Richard looked over in time to see David subdue Vikrant.
“Want to give me a hand over here?” David asked.
“It’ll be my pleasure,” Richard said. Using his pagri’s ribbon, Richard tied up the attacker and then rushed over to David.
Richard snatched Vikrant’s belt from around his waist and secured his hands behind him.
“Sorry about this, ole chap,” David said as he slammed Vikrant’s head against the side of the stone tank. Vikrant wilted after the blow and fell.
“Was that really necessary?” Richard asked. “I had a few more questions for him.”
David patted down Vikrant and snatched the money from an inside jacket pocket. “There’s a price to pay for double crossing us.”
Richard and David scurried over to the other two men who were still out cold and also secured them using their belts.
“Now, let’s get back to business,” David said.
Richard and David climbed back inside the tank and resumed their inspection. After searching further for a few minutes, Richard squinted as he stared at one of the blocks. He reached outside and grabbed one of the torches that was still burning and held the flame close to the inscription etched onto the surface.
“Come take a look at this,” Richard said.
David scrambled over to him and stared at the spot Richard lit. “What is that?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t see any markings like this on any of the other stones used to construct this tank.”
Richard pulled out his dagger and started to scrape away at the edges. When he was finished, he blew away the dust as a clearer marking came into focus.
“Let’s try it,” Richard said as he stood. He jammed his foot on top. Nothing happened.
“Move over,” David said. “Let me give it a go.”
David used the bottom of his heel and slammed it on the inscribed stone. Still no movement. David tried it again repeatedly, growling as he stomped. Richard watched intently and listened for any sign that a portal might be opening. But there wasn’t any.
“Looks like it’s back to the drawing board,” Richard said.
Then before David could respond, the ground quivered as the sound of stone grinding against stone echoed in the cavernous room. Richard almost tripped as the bottom fanned downward into a spiral staircase. He jumped out of the way and waited for it to stop.
Without hesitating, Richard snatched up one of the torches and raced down the steps with David right behind. When they reached the foot of the stairs, they were inside a small chamber about ten feet square with an overhead clearance of about six feet. Richard had enough space to fit underneath without knocking his head against the ceiling, while David hunched over a bit to accommodate his larger frame.
Richard waved the torch around, methodically lighting each corner of the room. His eyes grew wide as he knelt down, collected a small jewel off the ground, and held the gem up before the flame.
“Would you look at that?” David asked. “A jewel.”
“And the only one in here,” Richard said. “Looks like the Reichswehr troops beat us to it.”
Chapter 18
DEJECTED OVER LOSING the treasure, Richard sighed and kicked at the dusty floor. He sauntered up the steps in silence, unsure if he even wanted to discuss just how close they had been. After all the time and effort they had expended on preventing the Germans from getting the treasure, Richard grappled with the reality that he and David had failed.
They trudged out of the building in silence, leaving the men tied up. While exiting the room with all the storage tanks, Richard ignored the moans from Vikrant and the bandits and pressed forward.
David threw his arm around Richard’s shoulder. “You learned a valuable lesson today: You can’t win ’em all.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t be upset about not winning this one. We were so close. Not only do we have nothing to show for it now, but the Reichswehr has made off with all the treasure.”
David shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. We don’t know if the treasure was removed last night or three hundred years ago or anywhere else in between.”
“But based on the evidence I found with the water level and the signs that the tank was recently drained, it’s pretty obvious that someone was just down there.”
“They could’ve found the same thing we did. However, the good news is that if the Reichswehr stole away with the raja’s fortune in the middle of the night after they tried to kill us, they wouldn’t be able to get very far.”
Richard cocked his head to one side and furrowed his brow. “Why’s that?”
“The train out of Jaipur departs once at a day noon,” David answered. “We’ve still got an hour to make the station and catch the Germans.”
“And you don’t think they would try to travel by some other method?”
“Not with the precious cargo they have.”
Richard nodded. “Then we don’t have any time to waste.”
They hustled back toward the city and headed in the direction of the train depot. But they didn’t get far before Richard noticed a truck puttering along the road loaded with a half dozen men. With the back of his hand, he hit David on the arm.
“Don’t turn around now, but the Reichswehr unit is right behind,” Richard said.
“If they get to the train station ahead of us, we might not be able to retrieve the treasure.”
“Hold tight,” Richard said. “I’ve got an idea.”
A few meters ahead of them was a cow standing along the side of the road, free from being bothered in a culture that revered the animal. Richard glanced around to make sure no one was looking and gave the cow a shove in its rear end. Mildly annoyed, the animal looked back at Richard and remained pat.
The truck had picked up a little momentum as the street began to clear out of the vehicle’s way—and Richard was running out of time. From a nearby street vendor, Richard snatched a carrot and held it in front of the cow before tossing the vegetable in the middle of the road. The bovine beast finally obliged, sauntering into the road to retrieve the prize. And then the cow didn’t move, choosing to remain in its spot and enjoy its snack.
