Bombshell Part 48

"No, nothing like that. But everyone I know is dying, and no one knows why."

He said, "You have a right to be scared, Melissa, but not to be stupid. Instead of trying to scam us, you can help us."

"How?"

"I'm going to search Peter's apartment today, and I'd like your help in searching yours."

Winkel's Cave, front entrance

Team One

Claus parked the lead SUV on the shoulder of Wolf Trap Road that ran north and south about a hundred yards west of Winkel's Cave. They had driven in slowly, all eyes alert for any movement, but no one was surprised they didn't see anyone, not out here in the sticks three miles out of Maestro. There had been a couple of derelict houses s.p.a.ced far apart, visible through the falling snow, but no sign of life.

The second SUV pulled up behind them, and everyone climbed out. They circled Claus, huddled together, their breaths mingling white puffs in the still air. They knew the light, lazy flakes wouldn't last long. They were in for another heavy snow in a couple of hours.

Claus pointed. "The entrance to the cave is a hundred yards in through the maple and pine trees. There's a rough path, but there'll be a lot of rocks hidden by the snow, so be careful." He checked to see that everyone's flashlight and headlamp worked. They checked their weapons and the extra magazines in at their belts. They were ready. Claus nodded to Anna.

Anna said, "We didn't see any signs of tire tracks coming in, but since it's been snowing for a while now, they could be covered up. Best to a.s.sume they will have guards stationed near the front of the cave, even though Dix and Ruth think it's closed down. Surprise is the key, so we'll go in quiet, split up, and come at the cave entrance from opposite sides. If the sheriff is right and it looks abandoned, Claus will cut through the iron gate with his combi-tool and we'll follow him in."

Claus cleared his throat, so nervous and excited he could scarcely get enough spit into his mouth. He cleared his throat again. He'd already told them, but he couldn't help repeating it again. "An explosion was set off in the cave last year-someone trying to cover up a murder-so the pa.s.sage leading toward the rear entrance was caved in last time I was here. We'll be climbing down before we get to it, and you may start to encounter some sharp debris from the explosion, shards of limestone and dolomite, rocks and dust. It may be slippery from the dust, so follow my lead."

Anna picked it up. "As we've already discussed, some of the gang members have to be using Winkel's Cave as their living quarters, if only to defend their stash at night. We'll hope they cleared the debris away to give them access to more room and another exit." Anna looked at each agent's face, most of whom she knew, some married, some with kids, some drinking buddies or movie buffs, but all were smart, tough people. "We have ten minutes before we head into the cave." She looked at her watch. "Let's move out."

She nodded to Claus, and he stepped down into a snow-filled ditch, holding the heavy cutting tool in both arms, and walked toward the thick woods. The agents filed in behind him. Anna stayed with Griffin at the back of the line, since with the leg wound the going would be slow. She knew he was grateful Brannon hadn't decided to leave him behind.

They made their way quietly through the thick pine and maple trees, as silent as the falling snow dusting them and the trees around them in white. The morning was pure, that was the word that came to Griffin, and there was no wind. It was, he thought, like walking through a winter postcard-well, walking a bit on the slow side-and there might be people shooting at them soon.

A twig snapped beneath Anna's hiking boot. She froze. He whispered, "It's okay, only a field mouse could hear that." Griffin knew he was holding Anna back, Anna the team leader, stuck staying back with him.

"Wipe the frown off your face. You're doing great," she whispered, her breath cold on his cheek. "Don't worry, Captain America. We're going to make it to the cave on time. I'm thinking they'll come running into our arms."

"Right into your Kevlar? Got it on tight?"

"Sure, and you?"

"I'm good to go. I figure since we didn't bite the big one last night when they blew up our cars, we're sprinkled with magic dust. It only looks like snow."

She couldn't help saying it. "I want you to promise me you won't hot-dog. I'm the team leader here, all right?"

He gave her a blazing smile.

Claus raised his hand, and everyone stopped. He pointed across a small clearing.

