“Ok, stop right here. Both of you get down on your knees.” He pointed his weapon at us.
We both looked back at him and Ara pleaded. “Don’t do this Eric! This isn’t you!”
“Shut up! Don’t tell me who I am!”
He was grimacing and I could hear it in his voice that he was struggling with this.
“What did we do that was so terrible to deserve being shot?” she continued.
“You don’t want to go down this road Eric, for god’s sake!” I said, reaffirming her plea.
“I said shut up!” Then, lowering his weapon he began muttering. “I can’t do this, I can’t”
I turned around and slowly reached out gently taking the weapon from his hand. “That’s alright Dorn you’re doing the right thing.” Then I pointed the weapon straight up and fired two shots. “That’s just in case she’s listening to see if you’ve done your job.”
The three of us stood there for a minute or so until Dorn could regain his composure.
“I can’t go along with them any more, I know that now, I’m no murderer; but what can we do against them at this point, most of the security team is on their side.”
“Ara and I will hide out here till dark. You need to go back in and tell her it’s done; stall them for awhile and get them out of the conduit so we can slip back in; can you do this?”
“Yeah, I guess, but that Paxton is no pushover. She’s a vicious little thing and if she finds out…”
Looking at him sternly, yet with a compassionate eye I quickly added. “Well, we’ll make bloody sure she doesn’t! Are you certain you’re up to doing this?”
“Yeah, I can do it. I’ll find some way to signal you when the coast is clear.”
“Good man! We’ll be here waiting, now go before she sends someone else out here to check on you.”
Eric had been gone for a while and just about when it began to get dark, he suddenly appeared with Paxton, her hands tied behind her back and gagged.
“I decided I didn’t want her to get any chances of reversing our advantage. Where should I put her?”
Ara spoke up immediately. “In the tank till we decide what to do with her.”
The darkness was falling fairly quickly and the red cavern night lights blinked on. Most of the renegade security force had gone but there were still several in the area. The three of us made our way through the tunnel to the conduit where Paxton had been. There on the floor was more of Dorn’s handiwork, a few more guards sitting tied and gagged. Then a shot fired by another guard at the entrance just grazed Dorn’s pant leg, spraying drops of blood on the floor to which he returned fire hitting the guard squarely in the chest dropping him.
“Eric, cover the entrance to the conduit,” I shouted as we hurried over to the hidden switch hiding the entrance to the small secret room.”
Eric ran to the entrance carefully looking around to corner toward the elevator where another of the guards spotted him and began firing on him. The bullets sprayed and scattered over the cavern wall splintering bits of wood and rock.
As we passed the map window I could see again the location that Anders had targeted before he left for Munich Germany; an apartment building, Thierschstrasse 41. Who the bloody hell was in Munich Germany that would bargain for crown jewels?
Dorn returned fire with several shots that rang out. Then he turned around and shouted. “You two go! I’ll cover you, hurry!”
Ara looked back at him with a concerned look knowing he was in trouble. As they were exchanging fire at the entrance we opened the secret door and quickly slipped inside the small room. There were both of the trackers just where we had left them, but just as the door was closing we could hear Eric crying out after a succession of shots.
She grabbed me. “We have to go back and see if he’s alright Richard!”
“No Ara we can’t. If we are going to catch Anders we both need to leave now, we might not get another chance.”
Ara quickly turned her head as tears filled her eyes. “I’ve never thought of him the way he was thinking of me. He just seemed like a big brother always looking out for me.
I put my arm around her and held her tightly. “Well, he did come to his senses at the right time, I’ll give him that.”
We both sat down in the trackers and everything began fading from sight. As I was beginning to black out, I knew that Ara too was indeed following me.
CHAPTER
TWELVE
My vision was coming back to me and the surroundings were becoming solid. Ara was materializing next to me and wasn’t sure just where we would appear. Immediately I detected the aroma of soap along with a humid feeling. We had appeared in what looked to be a laundry room in the basement floor of the apartment complex. Clothing was pinned up on long thin ropes and there were several washing tubs by two long metal sinks.
I stood up and looked at her. “We should be in the same apartment building Anders jumped to -41 Thierschstrasse.”
I could hear noises coming from above, probably tenants from one floor up as we stepped out of the laundry looking down a hallway. There were several doors all appearing to be service doors on that floor. We dragged the trackers to one of the more obscure rooms, filled with broken lights, fans and some furniture odds and ends, all in need of repair. We both checked our weapons to make sure they were ready with the safeties off and took the stairs slowly up to the floor above where there was another long hallway. Anders had to be in one of these rooms along with his prospect, whoever this person was.
We knew he was there for one reason only; to sell the jewels for as stiff a price as he could get away with; Ara and I had to remain unseen until we could ascertain exactly which room he was visiting. We looked out a window at the end of the hall onto the street. It was relatively narrow with a huge church at the end of it along with various shops and apartment buildings. Suddenly, we were caught off guard spotting Anders himself walking toward the apartment building dressed in fancy clothing and carrying an expensive looking satchel.
