‘Get ’em back,’ the Yorkshireman replied, raising his pistol. A single shot, and the chain snapped. He kicked the doors open. Smoke gushed out – followed by several panicked children, ranging in age from around five to eleven. He did a rapid headcount. ‘Okay, that’s eight! Where are the rest?’
‘They are too young to get out on their own!’ shouted Roland. He ran inside.
Eddie raced after him, holding a hand to his mouth and nose. The smoke was getting thicker, weaving lines of flame on the floor where fuel had been poured. ‘What about the other women?’
‘Down there!’ A side passage led off the main corridor. Roland went to a door opposite. ‘The children are in here!’
‘You get them, I’ll get the women.’ Eddie hopped over a track of fire and went down the passage. There was a door at the end with a small barred window. He looked through to see a dimly lit cross between hospital ward and prison cell. Three beds occupied it. Each held a woman, wrists and ankles buckled to the metal frame. Two were visibly pregnant. The one nearest the door turned her head to regard him blankly, the others not responding to his appearance or the chaos outside. Drugged.
He unbolted the door. ‘Jared! I need some help here!’
The Israeli ran in as he started to unfasten the first woman. ‘The fire’s getting worse,’ Zane warned. ‘If we stay in here much longer, we won’t get out.’
‘Then bloody hurry up and help me!’ The buckles came free. Eddie pulled the woman upright, getting only a vacant stare in response. ‘Shit, she can’t even walk. We’ll have to carry ’em.’
‘There are three of them and only two of us,’ Zane pointed out as he released the second prisoner.
‘Yeah, I can count!’ He lifted the limp woman over his shoulder and headed out as quickly as he could.
Roland emerged from the nursery ahead of him, a crying baby in each arm. A blonde girl of about three followed, only to cower fearfully back from the flames. ‘Get them outside!’ Eddie ordered as the young man hesitated, about to return for her. The Englishman altered course, hopping over the fire to scoop the child up with his free arm. Holding his breath as more smoke swirled around him, he jumped back, now passing through rather than over the growing blaze. ‘You said there were four kids! Where’s the other one?’
Roland coughed violently before replying. ‘Still inside – I could not carry them all!’
Nina ran down the corridor. ‘I’ll get it!’ she cried.
‘No, it’s too dangerous!’ Eddie shouted, but she was already past him. ‘For fuck’s – I mean, flip’s sake,’ he said as the little girl gawped at him. Roland reached the doors; Eddie hurried after him, emerging to find the five Kindermädchen waiting. They took the babies with tears of joy and relief. He deposited the girl on the ground, then put the pregnant woman down.
Roland was still coughing, bent almost double. Whatever he had inhaled, Nina had just run straight into it. Eddie took several deep lungfuls of clean air before charging back inside.
The flames were spreading across the passage. Zane came around the corner, carrying the second captive woman. ‘I freed the last one for you!’ the Israeli said as they passed.
Eddie didn’t reply, pausing to squint through the darkening cloud at the nursery door. He heard a baby screaming, but the smoke blocked his view of everything inside – except the shimmering glow of flames. ‘Nina! Get out of there!’
Nina wanted to do exactly that. The nursery was full of acrid black smoke; something made of plastic had caught light. But the baby’s terrified cries forced her deeper into the miasma. Almost blinded, she held her breath and felt her way towards the source of the noise, bumping against cribs before reaching the last occupied one.
The baby squirmed as she picked it up. It weighed at least twelve pounds, probably close to a year old. ‘Okay, I got you,’ she cooed, trying to calm the child as she turned—
A loud crunch of breaking wood – and she jumped back as a flame-wreathed ceiling beam smashed down in front of her. ‘Jesus!’
One end of it had landed on a piece of furniture. The burning beam lay at an angle, too high to climb over and too low to crawl under.
She was trapped—
A shape appeared through the haze behind the barrier – Eddie, carrying another pregnant woman. ‘Nina, get back!’