About twenty yards in front of them was Winkel's Cave. It was set into a hillside, surrounded by weeds and undergrowth, and offered a tall, narrow opening covered with an iron-barred gate. A large sign was nailed next to the opening: NO TRESPa.s.sING. It looked deserted, no footprints in the snow, nothing. They listened, heard more nothing.

Anna went to stand by Claus, and pointed at each of them in turn, a.s.signing them to either side of the cave entrance. She and Claus walked slowly to the barred gate along the side of the hill, the agents covering them. They would be blind for a moment if there was anyone inside the cave watching them from the darkness. She turned on her flashlight and peered through the bars. There was no one there. It was time. She whispered, "Claus, get the gate opened." She stepped back.

The hydraulic cutter snapped the thick chain holding the gate, and it clunked to the ground, hitting a pile of rocks. It sounded like a cannon shot in the silence.

Anna checked to see everyone had turned on his headlamp. She met each agent's eyes, nodded. She looked at her watch, raised her hand. "Let's go. Talk in whispers, and only if you need to," and motioned to Claus to lead them in.

Anna held up her hand again when they were all inside. There was no sound except their quiet breathing. The ceiling was high enough so they could walk upright, even Rodney Bengal, who was six foot four. They went around a corner, walked down a couple of steps, avoiding scattered rocks. Claus stopped, and everyone closed in behind him. The darkness was absolute beyond their headlamps. And quiet, Griffin thought. It was the quiet inside the cave that surprised him the most. He clearly heard Anna's breathing.

Around them was an incredible sweep of spectacular draperies, towering stalagmites. Claus whispered, "Don't touch them, they're fragile, and loud if they fall." He realized then that if any shooting started, there'd be destruction all around them. "Stay close."

As they moved down a twisty pa.s.sage with a low ceiling, Claus whispered, "We're going to have to bend down ahead for maybe ten feet or so, then the ceiling will rise up again. It's narrow there, too, but don't worry, it'll soon widen out."

The cave walls closed in, and soon most of them were bent double. Griffin gritted his teeth and bent. To his surprise, his leg didn't have much to say.

Claus said, "We're going to have to crawl here, but it's not a long pa.s.sage, no more than twenty feet."

He could do twenty feet, not a problem, Griffin thought, and crawled.

Claus stopped, and everyone stilled. "This is the pa.s.sage that caved in last year," he whispered. "You see the debris along the sides? It was completely blocked, but they've cleared it. We'll get through now."

Anna said quietly, "Wait up. I hear something."

Winkel's Cave, front entrance

Team Two

Dix turned his Range Rover right off onto a single-lane road gouged with deep ruts and piles of rocks and fallen branches. There was no banter among his pa.s.sengers, no conversation at all. The only sound was the rhythmic click of the winds.h.i.+eld wipers brus.h.i.+ng away the light snowfall.

They pa.s.sed a couple of old wooden houses set in hollows of land a good way back from the road, surrounded by trees, snow piled high around them and over the old cars parked in the driveways. The whole valley was pristine white and silent as the snow fell lazily from a gray sky.

Ruth pointed. "That last house belonged to Walt McGuffey. He died last year. His heir showed up, looked at the house, closed it up, and left. It's not far now."

The road dead-ended fifty yards later.

Dix said, "We can't go off-road in the snow. So pile out, people. We got us a ways to walk now."

The snow drifted so deep here it was inside their boots within fifteen steps of the road. Dix paused. "Upslope to your left is Lone Tree Hill. See the single oak tree standing on top of the rise? It's been there since before I had feet on the ground. On the far side of the hill, about a hundred yards away, is where Highway 70 runs. There's a dogleg on a country road exit off the highway there, so you can't see beyond it from the highway. They've got to be parking their vehicles under the trees there when they bring in their supplies, drugs, food, whatever they need, right over Lone Tree Hill.

"Once we climb up over this small rise, you'll see a steep gully at the base of the hill where the cave entrance is. We'll have only scraggly trees and some blackberry bushes for cover, and we'll use them as much as possible. Be aware that if they have lookouts high up on the hill, they could see us at any time. Stay quiet."

Brannon motioned to his agents, and they formed a single line behind Dix.