"What do you think he said over the radio?" he asked, speaking Spanish. "Bitkowski wouldn't like it if we told him about a message."
"Bitkowski's an asshole," his partner replied.
The large man looked at his partner. They enjoyed working for the drug cartel, but both felt guarding Kadner was beneath them. Each hated protecting the German bastard and they found Kadner's personal bodyguard unbearable. Bitkowski enjoyed giving orders to the Colombian guards and, as long as the Cartel wanted Kadner alive, the men had to obey. Still, why should they care if the guy sent a message?
The large man furrowed his brow in thought. "I don't remember any shack," he said slowly. "We got the bastard in the middle of the jungle and left him for the animals."
*
Henri Mardinaud reclined on the plush chesterfield and stared at the huge television at the far end of the room. The floor to ceiling screen displayed a simple chessboard from an overhead angle. He turned from the screen and took a king crab leg from the steamer at his right hand, attacking the shell and pulling out the succulent flesh. After immersing the long piece of meat in a pot of melted butter and garlic, Henri held a fine china plate below the dripping leg, crammed the crabmeat into his mouth, and bit down. The juices dribbled over his several chins and onto the brightly colored bib. The size of a large pillowcase, the bib barely covered his immense stomach.
He chewed for several seconds to wring out the last morsel of flavor and then ate half a slice of dry toast to clear his palate. Pulling a cloth napkin from the pile beside him, he carefully wiped his chubby fingers clean. Satisfied he had removed all the butter, Henri reached into a large ice bucket and removed a silver tankard of pink champagne. The ice cold liquid slid smoothly down his throat, quenching his thirst.
As he pressed the tankard back into the shaved ice, he leaned forward, his brow knotted with concentration. He consulted the screen once more before speaking into the small microphone on the table.
"Knight to King's Bishop three."
The screen immediately responded.
The computer animated picture tightened down to a blowup of Henri's white knight sitting atop a tall warhorse. The knight spurred his mount and they galloped across the checkered playing field. Gaining speed, the knight moved across three squares and made a wide, graceful arc to the left. There, he faced another knight in black armor. They saluted each other, presenting their colors. The black knight's steed snorted and moved forward as the visored defender dipped his lance in challenge. The two raced toward each other, weapons at the ready.
The collision knocked both to the ground. The knights faced each other, then pulled two handed broadswords from their saddles and raised their voices in battle cries. The skirmish continued for half a minute before Henri's knight finally dispatched its foe. As the bloodied black knight magically faded from view, the white knight wearily climbed back on his steed.
"Excuse me, Monsieur Mardinaud. I did not mean to startle you. I knocked, but you could not hear me over the battle." Martin Erhart pushed up his glasses and nodded at the screen, which once again displayed the entire chessboard. "You appear to have the advantage. My congratulations."
Mardinaud looked at his assistant. "Merci, Martin. I may have him this time." Henri began another crab leg as he continued to speak. "Quickly, why do you interrupt me?"
"We have received word from Colombia," the assistant said.
Henri suddenly clapped his hands together and sent butter spraying in all directions. He cursed, grabbed a napkin, and dabbed at the greasy splatters on his fat cheeks. "I trust all is well and the report is satisfactory. What does our man in Colombia have to report?"
"Unfortunately, all is far from well." Martin hesitated before continuing. "One of your listening stations received a message from him. He was in some kind of trouble."
"Trouble?"
"The operative confirmed his earlier communications, but something interrupted the transmission before the message was complete."
"Meaning?"
"We suspect he is dead," Martin replied, dabbing his upper lip with a handkerchief. He always felt a little nauseous when he had to discuss the death of an employee.
"No confirmation?"
"No. We did not want to arouse further suspicion by investigating."
"Is there anything to link the body to me?"
"No."
"Then forget about it. What of his mission?" asked Mardinaud.