She jumped away as he kicked the bed supporting the blazing joist. Already damaged by the falling timber, its legs collapsed under the blow. The beam pounded to the floor, spraying out cinders.
But the way out was now clear, if only for a moment as the flames thrashed and wafted in the displaced air. She summoned up her courage, then made a running jump over the obstacle. The fire lashed back up behind her as if realising it was about to lose its prey, scorching her legs, but too late.
‘Come on!’ Eddie gasped. He waited for Nina to pass, then followed her out.
The fire in the corridor had risen higher. Nina shrieked as she jumped through it, flames licking at her bare arms. The rectangle of daylight ahead was almost totally obscured by smoke. She bent down, trying to hold her breath as she raced for the exit. Floorboards cracked underfoot as the blaze ate through them. She almost stumbled, barely staying upright as she sprinted the last few yards—
She burst into the open, choking smoke suddenly replaced by clear air. Eddie was right with her. A moment later, ash and sparks erupted behind them as the ceiling crashed down.
Zane and Roland were waiting with the women at a safe distance. ‘Eddie!’ shouted the Israeli. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Fine – if I was a charcoal briquette,’ Eddie replied, coughing. ‘Did we get ’em all out?’
‘We did,’ said Roland with relief.
The Englishman looked at his wife, and the baby she was holding. ‘You know, that suits you.’ Nina gave him a soot-smudged smile.
One of the women ran to her. She took the baby and clutched it tightly. ‘Danke,’ she cried, in tears. ‘Thank you!’
‘I’d say “my pleasure”, but, well,’ Nina replied breathlessly, before going to her husband. He put down the last rescuee, the others hurrying to check that she was all right. ‘Eddie! Thank God.’
‘You okay?’ he asked.
‘I’m gonna need a couple of gallons of witch hazel,’ she said, her arms reddened and sore. ‘And now I know what it’s like to be a sixty-a-day smoker. But yeah, it won’t be smoke inhalation that kills me.’ She touched her side, feeling the eitr infection through her grubby clothing.
‘We can’t waste any more time,’ said Zane. ‘We’ve got to stop the Nazis.’
‘How are we gonna catch them?’ Nina asked wearily. ‘Eddie blew up all their trucks.’
‘I’ve got an idea,’ Eddie said. ‘Roland, will this lot be okay?’
‘Yes, I think so,’ the youth replied.
‘Good. You need to go down to the town – there’s a cop called Miranda, tell him what’s happened and get him to bring in the feds, and Interpol. They’ll want to go through this place.’
‘What’s left of it,’ said Nina, taking in the burning buildings.
Roland nodded. ‘What are you going to do?’
Eddie gave him a tired grin. ‘Catch a train. Nina, Jared, come on.’
‘Where are we going?’ Nina asked as they started back through the Enklave.
‘The railway. There was a brake van on one of the sidings – a caboose, I think you call ’em. They’d use it to slow down the train when they took whatever they mined here down the hill. Hopefully it’ll still slow us down if we can get it moving.’
They reached the tracks, passing the line of rusting ore trucks to find the little wagon standing alone on a spur. It was barely more than a wooden box on wheels, short verandas overhanging each end. The glass in the windows had long since broken, leaving it largely open to the e
lements. Eddie hopped up to find that the interior was as functional as the outside, a bench beside a corroded iron pedestal. A large metal wheel was mounted flat at its top. ‘Okay, I’m guessing this is the brake,’ he said, straining to turn it. There was a shrill of metal, and the van shuddered as long-locked brake shoes were released.
Zane regarded him dubiously. ‘What exactly are you planning, Eddie?’
The Englishman looked down the track. ‘The plain’s on a slope. Once we get this thing rolling, it should free-wheel after the train – all we’ve got to do is slow it down on the curves so it doesn’t fly off the track.’ He saw the Israeli’s increasingly sceptical expression. ‘It’s either that or run after the fucking train. And from the way you were limping, that’s probably not what you want to do.’
Nina was equally uncertain. ‘Are you sure this’ll work?’
