Icefall (Dane Maddock Adventures) (16 page)

“
No way!
”
It couldn
’
t possibly be true.

Ulrich clearly realized he had said too much. His face reddened, but his eyes burned with righteous anger.

“
It doesn
’
t matter anyway. I don
’
t have it.
”

“
Do not play with us.
”
Niklas
sounded stern, but Dane could see in his eyes that the man knew something was amiss.
“
Give it to us now.
”

“
It
’
s gone. If you didn
’
t take it, someone else must have.
”
He raised his hands a little higher.
“
Search me if you want. Heck, look down in the well. The stone that covered its hiding place is still lying there.
”

The men exchanged looks.
Niklas
nodded, and Ulrich approached Dane. Pistol in one hand, he gave Dane a light pat-down with the other. Dane breathed a sigh of relief that the man had skulls on his mind. Otherwise, Ulrich might have given him a more thorough pat-down and discovered the Heckler & Koch USP he had lost in Paderborn and Dane had recovered. Satisfied Dane did not have the skull, Uhlrich pushed Dane in
Niklas
’
s direction and leaned over the edge of the well to look inside.

Dane wouldn
’
t get a better chance than this. He pretended to stumble forward, then lashed out with a right cross that caught
Niklas
on the chin. It was a quick, clean blow that sent the surprised
man
stumbling backward. Turning around and drawing the HK-USP, Dane clubbed the unsuspecting
Uhlrich
across the back of the head,
and then
leapt to the side as bullets flew.

Niklas
’
s shots tore through the space Dane had occupied a moment before. Two bullets ricocheted off the old well, but the third caught the slumping Uhlrich in the back, and he slid to the ground, leaving a smear of blood on the weathered stone.

Dane rolled to his feet and pumped two rounds into
Niklas
’
s gut. No hired thug could outshoot a SEAL. He would have put another in the man
’
s head to finish the job, but he hoped to get a few questions answered first.

He kept his gun trained on
Niklas
, but there was no need. The man had dropped his weapon and now held his arms pressed to his ruined belly as if he could hold the life in. He looked up at Dane, his eyes glassy with disbelief.

“
Help me,
”
he gasped.

Dane had seen enough wounds to know there was no hope for
Niklas
. He had minutes left, if that.
“
The only thing that can help you right now is to make things right with your maker if you believe in one.
”

“
Of course I believe.
”
Niklas
closed his eyes and let his head fall back.
“
I work for Him.
”

“
Who do you work for?
”

“
Heilig Herrschaft.
”
His voice was already fading.

“
What is that?
”

“
The Holy Dominion.
”
He groaned and shuddered.
“
Hurts.
”

Dane felt numb.
“
Are you connected to the Dominion in America?
”

“
America.
”
Niklas
managed a weak laugh, and b
loody froth oozed from the corners of his mouth
.
“
So young a nation and so limited in their vision. The same is true for our Herrschaft brethren there.
”
He coughed weakly.

“
Do you have any idea who took the last skull?
”

Niklas
’
s eyes sprang open, and for a moment he seemed fully alert.
“
Issachar!
”
he hissed.

Dane could not hide his shock. Stunned, he wobbled to his feet and took a step back.
“
What did you say?
”

“
Issachar. That is the name of the American the Herrschaft put above us. He must have betrayed us and taken the skull for himself.
”
The sudden burst of life was already dissipating, but Dane understood the man
’
s final words.
“
Kill him.
”
And then he was gone.

He dumped the bodies in
to
the well and tossed in some branches and snow to hide the bodies. He figured it wouldn
’
t take too many more snowy days before they were hidden until the thaw. Considering the well
’
s remote location, it might be longer before they were discovered. His mind spun as he drove back to town. How could Issachar still be alive? It had to be the same guy. How many Issachars were in the Dominion? Or in the world, for that matter?

Bones and Angel were waiting outside the inn when Dane made it back to the center of town. Before Dane could cut the engine, Bones had yanked open the door and hopped in.

“
Don
’
t you ever answer your phone?
”
Bones snapped.

“
Not much reception up here. What
’
s up?
”

“
Jade
’
s gone. The innkeeper saw her with some dude. Said he was big and had a messed up face.
”

“
Issachar.
”
Dane spoke the word like a curse.

“
What? He
’
s dead, Maddock. You killed him.
”

“
He
’
s back.
”
Dane
’
s voice was as cold and flat as a frozen lake.

