by Mark O'Neill
“Thank you sir”.
"I will defer to Deputy Director Wagner’s judgment about putting you in charge” said Unterwald, “he trusts you, so I will too. But I would appreciate less of the maverick wildcard and a lot more self-control. The chancellor will not appreciate any theatrics, especially when she is out in public. Your conduct reflects on her when you are by her side".
"I’ll do my best. I’d like to meet my colleague now" said Decker, "I believe his name is Schmitz?"
Unterwald pressed the intercom to his secretary in the next room. "Send in Lieutenant Schmitz".
The door to Unterwald’s office opened and Lieutenant Wolfgang Schmitz, Chief of the Federal Criminal Police Office’s Sicherungsgruppe, walked in.
Decker couldn’t help but do a double-take when she saw how he looked. He had what some people would have described as movie star looks. A full head of dark hair, ruggedly handsome, and dressed in an expensive Italian suit. The Italian suit made him look a bit vain and pretentious, but by God, the rest of him was not bad.
"Sir" he said formally to Unterwald.
"Lieutenant" said Unterwald, nodding to Decker, "meet Captain Decker, a colleague of yours".
"Yes I know of Captain Decker" Schmitz smiled, "by reputation naturally. What can I do for you Captain?".
Decker proceeded to give Schmitz a concise rundown of the situation, and Schmitz looked alarmed as he realised the danger Meyer was now in.
"Captain, as per Deputy Director Wagner’s orders, I have been keeping a close watch on the chancellor, and also watching out for any suspicious activity from chancellery staff. My position as chief of the security detail gives me wide latitude to ask lots of questions. But I can’t be everywhere at the same time. Do we have any way at all to figure out what job this person has here?".
"The truth is Lieutenant that we don’t even know if such a person exists" said Decker, "but we have to act as if the person is real until we know otherwise. So, no we don’t know yet what position they occupy here".
"So what’s the plan?" said Schmitz eventually, "I assume there is a plan?"
"Of course" said Unterwald, "effective immediately, Captain Decker will be working here alongside you. You will start taking orders from her. Continue in your present guise, and Decker will be here pretending to conduct a routine review of security procedures. The two of you will work together, in tandem with the protection detail, to catch this Scorpion idiot and protect the chancellor".
"And I need you to get the macho idiots in the protection detail to do what they’re told" said Decker, "this is no time for bruised egos. They are not to know what was discussed in this room. If the traitor is in the protection detail, the Scorpion will be tipped off that we know about his source. Even more so, because we are using the chancellor".
"We’re daring him to take a shot?". Schmitz looked shocked.
"I hope you know what you’re damn well doing".
"That makes two of us" said Decker. "If you’ll excuse me now gentlemen, I have a criminal boss to arrest and question. I’ll see you again in the morning".
Decker wasted no time in putting together a police raid to grab Schäfer. She approached Chief Inspector Christian Fischer that evening, who was the Berlin police liaison to the German Intelligence services. He was in his early forties with dark curly hair, and a boyish look which made Decker take him slightly less seriously. But if he had managed to reach Chief Inspector, he was obviously not naive and inexperienced. You didn’t get to that lofty position without stepping on a few toes.
He listened with rapt interest as she told him the government wanted Schäfer arrested. She gave him the prostitution story. For obvious reasons, anything concerning the chancellor was left out.
"Obviously you’re only giving me half a story" he commented cynically when she was finished, "but anything to get Gabriel Schäfer off the streets would be welcomed by us. I think a lot of girls forced into sex slavery would also thank you a lot. But since we don’t have anything resembling a case, I assume you do?".
"I don’t need one" said Decker bluntly. "You just have to arrest him to give the appearance of legality, and then when everyone’s back is turned, hand him over to me".
"And then?" said Fischer, "you’re asking me to put the reputation of the Berlin police department on the line. You will have to release him eventually and he will sue for false arrest".
"Chief Inspector" said Decker, coming closer. "You can assure your bosses and their bosses that the Berlin police department will be well protected. Just arrest Schäfer for us on a bogus charge, turn him over to my people, then step back. Don’t worry about lawsuits, rights, charges, and other legal niceties. If anyone asks you, Schäfer was handed to another department for further questioning and you don’t know where that currently is - which wouldn’t be a lie, would it?"
"Why do I get the feeling we will never see Gabriel Schäfer again after he’s handed over to you?"
"You’re such a pessimist, Chief Inspector" she said, patting Fischer on the shoulder. "Get your squad together and we’ll go play cops and robbers".
Chapter Five
Gabriel Schäfer owned a string of clubs and brothels all over the city. So each evening, it was a reasonably good assertion that he would be at one of those locations. The trouble was, which one?
To find out, a large number of undercover male police officers were given a small amount of money and told to choose a club. But as they all stood there grinning at the thought of the nice evening to come, they were given strict instructions not to drink alcohol, or engage with the women in the brothels. That was when the smiles and high-fives died.
They were to go in, have a glance around, and see who was there. Act nervous if they had to, as if they had never been to somewhere like that before. Or act drunk. They knew the drill. They had done it many times before.
