Daniel stood up to hit the emergency brake, and the chairlift shuddered to a halt. Klaus twisted and turned, yelling out in fear as he dangled and swung over the cleave in the earth, the jagged rocks far below that lined a rushing stream. Liam’s mouth was dry, but he forced himself to go on, despite the false bravado now apparent in his tone.

“Long way down, Klaus. Time to tell us the rest about your friend.”

“He—he grabbed my arm, looked at me with those awful, dead eyes, and then he—he wheezed something. I’m not sure what he said. But then there were aides upon him, wrangling him back into one of those basement laboratories. They said he had pneumonia, some bullshit like that. But I know what I saw.”

“Good job, Klaus. You’re almost there,” Daniel called. “Now, about Wewelsburg. How do we get in undetected?”

“You don’t.” Klaus laughed, bitterly. “You must have an identification badge. There’re multiple checkpoints. It’s locked up tighter than a Jungfrau’s thighs.”

Liam rolled his eyes. “There must be some way in.”

“There is.” Daniel sawed at the rope once more, and it stretched further. “And he’s going to tell us.”

“Scheiße, okay, you maniacs!” Klaus kicked his feet helplessly, fraying the rope further. “But you have to let me go after this. Swear it.”

Daniel and Liam exchanged glances. “Fine. You’ve got a deal,” Liam said, though Daniel tensed with displeasure beside him.

“Your best bet is through the garage. It’s how I got the Oberführer’s Benz out.”

“Is it unguarded?” Daniel asked.

Klaus grimaced. “No, but the guards are bored, easily bribed. I offered to bring back some pretty Edelweißes for them if they let me out for the night.”

Liam blinked. “You bribed them with flowers?”

“He means girls,” Daniel muttered. “Pure-blooded German girls.”

Liam glared down at the guard. “Aren’t you a charmer, Klaus. Now, what about watch schedules?”

“Men are posted along the battlements at all hours. Only a complete idiot would try to infiltrate it.”

“This castle has battlements?” Liam asked Daniel.

“The papers say that Himmler likes to fancy it his new Camelot,” Daniel explained. “And all his SS commanders are the knights of the Round Table. It’s vile.”

“Is it?” Klaus asked. “His lieutenants already wield a power mightier than Merlin’s. Once they make more of those soldiers like my friend . . . They’ll be unstoppable. A thundering wave of destruction.”

“I’ll bet we can stop them just fine,” Liam said, but with a certainty he didn’t feel. With Pitr helping them, lying in wait to strike the moment Liam dipped into the shadow realm . . .

“Then come and find me if you do. Perhaps we shall have a drink and a laugh, ja, meine Freunde?”

Daniel flicked out his blade once more and held it to the rope. “I’d rather not.”