Andy Mcdermott - Temple of the Gods

Conditions today, though, were far from their best. Low clouds blotted out the mountain-tops, a stiff, freezing wind driving snowflakes along like tiny knives of ice. The lack of sunlight draped a dismal pall over everything, flattening the scene almost to two dimensions. Even the jolly, toy-like locomotive seemed affected by the gloom, wheezing and straining to pull its carriages into the station.

The train finally clanked to a stop, sooty smoke swirling around the handful of disembarking passengers. Nina was among them, wearing a winter coat and woolly hat to protect herself from the cold. She was carrying a case, but unlike those of the other tourists, hers did not contain the accoutrements of a skiing holiday.

Instead, it held the three statues.

Stikes was waiting for her at the station’s exit, leaning casually against a wall. ‘Dr Wilde! Glad you could make it.’

‘Cut the crap, Stikes,’ she snapped. ‘Where’s Larry?’

‘Where are the statues?’ She held up the case. ‘Good. Although you won’t mind if I check, will you?’

Nina opened the case to reveal the trio of purple figurines within. ‘Satisfied?’

‘For the moment.’ He signalled to two large men standing nearby, who quickly marched to join him. ‘Follow me.’

She expected to be taken to a car, but Stikes instead headed for a tall and boxy building down the street. A cable-car station, steel lines rising up into the murk above the village. ‘Where are we going?’

‘I’m sure the Chandère tourist board will be very disappointed that you don’t know,’ Stikes said amiably. ‘We’re going to the Blauspeer hotel; it’s apparently quite famous. Exclusive, too. It’s one of the Group’s regular haunts for their meetings.’

‘Gee, with a recommendation like that, I’ll book next year’s vacation while I’m here.’

They entered the building. There was a sign on the door; Nina didn’t know sufficient German to translate the whole text, but picked out enough to gather that the hotel served by the aerial tramway was currently closed to the public. The Group had presumably booked the entire place, wanting privacy.

Stikes spoke briefly to a man inside a control booth, then led Nina and his two goons to the waiting gondola. She looked past it up the mountainside. Little was visible through the clouds and blowing snow. Her destination was effectively isolated from the rest of the world. She shivered.

The Englishman opened the cabin door for her. ‘Cold? Get in, it’ll be warmer.’

‘You’re the perfect gentleman,’ she said with a sneer as she entered. Stikes merely smirked and joined her, his men doing the same. A gesture to the booth from the former SAS officer, and the cable car lurched into motion.

Pointedly turning her back on Stikes, Nina went to the front window as the gondola began its ascent. A few buildings passed below, then the woods at the bottom of the hill. The best of the mountain’s ski runs were apparently reserved for the hotel’s residents, a low fence above the railroad separating the rising slopes from the village. The Blauspeer had other attractions than downhill skiing, however; a long luge track coiled down through the trees separating two of the ski runs. There were also what looked like target ranges for biathlon contestants.

‘I should ask the obvious question while we have the time,’ said Stikes. ‘Where’s your husband?’

‘In New York.’

‘No, he’s not. He’s in Switzerland — he took a different flight from you, but I know he’s here.’ His voice became flinty. ‘I warned you what would happen to his father if he tried to interfere.’

‘But he hasn’t interfered, has he? The only reason he’s here is to make sure we get out of the country safely.’ She glanced back at his two silent companions. ‘I’m assuming you’ve got more than just these two clowns watching the place. You’d know if he were in town.’

‘I know Chase,’ said Stikes. ‘He’s not the kind to sit around and wait.’ He looked out into the grey blankness obscuring the mountains. ‘He’s here, somewhere.’

‘If you think so, why don’t you try to make me tell you?’

‘Normally I would, as I’m sure you remember. But I have my orders, so my hands are tied… for the moment.’ A small, nasty smile.

Nina turned away again. The ride continued for a couple more minutes before a large, blocky shape finally loomed into view ahead. The Blauspeer hotel stood on relatively flat ground part-way up the mountain, the upper cable-car station actually built into one wing near the start of the luge track. The building looked quite old, timber-framed beneath its high, steeply sloping roof, but Nina suspected its facilities would be ultra-modern and luxurious. An ice-skating rink and an outdoor café overlooking the valley came into view as the cable car approached the end of its climb; considering the conditions, both were unsurprisingly deserted.

The gondola stopped. Stikes, feigning politeness, ushered Nina out. Even inside the station, the wind was stronger and colder than in the village, cutting through her coat. She hurried towards the glass doors leading to the hotel proper.

Warden waited in the expansive lobby beyond. ‘Dr Wilde,’ he said. ‘Welcome. I’m so glad you agreed to come.’

Her voice was as icy as the conditions outside. ‘I wasn’t exactly given a lot of choice.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Don’t pretend you don’t know.’ She jabbed a thumb at Stikes. ‘Your errand boy kidnapped my father-in-law and threatened to kill him if I didn’t bring you the statues.’

‘What?’ He looked at Stikes in genuine surprise. ‘Is this true?’

‘You told me to bring Dr Wilde and the statues here,’ Stikes replied smoothly. ‘I chose the most expeditious way to make sure that happened.’

Warden’s mouth twisted angrily. ‘I wanted her to come here willingly !’ he barked. ‘You idiot!’ Ignoring Stikes’s affronted expression, he turned back to Nina. ‘Dr Wilde, I apologise for this — this outrage. I assure you, I had absolutely no idea that Stikes would exceed his authority like this.’

‘Maybe you should have done what I said and fired him,’ said Nina.

Still fuming, Warden glared at Stikes. ‘Where is he now?’

The Englishman composed himself. ‘He’s in the hotel, and perfectly safe.’

‘Is he a guest or a prisoner?’ asked Nina pointedly.

‘Make sure it’s the former,’ said Warden. ‘Now get out of my sight!’

Stikes stiffened, offering a terse ‘Yes, sir ’ as he and his two men headed for the nearby elevators.

Warden muttered something unflattering as he watched them leave, then addressed Nina. ‘Again, I apologise. You’re an absolutely vital part of what the Group hopes to achieve, and I want you to be completely free in your decision to join us. I hope Stikes’s stupidity hasn’t affected that. I’ll make sure your father-in-law is freed, and fully compensated for whatever inconvenience and distress he’s been caused.’

‘I’m sure he’ll appreciate that,’ said Nina. Warden didn’t seem to detect her undercurrent of sarcasm — though she couldn’t help noticing that he was so arrogant as to assume that she would agree to go along with the Group, no matter what. ‘As for what Stikes has done, I don’t think that’ll have much effect on my decision.’

‘I’m very happy to hear that.’ Again, the financier failed to pick up on her not-exactly-buried subtext. ‘In that case, if you’ll come with me, I’ll introduce you to the Group.’

Eddie gazed through the binoculars, holding one gloved hand above the lenses to ward off the blowing snow. ‘So that’s the hotel? Looks like it should have Jack Nicholson as the caretaker.’