As far as Andreas could estimate, ten or so men joined their NCO in the treeline before the firing died down. As many lay scattered around the tents and trucks, dead or wounded, one of them crying out piteously as he rolled on the ground clutching his stomach. Now was the time for the andartes to close in and finish the job, Andreas decided.
‘Cease fire! Cease fire!’
His order was relayed along the slope and the others loosed off a few final rounds before the guns fell silent along the hillside. Andreas cupped a hand to his mouth and bellowed his instructions.
‘We’ll advance one band at a time! Christos!’
‘Yes!’ came the reply, away to the left.
‘We’ll fire first! Your men go forward twenty paces, then cover us. We’ll take turns until we are right on top of the bastards! Understand?’
‘Yes, kapetan!’ the former teacher cried back, his voice betraying his excitement and keenness to close in and kill his enemy.
‘Open fire!’ Andreas shouted and he sprayed the treeline, two hundred paces away. To his side Eleni worked the bolt of her rifle as she shot into the shadows beneath the trees and scrub. The others blazed away and with a shout Christos burst from cover and plunged down the slope, followed a moment later by several men on either side of him. A few shots were fired back by the enemy but went wide. Then, as soon as they were in cover, Christos and his men took over and fired on the treeline.
‘Let’s go!’ Andreas called out. ‘Forwards!’
He hunched low as he scrambled downhill, jinking from side to side to put the Germans off their aim as they tried to pick the andartes off. He was aware of Eleni to his side and as he dived down behind a bush he saw her run a few paces further on.
‘Get down, Eleni! Down!’
She heard him and dropped, just as a bullet whipped close by. Andreas cursed her foolhardiness as he brought his Marlin up and opened fire. There was a short burst and then the bolt clicked and he discharged the magazine and reached for a spare as his men continued shooting. Christos and his men rose up and made another rush, this time bringing them off the bottom of the slope and close to the trucks and tents. When it was time for Andreas and his men again they rushed past the first of the German casualties and he dropped to the ground a few metres from one of the khaki uniformed bodies. As Andreas fired again the man groaned and rolled on to his side. Glancing towards him, Andreas saw a tangle of blond hair and the ribbon of an Iron Cross stretching from one of his buttons beside a dark patch of bloodstained cloth. His shoulder boards revealed his officer rank. He groaned and opened his eyes and then stared at Andreas for an instant before he reached for his holster. Andreas jerked his Marlin round and fired a burst into the German’s face. Blood and brains burst out of his skull as he flopped on to his back.
‘Andreas!’ Eleni called from close by. ‘Are you all right?’
‘Fine . . . Keep firing!’
Christos’s men ran forward again, and this time one stopped dead in his tracks as he was struck by a burst of automatic fire and toppled on to his back. The rest dropped to the ground and resumed shooting into the trees. This was the last stretch, Andreas knew, and the most dangerous as they closed up on the enemy. It would be close-quarters fighting, where his courage would be most tested.
A bright flash and thunderous detonation a short distance away shattered his thoughts and he pressed himself into the ground as earth and grit showered down on him, his ears momentarily numbed by the explosion.
‘Grenades! Watch out!’ one of his men called out.
There were a handful of further explosions amid the fierce firing and Andreas looked up to see an andarte sit up, raising the blackened stump of his arm. Then several bullets struck his head and his body was hurled back into the grass. Andreas took control of his senses and reached down into his haversack for one of the Mills grenades the British had supplied. He pulled the pin out with his teeth and let the handle spring out, counted hurriedly to three and hurled it in amongst the trees. The trees were starkly illuminated by the first explosion, and then there were more flashes as the andartes followed his cue and hurled more grenades. As the explosions continued, Andreas changed his magazine again and rose to his feet.
‘Forward!’ He waved his spare hand frantically to attract the attention of his followers and swept it towards the cliff. ‘Forward!’
