The organization’s founder’s vision mirrored Hitler’s in a way but without the internal politics and power struggle. The Sixth Seal desired change, and they’d do it without remorse and without bureaucratic barriers. Hitler also had refused to bend when he’d been threatened. He had staunchly believed in his appointed leadership, that they would ultimately prevail. But then, the entire Nazi Party broke, and so did the war effort.
The Sixth Seal had survived for so long because of their willingness to switch gears and change operational procedures. They did anything to progress forward. Tobias Krause led with an identical iron fist, too, emphasizing the same “leader principle” as Hitler had used. The
Insubordination was not an option.
Ever.
Emil knew of several men and women who had been “disappeared” because of speaking aloud too many converse opinions.
It took them nearly three hours to reach the mountains. The Sno-Cat had chewed through the terrain, as it was designed to do, but it had been slow going. Most of the drive had been accomplished in silence. When someone did speak, it was about the mission and what they’d possibly find. Zahra had so much on her mind, but she didn’t know where to begin. So, she had kept it inside and did her best to sort through it herself.
“Be ready for anything,” Hammet cautioned. His simple warning erased Zahra’s internal struggle. Now, she was on high alert — they all were.
The mountain range was small compared to others Zahra had seen on her map. She’d climbed much larger, too, but not in an atmosphere as inhospitable as Antarctica. The formations looped around to form a jagged letter “C,” and nestled into one of its ends were a trio of artificial lumps.
“See them?” Hammet asked.
Zahra lifted a pair of binoculars to her eyes. “I do.” She lowered them. “How do you want to do this? We’ll have no cover either way.”
“Slowly,” Yana replied. “They don’t know that we followed them.”
Hammet looked around, gauging the weather outside of the cab. “We can move closer, I think. The weather has worsened. They won’t be able to see us, and they most definitely won’t be able to hear us.”
“That’s really sketchy, isn’t it?” Zahra asked.
Hammet shrugged. “Like you said, we have no cover.” He knocked on the windshield. “This is built to withstand a beating. We should be safe inside.”
“Should…” Yana muttered. “I hate the word.”
Zahra sighed. “Don’t we all.” She bit her lip, deep in thought, but couldn’t come up with a better plan. “Okay, move us in closer.”
“Take it slow,” Yana added.
Hammet smiled and patted the dashboard. “Don’t you worry about that. The only thing this slug knows is
They crawled forward slower than they had before. They bounced around more, too. Faster speeds allowed travelers to skip over the uneven sections of terrain. Right now, Zahra felt like they were attempting to navigate over Olympic moguls.
When they were within a hundred yards, Hammet stopped. “Close enough.”
“Is no one home?” Yana asked.
Zahra had been wondering the same thing. She had honestly expected to meet quite a bit of resistance by now. Without a word, Hammet threw the Sno-Cat into park and popped open his door. Zahra and Yana followed him outside through their respective doors. She shouldered her AK, staying close to the body of the snow tracker. Yana looped around the rear of it and met them. Hammet looked at both women, then nodded.
The trio took off. They rushed forward, keeping their eyes peeled for the enemy. As they ran, the wind died down some. The natural cover the tip of the “C” gave them a much-needed respite from the unrelenting gale. It was the first time Zahra was able to hear the crunch of her footfalls. Hammet and Yana must have noticed the change as well because they also slowed to a quieter, brisk walk.
“Down,” Yana hissed.
The three-man team dropped onto their bellies.
“What is it?” Zahra asked, aiming her rifle forward.
“There,” Yana replied, pointing. “Thirty feet in front of the larger tent.”
“I don’t see anything.”
“Look at the ground,” Hammet said.
Zahra did, and she instantly saw what had spooked the Russian mercenary. “It’s a lump.”
Yana glanced at her. “No, it’s a body.”
Zahra removed her binoculars from her coat pocket and looked. “Damn, you’re right.” I see blood beneath… whoever that is.”
“Whoever it
Hammet got to one knee. “I don’t think anyone is alive.”
Zahra and Yana also got up. Zahra was thankful for it. Her winter gear could only keep the temperature of the frozen earth out so well.
Yana stood. “Let’s get going. Hopefully, there will be answers inside.”
