“Opulent shit mostly,” he said. “But also some heavy duty security features. We’ve already seen the gate and the cameras. But he also added motion sensors.”
“Doesn’t sound too bad,” she said, rolling to her back again.
“Yeah, but assuming full coverage, and the number of goons there, this could get kinda intense.”
Even more reason to get Jake involved, she thought. “Would you send the plans to Jake by e-mail?”
“Sure.” Seconds later it was done. “We going to coordinate our efforts with him and that Interpol chick?”
“What you think?” She sat up on the edge of the bed now. “If she decides to call in her Interpol friends, they could fuck things up royally.”
“But what if we don’t coordinate, and Jake and the girl go in before us? They wouldn’t have a chance against all those guys.”
She clenched her jaw. “Listen, sailor boy. Last time I looked, you still worked for me. We do it my way or you can head back out to sea.”
“That’s bullshit!”
Flopping back onto the bed, she said, “I won’t hang Jake out to dry. I think you know me better than that. We won’t move for at least twenty-four hours. First, we need to see what they’re up to.”
At Marienburg Castle, Hermann Conrad and Alexandra had shown up after the long drive through the blizzard. He was tired from the drive and she was in total awe of the splendor of the place.
Now, Conrad sat on the large canopy bed in his master suite watching Alexandra meticulously put away the clothes in the dresser and the hang-up items in an oak shrank.
“I like watching you do that,” Conrad said.
She turned to him, her hands on her hips. “You’d like it better with a maid outfit. Sorry, but I didn’t bring it with me.”
“I’ll bet you have one. Would you like a bite to eat? I could have our chef make you something.”
Rubbing her flat stomach, she said, “That would be wonderful. Just a snack, though. I don’t have to eat with those men.” Her eyes shifted toward the door.
Conrad got up from the bed and gave her a big hug, before backing up, her arms in his hands. “No. Not at all. At least not tonight. We do have a big meal scheduled for tomorrow night, though.” He thought at that moment about Altenstein and Albrecht, each in other rooms just down the hall.
“I understand,” she said. “But I saw guns.”
“Security. Austria has changed, Alexandra. There are those who would like what I have by any means. We have to be prepared.”
“But I don’t like guns. Growing up in Soviet Union, there were soldiers everywhere.”
“I understand.” He let her arms go and went to the door. “I’ll have the chef prepare something.” He left and went to the hallway.
At the end of the hallway, Miko Krupjak stood, an Uzi in his right hand at his side. Conrad told him to call down to the chef to prepare something for Alexandra, a snack, and deliver it to his room, which the man did with a walkie-talkie.
“Now,” Conrad said, “let’s see what Albrecht has to say.”
Miko unlocked the grand master’s door and went in first, pointing his gun at Albrecht, who sat on the bed reading a book.
Conrad locked the door behind him and stared at the man. He had only met the grand master once, years ago, so he didn’t expect the man to recognize him.
“How are you doing?” Conrad said.
Albrecht put down the book. “Why are you keeping me here?”
“You mean, why are you still alive.”
“I can’t imagine why you want to kill me,” Albrecht said. “What have I done to you?”
Conrad smiled. “There can only be one grand master, and this Order is hollow and ineffectual. The Order used to stand for something, but now it’s all about charity and education. Do I have to tell you what the Teutonic Knights accomplished in their day? Europe is changing and the changes are not positive. It is time, again, for the Knights to rise up and push back those who are not like us.” Conrad went on and on about the changing face of Europe and how they would bring it back to its past.
Albrecht’s eyes were wide now, his jaw tight, and his mind obviously trying to come to grips with Conrad’s words. “You can’t be serious. Are you saying this is some kind of Crusade for you?”
“I’m glad that doctorate of yours hasn’t gone to waste.” Conrad continued to explain why his way was the only way — certain that Albrecht was only partially listening.
Back in the master suite, Alexandra opened a window and felt the snow fall to her hand. She was the only woman in the house. That made her a bit concerned. She closed the window and quickly locked the door. Crossing the room, she found the window that overlooked the front of the castle. What a splendid place — a view of the mountains to the east from one side and from the other a view of the forest. Then she went over to her suitcase and pulled out her cell phone.
She heard a sound outside the door and quickly put the phone away. When the noise went away, she continued in her suitcase, going into an inner pouch and pulling out three tiny objects and a lapel pin. The pin she put on and the objects she put into her purse.
Satisfied, she went to the door and quietly unlocked it. Just as she did so, there was a quiet knock on the door. Her heart raced.
Settling down, she opened the door. “For me?” she said. It was an older man with a tray covered by a metal dome.
“Yes, ma’am. I am Rene.” His German had a French accent. He brought the tray in and set it on the dresser. “I could open a bottle of wine for you.”
“Thanks,” she said. “But I’ll wait for Hermann to see if he wants red or white.”
The man bowed his head and left.
Alone again, Alexandra started in on the food, a tray of meat and cheese and crackers.
The door opened suddenly and Conrad came in. “Good,” he said. “You got something to eat.” He went to the wet bar and opened her a bottle of Mosel Riesling, and then poured her a glass and brought it to her.
She took a drink, washing down a cracker. “Thank you. You want some?”
“No. I’ll be back in a moment. I have to speak with someone.”
Glancing at her purse on the bed, she said nothing as she watched him leave. Damn it. She filled herself with meat, cheese and wine.
22
The sun was on its way up over the eastern Tirol Alps. Jake glanced up the path toward Anna’s chalet, where the snow from the night before had filled in his shoveling with six more inches of snow — making it a foot and a half total. He was packing Anna’s car with the skis and her competition rifles when his cell phone rang. The clear skies must have helped the signal, Jake thought. He picked up, “Yeah.”
“Jake.” It was Kurt Lamar.
“What ya got?”
“Did you get the e-mail I sent you last night? Plans for Conrad’s castle.”
He looked around, remembering his laptop was in the back seat. “Haven’t checked my mail,” Jake said. “I can do it on the way to St. Johann. What’s the weather like up there?”
“Crappy. Well, I take that back. It was crappy last night. Looks like it will be sunny today. But the roads are a big mess.”
“We’ll be heading out soon. Anna has her Quattro. We should be all right. What’s up at Conrad’s place?”
There was a beeping in the background.
“What’s that?” Jake asked.
“Our GPS tracker just went off. Looks like Miko is on the move. Hang loose, they’ve gotta pass us. We’re right on the road to town.”
Jake waited, the phone in the crotch of his neck while he closed the roof coffin.
“Gotta run, Jake. They’re all going somewhere.”