‘It’s our only chance of rescuing Banna and getting that fish.’ He jumped back down and went to the van’s rear. ‘We need to push it.’
He leaned against the chassis beside the coupler and braced his feet against a sleeper. A metallic groan came from the wheels. ‘It probably hasn’t been moved in years,’ said Nina as she joined him.
‘Shame we don’t have a bucket of WD-40,’ he replied. ‘Okay, get ready – and push!’
She added her weight to his. Another moan as rusty parts scraped against each other, but this time the van shifted, inching down the narrow track. ‘That’s it!’ Eddie grunted. ‘Jared, give us a hand!’
Zane reluctantly took up position beside them. With all three of them driving it on, the brake van gradually picked up speed. The noise from the axles faded as the surface layer of rust on the wheel bearings was ground away. Eddie glanced around the side of the wagon. ‘Points coming up,’ he warned as it trundled towards an intersection. ‘Once we’re through ’em, it should be clear to go.’
The van rocked alarmingly, wheels screeching as it crossed on to the main line. Nina cringed at the noise, but kept pushing. ‘Whoa, it’s rolling!’ she said as she realised her effort was now more about keeping up with the caboose than forcing it onwards.
‘Get on, quick!’ Eddie hopped aboard, then pulled Nina on to the rear veranda.
Zane swung himself up. ‘Will it go fast enough to catch them?’
‘It’d better,’ Eddie replied as the brake van rumbled down the line. ‘’Cause after everything they’ve done, I’m not letting those bastards get away.’
30
Nina looked ahead. The train was out of sight, but a drifting line of smoke revealed its position over the crest of the hill. ‘They must be a mile ahead of us by now. We’ll never catch up!’
‘We will,’ said Eddie. Expansion gaps between each section of the old rails made a loud ka-clack! as the brake van’s wheels passed over them – and the time between each noise was gradually shrinking. The truck was already at running pace. ‘I doubt that train gets much above twenty on the straights, and it’ll have to slow down even more on the curves.’
‘And what about when we go around the curves?’ Zane asked, eyeing the brake wheel.
‘Well, we’ll figure that out at the first one, won’t we?’ He joined Nina, looking down the line.
‘So when we catch up with them – assuming we even stay on the track – then what?’ she asked.
‘If we can match speeds without being seen, this thing should automatically hook on to the back of the train.’ He pointed at the coupler. ‘Then I can climb aboard and go along the roof to get Banna and that fish.’
‘And if they see us?’
‘Plan B.’
‘Which is?’
‘Buggered if I know. But it’ll probably involve shooting.’ He watched the empty farmland roll past. ‘Ay up. We’re definitely getting faster.’ Twenty miles per hour, he estimated, and the wheels’ metallic chatter was becoming more frantic.
The track curved away to the right, heading for the first hairpin at the top of the long descent to the plain. The Nazis’ train was indeed only crawling, the stem of the wafting smoke plume moving slowly across the plateau’s edge to their left. Eddie thought back to his ascent with Julieta. ‘You know something? If they’re going that slow, we can get ahead of them.’
‘How?’ Zane asked.
‘They’re still only on the first leg of the track. If someone jumps off, they can run down the hill and get in front of them on the second one. Maybe chuck a big rock on the track and try to derail them.’
‘By “someone”, you mean you, right?’ Nina said dubiously.
‘Jared’s leg’s pretty knackered, so yeah. Unless you want to?’
‘That would be a big no, but I don’t want you to do it either.’
‘We’ve got to stop that train somehow.’
Zane limped to the front of the wagon. ‘He’s right. And even if he can’t do it at the first turn, he can still go down to one below and try again. Better decide soon, though,’ he added. The van was still gaining speed, the first hairpin coming into view ahead.
‘Slow us down,’ Eddie decided, pointing at the wheel. ‘I’ll jump as we go around the corner. Soon as you’re clear, take off the brake and let it free-wheel until you come to the next turn. You should catch up with the train pretty fast.’ He checked his MP5, finding it almost empty. ‘Jared, top up with this,’ he said, tossing the magazine to the Israeli. Dropping the empty sub-machine gun, he secured his pistol inside his jacket and took up position, ready to leap off.
