I swept my beam around the area. "Are you sure this was his lab?"
"Positive."
"What a horrible life."
"He wasn't a prisoner."
I arched an eyebrow.
"He was working for the Nazis." She waved her hand at some papers. "He was researching the
Großen Sterbens
bacteria when he died."
"Are you sure?"
"I've read his handwriting thousands of times. I'd know it in my sleep." She shook her head. "He knew about the virus, knew what it could do. How did he live with himself?"
"He did what he had to do to stay alive."
"There's always a choice."
"I'm not saying you have to forget what he did. But you can't ignore the circumstances."
"Do you think I'm a good person?" she asked.
"Of course."
"I have a lot in common with my grandfather. Same writing style. Same interests. Same fears. Same demons." She ran her fingers through her hair. "He worked on a deadly virus just to save his own hide. What's that say about me?"
"Nothing. You're not him."
She stared at the ground.
"Look, I never knew your grandfather. But I know you. And that's why I need your help." I grabbed her shoulders. "Aaron's got the Amber Room. If we don’t intercept him, he'll poison the world."
"You're right." A small fire lit in her eyes. It quickly grew into a raging inferno. "Let's go stop him."
Chapter 97
"We're trapped." My eyes drifted into the air. Just a few hours earlier, we'd used the front gate to enter the mountain. Now, a massive heap of rock and twisted metal covered the entire area. "I guess that explains why Aaron didn't bother to kill us. He blew up the only exit instead."
"He must've set off a whole bunch of charges." Beverly stared at the giant pile of rubble. "One thing's for sure. We're not getting out of here without a bulldozer."
I pointed my beam around the grotto. "They left our Sno-Cat here. Plus, two others from the looks of it."
"Those were Roy's vehicles." Beverly added her beam to mine. "Not that they'll do us much good."
She was right. The explosions had twisted all three Sno-Cats into nearly unrecognizable shapes.
"Are there any other exits?" Graham asked.
Beverly growled in frustration. "Not that I saw."
I strode through the doorway and marched back down the sloping tunnel. I turned north at the lake and made my way back to the cave.
Although my flashlight was starting to dim, I could still see the giant rocket. At that moment, it looked especially fearsome.
I traced it with my beam. The light just touched the outer surface, leaving the rest shrouded in darkness. I lifted my beam toward the ceiling. A seam ran the length of it.
Beverly appeared in the doorframe. "What are you looking at?"
"I've been wondering how the Nazis intended to fire these rockets from underground," I replied. "They would've needed some kind of silo."
She crossed her arms. "Get to the point."
"The point is this was their silo. They intended to fire these rockets from this cave." Using the flashlight, I traced the seam across the ceiling. "And if a rocket is capable of getting out of here, then so are we."
Chapter 98
"I don't know." Graham frowned at the machine. "Are you sure this is the right one?"
I used my beam to follow the long cables. They extended from the seam all the way to the ground. "Pretty sure."
He walked around the machine, studying it from every angle. Then he wrenched open a long panel on its left side. A maze of wires and various components awaited him. "It looks simple enough. But we still need electricity."
A thick cable sprouted out of the rear of the machine. It trailed across the floor to a giant generator. Additional cables ran out of the generator, extending in all directions.
I noticed a control panel on the generator. It contained numerous gauges and a lever. I pulled off several access panels. On one side, I noticed a water pump, filters, pipes, and clamps. On the other side, I saw a magneto assembly, a ball joint, tubes, and more clamps. "There's a ground cable," I called out. "But the battery is just a pool of melted acid."
"I might be able to fix it," Beverly said.
I glanced up. She stood a few feet away. Her arms were piled high with pieces of metal, car batteries, and tools. "Where'd you get that stuff?" I asked. "The Sno-Cats?"
She nodded.
I cleared out of the way and Beverly dumped the items on the ground. She picked up some tools. Sounds of clinking metal filled the air.
"Am I the only one who thinks this is a waste of time?" Graham asked. "This stuff is decades old."
I studied the machinery. "True, but it's in pretty good shape. No rust or corrosion."
