Part 3
Allusive Hints

Quickly, the Sniper searched his brain for the correct information and almost froze when he realized that they stood in front of the highest authority of the monastery. This very moment he felt almost thankful towards the Medic – as he was supposed to be silent he wouldn't risk saying something wrong or stupid. The other monks smiled leniently whenever he did something that he wasn't supposed to do – they apparently had accepted the story that he wasn't a man of the church for very long, so they made allowances. They were kind souls and he would have loved to talk to them being his normal self to learn more about this world and about what had happened here.

"Yes, Fazher Abbot, I arrived a veek ago, and Brozher Nathan last night."

Sniper bowed his head a bit deeper when his name was mentioned, watching the Medic from below. The man showed respect for the old man, his voice calm and friendly, a bit solemn maybe, but he was completely at ease. His act was flawless and the Australian was relieved that the abbot's iron blue eyes focused on the Medic and not on him. His wrinkly face looked friendly, he even smiled. The hair was thin and white. With his small build and the round back he almost resembled a nice grandfather – or rather a great-grandfather – but the expression of the man's eyes couldn't fool him. They were clear and hard, shining with intelligence, and right now they were piercing through the Medic's eyes, like he was trying to read his soul. The Sniper knew that he wouldn't be able to deceive the abbot if he had to speak to him.

"Is that so." The abbot's eyes rested on the Medic's face for a moment. "You are Father Sebastian. I read the records about you. You seem to be a skilled man. Impressive, for a man of your age, impressive I must say."
A chill ran down the Sniper's spine, he wasn't sure if those words were a compliment or a threat. Yes, the abbot still smiled, very friendly actually, but his stare remained cold and calculating. Sniper knew he didn't trust him. If the Medic felt uncomfortable at all he didn't show it.

"Zhank you, Fazher Abbot. I vorked hard." he answered demurely, bowing again.

"Is that so. Well, young man, it won't do unless you continue working hard. Let me tell you, I used to be a very apt doctor myself – and still would be. But alas, my commitments with the leadership of the monastery keep me too busy. Too busy indeed. Mark my words, young Father, if you stop working hard your way ends. Laziness and too much confidence can destroy a soul so easily. Well then." When he turned his head and set his gaze on the Sniper, the Australian stiffened, forcing himself not to look away.

"And this is Brother Nathan." the old monk stated. "Yes, yes. The recently converted soldier who already agreed to take the vow of silence on his first day. Yes, even when I'm not among my dear brothers I know what's going on. The outside world still shines through your eyes with all its profanity. But you, too, will learn, yes, you will learn. And now explain to me, dear brother, why do I find our two newest members wandering through our sacred corridors at this early hour. Talking." The voice was gentle, almost sweet and in surprise the Sniper almost spoke, fearing how much the old man actually had overheard. But he bit his lip in time, remembering that he wasn't supposed to speak to anybody. Breaking this rule again in front of the abbot probably wasn't the best idea.

Fortunately, the Medic wasn't caught off guard that easily. He maintained his calm, respectful and self-assured tone of voice.
"Prior Michael and I decided zhat I'm in charge of his physical and mental healzh. Brozher Nathan still suffers from his past and I allowed him to talk to me vhen his mind bozhers him too much. Tonight he came to see me because of a very disturbing nightmare. I offered to listen to him vhile ve valked a bit." he lied with apparent ease, but the Sniper still worried. 'Damn, he's good, very good. But we never compared our backgrounds, what if he wants to know more...'
There was no need to worry. The abbot searched the Medic's eyes for a last time, and – satisfied for now – nodded.

"Is that so. Albeit I have to admit that I don't think much of this modern frippery of psychology I hold your dedication in high esteem, Father Sebastian. I still think that hard work and a life led by the words of our Lord is all a man's mind needs to be healthy. But maybe I'm just getting old." He was still smiling and again the Sniper wasn't sure if the abbot praised or reprimanded the Medic.
"Well then, dear brothers. It is almost time to get up, a new day begins. I'm a very busy man, but maybe we can arrange a little conversation among the two of us, dear Father, and exchange some of our traditional and modern ideas."