When someone had eyeballs on Schäfer, they were to discreetly press a button on their jacket sleeve. This would broadcast the location back to the others.
The officers cast curious glances at Decker who was standing in the corner of the room, leaning against the wall, with a baseball cap pulled down over her eyes and sunglasses on.
Fischer saw them looking.
"Ah yes, the lady over there? She’s here - but she’s not here. Understand? You have never seen her before. If you tell anybody outside this room she was here, I guarantee you will be directing traffic for the rest of your career".
Decker smiled to herself. She was actually starting to like Fischer.
"Spook" muttered one of the officers at the back.
"Is there something you want to say officer?" said Decker, loudly. "if so, speak up. Don’t be shy".
"No nothing" he stuttered. As his colleagues laughed, he looked embarrassed to have been called out.
"No - Ma’am" corrected Fischer, "and if you speak out of turn again Dietz, you’ll be the first one on traffic duty. Now let’s go. Find Schäfer. Let’s take a scumbag off the street tonight".
Gabriel Schäfer was, at that moment, in his “Forbidden Pleasures!” brothel. It was a franchise chain that he had established all over Germany and Austria, and he used it for, amongst other things, to launder his money from his extremely illegal enterprises. If you believed Schäfer’s accounts, suddenly everybody in Berlin was sex-crazed and stampeding through his doors, as his takings were astronomical.
He was in an upstairs office which had a large glass door opening out onto a balcony overlooking the bar. He walked out onto the balcony, in a dark blue suit, and dark pin-striped tie, and with a crystal glass of whisky in his hand. Sipping from the glass, he observed the large din of the customers below him. Lots of noise meant lots of money, which pleased him a great deal. Men were served drinks by scantily-clad or completely topless waitresses, and some of them were led off to rooms at the back, with huge grins on their faces. Schäfer viewed the scene dispassionately, his thoughts a million miles away.
Paying the Scorpion twenty millio
n Euros had put a serious dent in his finances, but nevertheless, it was worth every cent, even if he failed. Even just an attempt on Meyer’s life would shock the world and would shake that bitch’s complacency. She might not run for reelection again, which would be just as good as killing her.
Under those circumstances, twenty million was a bargain. He smiled and turned back into his office to refill his glass.
Fischer and Decker were waiting in a plain panel van which was driving slowly around the centre of Berlin. They sat in the back waiting for a phone call from one of the officers to say that Schäfer had been found. Fischer sat in his seat, bouncing his mobile phone on his knee, mentally willing it to ring.
Eventually it did. Fischer put it on speakerphone.
"Boss" said one of the officers, "I’ve found him".
"OK, stay there" said Fischer into his phone. “We have your location from your GPS tracker. We’re ten minutes out. For Christ’s sake, don’t get caught".
"Roger that boss" murmured the officer, "I think I’ll have a Coke while I’m waiting. Might push the boat out and have some ice with it".
"Fischer to all officers" said Fischer into the police radio. “The target has been found. Converge on Officer Frank’s location. Exercise extreme caution and wait for me to arrive".
The vehicles containing the undercover armed police officers stopped three blocks from the club. The officers had changed from their plain clothes into regular gear, including bulletproof vest, full-head balaclava with eye-holes, and a rugged helmet to match. The Heckler & Koch MP5 machine guns completed the ensemble and made it plain to anyone who would be nearby that they were playing for keeps.
Fischer and Decker arrived a couple of minutes later and eventually they too were suited up and armed. While Fischer wore a helmet, Decker wore her usual battered leather jacket, baseball cap, and sunglasses. Like the Scorpion, she was a little superstitious. If she changed his clothes or gear in any way, she felt uncomfortable.
She checked and holstered her pistol, and then began expertly loading a machine gun with ammunition. She looked down the sights, and made sure everything was in working order.
Meanwhile, civilians who had been walking in the area had been moved back behind a cordon, and mobile phone signals were being suppressed to stop anyone phoning Schäfer with a warning. A line of police now stood flat against a wall at the corner of the street, and when a drunk walked around the corner, they sobered up rapidly when they were grabbed by a heavily armed police officer and bundled away.
The police were in fact so busy that they didn’t see one of Schäfer’s men turn the corner. When he saw the cordon, he discreetly reversed, and went back around the corner.
"Shit" he said under his breath. He had to warn the boss. He got out his phone, but to his shock, there was absolutely no phone signal. His LTE Internet signal was dead too. The police must be jamming the signal. Helpless, he realised there was nothing he could do. He started to run as fast as he could, eventually melting away into the darkness.
"I’m leading them in" said Decker with grim determination.
"Captain, that’s not how we do things" said Fischer, but his voice died away when he saw the withering look on Decker’s face. "Well, I guess it’s how we do things now".
Fischer swore as he picked up the radio.
"Sergeant".
"Yes sir" squawked the radio.
"Someone is coming up front to lead you in. Don’t complain. It won’t do you any good. And no sexist remarks. That personally won’t do you any good".
Fischer switched off the radio before the sergeant could respond.
"Be careful what you wish for, Captain" he said. "They’re waiting for you".
