This wasn’t just a bunch of kids camping out in the woods. This was a goddamned military camp.
And the bastard in the tower behind the bonfire was leading it. I still wasn’t close enough to hear what he was saying, but I heard the response of the young men loud and clear.
“Sieg, Heil! Sieg, Heil!”
I was trying to work out the translation, when I felt cold gunmetal press against the back of my head. “You never know when to give up, do you, asshole?”
I recognized the voice, but I turned my head enough to make sure I was right. I was.
Steve Hauser was aiming a rifle at the back of my head. And he was wearing the same uniforms as the others.
“Now get up nice and slow, or you’re going to make me do something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.”
Chapter 19
Hauser kept me in front of him, pushing me forward with the barrel of his rifle as he forced me into the clearing.
The man in the tower stopped yelling, and all the kids turned to face me.
“Relax, everyone,” Hauser called out to them. “Just a trespasser.”
The young men turned and booed me, cursed at me. Those at the back of the group even threw rocks in my general direction. They all missed.
The jeering and cursing didn’t bother me. I pretty much got the same treatment from my own cops back when I had been Chief Carmichael’s boy. What bothered me most was that these were all American kids. The oldest one I saw was about eighteen or so. The youngest kid was about ten.
They all had a similar look. Thin, athletic, mostly blonds, just like the young man who had run away from me in Times Square a couple of days ago. Maybe he was one of them. Maybe he wasn’t even there. I didn’t really care. But it told me he’d probably been picked from the same crop of kids I had just witnessed cheering the crazy bastard in the tower above the bonfire.
I noticed something else as Hauser marched me past them. Two flagpoles at the edge of the parade ground were lit from the ground. One was flying the American flag. The other flag was red with a twisted black cross on a white circle. A swastika.
The sight sent a chill down my back, and it wasn’t just from the barrel of Hauser’s rifle, either.
“Keep walking, stupid,” Hauser said from behind me. “There’re some people who want to see you.”
I was sick of getting yelled at, and I was sick of being pushed around.
I waited until he jabbed me with the muzzle again and made my move.
My Marine training kicked in, the part about how to disarm the enemy. Hauser might’ve been a bit bigger and younger than me, but I was still pretty fast.
I yanked the rifle forward as I side-stepped it, dislodging his grip just enough for me to jam the rifle butt into his throat. The unexpected blow knocked him back as he let go of the rifle and grabbed his throat.
I swung the rifle by the barrel, like a bat, and hit Hauser in the side of the head with the stock, knocking him flat. The kids rushed at me in a herd, just as I brought the stock to my shoulder and jammed the rifle barrel against his head.
“One more move and I blow his fucking head off.”
The kids didn’t back off, but they didn’t rush me, either. If they called my bluff I’d be dead, but so would Hauser.
A pistol fired into the air behind me, and a woman’s voice called out, “Enough!”
The shot sent the kids scattering further away, clearing a path for three people who were walking toward us from what looked like a bunkhouse.
A short man in a dark overcoat and a pince-nez perched on the edge of his nose. Dr. Otto.
A tall, gaunt man in a gray overcoat. Tessmer.
And in the middle, a woman in a gray shirt, gray pants, and black Army boots. A black jacket was draped around her slender shoulders like a cape. She might not have been wearing a ball gown, but she was every bit as striking as she’d been at the gala.
Alexandra von Holstein.
When she stopped, the men flanking her stopped as well. That’s when I noticed the smoking Luger pistol in her left hand. She had fired the shot.
She said, “Let Mr. Hauser up, Charlie. You’ve done enough damage for one day.”
But I kept the barrel flush against Hauser’s head. “No way. We’re getting the hell out of here.”
She smiled. “Not with an empty rifle. It’s not even loaded.”
I realized the rifle didn’t have a magazine. I checked the chamber. That was empty, too. The goddamned thing was useless. I tossed the rifle at them. It landed in the mud at their feet. I still had the .38 under my coveralls, but I wouldn’t get to it in time before she drilled me with that Luger. “Then I guess I’ll be on my way.”
