‘Get what?’
‘What you’re mixed up in?’
‘Apparently not.’
Payne pointed at the couch. ‘Please, sit down.’
‘Why?’
‘Why? Because I’m sick of arguing with you about every little thing. If this is going to work, all of us need to be on the same page. Personally, I’d rather thrash it out now than fight with you all damn day. I just don’t have the energy.’
Heidi nodded and took a seat next to Ulster. ‘Okay.’
Payne pulled up an office chair. ‘Tell me, do you know where you are?’
She shrugged. ‘Somewhere near Innsbruck.’
He made a buzzer sound. ‘Sorry. Wrong answer.’
‘No, it’s not. I recognized the city when we flew in.’
‘Actually, it’s a wrong answer for a completely different reason. It’s a wrong answer because your response could have gotten you killed.’
‘What? What do you mean?’
‘I mean, the man who owns this warehouse would be furious over your response. If his guards had been smart, they would have blindfolded you so you wouldn’t know the location of this place. But they were dumb, so now you’re a threat to his whole organization.’
‘Whose organization?’
‘A man you don’t want to meet. Which is why I can’t leave you here. For the time being, you’re far safer with us than you would be alone – at least until I have a chance to talk to him.’
Ulster nodded. ‘The Archives are protected by a team of armed guards around the clock. In addition, we recently installed a large panic room with enough food and water to last a month. If anyone comes looking for us, we’ll be perfectly safe until November.’
‘Not that we’re expecting trouble,’ Payne assured her. ‘In fact, I just got off the phone with my contact at Interpol. They’re already hunting the man responsible for today’s skirmish. With any luck, they’ll have him in a day or two. After that, everything will be fine.’
‘Then what?’ she demanded.
Prior to falling asleep on the flight to Austria, Payne had given the topic a lot of thought. If the violence in Bavaria had nothing to do with the contents of the bunker and everything to do with the gang war between Kaiser and Mueller, then the odds were pretty good that they could search for the treasure without any additional bloodshed. He’d still keep his guard up until he was back in America, but he figured as long as they stayed away from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, they didn’t have a lot to worry about.
Payne said, ‘If you’re up to it, I thought we could look for Ludwig’s treasure. It would be a shame to stop our search because of a little ambush.’
Her eyes lit up. ‘You mean it?’
‘I don’t see why not. From what Petr says, you’re one of the leading experts in the field. Of course, you’re the one who told him that, so who knows if it’s true?’
She put her hand over her heart. ‘I swear, it’s true!’
‘We’ll find out soon enough. That is, if you’ll be joining us.’
She nodded enthusiastically. ‘Yes, I’ll be joining you.’
‘In that case, you need to promise us something: no more games.’
‘I promise, Jon. No more games.’
Payne stared at her. She seemed sincere. ‘I’m serious, Heidi. If we catch you in a lie or feel you’re manipulating us in any way, you’ll lose our protection. Do you understand what that means?’
She gulped. ‘Yes, I understand.’
Payne smiled. ‘Good. The chopper leaves in five.’
51
The Ulster Archives was nestled against a sturdy outcrop of rock that shielded the wooden fortress from the Alpine winds that roared through the region during winter. Nut-brown timber made up the bulk of the chalet’s framework and blended perfectly with the broad gables and deep overhangs of the roof. Square windows were cut into the front facade at regular intervals and were complemented by a triangular pane that had been carved under the structure’s crown. A large picture window ran vertically through the middle of the chalet, giving people on the main staircase a spectacular view of the Lepontine Alps.
But Petr Ulster ignored the scenery as he trudged down the steps from the document vaults on the upper floors towards his private office. It was a journey he typically made several times a day, moving from room to room, helping researchers from around the world with their pursuit of historical data. Although he didn’t consider himself an expert in any particular field, Ulster had a working knowledge of every significant historical subject from A to Z.
It was a skill set that served him well as curator of the facility.
Expecting to find his freshly showered guests in his office, Ulster was drawn towards the kitchen by the sound of laughter and the smell of newly baked bread. Inside the spacious room, he saw Payne, Jones and Heidi huddled around a plate of meats and cheeses. Standing next to them was Ulster’s private chef, who was slicing a warm loaf while arguing with Jones.
‘That isn’t possible!’ the chef blurted. ‘I don’t believe you for a second.’
Ulster looked at them, confused. ‘What isn’t possible?’
Jones ignored the question. ‘I’m telling you, we jumped out of the helicopter while holding on to salami. We slid over a hundred feet, right into some trees.’
Payne nodded. ‘If you don’t believe us, ask Baptiste. He was flying.’
The chef glanced at Ulster. ‘Sir, is that what happened?’
Ulster shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I wasn’t there. But it wouldn’t surprise me. When the chopper landed to pick us up, Baptiste had to reel in a very long rope that smelled like fried salami. I thought I was imagining things, but perhaps not.’
Jones laughed while patting Ulster on his belly. ‘Your picnic basket saved some lives. Your stomach should be proud of its sacrifice.’
Ulster grabbed a slice of bread. ‘In that case, I’ll reward it.’
Payne pointed at the food. ‘I hope you don’t mind. We were waiting for you in your office, but we smelled the bread and couldn’t resist. It’s tough to think when you’re hungry.’
Ulster smiled. ‘Why do you think my office is so close to the kitchen?’
Once they had eaten, they went back to Ulster’s office where a research assistant had dropped off several books about Ludwig’s life. All but one were written in German. The lone exception was a coffee-table book with English captions under photographs of Ludwig’s castles, including some taken during their construction.
Payne studied one of the pictures. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see that.’
‘See what?’ Ulster asked from his desk.
‘Pictures of the building site.’
‘Why not?’ Heidi asked as she peered over his shoulder. She instantly recognized the slim towers of Neuschwanstein underneath the scaffolding.
‘When I think of castles, I think of ancient buildings that were built long before the age of photography. Then again, what do I know? We don’t have many castles in America. We’re too young a country to have ancient ruins.’
‘Have you seen photographs of Abraham Lincoln?’ she asked.
Payne nodded. ‘Several.’
She walked around the couch and sat next to him. ‘They started building Neuschwanstein a few years
‘Actually, it does.’
