shore. He sprang from the water and landed on the narrow path, not far from the second dead goon. Normally, Payne would have been reluctant to use someone else’s weapon unless his own gun was damaged or out of ammo, but in this case, it made sense strategically. The goon’s Beretta was equipped with a sound suppressor, which would be useful outside the grotto – especially if more men were positioned around the Linderhof grounds. The last thing Payne wanted was to make them aware of his presence. With that in mind, he picked up the Beretta, fired a test shot into the water, then headed towards the fake boulder.
While kneeling on the hard ground, Jones could hear the music seeping from the opening behind him. Although he wasn’t familiar with this particular opera, he found himself humming along – partially to calm his nerves and partially because he was bored.
Based on Schultz’s tactics, it was fairly obvious that he had been ordered to follow the beacon and question the chopper’s occupants before anyone was eliminated. Otherwise, Jones and Baptiste would already be dead, and Schultz would be inside the grotto looking for Payne, Heidi and Ulster. Once Jones thought this out, his attitude changed. If given the opportunity, Jones would still make a move on Schultz, but he wasn’t about to do anything desperate. At least not until Payne had a chance to wipe out the rest of his crew. In the meantime, he would do everything he could to keep his captor distracted.
Jones stared at Schultz, who was fifteen feet away. ‘What time is it?’
‘Time to shut up.’
He acted offended. ‘Damn! Why are you so mean? Have you always been like this? If so, you got in the right line of work. Lots of angry men in the goon business.’
‘I’m not a goon.’
‘Really? What are you then?’
‘I’m a soldier.’
‘Me, too. How long have you worked for Mueller?’
Schultz glanced around. He wasn’t used to chatty prisoners. Normally they were quivering with fear, not trying to make conversation. ‘Two years.’
‘Good employer?’
‘Not bad.’
‘Benefits?’
Schultz caught himself before he answered. ‘That’s it! No more talking. I know what you’re trying to do.’
‘Really? What’s that?’
‘You’re
‘Is it working?’
‘Not a chance.’
During the past few seconds, Jones had noticed the music getting softer. Either someone had turned down the volume, or someone was standing near the fissure blocking the sound as it tried to escape the grotto. If he had to guess, it was probably the latter.
‘One last question, then I
Schultz glared at him. ‘What is it?’
‘Do you know why we’re here?’
He sneered. ‘I’ll find out soon enough.’
Jones smiled, confident Payne was behind him. ‘No, you won’t.’
A moment later, Payne squeezed the trigger and ended the conversation.
Jones didn’t even turn around. ‘Took you long enough.’
‘Screw you,’ Payne snapped. ‘It was one against three.’
Jones stood and brushed off his knees. ‘Actually, it was three against three. Or don’t Heidi and Ulster count?’
‘In this case, they don’t. I sent them to safety.’
‘Then you better go and get them. We need to lift off, asap.’
‘Me? What about you? What are you going to do?’
Jones pointed at the golf cart. ‘I need to check on Baptiste. If he can’t fly, I’m the pilot.’
‘Fine! We’ll meet you here in five.’
Jones suddenly turned serious. ‘By the way, thanks.’
Payne nodded, then disappeared into the darkness of the grotto.
69
Oktoberfest is the world’s largest fair. Held annually in Munich, the sixteen-day festival attracts more than six million visitors a year. The original Oktoberfest took place in 1810 and commemorated the marriage of Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen and Crown Prince Ludwig, who later became King Ludwig I. (He was the namesake of Ludwig the Second and his paternal grandfather.) The event is held in the Theresienwiese – which translates to Therese’s meadow – an open space of four and a half million square feet that is south-west of the centre of the city. The festival is so important to Munich’s economy that the massive field has its own subway station. During the event, the U-Bahn station handles roughly 20,000 people per hour in each direction.
Because of security concerns, Payne was thrilled that Hauser amp; Sons was located on the opposite side of the city, far away from the madness. Baptiste landed the chopper on a corporate helipad six blocks from the store, then took off as soon as his passengers had hustled to safety. Although Jones was convinced that Raskin had handled the beacon problem, Baptiste was instructed to fly around the city to confuse would-be pursuers.
As a former resident of Munich, Heidi led the way to the store while Payne followed closely behind. Unlike the crowds of foreigners that filled the sidewalks, she knew exactly where she was headed. Energized by the palpable buzz in the city, her pace was so quick at times that Ulster struggled to keep up. Eventually, Payne grabbed her elbow and urged her to slow down – not only for Ulster’s sake, but also for the group’s safety. The further they were spread apart, the tougher it was to keep an eye on everybody.
Ironically, Heidi wasn’t the least bit excited about their trip to the store. She thought it might result in a small titbit about Ludwig but didn’t think it was worth their time and effort, not at this stage of their search. In fact, the only one who truly believed in the significance of the receipt was Jones. For some reason, he just sensed it was critical and wouldn’t let it rest. In the end, Payne and Ulster were willing to play along in order to shut Jones up.
Located in a brown brick building on a commercial street, Hauser amp; Sons had the glossy look of a high-end store. Its name was written in gold calligraphy on an elegant sign above the tinted glass doorway. Display cases, filled with a wide assortment of jewellery, sat behind the shatterproof windows. Lit by overhead lights discreetly hidden from public view, the jewels sparkled like stars in the desert night.
Heidi wanted to stop for a longer look, but Payne dragged her away from the window and towards the door. For the next few minutes, he needed her to focus on the receipt, not the diamond necklace she had been admiring. Heidi nodded and promised she would be on her best behaviour, but the moment they entered the store, she was distracted by a pair of earrings. Then a tennis bracelet. Then a gold ring. Before he knew it, she was in shopping mode.
Dressed in a designer suit, Friedrich Hauser watched the action unfold from his desk near the back of the store. Over the decades, he had witnessed a similar scene play out more times than he could possibly remember. The truth was he made his living on the type of excitement that she was displaying. He only hoped the woman (or one of her friends) had the bank account to match her expensive taste. If so, it would be a great afternoon.
‘
Payne waved and said, ‘Hello.’
Hauser, a man in his mid-sixties, smiled warmly. ‘Ah, you are visiting our city. I should have known. Everyone is a visitor during Oktoberfest. Where are you from?’
‘America.’
‘That is a long way to come for jewellery. I guess our reputation is growing.’
Payne laughed and shook his hand. ‘From the looks of things, your reputation is well deserved. You have a beautiful store.’
Hauser beamed. ‘I thank you – and so do my ancestors.’
The comment caught everyone’s attention, including Heidi’s. She turned away from the main display case and
