Chapter V
The Devil’s Right Hand
Montreal was a beautiful city, one that had begun to crawl out of the depths of the Depression caused by the stock market crash of ’29. The skyline was changing rapidly these days, with skyscrapers being built at a prodigious rate. The 24-story Sun Life Building had been completed in 1931 and Samantha stared up at it as a chill wind whipped at her clothing. “It’s lovely here,” she said.
“You would think that,” Eun said, shivering at her side. “You can speak French and that’s all anybody around here wants to know.”
Samantha smiled. It was a beautiful day despite the cold air and she wore a lovely khaki-colored blouse and slacks. Eun was bundled up in a dark suit, his hands shoved under his armpits. “I’ve offered to teach you.”
Eun stared across the street, at the set of office buildings facing them. Sporrenberg and Geist had entered the building marked Alou, Dyfenseur. “Tell me again why we’re out in the cold?”
“Alou is a lawyer who’s done some work for Lazarus in the past. When Jakob called him to update him on our progress, he recommended that we speak to him.”
Eun stepped closer to her, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “I think we should ditch this Geist character.”
“Of course you do.”
“I’m being serious!”
Samantha took a deep breath. “Eun, I don’t trust him. Jakob doesn’t trust him. But he’s useful right now. Besides, if we keep him close, then we know what he’s up to.”
“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” Eun muttered with disdain. It was a phrase coined by Machiavelli and though its truth was undeniable, Eun did not favor it. Given his choice, the young Korean would take the battle directly to his enemies.
“Here they come,” Samantha warned and the two of them moved apart, not wanting to make it look like they were in collusion.
Geist was no longer in a military uniform, having traded his Nazi attire for a charcoal gray suit and tie. He cut a dashing figure, though Sporrenberg put him to shame in that regard, as he did most men.
“What did you find out?” Samantha asked.
Jakob crossed the street, Geist trailing at his heels. “The address that Geist has is no longer valid.”
“What a surprise,” Eun whispered.
“Mr. Morris moved a few months ago,” Jakob continued, the four of them huddling together in front of the Sun Life Building. “But Alou was able to find out where he’s at now. Apparently, there was an unusual fire at his old home and he lost much of his belongings.”
Samantha stifled a yawn. Traveling from the States to the Alps and then to Canada had left her feeling off-balance. But they had no time to waste on rest — Lazarus had called them early this morning to tell them about his encounters with The Darkling. They had invaded the home of Harold Grant and located not only the needed chart but also a massive number of weapons and ammunition.
According to Lunt’s chart, he had sent a number of items to Felix Moore for safekeeping and amongst those was both the devil’s right hand and the heart that Lazarus had discovered years before.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Eun asked. “Let’s go see if he has what we want.”
Geist cleared his throat. “If he does, he will not just hand them over. Are we all in agreement that we must do whatever it takes to claim these prizes?”
“We’re not killing anyone — not unless it’s a last resort,” Samantha said. “And you’re outnumbered three to one, so I’d suggest you play by our rules.”
The German officer gave a slight bow, though the smile he wore was a mocking one. “As you wish.”
“Is it far from here?” Eun asked, shifting his weight from foot to foot in an attempt to stay warm.
“I didn’t see you shivering this much in Switzerland,” Sporrenberg said, looking at his teammate with surprise.
“It’s cumulative,” Eun said defensively. “I’ve been in cold environments for days!”
“Sporrenberg gave a brief snort. “Alou says we can borrow his car. It’s parked behind his building. Should take us less than twenty minutes to reach our destination.”
“What do we know about Morris?” Samantha asked, walking at Jakob’s side as they took off towards the lawyer’s vehicle. “He must be with The Illuminati, right?”
“Surprisingly, no. Lunt was smart enough to have a group of followers who were loyal to him, not to any higher organization. Morris had been Lunt’s secretary back in the Twenties and they remained close, even after Morris was blinded in one eye and retired from travel.”
“That’s good,” Eun said. “Means that we might have an easy time of it. If he were Illuminati, he’d probably have guards.”
The group stopped at the car, which was a Model-A, circa 1927.
Eun scratched his head. “I thought lawyers were supposed to be rich. Shouldn’t he be driving something newer than this?”
“It’s a classic,” Samantha retorted. “And it’s not like you have a car.”
Jakob slid behind the wheel. “That’s enough. Let’s just focus on the mission.”
Geist, who sat beside his fellow German, nodded. “Agreed. Our concerns should be greater than any automobile.”
The home belonging to Felix Morris was located in a very wealthy area of the city. A wrought-iron fence surrounded the two-story house but the front gate was open, allowing Sporrenberg to drive straight onto the driveway. There was one car already there and the license plate matched that of Mr. Morris.
The house was painted a dull gray in color and the yard, though quite expansive, showed signs of ill care. Weeds popped up here and there and the bushes were in serious need of pruning.
“Doesn’t look like he’s much for yard work,” Eun commented.
“You’d think someone with his money would have hired hands for that,” Samantha pointed out.
Jakob held up a hand, indicating that he wanted them to maintain silence. He gestured to Samantha and Geist, pointing them towards the rear of the house. He took Eun with him to the front door, pausing to give the others time to get into place.
When he was confident that they were ready, he activated the small radio hidden in his ear. All members of Assistance Unlimited were outfitted with them and other paraphernalia to aid in their war on crime. “Can you hear me?” he whispered.
Samantha’s voice came through as clearly as if she were standing at his side. “We’re in position.”
“Have Geist walk through the door and unlock it for you. We’re going in loud through the front. If Morris is inside, I want him to focus all of his attention on us. The two of you can sneak up on him.”
“Got it.”
Jakob took a step back and nodded quickly at Eun, who raised a foot and kicked the front door in with a single blow. The German followed the younger man, drawing a pistol as he did so.
The interior of the house was dark and barely furnished. Here and there an odd painting dotted the wall but there were neither photographs nor any sign of the home’s alleged inhabitant.
“Does that smell mean what I think it does?” Eun wondered aloud, wrinkling his nose.
Sporrenberg sniffed and finally lowered his weapon. “Someone’s dead in here.”
The foursome reunited in the living room and conducted a quick search of the home before heading toward the source of the odor: the basement. They found a door that had been locked from the inside and the smell was so strong that Samantha began to retch.
“Stay here, fräulein,” Geist said, offering her a brief squeeze on the shoulder. “I will unlock the door and we men can deal with this.”