Somewhere, hidden amongst those snowy peaks of the Andes, was the Crow's Nest, the high-walled enclave and fortress-home of Lars Koenig, the marquis di Valparaíso.They were at four thousand meters and climbing higher. The road turned sharply around a bend, forcing the two cargo trains with their loads of thorium to slow to a crawl. For a moment, Sigrid thought the road had come to an end, but then she saw the black opening carved within the steep cliffs: a narrow tunnel had been blasted through the mountains."Wait," Sigrid said. "Stop!"Jaffer stomped on the brakes. The rig skidded a good forty meters along the slushy road before coming to a halt. "What is it? Trouble?"Trouble indeed. The mudslide, the ambush, it was still fresh in all of their heads. Once they entered that tunnel, the cargo trains would never be able to turn around. They would also be completely isolated. If there was trouble ahead, there would be no running and no retreat.You didn't come this far just to turn around.