He ran over the last stretch of open ground, conscious of the others joining him to the right and left. Then he was in amongst the trees. He saw a body immediately at his feet and stepped warily round it even though he could see the smoke rising from the uniform where heated fragments from his grenade still smouldered. There was movement in the shadows ahead to the right and raised his Marlin and unleashed a burst and the muzzle flash lit up the boughs of the stunted trees around him. The figure dropped and Andreas hurriedly moved on to a new position and crouched down to scan the undergrowth. More firing sounded around him and he edged forward and then froze as someone blundered towards him. He turned, finger on trigger, and saw Yannis no more than five paces away, rifle raised. Both men laughed nervously and then Andreas beckoned to the older man.
‘Stay with me. Before we shoot each other.’
Yannis nodded and they edged forward cautiously. The firing started to die out as the andartes stalked the remaining Germans through the thin belt of trees below the cliff. There were a handful of further exchanges before there was silence. Dawn crept over the valley and the light steadily increased. Andreas waited a moment before he called out in the enemy’s tongue, ‘Germans! This is the Greek leader. Surrender! Throw down your arms and stand up, or die where you lie! There will be no second warning!’
He waited but there was no response, nor any shots aimed in his direction. He eased himself up and called out to his followers. ‘Sweep the trees! Kill their wounded and round up any who surrender!’
With his weapon held ready, he moved through the remaining trees until he reached the cliff but encountered no more of the enemy. On either side he saw more of his men cautiously emerge and then he felt a surge of relief as he spied Eleni a short distance away. She lowered her rifle as she approached him.
‘Do you think we got them all?’
‘Not sure. I hope not. We need to know what they were doing here. It must be something to do with the cave.’
‘Cave?’ Yannis frowned.
‘Up there.’ Andreas indicated the cliff. ‘We saw a light earlier.’
A moment later one of the andartes came out of the trees pushing a German soldier ahead of him. The man’s shoulder was torn and bloodied and there was a deep gash on his jaw. Andreas saw the chevrons on his sleeve and realised that this was the sergeant he had seen earlier. The man looked to be in his thirties and his face was deeply lined. He stared contemptuously at Andreas as he halted in front of the leader of the andartes. Andreas regarded him coolly and then looked round for any sign of further prisoners.
‘Only him? Very well. He’ll have to do.’ He slung his Marlin and stood in front of the prisoner and addressed him in German. ‘Why are you and your men here?’
The Feldwebel stood stiffly and pursed his lips. ‘I will tell you nothing.’
‘No?’ Andreas smiled, then smashed his fist into the German’s nose. There was a dull crunch and blood flowed from his nostrils as he recoiled with a pained grunt. Andreas followed up with a punch to the man’s stomach and a kick to his shin which caused him to drop one knee. Andreas stood over the prisoner, fists bunched. ‘You will tell me. Clear?’
The German looked up, wincing, and nodded. ‘Klar.’
‘What are you doing here?’
‘We were sent to retrieve the contents of the cave.’ He gestured towards the cliff. ‘There.’
‘What’s up there, exactly?’ Andreas demanded. ‘Guns? Explosives?’
The German smiled faintly. ‘Guns? No.’
‘Then what?’
‘I don’t really know . . . The SS officer sent us to open up some kind of a vaul
t and remove the contents.’
‘Vault?’ Andreas frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I don’t know exactly what it is. But I can show you.’
Andreas narrowed his eyes. ‘Is this some kind of trick? If it is, then I’ll cut your throat myself.’
The German held up his hand. ‘No tricks, I promise you!’
‘Show me.’ Andreas shoved him in the direction of the cliff and the German stumbled a few steps before regaining his balance. Andreas gestured with his Marlin and the German nodded hurriedly and led the way through the trees. Eleni followed while the rest of the andartes began to collect the weapons from the bodies of the Germans and search them for valuables.
The prisoner led them to the foot of the cliff where they saw several packing cases, some of which were still open and half filled with straw. One other was nailed down. Two ropes trawled up the cliff and over a ledge, and Andreas guessed they led into the cave above. He nodded towards the wooden crates. ‘What are these for?’
