by G S Eli
Maybe there’s a way to control the nail, she thought. Maybe I can be a superhero like Liza Carver—no, better than Liza Carver. Like if Liza and Superman had a daughter and then a family of rock stars raised her!
Casey worked her way up a winding path and found herself at a bridge, which crossed the castle moat and led to a set of large iron gates. Crossing the bridge, Casey looked down to see not water below but a path running through gardens that surrounded the foundation. She spotted a sign written in both German and English that read, “Tours Start at 9:00 a.m.” I guess the taxi driver was right, she thought.
She walked past the gate and looked for a bell or something, but found nothing. She placed her hands on the bars of the gate and pressed her face next to them. She felt the chill of the metal press on her face as she gazed around the courtyard. She tried to look into the narrow windows, then across the grounds for some kind of house. All she could see was a small rusted shack or toolshed off to the side of the huge castle. “A hermit could live there, right?” she said to Wolfy. Maybe I should just wait, she thought. Once again, she gazed back to the regal castle standing before her, mesmerized by its majesty and size. “Can you imagine what took place here through the years, Wolfy?” she asked.
She tried to remember what Jack had read about it over the Internet. She scanned along the wall to the main tower. Inside was the ritual room, or so Jack had told her.
“That’s it,” she said.
She felt a calling to that room, a pulling and a hunger. Her eyes became fixed on one of the tower’s narrow windows. Forgetting about the chill in the air and the task at hand, all she could focus on was the inside of that room. As she gazed at the windows, she closed her eyes.
In the darkness in her head she began to hear the clicking sounds of many boots marching along a stone road. The sound was so loud in her head she felt as if people were marching right next to her. Surprised by the sounds, she opened her eyes, amazed.
Wolfy’s sudden barking shook Casey out of her trance. An old man in tan coveralls was standing over them. “Entschuldigen Sie, aber Hunde sind nicht erlaubt,” he said.
Casey turned and almost jumped at the sight of the old man looming over her with a rake. He had wrinkled skin so pale she could see the veins in his face, as well as his sunken blue eyes that held wide open. Some thinning white hair clung to his scalp, giving him a face that reminded Casey of a skull. He wore tan coveralls and a denim shirt stained with bird dung on the right shoulder. On his belt, Casey noticed an odd-looking keychain with a large set of keys. Hanging from the chain was an old wooden spike about four inches long. The wood looked weak and frail. That doesn’t look safe, she thought.
“I’m sorry, Sir, I don’t speak German. But I was wondering if you could help me. I am looking for a Professor Hermann.”
The groundskeeper stood silent for a moment, staring down at Casey and the dog.
“You are American,” he finally said.
“Thank God you speak English! Do you know if Professor Hermann is working today?” Casey asked as quickly as she could. “I desperately need to speak with him. Please!”
“Nein, nein. You must leave at once! There are no dogs allowed on the premises.”
Just then Wolfy began to viciously bark. Casey grabbed his leash to ensure he didn’t attack the old man who was just doing his job.
“Wolfy, no!” she shouted, and he immediately calmed down.
“Dame, you must leave at once!” he demanded.
“Sir, you don’t understand,” Casey said desperately.
“Nein!” he said, pulling her away from the castle.
“Wait, please. I’ve come a long way,” Casey cried as she was being pulled away.
The frail old man was slowly guiding Casey away from the castle as she continued to plead with him.
“Platzwart!” a man yelled from the distance. Casey turned and saw a man at the other side of the castle bridge. The man wore an elegant blue suit and had olive-toned skin. In his hand was a briefcase.
The groundskeeper halted at the sight of the man. The man started to shout in German to the groundskeeper as he came closer to them. The groundskeeper responded in German. Casey realized he must have been pleading his case because he kept pointing at Wolfy. As the man got closer, the conversation was definitely getting heated. Finally, the man approached and removed the groundskeeper’s grip on Casey. He continued to yell at the groundskeeper in German. The only word Casey could understand was hound, so she could tell Wolfy was causing all the fuss. The man pointed away from the castle as he yelled, causing the groundskeeper to grab his rake in shame and slowly walk away back to his duties.
