Dust

by Angela Nock

  As they neared, I pulled the door open and held it for them to enter.

  'What were you thinking?' hissed Sophia, as she drew near to me.

  'I got us in, didn't I?' I snapped. I was too tired to deal with her shit.

  'Good work,' said Josh, putting his arm around me. I tensed and he let his arm fall from my shoulder. I didn't know whether I was overreacting but it felt patronising like I was a good dog that needed to be praised. 'How did you do it?'

  'Easy. All keypads have a number that emergency services use to gain access. I asked the cleaner. Apparently, in Spain the number for the police and emergency is 112, so the access code here is 0112.'

  'So much for security,' said Josh.

  'You guessed?' asked Sophia.

  'Not completely, I remembered something from when I was here on a school trip, but I had to check to see if it was how I remembered,' I replied, 'but it worked, didn't it?' God, what did she want from me?

  The foyer was rather grand with a white marble floor and a large sweeping staircase decorated with trailing vines and sculpted grapes. A huge crystal chandelier dominated the high ceiling. The place smelled like a hospital though, with the aroma of disinfectant and polish.

  We made our way up the stairs to Hass' apartment which occupied the top floor of the building.

  Sophia knocked on Hass' polished front door.

  'Have you forgotten your key again, you stupid woman?' came a voice from inside. It was a strange accent, a combination of Spanish and German.

  The door opened, revealing a hunched old man holding an ebony walking cane topped with a silver wolf's head. He looked at us over thick-rimmed glasses.

  'Who are you? What do you want?'

  'Joseph Vass?' asked Sophia.

  The old man tried to slam the door shut, but Sophia was too quick for him and rammed her foot in the doorway.

  'Or is it Friedrich Hass?'

  He opened the door, and stared at us, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

  'Who are you?' he asked.

  'We need to talk to you about the Spear of Longinus….'

  'What? Never heard of it, now go away! Harassing an old man. You should be ashamed of yourselves.'

  With a movement that took us all by surprise, he jabbed the bottom of his cane into Sophia's foot.

  'Ow you f...' she screeched, jumping out of the way.

  Hass tried to slam the door shut. Josh quickly stuck his arm out and stopped it. He pushed it back open and forced his way in.

  'Du Hurensohn!'

  'We need to talk,' said Josh, barging past him, ignoring his curses.

  'We don't, you son of a...' snapped Hass.

  Josh turned to face him. 'Yes we do, shall we?' he asked, gesturing for him to lead us inside.

  Hass blew through his front teeth, a statement of disgust and reluctant surrender. He stooped low, leaning on his walking stick as he shuffled through the large hall covered in large Modernist paintings. One looked like a Matisse.

  We followed him slowly into his living room. I had a feeling he wasn't as disabled as he was making out.

  My eyes devoured every part of the sumptuous living room. It was like an art gallery or museum; a treasure trove, filled with extravagant oversized antique furniture dripping in thick layers of fur and gold cushions. Priceless paintings covered the richly decorated walls. A skull, smothered in diamonds, sat, sparkling, in a glass case, to the left of a huge Parian marble fireplace. On the other side of the fireplace was a larger glass cabinet filled with antiquities; a roman shield, an ornate dagger, and various swords and weaponry. A Gustav Klimt painting shone, in shades of gold and red and blue, from the wall above the fire. There was a painting in front of the skull cabinet, half concealed under a dust sheet. Hass caught me looking at it. He dived at it and hastily covered it back up with the sheet.

  'What do you want? I'm expecting a visitor. Be quick.'

  'We've heard you know where the Spear of Longinus is,' said Sophia.

  'Where did you hear that rubbish?'

  'We've also heard you've been trying to sell it,' said Josh, inspecting the skull in its case, 'to the highest bidder.'

  'You heard wrong.' He slumped onto the grey velvet sofa and placed his walking stick beside him.

  'No, I don't think so,' said Josh, sitting down next to him.

  'Don't sit. You're leaving.'