Finally, this strange conversation was over, and although he hadn't needed to speak at all he felt like he had been interrogated. In silence they rushed back to the Sniper's room. Quickly, the Medic looked around, making sure nobody was there.
"Just stay silent and nozhing should happen to you. Listen to zhem. Come to my room zhis evening vhen zhe ozhers are asleep." he whispered and without waiting for an answer the German left. Sighing, Sniper closed the door behind him. A few seconds later he heard the gong that was supposed to wake them up. For the next twenty minutes until breakfast there was nothing to do. He was already dressed and if he appeared in the dining hall too early he would raise suspicions. The night had been very short and if he sat down on his bed or even on the chair he feared that he would fall asleep at once. He waited a few minutes and went to see the restrooms. Actually he wished for a cigarette, a quick smoke and a cup of coffee always helped him when he had to stay awake for a long time. But maybe splashing some cold water in his face would have a similar effect.

x x x

After more than a week in Scotland the Medic had gotten used to the daily routine, but it also annoyed him more and more from day to day. The schedule was strict and went for everyone who was inside of the building. Breakfast, dinner and lunch, always at the same hour. So were the prayers. For him those were mere interruptions, he hated to stop his work and studies only to spend half an hour in the chapel. Fortunately he wasn't expected to conduct service, he wasn't sure if his acting skills would cover that. Following a few rules and pretending to speak silent prayers was one thing, but standing in the pulpit and quoting from a book he had only read once – after his arrival – was a different matter.
But thanks to his boss' arrangements he could escape this part of the job. And that meant more time for books and research.
He remembered how his teammates used to tease him because of his irregular life style with its late hours, nights without sleep, eating in the middle of the night and skipping breakfast instead. Nobody interfered though – he was reliable during assignments and fulfilled his duties as the team's doctor as he was supposed to.
But here he couldn't skip appointments as it pleased him. At least he could spend the nights the way he wanted. Sometimes he even slept like everyone else – long nights and no chances to sleep during the day for a few hours were eventually exhausting.
However, he was used to the lack of sleep and staying awake the whole last night didn't affect him much.
Impatiently, he glared at the wall clock. He had returned to his room after dinner and re-read some of the notes and compared them with what he found in one of the books. When everything went according to his plan this night would pass without much time for sleep as well and although he didn't mind that he hoped they could get started soon.

Like the evening before a sudden knock interrupted his thoughts and before he could answer, the Sniper stood in the room, quickly closing the door behind him, and grinned at the Medic.
"Ow ya goin'?"

"Fine, zhank you, Nathan. Have a seat." He sized him up doubtfully. The Australian looked rather tired, with deep, dark shadows beneath his eyes, and a wide yawn added to the obvious impression. But he didn't want to delay the next – or rather the first real – move. He waited until Nathan had made himself comfortable in the same chair like yesterday – again resting his feet on a pile of books, as he noticed grimly, but he let it slide this time.

"Ya know, for a bloke like ya this place's rather untidy." the other man remarked when his elbow accidentally pushed a book from the armrest.

"Vhat have you expected? A museum?" he retorted indignantly, canceling the idea to offer his visitor something to drink.

"Nah, no reason to get pissed at me 'gain. Ya office was kinda sterile, well, except the desk. Had expected your room to be more, don't know. Not to be scattered with books and paper." Then he smiled broadly. "You are the chaotic type, ain't ya?"

Unsure if this was a harmless question or if he was about to be teased again the German frowned, feeling busted and knowing it was stupid of him as it was quite obvious.
"Vhat if I am?"

"Nothin'. Makes the room more cozy and you more human, that's all. Hey, did ya think I was complainin'?"

"Like I vould care." he answered shortly, but couldn't help smiling, too. About time to change the subject.
"Vhatever. How much do you know about zhe case?" The delighted expression on the man's face was amusing and Sebastian had to hide another smile.

