The reason became clear as the man pressed their host. “You have my rifle?”
“Up front,” Gabriel assured him.
Moments later, the trundling rumble of the hangar door reached them, followed by the roar of a diesel engine. With a jolting shake, the truck headed out. The only sign that they had exited the cavern was a slight increase in the meager light seeping between the hay bales.
Sharyn stared around at their shadowy shapes, all huddled together.
“I think we made it,” Tag whispered.
Archie cursed him. “Bollocks, mate, never say—”
The thumping of a helicopter cut him off, growing louder, closing on their location. It was impossible to say whether the truck had been spotted or the aircraft had made a poorly timed pass in their direction.
Sharyn reached up and pawed around her shoulders. Her hands struck something other than hay. She grabbed the end of the periscope that Gabriel had mentioned. She twisted to get her eyes to its goggled end. At first, there was only darkness, but her thumb found a lever and pushed it to the side.
A blinding light flared through the lenses.
She squinted against it and spied a bumpy view of woods to either side of a gravel road. The truck sped up as those in the cab recognized the threat, too.
Sharyn fought the scope to search the skies. Beyond the shoulder of the hill where the château sat, a black helicopter swept into view. Its flight momentarily bobbled, likely catching sight of the retreating truck. It angled for a closer inspection.
“They spotted us,” Sharyn warned.
Her words were meant for those trapped in the hay, but another still responded.
The crack of a rifle exploded from the cab. She pictured Laurent leaning out the window with his weapon. From the accuracy of his shot, the rifle must have been fitted with a sniper’s scope. The helicopter’s tail rotor shattered, sending the bird into a hard spin. It twirled in midair, then plummeted precipitously toward the forest. Leaves and branches exploded around it as it struck.
She held her breath, but no fiery explosion followed. She prayed those aboard had survived, as they were likely only local forces. She also hoped the pilot had not radioed ahead about the fleeing vehicle.
Their truck reached a main road, bumping from gravel to pavement, then picked up speed. They rode in a tense silence, having to trust that Gabriel knew the backroads well enough to make their escape.
After another fifteen minutes, Sharyn allowed herself to breathe more fully.
“Don’t say it,” Archie warned Tag this time.
Though their shapes remained shadowy, Sharyn recognized Duncan as he put his arm around her and drew her closer.
“What now?” Naomi asked.
No one answered.
Not even Archie offered a quip.
Sharyn leaned into Duncan’s embrace. She knew they must head into the Alps. Laurent had given them little other choice, especially with the knowledge they now possessed. She felt trapped and wondered if Laurent had done this purposefully, forcing their cooperation, especially as another question troubled her:
How did the Brotherhood know where we were?
She found it odd that the enemy had crashed upon them shortly after they had deciphered the Second Adage. It was as if their adversaries had been waiting for this threshold to be passed before attacking.
She pictured Laurent, who continued to hold too many secrets. Like the backdoor out of the château. Could he have co-opted their group for his own ends or in service to theConfrérie?
And maybe not just him.
She stared across to Naomi, Tag, and Archie. All three had had hold of an iPad at one time or another. Even Duncan had ample time at the computer.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, accepting a hard truth, something ingrained into her by now. Going forward, she intended to adhere to it.
Trust no one.