“Nonsense,” Alexandra said. “I told you I hoped we would meet again soon, and here we are. It would be a shame to waste such an opportunity. Besides, you’ve driven a long way to be here. Join us for a moment.”
“Sorry, but I’ve got places to be.”
“Hauser’s rifle was unloaded.” Alexandra leveled the gun at me. “The Luger isn’t. Come with us. Steven will make sure you find your way, won’t you, Steven?”
I didn’t know Hauser had gotten back on his feet until he punched me in the kidney. I hadn’t been expecting the blow, and almost fell over. Almost.
Hauser grabbed me by the collar and steered me ahead of him.
***
The bunkhouse they had built was brand new, but had been meant to look old. I could still smell the paint and plaster on the walls. I felt a thin layer of dust under my boots that felt more like sawdust from new construction than from dirt.
The room they led me into was nothing fancy. Just a desk and some chairs scattered around. A long conference table was in the middle of the room.
I wasn’t surprised when the countess took her seat behind the desk, flanked by Dr. Otto and Tessmer. Hauser stayed behind me. I was expecting another kidney punch, but it hadn’t come yet.
Alexandra lay the Luger on the desktop as she slowly pulled off her black gloves, one finger at a time. “You are a man of many interests, aren’t you, Charlie? I took you for one of those people who never left the comforts of the city unless they had to.”
“That’s me,” I said. “Full of surprises.”
“I’m beginning to see that,” she said. “Tell me, what brings you out here to Camp Sigfried?”
I was dying for a cigarette, but it was in my pocket beneath my coveralls. If I reached for them they’d see the gun, and I’d lose the only advantage I had going for me. Since I couldn’t smoke, I tried sarcasm instead. “It’s the funniest story you’re ever going to hear. See, I was out for a drive in the country, taking in the sights, when all of a sudden the sun goes down and I’m lost. At first, I was worried about running out of gas. But then I realized I had an even bigger problem.” I whispered as if I was embarrassed. “I had to use the little boy’s room. Since I was out here already, I decided to make like a deer and go in the woods. So I pulled over, walked into the woods to start doing my business, when all of a sudden some guy jumps out from behind a tree and propositions me. I was scared at first, but then I realized it was Hauser. You might not know this but he’s a little pink in the center, if you get my meaning.”
Hauser slammed me twice in the kidneys. This time, I dropped to my knees. And this time, he didn’t try to help me up. Neither did anyone else in the room. Alexandra simply looked bored as she pulled off her left glove, one finger at a time.
I got to one knee, then on both feet, though I’d hardly call it standing. I was listing to one side and grateful my bladder hadn’t given out. Hauser might not have been big but he was built like a bull.
I bit off the pain. “Sorry you had to hear about it this way, Countess. But I believe an employer has a right to know about the people she has working for her.”
I felt Hause
r shift again to hit me, but one look from Tessmer made him stop.
Tessmer said, “You’re not a very wise man, are you, Detective?”
“Wise enough to find your hideaway in the woods, Fritz.”
Now Tessmer looked like he wanted to belt me, but stayed where he was. Alexandra seemed to have her dogs well trained. I wondered what Father Mullins would think about this. I hoped I’d have the chance to ask him, but it didn’t seem like I would.
Alexandra said, “Herr Tessmer is wrong about you, Charlie. I think you’re a most clever man. Clever enough to find out about this place. Probably clever enough to find out about a lot of things. Care to share?”
“That’s the problem with being an only child, your highness. I never learned how to share with the other kids.”
From behind me, Hauser said, “Damn it, Doherty. You’re already caught. Don’t make it worse than it already is.”
“How bad could it be?” I laughed. “At worst, you’ve got me for trespassing. Call the local sheriff and have me picked up. I’ll pay the two dollars and be out in time for breakfast.” I winked at Alexandra. “Unless you’ve got more interesting plans for me.”
