As Collins drove the ATV towards the gorge, Payne jogged behind the trailer. Occasionally, he dashed into the woods whenever he spotted something that bothered him – whether that was a flash of colour that didn’t belong or a glimpse of movement in the nearby trees – but he always came back to the rugged trail where he could watch over his injured friend. In Payne’s mind, Kaiser was the number-one priority.
Forced to move at a sluggish pace because of the terrain, they had been travelling for nearly fifteen minutes when Collins slowed the ATV to a gradual halt. Not a quick, jolting stop that screamed of panic, but a calm, leisurely stop that whispered confusion. Hoping to get a better view of the situation, Payne hopped on the back of the trailer and quickly spotted the problem. Fifty feet ahead, there was a rustic intersection, a place where two hiking paths came together. Payne’s trail was going east and west; the other was going north and south. Unfamiliar with the territory, Payne told Collins to stay put as he ran ahead to investigate a large display case that had been posted at the junction for confused hikers.
Thirty seconds later, Payne was cursing loudly.
Inside the glass case was a detailed map of the area, written in German and English. It showed everything – ski slopes, mountain peaks, major roads, museums, theatres, hotels, restaurants and the best places to park. Of course, none of that mattered to Payne since he was desperately trying to get out of town, not looking to enjoy his stay. The only thing he cared about was getting through the gorge as quickly as possible. But everything changed when he studied the map.
Using the butt of his gun, Payne smashed the case open and ripped the map off the corkboard inside. Then he stomped back towards Collins, anger punctuating his every step.
‘What’s wrong?’ Collins asked.
Payne shoved the map against Collins’s chest. ‘Where’s the chopper going to land?’
‘What?’
‘Where’s the chopper going to land?’ he asked again.
‘By the entrance to the gorge,’ Collins said.
‘Really?’ Payne growled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. ‘And how are we going to get there? I’d love for you to show me!’
Collins knew something was wrong, but he didn’t know how dreadful the situation was until he glanced at the map. There were several photos of area attractions, including a picture of the narrow trail that ran through the gorge. It was barely wide enough for two people; there was no way it could handle an ATV and a trailer. ‘Shit. We won’t fit.’
‘Exactly! So why in the hell did you choose the gorge as the rendezvous point?’
‘I didn’t,’ Collins argued. ‘It was Kaiser’s plan, not mine. And in his defence, he thought we’d be escaping on foot, not on an ATV.’
Payne took a deep breath and nodded. It was a valid point. As an apology, he patted Collins on the shoulder and grunted. He knew it wasn’t Collins’s fault. He was simply frustrated by an oversight that could have led to their demise. And since Kaiser was currently unconscious, Payne had lashed out at the first person he encountered. That just happened to be Collins.
‘What’d I miss?’ someone said from behind.
Payne whirled and raised his gun in one fluid motion, like a gunfighter from the Wild West. Thankfully, he didn’t squeeze his trigger or else he would have killed his best friend.
‘What the fuck?’ Jones shouted, not the least bit amused. ‘If you want to get rid of me, just say the word. I’ll go to Oktoberfest alone.’
‘Sorry,’ Payne said. ‘I’m having a bad day.’
‘Not as bad as mine, if you had shot my ass.’
‘I wasn’t aiming for your ass. I was aiming for your heart.’
‘Oh,’ Jones mocked, ‘now I feel much better.’
Payne turned and pointed at the map. ‘We have a problem.’
‘Yeah, I thought I detected a disturbance in the Force.’
Payne ignored the
‘Wonderful,’ said Jones as he snatched the map from Collins’s grasp. ‘It looks like I arrived at the perfect time. I love rescuing damsels.’
When it came to planning missions, Jones was a brilliant strategist. He had received the highest score in the history of the Air Force Academy’s MSAE (Military Strategy Acumen Examination) and had organized hundreds of operations with the MANIACs. He had a way of seeing things several steps ahead, like a chess master.
‘Out of curiosity, who chose the gorge?’ Jones asked.
Payne moaned. ‘Kaiser.’
‘Before or after he was knocked out?’
Payne wasn’t in the mood for games. ‘Do you see something or not?’
‘Relax! Would I be messing with you if I didn’t have a solution?’
‘Yes.’
Jones smiled. ‘You’re probably right. However, as luck should have it, I actually know how we’re going to get this stuff to the rendezvous point.’
‘The trailer won’t fit through the gorge,’ Collins volunteered.
Jones stared at him. ‘Did I say you could speak?’
Collins dropped his chin to his chest, embarrassed.
Jones winked at Payne, who tried not to laugh. No matter the gravity of the situation, they liked busting balls. ‘Anyway, what was I talking about?’
‘Reaching the rendezvous point.’
Jones nodded and pointed at their location on the map. ‘Here’s the problem. We’re just east of the Partnach River. According to this, there’s no way to cross the water until we get near the gorge. That means we can’t escape to the west. Unfortunately, the east is out, too, because of the fire I just set. It’s only a matter of time before Johnny Law comes running.’
‘That leaves north and south,’ Payne said.
‘Obviously the south is out because of the mountains. I mean, this is a sweet-ass ATV, but it’s not climbing the Alps.’
‘Agreed.’
‘So we have to go north.’
Payne nodded. ‘I figured as much, but how?’
Jones moved his finger on the map. ‘We take this into town.’
Payne leaned closer and studied the yellow icon, which looked like a tiny train. ‘What the hell is
‘The Eckbauerbahn.’
‘Which is?’
‘A cableway. It runs from the peak of Eckbauer to the Olympic stadium. Which, from the looks of things, is right next to the rendezvous point.’
Payne rolled his eyes. ‘You want to take a ski lift into town?’
‘It’s not a ski lift. It’s a
‘Really? How so?’
Jones smiled. ‘We don’t have to wear skis.’
36
Krueger realized this was the opportunity he had been waiting for since he had joined Mueller’s organization three years earlier. It was his chance to prove that he was a major player, not a two-bit thug who couldn’t be trusted with big-money deals or serious projects.
This was his chance to make an impression.
Realizing the importance of the situation, Krueger decided to cash in a favour he had been holding onto since he had left the 10th Armoured Division of the German Army. One of his best friends in the division, a violent man named Krause, had been accused of a brutal armed robbery, a crime he had committed. However, due to Krueger’s
