The Doomsday Testament(52)

‘That’s on account, yeah? We don’t want no trouble.’ The German picked up Sarah’s rucksack and put it over his left shoulder.

‘Take them to the cellar below the bridge. I will join you there in a few minutes.’ As Gustav and another man led them away, Frederick turned to Jamie. ‘There is no escape for you, Mr Saintclair. You will soon tell us where the journal is, I assure you. Gustav not only enjoys what he does, he is also extremely adept at it. He understands the psychology of torture as well as the physical mechanics. He will use the woman to cause you pain.’ His voice rose a fraction. ‘He will hurt her and make you watch as he humiliates her, sexually.’

Gustav chuckled his appreciation and ran coarse, butcher’s hands over Sarah’s body; an appetizer for what was to come.

‘You bastard.’ She tried to snap at his face with her teeth, but the German only laughed all the louder. Jamie struggled against his cuffs until the big man turned and slapped his head hard.

‘Please, don’t hurt her. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.’

Frederick motioned to Gustav who produced a roll of parcel tape and slapped a short length across Jamie’s mouth before repeating the exercise with Sarah.

‘That would be very sensible, of course, but I’m afraid it is not possible. This is the holy of holies. We of the Vril Society have protected its secrets and maintained its purity since the beginning. You and your woman have desecrated it and you must be punished. Once you have everything you need from him, you may do what you wish with the girl,’ he said to Gustav. ‘When it is over bury them in the north woods. They will be among friends and I doubt a few more bones will be noticed.’





XXVI


SARAH CURSED BEHIND the tape and kicked out as Gustav and a taller, dark-haired man armed with a pistol hustled them out into the V-shaped courtyard of the main castle. Jamie bowed his head as if he couldn’t take any more punishment, but his eyes studied his surroundings. Gustav was the greatest physical threat, but if it came to it he’d have to take the man with the gun first. He was resigned to the fact that he probably wouldn’t succeed, but the alternative didn’t bear thinking about. If he was going to die, he would go down fighting, it was just a question of choosing the right moment. Frederick had mentioned a cellar, which meant some kind of slope or stairs. It would be awkward. A little cramped, maybe. That might give them their best chance. Their only chance. If they could somehow disable their guards and reach the trees. But there were too many ifs. He realized now why they had found it so easy to get into the castle. Frederick must have come to some sort of arrangement with the night security guards who would surely have been alerted by the noise Sarah was making even with her mouth taped. Gustav must have been thinking the same because he grunted something and his comrade took over Jamie’s arm while the stocky Nazi grabbed a handful of Sarah’s hair and almost lifted her off the ground.

‘I told you. No trouble, or it will be all the worse for you.’

It struck Jamie that it was unlikely things could get any worse, but the German’s words seemed to have an effect. Sarah went limp and allowed herself to be pulled along. They had barely exchanged glances since the moment the torch beam had trapped them, but now her eyes met his. Two dark streaks marked where tears had smudged her make-up, but the eyes held no fear. The message he read in them was that whatever he tried, she was with him.

The main door was unlocked and wide enough to allow them through as a group. Gustav walked to the left with his hand still in Sarah’s hair. Jamie’s captor was to his right with one hand on his arm and the other on the butt of the pistol. As they emerged into the night Jamie sensed a blur of movement to his left and the air rang with the resounding ‘clang’ of metal hitting something solid and unyielding. He felt the tall man tense and begin to turn, the arm coming up and the pistol drawing clear. But Jamie was quicker. With a flying butt that almost dislocated his neck he smashed his skull sideways into the tall man’s face and felt bone cracking as the head snapped backwards. At the same time he used all his energy, like a rugby forward hitting a tackle bag, to propel his captor towards the bridge parapet. He had a vague notion of a second clang behind him, but by now the tall man’s legs had caught on the low stone wall and he was going. Jamie scrabbled with his feet for balance and if his hands had been free he might have saved himself. Instead, his weight took him over, still tight to the other man’s chest. He felt himself falling and tried to remember distractedly how high? What was at the bottom, grass or more of those bloody hard looking cobbles? As if it mattered. He held onto that thought until the lights went out, all the breath was knocked from his body and his head seemed to be detached from his neck. He heard a sharp crack that might have been a rib breaking, but he wasn’t sure whose. It seemed odd that he should bounce, but for a second he was in the air again and this time he had a harder landing. Definitely cobbles. For a few seconds he lay back and watched the stars spin. A little rest didn’t seem too much to ask after all the excitement.