“This is hardly the time to chart the fucking labyrinth, Purdue!” she frowned.
“Oh, but it would be the opportune time, Nina,” he retorted. “The more information we get on the access points, the easier we’d be able to escape.”
“So, what are we supposed to do about them?” she pointed at the milling dogs around them.
“Just keep still and speak in a quiet voice,” he advised. “If their master wanted us dead, we’d be doggy fodder by now.”
“Oh, lovely. I feel so much better now,” Nina said, as her eyes found the tall human shadow stretching against the smooth wall.
Chapter 31
Sam had nowhere to go, except for running aimlessly into the blackness of the smaller tunnel he was in. One oddity, though, was that he could hear the hum of the turbine much louder now that he was away from the main tunnel. In all the frantic rushing and the overwhelming thrashing of his heart, he could not help but admire the beauty of the well-groomed dog that had cornered him. Her black pelt had a healthy sheen even in the meager light and her mouth changed from a sneer to a droopy smile as she started to relax, just standing in his way, panting.
“Oh, no, I know your kind well enough not to fall for that friendliness, lass,” Sam objected to her docile manner. He knew better. Sam decided to make his way deeper into the tunnel, but at a normal pace. The dog could not give chase if Sam gave her nothing to pursue. Slowly, ignoring her intimidation, Sam tried to act normal and started down the dark corridor of concrete. But he was cut short in his endeavor by her disapproving growl, a menacing roar of warning that Sam could not help but heed.
“You are welcome to come with me,” he said cordially, while inside his veins adrenaline was flooding his system.
The black bitch was having none of it. Growling in a malicious sneer she reiterated her position and took a few steps closer to her target, for good measure. It would be foolish of Sam to try to run, even from just one animal. They were simply faster and deadlier, not an adversary to be challenged. Sam sat down on the floor and waited to see what she would do. But the only reaction his bestial captor exhibited was to sit down in front of him like a sentinel. And that was exactly what she was.
Sam did not want to hurt the dog. He was a stalwart animal lover, even to those who would rip him to shreds. But he had to get away from her, in case Purdue and Nina were in peril. Every time he moved, she would growl at him.
“My apologies, Mr. Cleave,” a voice spoke from the dark cavern deeper in from the entrance, startling Sam. “But I cannot let you get away, you see?” The voice was male, and spoke in a heavy Dutch accent.
“No, no worries. I’m quite the charmer. Many people insist on the thrill of my company,” Sam replied in his well-known sarcastic dismissal.
“I’m glad you have a sense of humor, Sam,” the man said. “God knows there are too many uptight people out there.”
The man came into view. He was dressed in overalls, just like Sam and his party. A very attractive man he was, and his manners appeared to match, but Sam had learned that the most civilized and learned of men were usually the most depraved. After all, the men of the Brigade Apostate were all highly educated and mannered men, yet they could resort to violence and brutality in a blink. Something about the man who confronted him told Sam to tread lightly.
“Do you know what you are searching for down here?” the man asked.
Sam remained quiet. In truth he had no idea what he, Nina, and Purdue were looking for, but he was not going to entertain the stranger’s inquiries either.
“Mr. Cleave, I asked you a question.”
The Rottweiler growled, moving closer to Sam. It was admirable, and terrifying, that she could react accordingly without any order.
“I don’t know. We only followed some blueprint we discovered under Wewelsburg,” Sam replied, keeping it as simple as he could. “And you are?”
“Bloem. Joost Bloem, sir,” the man said. Sam nodded. Now he could place the accent, although he did not know the name. “We should join Mr. Purdue and Dr. Gould, I think.”
Sam was puzzled. How did this man know their names? And how did he know where to find them? “Besides,” Bloem mentioned, “you’d have gotten nowhere up this tunnel. It is solely for ventilation.”
It dawned on Sam that the Rottweilers could not have entered the network of tunnels the same way he and his colleagues did, therefore the Dutchman had to know of another entry point.
They made their way out of the secondary tunnel back to the main hall where the lights still labored to keep the place lit. Sam thought of cold-cocking Bloem and face dealing with his pet, but before he could formulate any plans, three figures appeared in the distance. They were followed by the rest of the dogs. It was Nina and Purdue walking with another young man. Nina’s face lit up when she saw that Sam was intact and unscathed.
“Now, lady and gentlemen, shall we proceed?” Joost Bloem suggested.
“Where to?” Purdue asked.
“Oh, come now, Mr. Purdue. Don’t play with me, old chap. I know who you are, who all of you are, although you have no idea who I am and that, my friends, should make you very wary about toying with me,” Bloem explained as he took Nina gently by her hand and led her away from Purdue and Sam. “Especially when there are ladies in your lives who could come to harm.”
“Don’t you threaten her!” Sam sneered.
“Sam, take it easy,” Nina implored. Something about Bloem told her that he would not hesitate to get rid of Sam, and she was correct.
“Listen to Dr. Gould… Sam,” Bloem mocked.
“Excuse me, but are we supposed to be familiar with you?” Purdue asked as they started walking along the giant passage.
“You of all people should be, Mr. Purdue, but alas you are not,” Bloem replied amicably.
Purdue was reasonably concerned at the stranger’s remark, but he could not recall ever meeting him before. The man held firmly onto Nina’s hand like a protective lover, showing no hostility, though she knew he would not let her break away without considerable regret.
“Another friend of yours, Purdue?” Sam asked with a corrosive edge.
“No, Sam,” Purdue barked back, but before he could dissuade Sam’s assumption, Bloem addressed the journalist directly.
“I am no friend of his, Mr. Cleave. But his sister is a close… acquaintance,” Bloem leered.
Purdue’s face grew ashen with shock. Nina held her breath.
“So please try to keep things between us affable, yes?” Bloem smiled at Sam.
“Is that how you found us?” Nina asked.
“Of course not. Agatha had no idea where you were. We found you courtesy of Mr. Cleave,” Bloem revealed, basking in the blooming distrust he saw growing in Purdue and Nina toward their journalist friend.
“Bullshit!” Sam exclaimed. He was livid, seeing the reaction of his colleagues. “I had nothing to do with this!”
“Really?” Bloem asked with a devilish grin. “Wesley, show them.”
The young man who walked at the back with the dogs obliged. From his pocket he brought out a device that looked like a cell phone without buttons. On it was a compact view of the area and surrounding gradients to signify the terrain and ultimately the maze of structures they were traversing. Only one red spot throbbed, moving slowly along the coordinates of one of the lines.
“Look,” Bloem said, and Wesley stopped Sam in his tracks. The red dot stopped on the screen.
“You son of a bitch!” Nina hissed at Sam, who shook his head in disbelief.
“I had nothing to do with this,” he said.
“Odd, since you are on their tracking system,” Purdue said in condescension that had Sam fuming.