The Knight´s Legacy

The Gunfight

The rise was even more grueling than the descent, but the emotions by the find gave the three men renewed strength.

Arriving at the cornice top they found their teammates very excited. A tapered form was flying away through the sky after passing over the ravine where they were.

“It was a military helicopter, perhaps of the Chilean Carabineers.” Informed José.

“We have likely crossed the border quite some time  ago.”Answered Lautaro

“Do you think that they have seen us? We really need urgent help to get out of here.” Added Juan.

“It is difficult to say, we are on a very narrow ledge  not very visible from afar.”

“However, I noticed that for a moment the helicopter made a kind of turn toward us, and then followed its course.” Was Debbie´s intriguing comment.

“ But what are the police doing in these solitudes?

“They may be looking for hikers at this time of the year. Perhaps they are tracking smugglers, or simply performing an act of sovereignty.” Lautaro speculated. In reality, only time would show if the passage of the aircraft would have consequences for the travelers.

Lautaro, explained to the Debbie and José what they had found in the canyon. Matías suggested Lautaro to summarize what he had read in the books.

“The part I read dealt with business contacts and even participation in the capital of local firms in Argentina and Chile. Some of them are unknown to me and may  have already disappeared or changed their names but others are firms currently existing and very important, and hitherto unsuspected of having had links with the Nazis. There is no doubt that despite the time elapsed the disclosure of these links would put in  the leaders of those firms. No wonder its obstinacy in finding  and destroying all this material.”

Juan was then required to explain the odd rite that he had complied by placing certain objects along with the books.

“They are objects found by my father in the Gobi desert. He was very skeptical about the esoteric doctrines of the Nazis concerning the connections between the Aryans and certain beings that would have lived in these latitudes. These findings rocked somehow his skepticism. I am not in a position to interpret the reason. I don't think it is appropriate that they can be found by those who may be following in our footsteps, that´s why I left them with notebooks. I think that these are mysteries related between them in a way I can't understand.”

“The only link I can think of is that the same men who are trying to prevent the disclosure of the financial information in  the notepads are probably interested in the occult meaning of those bones.” Concluded Lautaro.

The five travelers then discussed what to do with the material they had found. Matías, Juan and Lautaro then returned down to the ravine bottom to carry out the ruling of the group.

That night they consumed their last supplies and thus ended their resources in every sense: without food or means of transportation  and physically exhausted their situation was desperate, and the worst thing was not having a feasible plan to move forward. It was simply decided to go on until they found some Chilean village, and there rest and buy groceries and items that they lacked. With that perspective

at dawn of the next day they began the long journey down the mountain toward the Chilean side. The narrow ledge became an increasingly broad valley, and walking on the soft snow became the biggest challenge. They saw a hare running on a snowy field and with an accurate carbine shot José obtained some food. They went on their way shortly after noon, and after a while Debbie pointed with her hand to the top of a low mountain flanking the valley, located a couple of kilometers ahead.”

I'm sure I saw a metallic glow on the top.” She said surprised. All looked up at the place indicated by the young woman and after a few moments of observation to adapt their eyes to the light conditions they could see a glow in the place indicated.

“I think that is the reflection of the sun on binoculars.” Added Lautaro. “It may be someone in conditions to help us.”

 “Or someone stalking us.” Added grimly José. “We will see whether they disclose themselves or not.”

Anyway, at that time there was no way to ascertain the reason for the brightness, so they went their way towards the mouth of the valley without perceiving further signs of life, so they hypothesized that the glow would have been due a patch of snow on the mountain summit lit in some special way by the languishing Sun. This explanation however did not fully convince José who with his natural parsimony refrained from expressing it. Juan felt the attitude of the old guide and due to his doubts he also decided to stay on guard.

Although the valley opened before them and they would have been able to walk more comfortably in the middle of it, snowy but leveled, José insisted on marching along a longitudinal depression, possibly some vestige of the passage of glacier that had shaped the valley in ancient times. Indeed, under the snow there were stones of different sizes, part of the moraine carried by the glacier and possibly then dispersed by a watercourse that possibly ran in the  snowmelt season. This trail kept well below the average level of the valley, and relatively protected from potential hostile stares.

