Amber

Chapter 27

Maddock’s group moved with a quiet speed through the lush lakeside growth. They still heard sporadic gunfire behind them, but the SEALs knew they were random potshots taken more out of frustration than because they had locked onto a target. When it was clear that even those shots were moving in the opposite direction, the team paused for a much-needed breather, hunkering down beneath a clump of wet ferns.

While they rested and shared water from a canteen, Bones asked Professor for the journal so that he could take a look at the map again. Professor produced it and together they estimated their current position based on landmarks they’d seen while out on the boat.

Bones was lost in concentration, staring alternately down at the map and up through the landscape. At length a mischievous grin took over his features and he announced, “Be right back.” He stepped off the path into the dense plant growth. Professor and the others were too absorbed either in the map or in keeping watch for the Russians to give his actions much thought.

For the next few minutes they compared their visual surroundings to the outline of the map, speculating on a definitive position for the treasure. They were still debating whether the Russian dive site could in fact be over the ‘X’ when they heard movement in the foliage and then Bones came crashing back onto the path. He was panting but grinning ear to ear. Maddock asked him if he was okay.

Bones caught his breath with his hands on his knees for a moment and then stood up. “I found it.”

Willis appeared skeptical. “Found what, your common sense? Because running around through the woods while a bunch automatic weapon toting treasure hunters are looking for us is pretty damned crazy, Bones.”

But Bones still grinned ear to ear. “C’mon, I’ll show you.” Bones moved silently through the underbrush. The others made a small amount of noise as they followed him, but nothing a human would detect from any distance away. He led them roughly parallel to shore, neither gaining nor losing altitude, until they reached an area with even thicker vegetation.

Bones showed them the tiny pathway he’d found through the wall of greenery and they threaded their way through, brushing aside cobwebs and small armies of buzzing insects. On the other side they found the remains of a stone building, surrounded by trees on all sides.

“What is it?” Willis asked.

Bones pointed to a crumbling cross on the front of the building. “It’s a church. C’mon, let’s go inside.”

Bones led them to the doorway of the old building, a simple, one-room affair but with a high ceiling now riddled with gaps. Maddock and Professor brought up the rear, heads on swivels as they monitored the area for threats. Inside the church, what was once a stone floor was now covered in dirt, with a profusion of plant life growing up through the cracks. Apparently Bones already knew where he was going, because he walked without hesitation straight back through the old house of worship to the rear, left wall.

“Check it out.”

The others gathered around and they stared down to where Bones was pointing, at a stone tile into which was carved an eagle.

Professor’s face lighted with recognition. “Looks like our old friend, the Prussian Eagle again.”

Maddock kept one ear tuned to their conversation and the other on the Russian party, clearly audible from here. They had stayed in pursuit and now seemed to be homing in on the old church. In fact, Maddock could now make out individual Russian words, although he couldn’t understand them. He watched Leopov out of the corner of his eye, also content to let the others carry on the conversation about Bones’ find, but if she was hearing anything of significance from the Russians, she was keeping it to herself.

Bones gestured to the engraved symbol. “It’s strange to see this eagle in a church, right?”

Professor agreed. “It’s not a symbol associated with any major religion or faith.”

“Not only that,” Bones continued, “but during World War Two, Austria was part of Germany, right?”

Again Professor nodded. “It was under German control, yes, which was reversed when the war ended. But during the time the Amber Room went missing, Austria was definitely under Hitler’s thumb.”

Bones looked at the tile. “So why do we have a Prussian Eagle in what was basically Germany at the time? They had their own eagle, and it doesn’t look anything like this one.”

Willis knelt next to the tile. “Enough yapping about it already. Let’s see if it does anything.” He tried pressing on the eagle, but nothing happened. Bones looked around to see if the action had set off any booby traps — heavy objects about to fall on them, spears shooting out of the crumbling walls, perhaps spikes jutting up from the ground — but all was still.

Then Willis attempted to turn the tile within its setting, but that too had no effect. “Screw this.” He stood and got purchase on the edge of the tile with his fingers before starting to pull.

“I think I feel a little movement but that sucker’s wedged in there good. We need a pry bar, anybody got something?”

Bones shrugged off his pack and dug around in it. He came up with a large fixed blade knife. “This’ll have to do.”

Willis raised an eyebrow at the blade and took it by the proffered handle. He applied it to the tile and this time they heard a low scraping sound as it moved against the surrounding stone. After a little more effort Willis was able to pry the tile loose. He set it aside to reveal an opening to a space below. A set of iron handholds led down into darkness. The team circled around the portal, Maddock producing his flashlight to aim down inside it.

Meanwhile, Leopov picked up the tile cap and examined it, turning it over, scrutinizing all facets of it including the bottom and sides. She tapped portions of it here and there, scraped various surfaces on it with a fingernail. She was turning it over one more time when she heard someone exclaim how deep the opening was and she turned to look, causing her to drop the stone tile. It landed on the floor and did not break but produced a loud, percussive sound that reverberated throughout the church.

Maddock instantly shushed everyone and listened. The Russian voices grew louder.

Maddock looked to Leopov. “What are they saying?”

“They heard the noise and they’re coming to investigate. I’m sorry.”

Willis glared at her briefly and looked like he was about to verbalize a not-so-nice sentiment, when Maddock pre-empted him. “Down we go, c’mon, before they get here!”

Bones dropped down the rungs first, followed by Willis and Professor. Leopov looked like she wanted Maddock to go next, but he would have none of it. He wouldn’t give her the chance to possibly communicate with the other Russians, if in fact she was associated with them. How much of a fight she would make about it might also be a clue.

“Ladies first,” Maddock insisted.

“It’s okay, you can go. I’m right behind you.”

Maddock picked up the tile cap. “This thing’s pretty heavy. Pulling it back into place to cover our tracks won’t be that easy. I’ll handle it. Now come on, go!”

Leopov pursed her lips and, for a fraction of a second, she looked like she was about to argue. But then she spun and put her legs on the rungs and began climbing down to the others. Maddock heard actual footfalls of the Russians now, boots crunching on soil, leaves rustling and branches snapping.

He started down the rungs, pausing to pull the tile in place over his head. It was difficult to fit it snugly into the floor from his perch beneath the opening, but after a couple of tries he got it to fall into position by letting it drop straight down from a few inches, which did make a noise but not very loud. He heard footsteps entering the church just as the tile settled into place.

He descended into the underground space.