Richard scrambled aside and kept his head down, glancing up on occasion to see what course of action the Germans were taking. Wilhelm was riding in the front with the driver and reached over and sounded the horn, which earned him a sharp rebuke. Several of the men shouted at the animal, cursing in German and shaking their fists. But the cow still didn’t budge.
As the local people milling around noticed the angry Reichswehr unit screaming at the sacred animal, they shouted at the Germans and shook their fists. Within a minute, an angry mob had assembled around the truck, drawing wide-eyed stares from the soldiers.
Richard seized the opportunity to make the problem a more permanent one for the Germans. Using the cover of the crowd, he crouched low and snaked beneath the truck, using his dagger to slash the two back tires. After finishing, he scrambled back out in time to avoid the tirade from the driver. The crowd started to disperse as he explained something to them and gestured with his hands for them to calm down.
Richard rejoined David as the two men ducked around the corner out of plain sight.
“Nice work,” David said, nodding toward the chaotic scene. “I think they’re going to be here for a while.”
As the throng resumed daily tasks, several members of the Reichswehr unit became animated over the situation with the driver. He gestured for them to leave. And almost all of them did, while two of the soldiers remained behind with the truck and the driver, who called over a young boy before sending him off in a sprint.
“They’ve got the treasure,” Richard said.
“What makes you think that?” David asked.
“Wilhelm stationed two men to guard the truck. Why would he do that if there wasn’t anything valuable inside?”
“That’s a good theory, and we need to test it.”
“What do you propos
e?” Richard asked.
After developing a plan, five minutes later Richard emerged from around the corner and started waving his arms and shouting at the Germans. One of the men glared at Richard before leaping out of the back of the truck. Richard waited until the soldier edged closer before walking backward slowly. Once the man appeared engaged, Richard spun around and broke into a sprint. After about fifteen seconds, he glanced over his shoulder to see the German still in pursuit.
Richard veered toward the side of the road, pulling the Reichswehr operative farther away from the truck. Satisfied that the distance was sufficient, Richard raced across a bridge that spanned the Dravyavati River before jumping in once he reached the middle.
Richard plunged headlong into the cool water. When he resurfaced, he looked up and saw the German still standing on the bridge and watching carefully. Richard broke into a backstroke so he could keep an eye on the soldier. After a moment of swimming down the middle of the river, Richard veered toward the north bank. As he did, the operative raced across the bridge and down the near side.
However, Richard noticed the soldier’s path and navigated toward the south bank. The German narrowed his eyes and shook his fist, yelling something that Richard couldn’t understand. But he didn’t need to since the man’s face communicated exactly what he was thinking.
When Richard climbed out of the water, he hustled back to the spot where the truck had been stranded—but it was gone.
Everything was going just as he and David had planned.
Chapter 19
WILHELM STARED AT HIS GLASS of ale, sneering at it as he rambled on about the poor quality of English beer in India. Seated next to him at the bar, Reinhard shrugged and sipped his water while keeping an eye on the rest of the Reichswehr unit. When Wilhelm finished his rant, he glanced at his watch.
“Did our driver say when he would have the tires changed?” Wilhelm asked. “The train is scheduled to leave in half an hour.”
“He said it wouldn’t take more than fifteen or twenty minutes,” Reinhard said. “He should walk through those doors any minute now.”
“Any extra minute is a minute too long,” Wilhelm said as he studied his glass and turned up his nose. “The English never understood how to brew good weissbier, and now I have to drink this.”
“You can choose something else, sir.”
“You’re right,” Wilhelm said as he seized his glass and held it up in the air. He proceeded to pour the entire contents onto the floor. “I think I’ll have a different drink,” he said to the bartender.
The bartender glared at Wilhelm, apparently unpleased by his blatant show of disrespect.
“And I’d like something now,” Wilhelm said.
“What would you like, sir?” the bartender asked as he narrowed his eyes.
Wilhelm didn’t answer. He was distracted by a troop member who stormed into the pub, shouting excitedly.
“Slow down,” Reinhard said.
But the man continued, waving his arms expressively. “The truck is gone.”
Wilhelm stood. “Weren’t you supposed to be watching it?”
At this point, several of the other German soldiers joined the discussion at the bar. Wilhelm pursed his lips and subtly shook his head, clenching his fist and his teeth. And when the soldier didn’t respond quickly enough, Wilhelm grabbed the man by his shoulders and shook him.
“I asked you a question. Weren’t you supposed to be watching our belongings?”
The man nodded, quaking as he didn’t elaborate.
“Well, tell me what happened,” Wilhelm demanded. “And you better have a good excuse.”
“It was Richard Halliburton, sir. We saw him. He was taunting us. Jans remained behind while I went after him.”
“And where’s Jans?”
“He was unconscious and lying along the side of the road with his hands tied behind his back.”
Wilhelm took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “He’s not working alone. I don’t care if you have to tear this city apart. Find Halliburton and his accomplice.”
