Long Buried Secrets: James Dieter Book 4

by Francis Joseph Smith

  “That’s ruthless bastard!” exclaimed Nora, looking to Jim for support.

  Jim turned to Nora, patting her back. “I can’t believe they just up and shot him. It was evidently a message meant for Nora and myself.”

  Summer rose up from the bench. “The head Russian sent me to tell you to either bring the paintings to him at the airfield or he would next kill Eian and Rahm. Then he would hunt the two of you down until he found you, and sliced you into a hundred pieces. His words, not mine.”

  His next move was to call Benny.

  BENNYS GULFSTREAM 550 landed at St. Florentine’s airfield only two hours after Jim called. Benny chose to stay in Europe, knowing the Russians would attempt something like what Jim described to him. And on that chance, he had held on to Dolan’s five Old Masters and forty-five low-end fakes knowing they would come in handy once more.

  Benny could be courteous and a gentleman, or a brute force assassin when required. He usually left it up to the opposition to decide. Unfortunately, he had been dealing with the likes of Sergei Liugo for far too long. Especially the crooked ones. He knew Sergei was in it for the money, and money alone.

  The pilot pulled up and parked beside Eian’s leased Gulfstream 550 and the Russians Embraer Phenom 300. The little airfield had never seen so many high–end jets at one time.

  JIM, NORA, AND SUMMER waited until they viewed Benny’s jet park before they dared approach the rear of the hangar, away from where the attention would be directed towards Benny’s aircraft.

  Jim had his 9mm Glock at the ready.

  He would have to be Benny’s sole backup.

  ONE RUSSIAN STAYED inside the hangar to guard Eian and Rahm. The remaining five, including Sergei, went out to see who dared approach.

  Benny casually walked down the steps of the aircraft as if he owned the airfield. He viewed five Russians with handguns all pointing in his direction. “Gentlemen,” he said, a smile gracing his face, “Can’t we be civil about this?”

  “Who the hell are you?” demanded Sergei, walking up to the diminutive Benny.

  “Benny Machaim, head of Mossad,” he said, his hand extended, in the other he held aloft his identification. “And you must be Sergei Liugo, head of Russia’s military intelligence service or as they are better known, the GRU.”

  Sergei viewed Benny’s identification before handing it back to him. He then chose to shake Benny’s hand in the greeting of a fellow spy. “What is the Mossad doing here in this little backwoods area? Especially one that is temporarily in my jurisdiction?”

  “Your jurisdiction?”

  “As I said, temporarily. What the French don’t know won’t hurt them.”

  Benny nodded in understanding, before pointing back to his plane. “A little bird told me you require some artwork?” he said, a smile upon his face. “Some very expensive artwork.”

  “You! He said in a demeaning way. “You are responsible for that magnificent heist in Bern?”

  “Let’s just say I am a neutral party who is brokering the deal for that very expensive artwork.”

  Sergei turned to his men. “This little man wants to give us our paintings.”

  Benny pointed over to the aircraft hangar. “It’s simple really. You turn over to me the people you are holding in the hangar. Then you get your paintings.”

  “Simple as that?” he said skeptically.

  “Simple as that. No monies. No information. Just your prisoners.”

  Sergei turned back once more. “Boris, bring the prisoners out here,” he commanded.

  In a matter of minutes Eian and Rahm where standing behind Sergei.

  Benny waved to the pilot in his aircraft, signaling for them to bring out the paintings.

  The co-pilot and pilot carried the cardboard tubes from the aircraft, laying them on the concrete in-between Benny and Sergei. They then retreated back to the aircraft where, out of sight, they readied for the exchange by arming themselves with Uzi’s.

  Sergei pushed Eian and Rahm forward. “Fly away little birds,” he said sarcastically.

  Eian turned, ready to strike Sergei, but Benny grabbed him, pushing him towards the plane. “Another time, another place,” Eian replied.

  Sergei smiled at him. “Anytime, Irishman.”

  Eian and Rahm boarded the aircraft. When they stepped inside the co-pilot handed each a Jericho 941 pistol. “You might need this,” he said.