Shock registered in Bones
’
face.
“
If that
’
s true, he
’
s got Jade. The lady said it looked like she fainted and he helped her to the car and drove off.
”

Hot rage boiled up inside Dane. He wanted to kill Issachar with his bare hands, feel the life drain from his body.

“
Did you find out the way to the icefall?
”

Bones nodded.

“
We
’
re going after her. The skulls and climbing gear are in the back. Angel, you go back to the inn and call the police.
”

“
No way,
man. I
’
m
coming with you.
”

“
No! The police need to know what happened. The lady at the
inn can tell them what she saw
. Show them this.
”
He took a picture of himself and Jade
from his wallet and handed it to
Angel.
“
They
’
ll want a picture of her, and the lady at the inn can confirm that the guy she left with isn
’
t me. I don
’
t know what kind of law enforcement they have up here, but maybe they can get some help to us.
”

“
Fine, but as soon as they
’
ve heard my story, I
’
m coming after you.
”
Angel slipped out of the car.
“
Pop the trunk so I can get my share of the climbing gear.
”

Dane looked at Bones, who shook his head. Dane hit the auto-lock button, put the car in reverse, and backed out of the space. Angel cursed and punched the driver
’
s window, though not hard enough to break it; she was a fighter and knew enough to take care of her hands.

“
You two better make it back so I can kick your asses!
”
she shouted as Dane hit the gas and shot down the frozen road.

“
I can
’
t make it.
”
Jade lay where she had fallen face-down, the warm, salty taste of blood in her mouth and her cheek stinging from its impact with the ice. Issachar had untied her ankles but left her hands tied behind her back. The icefall was difficult enough to traverse without the added handicap. Already they had slid back a dozen times on the glassy surface, and they never knew when the ice would give way beneath them.

“
You
’
ll make it if I have to carry you,
”
Issachar growled.

She was Issachar
’
s canary in the coal mine. He made her walk in front so, if the ice gave way, she would be the one to fall. Considering he outweighed her by at least one hundred pounds, she held out hope that they
’
d cross a place where the ice would support her but not him. Then again, if he fell, she had no doubt he
’
d take her
down
with him.

“
I need my hands free if I
’
m going to climb.
”

“
Not a chance. Now get up.
”

“
I
’
m lying face-down on the ice with my hands tied behind my back. How am I supposed to get up?
”
Fiery pain burst through her skull as Issachar hauled her to her feet by her hair. He pulled out a knife and she wondered if he was going to kill her right then and there but, instead, he sliced her bonds.

“
Don
’
t try anything.
”
He spun her around and re-tied her hands in front of her.
“
That
’
s as good as it
’
s going to get. Now move it.
”

Despite her warm clothing, the icy breeze cut through her and she found herself wishing for a quiet place to curl up and go to sleep. She dismissed the thought as a wish for hypothermia. She didn
’
t know what sinister plan Issachar had in store, but she was determined to find a way to escape before he put it into effect. To do that, she had to s
t
ay awake and alert.

The stone set in the
Magi
’
s crown glowed brighter the higher they ascended. Following the direction the small arrow of light indicated, they found themselves at the base of an overhang. The moment they moved into its shelter, light exploded in the stone, and it shone like a tiny sun, the arrow pointing directly at the rock. Grinning, Issachar took an ice axe off his back and began hacking away at the frozen ground.

Jade wondered if she could get away now while he was down on his knees, focused on his task, but quickly dismissed the idea. He had a gun, a knife, an axe, and two free hands. Maybe she should try anyway. What other chance might she have?

Just then, Issachar broke through the ice, and warm air, at least warmer than the outside air, flowed up from the dark passageway that ran at an angle down into the mountain.

“
You first.
”
He stood, grabbed her by the back of the neck, and pushed her toward the hole.

Dropping down onto her bottom, she slid into the passage and scooted forward until the way leveled out enough that she could get to her feet. Issachar followed behind. He held the skull, gazing down at the compass stone. The light in the stone pointed straight ahead. Issachar gave her a shove and she led the way.

The glow from the stone was sufficient to light their way for a good fifteen paces up ahead, allowing her to avoid several places where the floor had broken through. She glanced down at the blackness and wondered how far a person wou
ld fall should they slip
.

As he had done on their trek across the ice, Issachar kept a few feet behind her in case she fell through. She considered running away but, assuming he didn
’
t shoot her immediately, she
’
d only make it forty feet or so before she
’
d find herself immersed in total darkness.