Inside the club, Schäfer had been on the phone to one of his associates, when the signal on his mobile phone suddenly died. He stared at the phone display, puzzled, but then heard a loud chorus of complaints below him. It seemed everyone else had lost their phone signal too.
With a deep sense of foreboding, Schäfer ran over and checked his landline phone. Dead too. That was when he knew they were coming for him.
He ran to the safe, expertly turning the dials, and opened the door. He took out two passports, a handgun, ammunition, and several stacks of cash. Then with one last wistful look at his office, he turned and left.
When Decker reached the line of armed officers ready to go in, they all looked at her with bemusement and contempt.
"You’re leading us in?" said the sergeant up-front. His look of contempt though withered when he saw Decker’s stare. "Who are you again?”.
"The woman who will be giving you your orders" said Decker flashing her government badge, "step back, you’re in my spot”.
The other officers grinned as their sergeant took an involuntary two steps back.
Decker took her place at the head of the line. She flicked off the safety switch on her gun. "Let’s go and catch a bad man, gentleman".
Chapter Six
The front doors of Gabriel Schäfer’s club were blown off their hinges with a thunderous blast, and heavily armed police officers stormed in. The customers started shouting and screaming, and heading for the exits, slowing down the police who were viciously elbowing people out of the way.
Schäfer was still inside the building when the doors exploded. He savagely cursed. There could only be one reason why they were here. He checked to make sure that his gun was loaded, and then stepped back into the dark shadows of the club. He didn’t want to shoot unless he had to, but he was already resolute in that he was not going to prison for the rest of his life. He would rather die.
"Armed police!" shouted the masked armed officers. “Everyone get down on the floor”.
Decker moved forward with the machine gun raised and her finger in the trigger guard.
“We’re here for Gabriel Schäfer” she shouted. “Does anybody know where he is? Speak up now or be arrested for sheltering a wanted man”.
From his position, Schäfer could see several of his employees instinctively look in his direction. They quickly looked away again, but not before it was seen by Decker.
She pointed the gun at them. “Up against the bar. Officers, watch these three”.
“Yes ma’am” responded one of the police officers.
Decker turned in the direction of where the employees had been looking. She raised the gun and squinted down the sights. She could not see Schäfer but he could see her. Swearing repeatedly under his breath, his grip tightened on his gun. He quickly looked at the far corner, where the fire door was located. Getting there unseen would be impossible. He would either have to shoot the woman or avoid her completely. But with her coming in his direction, he couldn’t see how he could avoid her.
To hell with it. If he stayed where he was, he would be captured like a rat in a barrel. At least if he tried to run, he would give himself a fighting chance, however slim.
Decker thought she could see something moving in the shadows at the back of the club.
“Schäfer? Move out into the light where I can see you”
By way of reply, several gunshots fired out. But all three went completely wide. Decker didn’t flinch. She didn’t want to shoot - they needed him alive for questioning. But at the same time, she couldn’t allow him to fire at will. Eventually he would hit her or one of the customers.
When she saw the shadow move again, she decided on impulse to rush him. She dropped the machine gun, and as she ran, she pulled a pistol out from the waistband of her jeans. The bulky bulletproof vest slowed her down slightly but she needed it on if Schäfer decided to fire on her.
And fire he did. There was a flash and Decker felt as if she had been punched in the chest. The breath was knocked out of her and she felt winded. But somehow she still managed to propel herself forward and she crashed into Schäfer, as he tried to fix his gun which had jammed.
As she landed on Schäfer, she viciously head-butted him in the face, shattering his nose. He howled in pain and lash
ed out with the now-useless pistol. It caught Decker on the side of the face and caused her to see stars. She staggered back, and she started to shake her head to slow down the sharp pain now coursing through her head.
Schäfer advanced towards her, ready to kill her. But a police officer suddenly appeared out of the gloom and fired one shot into Schäfer’s shoulder. He howled and gripped his shoulder, as the blood pumped out between his fingers.
With all of her remaining strength, Decker followed up with a brutal kick to Schäfer’s face, fracturing an eye socket and a cheekbone, and knocking Schäfer out cold. He landed flat on his back, his face a bloody mask and his shoulder soaked in blood.
"You’re under arrest" Decker said between gasps, trying to catch her breath. "I would tell you you had the right to remain silent, but I think you’re already doing that".
She pulled off the bulletproof vest and threw it to the floor.
“Get a paramedic in here” she said to one of the police officers, “there’s no way we’re letting that son-of-a-bitch die on us”.
Chapter Seven
Later that evening, at just before midnight, the Scorpion waited in the prearranged spot in the Unter den Linden. The tree-lined street provided plenty of places for the Scorpion to shelter beside, although he was reasonably confident that no-one in German law enforcement knew what he looked like. The growing darkness also allowed him to hide in a low-lit spot, making it difficult to see him.
Despite these factors in his favour, he had decided to play it safe by wearing a bushy red wig and beard, as well as makeup that added a few years onto his looks, by giving his face some wrinkles. He held a leather bag holding the two million Euros for the information he needed. He tried to act normally, as if holding the bag was the most natural thing in the whole world. But if he knew that if a police patrol stopped to ask what was in the bag, he would have a very hard time explaining why he had so much money on himself.
