by David Meyer
Overall, it hadn't been an easy operation. But now that he possessed the Amber Room, he knew his efforts had been worth it.
The air picked up speed and started to howl. Jenner strained his ears, but he couldn't hear anything over the blistering wind. Where was that third truck?
The swirling snow left him. It spun away, heading toward the vehicles. Jenner wiped powder off his face. He still couldn't hear much. His visibility remained poor.
He marched toward the caravan. Under his watchful eye, numerous crates were removed from the second truck. Each one contained several panels from the Amber Room, packed carefully so as to avoid any damages. Stepping with extreme caution, the soldiers walked them across the snowy expanse and deposited them near the cliff.
Several cryocontainers were removed from the first truck. His engineers had salvaged them from Kirby's basement along with Rupert's body. He had serious doubts about Holly's ability to revive the dead. But that was her business. All he cared about was her ability to harvest the Großen Sterbens bacteria.
Jenner's brow furrowed, forming thick ridges on his forehead. "Has anyone seen Holly?"
The soldiers frowned. They gave each other confused looks.
A gust of wind blasted Jenner's side. He quickly realized the problem. The air was almost deafening. "Has anyone seen Holly Whitlow?" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
The soldiers checked among themselves. They didn't say anything but Jenner noticed them holding their weapons a little more firmly. He swore silently to himself.
"I want two teams," Jenner yelled. "The first team will look for Holly. The second team will set up the pulley system and begin lowering everything to the docks."
The men burst into action. A few of them raised their rifles and fanned out across the area. Slowly, they worked their way out from the vehicles.
The second group broke down a crate and removed a bunch of heavy supplies. Then they constructed a minimal yet powerful pulley system that had been specially designed for the situation.
Jenner watched them work out of one eye. He kept the other eye moving about the landscape. Something about the snow bothered him. He couldn't put his finger on it. It just looked and felt peculiar.
The swirling snow grew wider in scope. It spread across the terrain, engulfing the vehicles near the cliff. One by one, the soldiers vanished into the white powder.
Jenner waited. After a minute, he started to tap his foot. At the two-minute mark, his neck tensed up.
Finally, he couldn't take it any longer. He withdrew his pistol and dropped into a crouch.
The snow engulfed him as he crept to the south. It attacked his eyes, plugged his nose. His visibility dropped. His sense of smell vanished.
He passed between the two trucks. He saw their doors. He saw their wheels. But that was the extent of his vision. The snow was so thick it completely blocked his view of their hoods.
He raised his right arm to shield his eyes. But the snow just swirled at him from other directions. Blinking rapidly, he swept his gaze from east to west.
The wind slowed for a microsecond. A soft scream rose from the southeast.
He hurried toward the source. Snow swirled into his field of vision, cutting off all visibility. Then it swirled to the side, allowing him a brief moment of sight.
Ten feet away, he saw a figure facing the opposite direction. He rushed forward. "Holly? Are you—?"
She keeled over and collapsed. The snow around her head turned crimson.
"Holly?" Jenner flipped her over. "What the …?"
Her parka was ripped to shreds. A giant gash crossed the base of her neck. Her head, nearly severed from her body, was angled in grotesque fashion.
Jenner didn't bother feeling for her pulse. There was no point.
Holly was dead.
Chapter 104
"We're outnumbered." Beverly lowered the binoculars. "And outgunned."
I shifted in the driver's seat. "What are they doing?"
"Hang on. The snow is getting thick over there." She adjusted the lenses. "A few people are hanging back with the trucks. The others are building something. A pulley system, I think."
"There are some ice docks down there. I don't think they were damaged by the Desolation." I racked my brain. "Jenner must've brought in his own boat."
"Or a submarine." She handed the binoculars to me. "That's what I'd do."
I took a quick glance through the lenses. Then I pulled the vehicle to a stop. "I need you guys to get out."
Graham frowned. "Forget it."
"It's the only way. They need this truck." My jaw firmed up. "So, I'm going to give it to them."