"So it's teamwork then? Okay, okay." he continued with a sigh when the Medic's stare became impatient. "Not much. Shawn Spade, 24, came here to be treated after an accident and the followed surgeries. Suddenly, he got worse, slowly at first, then faster, and now he's dead. Officially his condition got complicated, but his family is not satisfied with this. Although they doubt that his death was natural they just wanna know if they should sue the monastery or the hospital where he was before or whoever did it. That's all." he closed.

The German frowned.
"Zhat's indeed not much. Sure zhat's all you know?"

"I'm sorry ya have to trust me here. I need ya help, why should I lie to ya?" He stretched his legs – upsetting the pile of books – leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "My boss ain't the biggest fan of that family, she doesn't care much but owed them a favor from what I've heard. So she hadn't wasted much time on the case beforehand, just made sure I got the clothes. Spy came up with a backstory and got me some information about livin' in a place like this, and here I am."

"So your boss doesn't have to spend much vork and you vant to keep your job. She punishes you and at zhe same time she knows you vould do anyzhing to solve zhis, so she vouldn't be in zheir debt anymore." he concluded and the Sniper nodded.

"Aye, that sums it up. And why did they send ya and not ya Spy?"
The Medic shrugged.
"He is busy vizh anozher job."

"Is that so."

"Yes, it is, AbbotNathan." he remarked dryly, bowing in mockery, and both man chuckled.

"Seriously, what do ya know 'bout all this shit? I doubt the kid's family asked two companies to check this."

Sebastian hesitated another second and looked into the man's dark eyes. But he didn't find anything suspicious and he had to admit that, except from their encounter a few weeks ago, the Sniper hadn't done anything harmful and there wasn't any sign that he was about to play foul. This man was maybe a nuisance up to the point of being downright annoying, yet he seemed straightforward and honest, with the bad habit to say what he thought aloud.

"You are right, not zhe family. Vell... you see, Spade had a, vell, friend. A very good friend. Zhey met here in zhe village only two veeks before he died. Zhis friend swears zhat he vas perfectly healzhy at zhis time, only a bit veak from zhe surgeries, but he had recovered a good deal. And he vas young and physically strong. He is absolutely convinced zhat zhere's more to his deazh." he explained calmly, shuffling his notes and finally, he handed the Sniper one of the sheets. The man studied the few lines of information – basically the same the Medic had just told him, along with a picture of the victim.

"A nice lookin' bloke. Ya right, he doesn't look weak or anythin' like that." He gave it back before he went on. "So we are after the same thing. But why did he play a lone hand? It's a full-paid job, right? Why didn't he just tag along with the kid's family?"

"Vizh 24 he is – was – hardly a kid, Nathan. But you are right, it is a regular job. It's because the family doesn't know... about him."

"Hu? Whaddya meanin' with that?" he asked, puzzled.

"Vell, bozh men are from powerful, vell-known families, zhey had to keep zheir... acquaintanceship... a secret." He sighed even before the Sniper answered, it was obvious that Nathan still didn't understand.

"But why..."

"They vere lovers, Du Dummkopf. Zhey vere two men, in a secret relationship, including holding hands, and kissing and..."

"Alright, alright, I understand, sorry." he interrupted the Medic's impatient clarification, holding his hands up in a defensive manner.

"Is zhat a problem?" the German asked, irritated.

"Nope. Why should it? Ain't givin' a good damn 'bout somethin' like that as long as they leave my handsome butt alone." He laughed. "Anyway, it's a job, don't care 'bout people's private life."

"However." Sebastian decided it was about time to change the subject again. "Our Spy gave me a few notes with information he had researched before I took over." He searched through the pile of papers and showed another note to the Sniper. Several lines and scrawly notes covered the sheet.

"Our Spy has a prettier handwriting." Nathan remarked and tilted his head, as if he were trying to decipher the message from another perspective.
"Underground, pass... passage, isn't it? And 'old cemafairy? And the rest – some kind of map?"

"Very funny, zhat's 'cemetery'."

"Whatever. What is this? The script of a cheap horror movie?" Partly wondering, partly amused he took the paper from the Medic's hand and looked at it again.