“He must have gone out and bought some expensive clothes trying to impress whoever this person is; we arrived in perfect timing.”
“Richard, if I can, I need to find the chair and leave here immediately!”
“Hold on Ara we need to find out what he’s up to and who his potential prospect is. Maybe there is a way we can recover the jewels for London.”
“Richard, my father is more important than these jewels, we need to find the chair!”
“Ara I know, but we’re here now and we might as well follow this thing through; it shouldn’t take that long.” I reached over and pushed back a stray lock of hair over her eyes. “Then I promise you we’ll get your father back; anyway, he’s probably just fine.”
She smiled wryly. “And he may not be Richard; but I suppose since we’re here, we should make I count.”
We walked down the hallway to another set of ascending stairs and could just see the lobby as Anders entered the apartment on the street level. He walked up to the manager’s desk who began speaking in German and then realized Anders didn’t understand, so he began speaking in English.
“Can I help you sir?”
Anders carefully answered. “Yes, can you tell me please which room Mr. Adolf Hitler is in?”
Glancing around the corner, I could barely see the manager’s face but couldn’t miss the unmistakable panic in his eyes as Adolf Hitler’s name was mentioned.
“Is he expecting you?”
“No, but I spoke with one of his staff not long ago about a possible business arrangement; my name is Anders.”
“Just one minute I will ring his apartment.”
Ara and I waited on the floor below listening in on the conversation taking place. Minutes went by which dragged on into an hour, then two.
She finally tugged at me and whispered. “Is he still waiting up there for this man Hitler to show up?”
“I think so, no one has yet to say a word.” Then we could finally hear t
he loud boot steps of two men walking down the stairway from the third floor; I caught a glimpse of them as they walked past the stairway.
Peering around the corner, I could see them clearly with their backs facing me. They were wearing black uniforms with high black boots. There was a curious band around their sleeve with an unusual symbol and they were armed with rather large pistols in black button flap holsters, speaking rather brashly in German. One of them was particularly loud and arrogant in his voice and gestures and I could sense in his manner an over confident boldness. It was as if he would just as soon shoot you than dredge up the energy to repeat himself. The apartment manager had to interpret between Anders and the two Germans who expected nothing less from him.
“They are the SS, Hitler’s personal bodyguards, asking who you are and what you want with the Führer?”
“Tell them I have heard that Hitl…or as you call him, the Führer, is a collector of treasures and I have a business proposition he will be most interested in.” Anders was beginning to sweat, as I was sure he could feel the cold austere atmosphere emanating from the two SS men.
They began questioning him further as the apartment manager continued to give the exacting interpretation.
“They want to know how you got here being English and what you are selling.”
“Tell them I need to speak to their Führer; these are valuable items.”
One of the SS pulled his pistol, pointed it at him and yelled out something.
“He say’s hold up your hands now.”
Anders hands went up and one of the men frisked him for weapons. Finding his shoulder holster, they pulled out his weapon examining at it carefully and right away could tell it was unusual.
“Where did you get this weapon? Who made it and where are you from?”
“Tell them I’ll answer all their questions, but please take me to him. I don’t have any more weapons and that one is strictly for self defense.”
One of the men grabbed the satchel, looked inside and remarked, “Ahh, the Fuhrer will be most interested in these, come with us.”
All three marched up the stairway to the third floor and when the manager was looking the other way, Ara and I followed them keeping just out of sight. As they opened the door and went in with Anders, we carefully made our way there with our weapons drawn and ready. Listening at the door, we could only hear muffled voices; we needed to get a closer location. Luckily there was some sort of maintenance closet right next to the room and I opened the door to look in. A small heat register that looked as if it came up from the basement and to their room was tucked up in the corner. We both entered the closet and I stepped up on a small stool to try and pry open a section the vent but had no tools.
“Ara, hand me that push broom sitting against the wall.”
“What are you going to do with that? Oh I see… you can use the metal clamp on the handle holding the broom as a pry tool.”
“Exactly, I’m not sure it’ll work but we’ll give it a try anyway.”
Suddenly one of the SS came back out of the room and walked into the hallway lighting up a cigarette. We stayed extremely quiet as he turned, walked down the hall and down the stairs.
I pushed the metal part of the broom handle up into the vent and with a little prodding and prying one of the flaps finally opened up, but I needed to get up closer in order to hear anything. There were several cardboard tubes resting in the corner of the closet and I grabbed one. Putting it in through vent flap and up to my ear I could hear every word being spoken.
We soon heard the SS officer returning with the apartment manager; apparently he was brought back to interpret the conversation between Anders and the Germans.
“You sit here and you over there.” one of the SS guards ordered.”
The manager began interpreting every word said between Anders and the Germans.
One of the SS began speaking. “My Fuhrer, this is the man with the jewels.”
