Hauser took a deep breath and lifted the lid off the gold case. For the first time in decades, he stared at his grandfather’s handiwork. It was more beautiful than he had remembered – more beautiful than anything he had ever seen. The group gasped at the sight.
‘To be that king, he needed the finest crown ever made.’
Epilogue
Friday, 24 September
Oktoberfest
Munich, Germany
The Hofbrauhaus, the most famous beer hall in Munich’s old town, has its own tent at Oktoberfest. Known as the Hofbrau-Festzelt, it is the largest of the thirty-four tents on the festival grounds, with a total capacity of nearly 10,000 people. During the sixteen-day festival, more than a half-million litres of Hofbrau beer would be served inside, not to mention a million pounds of meat. With many guests dressed in traditional costumes and a Bavarian Oompah band playing on the large stage, it was easy to get caught up in the fun.
As he made his way into the tent, the man spotted Jones at a large wooden table and decided to sneak up behind him. Well aware of Jones’s training, he took no chances with the ex-MANIAC. He patiently waited until Jones set down his mug before he wrapped his arm round his friend’s throat. Then he gave it a friendly squeeze.
Jones glanced back and saw the unmistakable chin of Nick Dial. It was the physical trait that defined him. ‘It’s about time. We were wondering when you’d show up. Or if you’d show up.’
Dial patted his shoulder. ‘Sorry about my tardiness. But some idiot shot a bunch of people in the grotto at the Linderhof. I had to go check it out.’
Jones grunted. ‘The nerve of some people!’
Payne, who was sitting across from Jones, stood and shook Dial’s hand. ‘Long time no see. We’re glad you could sneak away – if only for today.’
‘And I’m glad you’re still alive. Seriously, you guys are retired. You need to relax.’
Jones handed him a beer. ‘That’s exactly what we’re doing.’
Dial pulled out his chair. ‘Not to be a downer, but it’s getting harder and harder for me to clean up your messes. My badge can only do so much.’
Payne nodded in understanding. ‘Just say the word, and we’ll quit calling.’
‘And miss invitations like this? Not a chance.’
‘Come on, Nick. You know what I mean.’
Dial nodded. ‘We’re not there yet, but we’re getting closer.’
‘Understood.’
Jones glanced at Dial. ‘Any news on Mueller?’
Dial took a sip of beer. ‘Well, those were definitely his men at the Linderhof. Fingerprints and their arrest records prove it. According to my calculations, you’ve killed ten of his men in the past week. That’s bound to get you noticed.’
‘Define noticed.’
Dial chose his words carefully. ‘Mueller is a cold, calculating son of a bitch. He isn’t the type of guy who will challenge you to a gunfight at dawn, unless he knows he can win. My guess is he’ll take his time to find out everything he can about you. After that, he’ll come after you with a small army – or a very good assassin. Whatever he thinks will work best.’
Payne scanned the room. ‘Great.’
Dial forced a smile. ‘Don’t worry, it won’t be today. Oktoberfest is far too important to the local economy. If he struck here, the German government would destroy him. No way he would risk his entire organization for two Americans he’s never met. Even assholes like you.’
Jones poured another beer. ‘Good to know.’
‘So,’ Dial said as he noticed two empty chairs at their table, ‘where’s Petr? And didn’t you say something about an attractive blonde who might like handcuffs?’
‘They’ll be here soon. They’re flying in from Switzerland.’
Dial lowered his voice. ‘And what about Kaiser? How’s he doing?’
Payne answered. ‘He’ll live, but he’s pretty pissed off. During the assault, he caught some shrapnel in one of his eyes. The doctors tried to save it, but they weren’t successful.’
Dial winced. ‘I’d be pissed, too, if I lost an eye.’
Payne shook his head. ‘Actually, he can handle losing an eye. It’s the joking that’s got him pissed. We stopped by the hospital to see how he was doing, and DJ playfully called him “Long John Kaiser”. He even brought him a pirate eye patch as a gag.’
Jones grimaced. ‘In retrospect, it was a little too soon.’
Dial laughed at his friend’s antics. ‘If I were you, I’d buy him a gift. A really nice gift. This is someone you don’t want pissed at you.’
‘Trust me,’ Jones said, as he thought about the crate of gold that was waiting in Ulster’s vault, ‘we have just the thing to cheer him up.’
Over the next twenty minutes, the trio caught up on old times. They had known each other for years but rarely had a chance to get together because of the distance between Pittsburgh and France. Halfway through his story about the salami, Jones stopped and rubbed his eyes. Even though he’d had very little to drink, he was pretty sure his mind was playing tricks on him.
Jones asked, ‘What’s the alcohol content of this beer?’
Payne shrugged as he ate some roast pork. ‘I don’t know, why?’
‘I think Petr just arrived.’
‘And?’
‘Unless I’m imagining things, he’s wearing lederhosen.’
A few seconds later, Payne was laughing so hard he started coughing up food. The sight of Ulster, one of the most respected historians in the world, squeezed into the traditional knee-length leather shorts – his outfit completed with matching braces and a pointed hat with a red feather – was too much for him to handle. Not wanting to embarrass his portly friend, Payne quickly excused himself before Ulster reached their table.
Thanks to the massive crowd, Payne slipped away unseen. At least he thought he had until he felt a faint tap on his shoulder a minute later. He turned round, fully expecting to see a drunken tourist with a handful of beer. Instead, he saw Heidi. She was standing there in a gathered skirt with a low-cut bodice, a white apron and thigh-high white stockings. Her blonde hair, which was normally in a ponytail, had been separated into two braids, each tied with white ribbons that dangled in front of her cleavage.
‘Hey, stranger,’ she said before she kissed him on his cheek.
Payne struggled to catch his breath. ‘Wow.’
She smiled and curtsied. As she did, she swooshed her blue skirt back and forth with her hands. ‘Do you like it? It’s called a dirndl. It’s very popular in Bavaria.’
‘I can see why. You look incredible.’
She blushed slightly. ‘If that’s the case, why did you run away from me?’
‘When was that?’
‘Just now. I showed up with Petr, and you ran away.’
He apologized. ‘Sorry, I didn’t even see you. I started choking on my food and needed to clear my throat.’
She patted him on the back. ‘Are you okay?’
He nodded. ‘I am now.’
She linked her arm in his and pulled him off to the side of the tent. ‘Before we go back to the table, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you.’
‘For what?’
‘For letting me tag along on your adventure.’
He laughed at her description. ‘Yeah, like I had a choice.’
She gave him a playful shove. ‘Come on! I wasn’t that bad, was I?’
‘You mean, before you blackmailed your way onto the chopper or after?’
Heidi laughed at the memory. ‘After.’