Martin bristled at his employer's effortless dismissal of the death but hid his feelings. "Ulrich Kadner is an alias for Friedrich Heiden, as you suspected. We think it is the only alias he has used since his escape. He's living in a well guarded compound in the Colombian jungle fifteen kilometers upriver from a small village. Viktor Bitkowski, another German, also lives there along with a young woman Kadner claims is his granddaughter. A lovely girl. Unfortunately, her less-than lovely reputation has kept her moving from school to school. She is currently attending a school in America."
"Interesting. I would like to know more of her and her schedule. Particularly, when she will return to Colombia. What of the treasure?"
"Again you were correct in your assumptions. Everything points to the artifacts being at Ulrich Kadner's compound. Our man did not actually see them; his information comes from observing Kadner's activities. The German has a habit of disappearing into the basement area of the main house every night for some unknown purpose. The plans of the house show a vault located in a subterranean room where we assume Kadner stores the treasure. Unfortunately, because of the circumstances of the final transmission, we were unable to learn more."
Henri chewed thoughtfully on his crabmeat. For a moment, he watched the large television screen. The Black Queen moved regally forward five squares and confronted one of Henri's bishops. A thickly muscled man appeared wearing a black hood and carrying a wicked looking ax. The Bishop bowed to the Queen with a flourish of his robes before turning to the executioner and kneeling in front of a chipped, stained stump. The Bishop laid his head down on the bloody piece of wood and the man in the black hood raised the ax. Seconds later, the executioner placed the Bishop's head in a basket. Then, both he and the remains of the Bishop faded from the screen.
"Unfortunate, Monsieur," Erhart said, his eyes on the screen.
"Alas, there must be sacrifices." Henri paused a moment before continuing. "Does Kadner suspect he is in danger?"
"Not as far as we can tell," Martin said. "He's still at the compound and the Medellín Cartel remains on guard."
"Unusual for the drug merchants to take such an interest in one person," Henri said. As Colombia's current main drug smuggling organization, the Cartel controlled the drug trade throughout North and South America. "I wonder what Kadner is giving them in exchange for their protection?"
"He has the necessary funds," Martin pointed out. "I will obtain the girl's schedule, as you requested."
Henri removed his bib and leaned back into the soft couch. The steamer beside him was empty, only the pile of shells hinting at its original condition. As he sat staring into space, Mardinaud considered his options.
The Frenchman had made a considerable fortune as an Information Broker - a well deserved fortune as Henri was the master of his profession. Not aligned with any government, group, or individual, he independently gathered data he thought governments, businesses, and freelance operatives would find useful. He brokered this information to anyone who could pay. The reasons for his success were twofold. Not only did he gather useful information, he also knew how to price and distribute the intelligence. The most important reason for his success, however, was the speed at which he became bored.
With a body so overweight as to be almost incapable of movement, he had forsaken everything physical and become a passionate player of mental games. Ordinary parlor games bored him. Dealing with world-shaping events spoiled him for such mundane pursuits. Henri began using his information to play out complicated games with real people, learning to mold the
gathered intelligence and create authentic predicaments for his players. He employed unsuspecting players to amuse him as they traveled his playing board - the shadowy world of international espionage. The skills and abilities of the players brought uncertainty and excitement to the game. Once he had assembled the players, Henri could sit back and watch the progress. The game invigorated him and he played as often as an opportunity presented itself.
"Martin, a scenario begins to unfold. The players introduce themselves. I see many different paths converging in Colombia. We will have great sport."
Erhart grimaced and waited for the standard lecture from his pompous employer. It always began . . .
"Who deserves to amuse me by accepting this morsel of information?" The fat man struggled to his feet and paced across the suite. After several steps, he began to wheeze. He stopped and lowered himself into the creaking desk chair. "We will ignore the so-called "Superpowers". They offer so little enjoyment. Instead, we limit ourselves to the smaller organizations," Mardinaud continued. "Those directly involved with the treasure or the Nazis. We must invite the Israelis to our little game. Obviously, they do not know of Kadner's whereabouts or Assi Levy would have sent a team after him. I am sure he will be ecstatic to hear about this old acquaintance. Yes, Assi Levy will pursue the matter."
