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“My opinion? There’s no other explanation. Once the government officially announced that this area was one of the possible locations of the Gold Train, strange things started happening around here.”
“Like what?”
Gustaw looked in the car at Remi and Sergei before asking, “Who did you say you were?”
“Sam Fargo. My wife, Remi, and our friend, Sergei,” he said. The man nodded at each of them, and Sam took that as a sign of acceptance, motioning for Remi to get out of the car, while he continued the conversation. “You were saying something about strange things happening?”
“Strange?” Gustaw gave a cynical laugh. “Maybe that’s not quite the right word. What would normally be a pleasant weekend hobby, looking for historical artifacts, has turned dangerous—even deadly. The government might deny their existence, but they’re definitely taking precautions about closing off certain areas.”
“Anything you can tell us about this group?” Sam asked.
“More a theory, but I believe some present-day members of the Guard are related to Nazis enlisted into Unternehmen Werwolf during the war. Given their history, and their increasing numbers, I’m sure they’ve recruited criminals and the like to help. Which is why I’d suggest you turn back around. It’s one thing if you know the risks. I do.”
Remi eyed his cabin and the surrounding woods. “Aren’t you afraid to live alone out here?”
“I saw you coming up before my dog alerted me,” he said, patting the German shepherd’s head.
“Cameras?” Sam said. “I didn’t see any on the way in.”
“Hidden. I received an alert on my phone the moment you left the paved road and hit the gravel. Other areas as well.”
“Set off by the weight of the car?”
“Or someone walking through the woods too close to areas I happen to be exploring in.”
“That sounds like a sophisticated system,” Sam said, hoping they might get more information with flattery at this point. “You set it up yourself?”
“Most of it.”
Remi, picking up on Sam’s lead, smiled sweetly. “I’d love to see how it works.”
Gustaw studied her a moment, glanced at Sergei, then looked directly at Sam. “You seem like nice people. Go home. I don’t want to be responsible for anyone else getting hurt.”
“What do you mean anyone else?”
“My partner, Renard Kowalski, was killed by the Guard.”
Sam realized he’d misread the man. His desire to work alone had nothing to do with the treasure. “I’m sorry about your friend. We’d heard it was a hunting accident.”
“It wasn’t.”
“After what’d happened to us, we didn’t think so. Even so, my wife and I are well prepared to handle anything that the Guard throws our way.”
“You’d take your wife, knowing how dangerous it is?”
“There’s more to her than meets the eye.”
Gustaw nodded at Sergei. “What about you?”
“I know what the danger is,” Sergei said.
The man looked at each of them, in turn. “If I can’t talk yo
u out of it, I suppose there’s nothing left to do than make sure you don’t get into trouble out there. Come on in. I’ll show you what you need to know.”
He led the three to his cabin, the wooden floorboards creaking beneath their weight as they entered. The scent of pipe tobacco filled the air, the pipe burning in an ashtray near a blue armchair. A cast iron woodstove radiated heat, and the dog wandered over, curling up on the floor in front of it.
“Over here,” he said, indicating a computer monitor on a desk in the corner. Displayed on the shelves behind it were a few World War II artifacts, including a helmet and several tarnished coins. He turned the monitor so they could see it. “My security system.”
