An Apple for Zoë ~ The Forsaken by Thomas Amo Page B

behind him. "Step away from the wall, Mike," said James in a cautioned voice. Kirkland did as ordered and quickly moved to James's side, where he now could see what had changed the expression on his partners face so quickly. It was a tall black wrought iron gate with the words twisted into it. "Arbeit Macht Frei"  

CHAPTER TWELVE
    Arbeit Mach Frei

    Kirkland turned and looked at the gate, which was now illuminated by the flashlight James was holding. Chills ran down his body.  
    "There's someone else in here with us, Tom," whispered Kirkland as he pulled his gun. James quietly passed the flashlight to Kirkland as he removed his own gun from its holster.  
    "Yeah, and the scary thing is Mike, they want us to know they're here," said James in a hushed tone.
    The two men slowly looked around the room   for any sign of the dangerous intruder who seemed to be silently moving among them. Kirkland shined the light back to the wrought iron gate that was blocking what appeared to be a doorway.
    "Our Nazi has been busy."
    "No kidding. I think there's more Zyklon B here than in all of Auschwitz. He must have been planning this for years."
    "There's so much of it. I mean there's enough of this stuff here to kill the entire city of San Francisco."
    "A masterful plan. Kill an entire city. You're either trying to exact some twisted form of revenge or you're like Herod trying to eliminate Jesus," said Kirkland.
    "You actually think old Hermann is hunting for someone? Because this goes way beyond killing Jews, Mike."
    A slight whisper of laughter danced across the room. James and Kirkland both froze at the sound of it.
    "Better get home kid before the Zodiac gets you, " snickered the voice.   Kirkland looked at James who was frozen with fear.  
    "WHO'S THERE?" demanded Kirkland, aiming his gun towards the source of the voice.
    Only this time the laughter was more pronounced and deep.  
    "You loved her didn't you Thomas James? You loved her with all your heart and she abandoned you. So much for Julie's claim of eternal love."  
    The disembodied voice and laughter echoed across the cavernous room. Kirkland raised the flashlight only to find it was dead. He tried to see in the darkness and pinpoint the source of the sound.
    "But that's the trouble with women, isn't it? They seduce you, pull you in, make you want them. Make you their slaves. Then without any thought or warning their love turns to ice. But don't worry Tom, I showed her."
    "Don't listen Tom, it's a trap," said Kirkland as he continued attempting to locate the intruder in the blackness of the room.
    "Think so Michael? How many lovers did your mother have? Leaving you alone locked inside a closet while she plied her womanly trade. Did you listen, Michael, to her cries of paid pleasure?"snickered the voice.
    "You shut the hell up!" screamed Kirkland as he blindly fired a shot into the darkness. The voice only mocked him in the style of a bratty child . "You shut the hell up!"
    The room suddenly became cold. James and Kirkland began to shiver when their attention was turned to the strike of a match being lit. The figure on the other side of the room raised it and brought it up to his face to light a cigarette. In the brief moment of illumination, James recognized the face.
      "Did you two really think I was going to let you come into my hotel and walk away with all of my dirty secrets?" said Grantham as he stepped forward slowly taking a drag from his cigarette.
    James and Kirkland both now had their guns aimed directly on him. "Richard, don't take another step, I'm warning you," said Kirkland.  
    "Or what? You're going to kill me? I'm already dead!" he said as he dropped the cigarette to the floor. A flash of light suddenly began moving from the opposite side of the room. The light blazed across the floor of the hotel's attic with a twin flash. The two flashes were now keeping pace with one another as they raced across the room burning a pattern into the floor while they