“Fräulein, das Schloss öffnet nicht vor neun.” the man said.
“I’m … I’m sorry, I don’t speak German,” Casey slurred in desperation. “I’m American. I am looking for Professor Hermann.” she said pitifully.
“I’m Professor Hermann,” the man said in English. “You said you are American?”
Casey covered her face and said, “Oh, thank God! Please professor, I need your help! I’ve come a long way. My name is Casey—”
“Casey?” he interrupted. “Casey Richards, the niece of Zoe Rich? My dear, you’re all over the news.”
“Yes, I know, Professor. Please, it’s a long story, but I think you’re the only person who can help,” Casey said as she began to cry.
“Calm down, my dear. Calm down. Let me take you to my office, and we will figure something out.” He put his arm around Casey and guided her toward the gate.
Finally, Casey felt safe. She wiped the tears from her eyes while the kind man guided her toward the castle.
“One more thing, Miss. We have to tie your dog up out here,” he said charmingly. “We don’t want to give the groundskeeper a nervous breakdown.”
XXV
The Steel Knight
The German Autobahn was empty at this hour, save for a pristine black convertible that cruised down the highway. Jack’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel. He realized he could go as fast as he wanted, so he put the pedal to the metal. The engine roared, and the quick acceleration of the car pressed him against his seat. He should have been on cloud nine driving a car like this, especially on a road with no speed limit. But he was too fixated on his destination to enjoy the ride. Further up the road storm clouds loomed, the rising sun staining them an ominous red. He knew that just beneath those clouds lay the castle, and hopefully, Mila and Casey.
Things had quickly gone even more to hell after the fire. He had run all the way to the Oasis Bar to call the fire department, only to find it closed. Further up the small road was a newsstand where a man was opening for the day. Fortunately for Jack, the man spoke English and he phoned for help. He had jogged back through the chilly morning air hearing the wail of sirens approaching. Emergency services arrived just as Jack did. Mila was nowhere to be found.
Where’d he go? Jack wondered. That’s when he spotted Sabina being led into an ambulance on a gurney. She looked hysterical.
“Jack!” she shouted, “Jack, come quick!”
Jack rushed over to her, dodging the chaos of firefighters that were gearing up to fight the raging blaze that engulfed the bakery and Sabina’s apartment. The paramedics were about to shut the doors as Jack reached Sabina. An EMT pushed him back and yelled, “Sie können mit ihr nicht reiten, weil Sie keine Familie sind!”
“No! He is family! Let him in!” she screamed. The EMT relented and let Jack get closer.
“Jack, someone took Mila. I saw it,” Sabina sobbed.
“Who…where?” Jack asked.
“I don’t know. He wore all black.”
Jack noticed the burns on her body. He realized her leg was also swelling. She must have fallen on it hard when they jumped. It could be sprained, or worse. “It’s OK. Calm down. You’re really hurt. We need t
o let the paramedics help,” Jack said.
“Listen to me, Jack, please! I don’t trust those two,” Sabina said. “The bodyguard…she’s only interested in saving Casey. No one is looking after my Mila. Please, you must help him. You’re his friend. They’ll let him die!”
“OK, OK,” Jack said, hoping that would calm her down.
Sabina lifted herself into a sitting position, pushing the paramedics away as they tried to get her to lie back down. She rummaged through her pockets, fighting her pain, and managed to pull out a set of keys. “Take my car,” she insisted. “It’s around back.”
Jack took the keys as the EMT forced an oxygen mask on Sabina. “Vee sorry, vee sorry, vee must go now!” the paramedic said in broken English.
Jack stepped back and the ambulance doors shut. The firefighters were standing in formation around various hoses spraying down the burning apartment and hosing down adjacent buildings for good measure. Standing there, he considered what Sabina had just asked him to do. When Deborah and Morton were there, it was easy to try and tag along. The fire, however, reminded him of the seriousness of the situation.