‘The things we’re bringing out of the cave.’
‘What kind of things?’
The German pursed his lips. ‘Jars, jewellery, old weapons.’
‘Weapons?’
‘Swords, spears, helmets and armour. Looks like junk to me.’
Andreas exchanged a glance with Eleni and then lowered his gun. ‘Cover him.’
Eleni nodded and lowered the muzzle towards the soldier who eyed her anxiously. Searching around the crates Andreas found a crowbar and set to work opening up the one that had been sealed. The lid splintered and came off revealing the contents, a sword in an ornate scabbard, a gleaming helmet with a crest holder whose stiff horsehair had long ago crumbled, and several goblets and dishes in silver and gold. He stood back in surprise. ‘Holy God, it’s treasure . . .’
Eleni took a quick glance. ‘This is what Dr Muller was searching for, before the war. It has to be.’
Andreas nodded. ‘And now the Nazis have found it.’ He turned to the German. ‘Take us up to the cave. Now.’
The prisoner gestured along the cliff. ‘There’s a path a bit further along.’
He led them to the foot of the cliff where a pile of boulders and scrub had once blocked the way, but now the undergrowth had been cut back, revealing the path that led steeply upwards. Andreas could see that it would have escaped attention from all but the closest search and he wondered how the Germans could possibly have stumbled on it. If that’s what had happened. Perhaps they already knew of its existence somehow.
‘Let’s go up. You first.’
The German climbed on to the narrow path, hardly wide enough to be tackled by the most adept mountain goat. Then Andreas saw the the rope attached to pitons that provided a secure handhold and all three proceeded with one hand holding the guide rope. It did not take long to reach the finger of rock that helped to conceal the mouth of the cave and with a quick glance over his shoulder the German ducked inside. Andreas followed warily.
‘Keep back from the entrance.’
The German reversed a few paces, holding his hands up and bowing his head to keep it clear of the roof of the cave. Andreas entered and looked round to see that it was illuminated by two electric torches attached to two more pitons. Towards the rear of the cave lay a jagged opening in what looked like a carefully dressed slab of stone between two pillars. He could make out rows of carved symbols in what was left of the surface. As Eleni entered behind him and glanced round quickly, Andreas examined the markings more closely.
‘I’ve no idea what is says,’ the German offered with a nervous smile. ‘For my part, it’s all Greek to me.’
‘Yes, it is,’ Andreas replied. ‘Old Greek in fact. As old as it comes.’
There was a dull gleam from beyond the shattered slab and he cautiously raised his Marlin as he leaned through the opening in case there was anyone within. But nothing moved in the light of a torch whose battery was starting to fail. Even so, Andreas could make out the sarcophagus surrounded by the gleam of ancient riches. Some had already been cleared away and some vases had shattered under the impact of the blast that had opened the chamber. He felt his pulse quicken as he realised he was looking at the tomb of a long dead Greek ruler and he recalled the purpose of Muller’s search years before.
‘Odysseus,’ he muttered in awe. ‘The tomb of Odysseus. Dr Muller was right after all.’
He withdrew his head and looked at the prisoner. ‘How much have you removed from the cave?’
‘Six or seven crates have been placed in one of the trucks. Then there’s one below.’
‘Where were you taking it, once the tomb was empty?’
‘Sturmbannführer Steiner wanted it brought to Lefkada. Afterwards? I overheard him telling my CO that they were bound for Germany.’
‘As loot,’ Andreas said sourly.
‘I don’t know about that, sir. I was just carrying out my orders.’
Andreas turned to Eleni and switched back to Greek. ‘Did you follow most of that?’
She nodded. ‘Enough.’
‘Then we’re done with him.’
She raised an eyebrow.
Andreas gestured towards the prisoner. ‘You decide what to do with him.’
Eleni raised her rifle and jerked the muzzle towards the mouth of the cave. ‘Outside!’