She ran a long, red fingernail down the handle of the Luger. “Breakfast is the furthest thing from my mind right now. I want you to tell me what you found in Walter’s safe.”
“No.”
She persisted. “Some of those things didn’t belong to him. They belonged to me. I want them back and I’m prepared to pay handsomely for it.”
Normally, talking about money was the best way to get my attention. But this wasn’t a normal circumstance and she already had my attention, so she was out of luck. “Wish I could help, but I can’t.”
“You can’t, or you won’t?”
I wasn’t sure how much she knew about Mr. Van Dorn’s operation, or if she knew anything at all. Maybe Hauser had told him we’d left the gala together, and maybe he’d kept his mouth shut. I decided to play it cautious, which wasn’t good for me. But I wasn’t being paid to be careful. “I guess you could say a little bit of both. I’ve already been through everything in the safe, so there’s no reason to be coy. I know how much you milked Walter for and where the money went. I know what he bought for you and I know how much. To most people, a bunch of leases and a ledger of charitable donations doesn’t mean much. A notebook full of gibberish means even less.”
Tessmer cursed in German and made a move toward me, but Alexandra grabbed his arm. “Careful, Charlie. You’re in no position to bait us.”
“Don’t be so sure. I’d say I’m in the perfect position to bait you. A minute ago, you were willing to throw some money at me to get back the stuff in Fairfax’s safe. That’s not going to happen. Now you’re going to pay me a lot more to make sure none of that stuff ever sees the light of day.”
Dr. Otto cleared his throat. “Or we could simply spend the next several days torturing you until you tell us where the items are.”
“With what? That band of Boy Scouts you’ve got outside by the bonfire? Nah. Let them stick to the weenie roasts and camp songs, at least until their balls descend.”
I jerked my thumb over my shoulder. “I hope you’re not planning on having Hauser do it. I just caved his skull in without even trying. Poor bastard’s probably seeing double right now. He wouldn’t know which one of me to grab. Besides, I got the jump on him once and I’ll do it again.”
I heard Hauser’s knuckles crack, but he stayed where he was.
I looked at Tessmer, who still looked like he wanted to tear me apart, but the countess hadn’t let him off his choke chain yet. “And I know you don’t want him to do it. He’d go too far too fast and probably kill me before I said anything. Not that he’d have the chance.” I threw him a wink. “I’m a little tougher than I look, Fritz. Teufel Hunden, remember?”
I snapped my fingers as if something had just come to me. “Or maybe you’re thinking of poisoning me like you did Walter and Dr. Blythe.” I shook my head. “That wouldn’t work, either.”
Alexandra actually flinched. Something I’d said finally got to her. “What was that?”
“Cyanide, wasn’t it? That might’ve worked with a love-sick fool and a drunk old man, but in case you haven’t noticed, I’m neither. You’d have to hurt me to get me to take it, and then you’d still be left with nothing. That brings us right back to where we started. Paying me off and letting me go is still your best option.”
“I’m disappointed in you, Charlie.” Alexandra smiled, but this time it didn’t warm me. “Your insults are usually so thorough, yet you have discounted Dr. Otto’s talents. He’s quite a skilled psychiatrist. Trained in all matters of persuasive tactics, as am I. The carrot and the stick, as I believe you Americans call it.”
She was right. I hadn’t counted on Otto at all. Served me right for being too smug for my own good.
“I took the time to look over your file,” Alexandra continued. “Don’t ask me how I obtained it because, like you, I have secrets. It made for some interesting reading. I know you’re familiar with the more violent approaches to interrogation. Phone directories and rubber hoses, things like that. I assure you that Dr. Otto takes a more nuanced approach to the matter. His methods leave scars that do not show and never quite heal.”
I looked at Alexandra and forced a laugh. “You’re some piece of work. I’ll bet poor Walter never saw it coming.”
“Not until I told him,” she admitted. “But he had served his purpose and died quickly, which is more than I can offer you.”