Chapter 105
Jenner felt a distant rumble.
The snow scattered. His visibility improved markedly. He saw a shadowy silhouette racing toward him. It looked like the missing truck. Only something was different about it.
He squinted. His heart raced. It wasn't one of his men behind the wheel. It was that damn treasure hunter.
Cy Reed.
Chapter 106
His eyes blazed at me, easily piercing the sheets of snow. The rushing air picked up speed. The falling snow swirled in giant circles, forming a massive wind tunnel.
I leaned closer to the windshield. I could barely see his face. And I couldn't really distinguish his features. But his eyes … I knew them well.
My hands twitched on the steering wheel. It wouldn't take much to run him over. A single flick of the wrist, a twist of the tires. In a matter of seconds, he'd be crushed beneath the truck.
I forced my hands to remain steady. It wasn't out of pity. As far as I was concerned, Jenner deserved to die. But running him over was a dicey proposition. He could easily jump out of the way, causing me to crash into the truck behind him. I'd survived a lot of things in the last couple of days.
But there was no way in hell I'd survive that.
I drove past Jenner and saw a bunch of soldiers huddled together near the cliff. They were surrounded by crates and were working hard on constructing a pulley system.
I turned the wheel. Aimed the vehicle at them.
The soldiers looked up. Their eyes grew wide.
My stomach fluttered. I took a quick glance into the cargo area. I felt a pang of regret as I laid eyes on the crates. Destroying the Amber Room was the right thing to do. But it damn near ate me up inside.
The vehicle bounced over a snow bank.
I cracked my door open.
The soldiers scattered in all directions.
The truck started to slide. I fought to keep it in a straight line.
A crate bounced off the windshield. I kept my foot on the accelerator for another second. Then I leapt out of the vehicle.
The truck slowed down. Its front wheels caught on some ice. It spun in a series of giant circles, edging closer and closer to the cliff.
I leapt to my feet. Planted my boots in the snow and started to run.
The soldiers went for their guns.
Gunfire rang out from the southeast. One of the soldiers keeled over and toppled into the snow. The rest dropped to the ground.
I glanced over my shoulder. Beverly and Graham knelt behind a small snow bank. The air blazed with gunfire, most of it going their way.
I shifted my gaze. The truck slid across the ice, gaining vast amounts of speed. It spun faster. Crates crunched under its wheels. They scattered widely. Many of them broke apart and fell off the cliff.
The vehicle spun in a tight circle, then a looser one.
Then it spun itself right off the cliff.
I heard a distant crash. Then my eardrums exploded. Searing heat ripped into the sky. My body was tossed into the air. I twisted in circles and smashed to the ground. The back of my head cracked against the ice. A wave of nausea swept over me.
What the hell was that?
Something cracked. I lifted my head. Dizzily, I stared at the cliff.
It started to crumble.
Screams rang out. Sol
diers tried to run. But the plunging ice caught up to them, sending them screaming to their deaths. The crates tumbled after them.
The cracking ice headed toward me. I scrambled backward. A gigantic chunk of ice broke free. It dropped straight down. Moments later, I heard it crunch against the ice docks.
I stood up. Far below, I saw the destruction I'd wrought. The twisted wreckage of the truck was embedded into the side of a partially submerged submarine. The submarine, in turn, lay at an awkward angle.
The ice docks had been torn to pieces. Large chunks of ice floated near the cliff. Scattered bodies and crates were strewn about the area. Some floated in the water. Others lay on slabs of ice.
Among the falling snow and black smoke, I caught a brilliant glimpse of amber. I squinted. A single crate rested on a large piece of floating ice directly below me. Panels from the Amber Room were scattered about its surface. Some lay flat. Others poked out of the ice like knives in a butcher block.
The ice at my feet cracked. I took a few steps backward. I could scarcely believe it. I'd hoped the truck would destroy the docks. I'd even imagined it taking out Jenner's escape craft. But destroying the Ekström Ice Shelf? That hadn't been part of my plan.
