JULIE TREMBLED UNCONTROLLABLY.
Raimond was pressing the cold, steel muzzle of his pistol against her temple so hard that her head was craned over to the limit, her ear nearly parallel to the floor. She did not know the identities of her interrogators, but she had learned that Meredith Morley had hired them. Bounty hunters, she surmised. The nature of Raimond’s questions told her that they knew little about her, save her name and the fact that she was with Will. Clearly, Meredith had not told them anything substantive about her. They didn’t know that she was fluent in German, because they had conducted their side conversations within earshot—a lucky break, and one that had saved her a great deal of pain.
But the phone call moments ago had changed everything.
The news of his brother’s death had flipped a switch in the German boss man’s head, and now he was like a rabid dog. She gave herself a 10 percent chance of survival. Since he couldn’t kill the man on the black motorcycle who he blamed for his brother’s death, odds were she would be an acceptable stand-in for his revenge. It didn’t matter what she said. Talking only would infuriate him. For the first time in her life, she could feel Death’s breath on the nape of her neck. This was not a nightmare; it was real.
She began to sob.
“WHO IS THE BLACK RIDER? WHO KILLED MY BROTHER?” Raimond screamed.
“I told you. I don’t know. That wasn’t part of the plan. My job was to stay close to Foster and keep him from running. Everything else was orchestrated by Meredith Morley; she didn’t tell me the details. I was just supposed to get Foster to the meeting. She was in charge of transporting Foster back to Prague. I don’t know anything else. I swear. I’ve told you everything I know.”
Raimond yearned to pull the trigger and unleash on this American girl all the hatred and fury he felt against the black rider. Against Meredith Morley. Against William Foster, and against the whole fucking world. But his index finger was noncompliant.
He withdrew the pistol muzzle from Julie’s temple. Her death would revenge nothing. Her murder would not quench the fire raging in his soul. Julie Ponte would serve his needs better as a bargaining chip. He threw the weapon onto the concrete floor of the warehouse, raised his fists toward the sky, and unleashed a bloodcurdling scream. When he was done, Raimond collapsed to his knees and buried his head in his hands.
Stefan looked down at Raimond. His older brother’s reaction to Udo’s death had been immediate and visceral. Raimond had spared Ponte, but he would unleash hell on whomever he ultimately deemed responsible for Udo’s death. Stefan’s mind had not yet internalized the news of his brother’s death. He was in denial, but it was a denial that he was strangely conscious of. He would not start to mourn his dead brother for days, maybe even weeks. Pain would find him, but later. Grief would overwhelm him suddenly and completely. During a subway ride, or while he was having a beer at a pub. For now though, he felt nothing.
The sound of a mobile phone ringing pierced the silence.
Julie lifted her head instinctively. The ringing phone was hers. Raimond jumped to his feet.
“That’s your phone, isn’t it?” he asked her.
“Yes.”
“Where is it?”
“My right jacket zipper pocket,” she replied.
Raimond walked around her and retrieved the phone from her pocket. He looked at the LCD screen. The caller ID was “BLOCKED”.
Raimond pressed the Talk button on the phone and raised it to Julie’s ear. “Answer it.”
“Hello,” she said.
“Julie?”
“Will!”
Raimond pulled the phone from her ear and raised it to his own.
“You are causing a great deal of trouble for everyone.”
“Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you and your mercenary brothers. You took someone I care about. I want her back.”
“You’re going to get her back in little pieces in a garbage bag unless you give me what I want.”
“Then I propose a trade.”
Raimond cackled. “A trade! What could you possibly trade that I want?”
“Me.”
“Interesting. What are your terms?”
“Release Julie unharmed, and I will turn myself over to you. After that, you can do with me what you will.”
“No deal.”
Silence persisted on the line for several moments.
“What do you mean no deal?”
“I will only release the girl in exchange for you and the motorcycle rider who stole you away from the Café Sacher.”
“That is going to be impossible.”
“Then the girl dies.”
“It’s impossible because the motorcycle rider you are talking about is dead.”
Raimond held the line in silence. His mind was racing. Maybe the police had made a mistake. Maybe his brother Udo was alive and it was the other motorcycle driver who was killed. Maybe this was a trick.
“There was an accident during the chase. Both motorcycle drivers were killed. I was thrown from the bike and managed to hobble away from the accident before the police arrived. I’m tired of running. I’m ready to end this.”
Raimond rubbed his temples. He could not decide if the American was deceiving him. Foster spoke with confidence and without hesitation. His answers were logical, and they did not sound rehearsed. Unless he was an accomplished liar, odds were that he was telling the truth. Raimond decided that it didn’t matter anyway. He occupied the position of advantage. As long as he had control of the American woman, he could manipulate Foster. After the trade, he could torture Foster for the truth about the black rider. Raimond smiled. He would enjoy torturing Will Foster.
“I agree to your terms.”
“Meet me at the Karlskirche Catholic cathedral at ten o’clock. I want to make my peace with God first.”
“At this hour? The church will be locked,” Raimond said.
“I have never known a priest to turn away a man requesting his last rites.”
“Leave the church when you’re done. We’ll make the trade outside.”
“No deal. I don’t trust you. If you want me, then this exchange is going to happen in front of God’s witness. When I leave with you, Julie stays behind with the priest.”
Raimond had not anticipated this little wrinkle. A man of faith he certainly was not, but the idea of killing a priest did not sit well with him. Then the voice in his head reminded him that his brother Udo was dead; unless he was a coward, nothing should stand in the way of his revenge. Raimond shrugged. He would see how it played out, and do what was necessary in the end. If a priest needed to die, then a priest would die. Karlskirche would serve his needs well. The surrounding area would be deserted so late at night. The thick marble walls would conceal the sound of any gunshots, should things get out of hand.
“Ten o’clock. Come alone or the girl dies.” Raimond hung up the phone. He turned to Julie and studied her face a moment before speaking. “It seems your charms were quite effective. Will Foster just agreed to trade his life for yours. You must have quite a mouth on you to seduce a man so completely.” He turned to Stefan. “What do you think, Stefan? Should I let her try to earn her freedom?” he said and unzipped the fly on his pants.
Stefan laughed. “Careful, women are unpredictable. And this one has teeth.”
“I can solve that problem; teeth are removable. I just need a good set of pliers.”
Julie looked up at him in terror, and he met her gaze. He took pleasure in her fear. He let her mind churn. Her skin was pale, and she looked nauseous. He smirked and then zipped up his fly.
“Come, Stefan. We haven’t much time. We need to plan for this meeting,” Raimond said as he turned and walked toward the van.
“What do you have in mind, Brother?” Stefan asked, speaking in German and trotting to catch up.
“I want you to take the sniper rifle and go to the Karlskirche in advance. Find a position in one of the balconies. Choose your location carefully. Pick a balcony where you have a clear line of fire to all locations in the congregation area below. If Foster brings help, then you know what to do.”