I shrugged. “I always got more out of a guy with a carton of Luckies and a bottle of gin. I’ve put my time in on the other side of the table. Boys like Otto over there tried to get me to talk once back in France. It didn’t work then and it won’t work now. Either way you play it, I’ll dig in deeper just to spite you.” I shrugged. “Might as well save yourselves a lot of time and shoot me.”
I felt her eyes move across me. Not warmly like they had back at the gala, but different. Like I was a specimen in a jar. She stopped when she looked me in the eyes, probably expecting me to look away. She had an intense gaze for someone who was supposed to have come from money.
I’d been stared down by tough guys before. It was all menace and violence. I’d been given the cold stare from some of my clients, too, especially when they didn’t get the news they’d expected. They’d brought all their breeding and money to bear, as if that would change the facts of the bad news I’d just delivered.
But Alexandra had a different look. Cold and analytical that slowly changed to realization and, ultimately, hate. The longer I held her glare, the more her hate grew. She’d expected me to crack or look away. I did neither.
I waited for her to grab the Luger so I could go for the .38 under my arm. I didn’t know if I’d clear it before she shot me, but it was worth a try.
The stare held as she said, “You know something, Charlie? I believe you. That’s too bad.” She broke off the stare and looked behind me at Hauser. “Steven, take care of him.”
“With pleasure,” Hauser said. “Can I break something, or do you just want him roughed up?”
“I want him dead.”
Hauser surprised me by laughing. “Join the club.”
Tessmer pounded the desk. “Hauser, Countess Alexandra has given you a direct order. The prisoner is to be executed immediately.”
My right hand flicked up toward my belly, but stopped when Hauser said, “You’re not serious.”
Alexandra looked at him. “Do you see anyone laughing?”
I flinched when Hauser moved next to me. “Look, you want me to kick the shit out of him, that’s fine. He’s trespassing and has it coming. The fact that I hate his guts makes it even better. But killing him is a whole other thing entirely.”
Alexandra bolted out of her chair. “He is a direct threat to our operation. He
has refused to cooperate, and he must be dealt with immediately. You know what we’re doing here. You’ve seen what we’re trying to build. Do you want all of that threatened by a greasy little man you despise? You’ve said you’re committed to our cause. You’ve pledged your allegiance to us. Executing this bastard will show the depth of your commitment. Or were they just words?”
“My commitment?” Hauser took another step forward, placing himself between me and the Germans. “Look, I told you I’d drive you around, help you get members. Help you build something that made us proud to admit we’re German again. You want me to put Charlie in the hospital? That’s fine, but I didn’t sign on to kill anyone, much less a cop.”
“An ex-cop,” Dr. Otto corrected.
“No such thing as far as I’m concerned.”
Tessmer reached for the Luger on the desk. Hauser grabbed it before he got there.
I pulled my .38 and aimed it at Alexandra’s chest. “Anyone moves, she dies first. Anyone calls out for help, she dies first.”
She must’ve had some kind of buzzer on the floor, because the loud wail of a klaxon sounded throughout the camp. I would’ve shot her if I didn’t admire her bravery.
Hauser took the Luger and aimed it at Tessmer as he took a step back, standing next to me. “What the hell do we do now, Charlie?”
Dr. Otto actually smirked at me. “Fools. You have twelve bullets between the two of you. There are over a hundred young men out there, rushing to our aid as we speak. Every one of them is in top physical condition and completely under our control. Neither of you will make it out of here alive. Wise men would use those guns on themselves.”
I changed my aim and shot Otto in the right shoulder. The impact bounced the round little man off the wall and sent him face-first to the floor. Alexandra bolted from the chair and stood behind Tessmer.
Hauser turned and aimed the Luger at the door. “Congratulations, stupid. That shot will bring them crashing in here.”
“Not if we do this right.” I grabbed Otto by the collar and threw him into Alexandra and Tessmer. “Tessmer, help the doc stay on his feet. Get in front of Hauser and do what he says. If the doc falls down, you get shot.”
The Fairfax Incident Page 17
