Carpathian (67 page)

“Take the small ledge to the cable car barn. It’s on the same floor. Then climb down and get out of here.”

“We can’t. We have people in the pass and we won’t leave without getting them out.”

“But you have to—”

“Save it, Captain, you heard what the colonel said, we’re not leaving without our people,” Ryan stated flatly as he confronted the Mossad agent.

Janos Schumann shook his head angrily and then wiped rainwater from his face. He came to a quick decision.

“You still have to go out this way, you have no choice,” he said as he relented and faced Collins. “The only way to get to the pass is on the cable cars. The weather is turning bad and walking or driving without knowing the road is too dangerous.”

“I would rather take my chances on the road,” Ryan said, looking from Janos to Collins.

“That won’t work. Zallas and Colonel Ben-Nevin have an army out there and throughout the hotel. They’ll catch you and that would be that. I don’t think they’ll leave anyone behind to tell the tale after they find out what they have sitting right under their feet.”

“You mean the treasure of the Exodus that sits inside the City of Moses?” Jack said before Janos could.

“Okay, Colonel, you seem to know a little more about my business than you should,” Janos said menacingly.

“Touché, Captain. Now what is Zallas planning and what is his manpower disposition?” Jack asked as he tried to ease the tension in the room.

“He has well over a hundred armed men.”

“Do you have a plan for that?”

“We have a strike team currently en route to Romania.”

“The Sayeret will be here in a matter of hours, won’t they?” Jack said as he remembered the alert Europa reported the Israeli army was under.

“Yes, they will bring down the temple and there will be nothing to stop them. They know they are expendable in pursuit of that goal.”

“They’re going to HALO jump through this storm?” Jack took another menacing step toward the man. He knew that if the Sayeret commandos were going to use a high altitude, low opening, or HALO, parachute jump, they meant some serious business. And Collins knew that business included his friends in the pass.

“Okay, we’ll go out the window. But make no mistake, Captain Schumann, we are going to get our people out of that pass, and if I have to go through you and the best fighting soldiers in the world to do it, I will.”

“And he can,” an angry Ryan said, stepping close to the Israeli.

Janos looked at the two Americans and knew immediately that if something happened to the people in the pass because of something his men did he would surely see the sharp end of a long knife as Collins would keep his promise. Yes, Janos had indeed heard of the reputation of U.S. Army Colonel Jack Collins.

“And you allowed Zallas to murder Ms. Louvinski so you could keep your cover?” Sarah ventured.

“Gina was not only my friend, she was my partner on this mission for the past five years. I would easily have given my life for hers.”

Ryan shook his head in wonder at the world he lived in. He now knew that no one was who they seemed.

“She was a good agent and I know she had wished to help you and your team, whoever you are. So, please, go get them out as we are fast running out of time.”

With that Jack turned to Sarah and held out his hand and then looked at a soaking wet Pete Golding.

“Come on, Doc, let’s go find out if Charlie is having as hard a time as we are with this crap,” Collins said as he slapped Ryan on the back and pushed him toward the window and the brightly illuminated castle far beyond.

The grand opening of Dracula’s Castle had started and Jack and the others wanted to be there.

*   *   *

Marko stood before Dmitri Zallas with his twelve burly men standing menacingly beside him. The Gypsies were dressed as they have been for the past two hundred years while living in the pass. The brightly colored clothes stood out starkly against the Russian’s black tie and tux.

“I have been expecting you since this morning, Marko, what took you so long?”

“I am not here to play games with you, Slav.”

At the word “Slav” Dmitri flinched but the smile remained. Ben-Nevin for his part smirked at the racial epithet thrown at the arrogant Russian by the Gypsy. The man at least had balls.

“I want the four Americans to be brought to me, my grandmother wishes for them to be her guests at the pass.”

Zallas smiled wider and then looked at Ben-Nevin. The Russian then turned back to face Marko.

“Of course, anything for your grandmother, you know that. I will release them as long as I have assurances the Americans will not be allowed back onto resort property. Fair?”

“I’m not here to discuss what is fair, Zallas, I am giving you an order,” Marko said and for emphasis his twelve men spread out just a little further while staring down Zallas and his men.

