?” the German demanded. “I know you have it hidden here somewhere.”
“Look around for yourself,” Sandeep said. “I didn’t take anything.”
The officer scanned the truck again before shrugging and turning to the German. “It looks clear to me. He s
eems like he’s telling the truth.”
“He’s full of lies,” the German roared before lunging toward Sandeep. One of the other officers held back the Reichswehr operative as Sandeep jumped back to avoid contact.
The constable started to poke around, peeking inside boxes and baskets lying about. He had worked half the room before another officer raced in to join them.
“Sir, we’ve got a situation that requires your immediate attention,” he said.
“I’m in the middle of an investigation here,” the officer replied.
“It can’t wait. There’s an altercation at the market, and it’s growing.”
“In that case, I think we’re done here—for now,” the constable said. “Thank you for your time.”
The officers forced the German outside through a side door and into the alley.
Richard waited for several minutes before climbing out of the basket. David followed him, moaning as he stretched.
“What was in the truck?” Sandeep asked.
“Don’t worry,” David said. “You did a great job of staying calm. I don’t think they suspect you.”
“But that German soldier is crazy. What is he doing here anywhere? What are they looking for?” Sandeep asked.
Smita scurried around at their feet, screeching and dancing with a grin on his face.
“You won’t have to concern yourself with this after tonight,” Richard said. “We’re going to get everything out of here.”
“How do you propose to do that?” David asked.
Richard knelt down and offered his arm to Smita. The monkey scrambled up and then perched on Richard’s shoulder.
“I’ve got a plan,” Richard said with a wink. “Now go up on the roof and make sure those officers aren’t coming back.”
Chapter 22
WILHELM GLARED AT Alex Fullerton upon receiving the news that the British officers hadn’t arrested the truck driver who disappeared with the Reichswehr unit’s discovery. After pacing around the room several times, Wilhelm stopped and jabbed his finger into Fullerton’s chest.
“You’re supposed to make sure that the police are assisting us,” Wilhelm said. “It seems they aren’t as interested in helping us out despite your conversation.”
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