"Of course not." In fact, he had thought something like that, too, when he first read the notes. "He didn't have much time so zhat's all he found out about it. He told me zhat most zhings are vague and maybe don't mean anyzhing, he didn't have zhe chance to find out. Zhat's our job now."

"Ya mean we have to search for an ol' underground graveyard that maybe doesn't help us at all? Does it even exist? Haven't heard of somethin' like that here." These news didn't sound very exciting. Maybe they could be, if he didn't feel this might be nothing like a wild goose chase.

"Zhat's because it isn't here." With his index finger he tapped against the book he had tossed at the Sniper's head the day before. "If it comforts you, zhe graveyard does exist. Somevhere under zhe lighthouse, zhat is. It's heritage-protected and not easy to find and zherefore not open for tourists, zhat's vhy only zhose vho live here know about it. Zhe entrance is only accessible from zhe vater."

"Beautiful. What does the place look like?"

"Zhis, partner, is vhat ve vill find out tonight." the Medic replied with a sweet voice as he stood up from his chair, opened the wardrobe and threw a thick jacket on the Sniper's lap. "Come on, it's already late. Ve have to go zhere and return before zhe morning, and I don't vant to run into zhe abbot again vizh you on my heel."

"Wait, wait, wait, mate. Ya sayin' we are going now?A boat trip and ghost hunting in the middle of the night? Are ya kiddin' me?" Despite his protest he followed the other man's example and put on the jacket.

"Vell, a priest and a monk on a boat trip and ghost hunting at noon vouldn't make a good horror movie, don't you zhink?"

x x x

Sneaking out of the old building was easy. Everyone was asleep at this late hour, after a long day filled with hard work and honest prayers their souls rested, dreamless, recovering strength for another day to come. The sound of their shoes on the floor echoed from the walls although they tried to be as quiet as possible. In all this thick, cold silence between heavy stone walls even the slightest noise seemed to explode in their ears, but nobody heard or saw them.
The monastery lay close to the bay, and their feet climbed over more stones, careful not to stumble or to kick them loose. An avalanche of rocks, even a small one, might caught the attention of the guard of the bridge that connected the small island with its lighthouse with the rest of Scotland. Whoever cared to pay the lighthouse a visit after the setting of the sun couldn't escape the guard's eyes – the bridge was narrow without anything that offered cover.
So they hid under the bridge, well covert from any curious eye that might peek out of a window and look at the water. Everything lay in complete darkness, bridge and island being an even darker shadow against the moonless sky. The line between land and water vanished within the black of the shadows and by the moment they had finally pushed their small boat into the water their feet were wet and cold.
Although they had brought a small lamp with them they decided against lightening it now, even the smallest flame would have given them away. Slowly, very slowly they moved forward, the wooden hull glided through the water without making a sound. The sea was calm this night, only an ever-present wind howled between the pillars of the bridge and along the cliffs of the bay.

"No offense, but seriously, don't ya think I'm stronger? I think we should switch positions." the Sniper suggested, whispering against the wind and the distant grumbling and gurgling of the sea.

"No. Maybe on zhe vay back, crawling around in zhis small zhing vill only end vizh one of us in zhe vater." With careful strokes, the Medic moved the boat forward. "And I don't vant to risk zhat you drop zhe oars. Vhy do you complain? Zhis is easier for you, only looking, isn't it?" he added after a pause.

"Sorry, just tried to be nice. Keep a bit more to the right, we are gettin' close to the bank."

The constant wind and the waves had worked on the black stone for aeons, leaving a surface smooth as glass. Once they left the boat their trip became more difficult. The beam of the lighthouse only spent a diffuse brightness too far away to be of use and they still had to keep their heads down, just in case somebody passed by, as unlikely as it was. Cautiously, and slipping more than once, they felt for a path with their hands and feet, the slippery ground and the darkness surrounding them changing the short distance into a death trap. If one of them lost his grip and fell down, his back would crash against unseen rocks lurking in the water and break the spine before the sea could pull him into its depth.

