Icefall (Dane Maddock Adventures) Read Online Free PDF Page A

true. I swear it! ” The man ’ s eyes remained firmly shut. This might be a bad dream, but it was one from which he would not wake.
    The American looked around and froze.
    “ Where are the skulls? ” His voice was velvet soft, and it sent frozen fingers like the touch of a spirit down Niklas ’ s spine.
    The man hesitated and, for a moment, Niklas thought the fellow might try to hold something back, but courage apparently failed him.
    “ The others took them. I was giving them a tour, and they took the skulls. ”
    “ Did they hear the priest ’ s words? ” Heat rose in the American ’ s voice.
    “ Yes. They hear everything. Then they took the skulls and left. I stayed here to wait for die Polizei. ”
    So the authorities were on their way. That changed things. Niklas looked around as if uniformed men lurked in the shadows.
    “ I want names, and fast . ”
    “ I do not know them all. They introduced themselves quickly and then we saw the priests. ” The man was shaking; clearly fearing this lack of knowledge would cost him his life. “ One man was a red Indian. A big man, almost two meters tall. There was a woman, also a red Indian.  I do not remember their names. And there was another man and woman. ”
    “ You ’ d better come up with at least one name or the remainder of your very short life will be filled with pain. ”
    “ Verzeih mir, ” the man whispered. Forgive me. “ Jade Ihara. She was a colleague... ”
    “ Jade Ihara the archaeologist? ”
    “ Ja. ” The man nodded, his body quaking.
    “ They are here! ” Ulrich called. “ They did not use their sirens. We have no time. ”
    The American let out roar of rage and frustration and clubbed the prisoner across the temple, knocking him unconscious.
    The three men dashed back to the transept and slipped outside, past the treasury, and across the street. Ten minutes later they were in their vehicle, driving along the Rhine. The American sat in the passenger side, muttering to himself. Niklas finally broke the silence.
    “ This Jade Ihara, you know her? ” He bit his lip, waiting for the explosion, but it did not come.
    “ Oh yes. I know her well, and if I don ’ t miss my guess, I know the men she ’ s with. But they think I ’ m dead. ”

Chapter 5- A Way Out
     
    “ You have got to be kidding me. ” Angel ’ s tone was as flat as her stare as she stepped back and regarded at the closed door. “ I thought you guys were winding me up when you told me about your crazy adventures. ”
    “ I wish. ” Dane shone his light on the door and ran his fingers along its surface, but felt no switch or lever. “ The good news is, there ’ s always a way out. ”
    “ How can you be sure? ” Angel didn ’ t sound doubtful – only curious.
    “ You see any remains in here? Obviously, everyone who came in here left again. We just need to figure out how. ” He continued to search. “ Let ’ s start by looking for either the sign of the three hares or the wise virgins. This is a pagan temple, so I think the hares are more likely. ”
    They spread out and continued the search. It wasn ’ t long before Jade called everyone over to the Bacchus frieze.
    “ I found the hares! ” She shone her light over a bunch of grapes.
    Dane and the others circled around behind her and looked where she indicated. He frowned.
    “ I don ’ t see anything but grapes. ”
    “ You won ’ t at first. Step back and squint. ” Jade turned and flashed a bright smile. “ Tilt your head if you have to. ”
    They must have made an odd-looking trio, the three of them leaning to and fro, looking from different angles, trying to see what Jade saw. She moved the side and shone her light across the carving, casting it in long shadows.
    “ There it is! ” Bones ’ voice was triumphant. “ It ’ s like one of those weird posters where you have to let your vision go all fuzzy before you can see it. ”
    Almost as soon as Bones had spoken, Dane saw it too . It wasn