Tobias snickered. “Yes, and so was the
He didn’t need to finish. The threat had been applied and received flawlessly.
“
The call ended without another word.
To Zahra, it looked and felt as if Antarctica was doing everything possible to keep them from reaching their goal. What should have taken two hours to reach Lake Untersee had taken them almost three. A blitzkrieg of a storm had rolled through, threatening to halt the powerful Sno-Cat in its place. Hammet had pushed it forward but had done so at a snail’s pace.
He’d said it was to conserve the engine.
No one had argued. Neither Zahra nor Yana wanted to get stuck out here any more than Hammet did.
They had also been unsuccessful in their attempts to contact Kyle. Zahra’s signal should have been plenty strong enough to connect with him.
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Yana said. “Probably just a bad signal on their end.”
Hammet spotted their destination first.
“We’re here,” he said, pointing straight forward.
Zahra and Yana spotted them seconds later. Luckily, not everything in Antarctica was painted white. Much of the Gruber Mountains were the shade of earth. The change in color was a blessing to Zahra. It meant that they hadn’t gotten lost.
Lake Untersee sat within a deep pocket of jagged peaks and was surrounded on three sides. The eastern end of the Gruber Mountains made a malformed “U” and blocked out most of the vortex raging on behind them. And because of that protective feature, the mountain range was home to thousands of snow petrels. The birds used the massif as a breeding ground, though Zahra didn’t see any now.
Hammet applied the brakes and brought the Sno-Cat to a stop. He shifted into park, sat back, and unbuckled. The German turned to face Zahra as Yana leaned forward from the back seat.
“I suggest we get moving before any unwanted guests arrive.”
“Agreed,” Yana said. “Here.” She handed Zahra and Hammet their rifles. “Everything is ready. Mags are topped off and loaded into your vests.” She hefted their fully kitted plate carriers. “I will patrol the grounds while you two get ready.”
And with that, Yana exited the Sno-Cat.
Zahra unzipped her coat and slipped the plate carrier over her head. She inserted the detachable chest rig, pulled the wings of the cummerbund forward, and velcroed them down, tightening the carrier. Then she flopped her chest rig back into place, securing both pieces together. She was confident that it wouldn’t slosh around if and when she was forced to move quickly.
Hammet also slid into his plate carrier. He looked like he had a million thoughts banging around in his head.
“What do you think we’ll find?” Zahra asked.
“I’m not sure,” he replied, “but considering all the trouble the Sixth Seal is going through, I think it’s safe to say that it’ll be quite impressive.”
Zahra gazed out over the frozen lake. “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I mean, an underground Nazi bunker in Antarctica. This is a big deal.”
Hammet sighed. “One the world will never know about.”
It hurt Zahra to think about it in that way. But Hammet was right. “Especially with the work they were doing out here… whatever it was.”
“Black Sunset,” Hammet said. “What do you think it is?”
She tipped her head toward the lake. “Why don’t we go find out?”
He smiled, grabbed his backpack, and exited the vehicle. Zahra did, too. She was blasted by the cold but not the wind. The air was still here, except for the occasional breeze funneling in off the tundra. The cold wasn’t as unruly around the lake. Zahra looked up at the Gruber Mountains and mentally thanked them for their shelter.
They headed off and joined Yana at the northern edge of the lake. She knelt, scanning the area for signs of life through her binoculars. She stood when her teammates approached.
“Anything?” Zahra asked.
“No,” Yana replied. “All is quiet.”
Zahra gave the landscape a look of her own. Nothing moved.
Hammet stepped toward the lake. “Can you imagine seeing a U-boat surfacing here?”
“I have witnessed a submarine punch through the ice once back in Russia,” Yana said, “but this is something else.”
Zahra pulled out her own binoculars. “So, where do you want to start our search?” She scanned the shoreline. “I see a couple of spots where sailors could come ashore. A good chunk of the coast is too steep, though.”
“We’ll follow you,” Hammet said.
Zahra removed the binoculars from her eyes and pocketed them. She gave him a nod and set off around the flat expanse of ice. Lake Untersee wasn’t terribly big. It measured a mile and a half across at its widest point. The hike didn’t bother Zahra, but leaving the Sno-Cat behind and unattended did.
