kept silent and only smiled. She was handed a cordless phone and she watched as the air policeman turned on the recording device. She punched in the number, and then a tone sounded. She tapped in her security code. The phone rang once and Europa came on the line.
“The department you are trying to reach has experienced an emergency situation and is unable to take your call at this time.” The phone was disconnected.
Sarah handed the phone back and turned away, biting her lower lip.
Things weren’t right in any aspect of their missions, and it seemed as if the fates were working against them.
“Jack, I wish we were all just back at home.”
The massive headquarters had been built in 1945 and was now the main building for the German Federal Police. Jack was caged on the fifth floor, and thus far had been questioned by the Germans, the Ecuadorians, and Interpol, and that wasn’t counting his own embassy. He sat quietly and told them that he had nothing to do with either the bombing in downtown Berlin or the murders of the couple in Ecuador. The military attache assigned to the embassy in Berlin had been in twice, telling Jack that he shouldn’t even have said what he had said; he should have just remained quiet. The attache told him that it would be all right. The president was working on getting him out of there, but things were a little iffy at the moment. He could tell by the way the man refused to look him in the eye that political pressure on the German government may not be going as well as the attache was letting on.
At the moment Collins sat on a cold, hard steel bunk and looked at the large hot dog and sauerkraut they had given him for dinner. He took a deep breath and sat the tray on the bed.
He saw a passing guard and called out, “Hey, can I take this food out to the kitchen and get something else?”
The German looked at Jack, not totally understanding what he was asking.
“You, know, maybe go out and get a hamburger or something?”
The guard finally caught on that the American was joking with him. He shook his head and walked away.
“Can I at least watch the space launch?” he called out.
The guard just kept walking. Collins shook his head, feeling helpless. He figured Carl was on his way to Ecuador. The Germans had removed him about eight hours before and he hadn’t returned. He was now thinking about Golding and Ellenshaw, hoping they were on their way home with the slim pickings of a report they had pieced together. He was also hoping that the military attache passed on his cryptic message to the State Department, and that Niles received it. That should start things rolling in the right direction, leading to the good Reverend Rawlins, especially since his Columbus investigation looked to be all but over.
Jack looked around the jail cell and knew that given time and planning he could make a break for freedom, but not without the use of deadly force. He wasn’t about to gain the fresh air again by killing policemen who were just doing their jobs.
“Colonel Collins, it is time for your washing.” The guard, whom Collins had never seen before, looked frustrated at his English. He looked away and then quickly back through the bars of the jail cell. “It is shower time,” the guard finally managed. “Will you please follow me?” he finished, waving down the block as the cell door opened.
Collins stood from his bunk and looked the guard over. The young man was larger than all the others he had seen thus far and was without a weapon of any kind, not even a nightstick like the others wore. Looking the boy over, Jack figured the kid didn’t really need one. He was also the first man to use his military title. The guard gestured for Collins to step out.
“Please, Colonel, this way.”
Jack did as he was instructed and stepped out of his cell.
“Think I can get a different color jumpsuit? Orange was never really my style.”
The kid didn’t respond to Jack’s joke. He placed a firm hand on his back and easily pushed him forward. They went to an elevator and Collins started to wonder where he was really being taken. He knew there were showers on his block’s floor, and from the way the guard acted it was as though he didn’t care that he wasn’t restrained in even the minimal sense of the word. Jack eyed the large kid again and saw that the uniform he wore was extremely tight-fitting. The cuffs of the blue jacket didn’t make it quite to the wrists and the top collar button wasn’t fastened underneath the black tie. The guard glanced over at him and Jack smiled, even though he started to get a soldier’s sense of impending danger.
As the elevator doors opened, Jack saw that two men were waiting just outside. One was wearing an orange jumpsuit like himself, obviously a guest of the state, and the other man was a guard. The two security men nodded at each other as Jack was led from the elevator. As he walked out he noticed the jail house number on the prisoner’s overalls and then Jack really started worrying-the number was the same as his own stenciled number on the left breast. He looked the prisoner over and saw that the man was dark-haired and almost exactly the same height and build as himself. Collins turned and looked at the two men as the elevator doors closed. His guard gave him a gentle shove in the back and he was moved along a long corridor.
The hackles on Jack’s neck began to rise as the guard stepped closer in behind him. He reached out and placed a large hand on his right shoulder, stopping him short of a steel door to the right side of the hallway.
“Shower room?” Jack asked watching the kid’s eyes.
“Colonel, I… was warned that you… may try something… dangerous to… us.” The man fought for the right English words.” But please, don’t… not… yet?” the guard opened the door and gestured for Jack to enter the room.
As he stepped through the doorway, Jack saw a man with his back to him dressed in all-black clothing. He was eating from a plate. Then his eyes roamed to the back of the room and that was when he saw Pete Golding and Charlie Ellenshaw sitting quietly.
“Colonel,” Charlie said, as he stood up along with Pete.
Jack was surprised to see the two scientists, but also worried that they had not been released as he was told they had been. Charlie stopped short of a handshake as the man eating the plate of food turned. Jack smiled finally when he saw Sebastian Krell. The commando put the plate down and stood. He adjusted the automatic weapon slung around his shoulder and looked from Collins to the man who escorted him to the office.
“Thank you. Sergeant. You’d better return that uniform before you bust out of it.” The large commando looked at his watch. “We leave here in three minutes.” Sebastian turned to face Jack and held out his hand. “Jonathan Dillinger I presume?”
Collins shook his friend’s hand and then looked him over. “It’s just John, and I hope my situation turns out better than Dillinger’s did.”
“That’s yet to be determined, my friend.” The two shook hands.
“What took you so long?” Jack asked, shaking hands with Ellenshaw and Golding.
“We had to wait for the president and the chancellor to come up with this plan. The major here finalized everything but we have very little time before our little ruse is discovered, because you are due to be arraigned in just eight hours. That’s when the clock starts running,” Pete said as Charlie handed Jack a new set of clothes.
“Your plane has been repaired and is awaiting our team,” Sebastian said as he waited for Jack to change.
“Team?”
“It seems my ten men and I have been assigned to you by the chancellor. He doesn’t need you caught again inside Germany. He and the president think we may be of service to you in something called Operation Columbus. The chancellor is in the same situation as your president. You see, all the astronauts for the ESA missions were trained in Cologne, and there are eight German scientists aboard the two Ariane rockets to be launched tonight. The fanatics here are charbroiling the chancellor over this. Thus you have us to assist you, even though our space programs are at odds.”
Jack buttoned his new shirt and thought about what their next move would be. As he slipped on a windbreaker he looked to the German commando.
“Well, I think there may be more to the chancellor’s and the president’s motives than meets the eye, but I