This is life and death, Jack thought. Deborah wouldn’t abandon Mila … would she?
His thoughts drifted back to the many injustices he’d seen inflicted on the Rom during this trip. There was the murder of the young boy in the train station that no one cared about. Mila’s entire home had been destroyed, and according to him, his great-aunt was mortally wounded in the process. No one seemed to care except for the other Rom. Jack also remembered how the police had so readily tried to frame Mila for the crimes of the TNC. And with that, he realized that Sabina was probably right. Mila was going to die. Deborah and her friend wouldn’t help him. The neo-Nazis would kill him—and what’s worse, nobody would care.
Jack slipped around the back of the building as the firefighters reduced the roaring flames to smoldering ash. He found a car parked on the street protected by a white cover. He pulled the cover back to reveal the gorgeous BMW convertible with the top down. It had an immaculate black paint job. It looked freshly waxed and had a vanity plate that read BROOM STICK.
“Whoa …” Jack said.
Soon after, he found himself racing down the highway toward Wewelsburg Castle. He floored the gas pedal and watched the odometer as the trembling needle hovered just below 160 kph.
The stone palace soon came into view. An exit sign was conveniently marked with the words “Wewelsburg Castle.” Jack violently swerved, nearly missing the exit, and skidded as he tried to slow down enough for the main road.
After a short drive, Jack found the access road for Wewelsburg. As he pulled toward the parking area, he noticed a roadblock. It read “Closed” in both German and English. That’s not a good sign, Jack thought.
He parked just off the road and proceeded on foot. As he made his way up the path, he tried to reflect on what the hell he was doing. What’s the plan, exactly? Jack asked himself. Walk in there and say, “Hey, Mr. Nazis, I know you’re heartless murderers and all, but could you please let my friends go? He sighed. I’ve got between here and the gate to come up with something better than that.
Jack’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of frantic barking coming from up the path. That’s got to be Wolfy. He followed the sound of the barking dog. He made his way along the main path and soon saw the German Shepherd tied to a bench a few yards from the moat bridge.
“Easy, boy, I got you,” Jack said as he untied the leash.
Wolfy walked at Jack’s heels as he crossed the bridge toward the gate. Suddenly, the dog stopped and his ears went back. The shepherd stood at attention and let out a low growl.
“What’s the matter, boy?” Jack asked.
Suddenly, he sensed someone standing behind him. Then a stern voice said, “Halt!”
Jack turned and saw a man in a black uniform with an M-16 slung across his shoulder. If this is museum security, it’s overkill, he thought.
“Wir sind geschlossen, was machst du hier?” the man shouted.
“I’m sorry…just walking my dog—my hund,” Jack tried to communicate.
“You speak only English?” The guard asked. Then he shouted over his shoulder,
“Fritz, kommen zie her!”
The main gates opened, and a second guard came out dressed in an identical uniform. He rushed over while staring Jack down on approach. “You’re trespassing,” the other guard warned in slightly better English. “The museum is closed!”
Jack took a nervous step backward. He almost tripped into the moat as his heels pressed up against the edge of the bridge. Wolfy started to bark and growl at the two guards. The men took a step back as the dog strained against his leash, snarling like a wild animal. Jack struggled to calm him down.
“Wolfy, no! Sit!” Jack shouted frantically.
One of the guards unslung his rifle and got ready to fire on the dog.
“No!” Jack cried.
Pffft!
A puff of red mist sprayed from the man’s head, and he dropped to the ground, lifeless. An instant later, there was another pffft! sound, and the second guard also fell dead. There was a moment of confusion before Jack realized the two men had been hit by sniper fire.
Jack ran for the open gate in total panic, keeping his head low. He raced inside, his heart pounding, and slammed the gate just as Wolfy slipped in after him. Once safe, he pressed his back to the wall and instinctively made the sign of the cross.
