The two men wrestled for control of the weapon for several seconds, neither one of them relinquishing their grip. Richard looked into his attacker’s eyes and glared.
“You started this fire, didn’t you?” Richard said.
The German strained as he held fast. “You’re going to die tonight.”
“I don’t think so,” Richard said before he kicked the man’s knee.
Buckling and falling to the deck, the German let go of the crowbar. Then he lunged at Richard, who jumped aside and felt the ship’s railing against his back.
Richard took a swing at the German, but he grabbed the bar and managed to force it inches from Richard’s throat. Resisting with all the strength he had left, Richard kneed the German, catching him by surprise. With a swift move, Richard reversed positions with his attacker and bent him over the rail.
“The Reichswehr will kill you one way or another,” the German said.
“Not tonight they won’t,” Richard said before forcing the man overboard.
Richard watched as the agent splashed into the water and flailed around for help in the churning waves. The Gold Shell plowed ahead, leaving the man in her wake.
Old Ed and Slim rushed up to Richard and joined him at peering into the water.
“What was that all about?” Old Ed asked.
“Apparently, someone wants me dead,” Richard said. “That was the bastard who started the fire. He was trying to create a diversion so he could kill me.”
“What on Earth for?” Slim asked.
“I made enemies with the wrong people,” Richard said. “But we still have a fire to put out.”
“Not anymore,” Slim said. “It’s under control now. We just have to weather the rest of this storm, and we’ll be fine.”
“Well, I think you’ll be safe,” Old Ed said as he turned and looked at Richard. “It’s a lot farther than nine miles to port.”
And Richard couldn’t wait to get there. His work was just beginning.
Chapter 2
Maredumilli, India
KARL WILHELM SCANNED the clearing below as his elephant lumbered along the jungle path. For the first time in nearly an hour, he could see beyond the thick vegetation, though the scenery was still more lush landscape. A river sliced through the grassy area, necessitating a stop for the beasts of burden to slurp up trunks full of water.
Wilhelm eased off his seat atop the elephant and slid down the side with the help of one of their guides. He glanced at the rest of his fellow travelers as they dismounted. Hans Reinhard, Wilhelm’s top lieutenant, was the first man to hit the ground and saunter over to discuss the details of their remaining journey.
“How much longer do we have before we reach this British magistrate?” Reinhard asked. “By my count, we should’ve been there two hours ago.”
Wilhelm shrugged. “These primitive people don’t understand time in the same way we do. Some of these people still hunt in the jungle for their meals. It’s barbaric if you ask me, but I’m not complaining that they can be coerced into assisting us for the right price just like everybody else.”
“We’re going to need good help on this mission, too,” Reinhard said. “We lost far too many men on the last one, strong soldiers who were caught off guard.”
“I think we all underestimated Mr. Halliburton’s abilities,” Wilhelm said. “However, that’s not a mistake we’ll make again.”
“I hope not,” Reinhard said. “It was a costly lesson.”
Wilhelm sighed and surveyed the rest of his wolfsrudel, his self-proclaimed wolf pack, the elite of the elite. Each one of the soldiers in his Reichswehr unit made great sacrifices to serve these missions. Germany had been crushed beneath the Treaty of Versailles’s stifling sanctions, and everyone loyal to the motherland knew something had to be done. If the country’s leaders allowed nature to follow its due course, Germany would lose all the power and influence it once held over the rest of the world. And that wasn’t an acceptable fate for Wilhelm or any of his men.
But Reinhard had potentially sacrificed the most.
Wilhelm shoved his hand into his pocket and clasped the letter. He wanted to give it to Reinhard but couldn’t. Not yet anyway.
“How are you doing?” Wilhelm asked.
“I’m fine, sir,” Reinhard said, his face stoic. “Just another day serving our fine country.”
“I can’t help but think just how much we’ve all given up to embark on such a mission as this,” Wilhelm said. “Especially you.”