"It'll never work."
"Have you got a better idea?"
"Not really."
After a few minutes, Beverly put her tools down. She replaced the panels and turned her attention to the controls. "Are you ready?"
I nodded.
She pulled the lever. I heard a slight pinging noise. The engine started to spin. The rotor began to rotate. Then the generator burst to life.
I hurried to the machine. It took a few seconds to turn on. I located the control panel and pressed a large button.
The ceiling creaked and groaned. I pointed my beam at it. The tiny seam started to expand. I caught a glimpse of sparkling white. A stiff breeze passed through the room."
"Look out," Beverly yelled.
Giant mounds of snow and ice toppled into the room.
Graham hobbled toward the door. I ran after him.
Snow and ice crashed behind me. I chanced a look over my shoulder and saw snow piles almost as high as my head.
Beverly veered into the hallway. Graham was right behind her.
Large chunks of snow splattered all around me. I jumped.
I flew into the tunnel. I heard a smashing noise. Then I felt a resounding shudder.
I stood up and looked around. Several feet of snow and ice blanketed the room. Using my hands, I dug out some walking space. Then I climbed on top of the snow and stared into the sky. The blizzard looked stronger than ever. I couldn't see even a hint of the sun.
Beverly cleared her throat. "We overlooked something."
I felt a sinking feeling in my chest. "What?"
We've got a way to the surface. But how do we get up there?"
"I saw a couple of ladders."
"Did you really look at them?"
I trudged to one side of the room and looked up. "Damn it. The bolts must've given way."
"We fixed the machines," Graham said. "Maybe we can build new ladders."
"Maybe." Beverly didn't sound too hopeful. "But even if that works, we still need a vehicle."
"Jenner's got a large lead," I replied. "We're going to need more than a Sno-Cat to catch him."
Graham stared at the rocket for a few seconds. "Strange, isn't it?"
"What's strange?" I asked.
"It looks like a V-2 rocket. But it's much longer. You know, I think it's mounted on top of another rocket."
"That makes sense. Like I said, the V-2 had limited range. It would need extra power to cross the globe."
"Do me a favor. Look at the nose."
I lifted my gaze. "It looks like a cockpit."
"My thoughts exactly." His eyes glinted. "The Nazis lacked modern guidance systems. They would've needed pilots to direct these rockets to their ultimate targets."
Beverly frowned. "Nazi kamikazes."
"Not necessarily." He pointed at the rocket body. "That looks like a landing gear. The idea must've been to have the pilots dump their payloads and then land somewhere else. Too bad we don't have any fuel. I'm feeling lucky after seeing that generator come back to life."
A grin creased my face as I thought about the damaged Sno-Cats. "I'm glad to hear that."
"Why?"
"Because I know where we can get some fuel."
Chapter 99
"You can't be serious." Beverly studied the rocket. "It's impossible. This thing is too old."
"It's the same age as the generator," I pointed out.
"That was a simple piece of equipment." She stared at the rocket. "This is a bit more complicated."
"It could work."
"Or it could blow up in our faces."
"We're going to die if we wait any longer," I replied. "And if we die, so will lots of other people."
Graham swept snow away from the rocket. Then he slid underneath it and pointed his flashlight into its interior. "It's in good shape," he said. "I only see one combustion chamber. It's plenty big though. It appears to feed into a single expansion nozzle."
"Is that enough to get us out of here?"
"More than enough." He frowned. "Actually, it's too much. Far too much."
"You know a lot about rockets."
"No, I know about planes. I've flown everything from a prop plane to a jumbo jet. If anyone can figure out this piece of crap, it's me."
I glanced at Beverly. She shrugged.
"Then you're our pilot," I said. "How can we help?"
We maneuvered a rolling staircase into place. For the next few hours, Graham directed us around the rocket. He had us open numerous access panels, check the liquid propellant and other fluids, inspect multiple sections of machinery, and perform countless tests.
Finally, he wiped his brow. "Well, I can't promise anything. But she appears to be in decent order."
