At the Oasis
The rescued women were leery of Velati. One of them seemed to warm up to Craven, but both of them swooned for the attractive English gentleman. Velati translated and they told their rescuers that they had been abducted from Bejestan. Their father would be grateful and reward their rescuers for their safe return.
They made camp. The night was cold and quiet. Craven was on watch when he heard the sound of horses approaching around midnight. He awakened the others. Velati instructed the women to hide. They observed the strangers. Velati could not identify their tribe, but the newcomers obeyed his commands and approached non-confrontationally. They had come in search of water. Velati invited the strangers into camp.
They travelers were heading for Jangal to the east. They had come from Bejestan and were there when a dozen or more mounted Fire Scorpions raided the town. They stole weapons, supplies and women and fled into the desert. The next day they were delayed by a sandstorm, which is why they had arrived at the oasis at that late hour. Over the campfire, the newcomers exchanged bread and meat for tobacco. In the small hours, the newcomers filled their skins and moved on. They were taking medical supplies to their village and wanted to make up for lost time.
In Bejestan
The team departed at first light and escorted the two women, Nihad and Jasmine back to Bejestan, where their father was the innkeeper of the Dry Oasis. As the entered the tavern, Velati noticed that none of the patrons had the characteristic rifles that everyone in the region carries with them at all times. Niven saw the bartender’s face brighten when the women enter the tavern, but then it quickly returned to a neutral expression. He also saw two men armed with German rifles, and two other men with their backs to the door on the far side of the room that looked out of place as the hoods of their heavy traveling cloak concealed their heads.
Two burly men on either side of the door attempted to grab the women. Niven interposed himself in front of Nahid. The other man grabbed Jasmine and pointed a Luger pistol at her head. Then two more men pointed German rifles at them. At this time, the hooded men at the far table revealed themselves. One was an Ottoman officer, who now pointed a Luger at Craven. The other man was a familiar face.
Baron Wolfgang von Klugge, German spy and the Craven’s nemesis, now stood before them. He was a German aristocrat who dabbleed at espionage as a hobby. He was distantly related to the Kaiser and also a pilot who Craven had fought several times before. In their last encounter, Craven shot the German down. von Klugge’s once proud features were now replaced by a bald, scarred head.
“We meet again, Captain Craven,” the aristocrat taunted. “In our last encounter, you had me at a disadvantage. I paid for my failure…” he absently fingered his head, “…and have this momento as a souvenir.” He smiled arrogantly. “Now, however, we are again at cross purposes. And this time, there can be no quarter given. Surrender now and we can tend to the unpleasantries with civility. Otherwise, my associates will kill everyone here.”
Suddenly, the two patrons of the tavern attacked the riflemen. One was killed by the Turkish officer. Niven fired at him. A gunfight ensured. When it was over, Velati had been wounded. von Klugge, the Turkish Officer, and von Klugge had escaped by jumping through a window. Craven grazed his nemesis as he made his escape.
With the invaders repelled, the people of Bejestan celebrated the team’s timely intervention. They were provided accommodations for themselves and their horses, and Nahid nursed Velati back to health.
The innkeeper spoke excellent English, and over the course of the evening they learned that the Fire Scorpions and their foreign companion arrived a few hours before the team. The Fire Scorpions had not been seen in that area since the war started until recently. It was said that they had been fighting the Russians in the north. He had overheard the Fire Scorpions mention an informer who alerted them of other foreigners in the area. They surmised that it had been the slaver who had gotten away. The foreigners had also mentioned the mining Anglo-Persian mining camp to the north.
On the Road
In the morning, the villagers offered the team the best of their supplies. Craven realized that they were offering, not only more than the team could carry, but also making extreme sacrifices. He refused all but a reasonable quantity, and Velati gave the people of Bejestan the captured horses, wolf pelts and weapons they had acquired from the Fire Scorpions and von Klugge’s fallen henchmen.
Velati knew that the Anglo-Persian mining camp was two days travel north from Bejestan by what passed as a road. They followed the outline of the road for two days without incident. On second night, while camped, and with Niven on watch, something spooked the horses. He investigated and was mauled by a large male lion. The lion then attacked one of the horses. Niven recovered and shot it with an expert shot to the head. The report awakened the others. Velati skinned the lion before they broke camp in the morning.
The Mining Camp
The team travelled until about midday, when the road ended at the mining camp. Stopping in cover, Niven snuck up and discovered that the camp had been ransacked.
Huddled beside a twenty-foot-high rocky outcrop were a dozen or more tent shells, many head-high stacks of crates, various long tubes and bits, a tiny shack marked Explosives, and an undamaged small building with mechanical gear secured on top of it. There was a truck at the end of the row of tents, riddled with bullets. Niven called to the others and they cautiously approached, leery of another ambush by von Klugge and his men.
When they get closer, they saw human corpses amidst the sand and rubble. Several bodies were more or less whole, but had been hacked as with swords. The entire camp had been meticulously searched, but the team looked for themselves and found a canvas satchel containing survey maps and assorted papers that had been hastily buried underneath a makeshift bed in the sole intact tent. A formation called the Piercing Ridge was circled in pencil. It was approximately another day’s ride further north.
They inspected the mining shaft, suspicious that their opposition might have gone down the elevator until they smelled dead bodies coming from below. Raising the elevator, they discovered the bodies of several dead Englishmen inside. They availed themselves of supplies and departed quickly in the direction of the Piercing Ridge.
In the late afternoon, a sudden sandstorm erupted. Thanks to Niven’s quick reaction, he discovered a sheltering defile just in time. The team survived the storm intact, but had lost half a day’s travel. As it was getting dark, they made camp. They would arrive at the Piercing Ridge mid-morning tomorrow.
The Team
- Sir Lyton Niven, Gentleman Thief and Spy
- Capt. Philip Harrison Craven, WWI Flying Ace
Arashk Velati, Persian guide