Reinhard’s façade broke. His lips quivered while his eyes watered. “I’ll be fine, sir. I’djust hoped I would have heard about Emilia by now.”
“The doctor already told you how long she had to live.”
Reinhard nodded. “I know, but it was just a guess. He said he would know more soon. But I don’t know anything. And I’m afraid if anything happened to Emilia, my wife would go into labor prematurely. It makes me wonder if I’m not a complete fool for coming on this mission.”
“You’d only be a fool if you weren’t here. You are a man who believes in your country—and she believes in you. Besides, your wife grew up in General Hindenburg’s home. You think she would really allow you to return? She’s more loyal to our country than everyone in this troop combined.”
“If I just knew if the doctor’s timeframe was accurate, I—”
“That wouldn’t change anything,” Wilhelm said. “You’re fighting for the future of Germany.”
“But my Emilia may not even have a future, in Germany or anywhere else.”
“You’re carrying on because Emilia isn’t your only child. And even though you haven’t met your other one, what kind of world will be waiting for it? One where we are subjected to the whims of the imperialistic overlords in England and the United States? That is a fate we should fight on principle alone, whether we have children or not.”
“And you think unearthing this treasure will be enough to help us get there?” Reinhard asked.
Wilhelm nodded. “It’ll be a good start, though we’re a long way from getting there. We’re chasing a legend at this point, some fabled tale. But it’s one many people believe to be true. And we won’t even get a chance to do it if we don’t get some help from this British magistrate.”
The Reichswehr unit’s guide approached Wilhelm and Reinhard. “We’ll be ready to continue in five minutes.”
“Thank you,” Wilhelm said as he watched the man walk away.
“We should probably start loading up,” Reinhard said.
Wilhelm cracked a smile. “It’ll be at least ten minutes before any of these men even move a muscle toward leaving this stream. Just watch.”
After a brief moment of silence, Reinhard resumed their personal conversation.
“What about you?” he asked. “Have you heard from home yet?”
“I received a note from my wife by way of a new member in our unit,” Wilhelm said. “But it wasn’t anything exciting.”
“That’s reassuring. At least they’re home living their lives instead of worrying about us.”
Felix Ludwig, one of the Reichswehr unit’s more daring soldiers, dumped a bucket of water on his head as he approached Wilhelm and Reinhard.
“Did you forget to invite me to your meeting of the minds?” Ludwig asked, cracking a faint smile.
“We were discussing our mission,” Reinhard said. “Care to contribute to how we’re going to find all this treasure without getting caught and sneak it out of the country?”
Ludwig shrugged. “The sneaking it out part is easy, especially when we can press diamonds and jewels into the palms of people eager to grant us access. We’ll be home in Germany before you can say Maredumelli. It’s finding the treasure that is obviously the bigger obstacle.”
“We found King Tutankhamun’s tomb,” Wilhelm said. “But it was securing the treasure that we struggled to do.”
Ludwig wagged his finger. “That was an entirely different situation. Plus, we had no idea tha
t we would have to do everything while fighting off another team of archeologists. We weren’t prepared.”
“It was one man,” Reinhard said. “One overly zealous American.”
“Yet that American managed to outwit us in the quest to take all the treasures from the king’s tomb out of the Valley of the Kings,” Ludwig said. “We barely even held onto the gold because of that agent. He ruined everything.”
“If we see him again, I will personally see to it that he is the one ruined,” Wilhelm said. “We haven’t come this far to have our plans thwarted by a bumbling idiot who happens to be in the right place at the right time.”
“I’d hardly consider him a bumbling idiot, sir,” Reinhard said. “And it’s quite possible he could be worth more to us alive than dead. After all, he is the one who knows where all that treasure is in Egypt. Maybe we could convince him to tell us where he stashed that gold mask.”
Wilhelm shook his head with a sneer. “Not on my watch. He’s like a wild animal that needs to be put down before he hurts someone else. No matter how harmless he looks, we all know the reality of letting him roam wild.”
