Free The Armageddon Conspiracy by Mike Hockney

dead.’
    ‘ But wasn’t the war
practically over?’
    Gresnick nodded. He explained that
shortly before the death of the ninth man, that same man made an
astonishing accusation to General Patton. He claimed his eight
colleagues were murdered, and his most incredible claim concerned
the identity of the murderers: the other members of Section 5.
    The next day he was discovered hanged
in his room. The official verdict was suicide. An inquiry found
that he had been depressed for some time. Unfiled interrogation
notes discovered amongst his possessions related a crazy story
involving a conspiracy going back ten thousand years, of which the
Nazis were supposedly the current inheritors. The other
interrogators denied that any such questioning ever took place and
said the claims were preposterous. The victim’s notes were taken as
firm evidence that he’d lost his mind. There was no reason to
question the inquiry’s findings.
    ‘ But now things are
different, huh?’ Vernon interrupted.
    ‘ It’s my job not to
rule anything out. All we can do is go on facts. Something
unexplained is happening to Captain Ferris. Of that, there’s no
doubt. Anything else is speculation.’
    ‘ That’s right,’
Harrington said, ‘pure speculation.’ He turned back to Dr Wells. ‘Doctor, I want you to continue to monitor Ferris’s condition and
let us know immediately if there are any significant changes. In
the meantime, I’ll post extra guards. And Colonel Gresnick, I want
to know exactly what Section 5’s task was in 1945. What were they
trying to discover?’
    ‘ Section 5 reported
directly to General Patton,’ Gresnick said. ‘Patton was obsessed
with knowing what Hitler did with the Spear of Destiny.’
    ‘ We’re talking
about the General
Patton?’ Vernon said.
    ‘ The man
himself.’
    ‘ Why would a brilliant
soldier like Patton care about an old spear?’ Even as he asked the
question, Vernon felt sweat running down his back. He already knew
something about the Spear of Destiny. It featured prominently in
Lucy’s book, but in a peculiar way. It was her belief that it, and
not crucifixion, killed Jesus Christ.
    ‘ Mr Vernon, Patton
wasn’t a conventional general. He believed he was the reincarnation
of Hannibal. Also, he had highly unorthodox ideas about the
post-war situation in Europe.’
    ‘ Like what?’
    ‘ He wanted to re-arm
two Waffen SS divisions, incorporate them in his army and attack
the Soviet Union. He believed Communism was the biggest threat
imaginable.’
    ‘ He was a Nazi
sympathiser?’
    ‘ Many people thought
so. He died from injuries sustained in a car crash in Germany at
the end of 1945. On an empty road in foggy conditions, his
chauffeur-driven car collided with a U.S. military truck coming in
the opposite direction. For no apparent reason, it swerved right
into the path of his car. Some people didn’t think it was an
accident.’
    ‘ What about the Spear
of Destiny?’ Once, Vernon asked Lucy questions like that. He
remembered how excited she became whenever she found a new piece of
evidence to fit into her jigsaw. She was so full of life and
energy. It was horrific to think of her now as a lunatic being
pushed around in a wheelchair.
    ‘ Patton supposedly
wanted to take it to America,’ Gresnick said. ‘He declared that if
the Americans owned it they would rule the world.’
    ‘ So why did he give it
back to the Austrians?’
    ‘ He didn’t. Rumour has
it that Patton arranged for a convincing replica to be made. That
was the one sent to Vienna.’
    ‘ In that case, what
happened to the real one?’
    ‘ From what we can make
out, it was shipped back to America and hidden in a safe location
in North Carolina.’ Gresnick put down his pen. ‘Fort Bragg, to be
exact.’
    Vernon turned to Harrington, expecting
his boss to be as amazed by that revelation as he was. Instead,
Harrington’s face had blanched.
    ‘ Is something wrong,
sir?’
    ‘ I never thought I’d
see the day,’