Then I heard footsteps coming from what must have been another room and I was sure it must be this Hitler. “Good evening Mr….”
“My name is Anders, sir, and I would like very much to do business with you. I think we both have something that would benefit each other.”
There was a long silence; I could hear Hitler lighting up a cigarette and then answering calmly.
“Yes, yes I understand you think we may have mutual interest in these items; but how did you acquire such valuable items such as these if I may ask?”
“I took them from the London Tower right out from under their noses!”
“You mean you waltzed right into the London Tower and simply took the items you wanted?”
“Not exactly, I have, let us say, my own methods of obtaining what I need.”
“And you sound as if you are not willing to share these methods.”
I could hear him walking over to the satchel and picking it up.
“May I look at these items of interest to both of us? Ahh, I’d heard of this diamond but never really knew how utterly superb it was until now! And this splendid crown! One of the European kings of antiquity no doubt! To which one of them did this belong?”
Anders spoke up right away. “It’s the very crown of King George the Xll!”
“Yes, I know this king… king of Georgia, 18th century I believe! These Items are priceless, but you are already aware of this, are you not?
Just then Ara tugged at me and whispered. “What are they saying?”
I placed my hand on her shoulder and quickly whispered back. “Just a minute, I’ll tell you.”
Hitler continued. “I may be interested in this proposition of yours, but there is some small matter I must know of before we could possibly go any further with this.”
Anders answered. “Yes, yes of course, anything, what is it you need?”
“Exactly how you managed to appropriate such items from their most extremely guarded custodians!”
“I’m sorry, but I’ve decided never to disclose my methods.”
I could hear the two SS guards grab him in some way, making him wince, and then Hitler’s kindly voice began to change pitch.
“Mr. Anders, just how did you acquire these jewels? I’m sure you can see it is in your best interest to disclose your methods only to me of course, since we will, in a sense, be a partnership.”
“Look, I just want to sell these items now, a one time deal. Then, maybe later we can discuss business again.”
Then I heard one of the SS give him a sharp slap across the face. “You dare speak to the Führer in this manner?
I could tell Anders must have been half dazed and shocked being slapped, but he tried to stand his ground once more.
“No, I’m sorry, I can’t give you that information… Hey, let go of me!”
“Escort him into the other room, give him a cigar, a drink and time to think it over awhile, I’m sure he’ll begin to see the bigger picture.”
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
I removed the cardboard tube from the vent and Ara kept staring at me waiting for an explanation of what was being said.
I whispered in her ear. “We need to get out of here, get back downstairs where we first arrived and I’ll tell you what I heard.”
Carefully opening the door, we both moved stealthily down the hallway still smelling the smoke from the SS officer’s earlier cigarette. Just as we turned the corner to descend the stairway, the apartment manager was dismissed by them, came out of the room and began walking in our direction.
We descended the first flight of stairs to the main floor where his desk was, turned left and down another flight of steps to the basement level. A short, stout middle aged woman with curlers carrying a bundle of clothes was just coming out of the laundry nodding and smiling as we came near. Staring at us as we passed with a semi inquisitive face, she looked as if trying to recognize us as tenants but was immediately distracted trying to balance her laundry goods. Then, Ara and I slipped back in the laundry
and closed the door, where I explained to her all I had heard.
“So this Führer, as they call him, doesn’t intend on letting Anders go and continues pressing him to expose his method of transportation here; that fool… He’s gotten himself into more trouble than he knows!”
“Your bloody right! These men look dangerous and I’d hate to think of what will happen if they get hold of the chair.”
Ara leaned on the doorway. “Richard we have to find it! It’s in this building somewhere.”
“I know and we better find it fast; from the sound of it, they weren’t exactly the patient types!”
Just as we were about to begin looking for the chair, we heard two of the German’s dragging Anders down the stairs kicking and screaming for them to let him go.
We backed up closing the door of the laundry and held our weapons at ready as they passed in the hallway and down further to the next room. The door slammed shut and we heard their muffled voices talking loudly. It was now or never; we had to find the chair’s location before they beat it out of him. Stepping out into the hallway, we heard him grilling Anders. We figured he must be another SS interrogator that could speak and understand English.
“I hear your memory is somehow indistinct as to how you traveled here and when you arrived. Do you have your passport with you Mr. Anders, heh?”
There was silence for a moment. “Passport?”
“Search him.”
“Let go of me; what is a passport? No, I don’t have one!”
“He has nothing on him.”
“Maybe Walter here can help to refresh your memory.”
We heard a scuffle and then a dull thud with a gasp of breath, then another and another. Anders cried out in pain as he was being pummeled while still holding out. We kept listening for him to finally break and give the location of the chair.
“Mr. Anders, we have no wish to keep this up! It is needless for you to endure that much pain and I’m sure it is tiring for Walter here. We just need the information and you are free to go.”
The Chair Page 7