Ludwig nodded in agreement. “You think he’s following us now?”
Wilhelm shrugged. “I’ve yet to hear word from the agent I assigned to Mr. Halliburton. But I can assure you that if he got on that ship to follow us here, he’ll be dead by now.”
“Which ship was he on?” Reinhard asked.
“TheGold Shell,” Wilhelm said. “She’s due at port in three days. We’ll know soon enough.”
“I hope he’s dead,” Ludwig said.
Wilhelm looked at his watch and nodded. “If not, I’ll kill him myself.”
* * *
AN HOUR LATER, the caravan lumbered into Maredumilli, a small village nestled just east of the Alluri Sitaramaraju Forest. The fact that Wilhelm and his team had to travel to such a remote area to find a helpful British magistrate spoke volumes about the enmity between Germany and their foes during the war. But Wilhelm didn’t need the help of an entire legion of British officials. He just needed one. And Wilhelm found his man in Alex Fullerton.
“You finally made it,” Fullerton said as he greeted Wilhelm’s team.
Wilhelm slid down the side of his elephant. “It took us so long to get here that I was beginning to wonder if this village was something of a myth.”
Fullerton chuckled. “This country is teeming with similar stories, but I can assure you that you have arrived at a place that exists on the map. Would you care for some tea?”
Wilhelm nodded and gestured for Reinhard to follow. The three men walked up the steps of a small wooden structure erected on stilts several feet off the ground. Fullerton opened a screen door and held it for his guests.
“I would apologize for the heat, but it’s only going to get hotter in the days ahead,” Fullerton said as he invited the men to sit in the chairs across from his desk.
“How can you stand to live here?” Reinhard asked.
“Someone has to keep these people in line, and I was the unfortunate one assigned to this task here,” Fullerton said, settling into his seat. “It’s also why I’m not so adverse to helping out a few mercenaries who want to explore the country, especially if the price is still what we agreed upon.”
Wilhelm dug into his pocket and produced a wad of cash before dropping it on the Fullerton’s desk. “You can look for yourself. It’s all there.”
Fullerton sifted briefly through the stack of bills without counting all of it, apparently satisfied that the full amount was included. He collected it and placed it into a small safe on the floor behind his desk. When he was finished, he turned around and stood, holding a handful of documents.
“I believe this is what you came for,” Fullerton said before dropping them in front of Wilhelm.
Wilhelm leaned forward in his chair and studied the papers, inspecting all the details to ensure that everything was in order. As he finished each one, he’d hand it to Reinhard to look over as well. When Wilhelm was done, he looked at his top lieutenant and nodded.
“Looks good to me,” Reinhard said to Wilhelm.
Wilhelm turned to Fullerton. “In that case, I think we’re ready to go.”
Fullerton frowned. “But what about your tea?”
“It’s too hot for tea,” Wilhelm said. “Besides, we’re on a tight time schedule.”
“Good luck,” Fullerton said with a chuckle. “This is India. The only things that move quickly around here are trains and tigers—and both of them are even known to creep on occasion.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Wilhelm said as he turned toward the door.
“I’d advise you to proceed cautiously,” Fullerton said. “Even with those documents, you still might attract more attention than you desire. It’s not difficult to spot easy targets for the Thugs.”
“I thought your government took care of them?” Wilhelm asked.
Fullerton shrugged. “The official position is that they’ve been more or less eradicated for lack of a better term, but let me assure you that’s far from the truth. Those bandits roam hillsides all across this country in search of easy prey.”
“I’m sure we can handle ourselves,” Reinhard said. “This isn’t a group of tourists.”
“I understand that, but this is foreign soil to you, and if you don’t know the safest passage through, you’re leaving much to chance. Now, where are you headed next?”
“I didn’t say,” Wilhelm said. “It’s better that way.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. If you’re headed north, you need a guide,” Fullerton said.