  Sergei called for his art expert to come forward. As the man approached the cardboard tubes, Benny also approached, looking for the tube with the thin black mark on it. He noticed it lay the closest to Sergei. Thankfully, the expert selected that tube first, holding it up for Sergei to view.

  Sergei nodded.

  The expert opened the tube, extracting five rolled up paintings, gently laying them on the tarmac, one on top of the other. He placed a monocle to his right eye as he surveyed the paintings one by one. “Beautiful,” he said repeatedly. After the fifth painting he turned to Sergei. “These are originals.”

  “Excellent,” replied Sergei. “Now open the rest of the tubes,” he demanded of his expert.

  Benny’s heart dropped. He tapped the left side of his leg twice, a sign to his pilot and co-pilot in the aircraft to take up shooting positions for eliminating Sergei’s men. Benny then turned and nodded slightly to Jim in his position behind the hangar.

  JIM TURNED TO Nora and Summer. “That’s the signal Benny’s in trouble. I need the two of you to go into the hangar and be prepared for what comes next.

  Jim started walking alongside the hangar, seeking a decent shooting position that wouldn’t put him in a crossfire with Benny’s people.

  AS THE EXPERT opened the next tube, Sergei suddenly called him off. “No,” he said. “On second thought, we must have trust.”

  Benny relaxed for the moment.

  “Don’t you agree, Benny of Mossad?”

  Benny nodded. “I totally agree. We must have trust.”

  Sergei commanded his men to load the cardboard tubes with the paintings onto their aircraft. Satisfied, he next turned to Benny. “Until we meet again,” he said. “Possibly under different circumstances?”

  “Yes, until we meet again.”

  He bid one last farewell to Benny as he boarded. In a matter of minutes they were buttoned up and ready to be airborne.

  Jim, Nora, and Summer walked over to where Benny stood. Rahm and Eian had already exited the aircraft and joined the group as they observed the Russian jet taxi into take-off position.

  Eian was the first to speak. “So let me get this straight. We let the Russians take the five originals and forty five reproductions in exchange for Rahm and myself?”

  Benny smiled. “A small price for peace.”

  The Russian jet took off with a roar just overhead of them.

  Eian continued. “They are going to be pissed when they get back to Russia and find out about the fakes. They might be coming after us? Maybe even you and your famous Mossad?”

  Benny pointed to the aircraft. “Let us ponder that thought for a moment, shall we?”

  They each watched as the jet gained altitude, climbing ever higher on its way back to Moscow. The aircraft looked brilliant with its gleaming white fuselage, on its tail the Russian national colors. Suddenly there was a bright flash, then the Russian jet exploded, the explosion shredding the aircraft into many small pieces, the pieces now falling to earth like confetti, many miles away.

  Benny looked to his small group. “Time makes all problems disappear. Well, time and explosives. As you are now probably aware, we placed explosives in one of the cardboard tubes. Obviously of enough intensity to take down a fuel laden aircraft.”

  Eian turned to shake Benny’s hand. “I like your style, Benny. You people in Mossad don’t mess around. Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

  Benny looked over to Jim, nodding to him as if saying, and that is how it is done.

  Jim nodded in return before speaking. “I think we have something for y
ou back at the hotel. Forty-five Old-Master’s.”

  “I think you do,” replied Benny.

  CHAPTER 72

  Benny sat on the hotel room’s sofa beside Jim and Nora. He had requested Summer and Eian acquire an expensive bottle of Champagne, his treat, for a toast. Rahm had already driven the original paintings back to Benny’s jet and was waiting their return to Israel.

  Benny reached down beside the sofa and pulled up a brown leather pilot’s briefcase, one that was basically two times the width of a normal briefcase, handing it to Nora. “I am providing this to you, knowing that you would take better care of it than your husband.”

  “Heavy sucker,” she said before placing it on the floor in front of both her and Jim.

  “What, you don’t trust me anymore?” said Jim sarcastically. “I’m hurt.”

  “I trust you with my life, and have done so on several occasions. But for this one event, it’s your wife’s turn.”

