He regarded them silently. He did not expect any departures, and there were none. ‘Good. Here is what we are going to do. We will close up the cellar and secure this house until we can arrange for the treasure to be transported safely — and quietly — out of the country.’
Rasche gave Patras and his family a sidelong glance. ‘And what about them?’
Kroll stared hard at the old man — who looked back with equal intensity. ‘You know already. And so do they, I think.’ He switched to Greek. ‘We are going to take everything we have found here.’
Patras nodded in resignation. ‘What about my family? Please, they have done nothing. My granddaughter — she is only a child. She at least deserves to live.’
The SS commander regarded the girl, then frowned at Schneider, who reluctantly withdrew his hand from her hair. ‘Very well. You have my word,’ he told Patras, before speaking again in German: ‘Take them outside and dispose of them. All of them — including the child.’
The troops encircled the prisoners, pushing them to the stairs. Patras spoke to his family, trying to reassure them, but with a leaden fatefulness they quickly understood. All three hugged and kissed the little girl as they were led away.
Rasche watched them go, then turned to Kroll. ‘Sturmbannführer, I agree that we should take the treasure, but I have to know: what is so important about the water? How can it possibly be more valuable than gold?’
Kroll smiled thinly. ‘Obersturmführer Rasche, which is more valuable to a person — gold, or their life?’
Rasche was puzzled by the question. ‘Unless they’re a fool, their life, of course.’
‘Of course. Now answer this: how much gold would you give to live for ever?’
‘I don’t know — a lot, I suppose…’ He trailed off, staring at the pithos before snapping his gaze back to his commander. ‘Wait, you think—’
‘I know,’ Kroll interrupted. ‘The moment I drank it, I knew. A long time ago, someone found the secret of immortality.’ His smile broadened. ‘And now it belongs to us.’
1
The Lamborghini Aventador roadster tore through the intersection, the bright orange supercar’s tyres screaming. In its wake, two gleaming black Mercedes SLS AMG sports cars skidded around the corner, their V8 engines snarling like enraged beasts.
The gull-wing passenger door of the lead SLS swung upwards. A man, face hidden behind a bandanna, leaned out. The malevolent little MAC-11 machine pistol in his hand barked, vivid spurts of flame longer than the weapon itself gouting from the barrel as he unleashed a spray of automatic fire at the Lamborghini.
The Aventador’s driver jerked the steering wheel to the left. The convertible whipped into a lane of oncoming traffic as sparks and dust spat up from the asphalt alongside it. An SUV rushed straight at it—
The driver swept up on to the sidewalk. Pedestrians screamed and leapt for safety. The Mercs continued their pursuit, the second car’s gull-wing opening to reveal another masked man…
Holding an RPG-7 rocket launcher.
Danger behind — and ahead. The street was blocked by a tanker truck.
No way around it…
But there was a way over it.
A panel van with a lowered rear ramp was parked at the kerb, its interior empty save for some cardboard boxes. The driver swerved back on to the road, aiming his car directly at it—
‘And… cut!’
The Aventador came to a rapid stop. Behind it, both AMGs also slowed, wheeling around ready for the next take.
Nina Wilde, standing beside a camera crane, responded to the action with a dismissive shrug. ‘Y’know, I don’t think they ever got above thirty miles per hour,’ the redhead complained.
Her husband was rather more impressed. ‘Oh, come on,’ said Eddie Chase, eyeing the Lamborghini with distinct automotive lust. ‘You’ve got to admit, being on a movie set is pretty cool.’
‘Yeah, when something’s actually happening.’ They had been on the imitation New York street for over an hour, and this was the first time the cameras had rolled.
Macy Sharif nodded in agreement. ‘Thank God for trailers,’ said the younger woman, indicating a large and luxurious mobile home parked at the end of the back lot. ‘Grant’s is kitted out better than his own apartment. And he’s got a really nice apartment.’
‘So you like life in Hollywood, then?’ Eddie asked with a grin. ‘Being a model’s better than being an archaeologist?’ The Englishman glanced sidelong at his wife, the grin becoming more cheeky. ‘Always thought it must be.’ She jabbed him with her elbow in response.
‘I still am an archaeologist,’ Macy insisted. ‘I got my degree — yay! — and I’m starting on my master’s soon. But… yeah,’ she admitted, smiling, ‘being a model was cool. I’ll show you the magazine later. I think you’ll like it.’
‘I’m sure I will,’ said Eddie.
Nina gave him a teasing look. ‘You’d better not like it too much. You’re wearing clothes in it, aren’t you, Macy?’
‘Of course I am!’ she replied.
Nina looked her friend up and down. The dark-haired young Floridian was in cut-off denim shorts and a midriff-baring T-shirt, both garments tight enough to show off her toned figure. ‘More than you are now?’
A moment’s consideration. ‘Maybe…’
The Lamborghini pulled up in front of them and its door scissored open. Grant Thorn climbed out and called to a man in a baseball cap. ‘How was that, Mikey?’
The director was reviewing various camera angles on a bank of monitors. ‘Lookin’ good, lookin’ good… yeah, print it.’
‘And you can see it’s really me driving?’
‘Yeah, Grant, we can tell it’s you.’
‘Awesome.’ The tanned actor gave the director a thumbs-up, then embraced Macy, lifting her off her feet and spinning around with a ‘Hey, babe!’ before turning to his guests. ‘So? What d’you think?’
‘That was… cool,’ said Nina politely.
Eddie snorted. ‘Don’t listen to her, she doesn’t appreciate action movies.’
‘Hey! I like good action movies,’ she objected.
‘Like mine, huh?’ said Grant.
‘Er…’
‘So what happens next?’ Eddie cut in before Nina could offer any film criticism. He gestured at the van. ‘Hit the ramp, jump over the truck?’
Grant nodded. ‘You got it, man. And one of the bad guys shoots a rocket, which hits the tanker, and the whole thing blows up while the Lambo’s going over it. Boom! Obviously they’re not using the real car for that, and the stunt guy’s gonna be driving, but I’d totally do it if they’d let me.’
Nina looked unconvinced. ‘Yeah, totally.’
‘Can’t wait to see it,’ said Eddie.
‘Afraid you’ll have to, dude,’ Grant told him, with a slightly condescending chuckle. ‘It’ll take them, like, four hours to set everything up. I’m actually done for the day — the second unit take over from here.’
‘Wait, that’s your whole day’s work?’ said Nina. ‘Driving a car down a fake street for thirty seconds?’
‘No, man, I did more than that!’ Grant replied, slightly affronted. ‘I did my in-car close-ups before you guys got here. Mikey wanted the right light so I’d look my best.’ He turned his head to show off his blandly handsome profile.