Gunner was pleased with the way things were going. He was genuinely concerned the reclusive Professor von Zwick, who’d been in hiding for years, might be a problem for them. He returned to the front door and called for the others to join him.
Cam and Bear entered von Zwick’s home in unison, amazed first by the sophisticated surveillance system in place.
“First class, right?” asked Bear.
Cam agreed. “Yeah. I suppose he has a right to be paranoid.”
“Ja, young lady. I do.” Von Zwick startled the trio with his sudden return.
They turned away from the surveillance monitors to find him standing behind them, holding a Heckler & Koch G95, the standard-issue assault rifle of the German Army special forces. “You have exactly thirty seconds to explain who you are and how you found me, or I will have a mess to clean up and body parts to feed to my pigs.”
All three of the operatives raised their hands. Gunner was mad at himself for being lured in the way he was. It was a brilliant strategy, actually. Von Zwick could never succeed in defending a full assault, even with the benefit of the surveillance. He’d successfully convinced Gunner to let his guard down, and now they faced a weapon with a hundred-round Beta C-mag affixed to it. Von Zwick was right. It would be a helluva mess to clean up.
“Okay, Professor. Please relax.”
“Twenty-five seconds. I’m counting.” The former professor’s hands were steady, and the rifle remained trained on Gunner’s chest.
“I am former Air Force Major Gunner Fox, and this is my team. Former Major Cameron Mills and Lieutenant Barrett King. We work for a division of the American military that you’ve never heard of, and it really doesn’t matter. Everything I’ve said to you has been truthful. We’re trying to stave off a possible attack against our country, and maybe yours as well.”
“I am a man without a country. My Germany is gone. How did you find me?”
Cam spoke up, using a calming voice. “Professor, you made a mistake with one of your posts on Parler or Reddit. You forgot to use the protection of a VPN, and one of the messages you sent to the Washington Times was cross-referenced to the social media posting. Our intelligence agencies made the logical connection based upon your activities from years ago.”
Cam’s disclosure had an effect on von Zwick. He let out a deep sigh as he realized her explanation was plausible. He gradually lowered his weapon.
“Please accept my apologies,” he said sincerely. “I am older and engaged in a game that will result in my death one day. It is, however, a labor of love for my country that is necessary. I refuse to allow Deutschland to slip back into the tyrannical hands of the Nazis.”
Von Zwick held the battle rifle by the buttstock and offered it to Gunner as a show of contrition. Gunner smiled and held his hands up, indicating his trust and understanding of why the older man undertook the defensive course of action.
“I suggest we start over, how about you?” Gunner asked.
“Ja. I do have freshly made Apfelwein. It is nonalcoholic, however. I have to keep my wits about me as I get older. Plus, my isolation is not conducive to drinking.”
“Your English is incredible, Professor,” said Cam. “Did you study abroad?”
Von Zwick laughed. “No, young lady. Rosetta Stone.”
Rosetta Stone was an award-winning program used to learn foreign languages. The advanced programs assisted those who used it to lose their native accents.
The group followed von Zwick into the spacious kitchen, which included a round table. There was only a single chair, as von Zwick never had any guests. He poured them all a generous glass of the sparkling apple cider.
“I live a simple life, one that is almost entirely self-sustainable. All utilities are generated on the farm. I grow my own food, ranging from a variety of meats to fruits and vegetables. I am able to walk two miles to the shore of the Baltic Sea to fish. I have virtually no human contact unless I drive into Wismar, a coastal city to our east.”
“I take it you avoid Jamel,” said Gunner.
“I do. They are very suspicious of anyone, including someone like myself who has lived in the area for years. The Nordkreuz are a far more sophisticated operation than their village would appear. They are well-funded murderous criminals with no sanctity for human life except those who embrace their ideology.”
Gunner took the lead on the conversation. “I’ve seen reports of their activities. Well-coordinated. These types of terrorist attacks require planning and knowledge. They must have friends within Germany’s government and military.”
“Oh, yes. Absolutely. Nordkreuz has been underestimated by Berlin for years, and now they are stronger than most realize.”
“Are they capable of coordinating a bioterror attack?” asked Gunner.
“They are thugs and anarchists. I have never known them to have access to chemical weapons.”
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The surveillance system was issuing a warning. Von Zwick set his glass down and rushed past Bear, who was partially blocking the doorway leading out of the kitchen into the living space.
Von Zwick was angry. “Verdammt! You were followed!”
Chapter Twenty-One
Home of Professor von Zwick
Northern Germany near the Baltic Sea
“There!” von Zwick shouted, pointing at the center monitor. “They broke the plane of the infrared repeaters along the road. They’re bunched together but beginning to fan out.” The screen revealed red blips approaching the house from the road. As they came closer, they began to gradually disappear from the screen.
“Hey! Where’d they go?” asked Bear. He’d been leaning over a chair and immediately stood upright to take in all the monitors.
“I only have thirty feet of coverage with my infrared sensors, fifteen feet on either side of the barbed-wire fencing. Once they close in from the perimeter, they fall off my surveillance.”
“There are no windows in this place,