"Who else would you suggest?" asked Martin, scribbling on his pad.
Mardinaud examined his fingers for residue butter as he spoke. "The next most obvious would be the Greeks. The treasure substantiates much of their civilization's ancient history. At the very least, the Greeks could goad Turkey with the artifacts. I look forward to seeing who they send after them. Contact Nikolas Stefandis."
Martin frowned at the mention of the head of Greek Intelligence. "Stefandis opposes Greece's preoccupation with antiquities. He wants the Greeks to abandon the past and create an even greater present. Surely, he is not the man to contact."
Henri chuckled. "Yes, he's rather vocal about his countrymen resting on the laurels of their ancestors, isn't he? Which is exactly why you must contact him. No matter how much he may wish to, Stefandis won't be able to ignore this task. The news of the treasure will destroy his weekend. Contact him at his home on Saturday afternoon."
"Very good, Monsieur," the assistant sighed. "Will there be anyone else?"
"One other. Contact Duman."
Erhart nearly dropped his notepad. "Are you sure it would be wise to bother Duman?" he asked weakly.
Henri looked at Erhart's pale face and understood the fear he saw there. Mardinaud, himself, felt uncomfortable around Duman. However, Henri had his reasons for wanting this particular terrorist. "Duman is important to the game. Someone must represent the Turks if the Greeks have a player. He's as good a representative as any. Besides, Duman will add the missing spice to the game. A measure of danger - especially for the Greek player." Mardinaud chuckled once more.
"I . . . I just don't like the man," Erhart said. "He's a sadistic killer, a psychotic, a maniac…"
"Nonsense. There is no reason to distrust him. He's not psychotic. He's simply a man with a passionate dream. It just happens he believes violence is the key to realizing his dream. He is a killer, but he has integrity and honor. The only danger is in betraying him. Believe me, I have no intention of doing that. Try Paris," Mardinaud suggested.
"I still don't know about him," Erhart persisted. "He's uncontrollable."
"Nonsense!" Mardinaud roared. "I control the information. Through the information, I manipulate him. I am control. Besides, without uncertainty, what is the value of the game?"
Erhart did not look convinced but made a note on his paper. Remembering a tidbit of information he had received several weeks ago about Duman, a plan flitted across the landscape of his mind. Unbidden, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He dismissed the thoughts as foolish - dangerously foolish. But enticing, so enticing. Handled properly, with finesse, bravado, and intelligence… "If that is all, Monsieur, I will begin immediately."
As Erhart left, Henri painfully waddled back to the chesterfield. With the thoughts of the coming adventure, the fat man had lost interest in the chess game.
He would enjoy setting his players in motion and watching their progress. They would fight and claw to attain their goal and, in the end, only the best would survive. All because of him.
He felt like a god.
Chapter 2 - GREECE
"With the mood he's in today," the secretary said, "you'd think it was Tuesday."
George Stamatakes smiled at the middle aged woman. Since the Ottoman Turks took Constantinople on May 29, 1453, a Tuesday, the Greeks had considered it the unluckiest day of the week. George paused with his hand on the office door.
"Mr. Stefandis wanted you to go right in," the woman urged, not wanting her boss further annoyed.
George ignored the secretary and collected his thoughts. When the Director's summons had arrived, George had made several hurried telephone calls. After the third call, he was cursing aloud. Mardinaud's communications always meant problems and this latest information was no exception. However, his outlook had quickly adjusted when a new thought occurred to him. This mission presented a perfect opportunity to bring Katrina back to active duty. All he had to do was convince Stefandis to acquiesce - something he'd been trying to do for three years.
George knocked once and pushed open the door to the Director's office.