They approached a gorge between two cliffs, where the valley narrowed considerably; José picked up the rifle from his shoulder and c****d it without comment. Juan, always attentive to José cautious attitude also drew his gun from the partially hidden holster  while others wondered why the jitters of their peers amid the icy wilderness. At one point, Joseph raise his hand instructing them to wait while he went ahead to inspect. He had walked ten steps towards the gorge when all hell broke loose. From both sides of the gorge numerous gunshots and machine-gun fire swept over the travelers. The mule was hit by several bullets and fell dead, Lautaro cried after being shot in the arm, as he rolled on the floor by the violence of the impact. All threw themselves to the ground inside the trench sticking their bellies to the soil. The bullets dug into the snow, bouncing off some rock eventually emerging from it. They were immobilized, but at least the shooting failed to reach the bottom of the dry riverbed in which they were. Had not been for the José´s foresight to avoid walking through the middle of the Valley at that point they would have been dead. They had fallen in a completely unexpected ambush in the midst of that remote wilderness. Lautaro pulled an unexpected revolver out of his clothes, and despite his wounded arm returned fire keeping attackers at bay and preventing that they approach openly. Juan also took out his pistol and shot sporadically in order not to unnecessarily spend bullets. After several minutes the assailants, seeing that their shots lacked effectiveness sought to force the situation, because in a war situation stalkers try to speed up the actions. One of them came out from behind the cliff that hid him firing his submachine gun as he ran towards the ambushed party. His bullets passed very close to the  travelers who had to hit the ground with their faces. At that time José shot his carbine and the attacker fell backwards with his arms wide open. The other ambushers angry as their partner fell concentrated their fire on José, who cried after being hit by a bullet in the abdomen. Despite the danger, Matías slipped by the ditch up to the place where it was José, took him by the collar of his coat and dragged him to where the others were, relatively out of the shooting line, leaving a trail of blood on the patches of snow. He then took the rifle, and despite his inexperience with weapons joined Lautaro and Juan on the defense, preventing the attackers from coming out to the wilderness, at risk of ending up as the fallen man, who was not moving and was probably dead. Debbie, overcoming her fear cut a piece of José´s shirt, made a bundle with it and stuck in his abdomen wound, and with a long strip of the same garment improvised a girdle around the wound, then making a tourniquet and slowing the bleeding. Once she was convinced that José´s situation was stabilized she approached Lautaro to help him bandaging his arm. Matías observed the girl with a mixture of pride and awe. Mom´s baby from Villa del Parque caring wounded men under fire!

The situation remained stable for several minutes, and clearly the time ran in favor of the assailants, most numerous, experienced and better armed. For worse, the travelers bullets were almost depleted, both those of fist weapons as of the carbine. They could see, hovering briefly, that their enemies were approaching and tightening the circle around them, always covered by rocks to avoid their shots which had proven to be deadly. Lautaro realized that they were virtually surrounded on three sides, and they could not raise their heads because the bullets poured from all directions. He consulted with his friends the possibility of surrendering and trying to save their lives, to what they agreed. In fact the attempt to give up could make sense since probably the attackers would like to hear from them the fate of Horstmann´s writings for which needed them alive. He raised a white handkerchief on the rocks that covered them, and in response a fire cessation order presumably given by the head of the assailants was heard.

“We are ready to give up “ shouted Lautaro with a hint of desperation in his voice. Indeed, it was perhaps the last chance to survive the attack.

“Drop your weapons and leave with your arms behind your heads.” The voice of the attacker had a German nuance behind the Chilean accent.

“And how can we sure that you will not pull the trigger?” Insisted Lautaro.

“You are not but do not have another choice.” Replied the assailant.

“He is right about that.” Whispered Matías. “Anyhow we must expect that they will first try to obtain information on the notebooks, what I fear is what happens afterwards.”

“Well.”Cried again Lautaro “We are coming out.”

The choice was desperate, because most likely the attackers, once obtained the desired information, would have no interest in leaving them alive. Lautaro, with great excitement said to his companions.

“Let me go out first. If they do not shoot me, come out one at a time.” He then slowly began to stand up.

Matías, due to the dramatism of the moment felt a knot in his stomach, no doubt the way he was experiencing fear. He suddenly realized that Debbie was squeezing his right hand. Once again he cursed himself for having included her in their plans, but even those desperate moments he did not repent of having conceived such designs, so strong was his commitment to this adventure. He corresponded to the grip of Debbie, trying to bring her some serenity through a sensory way. The young man then looked at his relative José, and noticed that his lips were moving, perhaps in some silent prayer or mantra tribal. He wanted to locate Juan, but he was out of his visual.

The torso of Lautaro was already emerging out of the natural trench and all were gritting their teeth, waiting for a likely fatally shot.

At that time a discharge of heavy firearms thundered in front of them and an agonizing cry was heard. Debbie closed her eyes and Matías clenched his fists.