It took a moment for Jack to catch his breath and let his adrenaline subside. He closed his eyes, trying to remember the layout from the sketches he had seen on the Internet. With Wolfy by his side, Jack took his first tentative steps forward. He was in the central courtyard, which he didn’t like one bit; it was too open, and there were windows overlooking it, giving him the constant fear that someone would see him. To make things worse, there was a van marked Berlin Museum with the back doors left ajar. Somebody would surely be coming soon.
With just seconds to spare, he spotted the door to the main entrance hall. No way, he thought. That will be guarded for sure.
He heard footsteps echoing across the courtyard. Searching for an escape, Jack spotted a door marked “Employees Only” and quickly darted inside.
Here the historic charm of the building disappeared, replaced by what looked like municipal offices. He passed a few small rooms with desks as he headed toward an unassuming stairway at the end of the hall. He snuck past a small file room where some castle employees seemed to be shredding papers. He reached the stairs without encountering any security. He tiptoed into the stairwell, knowing any noise would echo up and down the steps and alert anyone nearby. Jack and Wolfy got about halfway up the first flight before Jack heard someone coming toward them. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Jack got ready for anything.
“The museum is closed!” an olive-skinned older gentleman said to him. “And we don’t allow animals inside which is why he was tied up near the entrance.”
Jack immediately recognized the man’s face. It was Professor Hermann.
“I’m sorry. I was looking for my girlfriend,” Jack said. It was the best he could come up with.
“I see,” the man replied. Jack could tell that Hermann did not care. “I’m going to have to escort you out.”
Jack followed the professor, all the while strategizing how he was going to get away from him. There were corridors everywhere, but he didn’t know the castle.
Hermann led him into a security room filled with monitors keeping watch over the entire castle. Four guards wearing the black uniforms and sword-emblazoned arm bands of the TNC were posted there, along with a maintenance man in a faded blue uniform fidgeting with the monitors. Jack took a quick look at each of the monitors, but they were flickering on and off.
Hermann and the security guards began to speak to one another in German. H
e picked up the words wireless netzwerk. Before Jack could figure out what was going on, Hermann stepped in front of him, blocking his view. He began to speak to one of the guards while pointing at Jack. Jack could easily figure out that Hermann was ordering the guard to take him into custody. At that moment, Jack realized that Mila and Sabina were right. This man could never help them. As a matter of fact, Jack instinctively knew Hermann was not a friend.
Just then, another guard out in the hall shouted something in German.
“Entschuldigen sie mich, Professor Hermann,” the guard said, excusing himself, then rushed out to see what the commotion was.
“There seems to be a situation unfolding on the bridge outside, which I’m sure you are perfectly aware of,” Hermann said to Jack.
“You’re Professor Hermann?” Jack asked, pretending he didn’t already know.
“Yes, I am, young man, and I’ve been through this routine already once today with your girlfriend,” he replied.
“Where is she?” Jack demanded.
“I’m afraid she’s all tied up,” replied Professor Hermann.
He glared at Jack, then glanced at the monitors behind him. He motioned for another one of the guards to follow him as he took Jack into another room. He obviously didn’t want Jack seeing whatever was happening on those monitors.
Jack passively followed him into a small banquet room of sorts with Wolfy following calmly and obediently at his side. It had a long wooden table and chairs carved from rich mahogany. The walls were covered in ornate green wallpaper and decorated with various framed documents and letters. On either end of the room stood double doors flanked by suits of armor.
“We are going to stay right here until security gives us the ‘all clear,’” Hermann declared. “Tie your dog up over by that suit of armor.”
The guard stood by the door with his rifle at the ready. Jack knew he was no match for him, so he followed Hermann’s instructions. Each suit of armor had a steel railing about a foot away, more a reminder not to touch them than to actually protect the artifacts. Jack tied up Wolfy to the railing. He tried to tie a loose knot that could be easily undone.
