The Last Sentinel Read online

  Ajit watched an old man propel his wheelchair up the ramp and onto the dirt. The squad advanced towards the man, guns pointed down, stopping ten feet in front of him.

  “Do you speak English, sir?” Ajit asked.

  “Yes, along with German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, and a bit of Levantine Arabic. I’ve even picked up a bit of Hindi and Bengali during my time here. I am also fluent in Sentinelese, but I’d bet that none of you can speak it. And of course I picked up Latin and Ancient Greek in school, but that was many years ago so I’m a bit rusty with those languages. Shall we proceed in English?”

  “That would suit us well. What is your name, sir?”

  “I am Dr. Klaus Wahl, 1st Lieutenant.”

  “Who is your allegiance to?”

  “My allegiance is to Hitler and to Germany.”

  “You know he’s been dead for over fifty years,” said Rishi.

  “He will not be for long,” replied Klaus.

  Ajit tried to suppress his laughter. This man was clearly insane. But insane men were the most dangerous. “Tell us who else is on this island and what you are doing on it.”

  “There is no one else on the island besides me, except for the natives and the Jinns. I have been studying, researching, and planning.”

  “What the fuck is a Jinn,” asked Rishi.

  “You may be more familiar with the Anglicized term genie,” said Klaus. “Jinns were created by Allah from smokeless fire.”

  “And what the fuck is smokeless fire,” asked Rishi.

  “We can discuss this later,” said Ajit. “Now doctor, tell us what you have been planning. Were you creating any bombs, chemical weapons, are any other devices that could cause harm?”

  Klaus laughed. “No, nothing at all like that. We have—”

  Vimal’s voice came over the radio. “Attention, attention all units. We have intercepted the submarine. The threat has been neutralized. Search the island, but there is unlikely to be anything of interest.”

  “I think it would be helpful if I told my story from the beginning,” Klaus said. “May I proceed?”

  Ajit nodded.