Another doozy for the old résumé.
"Hands up."
I exhaled. My pistol was in my belt. My machete hung uselessly in its sheath.
Slowly, I turned around. A man stood a few feet away from me. He held a rifle in his hands. His arms trembled. His face quivered with anger.
"Consider this your—” Snow swirled around him. He screamed.
The swirling snow blew away and I saw the man lying on the ground, blood oozing all over his white uniform. The powder around his corpse showed signs of heavy disturbance.
The wolves? How the hell did they get here so fast?
"Cy Reed."
The voice crept down my back like a tarantula. I twisted around. Aaron Jenner stood alone, framed by the snow. His right hand carried a pistol, which he pointed at my head. He looked incredibly serene and yet I detected a hint of insanity beneath his surface.
"Fancy meeting you here," I said.
He took a few steps towards the cliff and glanced at the carnage below. "How'd you do it?"
"I doubt you'd believe me if I told you."
His lip curled. "I should've killed you before."
"Funny. I was thinking the same thing."
He balled up his right fist. Lashed out at my head.
I dodged the blow and rolled away. Then I grabbed my machete and slashed it at him.
He ducked and thrust his palm in my direction.
It struck my sternum. I flew backward. Crashed to the ground. I tried to get up. But his heavy boot stomped on my chest.
The air sizzled as I chopped at his ankle. But his boot slammed onto my arm in mid-stroke. My clenched fingers opened. The blade clattered to the ground.
He kicked it away. Then he lifted me up. "Different fight, same result. Can't say I'm surprised."
A sudden realization came over me. He was right. He was tougher than me in every conceivable manner. He was stronger, faster, and better trained. There wasn't a bookie in the entire world that would take odds on me in a fight, fair or otherwise.
But there was a flaw he'd overlooked, the same one Graham had pointed out to me. There was more to fighting than mere power. Motivation counted too.
I thought of Beverly and Graham. I thought of the innocent people Jenner had killed in his quest to obtain the Amber Room. I thought of the many people who would die if I failed to stop him.
My elbow slammed into his jaw.
He grunted. His fingers loosened.
I pushed him.
He grabbed my right arm and tried to throw me.
My left fist connected solidly with his cheek.
He stumbled backward.
I kept up the pressure, delivering blows to his solar plexus and face. At first, he managed to block most of them.
Then his defenses started to slip.
He gasped as I snaked a punch into his stomach. Then I cracked his jaw with a vicious uppercut.
Jenner changed before my eyes. His neck muscles bulged a bit. His arms gained some mass. Then his eyes started to burn like they were on fire. The stress lines on his forehead were wiped clean. His mouth straightened out. He looked like he was at peace with the world. And yet, one glance into his crazed eyes and I knew he was incapable of any such thing.
I hovered in front of him. My fist moved like lightening. It smashed into his jaw with the sound of shattering glass.
He shuddered. It ran through his body like a wave, causing his arms to jerk in spastic motion. He crumpled to the ground.
You had it backward, Aaron. Might doesn't make right.
Right makes might.
Chapter 107
I heard growls. I rotated in a half circle.
Good lord …
More than a dozen giant arctic wolves surrounded us. They bared their teeth. Foam dripped from their mouths.
I took a few steps back.
They moved a little closer.
I glanced over my shoulder. The Ekström Ice Shelf loomed behind me. Despite the enormous explosion, it had sheared off just a fraction of the gigantic cliff.
Something hit my legs and I fell to the ground. Jenner climbed on top of me. His fists pounded on my head and chest. I raised my arms. But the vicious blows were unrelenting.
His reflexes were astonishing. His power was daunting. He was more monster than man.
The ice beneath me felt extra slippery. I bent my knees and rocked my body back and forth. Then I pulled my torso toward my legs.
Jenner grabbed at my neck. I managed to slip past his fingers. I slid under him and popped up again. Just a few yards separated me from the edge of the cliff.