  'Erm, no we're not. Not until you tell us -'

  'About the spear, I know, I get it. What you don't get is that I have no idea what you are talking about. And, if I did, do you really think I'd keep it here?'

  'So where is it?' asked Sophia, browsing the glass cabinets.

  Hass sneered. 'As if you could afford that kind of information,' he said, looking at her over the top of his thick black glasses, 'even if I did know, of course.'

  'From what I hear no one wants to buy it anyway,' said Sophia.

  'Someone will pay. They always do.'

  She shook her head. 'Not this time.'

  'So you do know where it is?' I asked.

  'What? Am I supposed to be intimidated by this charade? You don't scare me, I've met far more dangerous men –'

  'Oh we know,' I said.

  'We know what you are, what you've done,' said Sophia. She walked behind Hass and ran her hands across the back of the sofa before placing them on his shoulders. She leaned into him and squeezed, whispering something into his ear.

  Hass didn't look at Sophia, but said, 'I don't care what you think you know. Go home.'

  She stood up.

  'Leave us,' she commanded.

  'Why? Are you going to interrogate me?' Hass threw his head back and began to chuckle. 'It will take more than you and your friends.'

  'They're not my friends.'

  'If you want the information it will cost you. Two-hundred thousand euros. That's the price. You don't pay, you don't get the location of the spear.'

  'Go,' said Sophia, to Josh and myself.

  'Sophia?' said Josh.

  Something was troubling me, but I couldn't place what.

  'I'll deal with it,' she snapped. Her jaw tightened. She pumped her fists by her side.

  Hass chuckled again and threw his hands up in the air. 'You're wasting your time.'

  I studied the fire in Sophia's eyes.

  I was surprised when Josh grabbed my hand and physically pulled me out of the apartment, Hass' laughter still ringing in my ears.

  There was a bright white flash behind us. His laughing stopped abruptly and Josh pushed me through the door.

  'What's she doing to him?' I was suddenly afraid but desperately trying to hide it.

  'She's getting the information we need.'

  'She's not interrogating him? Is she?' I asked, grabbing Josh's arms, 'Josh? We didn't agree to that.' I felt sick. Why was I so bothered by what happened to an ex-Nazi?

  'We need the location Evie, sometimes -'

  'Don't,' I said, pushing him back into the wall with a strength that took me by surprise, 'patronise me!'

  He raised his hands, palms out.

  'I'm not patronising you. But time is running out. We need the location of the spear. Why are you so concerned about him anyway? He's not some innocent old man. He's evil.'

  'I know that,' I snapped back. Why was I so bothered?

  'The death camps, the murders, and the families he's destroyed? The art he's looted? The art he's still selling now? He's still dancing on the graves of those that were murdered!' He reached out and grabbed my shoulders. Maybe the end did justify the means, but it still made me feel sick.

  'I know,' I said, feeling defeated and tired, 'but his violence doesn't justify ours.'

  He sighed. 'I….'

  His words disappeared as Sophia burst out of Hass' front door. 'Come on, let's go!' she said, rushing past us to the stairs.

  'You've got the location? Already?' asked Josh.

  'What have you done Sophia?' I called after her.

  She turned on the stairs. 'Got th
e location of the Spear of Longinus,' she said, before turning back and continuing down the steps.

  'Where is it?' I didn't want to think about how she'd got it that fast.

  'Poland.'

  'Poland? Where? How?'

  'Get in the car, I'll tell you whilst I'm driving.'

  'What now? We're going now?' I asked.

  Sophia spun around, her boots squeaking on the marble floor. 'No. We're going to wait until Hyperion gets it!'

  'Sophia, stop,' said Josh.

  'Stop what?' She stood with her hands on her hips.

  Sophia was impossible and rude, but we needed her.

  He turned to me. 'You okay to go now?'

  'Oh come on!' screeched Sophia, throwing her hands in the air. 'The Apocalypse is about to start and you're asking her if it's convenient?'

  I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing. I felt hands squeezing mine. I sighed and opened my eyes.

  'Come on,' I said, 'no time like the present.'

