Sixth Seal

by Thornbrugh, Josh

  Hannah took the proffered seat. The burly man thrust his hand out and removed his cap with the other.

  “Hello, Miss. The name’s Vincent.”

  Hannah accepted his hand. It swallowed hers up, but despite the size it was gentle, comforting. “Pleasure to meet you, Vincent. My name is Hannah Klein.” She picked up a sparkle in his eye. Nothing untoward, just an appreciative acknowledgement of an attractive woman.

  Jacques interrupted. “Vincent does most of our heavy lifting. Paul here is our runner.” He gestured toward the waifish man sitting across from her.

  “How do you do?” Paul didn’t offer his hand. He only nodded, studying her all the while. His eyes were keen like those of a raven.

  Jacques sat back down at the head of the table. “So, Miss Klein, what is it you want of our modest operation?”

  “First, I’d like to know if you’ve heard from the Bishop recently.” Hannah studied his face. She anticipated a more sorrowful expression than she received.

  Jacques merely smiled. “The Bishop is well.”

  Some of the tension left her body. “I was so worried about him. I was certain the Nazis had interrogated him after they discovered me outside the Sanctuary.”

  Jacques rested his hands on the table. “He did mention a conversation he’d had with a Lieutenant…what was his name?”

  “Wozniak?” Hannah offered.

  Jacques nodded. “Yes, that was it. Wozniak. Anyway, the Bishop said at first he thought his cover was blown, but then something odd happened.”

  Hannah inched forward in her chair. “Yes?”

  “Well, he’d been questioned pretty thoroughly by the Lieutenant, then out of the blue the man dropped the line of questioning entirely.” Jacques rubbed his chin. “Then he said the man asked him about you.”

  “About me?” The color left her face.

  Jacques seemed to pick up on her concern. “The Bishop didn’t think this Wozniak fellow was worried about your loyalties, rather he had a different interest in you.”

  Hannah grabbed Jacques’ hand. “Yes?”

  “It sounds an odd sort of thing for a Nazi to ask a Bishop, but he asked if he thought you would be interested in an officer such as himself.” Jacques’ eyes met hers.

  “Romantically?”

  “That’s the impression the Bishop got.” Jacques leaned back in his chair. “Kind of odd don’t you think?”

  “I’m afraid it might be worse than the Bishop feared. I think the Lieutenant plans to hold my meeting with the Bishop over my head as leverage.” Hannah bit her bottom lip and then stopped when she noticed Jacques looking at her.

  “Leverage for what, Miss?” Vincent interrupted.

  “Something of which a lady does not speak.” She patted his hand. Vincent blushed.

  “Perhaps we could arrange an accident for this Lieutenant. What do you think, boss?” Vincent looked to Jacques.

  Jacques seemed to be considering the matter when Hannah interjected. “I don’t want any of you to do anything that would jeopardize your operation. I can take care of myself.”

  Jacques leaned forward. “Then what do you need us for, Miss Klein?”

  “It’s all a bit hard to believe I’m afraid, but I assure you that what I’m about to tell you is true.” All of the men edged closer to the table. Apparently she had their attention. “Well, as I’m sure the Bishop told you, I’m Jewish, but I’ve managed to pass as German and attain a position with an archaeological detachment assigned to the SS. I work for Doctor Altman in antiquities.”

  “Why would the SS be interested in antiquities? Unless of course they plan to sell off France’s treasures to fund their efforts.” Jacques sneered.

  “Normally you would be correct in your assessment, but in this case there is more to it. The Nazis have uncovered a very powerful…artifact. One, which could unleash great destruction if they learn how to master it.” Hannah fidgeted with her hands.

  “What kind of artifact?” asked Paul, his careful eyes studying her face.

  “It’s rather difficult to explain.”

  Jacques cleared his throat. “Try anyway.”

  “Well, it’s sort of like a book. It is a book, but not like one you’ve ever seen before.”

  Paul interrupted her. “Well, which is it? Is it a book, or isn’t it?” He narrowed his eyes and she shifted under the little man’s gaze.

  She swallowed and turned to Jacques. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but please try to keep an open mind. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t convinced of the seriousness of the situation.”

  He nodded. “Please continue.”

  “The artifact is a kind of book, but it’s also more than that. Its pages contain…incantations, for lack of a better word, that have the power to reshape the Earth and all those who inhabit it. In the hands of the corrupt it can be used for great evil.”

  Jacques laughed and pushed his chair away from the table. “Do you mean to tell me, you’ve wasted our time and come close to exposing our operation over a magic book of parlor tricks?”

  She looked around the room at the incredulous stares. “I know how it sounds. Believe me, I do. But I have experienced the power of this device first hand—“

  Jacques put a hand on the edge of the table. “When did you experience its power? Have the Nazis already used it?”

  “No.” She looked away.

  “Then how have you experienced its power?”

  Paul glared at her. “I’d like to know as much as well.”

