Free The Secret Crown (2010) by Chris Kuzneski Page B

Lawsuits would fill his days and anxiety would ravage his nights, a life of kindness and generosity torn asunder by sins that had been committed long before he was even born.
    Unless, of course, they could prove his grandfather’s innocence.
    As the rotors on the chopper slowed, Payne and Jones rushed forward, eager to comfort their friend. The grass, still glistening with dew, stained their shoes and the cuffs on their cargo pants as they hustled across the field. Unsure of what to expect, they were greeted by a smiling Ulster who practically leapt out of the cockpit to give both of them a hug.
    ‘It’s so wonderful to see you. Simply wonderful!’ Ulster exclaimed.
    The duo exchanged worried glances, afraid he’d had a nervous breakdown during the night. Or, at the very least, had finished a few too many cocktails during his flight.
    ‘You seem, um, chipper … Have you been drinking?’ Jones asked.
    Ulster roared with laughter. ‘Nothing stronger than coffee. Although I must admit I was tempted to drown my sorrows after your call.’
    ‘Not
my
call.
His
call. If you’re going to shoot the messenger, shoot Jon.’
    Ulster grinned and patted Payne on his shoulder. ‘Don’t worry, my boy, you are safe from repercussions. In fact, my respect for you has never been greater. Only a true friend would have made that call.’
    Jones winced at the comment. ‘For the record,
I
wanted to call you, but
he
wouldn’t let me. What can I say? He’s selfish that way.’
    Ulster smiled. ‘Rest assured, David. I appreciate you equally.’
    ‘Glad to hear it,’ Jones said, basking in the praise.
    Strangely, Payne had remained silent during the entire conversation, struggling to reconcile the cheerful Ulster who stood before him with the depressed one he had been expecting. Obviously something had changed in the last twelve hours, but he didn’t know what.
    ‘Petr,’ Payne said delicately, ‘please don’t take this the wrong way, because the last thing I want to do is ruin your mood. But why are you so cheerful?’
    ‘Aren’t I always?’ Ulster asked with a twinkle in his eye.
    ‘Normally, yes. But you weren’t last night. In fact, you were devastated.’
    ‘Maybe so, but I’m better now. After we spoke, I had an epiphany.’
    ‘Really?’ Jones cracked. ‘I smoked one of those things in Amsterdam. Couldn’t feel my teeth for a week.’
    Payne ignored the joke, focusing on Ulster. ‘An epiphany about what?’
    ‘About something you told me.’
    ‘Care to be more specific?’
    Ulster smiled. ‘If it’s okay with you, can I explain once we’re there? In case you haven’t noticed, my body wasn’t built for hiking. And I’d like to get there before Christmas.’
    Moving at Ulster’s sloth-like pace, it took them twice as long to reach the bunker as it had the day before. Despite the cool morning air and the shade from the trees, Ulster was oozing so much sweat when they reached the site that he had to wring out his shirt. Thankfully, he had packed some extra clothes with the rest of his supplies - which included a laptop, a digital camera and a toolkit filled with archaeological equipment - and was able to change his shirt before he thanked Kaiser, whom he had never met before, with a massive bear hug.
    After helping Ulster down the ladder, Payne led him to the back chamber where the crates had been stored for several decades. As a historian, Ulster viewed the site differently than Payne and Jones. Growing up near Germany, Ulster had toured dozens of Nazi bunkers over the years, so he knew what to expect and what didn’t belong.
    At first glance he realized one important element was missing.
    ‘Where are the swastikas? There should be swastikas.’
    ‘Sorry,’ Jones joked. ‘We didn’t have time to decorate.’
    Ulster moved about the room, studying the walls. ‘The Nazis were big proponents of symbolism. They marked everything they got their hands on. Obviously the swastika was their main symbol, but