“An order promptly obeyed, old friend, I assure you,” Zallas answered as his smile continued to irk Marko no end. But one thing was for sure, the smile never reached the Russian’s eyes.

The appearance of twenty heavily armed men and then the loud report of a discharged weapon made Marko flinch. As he looked around one of his men was lying facedown in the mud pit where bathers had frolicked not three hours before. The man slowly sank into the hot surface and then vanished. Marko saw that he and his men were surrounded as he slowly turned back to face Zallas. The man was still smiling as Colonel Ben-Nevin had produced an old Colt .45 automatic. The gun was pointed at Marko’s belly.

“I’ll be the one giving the orders today,” Zallas said as his men came forward and started disarming Marko’s men of their small caliber guns and the obligatory arsenal of knives and other stabbing instruments Gypsies were fond of hiding on their person. One man struggled to get a man’s hand off him and Zallas nodded and that man was executed with a large caliber bullet to the back of the head. Marko didn’t turn to witness the murder as he was focused totally on Dmitri Zallas and Ben-Nevin. The dead man that had been used as an example was pushed off into the mud.

“Now what did you do that for?” Zallas said as he reached over and used a towel to wipe some imagined dirt from his hands. “You’ll just have to dig him out of the mud later, think gentlemen, think.” Zallas tossed the towel away, relit his cigar, and then looked at Marko Korvesky. “Now, as partners we must have a talk, Marko. It seems you have not been exactly forthcoming with me concerning the acquisition of the antiquities you have been delivering.”

Marko refused to believe he had been fooled by this man, this idiot gangster. His grandmother had been right. He had brought this evil to the pass by selling their heritage. He wanted to be sick as he heard his men being pushed and shoved and slapped toward the hotel area. The desk clerks saw what was happening and ducked out of sight.

Dmitri watched Marko and knew the man would never reveal the location of the hidden temple, but Zallas had ways around that. He started to place a hand on the shoulder of the Gypsy but when he saw the black eyes look up at him he thought better of it and lowered his manicured hand and instead gestured toward the hotel.

“Come, Marko, this shouldn’t take long. We just need to ask a few questions about the location of the treasure of the Exodus.”

Marko managed to move his eyes to the one who had obviously fed the Russian the temple information—the tall man with the pencil-thin mustache was the obvious choice, as he was smirking at Marko and still pointing the gun at him. Marko then looked back at Zallas.

“I will kill every one of you for this,” he said as he was pushed in the back toward the lobby.

“Yes, yes, I’m sure you will, but you have some talking to do first.” This time Zallas did brave touching Marko on the shoulder as he was escorted out of the garden-spa area. “When I was a boy, it was explained to me by some very determined men of the Moscow police force the disadvantages of being a criminal in a closed society. I am a student of the techniques used back in the day and believe me, my friend, you and your men will end up telling us everything we want to know.” Zallas slapped Marko on the back and stopped and watched as the Gypsy leader was led through the lobby to the elevator that would take him and his men down into the cavernous basement of the hotel where the screaming of Marko and his men would be lost in the immense spaces below.

“I do not want the Gypsy hurt or killed at this time, we may have need of him after all of this is over,” he said without turning to face Ben-Nevin. “Are you sure you can break him your way?”

Zallas heard the chuckle of the Mossad agent but still didn’t turn to face him.

“I will be at the castle,” Zallas said as he adjusted the bright red silk scarf. “Assemble the men at midnight and we will then pay a visit to the pass.”

“Do you not think this is a priority over your Castle Dracula’s grand opening?” Ben-Nevin asked as Zallas moved off toward the escalator.

This time Zallas did stop and finally turn to face the Israeli.

“I have spent over $5 million on tonight just in entertainment and special effects for that club and I plan on bringing it in with what the Americans call a bang.”

As Zallas smiled and walked away, Ben-Nevin was thinking the same thing. He had yet to inform Zallas just who it was that would be coming after them. If the Russian knew that he wouldn’t be so cavalier about what was about to happen up in the pass. Ben-Nevin had no illusions that if somehow word got back to General Shamni that he was here, the Sayeret would explain it to Zallas and his men in no uncertain terms.