Wilhelm sighed. “I will just pay these men out here to continue on.”
Fullerton smiled. “Walk outside and tell them that you want them to accompany you through the Papikonda Hills directly north from here. Let’s see how many takers you get.”
Wilhelm narrowed his eyes as he glared at Fullerton. “You’re wasting my time.”
Storming out of the small building, Wilhelm whistled and signaled for his entire entourage to join him. They all hustled over, Reichswehr and guides alike.
“Gentleman,” Wilhelm began, “we are about to continue the next leg of our journey through the Papikonda Hills. If you don’t feel you are up to the challenge, you may—”
Before Wilhelm could finish his thought, every guide dropped his gear and walked away, turning around and not looking back. He watched them shake their heads as they scattered.
“They’re just going to leave their elephants like this?” Reinhard asked as his mouth fell agape.
Fullerton sauntered up behind the remaining Reichswehr soldiers. “You can’t get those elephants through the forest. The trails are too steep and narrow. You’re going to need a new guide.”
“And how much will one of these guides cost me?” Wilhelm asked.
“I can get you one this afternoon for a hundred pounds,” Fullerton said.
Wilhelm cocked his head to one side. “A hundred pounds? Are you mad?”
Fullerton sighed. “At this point, I don’t see that you have much of a choice. Those documents aren’t going to do you much good if you can’t get past the next set of hills.”
Wilhelm nodded to Ludwig, who darted behind Fullerton and grabbed his head before placing a knife at his neck.
“Is this really necessary?” Fullerton asked, refusing to struggle.
“You’re going to get me a guide,” Wilhelm said, “and you’re going to do it right now.”
“The only way you’re going to get a guide is to pay me a hundred pounds,” Fullerton said. “And if you kill me anyway, the moment you get into any trouble, it’ll be obvious what happened to even the dimmest government official.”
Ludwig removed the knife from Fullerton’s neck and shoved him in the back.
“Now, if you’ll hand over my fee, I’ll go retrieve someone who will be more than happy to lead you through the Papikonda Hills,” Fullerton said as he straightened out his shirt.
/> Wilhelm crammed the bills into Fullerton’s hand before he turned and disappeared down the road.
“You should’ve let me kill him,” Ludwig said. “I could’ve made it look like he was mauled by a wild animal.”
“No,” Wilhelm said, shaking his index finger. “The British magistrate is right. We might have need of him yet. And he’s going to join us for the journey.”
Chapter 3
Calcutta, India
THE GOLD SHELL FINALLY reached port three days later, safely delivering Richard to Calcutta. He completed all the paperwork required to receive his payment for working on the ship and collected his paltry earnings. On the shore, Slim awaited Richard while jangling a handful of coins.
“You ready to see the madness of India and burn through everything you just made?” Slim asked with a sly smile.
“That really depends on what you want to do,” Richard said.
“I just want to show you a good time.”
“I’m not sure that what constitutes a good time for you is the same for me.”
“You only live once,” Slim said. “Besides, with me as your tour guide, you can enter the city confidently knowing that you won’t waste your time visiting places that won’t provide you with the most value for your money.”
Richard sighed. “I don’t know, Slim. It’s just that—”
He stopped midsentence as he saw an Indian man next to a rickshaw along the road with a shabby sign.
“What is it, Richard?” Slim asked as he turned to see what Richard was staring at.
Richard cocked his head to the side as he walked toward the man. “Who sent you?”
“Are you Mr. Halliburton?” the man asked.
Richard nodded. “You didn’t answer my question though. Who sent you?”
“Dr. Knapp, of course. He said you might be resistant at first.”
Richard exhaled slowly and put his hands on his hips. “Resistant? I don’t even know who Dr. Knapp is, much less what he wants with me. As exciting as a ride in your rickshaw there looks, I’m afraid you’re going to have to tell me more than that before I take one more step. And I’ll warn you that even then it might not be enough to convince me.”
The Raja's Lost Treasure Page 2