The Secret Crown

terrain at that very spot. In a span of less than ten feet, the topography went from flat and grassy to steep and rocky.

Although the sun was shining and the weather was pleasant, Payne and Jones had spent enough time in the mountains of Afghanistan to understand how drastically altitude could affect the weather. It was sixty-eight degrees where the chopper had landed, yet the peak above them was covered in snow. Depending on the length of their hike, they knew the temperature could drop significantly – especially after dark.

Jones swore under his breath, not thrilled with the possibilities. Despite years of training and hundreds of missions, there were few things he hated more than cold. And Payne knew it.

‘Looks frigid up there. I hope you packed your mittens,’ Payne taunted him.

Jones swore again, this time a little louder.

‘What was it that you said earlier? “The man has snacks. How bad can it be?” ‘ Payne asked in a mocking tone. ‘Well, I guess you’re about to find out.’

Unhappy with the turn of events, Jones was ready to unleash a string of four-letter words, but Kaiser cut him off before he had a chance. ‘The sun goes down around seven – even sooner where we’re headed. The trees choke out the light.’

Payne nodded in understanding. ‘Then we better get moving.’

Kaiser pulled a cargo bag from the belly of the chopper. ‘I’ve got flashlights and basic supplies. Everything else is at the site.’

‘How far away?’

‘Maybe thirty minutes.’

‘Not a problem,’ Payne said as he studied the forest. Starting at the edge of the meadow, a narrow path snaked its way up the hillside until it disappeared in the trees. ‘Out of curiosity, who owns this field?’

Kaiser walked towards him. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘Why? Because we just landed a helicopter on it. Plus, if we need to haul something off the mountain, we’ll need to bring in a truck.’

‘Don’t worry. It’s taken care of.’

‘Meaning?’

Kaiser smiled. ‘Meaning, it’s taken care of. Seriously, Jon, you should relax. All I need you to do is figure out what we’re dealing with.’

Even though Kaiser had kept his word and filled in some details during their trip from Munich, Payne wasn’t comfortable with his role as consultant. Normally he was the man in charge of the mission, not the one with all the questions.

‘Sorry,’ Payne said, ‘force of habit.’

‘No need to apologize. Or worry. I’m telling you, Jon, this will be easy. You’ll be drinking beer at Oktoberfest before you know it.’

Payne forced a smile, hoping he was right. ‘Sounds good to me.’

‘It’s about freaking time,’ snapped Jones as he brushed past them and headed towards the trail. ‘The longer we wait, the colder it gets.’

Confused, Kaiser looked to Payne for an explanation. ‘What’s his problem?’

‘Unfortunately, there are too many to name.’

All things considered, the hike was a simple one. The weather was mild, the ground was dry and the path was well defined. Someone had marked the way with chalk, placing an X on trees in order to highlight the route. Every once in a while, there would be a circle or a square or an arrow pointing to the left or right, but Kaiser explained they were ‘dummy signs’ meant to confuse intruders. Payne and Jones weren’t sure who would follow symbols in the middle of the woods – unless Robert Langdon was in town – but they took it in their stride. Until they knew what had been discovered, they weren’t sure how much caution was necessary.

‘We’re almost there,’ Kaiser assured them. He reached into his bag and pulled out a two-way radio equipped with GPS. ‘I have to let them know we’re approaching.’

‘And if you don’t?’ Payne asked.

‘They’ll shoot us,’ he explained.

Jones, who was leading the way, stopped instantly. ‘Good to know.’

Kaiser turned on the unit, then mumbled several words in German. A few seconds later, a short response crackled through the speaker.

Kaiser nodded in understanding. ‘Okay, we’re clear. It’s just up ahead.’

But Jones refused to move. ‘That’s okay. I’ll wait.’

‘For what?’ Kaiser wondered.

‘For a white guy to take the lead.’

‘You’re such a racist,’ Payne said as he walked past Jones. For as long as they had been friends, race had never been an issue, so they felt comfortable teasing each other about the subject. In their friendship, very few things were off limits.

‘Maybe so,’ Jones mumbled, ‘but my black ass is still alive.’

‘Because you’re a coward. A racist coward.’

‘A coward?’ Jones hustled to catch up with his best friend. ‘Did you just call me a coward? I swear, if I wasn’t so damn scared of you, I’d punch you in the face.’

Payne was going to tease him some more when he spotted something in the trees. Instinctively he froze and threw a clenched fist into the air. In the military this meant stop and shut up because a threat had been detected. Jones saw the sign and instantly obeyed. No questions, no debate, no sound of any kind. During his career, the signal had saved his life many times. He wasn’t about to challenge it now.

‘What’s wrong?’ Kaiser asked.

Jones turned and signalled for him to be quiet. A moment later, Payne pointed to the right, letting them know where danger was lurking. Jones nodded and calmly pulled a gun from his belt. The Sig Sauer had been tucked underneath his shirt at the small of his back. From the front of the group, Payne did the same, drawing his weapon with a steady hand.

One moment they were joking around. The next, they were ready to kill.

As if someone had flipped a switch.

‘Where are your men?’ Payne asked as he dropped into a crouch.

‘Up ahead, guarding the site.’

‘All of them?’

‘I don’t know,’ Kaiser admitted.

‘Get on your radio and find out.’

‘But I just talked to-’

Payne cut him off. ‘Do you like your men? If so, get a head count.’

‘But-’

‘Listen,’ Payne explained. ‘If I send DJ into the woods, he’s going to take out anyone he sees. And trust me when I say this, he’s very good at what he does.’

‘I’m like a ninja,’ Jones assured him.

‘Therefore, for the sake of your men, please ask them where they are. Otherwise, this is going to get messy.’

Kaiser nodded, concerned and exhilarated at the exact same time. He had heard stories about the duo, but had never seen them in action until this moment. Needless to say, he was impressed by their performance. ‘No problem. I’ll call them right now.’

Kaiser turned on the radio and started whispering in German. His message was longer than before, and a lot more urgent. So was the response from the guards. About halfway through, a smile surfaced on Kaiser’s lips.

‘It’s okay,’ he said, breathing a sigh of relief. ‘Richter was just taking a piss.’

‘A piss?’ Jones lowered his weapon. ‘That piss almost cost him his dick.’

‘I’ll be sure to tell him.’

Despite the explanation, Payne remained on high alert – unable to fully relax until he got more details from Kaiser. ‘Who are these guys?’

Kaiser frowned. ‘Why do you ask?’