  Chapter Six

  I ran into the restaurant, ignoring the open-mouthed waiters, and tables full of people enjoying a lazy meal or drinking wine, and rushed into the toilets. I heard their angry shouts as I slammed the toilet door shut and slumped onto the closed toilet seat. I let out a loud sigh and held my hands out. They were trembling. I felt sick. Anxiety bubbled in my stomach. My legs were like jelly. Vomit rushed up my oesophagus. I jumped up, whipped open the toilet and vomited.

  I don't know what had affected me more; not knowing what Sophia might've done to Hass or the way she made me feel. I trembled inside with every word she spoke, my heart tripping on itself, beating faster as she wound me up in knots. I was weak, human, and stupid, but I would not let her see that. I would fight her all the way.

  I'd help get that damn relic, even if it killed me.

  Which it probably would.

  I left the cubicle and ran the cold tap, wiping myself down and swilling the vomit from my mouth. I had to get a grip.

  'Perdoname,' I said, as I emerged, placing a ten euro note on the counter. The man behind the bar grabbed the note and babbled something at me in Spanish. I didn't understand. I gave a non-committal shrug of my shoulders and left the restaurant.

  The sun was disappearing behind the apartment block, casting long shadows across the avenue. Josh and Sophia were already sitting in the jeep. I took a deep breath, pushed the fear deep inside me, and crossed over to them.

  'Okay now?' asked Josh, as I climbed into the back.

  'Yep, all good,' I said, not daring to look at him. Instead, I concentrated on fastening my seat belt without my hands trembling. I wasn't ready to pretend I was strong enough for any of what we were about to do.

  'So, it looks like we're going to be on the road for a while,' said Josh, 'The GPS is saying...'

  'Twenty four hours,' interrupted Sophia, 'do you think you can handle that?'

  Twenty four hours? Jesus. 'Yes, of course, I can,' I said.

  Josh shuffled around in his seat to face me. 'Why don't you get some sleep?'

  'I will. In a bit. Where in Poland are we heading to?'

  'Wroclaw,' said Sophia, 'then we're taking a train to Walbrzych.'

  'A train?'

  'Is that a problem? Should we drop you off at home whilst we get on with it?' asked Sophia.

  'Sophia,' warned Josh.

  'No. I'm okay,' I snapped back, but inside I was tired and wanted to cry.

  'Hass told me the spear was left in an abandoned train around two miles from Walbrzych.'

  'They left the Spear of Longinus on a train?'

  'Yes. Hitler kept the spear at the Nazi Headquarters in Wewelsberg. In March 1945, just before Wewelsberg fell, the spear was removed and placed on a train bound for the safety of the bunkers deep beneath Ksiaz Castle.'

  'Hitler seized the castle to use as his personal stronghold,' I said, remembering a long distant history lesson.

  'However,' said Sophia, 'it never got there.'

  'Why?'

  'Before the train reached Ksiaz, Hass and his Nazi friends found out that the Russians had taken it over. According to Hass, the decision was made to abandon the train in a nearby tunnel. They blasted it shut, intending come back once they had removed the Russians from Ksiaz. It never happened. And they never went back. So,' said Sophia, studying me from the rear-view mirror, 'we're going to have to do some serious digging to get to the train. Do you think you can handle that?'

  I didn't answer. Instead, I closed my eyes and let the gentle movement of the car rock me to sleep.

  My sleep was restless, punctuated with vivid dreams of burning angels, and marching Nazis interspersed with brief snatches of semi-consciousness filled with hushed voices and flickering darkness.

  I emerged from my fitful slumber as we approached Besancon. We stopped for breakfast and a quick wash down before we set off again, heading north-east towards Germany.

  Silence had become our default position. I was tired, bored and achy after hours in the car, and, after a while, even the beautiful scenery failed to keep me entertained. Maybe, in another life, I would come back and enjoy the scenery, take romantic strolls with Josh through some boulevard or other, before stopping for a few glasses of wine at some rustic restaurant. But, that was never going to happen, was it?

  I looked over to Josh. He was staring out of the passenger window, the sunlight streaking across his raven black hair.