"Nathan? Are you anyvhere close? I zhink I found zhe vay." the Medic called out, his voice almost drowned by the increasing wind, hoping it wouldn't become worse when they were about to return later. The pain in his leg had become stronger, he wasn't fit for a trip like this yet, but as it didn't make any difference at night – he would have tripped a lot anyway and as long as it was dark nobody could see when he limped – he ignored the stinging pangs.
"Yeah, right behind ya."
The German gave a start when the other man lay his hand on the Medic's slim shoulder.
"Don't startle me like zhat!" he hissed.

"I've only been a few steps away, ya should have seen me comin'." Nathan defended himself.

"I'm sorry zhat I vas too busy searching for zhe right vay instead of vatching you all night."

"That's no sort of reason to be annoyed. Dammit, is that a wall or a bloody opening?" Careful not to lose balance he reached over Sebastian's shoulder, half shoving him along the path, half against the massive wall, touching cold stone.
"Stop zhat. A few steps to zhe right. Do you have zhe lamp ready?" Irritated, he walked ahead, his hands feeling along the cliff until they only grasped air.
"Here, go ahead." he ordered, waving at the other man, urging him to be faster.
"Why do I have to go ahead again?" Nathan pulled out the lighter from his pocket and lightened the wick of the oil lantern. "And why do we use this ol' thing instead of a flashlight? That Ihave to carry by the way? Along with all the other stuff?"

"Because I say so and because I don't know how long and often ve might need zhe flashlights. I don't vant to risk zhat ve run out of batteries vhile ve are still inside zhe cave." he explained, slowly stepping behind the Sniper once they had entered the cave.
Again, they were swallowed by darkness, but within a few seconds, the small flame illuminated the way in front of them, at least for five or six feet. The soft light was reflected by moist, black walls and half of the path was filled with dark water, the glittering reflections moving with them as they stepped forward. Here, too, the ground was slippery, but less smooth, rocks and even a few roots of ancient, long dead trees more than once hindered the Medic's steps.
It was impossible to say what lay in front of them, or how deep under the earth's surface they were – once the entrance was left behind their world only consisted of the wall to their left, the water to their right and the few steps they could look ahead. The air was cold and unmoved, less chilly than outside, but the smell of rotten plants, wet earth and stone created the image of a grave inside Sebastian's head, and they were buried alive.
It didn't matter if he looked back over his shoulder or past the Sniper's body, he could only peer into darkness – in the weak shine of their lantern just the taller man's face with its clear, rough shape and soft lines around the eyes was visible to him. Feeling uncomfortable because someone who was supposed to be his enemy seemed to be the only hint of life and warmth in this secluded, cold world the young Medic focused on the man's back again. He could hear him breathe, the only other sound besides their footsteps and the drops of water that dripped from the walls and the unbreakable ceiling.

"Verdammt!" His thoughts had distracted him for a moment and this time, when his foot stumbled over a pile of stones, he couldn't keep his balance. Instinctively he reached out, but missed the other man's clothes only by an inch. Before his body hit the hard ground, a strong hand seized him by his arm and pulled him upwards. He staggered, again tripping over his own feet and fell against the Sniper's chest, who still held his arm, almost knocking both of them over while his fingers clenched into the fabric of Nathan's jacket.

"Bloody hell, are ya alright? Dammit, I'm an idiot, what's with ya leg?" the Australian cried out, his back hitting against the wall, in one hand holding the lamp, careful not to drop it, with the other keeping the Medic on his feet.

For a few seconds, both recovered their breath, assuring themselves that they finally stood steady. The sudden rush of adrenaline decreased and Sebastian realized he heard the other man's heart beating through the layer of clothes. Abruptly he released the jacket and stepped back, trying to find his own balance, and shrugged off the Sniper's hand.
"I'm okay, just tripped. Sorry, I mean, zhank you. Don't vorry. Let's go on." His face felt too warm right now and he missed the breeze. He turned away, taking another step forward, ignoring the sting in his leg, when he was seized by the shoulder and pulled back, partly crushing against the wall and Nathan.