  “Do I open it now?” Nora said excitedly.

  Jim stopped her. “Are you kidding?” he said in jest. “You saw what he did to the Russians. Who knows what’s in the case.”

  Summer and Eian knocked softly on the rooms half-open door, and walked in. “Champagne anyone,” said Summer, holding up a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal Brut for them to see.

  Eian chimed in. “With the price we paid, they even tossed in five free glass flutes. Oh wait. I’m sorry, for what Benny is paying.”

  Summer handed the bottle to Benny. “You paid an arm and a leg for it, you get to pop it.”

  Eian handed each of them a glass.

  A loud pop signaled Benny was successful. He poured each of them a generous glass of the expensive French Champagne, then his own.

  “May I propose a toast?” he said, seeing no objections, he continued. “To your friend, Chuck. Although I did not know him, he was an integral part of our little operation. May he rest in peace.”

  They all joined in. “May he rest in peace.” Each took a small sip.

  “Blah,” said Eian. “Tastes bitter. How do you drink this stuff. For one thing it cost more than most people make in a week. I’d personally rather have an Irish Whiskey or a Guinness.”

  Summer tried to take his glass.

  He protested. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t finish it.”

  Everyone laughed.

  Benny rose once more. “A second toast,” he said. “To my friend, James Dieter. One of the few people I trusted to come up with an efficient plan and assemble a very capable team, to pull this operation off.”

  They each took another sip.

  “When I deliver the paintings you rescued to our people in Jerusalem, it will be to a grateful nation,” said Benny. “Hopefully it will set off a worldwide firestorm in the press demanding the Swiss return the rest of the paintings and drawings originally stolen by the Nazi’s.”

  Summer nodded as she raised her glass. “I will do my best as the University of Pennsylvania museum curator to create such a stink,” she said, a wide smile on her face. “I will also contact some of my friends in similar positions and ask them to do the same.”

  Benny raised his glass. “That is all we can ask. If we can keep it active in the press, the profiteers won’t be able to hide under any rock in the world.” He sipped his champagne before pointing to the pilot’s briefcase. “And now I would like Nora to open the brief case.”

  Summer looked at each of them. “Is it ticking?” she said in jest.

  Eian was excited. “Open it, Nora,” he said.

  Nora rose from her seat before reaching down and picking up the case, placing it on the room’s bed. She looked to each of them. “I don’t hear any ticking,” she said, smiling.

  Benny pointed to the case. “I would never do something like that to a friend.” He paused for several moments before continuing. “At least not when I am in the same room.”

  “Nice one,” replied Eian.

  Nora pulled up the cases two leather flaps so only she could she what was inside. Her eyes went wide. “Oh my,” she exclaimed, before upending the heavy case and dumping its contents on the bed for them all to see.

  Out came 100, bank-wrapped bundles of one hundred dollar bills, each bundle representing $10,000, for a total of $1million US dollars.

  Jim was first to respond. “That’s a lot of money!”

  Benny nodded. “There was a reward for the forty five paintings you rescued.” He pointed to the bed were the money lay. “That is only a down payment of the reward.”

  Eian jumped up from his chair, walking over to the bottle of champagne, filling up his now empty glass.

  Summer laughed at him. “I thought you didn’t care for the champagne?” she said.

  “I need it to steady my nerves, my dear. I think my ears are about to hear something that will enrich my pockets greatly.”

  Jim shook his head at Eian’s antics. “You never surprise me Eian.”

  Benny continued. “You are entitled to another $9 million to be delivered to a place of your choosing. This so you can escape those horrible American income taxes.”

  “And there it is,” said Eian in celebration. “It’s the winning lottery number; the slot machine payout; the Ed McMahon delivery of the Clearing House check all rolled into one. Ka-ching.”

  Nora walked over to Eian. “Pour me some of that champagne.”

  Jim and Summer joined them. “Same for us.”

  Benny declined as he rose from his seat, walking over to the door. “With that Dolan character in prison, Sergei and his crew dead, and Sergei’s two Iranian agents dead, I’m assuming that leaves no one to harass you.”

