by Ellie Mack
The police had tape everywhere, sectioning off the landscape into squares in a similar manner to what they would be doing for the dig. There must have been twenty police patrolling the areas. He would hear the click of their walkee talkies as they would check in, then flag another quadrant.
”You could have stopped to give me a lift.” Nialls panted through the words breathlessly.
”Didn’t know you were there. Sorry.” Scott leaned against the four wheeler, arms akimbo as he scanned the landscape dotted with police. ”This really blows.”
Nialls took a large drink of water, trying to recover from his brief jog, his face bright red from exertion.
Just then, Scott picked up on the report from one of the walkee talkies. He walked over closer to the police car, listening through the open window.
”Hey, they found something.” He motioned Nialls to be quiet. Scott listened intently as the radio chatter continued in broken short messages. Several officers were migrating to the north end of the field, just where the land dipped into a rolling valley.
“Oh god, it’s by the stones.” Scott’s heart sank. What if it was Lena?
Niall’s head rose slightly from his hunkered over position with his hands resting on his knees. ”Stones? You mean the megalithic rune stones?”
”Yeah. There’s a burial stone just over the rise. We’ve been debating whether it’s a burial marker or a sacrificial alter, but since most Norse gods don’t require sacrifice, we figured it was a burial marker of the leader. The radio chatter said the two stones – which means, the big rune stones before coming into camp.”
Scott and Nialls skirted to the west of the site, just at the edge of the open field. They watched from the edge, hunkered down behind a bush observing as the police tagged and bagged the body of the missing student. Nialls wretched as he caught sight of the bloody mess.
Scott stood silent, swallowing hard, noting that it wasn’t Helena.
He hoped beyond hope in an irrational thought that Amanda, the victim, wasn’t the Valkyrie they needed to free Lena.
~~~~~
Scott and Niall’s watched silently, waiting until the police had cleared the area. They made their way back to the four wheeler, this time Scott let Nialls climb on behind him. Both were a few shades lighter than when they had raced out here.
Once they were back at the camp, Scott headed straight for Brad’s tent. Nialls stopped at the mess tent ,offering to grab something for Scott.
”Sure, grab me a couple of those muffins and a Cliff bar – and a bottle of juice. I’ll be at Brad’s tent. Oh, you might want to just get a box and put a bunch in it. If we have food, he’ll want some.”
Scott hurried, he’d need the few extra minutes alone with Brad before Nialls showed up. He ducked his head quickly under the flap, catching Brad in one of his RP chats with his girlfriend. ”Fuck man! Announce yourself next time.”
Scott turned uncomfortably, combing his fingers through his hair. ”We need to talk and we’ve only got a few minutes.” He stood facing the tent doorway as Brad covered himself. “Nialls will be heading this way very soon.”
Brad zipped his jeans mumbling to himself.
”Look, sorry man, but this is important. They found the body of that student. She was ripped apart on the sacrificial alter down by the water – yeah, guess I owe you twenty bucks on that call, it seems like someone thinks it is a sacrificial altar. Anyway, it was a bloody mess. The police have the whole area roped off. They cleared out for now.”
”Damn. Someone murdered her? Why was Nialls with you? How did he react?” He stood and adjusted himself.
”Nialls hurled. I don’t think he’d have a stomach for anything like this. He’s pretty shaken, but I don’t think we can trust him with”
Brad made a big cutting motion across his throat. Just then, Nialls ducked through the flaps with a huge box of food. He went straight to the folding card table and set the box down and ripped open a bag of Skittles. Brad searched through the box and found himself one of the giant blueberry muffins and a bottle of Frappuccino. Scott grabbed his muffin and a juice. The three men ate as if they hadn’t eaten in weeks.
When Nialls started into a package of chocolate glazed donuts, he paused long enough to ask
”So, what are we going to do? ”
Brad drained his bottle of Frappuccino, then dug through the box for one of the juices. ”We are not going to cause the police any trouble. We are going to comply with them, and lay low. Let them find the crazy bastard that killed that girl.”
