Part 8 (1/2)
”It seems I am now a man without a country.”
”But not a man without a purpose,” Lysander offered. ”Do you have any immediate family who we can a.s.sist? The Gestapo has been known to-”
”No. I am an only child. My parents are dead. I suspect that is another reason Commodore Canaris recruited me,” Deitel said.
”Papers and other evidence we found on the body of the German agent Rucker shot indicate that, er, they came in by way of New York, which means they've been on your trail for a while,” Lysander said.
”Papers?” Rucker asked. ”Wait, that doesn't sound like SD. They know better; they always come in clean. Sounds more like Union agents. One of Eliot Ness's men.” He was referring to the head of the Union's infamous Federal Security Bureau, counterpart to the Union's Federal Bureau of Investigation.
All the more reason Rucker was officially done with this job. Now it involved no less than two foreign powers. He couldn't put Dr. Deitel in his rearview fast enough.
”We thought that, too, at first, but the team were German,” Lysander said. ”Which means, good news, they want us backtracking them to New York.”
”A trap,” Rucker said.
Lysander nodded. ”Fox, we're going to need you for this, too. New York will be first on your agenda.”
”Whoa. This isn't a society client having problems with a trade venture. This is all governmenty. You know I don't cotton to that kind of deal.”
”Double Far Ranger Air's usual fee,” Lysander offered.
Dammit, Rucker thought. Lysander knew he couldn't refuse. Chuy wouldn't let him. The company was just barely keeping their birds in the air. They had a lot more to lose than just his distaste for getting involved in national conflicts and state level espionage.
He didn't answer, though.
Deitel raised his hand. ”But you said New York is a trap.”
”Oh my yes,” Lysander said. ”The perfect opportunity to learn who is pulling the strings, and what they know.”
Deitel's face held zero expression. ”From inside the trap?”
”Yes,” Lysander said. ”No. I mean, what?”
Rucker shook his head. In for a penny . . .
”Let me get my head around what you're asking, and what's the actual situation,” he said, and began ticking the points off on his fingers. ”An army of darkness. The world in the balance. Mad n.a.z.i scientists meddling in the occult. And monster men.”
”Yes,” Lysander said.
”And the odds are long and we're outnumbered?”
”Naturalisch,” Deitel said.
Rucker pulled out a cigar and chewed it. Then he grinned. It was the grin of a predator.
”Fine, but it will cost you triple.”
”Two and a half,” Lysander countered.
Rucker mulled it over.
”Deal.”
Rucker and the old man shook. It was more binding than any contract. ”Payable to Far Ranger Air.”
Lysander just smiled.
Deitel whispered to Rucker, ”I wish I could feel as confident as you. This is overwhelming; it's all so new to me.”
”Eh, we deal with this kind of thing all the time, Doc,” Rucker said. ”No problem.”
While Lysander gathered his files, Rucker poured another drink. Then he saw the old man's expression.
” 'Lysander? What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Lysander cleared his throat.
”Um, there is one other small thing, Fox. The New York connection may be more than coincidence, but it's fortuitous. We need you to, er, ex-filtrate our 'man' in New York to a.s.sist in this endeavor. Now, this is one of the top field agents in Prometheus, and an expert in European archeology and artifacts, particularly early Christian relics. This agent is on an undercover a.s.signment right now at the Morgan Museum of Natural History in New York City. You'll need this kind of expertise.”
Rucker's eyes widened. He was muttering, ”Oh, no.”
”You'll have to get into the city, and get her out.”
Her? Deitel thought.
Rucker grew louder. ”No.”
”Yes, Fox, it's her.”
”No. No. No. No. No.”
”Here's your briefing packet. I need you two in the Big Apple by just after sunrise. But first you need to visit Nikola. He's working up something that may be of use if you run into any of the Black Sun's shambling monsters. I spoke to him about two hours ago. He'll meet you at his lab on the campus.”
Lysander turned to go.
Rucker just shook his head as the waitress poured coffee.
”You're doing this on purpose,” he yelled at Lysander's back.
”If anyone can help us get the spear before the Germans, it's her,” came the reply.
Rucker started off in a huff.
”Allons-y, Deitel. We have a plane to catch. Dammit.”
Deitel, as usual, was lost.