  “Give her a chance to speak.” Vincent waved his hand as if motioning for her to continue.

  Jacques folded his arms and sat back in his chair. Paul mirrored his movements like a weak shadow cast in a dimly lit room.

  “Je suis Jeanne d’Arc…or rather, I was.” She stood and continued speaking. “There has always been blood on my hands, and there will surely be more. I have been witness to great evil through the ages, and at each turn I have opposed it. I, and others like me, have kept it at bay, but it has grown in strength and spilled across the land, tainting and destroying everything it touches. It corrupts men absolutely. Men that would have the power of this book for their own.” Her voice grew louder and louder and despite their obvious bewilderment, the men didn’t interrupt. “I know you think I’m mad, as did many even as I led them to victory on the very soil of this nation. I have no means to convince you otherwise. Perhaps you will see my conviction as a testament to the truth of what I say. Whether you believe me or not, the Nazis will unleash the book’s devastating power if we don’t stop them. I need your help if I’m to succeed.”

  The room was silent. Jacques shook his head and Paul’s mouth hung open. Vincent sat mesmerized. She could see some of the fire in her eyes reflected in his. She hoped her powers of persuasion were enough to convince these men to help her. Without them she would surely fail, but she would try nonetheless.

  Jacques broke the silence. “Miss Klein, I can indeed tell that you believe passionately in what you speak of, but I cannot put the lives of my men at risk over beliefs.”

  “But isn’t that what you do every day? Don’t you all put yourself at risk for your beliefs?”

  “We put ourselves at risk for our people, our families…the children. We cannot—“

  Gunfire drowned out his words. Vincent was the first to respond. Despite his size, he moved quickly. Before the others could stand, he drew a pistol and advanced toward the door. Screams arose from the restaurant followed by more gunfire. Jacques and Paul were on their feet now, weapons drawn. Jacques motioned Paul toward the side of the door, and then positioned himself in front of Hannah. Wood grated against wood, and Hannah realized someone was pushing the dining table away from the painting on the other side of the hidden door. Vincent took aim and edged closer.

  “What are they waiting for?” Paul whispered, looking back at Jacques.

  Jacques shook his head, and then the room exploded.
A thunderous assault blew the door from its hinges, slamming into Vincent with all the force of a freight train. The big man crumpled like paper and fell to the floor. She saw Paul swallowed up in a cloud of debris right before she felt herself being lifted off the ground. Her head hit the wall and she was showered with splinters of wood and bits of brick. She saw the figure of a man in the doorway a second before she blacked out.

  ***

  When she awoke she was tied to the only chair left intact in the room. Vincent lay still beneath the remains of the door, a pool of blood haloing his head. Paul was nowhere to be found and Jacques was sitting up against the wall with his hands bound behind him. She couldn’t tell whether the marks on his face were from the explosion or their captors. As she moved her head and let out a few moans a man in uniform approached her. He smiled as he looked at her. It was Niklas.

  “I knew from the minute I met you that you couldn’t be trusted.” He smirked, the self-satisfaction evident on his face.

  “I could say the same of you.” She tugged at her restraints. They didn’t budge.

  “Don’t trouble yourself, Miss Klein. I’ve always been good at knots.”

  “This isn’t what it looks like, Niklas. I was just—“

  “Shut up you filthy whore.” He came closer to her, pulling a large knife from his belt with his left hand, his Luger still in his right. “I got the truth out of that Jew at the library.”

  She pulled against her restraints. “What did you do to Amelia?”

  “Don’t worry, she won’t be feeling any pain any longer. It’s amazing what a person will tell you just so you’ll put them out of their misery.” He put the tip of the knife on her leg and pushed down, just barely cutting into her flesh.

  She flinched, but did her best to keep his gaze. “Let this man and his compatriots go, and I’ll do whatever you ask.”

  “Oh you’ll do whatever I ask anyway.” He leaned down close to her. “Because if you don’t, I’ll be paying a visit to your friend the Bishop.”

  Jacques stirred and bent forward. Niklas aimed his gun at him.

  “Let’s not do anything stupid. You just might be able to come out of this alive if you tell me what I want to know.”

  “To hell with you, Nazi bastard.” Jacques spat on the floor in front of Niklas’ feet.

  “You will be rethinking your position after you witness what I do to Miss Klein.” He returned his attention to Hannah, his eyes barely containing his twisted desire.

  He cut the top button off of her blouse in one clean motion. She flinched and shut her eyes, pressing herself back into the chair as far as she could.

  “I think I might enjoy this, Miss Klein, and maybe you will—“

  “Niklas!”

  Hannah opened her eyes as Lieutenant Wozniak stepped through the burnt out hole that had been the door. His gun was drawn, and there were traces of blood on the sleeve of his jacket. His voice had a noticeable affect on Niklas. He immediately re-sheathed his knife and stood at attention.