Joe burst in out of breath. ”There’s another one. What the hell is going on around here?”
Scott felt his stomach lurch, his suspicions high. ”Another one what?” He had stopped, his bottle raised to his lips but not drinking.
”Another girl’s gone missing. ” Joe bent over, his hands on his knees to catch his breath. ”With Helena gone, I thought I better tell you guys.
~~~~~
The camp was sheer chaos. Students threatened to walk back to the airport, students huddling in their tents, others in a near state of shock. Over the course of five days four girls had gone missing. The fourth day the second girls body was found strewn around the alter stone north of their dig. Police were staying in the camp now, patrolling the perimeter, and getting regular updates from Scott and Brad.
Nialls was a nervous wreck. He sent reports to Dr. Montgomery about what had been happening. He reluctantly reported to the guys that the Doctor and the board were seriously thinking of shutting down their dig and compensating them for their time up to that date.
A couple of the undergraduate men took it upon themselves to chaperone the girls at all times. It seemed whoever was perpetrating the crimes was only interested in the women. They checked in with Brad and Scott on the hour. Meanwhile Brad and Scott worked on their plan to free Lena.
Chapter 22: Two Doors
The man who stands at a strange threshold should be cautious before he crosses. Glance this way and that: who knows beforehand what foes may sit awaiting him in the hall?
- Havamel 1
”Where are we going to find another Valkyrie? Do you think maybe somehow one of the Vikings escaped when she passed through and is sacrificing these girls?” Scott nervously rubbed his stubble.
”Nah, I don’t think so. I think there’s someone here trying to figure out a way to get in, so they can plunder the halls of Valhalla. Legend says there is a hoard of treasure there.”
Brad flipped through one of his notebooks. ”Look here, at the runes we found on the alter stone.” He points out to Scott the pictures taken of the stone, then the rubbings and his translation.
“I think maybe some local, or someone associated with the school here is killing those girls. It says here that if the sacrifice is given and Tyr be pleased, the halls of Valhalla will be opened and Odin will lead his warriors in the glorious final battle of Ragnarok.”
”So there’s the whole plunder the halls end of the world scenario?”
”Yeah, something like that. Amazing that thieves are always so short sighted. We’ve got five days to figure out how to get Lena out of there”
Scott paced around the small tent. There had to be a way.
~~~~~
Lena struggled to read the crude drawings on the wall. They had explored each of the corridors and always came back to the room where the man had been staying. There was another similar wall at the North end of the network of tunnels, but she could find no way to open it either.
The man tried to tell her each time she went from the north stone to the south stone she had fallen through something about Valhalla, about Ragnarok and Valkyries. On the last trip, she noticed he tucked his dagger in his waist band as he was muttering about Valkyrie curse.
She had a bad feeling about his intentions. He hadn’t tried anything sexual with her, so she figured she must have told him the right words but also decided that minimal talk was best so she didn’t say the wrong things.
> With each minute that ticked by, she became more agitated at his behavior.
If she got out of here alive, she made herself a vow to spend more time studying runes and learning the language fluently. She muttered prayers as she walked slowly back to the South wall. There had to be a way, there just had to be.
He stood behind her, playing with his dagger in his hands, turning it over and over. He eyed her suspiciously ever so often.
Lena’s stomach growled and he handed her a leathery piece of dry jerky. It had little taste, but she was grateful.
She pointed to the stone wall and asked him ”Hvad betyder dette sagt?”
He walks closer, squats down on his knees before her. ”Siger ikke sagt. (Just My Luck) jeg får en Valkyrie, der er smukke, men dim.”
She startled at his comment. ”OK, say not said – my bad.” She rolled her eyes as she turned back to the stone wall trying to figure this puzzle out. Suddenly it hit her.
”Wait a minute, did you just say I was a dimwit?”