Ben-Nevin knew that Satan was in the air somewhere above the black storm clouds and he was coming their way.

*   *   *

Ryan was about to be the first to step out into the storm but Jack pulled on his arm until Jason was forced to hop from the sill of the large broken window.

“At ease, Mr. Ryan, I’ll be going out first. If I happen to fall take the interior route and get Sarah and the doc out as best you can.”

“I don’t mind saying, Colonel, that maybe Captain Everett has a point.”

“And what would that be, ol’ wise one?” Collins asked, knowing he was about to be slammed for privilege of command authority. He wasn’t disappointed.

“That maybe you should let us start sharing in these harebrained chances you seem to take.” Ryan looked at Collins and the normal, joking smile was absent this time. “With all due respect, of course.”

“Of course,” Collins confirmed. “Still, I’ll take this one. You go the way of our new Israeli Mossad agent friend and get these two the hell out of here. If not, join me on that three-inch ledge outside in a few minutes.” Collins raised his brows until Ryan couldn’t hold the colonel’s gaze any longer. He nodded that he understood. Jack slapped Ryan on the shoulder. “Please don’t be in a hurry to get killed, Mr. Ryan, there will be plenty of time for that in the near future, believe me.” Jack hopped up on the sill and then looked back at Sarah. “You be careful, short stuff, this wind will blow you right to Oz.”

“One fairy-tale land at a time, thank you,” Sarah said but Jack had already stepped out onto the ledge and into the driving rainstorm. “Ass, Colonel.” Sarah looked at Pete and stared him down until the computer expert looked away. Then she gestured to the doctor that perhaps he had better step out there and follow Jack.

Ryan watched as Jack stepped free of the room and started inching his way toward the distant cable car barn that looked like a domed stadium far ahead. He assisted Pete onto the slippery ledge and as Golding fought for a handhold against the falsity of the gray stone blocks, Ryan deftly reached out and slipped off Pete’s horn-rimmed glasses and then placed them in his shirt pocket.

“What you can’t see can’t hurt ya, Doc.”

Pete squeezed his eyes shut and then started inching his way along the three-inch ledge.

“After you, my dear,” Jason said, bowing at Sarah.

Just before Sarah stepped onto the sill she looked at Ryan, who wasn’t that much bigger than the diminutive lieutenant.

“You know, smart guy, since you’re trying your best to scare the doc, you know how far it is to the ground, and I believe some hotshot jet ace doesn’t have a parachute, does he?” she mocked and then deftly hopped onto the sill and started to walk along the ledge as she quickly caught up with a struggling Pete Golding.

Ryan had to smile at Sarah’s quick-wittedness. He stepped up to the sill and then took a cursory glance down to the now rain-washed grounds of the resort. He shook his head two times quickly as he realized McIntire was right—it was a long way down.

The jail break was on.

*   *   *

When Ryan finally made it to the corner of the hotel he saw Collins squatting just over one of the large square windows that made up the partial geodesic dome of the cable car barn. Sarah was sitting on the roof talking softly to Golding, who was still embarrassed at having slowed them down so much. Ryan bypassed the two and advanced to Jack’s location where he knelt beside the colonel.

“What have we got?” Ryan asked as he tried his best to turn his head away from the driving rain, which had threatened on more than one occasion to throw one of the four from the ledge on their trek across the sixth-floor ledge.

“We have one hell of a dandy-looking Russian getting ready to wow the world of entertainment.”

“What?”

Jack turned and faced Ryan. “The Russian is getting ready to join his guests up in the castle.”

“That means we have to wait until the castle car comes back?”

“We don’t have that luxury,” Jack said as he quickly came to a decision. “Well, we’re all wet anyway, a little more water won’t matter. Get the others and come on.”

Ryan gestured for Sarah and Pete to follow, but by the time he looked back Collins had already threaded his way through the mass of piping and other hazards as he made for the top of the cable car. He waited as the other three caught up.

“Jack, I think you’ve lost your mind,” Sarah said as she tried to catch her breath. Collins had to smile at the drowned rat look she was now sporting in her fancy dress. He shook his head at his private joke at McIntire’s expense. “We can’t ride the same car as Zallas!” she whispered with authority.