‘It’s the carbon-60, isn’t it?’ Nina said to Kroll. ‘The buckyballs in the water? They capture the impurities in the body that encourage the ageing process.’
The Nazi was surprised. ‘You are very well informed, Dr Wilde.’
‘You can thank the FBI for that. They analysed Jaekel’s flask of water.’
Schneider spoke; all Nina understood was Jaekel’s name, but the remark was definitely pointed. ‘Jaekel failed,’ Kroll replied angrily. ‘If he had killed Koenig before he gave the stolen papers to Dr Wilde, the Egyptians would not have been warned of our operation, and we would not have lost so many men.’
‘Why did he try to kill Nina?’ Macy asked hesitantly.
‘Believe it or not, Dr Wilde,’ said Kroll, turning to the redhead, ‘when we learned about the discovery of Alexander’s tomb, we considered asking you to help us obtain the statue of Bucephalus.’
Nina was startled. ‘Me? Why the hell would you think I’d do that?’
‘There are certain elites — business, political, religious — who would oppose our return to power because it would threaten their own. You have been quite adept at eliminating their members.’ The empty smile briefly returned. ‘But it did not require much research to see that you do not share our vision for the world. So when Jaekel encountered you in Los Angeles, he tried to remove a potential threat after eliminating his primary target.’
‘You mean Volker Koenig?’
Kroll gestured at the vault door. The two guards stepped back, signalling for the archaeologists to return to the study. ‘Volker was a disruptive influence,’ said the leader as he followed them out. ‘A renegade and a traitor. He deliberately sought degenerate outside influences that turned him against us. But we did not realise the true extent of his treachery until he broke into my office one night. He stole the plans for our operation in Egypt — and also read all the information that had been compiled on you, Dr Wilde.’ The Nazi indicated a modern laptop computer on his desk, incongruous in the Gothic surroundings. ‘He thought that as the world’s most famous archaeologist, and the director of the International Heritage Agency, you were the best person to stop us — he did not know that you had resigned from the IHA. Nor did we. So we sent Jaekel after him… and you.’
‘How the hell did Jaekel even get into the country?’ demanded Nina. ‘He was a wanted war criminal, and his fingerprints were instantly flagged after he died. So how did he get through immigration?’
‘We have been readying ourselves for our return to the world. Every man in the Enklave has multiple passports: Argentine, German — and American. Holders of American passports are not subjected to biometric fingerprinting on arrival in the United States.’
‘Good to know that all that money we spend on Homeland Security’s worth every penny.’ Kroll’s phrasing prompted another question. ‘Wait, you said every man in the Enklave? What about women? I haven’t seen a single woman since we got here.’
Something resembling a giggle came from Schneider. ‘Women have their place in the New Reich,’ he said, with a creepy little smile. ‘Where they belong.’ His gaze wandered lustfully over Macy’s body. The young American shrank back behind Nina, suddenly very conscious of her light summer clothing.
‘We are building a fighting force,’ announced Kroll. ‘For that, we need men. Females are needed to grow our numbers, but we keep them to the minimum necessary. They can be a… distraction.’ He gave the leering Schneider a disapproving look.
It took a moment for the repellent implications to sink in. ‘I guess when you’ve got no socialists, trade unionists or Jews to come for, all that’s left are women,’ said Nina, sickened.
‘Do not test my patience, Dr Wilde.’ Kroll closed the vault door, then moved the banner back to conceal it. ‘Now. The relic contains the location of the Spring of Immortality. You will find it for us.’
‘No, I won’t.’
The bluntness of her response surprised the Nazis. Walther moved as if to hit her again, but Kroll waved him back. ‘You will. Or we will kill you.’
Nina somehow managed to conceal her fear as she stared back at the obese monster. ‘Kill me, and you get nothing. I don’t think you’re smart enough to find the spring on your own — and without it, you’re just a group of thugs who are running out of money, and running out of time.’ Anger rose in the room, but she pressed on. ‘And that’s assuming the Mossad don’t track you down first. They know you’re still alive — how long do you think it’ll take them to find your little kingdom?’
‘If the Mossad come, we will deal with them,’ Kroll growled. He took a pistol from his desk. Nina didn’t need her husband’s knowledge of firearms to recognise it as a Luger, the standard-issue sidearm of both the Nazi military and the SS. ‘As we will deal with all who oppose us — including you.’ He pointed the gun at the American. ‘Are you really willing to die to stop us from finding the spring?’
It was harder than ever for Nina to hold firm, but she did so. ‘Yes,’ she said. Kroll’s fat index finger curled more tightly around the Luger’s trigger…
Then eased. ‘It would seem that you are,’ he said, his voice unexpectedly calm, almost curious. His malevolent eyes bored into hers for several chilling seconds — then the gun swung away.
Locking on to Macy.
The young woman gasped in fright. ‘You may be willing to die, Dr Wilde,’ said Kroll. ‘But what about your friends?’
Nina sidestepped to put herself between Macy and the Luger. ‘Don’t you even—’
This time Kroll did not wave Walther off. The huge man smashed Nina to the floor. Macy shrieked, Banna jumping back in horrified shock.
Nina groaned, her shoulder searing as if it had been hit by a baseball bat. She forced out words. ‘Fuck… you, you… Nazi bastard.’ Walther kicked her savagely in the side.
‘If she is not going to help us, we should kill her,’ said Rasche. His eyes developed a manic gleam. ‘I will do it myself.’
Kroll shook his head. A command, and Walther reluctantly stepped back. ‘Dr Wilde, you will help us, or I shall have your friends tortured. To death, if necessary.’ He turned to Macy and Banna. ‘The same applies to you. Cooperate, or you will be responsible for the suffering of the others. Do you understand?’
Macy nodded in silence. ‘Yes, yes,’ whispered Banna, trembling.
‘They’re gonna kill us anyway,’ Nina warned.
‘That is up to you,’ said Kroll. His expression of curiosity returned. ‘You are willing to die to protect the secret. Why is that? Why do you care?’
She managed a thin, sardonic smile. ‘Gee, why would I want to stop a gang of Nazi war criminals who’re trying to build a whole new army from getting hold of the secret of eternal life? Plus you tried to kill me in Los Angeles. That’s why I came back to help the IHA. You made it personal.’
The SS leader was about to respond when a sudden thought stopped him. ‘You came back to the IHA,’ he said, calculating, ‘but you had kept it a secret that you had even left.’ He moved to stand over her. ‘Why did you leave?’
‘Because I’d had enough of all the bureaucratic bullshit,’ Nina said, though she couldn’t help a slight hesitation.
Kroll picked up on it. ‘I do not believe you.’
‘It’s the truth. If you’d ever dealt with the UN, you’d know.’
He shook his head, jowls rippling over his collar. ‘You forget, Dr Wilde, I am an officer of the Schutzstaffel. I am trained in interrogation, and I know when someone is lying. As you are now. That tells me the matter is very important to you. So I will ask you again: why did you resign?’