‘Eddie, this is crazy,’ Nina protested.
‘No change there, then.’ The brake van was now doing over twenty-five miles per hour, the ground blurring below. ‘Okay, Jared, you ready?’
The Mossad agent finished reloading and went to the brake. ‘When you are.’
‘All right, start slowing us down. Not too much, though – you need enough speed when you come out of the bend to keep going.’
Nina went to her husband. ‘Eddie.’
‘What?’
‘Don’t die. Please. I can’t lose anyone else.’
He turned away from the approaching curve to meet her eyes, then kissed her. ‘You’re stuck with me until the end,’ he promised.
‘I’d better be,’ she replied, managing a faint smile.
‘We’re almost there – get ready,’ Zane warned. Nina withdrew, holding a handrail as Eddie prepared to jump. ‘Okay . . . I’m slowing us down.’ He turned the brake wheel.
Nothing happened.
Nina looked at him with concern. ‘Any time you like. Although preferably now.’
He spun it through another two turns. ‘It’s not working!’
The wagon went faster as the slope steepened. ‘Shit!’ Eddie cried. ‘We’re all gonna have to jump—’
‘No, wait!’ The Israeli kept spinning the wheel – and finally felt resistance. The van juddered as the rusty brake shoes scraped the wheel rims.
Eddie flinched as sparks sprayed out below him – then cringed at an ear-splitting screech of metal. ‘Jesus Christ!’
Nina braced herself against the side wall so she could clap both hands to her ears. ‘So much for the element of surprise!’
Gripping the brake with both hands, Zane had no way to muffle the noise. All he could do was grimace as he pulled harder. The van didn’t slow, but the noise became even louder.
‘Too fast, too fast!’ Eddie shouted over the piercing cacophony. ‘It’ll fly off the track!’ The first turn was approaching, the ground beyond falling away.
Zane hauled on the wheel with his full weight. The corroded brakes finally bit – and he staggered as the wagon abruptly slowed. Nina shrieked as the deceleration threw her forward. Eddie clung on, more sparks spitting at his boots.
Centrifugal force suddenly caught everyone as the van swung around the hairpin bend –
too fast – and started to tip over, top-heavy on the narrow track . . .
Zane kept up the pressure. The brakes clamped more tightly – and the caboose jolted back upright as it sloughed off more speed around the turn. Nina could see the back end of the train in the distance as it rounded the second reverse.
Eddie jumped—
He landed on his feet – and immediately wished he hadn’t.
The hillside below the track was much steeper than he had expected. ‘Whoa, shit, shit!’ he yelped as he ran headlong down it. If he tried to stop, he would fall and tumble down the hillside, with a good chance of seriously injuring himself by smacking into a rock or tree. He had to find a shallower gradient to slow down safely . . .
But the slope only got steeper. The railway’s next leg came into view below – and he realised with horror that it had been cut into the hillside. He was approaching a near-vertical drop of around fifteen feet. Whether he ran or rolled, he would hurtle right over it—
A small stand of shrubs and trees off to the left overhung the cutting. Eddie angled towards them, boots skidding on the gritty topsoil as he fought to stay upright. The bushes might be strong enough to catch him.
Might be. But he was out of options.
He careered towards the vegetation. Get ready, and drop—
He deliberately fell on to his left side. Even prepared, the impact still hurt as he bounced off the ground and was pitched down the slope like a barrel. Through the crazy blur of his vision he saw the bushes rushing at him.
Eddie closed his eyes, arms up to shield his head—
He hit the first bush – and it disintegrated in an explosion of dry wood, not slowing him in the slightest.
The one below it fared no better, ripping from the ground as he grabbed at it, but it did at least arrest his roll. He slithered downhill on his back, the cutting looming below as he whipped under a tree at its edge . . .