“There’s one to the east,” Zahra said, looking across the space. She clearly saw another passage through the rock.
“Three wings, one goal?” Yana asked.
“Or it could be three separate projects,” Hammet replied, “not just Black Sunset.”
“Come on,” Zahra said, struggling to peel her eyes off the eastern passage. “Let’s keep moving.”
As they pushed on, Zahra spotted additional cables running along the wall above the rooms. A single cable then branched off and disappeared into the wall above each door.
They all had power. Heat? No, the ambient temperature wasn’t uncomfortable. The entire complex was well-insulated from the outside. She pictured the long entry driveway. Is that the reason for the distance, to keep out the cold?
“It’s an elevator,” Hammet said, pulling Zahra out of her own head.
And it was.
The square hole cut into the back wall of the “South Wing” held a sizable platform elevator, complete with interior lights.
Looks like we have power here, too.
“Twenty feet?” Yana asked.
“Yeah,” Zahra replied. “Looks about right.”
Zahra stepped up first but didn’t walk out onto the platform. She inspected it first. The left and right-hand walls contained two sets of aggressive tracking. Two gear-like wheels sat within each of the four tracks. As the lift moved up and down, it would act like the internals of a watch.
“Going down?” Yana asked, sounding unsure.
“Looks like it.”
Hammet leaned in but didn’t cross the gap. “Hopefully, not too fast.”
“Yeah…” Zahra’s voice shook slightly. “Let’s hope.”
She took the first step. The platform didn’t give an inch or make any unwanted noises. Zahra fully entered. When she safely made it to the middle, she turned and nodded. Yana and Hammet entered in unison. Their added weight was accepted without issue.
Everyone let out a collective breath.
Yana held her hand over what would act as their down button. She waited for twin nods before pressing it. When she did, the elevator groaned but moved. There was no roll-down gate to keep anyone, or anything, from spilling out. Zahra was actually thankful for that. It gave them an uninterrupted view of the South Wing as they slowly descended to the bottom floor.
Yana explained her reasoning for selecting the bottom floor. “I figure that we start at the bottom and work our way back up to the exit.”
That was fine with Zahra. Hammet didn’t disagree, either.
The first thing Zahra noticed during their descent was that every level possessed similar passages between wings. It made sense. They’d allow people from each area to easily travel from one room to the next.
Zahra combed through what they knew about the facility, and something stuck out.
“Hammet?”
“Ja?”
“Tell me again, when did the Germans first explore this area?”
He scratched his chin. “During the third German Antarctic Expedition of 1938.”
“1938?” Yana asked. “But I thought we decided that this place was older than that?”
“We did,” Zahra replied. “It seems that history is, once again, wrong.”
“No,” Hammet added, “not wrong, but deceived — hidden. The Sixth Seal was already here by the time Alfred Ritscher officially mapped Queen Maud Land.” He turned away but kept speaking. “I wonder if Ritscher was even aware of their presence when he began his expedition.”
“So,” Yana said, “he wasn’t involved with the place’s founding?”
Hammet shook his head softly. “No, I don’t think so. It seems that Himmler and Dietrich Krause were operating deep beneath the Reich’s nose. I bet Hitler didn’t even know.”
“Geez.” Zahra couldn’t believe it. “These guys were serious about their work, huh?”
“But what was their work?” Yana asked. “So far, I don’t see anything that warrants any of this.”
“Yeah…” Zahra said, thinking. “We need to check the other wings.”
A heavy clunk announced that they had reached their destination. The trio exited the elevator and continued out into the middle of the factory floor. The split that ran north to south was even more apparent now. Zahra knelt and rubbed her bare hand across it.
“This isn’t stone, it’s metal.”
“What do you think is down there?” Yana asked.
Zahra looked up at her. “Was there a button for a level lower than this one?”
The Russian reentered the lift. “No, but, huh…
“Huh, what?” Hammet asked.
Yana exited the elevator. “There’s a keyhole.”
Zahra stood. “We need to find that key.” She thumbed behind her toward the West Wing. “I’ll take the west.”
“I’ll stay here and have a look,” Yana offered. “I have some flight experience. I might be able to figure something out with more time.”
Zahra looked at Hammet. “That means you have the East Wing.”
“I don’t think we should split up,” he said.
Zahra shrugged. “I don’t either, but we don’t have a choice. There’s too much ground to cover.” She held up her hand and tapped her wristwatch. “Meet back here in thirty minutes.”
“Fine, but don’t dawdle,” Hammet said.
“Pff, you aren’t my father.” Zahra winked. “See you soon.”
Chapter 39
Henri
Henri Vogel had been waiting for this moment for two and a half decades. He had been recruited into the Sixth Seal by Ulrich Krause himself while serving in the German Army. Henri didn’t know how, but the shadowy figure had evidence that Henri was descended from one of Himmler’s top researchers within the Ahnenerbe.
That wasn’t an uncommon scenario, considering it was only three generations since the war. There were still plenty of people alive who shared blood with those at the top of Hitler and Himmler’s world. But Ulrich also knew that Henri secretly dreamed of a world where the Nazis had succeeded. And when Ulrich had revealed his organization’s motives, Henri had gleefully agreed to join.
Now, Henri was the Sixth Seal’s field commander, taking over the role from Ulrich following his death in Switzerland five years earlier.
Henri opened the Sno-Cat’s door and climbed down. He circled to the front of the vehicle, meeting Master Chief Luka Meier in the process. He had decided to bring the young man along as a treat for the lieutenant. Emil’s selection of the man to lead a strike team here had proved wise. When all was said and done, Luka would receive accolades.
The pair marched forward and were quickly met by Emil and two other men. The Sixth Seal didn’t outwardly salute higher-ranking officers. Subordinates were only required to stand at attention and keep their mouths shut unless what they had to say was essential.
“Show me,” Henri said.
Emil fell in line next to him and led his commander forward. They crested a rise, and when they did, Henri was… disappointed. He looked past Zahra’s parked Sno-Cat to see nothing except rock and ice.
“An enormous set of hangar doors closed not long after the other team entered,” Emil explained. “I guess that they’re on a timer.”
“Or they closed them with the hopes of keeping us out,” Henri added.
“Yes. That too.”
He scanned the rockface in his binoculars. “How did they get in?”
“There is a panel over to the left somewhere.”
That perked up Henri some. He trusted Emil. If his lieutenant saw it, then he saw it.