He smiled at her. ”Ja”
” Du taler engelsk?” she asks him if he speaks English.
He waved his hand back and forth. ”nogle”
Great! Lena thought about all the things she’d muttered to herself wondering if there was something she may have said that upset him, what had it been? ” Hvor længe siden jeg fik her?”
”Fer diz.”
”Four days? I’ve been stuck in here for four days?”
She stood and paced, her anxiety level rising rapidly.
”Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!”
She had her arms crossed over her chest feeling as if she’d hyperventilate. She walked up to him within inches.
”What does it say?” She screamed it at him.
” Når blod er udgydt på døren, skal ved månelyset valkyrien ind at styre tabte til deres destinationer indtil Ragnarok. De skal komme med fuldmånen i Samhein for at de ikke begge være tabt for evigt. En anden Valkyrie skal åbne døren for Valkyrie at vende tilbage til menneskenes verden.”
She tried to make out the words. ”the blood upon the door, from the maiden Valkyrie, in the moonlight enters. Leading warriors to Ragnarok. No. Leading to destination until Ragnarok. Something about the next full moon – or they are lost. A second Valkyrie must come to return to men.” she stared blankly at the man.
He shook his head. ”dim”
She punched him square in the chest. It felt as if she’d hit the stone wall.
”I am not dim. You arrogant jerk!” she walked a few steps down the corridor.
”Right. So we’re trapped here until a Valkyrie comes to rescue us. Great! My life depends on a legend. Wonderful. This is just wonderful.”
She kicked a rock down the tunnel, hearing it skip several times in the darkness ahead. A terrible thought occurred to her. She walked back and grabbed his arm, practically grabbing him behind her. She rushed to the North wall and pointed. ”Read it!”
” ikke dæmpes, kan bare ikke læse”
”Oh, I can read buster, just not ancient Danish runes.”
His eyebrow shot up. ”Det er ikke gammel, det er vores sprog.”
”What do you mean, our language?” The emphasis on our. She stood with a scowl on her face, arms crossed, lips pursed as she leaned in towards him.
The huge hulk of a man cowered before her, his eyes downcast.
”Read it!”
”Jeg kan acceptere dim når så beautful.” He leaned over and kissed her lightly.
”You think I’m beautiful but dim? Great. Well thanks for the beautiful part.”
He flashed her a brilliant smile. If he shaved, he would be a good looking man. And if he bathed.
” Dette er dør til Nefflheim. Hvis du finder det åbent, er Valkyrie ikke komme efter dig. Velkommen til Nefflheim.”
”Right! So basically, this is the door to hell. No Valkyrie for you, welcome to hell. Let’s pray this door isn’t the one that opens.”
Chapter 23: Same Blood
If you know a friend you can fully trust, go often to his house. Grass and brambles grow quickly Upon the untrodden track.
-Haamel
Scott was frantic. Another body had been discovered. The police had been on patrol and somehow the killer managed to evade them and leave another girls body on the same stone. This one was different though, she’d been bound and gagged, apparently raped then had her throat slit. The others had their stomachs slashed and their insides ripped out, strewn around them.
Time was growing short for Lena. He’d wanted her for so long and now that she was his, she was gone.
He had begun to ask each of the remaining girls in camp a few questions before hitting the big one, about their family heritage.
He paced around his tent mumbling as he thought. He didn’t hear Gabby enter.
”Hey Scott?”
He turned to find Lena’s sister, tear streaked cheeks and red puffy eyes.
“Any news on Lena?”
“Not yet. We are working on it. Good news is she’s not one of the victims.” He offered a weak smile as he put his arms around her.
Gabby broke down into sobs. “She’s all I have.”
“We’ll get her back. I’m sure of it.”
He couldn’t tell her that she wasn’t kidnapped, but rather trapped in the in between our world and Neffleheim. How do you explain that to her only sister? ‘Oh hey, don’t worry, she’s not kidnapped. She walked through a stone and we have to find another’
Scott stopped and pushed her back a bit, holding onto her shoulders, glancing back and forth between her tear swollen eyes. His face lit up when it hit him. “You’re her sister!”
