Chapter 37

37

By 8:30 a.m. the next morning, Teddy and Vesna were in an industrial area on the outskirts of the city, at a precision tool shop.

The place was run by an acquaintance of Vesna’s named Otto. An older man with a sheepish smile and a disarmingly friendly demeaner, no one would ever suspect him of running a weapons supply business on the side.

Otto led them to a shipping container in the back lot and opened the door. Both sides of the container were lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves.

Otto gestured inside. “Have a look around. If you have any questions, just ask.”

Teddy and Vesna walked down the aisle that ran through the middle of the box, selecting items from the shelves. They reemerged with their weapons of choice and a few other items, like audio bugs, night-vision goggles, and sets of digital comm gear.

In Otto’s office, they settled the bill, then the old man said, “Can I tempt you with some coffee before you go?”

“We’d like nothing more,” Vesna said, “but I’m afraid we have a busy day ahead of us.”

“You are breaking my heart.” Otto placed a hand on his chest, then looked at Teddy. “Every time she visits, it’s rush, rush, rush.”

“She is a woman in demand,” Teddy said.

“Of course she is. It is because she is very good at what she does.”

Teddy glanced at Vesna and gave her a small nod.

“Before we go,” Vesna said, “we have something we’d like to ask you.”

“What is it I can help you with?”

“It’s a sensitive matter, and if you’d rather not answer, I understand.”

“Now I am intrigued.” He motioned for her to go on.

“What do you know about Braun Logistics and Security? More specifically, about its special projects group.”

Otto’s smile wilted to a flatline, and his eyes grew steely. “Have they offered you a job? Is that why you ask?”

“No. Nothing like that.”

Some of Otto’s tension eased, but his smile had not yet returned. “The most important thing I can tell you is to not get involved with them.”

“That’s something you and I can both agree on,” she said.

“I know Vesna’s reason,” Teddy said. “But I would love to know why you say that.”

Otto glanced at Teddy as if just remembering that he was there, then the man turned his gaze to Vesna. “How much do you trust him?”

“With my life,” she said without hesitation. She leaned forward and put her hand over Otto’s. “He is one of the good ones.”

“You swear this?”

“I do.”

“I apologize,” he said to Teddy. “You know what this business is like.”

“Far too well,” Teddy said. “And there is no need to apologize. If it helps, our interest in BLS is the exact opposite of wanting to work with them.”

A hint of a smile returned to Otto’s expression. “Is that so? And how far are you planning on taking this ‘exact opposite’ interest?”

“To a satisfying conclusion.”

That hinted smile began to spread. “It may not be easy.”

“Not our first rodeo,” Teddy said.

Otto laughed. “I have always loved this expression. So very American.”

“You clearly have never been to the Calgary Stampede in Canada.”

“I will put it on my to-do list.”

“You were going to tell us about BLS’s special projects group,” Vesna prodded.

Otto sobered, though without the previous tension. “Nothing I know is firsthand, but what I have heard from others. I have no reason to doubt what they say, however.”

“Understood,” Teddy said.

“It is an off-the-books black ops unit that will take on any job for the right price. No moral code, you know? Assassinations, kidnappings, business disruptions, it does not matter.”

“Do you know who their clients are?”

“Specifically, I do not. But from what I understand, their services do not come cheap, so you can draw your own conclusions as to the types of clients. Is it a client you are interested in or BLS?”

“Both, we think,” Teddy said.

“I wish there was more I could tell you, but I have made it a habit not to know what goes on there.”

“That sounds like a smart strategy.”

“I can give you some advice, if you are interested.”

“Please.”

“There was a man I knew who worked for Braun. He quit in the middle of a job, which apparently caused some hiccups. For three months, nothing happened to him. Then one night he ‘falls’ in front of a subway train. No witnesses, and the CCTV cameras covering the platform were conveniently not working. But Braun had to be behind it.” Otto paused. “In other words, my advice is to proceed with extreme caution. Felix Braun is not one to be crossed. He has a long memory, and he holds grudges.”

Vesna glanced at Teddy. “Anything else?”

He shook his head. “I’m good.”

“Thank you, Otto,” Vesna said. “We’ve taken up too much of your time already. I promise that the next time I visit, I’ll treat you to lunch.”

As she and Teddy stood, Otto said to Teddy, “You heard that, yes? You are my witness.”

Teddy smiled. “I will happily testify against her if she tries to renege.”

Braun was in the elevator heading down when Dieter called.

“Are you back?” Braun asked.

“Just landed.”

“I’m heading to Kurfürstendamm for a meeting. Meet me at Cumberland at one for lunch.”

Braun hung up without waiting for a reply.

Teddy and Vesna were heading for the next S-Bahn train back into the city when their phones vibrated at the same time with a text from Hans.

Braun just left the office in his car.

Click here to track him

Teddy tapped the link and a map of Berlin opened on his screen. He zoomed in on the moving blue dot that represented Braun’s vehicle.

“I wonder where he’s going?” Vesna asked.

They watched the dot travel west, along the south side of Tiergarten park.

When their train arrived, they hopped on board and continued to monitor Braun’s progress. It wasn’t long before the dot stopped and didn’t budge for well over a minute. When it did begin moving again, it only traveled a block and a half and then stopped again. They watched for it to take off again, but it remained where it was.

“I think it’s parked,” Vesna said.

Teddy nodded and pointed at the building where the vehicle had first stopped.

“My guess is that Braun went inside here, and his driver’s waiting for him to come out.”

He glanced up from his phone and checked the Berlin transportation map on the wall of the train. “If memory serves, our next stop intersects with a U-Bahn line that passes through that area.”

“I believe you’re right.”

“Interested in a little adventure?”

“I assume that’s rhetorical.”