Her intention was clear enough and the German edged round the side of the cave and eased himself through the opening on to the slender ledge beyond. Eleni followed, keeping a short distance between them. Then she raised her rifle and aimed at his chest. The German looked surprised and then fearful as he held out his hands. ‘Nein! Ich bin ein Kriegsgefangener!’
Eleni stared back and pulled the trigger. The bullet tore through the soldier’s heart and he stumbled back, lost his footing and plunged over the side of the ledge and fell to the bottom of the cliff. She looked down on his twisted body and nodded with satisfaction when she saw no movement. She spat down at him and returned to the cave. Andreas was examining the contents of the tomb. He looked up.
‘Feel any better?’
‘Better? For killing an enemy? I could never shoot enough Germans to pay them back for what they did to my mother and father.’
Andreas regarded her sadly. ‘No. I suppose not.’
Eleni nodded past him. ‘What about that?’
‘We have to save this from the Germans. They cannot be allowed to steal this from our people.’
Eleni pursed her lips. ‘What do you intend to do?’
Andreas thought for a moment and then decided. There was really not much choice. ‘We return the crates to the tomb, and use the Germans’ charges to bring down the cliff face and bury the entrance to the cave.’
Chapter Thirty-Five
The door to the mess crashed open and Steiner scanned the room and then pointed. ‘Muller! With me!’
Peter stood quickly, throwing down the cards in his hand. The officers he had been playing a rubber with looked towards the Sturmbannführer with a mixture of surprise and irritation. Peter hurried across the room as Steiner stood fastening the buckle of his pistol belt. Together they strode down the corridor of the prefecture towards he staircase.
‘Those Greek bastards have attacked the party at the cave,’ Steiner announced.
Peter uttered a curse.
‘Killed almost all the men. Only one managed to escape from the valley alive. He was picked up on the coast road an hour ago. He managed to report the attack before he died from his wounds.’
Peter glanced at his watch and saw that it was just past eleven. ‘Did any of the trucks get out before the attack, sir?’
‘No. The men sent to open the cave didn’t even get round to fully loading the first truck, the idle bastards. Your friend, Eleni, and her scum will have their hands on our prize now. God knows what they’ll do.’
Peter felt a stab of anxiety in his guts, both for his friend, and for the archaeological treasure that had eluded his father for so long. The contents of the to
mb were priceless and he shuddered at the thought of any damage being caused to them. It was the stuff of legend. Schliemann had proved that Homer’s great work was not mere myth, and the discovery of the tomb would add a wealth of evidence that would engage historians for centuries to come.
‘Salminger has given me command of two companies of his men and four armoured cars to take back to the dig site and rout those peasant bastards. Once that’s done we’ll have to teach the locals a lesson they won’t ever forget.’
‘Sir?’
Steiner shot him a bitter smile as they stepped out of the prefecture and descended the steps to the waiting Kübelwagen. He gestured towards the gallows. ‘It seems that we did not execute nearly enough hostages last time.’
The driver opened the door for them and they climbed into the back seat. A moment later the small staff car roared off out of the square and through the streets of Lefkada and the locals scrambled out of their way. Outside the town the column of trucks filled with mountain troops was already waiting, together with the armoured cars, and Steiner gave the order for them to move off. With a grating roar of engines the vehicles sped south along the coast road. Steiner leaned closer to Peter so that he would be heard above the din.
‘I just hope we are in time, Muller. If not then Reichsführer Himmler will have our balls for breakfast.’
Andreas glanced up at the noon sun and then around at the men labouring under the heavy crates as they carried them back to the cliff. There they were tied to the ropes and hauled up the cliff by the small team working from the cave.
‘We need to move faster,’ he said quietly. ‘The Germans must know by now what’s happened up here. Even if we missed some of their men, they’ll have heard the shooting and grenades. They will send a force up to investigate . . .’
‘Then we’ll deal with them in the same manner,’ Eleni concluded, running her hands through her thick, dark hair before she retied it in a ponytail and let it fall down her back. She picked up her rifle and held it in the crook of her arm. ‘Let them come.’
Hearts of Stone Page 39
