Dahl stared hard. “Any clue?”
“Probably Mossad,” Kenzie replied. “They were closest.”
Drake cursed. “The only time I ever wished for the bloody Swedes to come first.”
Alicia was knee deep in the hole, slamming the edge of her spade into soft earth, trying to ease the object free. She struggled, pulling at the obscure edges with no joy. Kinimaka cleared soil from above as Yorgi joined Alicia in the ever-widening gash in the earth.
“What is it?” Drake asked.
Hayden crouched, resting her hands on her knees. “Can’t quite tell yet.”
“Put yer friggin’ back into it, Alicia.” Drake grinned.
A glare and a raised finger was his only reply. The object in question was covered in dirt and clad all around in earth but it did have a shape. Oblong, measuring approximately two meters by one meter, it had a definite box shape and shifted easily, showing that it wasn’t at all heavy. The problem was, it was surrounded and packed by hard earth and roots. Drake stared from the box to the sea, watching the lights move ever closer and wondering how the hell such a small, light container could hold a devastating weapon of war.
“Fifteen minutes,” Smyth reported. “No other signs of approach.”
Alicia wrestled with the earth, cursing and getting nowhere at first but finally exposing the object and letting Yorgi pull it free. Even then, buried vines and tangled roots clung to it, gleefully it seemed, presenting a hard, twisted cluster that refused to let go. They were up to their waists now, brushing at muddy clothes and resting on their shovels. Drake refrained from making the obvious men at work crack, and stooped down to help lift. Dahl reached down too and between them they managed to find purchase along the side of the object and tug it free. Roots protested, snapping and unravelling. Some held on for dear life. Drake heaved, and felt it scoot up the hole and over the rim. Rivers of displaced soil ran from the top. Together, he and Dahl then rose and stared down at Alicia and Yorgi. Both were red-faced and panting.
“What?” Drake asked. “You two planning a tea break? Get the hell up here.”
Both Alicia and Yorgi double-checked the bottom of the hole, searching for more boxes or, perhaps, old bones. Nothing turned up. A moment later the young Russian ran at the side of the hole, finding purchase where there seemed to be none to bounce up the slope and over the edge of the hole. Alicia watched with chagrin and then leapt a little ungainly for the rim. Drake caught her hand, pulled her up.
He clucked. “You forgot the shovel.”
“You wanna go fetch? I propose head first.”
“Temper, temper.”
Hayden remained staring down into the hole. “I thought a moment for poor old Hannibal Barca is in order. We mean no disrespect to a fellow soldier.”
Drake nodded in agreement. “Legend.”
“If he’s even down there.”
“The Nazis did their research,” Hayden said. “And, grudgingly I admit they did it well. Hannibal achieved enduring fame simply because he was good at his job. His journey across the Alps is still one of the most prodigious military accomplishments of early warfare. He introduced military strategies that are still lauded today.”
After a moment they looked up. Dahl was with them. Kinimaka brushed off the object to reveal a sturdy box, made of dark wood. A small crest had been emblazoned in the top, and the Hawaiian sought to expose it.
Hayden leaned in. “That’s it. Their self-made emblem. The Order of the Last Judgment.”
Drake studied it, committing the symbol to memory. It resembled a small center circle with four swirling scythes positioned around it at odd compass points. The circle was the infinity symbol.
“Scythes are weapons,” Hayden said. “Protecting their world within?” She shrugged. “We’ll figure it out later if we have to. C’mon.”
The lights were no longer offshore, which meant Mossad, if that’s who were closest, had reached solid ground and were less than fifteen minutes away at full pace. Drake wondered once more how the confrontation would go down. SPEAR had been ordered to secure all four weapons at all costs, but orders rarely translated perfectly to the field of action. He saw twitchy expressions on other faces and knew they felt the same, even Hayden who was closest to the command structure.
They readied to move out.
“Try to avoid a confrontation,” Hayden said. “Obviously.”
“And if we can’t?” Dahl asked.
“Well, if it’s Mossad maybe we can talk.”
“I doubt they’ll have ID vests,” Alicia muttered. “This ain’t a cop show.”
Hayden momentarily flicked her comms to the off position. “If we’re fired upon, we fight,” she said. “What else can we do?”
Drake saw it as the best compromise. In a perfect world they would sneak past the approaching soldiers and make it back to their transport, unscathed and undetected. Of course, SPEAR wouldn’t exist in a perfect world. He checked his weapons again as the team made ready to move out.
“Take the long route,” Hayden suggested. “They won’t.”
Every precaution. Every trick to avoid conflict.
Lauren’s voice was a splinter in his ear. “Just got word, people. The Swedes are inbound too.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Drake led the way, first moving behind the dilapidated building and then heading downhill. Darkness still pooled across the land but sunrise was not far away. Drake wound his way in a ragged loop until he was traveling back toward the sea.
Senses alert, heads up, the team followed.
Dahl took possession of the box, careful to keep the lid tight under his arm. To his side ran Kenzie, helping him navigate. The team wore their night-vision gear, all except for Smyth who preferred to fully sense his environment. It was a good mix. Side by side and in file they ran until they reached the bottom of the hill and the flat plain where there was no cover. Drake kept to his loop, bringing them around in the general direction of the boats. No words were passed — all used their senses to test the environment.
They knew how deadly their enemies were. No half-interested mercenaries this time. Today, and the next and the next, they were up against soldiers as good as them.
Almost.
Drake slowed, sensing they were moving just a little too fast. The terrain was not in their favor. A pale glow crept toward the eastern horizon. Soon, there would be no cover. Smyth ranged to his right and Mai to his left. The team kept low. The hill with the dilapidated building on top shrank to their rear. A row of brush dotted by a few trees appeared up ahead and Drake felt a little relief. They were a good way to the northeast of where they needed to be, but the end result would be worth it.
Best case scenario? No fighting.
He moved on, watching for dangers and keeping his body language neutral. The comms remained quiet. As they approached the cover they slowed, just in case somebody was already there, waiting. Being Special Forces they might expect a warning, but nothing could be taken for granted on this mission.
Drake saw a large area bordered by several trees and straggly brush, and stopped, signaling the others to take a break. A check of the landscape revealed nothing. The hilltop was deserted as far as he could see. To their left, sparse cover led all the way to the flat plain and then the shores of the sea. He guessed their boats might be a fifteen minute hike away. Quietly, he keyed the comms.
“Lauren, any news on the Swedes?”
“Nope. But they must be close.”
“Other teams?”
“Russia’s in the air.” She sounded embarrassed. “Can’t give you a position.”
“Place is about to become a hot zone,” Smyth said. “We gotta move.”
Drake agreed. “Let’s move out.”