*
"It's ridiculous," Nikolas Stefandis repeated for the eighth or ninth time in the past fifteen minutes. "Why should I waste time and money on something as unimportant as this? We don't have enough to deal with? But what choice do I have? I have to send someone after it. If I don't, and the damn artifacts turn up... Stupid, damn stupidity!"
Stefandis kicked at the small wastepaper basket beside his desk. The can soared across the room and crashed into the wall. A portrait of President Sartzetakis slid along the paneling and landed face down on the blue carpeting. The revolving can slowed and came to a stop as Stefandis sank into his chair.
George Stamatakes walked across the room and scanned the dark paneling for the nail that had held up the large, gold framed portrait. Unable to find it, he leaned the portrait against the wall before retrieving the trashcan. He ran his fingers along the several large dents in the sides. Hiding his smile, he set the can in its place, then lowered himself back into one of the two leather chairs in front of the Director's desk.
He sat silently, watching the red slowly drain from his boss's face and neck. As Operations Chief, George had seen many such outbursts from the ill tempered Director of Greek intelligence but today's was special - a masterpiece of rage. George had been listening to Stefandis rave for over fifteen minutes but had been told little.
All he'd gleaned from Stefandis' ranting was that a message had arrived from Mardinaud at the Director's home yesterday afternoon. The message had ruined Stefandis' weekend. In return, Stefandis seemed determined to ruin everyone else's week. Of course, prior knowledge via his own sources did give George the advantage of understanding the rage.
In the past, information had frequently come unbidden from the grotesquely fat man. In fact, the choicest bits usually arrived unsolicited. Unfortunately, according to the Director, this latest intelligence was both unwelcome and distressing. Mardinaud had dredged up a morsel, which was contrary to everything Stefandis believed the Greek people should be.
"That French bastard had it delivered to me on purpose," the Director said. "He knows how I feel about our history. He has no right to do this. Why couldn't he just keep the information to himself? With everything going on right now, I don't need this!"
Stefandis stopped talking and sat motionless with his eyes closed.
George imagined Stefandis was thinking about last week's meeting with the Minister of Finance. The Minister had announced a twelve-percent cut in funding. The shortage of funds had forced Stefandis to cancel several operations. Operations that the Director considered critical to monitori
ng the continuing tensions with Turkey.
"It just isn't possible to do it all. Don't they understand?" By the sudden calm in his voice, George realized the Director had accepted his fate and was beginning to address the logistics of the operation. "God, but I hate that Frenchman," Stefandis continued. "Still, we have to take the good with the bad. His information has been welcome in the past. The treasure might even bring us some needed funds."
"What was Mardinaud's message?" George asked. He didn't want the Director to suspect how deep his sources were within the agency.
With a sigh of resignation, Stefandis sank back in his chair. A heavy paunch protruded over his belt and strained the buttons of his shirt. He scratched his hairless head and then kneaded the muscles in the back of his neck.
"Mardinaud claims to have located Schliemann's treasure. That is, the golden treasure discovered at the site of Troy."
"Sorry, sir. I'm not up on ancient history." The lie came easily to George. "Never had much of an interest. Not very patriotic of me, I guess."
For the first time that morning, Stefandis smiled at his Chief of Operations. "Congratulations, George. This country would be better off with more people like you. Our countrymen spend too much time reveling in the past instead of creating a future."
George relaxed. Stefandis was in a better mood now and thinking less emotionally. "Yes, sir. I couldn't agree with you more. Still, remember Lord Elgin. When the Turks sold him one of the caryatids from the Acropolis, all of Greece mourned. Schliemann's treasure belongs in Greece."
"Of course, you're right. However, I can think of much better ways to spend my manpower and dwindling budget than chasing after bits of metal, ancient or not."
"Where is the treasure?"
Stefandis sighed. "The Frenchman doesn't say. All I know is, he located the treasure and wants a meeting."
"Where?"
Stefandis leaned forward and looked at a sheet of paper. "Don't ask me why, but Mardinaud wants to meet in Munich."
Two Graves (A Kesle City Homicide Novel) Page 30