  They all rose in unison. “It’s been a pleasure, Benny,” said Jim. He and Eian shook Benny’s hand.

  Jim said. “You will have to come over to the US sometime and vacation on our yacht.”

  Benny smiled. “You mean the one you inherited from your former partner Dan? In the Florida Keys? I think he called it the Irish Rebel or something along those lines. Docking at pier number 17?”

  “Why did it not surprise me that you already knew,” replied Jim.

  Benny pointed to Eian. “And you, stop the gambling, and take care of my friends. No more trouble from you. Do you hear me?”

  “Loud and clear,” said Eian. “I’m done tossing away money to line somebody else’s pockets.”

  “If I hear you are gambling again, I will personally see to it that your money disappears faster than the casino can take it.”

  Eian held his hands up in surrender. “Done and done.”

  Nora and Summer both grabbed Benny, each kissing him on the cheek.

  “If only my wife could see me now,” he said. He waved, and then he was gone.

  CHAPTER 73

  Florida Keys

  Jim was topside on his yacht Irish Rebel preparing to sail to Panama for the winter months. It was something he had been looking forward to for these many past months since the Bern job.

  Nora was below in the dining salon finishing her article on Nazi art theft during WWII, this for the Chicago Tribune on-line edition. Sadly for her many fans, it was to be her last article due to her impending early retirement. She had enough awards, enough business travel, and experienced enough nonsense from her boss. That and her husband Jim had simply requested her too.

  Jim had no desire for his wife to work through her pregnancy.

  The Bern museum never realized their precious paintings were missing; or they never chose to reveal to the public that reproductions now hung in their place. That was until Benny began the arduous task of returning the forty-five Old World masters to the original owners families; for the original owners were all dead. In a bold move, he even held a worldwide news conference to discuss the theft, in effect daring the museum to push for prosecution. He also went on to state that the museum still held hundreds of stolen paintings either on view or in storage.

  True to her word, Summer started a campaign involving her fellow Museum curators, in
effect challenging the Swiss government to return the paintings to their original owners families. Each of the museums threatened to isolate all Swiss museums, not just the Bern Museum.

  Between Nora’s article, Benny’s disclosure, and Summer’s challenge, the art world was in an uproar, demanding their return.

  It was if a million voices from the past had all spoken up in unison.

  It wasn’t long before the Bern Museum experienced difficulties with both donors and patrons, forcing them to declare bankruptcy. Its assets soon confiscated by the Swiss government and moved to Zurich for protection, placed in a vault 200 feet below street level.

  Just like Benny said they would do.

  Summer was soon able to quit her job as a Museum curator and, fulfilling a life-long dream, opened her own gallery in the affluent suburbs of Philadelphia. It didn’t take long before her Gallery became well-known for its owners unique ability to perform private jobs for many of the areas wealthy clients.

  After all, she was acquainted with more than a few artists who specialized in forgeries.

  Zhang and his wife took their newfound monies and decided it best to close their lunch truck operation and open a white linen, Chinese food-dining establishment in downtown Philadelphia. His former crew of helpers joined as minor partners.

  Of course, all of the artwork in the restaurant was hand painted by Zhang.

  Chucks daughter received an anonymous, full-ride scholarship to Temple University. She was also gifted a new luxury car, and a three bedroom condominium only blocks from campus. She would also receive a $25,000 stipend each year until her 30th birthday. The donor said in their note that her father had helped them achieve something no one thought possible.

  Moreover, that her father should be thought of as a hero, not an ex-con.

  And Eian, well, he found himself in a high stakes poker game in Monaco. Of course, he had brushed aside Benny’s stern warning not to gamble. However, he could not resist the temptation. In Monaco, Eian made it to the final round where the pot had grown to an incredible $22 million euro’s. With lady luck on his side the entire tournament, in what would be the final hand, he found himself holding three jacks. Of course, Eian being Eian, he went all in. As each of his ten opponents lay their cards on the table, Eian knew something special was happening. No one could beat his hand! He won and finally broke his losing streak.