"Vhat are you...!" But the man cut him off before he could finish his sentence.
"Idiot, ya were walking straight to the edge, are ya planning to swim ahead? I have no idea how deep this lake...river.. thing is." Sniper scolded and the Medic blushed. Of course, before he had been facing the wall, a 180° turn meant facing the water. A stupid mistake.
"Sorry... it's confusing in zhe dark. I vill be more careful, can ve go on now?" he quickly apologized, moving away from the wall and the Sniper, this time paying more attention to his movements, using the weak light as much as he could. At least he was sure he was facing the correct direction.

"Are ya really okay? Ya know, I zhink ya should go ahead, holding that lamp. Could be easier for you to avoid rocks and all." he offered, but the German shook his head.

"No. I don't vant to discuss zhis. Let's go." He frowned and glared impatiently at the other man, but didn't receive a direct answer.
"Vhat's vrong?"

"Sebastian, my face is over here, ya were scarin' the wall to death with that look." Nathan lifted his arm a bit, holding the lantern next to his head.

"I don't know vhat's zhe problem, it's dark in here." he replied, realizing that the Sniper was right.

"Don't say. But not that dark." He shook the lamp to emphasize his words. "Lemme test something." Without waiting for an answer he lowered the lamp, hiding it behind his back. Everything went dark again, no matter how much the Medic blinked, the faint light was too weak and diffuse to make any difference to him.
"Don't move." the voice in front of him said and he shivered. When the Sniper went on alone or planned to attack him there was nothing he could do. A few seconds of complete silence passed – he saw and heard nothing.
Suddenly, he heard and felt Nathan's breath, only a few inches from his own face away. Giving a surprised gasp he was about to draw back, but again the man took hold of his shoulder.
"Careful, ya just gonna fall again." Then the warmth moved away and he felt the empty space.

"Ya practically blind." the Sniper stated as a matter of fact, now holding the lamp between them again. "Ya can't see shit, and the light's not strong enough, that's why ya want me to go ahead."

The German swallowed, angry with himself.
"I'm not blind, I just can't see vell vhen it is dark. It's called night..."

"Night blindness, I'm not a complete idiot, ya know." he finished the sentence for him. "Dammit, Sebastian, why didn't ya tell me? Ah!" Suddenly, he realized what was going on and some things became clearer in his mind. "That's why ya haven't been here before, right? Ya knew ya couldn't come here at daylight, ya'd never found ya way in here once ya were inside. And that's why ya talked to me after all and ya finally agreed to team up, right?"

"Vhat did you think vas zhe reason, zhat I've suddenly fallen for your bushman charm?" he hissed back, suddenly fearing the man would simply walk on or back, without waiting for him to catch up. What an easy and uncomplicated method to get rid of him. Well, if he had to, he would fight for their only source of light, darkness and bad leg or not.

"Nothing, just trying to tell ya that you are an idiot." he laughed, and for a moment the Medic wondered if the Australian had lost his mind. "Didn't I admit yesterday that I'm useless at investigating? With no idea how to handle this bloody job? What if ya need my help as much as I need yours? Alright, this clue sucks, but I'd have never found it alone. Come, this damned tunnel must lead somewhere." Without a warning Sebastian felt how strong fingers closed around his wrist.

"Hey, vhat do you zhink you are doing?" It was not reasonable to panic, but all of sudden it became difficult to breathe and he wanted to pull himself free, feeling unable to deal with the touch and to be carefully dragged along.

"Going ahead. If ya keep close ya shouldn't fall, and if ya do anyway, I just pull ya up again." He turned at the Medic and grinned. "If we die I'd rather be on that graveyard ya Spook was talkin' 'bout. Don't feel like fishin' ya out of the water and carryn' ya there."

x x x

A bit late, but sometimes real life is a bit too demanding.
I'm sorry ^^

You won't believe how relaxing it is when only two main characters require your attention instead of nine :D

Translation:

"Verdammt!" - "Fuck!"