  My heavy heart ached with grief for the loss I would suffer. Unless....

  'How do you become a fallen angel?' I asked, punching through the silence with my question.

  Josh jumped up in his seat. 'What?'

  'How do you become a fallen angel?' I repeated, this time aiming my question at Sophia.

  She stared at me through the rear-view mirror before answering. 'You piss God off,' she said, not a drop of emotion in her voice.

  'But I thought a fallen angel was one that had fallen in love with a mortal? How could that possibly piss Him off?'

  Josh turned in his seat, looking at me with confusion.

  Sophia shrugged.

  'I've read that a fallen angel is one that turns away from the love of God in order to embrace the love of a mortal -'

  'I don't know what you've been reading, but it's wrong.'

  Josh looked over to Sophia. 'I've read something similar, in the Mysteries of the Angels.'

  Sophia was quiet, her hands firmly clamped on the steering wheel, her knuckles white.

  'Come on, Sophia,' I said. I knew I was pushing my luck.

  'Sophia?' added Josh.

  She sighed loudly, then said, 'There's more than one way to become a fallen angel, and falling in love with a mortal is but one.' Her voice had lost its hard edge. 'I hope....'

  'What?'

  'I hope you're not thinking about going down that path,' she said, looking at Josh.

  'Why? What if it's the only way of being with Evie? Of us having a chance at a life together?'

  Sophia shook her head. 'It's not that simple.'

  'If there's a chance...' I said.

  'Why? Why would you even consider falling?' said Sophia, concentrating on Josh.

  'Because I need to find a way to overcome Death. I need to beat her. I need to be with Evie.'

  'Hah,' said Sophia, 'You can't conquer Death. There's no overcoming her. And becoming a fallen angel won't change that -'

  'I would be with Evie.'

  'And how exactly would that work? Have you thought about the practicalities? The difficulties you would face?'

  'We'd work it out,' I said.

  'Work it out? Can you possibly imagine what falling is like? What it does to you?'

  'No, but -'

  'No. Exactly.' Sophia pulled over to the side of the road. There was a large yellow sign at the side of the road pointing to Nuremberg. She turned off the engine and turned in her seat to face us. 'There's not a day that goes by where I don't regret what I did, what I've done. If I could take it back, I would,
in a heartbeat,' she said, clicking her fingers.

  'What did you do?' I asked.

  She ignored me. Instead, she spoke to Josh.

  'Do you think all your problems will just disappear when you become a fallen angel? Do you really think it's that easy?'

  'No but -'

  'But what? Do you know everything you say before a “but” is, by default, a lie?'

  Josh threw his hands up. 'What do you want me to say, Sophia? That I don't want to be a fallen angel? Now telling you that would be a lie.'

  She huffed. 'You are a fool. Being a fallen angel is not some party trick or novelty. You will suffer every day for your mistakes -'

  'What?' said Josh, leaning towards her in his seat, 'you think I don't already suffer every day?'

  'Oh, cry me a river! Get me the violins! You couldn't possibly know what suffering is. An Angel of Death! You're not even a proper angel!'

  I thought Josh was about to explode with anger, but instead, his face relaxed and he slumped back into his seat. He shook his head. 'You have no idea.'

  'Really?'

  'Have you ever had to watch a good man die in front of you whilst the shittiest dregs of mankind get to live?' he said, wrapping his arms around himself.

  Sophia didn't answer.

  'What about taking the life of a man seconds after falling in love with his daughter? Knowing that you are destroying her life?'

  My heart stopped beating for a second.

  'Taken away the soul of babies before they've even had a chance of life?' Josh continued.

  'Emotional blackmail? Please!' said Sophia, smacking the steering wheel with the palms of her hands.

  Still, Josh went on. 'Having no memories of your previous life? Knowing you sinned in that former life but not knowing quite how, or why? Being punished every day as an Angel of Death for that crime?' He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Falling in love but knowing there is no hope for that love?'

  Those words stabbed through my heart. 'Josh, stop.' I reached forward and squeezed his arm.