Wilhelm watched his men scatter before he turned to Reinhard.
“Sir,” Reinhard began, “we’re going to need some help to find them.”
Wilhelm shrugged. “They will stick out here. It shouldn’t be that difficult to find them in Jaipur, especially if we incentivize the people.”
“They’re not going to parade themselves down the middle of the street. It’s going to take a more concerted effort if you intend to bring them into the open. We must lure them out.”
“What bait do we possibly have?” Wilhelm asked as he threw his head back and looked up at the ceiling. “We need help from above.”
“Or help from the British,” said a man next to Wilhelm.
He spun on his barstool to see Felix Ludwig standing next to him along with Maredumilli magistrate Alex Fullerton.
“If you hadn’t botched your assignment, we wouldn’t even be in this mess,” Wilhelm said with a sneer before returning to his drink.
Ludwig put his hands up. “Sir, I would appreciate the opportunity to explain. I—”
“I don’t want to hear your excuses,” Wilhelm said, waving dismissively. “They’re tiresome and will only underscore your inability to finish the job I asked you to do.”
Ludwig shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “In that case, let me make it up to you by helping you catch these two agents. They’re quite adept at disrupting our plans.”
“And what makes you think you can do that?”
“Perhaps my confidence is my greatest weakness at times, but I know we can flush them out with the help of the local police.”
“And then what?” Wilhelm asked. “We’re just going to let some inept constables handle the miscreants?”
Ludwig shook his head. “We only need the police to force the men out into the open. Then we capture them ourselves and handle the situation privately.”
“And what makes you think they’ll go for that?”
“This man right here,” Ludwig said, slapping Fullerton on the back. “Want a drink?”
Fullerton shook his head and slumped into a chair at a nearby table.
“He’s not very pleased about being here, but he left me no choice after his faulty prison security cost us a chance to eliminate Mr. Halliburton and his associate,” Ludwig said.
Wilhelm’s eyebrows shot upward. “How are you going to make this right, Felix?”
Ludwig rubbed his hands together as a wry smile leaked across his face. “Mr. Fullerton is going to make it right by alerting law enforcement here in Jaipur that two Americans stole treasure belonging to India and intend to smuggle it out of the city. Isn’t that right, Mr. Fullerton?”
“This wasn’t exactly part of our deal,” he said as he turned toward Wilhelm. “I only agreed to assure safe passage through the country, not enlist the queen’s resources to help you catch someone who has taken a treasure from you that was stolen from a castle here.”
“Our agreement has changed,” Wilhelm said. “Now go make it happen. And don’t even think about showing your face to me again until after you’ve implored every soldier in Jaipur to find Halliburton and his associate.”
Wilhelm buried his head in his hands and closed his eyes. Richard Halliburton had become a veritable thorn in Wilhelm’s side, and he was growing more irritated by the moment. The operation in Jaipur should have been a smooth one but was quickly turning into Luxor all over again.
“We’ll figure this out, sir,” Reinhard said.
“This problem should’ve been solved long ago at sea, but apparently some of my wolfsrudel aren’t as skilled as they need to be.”
Wilhelm spun on his stool and turned to find a man standing a few feet away.
“Sir, are you Karl Wilhelm?” he asked.
“Who’s asking?” Wilhelm grumbled
“I have a telegram for you, sir.”
Wilhelm snatched the envelope from the man’s hand and
read it silently.
“What is it?” Reinhard asked.
“It’s a note from General Seeckt,” Wilhelm said sliding it to Reinhard. “Read it yourself.”
Reinhard took the note and read it aloud: “Send progress report on operation. The council is growing impatient. Results required.”
“You understand what this means, don’t you?” Wilhelm asked.
Reinhard nodded. “He’s going to replace us if we don’t bring back the treasure.”
“Or worse.”
“Worse?” Reinhard asked as he cocked his head to the side.
“If I know General Seeckt like I think I do, he’ll send a team to eliminate us first. We know too much for him to risk letting us return to other positions. If we don’t get our hands on this treasure, Richard Halliburton will be the least of our worries.”
Chapter 20
RICHARD TURNED OFF the main street and hustled down an alley, dodging merchants carting their wares on top of their heads and small children scurrying behind their parents. His clothes were still wet but drying off quickly in the sweltering heat. Not that Richard minded. His plan to draw away the guards had worked to perfection while David had managed to subdue the other Reichswehr agent and escape with the truck. The difficult part was over. All they had to do was get out of the city without the Reichswehr seeing them.
After a couple minutes, Richard reached the rendezvous point, the back corner of an open market about a half-mile from Jaipur’s busiest thoroughfare. He scanned the area for David and didn’t immediately see him. However, Richard heard someone calling for him in a whisper from behind. He spun around to find David with his head poking through a pair of drawn curtains.
“Psst. Richard, over here,” David said.
Richard darted into the small opening in the curtain and joined David.
“Do you have the truck?” Richard asked.
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