"Can you fly it?" I asked.
"Good question. Let's check out the cockpit."
Beverly grabbed a metal railing and hoisted herself onto the rolling staircase. She climbed to the cockpit.
I cupped my hands around my mouth. "How's it look?"
"Hang on." She brushed her hands over the cockpit. A canopy popped open. Snowflakes shot into the air. "Okay, we're good to go."
As she climbed into the cockpit, I mounted the staircase. In a few seconds, I stood next to the canopy. The interior of the aircraft was small. It contained just one extended seat.
Beverly sat in the seat so her back was parallel to the ground. I stared into her eyes for a second. "Looks roomy."
"It's awkward." She shifted around. "I feel like an astronaut. But I guess I've sat in worse."
"That makes one of us."
She reached into a compartment and pulled out some manuals. "Okay, my German's a tad bit rusty. But this thing is part of something called the
Aggregat
series of rockets.
Aggregat
basically means a group of machines working in harmony. This particular model is referred to as A9/A10, or the
Amerika-Rakete
."
"That sounds ominous."
"Indeed." She scanned a page. "Here's the operational history. It looks like the Nazis initially saw this as a
Wunderwaffe
, a revolutionary technology that could seize them a last minute victory. They wanted to load it with sarin gas and fire it at the United States. But time ran out and the technology was transferred here for
Fall Garten Eden
."
I glanced at the rocket's body. "What can you tell us about the armaments?"
"Two MK-103 thirty millimeter cannons with one hundred rounds," she replied. "Plus, two MG-151 twenty millimeter cannons. Those carry two hundred and fifty rounds apiece."
"Not bad." I stroked my jaw. "So, from here to America, huh? That's a hell of a long ways to send a rocket, especially with 1940s technology."
"It's equivalent to a two-staged intercontinental ballistic missile. The first stage, the A10 booster, was designed to burn for about fifty seconds. This would propel the second stage, the A9 rocket, to a height of three hundred and ninety-four kilometers at a speed of four thousand three hundred kilometers per hour."
I performed the calculations in my head. "That's an altitude of two hundred and forty-five miles at a speed of about two thousand seven hundred miles per hour. What was the potential range?"
"Based on this, I'd say about six thousand miles." She sucked in some air. "Wow, that meant it was at least a decade ahead of its time."
"That's not enough to reach the United States. But it would've allowed the Nazis to target locations in South America and Africa. The bacteria would've multiplied and spread across the globe. I can't say I care for those arctic wolves. But when their ancestors ransacked this place, they pretty much saved the world." I furrowed my brow. "Unfortunately, Dutch was right. That's way too much power for our needs."
"Agreed." Graham wheezed for air as he pulled himself up the staircase. "I made a few tweaks to the booster. It should fire, but only at a fraction of its intended power."
"Are you sure?"
"Only one way to find out."
A strong gust of wind from above nearly knocked me off the ladder. As I steadied myself, my forehead started to hurt. I rubbed it a few times but it only got worse. "Let's give it a test run."
Beverly scooted over. Graham climbed into the seat. He ran his fingers over the dashboard. Then he opened up a hidden panel and started fiddling with the wires.
I climbed down the steps and pulled the stairs away from the rocket. "Okay," I shouted. "All clear."
The rocket fired almost immediately. It grew louder and hotter. Then it started to shake. After a few seconds, the noise faded away and the rocket returned to normal.
A shiver ran through me. Despite decades of neglect, the rocket still worked. I felt a change in the tides.
At last, our luck was beginning to turn.
Chapter 100
The cockpit was too crowded. Graham sat in the middle of the seat, with his elbows kicked out like wings. He was completely in his element and entirely focused on the controls. Unfortunately, he was also taking up way too much space.
Beverly sat next to him, squeezed against the cockpit's left side. She held the manual in one hand. Her other hand pointed to various mechanisms and instruments on the dashboard. A string of technical terms emitted from her lips.
I grabbed the cockpit's edge with one hand and placed my boot next to Graham's right arm. He shifted a few inches to the left. Beverly did the same.