  “What are you doing here, soldier?”

  “Didn’t Erich tell you sir? He was watching the front door.”

  “I relieved Erich, soldier. I’m asking you for a report.” Henryk surveyed the room, his eyes at last landing on Hannah. He watched her as Niklas spoke.

  “I had suspicions Miss Klein was cavorting with the enemy sir, so I followed her here. As you can see, she was making plans with the resistance. This man is Jacques. He’s the one we’ve been looking for.”

  “And why didn’t you come to me with your suspicions, soldier?”

  “I wanted to make certain before I bothered you sir.” Niklas stiffened, and swallowed hard. “I didn’t want to make any accusations against Miss Klein until I had proof. She is a member of the party after all.”

  Henryk nodded. “Very good.”

  “What should we do with Miss Klein and this man?”

  Henryk raised his gun. “What we do with all vermin, soldier.”

  Reunion

  The book, or rather the Eye of Jupiter, sent wave after wave of energy toward her. Ana adjusted her course. If a particular road took her too far from her objective, or if the signal became too weak, she corrected, or even doubled back once or twice. Her focus was singular. The actual driving of the car and all that entailed left to a different part of her consciousness. That part of her would not intrude on her thoughts unless necessary. So far it hadn’t been.

  As the call grew stronger she came back to her physical self. She hadn’t recalled crossing the Spree, but there it was to her right, snaking toward the city center. How many tragic souls met their end trying to cross the Berlin Wall, only to die on the banks of the river? That was lifetime ago, and she had to focus on the present.

  She slowed the car when her course brought her parallel with the Tiergarten. Miles and miles of trees and greenery situated like an emerald on a silver ring. Its beauty radiant in the light of the afternoon. She rolled down the window to revel in its earthy musk. If the end of her days was near, she wanted to be reminded of what was good and magnificent about this tiny blue planet. Out of all the others, her ancestors had chosen this place, and breathing in the cool, moist air, she understood why. Earth fought for life more than any across the universe. But where there is life, there is death. Ana knew this all too well.

  The droning of the Eye was relentless now. She reached out to it, doing her best to reassure it she was near. The signal lessened in intensity and frequency. The route to the apartment was clear in her mind. She turned onto a busy street. Apartments and shops lined both sides, and people bustled along the sidewalks happily unaware of the macabre play going on around them.

  Traffic slowed the closer she got to her destination. When she was only a couple of blocks away, she could see why. The front of the apartment building was cordoned off and several police cars sat askew, blocking the roadway. Before being hemmed in, she turned the car off onto a side street and parked against the curb. Although a little awkward, she could still see the scene from her vantage point. There was certainly no way she could get into the apartment with all of the activity out front. She doubted the back entrance would be any less guarded than the front, and going in from the roof was probably out of the question as well. She would have to wait until nightfall. Hopefully the police would be done with the majority of their forensic work by then. She wondered how much carnage Doctor Gabriel left in his wake. Her stomach tightened at the thought. The poor woman he’d murdered had more than likely been a distant relative of hers, of Hannah Klein’s anyway.

  Much to her surprise, the glovebox held a wallet with enough cash for a night on the town. There was also another gun, but she rather liked the one she had so she kept it, tucking it behind her back and underneath her blouse. She checked herself in the mirror, smoothing down her hair and wiping traces of smudged makeup away. She decided to find something to eat while she waited for the dark. Perhaps she could even find a nice little sidewalk cafe with a view of the apartment.

  More and more people flocked toward the crime scene, so she decided a stroll in the opposite direction might be prudent until things calmed down a bit. There were still four or five hours until it would be dark enough for what she had in mind.

  A little cafe beckoned to her from half a block away. Its wrought iron tables and chairs topped with colorful umbrellas offered the perfect vantage point. Her stomach rumbled, perhaps signaling its approval. As she made her way toward the restaurant, she caught a glimpse of a display window. A sleek, unisex mannequin adorned in black leather stood in the center, its raucous stance in stark contrast to the others with their more modest attire. Intrigued, she stepped through the doorway. A slender young man looked up from behind the counter, obviously affected by her. He jumped into action when she pointed at the leather ensemble. A moment later, he was opening a fitting room for her and asking if there was anything else he could do for her. She just smiled and shut the door.


  The pants fit as if they’d been painted on, but the leather was soft, inviting. Perfect for her nighttime plans. The jacket also fit her to a tee and did a better job of concealing the gun. She zipped it up so that just a glimpse of the red blouse peaked through, framing the tiny chrysanthemum between her breasts.

  The young man actually gasped when she stepped out of the fitting room. His approval was obvious.

  “That was made for you, Miss.”

  She smiled and winked at him. Despite all of the troubles of the world, she still enjoyed the push and pull of everyday life. She had missed out on so much during her years at the hospital.

  “Can I get you anything else?” He ran a hand through his hair and straightened his collar.

  “Sunglasses.”