I scrambled to my machete. As I picked it up, I flicked my wrist in one smooth motion.
He caught the blade. Without a trace of emotion, he wrenched it out of my hand and threw it behind him.
Think, Cy, think.
I darted at him. Delivered a shoulder block. Pain shot through my upper body. Air rushed out of my lungs.
Jenner tipped a few inches. He fought to retain his balance. Then his foot lashed out, connecting solidly with my jaw.
I reeled back, all the way to the edge of the cliff.
I looked into his eyes. They were completely devoid of emotions. Indeed, he was little more than an instinct-driven animal. His humanity, if he still possessed any, hung by a thread.
He barreled toward me.
I crouched down.
He tried to veer away but it was too late. Using all my strength, I stood up. Flexed my back and heaved.
His scream rang in my ears as he toppled off the cliff.
Then there was silence.
Breathing heavily, I looked at the wolves.
They titled their heads in unison and returned my gaze. The wind kicked up, forming a swirling mixture of snow and ice.
I blinked.
They were gone.
Exhaustion swept over my brain and body. I twisted around. Jenner lay flat on a large piece of ice, impaled on three separate panels of the Amber Room. His blood ran in all directions, spilling into the water.
I watched for a minute as the ice floated away from shore. It started to lose mass as bits of ice broke off and crumbled into the ocean. I watched Jenner for a long time.
I watched him until he vanished completely underwater.
EPILOGUE
Family Secrets
Present Day
"Are you sure about this?" Beverly cast a wary eye at the grotto. "What about the wolves?"
"Gone," I replied. "I don't understand it myself, really. But I've been out here every day for the last week and I haven't seen a trace of them."
She looked around. "So, you guys cleared this out?"
I nodded.
"Where'd you put all the rocks?"
"Wherever we could find room."
"What about Roy? And his team?"
"We dropped their bodies off at the cliff a few days ago. I imagine the U.S. Navy has dealt with them by now."
I followed her into the grotto. The giant rocks that had once blocked our path had been reduced to rubble, thanks to a few carefully controlled detonations.
We walked down the sloping tunnel all the way to the geothermal lake. Then we headed north, circling past the giant cave that had once held the Amerika-Rakete. The roof was now closed. The vast space was quiet and empty.
I couldn't be sure of its exact location, but the rocket had been loaded onto an aircraft carrier the previous day. I had to give Graham credit. He'd fought hard to keep it. Unfortunately, the U.S. Navy—who'd caught sight of the strange explosion at the ice cliff—had rebuffed him at every turn.
Beverly and I walked into the vault and made our way to her grandfather's former laboratory. She stopped short of the threshold. "Let's just forget this," she said. "Who cares if he helped the Nazis? It doesn't matter."
Much had happened since I'd watched Aaron Jenner float to a watery grave. We'd returned to Fitzgerald with Baxter's corpse. We'd met with Liza, told her everything. She took little comfort in her husband's heroics. Fenrir might've meant everything to him. But he'd meant everything to her.
The U.S. Navy had seized temporary control of the region. They'd quietly buried the deceased at sea and searched for survivors. But Graham, Beverly, and I were the only ones still breathing.
International media had flooded the area. They'd toured the ruins of the Nazi gas chamber. They'd pleaded for interviews. Graham had refused, preferring instead to focus on his newest business venture. He didn't mourn the Whitlows. But their vision of immortality, or at least a part of it, had struck a chord deep within him. As such, he'd decided to launch his own cryonics company.
Of course, he was still concerned for his spiritual future. But he was no longer consumed by it. Instead, he'd decided to embrace life to its fullest. And his first step was to figure out how to extend mortality as long as humanly possible.
In contrast, Beverly and I were happy to give interviews. But we kept things vague. For three days, the Amber Room and the battle to control it had dominated the news. The U.S. Navy had molded the story, portraying it as a pitched battle between two rival groups of treasure hunters. All knowledge of the Großen Sterbens bacteria was classified top secret.