Free Icefall (Dane Maddock Adventures) by David Wood Page A

cathedral, not one of Germany ’ s most famous or popular, was almost empty toda y, with only a handful of visitors wandering about.
    Angel ’ s face suddenly froze. She ducked behind a column and beckoned to the others.
    “ The guys who attacked me are here. The dark-haired one is Uhlrich. I didn ’ t get the other guy ’ s name. ”
    Dane didn ’ t need her to point out the two men who stood a t the crossing, looking around. Even i f he had not remembered what they looked like, the black-haired man ’ s battered face stuck out like a sore thumb.
    “ What are they doing here? ” Bones scowled at the men . “ Do you think Otto told them? ”
    “ No way, ” Jade said. “ He told them about the three hares, remember? They ’ re probably checking out any cathedral with a three hares symbol. ”
    “ And considering what they did at Kölner Dom, they ’ re probably going for the shrine. You two, ” Dane said to Jade and Angel, “ get back to the car and wait for us. ”
    “ Not a chance. ” Angel shook her head. “ You ain ’ t the boss of me. ”
    “ Same here, Maddock, ” Jade added. “ Cut the chivalrous crap. You know I hate it. ”
    “ Fine. ” Dane eyed the men who were slowly moving toward the east end of the cathedral. “ You two keep out of sight and look for peacocks and anything else that might be promising, just in case we ’ re wrong about the shrine. Let ’ s go Bones. ” His friend nodded and they made their way through the nave, eyes on their quarry. The men were moving faster now, presumably headed for the crypt.
    The columns that supported the roof were huge and it was easy to remain out of sight as they stalked the two men . Their quarry disappeared down a flight of stairs where a sign read DIE KRYPTA. A few lines in German followed. He recognized the name Liborius and the words “ please do not. ” At the bottom, “ Silence Please ” was written in English.
    Not a problem, he thought.
    At the bottom of the stairs, Dane peered around the corner, seeking the two men. What he saw took him by surprise. The crypt, Jade had told them, was one of the largest in Germany – more than one hundred feet long, but he still was not prepared for the sight. The ornate columns, arched ceiling, and tiled floor made the place look like a church beneath a church. Indeed, the space to his left appeared to be a small worship area complete with pews, a confessional, and an altar. To their right, a gated archway opened into a dark, gloomy place where the tomb of Saint Liborius lay and, directly across from them, a second set of stairs led back up into the cathedral.
    The chamber in which the saint ’ s remains were held had a semicircular ceiling that reminded Dane of a q uonset hut. The faint light danced off the ornate walls, casting the space in a bluish glow. A representation of the saint was carved on the lid of the stone tomb. Beyond the tomb, beneath a stylized representation of peacock feathers, an arched doorway led into a second, smaller chamber, where a low plexiglass wall guarded a golden shrine.
    Dane was surprised at the lack of security afforded to Liborius ’ s remains compared to that of the Shrine of the Magi , but he supposed the Three Kings were just a bit more famous. As that thought passed through his mind, the two men appeared from either side of the doorway in the back chamber. One of them took a quick look around to see if they were alone, then nodded to his companion. They vaulted the plexiglass wall and approached the golden shrine.
    Bones took a step toward the tomb but Dane held him back.
    “ We have to assume we ’ re outgunned. Take up positions outside the door to the first chamber and we ’ ll jump them on the way out. ”
    Bones grinned. He loved a good brawl.
    They moved like shadows, eyes never leaving the men in the burial chamber, who were now lifting the lid off the shrine.
    “ Gottverdammt! ” The dark-haired man with the bruised face swore. “ Es ist