37

Using his pocket flash, Jack peered into the concrete passage. It was nine feet high, six feet wide, oval-shaped with a flat floor. A railway track stretched out into the darkness. The air, while stale and somewhat musky, was cool and breathable.

“Anyone claustrophobic other than yours truly?” he asked his two companions nervously.

“My folk lived in tunnels like these for hundreds of years,” said Grondark. “They don’t scare dwarfs.”

“Nothing frightens me,” said Cassandra unnecessarily.

Jack shook his head in disgust. At least Simon provided a little comic relief. Shrugging his shoulders, he reached into one of the two backpacks.

“Take these,” he said to Cassandra, handing her two plastic containers, each filled with ten thin, black plastic, rectangular discs. “Hopefully, you can use these like throwing stars.”

“Of course,” said Cassandra, balancing one of the rectangles in her hand. “I’ve used toothpicks as darts when necessary. But these things don’t have sharp edges. They won’t cause any damage.”

“Yes, they will,” said Jack. “I’m not sure exactly how they’ll affect the Border Redcaps, but I think the results should be spectacular. When we’re attacked, use these first before resorting to your staff.”

Rummaging through the bag, he pulled out nearly a dozen small plastic boxes. “Stuff these into your pockets,” he told Fritz. “Keep them handy. We’ll need them if we encounter the Gabble Ratchets.”

“These things?” asked the dwarf, doing as he was told. “You can buy them in any electronics store in the country. Even some supermarkets handle them.”

“It’s not how rare they are that makes them powerful,” said Jack, grinning. “It’s what they symbolize. Trust me. I know what I’m saying.”

“You’re acting very mysterious, Jack,” said Cassandra.

“My privilege,” replied Jack. “I’m the hero. Besides, who knows what powers von Bern controls in these tunnels? He could be eavesdropping on our every conversation. The one thing I’ve learned the past few days is that anything’s possible. The less I tell you, the less he knows. And the more he worries.”

“Makes sense to me,” said Fritz. “If you’re finished handing out surprises, I’ll lead. Dwarfs have perfect underground vision. We don’t need flashlights to see in the dark. You two keep your lights focused on the ground. That way, we won’t warn anyone we’re coming.”

They started off at a brisk clip. Fritz was first, with Jack second, and Cassandra third. The tunnel sloped gently downward, making walking easy. Within minutes, they had left the dim light of the opening to the surface far behind. While occasional vents dotted the walls and ceiling, providing a steady flow of air, none of them offered a hint of light. Except for their two flashlights, the passage was oppressively and totally dark.

Jack had been joking about claustrophobia, but within a few minutes he was painfully aware of the tons of earth over his head. That the concrete tunnels had lasted nearly a hundred years without collapse seemed relatively unimportant. The one-in-a-million chance that the passage might suddenly buckle beneath the pressure had Jack walking very gingerly.

After twenty minutes, the tunnel leveled out. “We’re beneath the city streets,” whispered Jack. His voice echoed and re-echoed through the silent passage. “No sign that anyone’s used this branch in years. Hopefully, we’ll catch von Bern by surprise. So far, so good.”

“Maybe,” rumbled Fritz Grondark. “Maybe not.” He waved a massive hand in the direction they were going. “Something’s up ahead blocking our way. I can’t make out what it is. Shine your flashlights on it.”

Jack and Cassandra both raised their beams. Fifty feet away, a railroad handcar rested on the track. Filling it nearly to the ceiling were a dozen big wooden crates.

“I thought you said they removed the handcarts from the tunnels fifty years ago,” said Cassandra as they slowly walked forward.

“They did,” said Jack. “Unfortunately, they stored them in the roundhouse station von Bern is using as his base. Much as I hate to say it, I’m willing to bet those boxes are filled with finishing bricks kept there as well. The German probably blocked all the direct routes to his hideout with obstacles like this. Not that we have the time to find out otherwise. Somehow we’ve got to unload enough of those boxes off that damned thing so that we can pass through, or we’re finished.”

Fritz leaned on the handcar. “Too heavy to push ahead of us. And whoever left it here probably wedged the wheels on the other side.”

Cassandra reached for one of the boxes. As predicted, it was filled to the top with bricks. Even Fritz couldn’t move one by himself. It would take hours to clear enough room for them to wiggle over the top of the blockade.

Jack paused. If not over, why not under? Crouching, he checked the bottom of the handcar. There wasn’t much room, but it looked like enough. For two of them, at least.

As he expected, the dwarf did not like the idea.

“Crawl under the car? My shoulders are too wide. I’ll never fit.”

“I know, Fritz. That’s why you’ll have to stay behind. Cassandra and I are slender enough to wiggle through. We have to go on without you.”

Grondark scowled. He reached out and grabbed one of the wood boxes. Angrily, he jerked the container forward. Decaying old wood collapsed beneath his fingers, leaving a pile of finishing bricks in its place. Furious, Fritz kicked the handcar. It didn’t budge.

The dwarf’s huge hands knotted into fists. “You’re right,” he said. “I understand. There is no time for delay. Do what you must. It is the only way. But that doesn’t mean I like it.”

Reaching into his pockets, Fritz pulled out the plastic boxes Jack had given him earlier. “Don’t forget these gadgets. Now, go. I’ll remove these boxes as quickly as possible and follow. Perhaps, if I’m lucky, there’ll still be a few trolls to smash when I arrive.”

“We’ll save some just for you,” promised Jack.

Cassandra, ever cautious, went first. It was a tight squeeze, but after a few curses and kicks, the Amazon made it to the other side. Using her staff, she pulled the two backpacks through. Then it was Jack’s turn.

“Goodbye, my friend,” said Grondark as Jack knelt on the concrete. “And good luck.”

“Thanks,” said Jack. “Like I told Simon, we’ll be back.”

Hurriedly, Jack scrambled through the space beneath the flatcar. If his feelings of claustrophobia had been bad a few minutes ago, now they were overwhelming. Especially when he was beneath an old wooden handcar filled with bricks. He sighed with relief when Cassandra finally grabbed his shoulders and pulled him through.

Before proceeding, Jack carefully checked the wires leading from his power pack to the rectangular box he called his secret weapon. All connections remained intact. If he was going to fail in his quest, it wouldn’t be because he was careless.

Once he was convinced everything was functional, he shouldered one of the two backpacks. Cassandra took the other. Walking stick in one hand, CD boom box in the other, she took the lead. Without the dwarf to guide them, they were forced to use their flashlights to point the way.

Behind them, for a long time after they left the handcar, they could hear Fritz Grondark cursing as he heaved brick after brick to the concrete floor.

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