"Mr. Eickhart, are you going to kill us?" Gary asked. The others gasped in disbelief, thinking him an idiot to bring up the subject.
"That depends, "Eickhart said, as he collected cups from their belongings that Björn had thrown in a pile. "If I find the book we will have what we want. As long as you stay out of our way, we will not shoot you in the face."
Sam chuckled at his choice of words. "Sir, I have to butt in here. If it is taking your people this long to find Purdue, chances are that he is long gone."
"How? I have his pilot," the old German said.
"We are of the opinion, and I think I speak for all of us, that he had been planning this move all along. So he had to have made provision for his flight so that he could use us to keep you occupied while he got to the shrine," Sam mentioned.
"He is not that smart, Mr. Cleave. Have you forgotten that I was the one taking care of his safe passage and permit laws? Do you not think he would need me to accommodate any escape from this region?" Eickhart boasted. He seemed completely unfazed by it all and his voice was calm. Sam nodded. He had to admit that the German had Purdue at a disadvantage, even if the latter had thought it through.
"Wait, so you are not after the Spear of Destiny as much as you are after its address book?" Nina asked, minding her tone this time.
"Oh, I am of course interested in the Spear. But with what is in that book, it is but one of the elements of world domination and historical power to be unlocked, discovered, and owned!" Eickhart smiled for the first time.
A gunshot suddenly split the pleasant morning air. They jolted, Nina shrieked, but Eickhart did not flinch. From his reaction he was either expecting it, or he was impervious to the terror of warfare. He poured the coffee and placed each person's cup next to them.
"How do suppose we are to drink this?" Nina asked.
"One cup at a time, my dear," he replied and untied her hands. His humor went unappreciated and he sighed as he cut the men's hands free. Björn had secured their ankles to one another, making it impossible for them to move beyond their spots, so Eickhart had no fret in loosening their wrists.
"What was that shot all about?" Jodh asked Sam in a hushed tone. "Thank God Purdue already transferred my funds."
"Yeah, mine too, but the catch is — has it cleared yet?" Gary spoiled his thought. Jodh sighed in disappointment.
Nina and Sam looked at each other while sipping their coffee. They were both thinking the same thing.
"Nature calls," Eickhart said, and he made his way around one of the tears in the rock face of the mountainside.
"Me too!" Gary called, but the old man simply shook his head.
"Sam, are you okay?"
"Aye."
"Any thoughts on Calisto's involvement?" she asked.
"Yes, many thoughts. She fooled me like Delilah," he said, clearly exasperated, "and I intend to feed her to the fucking lions when I see her again."
"What does that mean?" Nina frowned.
"Never mind. I just didn't see it coming," he replied.
"Me neither. I should have shared a tent with you instead," Nina said, again unaware of how her statement sounded to Sam. He liked the idea, but elected not to tease her this time, not in a situation like this.
"So you had the book, then?" Gary asked in a whisper, as he took up his cup. Nina nodded.
"I'll just come out and say it. Between Mr. Purdue and this guy, we are fucked," Gary muttered.
"I concur. We have to do something," Jodh answered, but Sam lifted his right leg, tugging at their restraints and reminding them that they could not do much while they were tied together by some Gordian knot of chains and padlocks.
"I don't think he knows about Calisto, you know?" Nina said suddenly, as it occurred to her that Eickhart or his baboon had not once made reference to her.
"They must have seen her if they followed us from the hotel in Lumbini," Sam replied. "She must be in it with them, as I inferred before. Why are they not curious where she is?"
"None of this makes sense, for fuck's sake," Nina snapped, half to herself, "God, I'd kill for a cigarette now."
"Ditto," Sam agreed.
Eickhart came out from the rock's side. He looked around as if he expected someone. The party kept quiet and sipped at their drinks. It tasted terrible and bitter, but under the circumstances it was a solace they could all do with. The old man looked around in the trees and finally sat down.
"I'm starving," Gary said very softly, to nobody in particular.
"Patience," Eickhart said, as he poured himself a cup of black.
The trees shook fiercely on the fringe of the pathway.
"Now what?" Nina moaned.
From the bush came Björn, carrying a slain mountain goat on his shoulders. The thing had already been pared expertly with only its limp lolling head still covered in fur. Eickhart jumped up and slapped his hands together, rubbing them with an immense satisfaction. His voice thundered, "Well done, Björn! That is an excellent piece of meat!" The old man looked at the hostages with a grin, "Hope no one here is a prissy vegetarian."
A tense afternoon passed, with the tall blond henchman cutting up the goat and getting it ready for the fire. In the meantime they received some roti and rice to serve as breakfast and lunch. It was getting darker as the late cloudy afternoon arrived, with Eickhart checking in on his men every half hour to get information on the hunt for Purdue. Those calls made Nina nervous. She expected the worst every time he hung up, because Eickhart would grow red in the face, obviously holding back a fit of rage at the updates.
By the time the sunlight had waned, the group was desperately uncomfortable and cold. The ground was hard and they had not relieved themselves all day; their legs were riddled with spasms from being in the same position all the time. But they dared not complain. They were in no position to make demands of personal comfort, especially now that Eickhart had turned from accommodating and reasonable to outright furious and volatile. The group refrained from asking him anything, even less from replying to anything he mentioned for fear of setting him off.
As the sharp, blue light faded into night, the weak orange radiance of the flames lent the shadows more essence around the campsite. The captors passed around plates of meat to the party, who wolfed down every bit of flesh they could tear into. Sam was especially ravenous, ripping the meat from the bone like an animal. Even Nina relinquished her manners for the succulence of the wild meat, tossing aside her bones as she went through the animal. It was quite delicious, properly salted and slightly charred. They did not want to spoil their meal by wondering what the night would bring, how the frigid air would make them sick, maybe even kill them from exposure before the vindictive German and his lackey did.
"Right, Purdue is not showing. Neither are my men. Björn, I am going ahead so long. You extinguish them. We don't have time for games anymore," Eickhart bellowed in fury. They could tell that he was deadly serious and the firelight crackling was drowned by protests from the captives, begging for their lives.
As Eickhart disappeared in the trees, Björn drew his sidearm. His boss had taken the rifle, leaving him with a full-clip Makarov to finish off the travelers who had already been reported as safe on arrival in Nepalgunj, leaving them abandoned and their trip considered complete. Nina's eyes welled up with tears. She was terrified and Sam wished he could hold her in his arms before they were dispatched. Gary screamed and threw himself on his side, turning his head away from Björn's barrel. But he was not to be first. He shot Jodh in the head without thinking twice.
"Traitor!" he screamed at the dead body. Nina shook uncontrollably and Sam tried to scoot closer to her, but he could not get to her before the huge blond oaf took his place in front of her, gun lifting to her head.