“Yeah, you knew that.”
“Oh my God! It’s so obvious!” Scott pulled her in, hugging her tightly.
“What’s obvious?” Gabby swiped the tears from her cheeks.
”I know exactly where Helena is.” He grabbed her hand, pulling her behind him as he raced to Brad’s tent.
”Let’s go.”
He stopped before entering, remembering what had happened last time. “Hey, are you decent? I have our answer here.”
“Give me a minute.”
They heard scrambling from inside before he said, “Come in.”
Scott was grinning as he drug Gabby inside with him by the hand.
“This is Lena’s sister.”
Brad glanced back and forth between them. “Yeah, so? I know Gabby is Lena’s sister.”
“This. Is. Her. Sister.” He emphasized each word, failing to hide his excitement.
Brad nodded his head expecting Scott to continue.
“Same blood.”
Brad jumped to his feet and pulled Gabby into a hug.
Scott patted him on the back and he partially released Gabby enough for them to share the hug as the three danced around in a circle.
“So, you want to tell me why you’re so excited that my sister is gone?” Gabby backed away from them.
“It’s not that we are excited that she’s gone. Far from it. We’re excited because of what Brad translated from the wall.”
Brad pulled out his chair. “You’re going to want to sit down for this.”
He clicked on the file of the footage that showed Lena disappearing and played it for Gabby.
“She’s not dead. See, the translation of the door, well, basically, um, how do I say this? We have strong reason to suspect that you and your sister are Valkyrie.”
Gabby’s expression dropped as she recalled past dreams and visions. Lena and her both had had flying dreams, dreams of warriors, dreams of battles where they flew above the fields. It made more sense than they were both crazy, which she didn’t want to be true.
“Of course. That explains the weird dreams.”
Scott and Brad looked at her puzzled, having expected her to react differently.
“Wow. You took that better than I expected.” Brad sat on the edge of his cot as he prepared to share the rest of what he found
out.
“So this is where we stand. The second rune stone tells the journey that three brothers took, protecting the key to the door. Their village was destroyed by the gods because the ruler was greedy and tried to make a deal to sell the key. Two of the brothers hid the key, the other stayed in the caves below the village hiding. Now get this, they hid the key in Eire with one of their warriors, Eskildson.”
“Wait, you mean one of our ancient relatives?”
“Yes!” Brad stated emphatically.
“The description of where the key is hidden points to the present day village of Cushendall. We can charter a boat and be there in a day. We find that key, Gabby opens the door, we free Lena, and avoid Ragnarok.”
“But wait, how does the key come into play here? And why do you need me?” Gabby turned to them, troubled by what this could mean for her.
“If the key is placed at the door by a Valkyrie, mixed with her blood, the door to Neffleheim will not open.”
He handed her one of Lena’s books that was bookmarked. “In that section that she had marked, it tells about the Aeser and Vanir war. The Vanir made a backway into Asgard. They left keys in other realms to these doors.”
Gabby read quickly as he kept talking.
“Tyr is still angry that Odin took the throne of Asgard. In some texts, it’s suggested that Tyr is actually Loki. Loki is Odin’s adopted son and some of the Havamel suggests that when Odin won the battle against the frost giants, Tyr disappeared and somehow inhabited the form of Loki. So essentially, Tyr is Loki. He’s the only Asgardian who ever asked for human sacrifices.”
“It would make sense if our murderer is making these sacrifices to win the favor of the gods, specifically Tyr so that he can be the last surviving man, and rule the new world.” Scott interjected.
“That is really messed up.” Gabby closed the book, and set it beside the computer, replaying the footage of her sister falling through the stone wall.
“How,” she began then replayed the footage again. “How does this guy open the door to start Ragnarok? I mean, if the key is hidden in Ireland, then how does he do it?”