Algorithm - Book 1 - The Medallion

Chapter 12

He was standing on the threshold of a crusher, a machine designed to break raw coal gathered from the mines down to smaller pieces. He looked down and saw the ragged metal teeth set on rollers at the base of the funnel.

A grunt behind him announced the arrival of the uniform. A surge of panic shot through Adam's mind, and in that instant, time slowed down.  Everything in his sight assumed an eerie, crystal clarity. Seconds seemed to turn into minutes. Adam could hear the beat of his heart slow down, his breathing paused. There was time enough to clinically examine the machine below.  The toothed rollers glinted in the shadows. He noticed pulleys leading to the rollers, and his eyes followed them back to a set of levers nearby. He yanked one and nothing happened. He pulled again, this time with both hands. The lever moved slightly yielding a gravelly groan.

Did the rollers part just a little bit? 

He tried again, and heard two more squeals, a mechanical one from below and a very human one from behind him. He turned to see the uniform rising up on the platform and the slow-motion special effects ended.

No time left.

Adam leaped feet first into the funnel, sliding to the bottom in a cloud of black dust, down to where those dragon teeth had patiently been waiting so many years for their next meal.

***

Linda and Hedda froze, and turned their heads in unison. Herman was now standing and pointing a gun at them. Linda didn't know which was worse—the gun or the smug look on his face.

Hedda was the first to react. "Herman Borman! You put that thing down right now. Are you insane?"

Herman's reply sent cold shivers through Linda. "Vielleicht. Maybe so. Maybe not. Sit down … both of you. No one is leaving here. Not until I get the artifact."

"If it's this you want, here, keep it."  Hedda pulled out the gold rod from her jacket and threw it on the table between them.

Herman's mouth tightened into a straight line. He replied very slowly, as if to make himself very clear. "And, the other one?"

Linda retorted, "We lost it. Just now. We don't know where it is." 

Hedda was nodding as if to verify the claim.

A short rasp blew out of Herman's mouth sounding like something between a cough and a guffaw. He wiped his mouth again before replying. "How convenient. How utterly convenient." 

He waved the Luger at the women. "Sit. Let's all of us sit here and wait."  And, as they did, he continued, "My colleagues will return shortly, with Ben and Adam. And then, we shall discuss the whereabouts of the artifact."

They sat at the long folding table, the two facing the one. Herman kept the pistol pointed at them, and stared straight ahead as if looking past them. He then turned his eyes to Linda and smiled.