by David Nees
She began to shake and her legs were now fluttering even more rapidly. It was not due to her bladder. Dan turned on the heater even though the temperature was in the seventies. The Land Rover began to heat up. Evangeline put her head down and started moaning.
“I don’t feel good,” she said.
“Will you cooperate so I don’t have to put you under the seat?”
She nodded.
The day was fading. Dan figured when it got dark he would stop and fill the Rover’s gas tank. It would hold enough gas to get him into Austria without another stop. The dark would hide Evangeline’s presence.
Dan picked an uncrowded station. Evangeline was quiet, even nodding off at times while he filled the tank. He pulled a blanket and pillow from the back before getting in. After filling the tank, he drove ahead to a dark area of the lot.
“I’m going to free your hands. I’ll rope your left hand to my seat belt anchor so you can’t jump out of the car, but your right hand will be free.”
He tied her left hand with some slack; she could move it around so it wouldn’t go numb, but there wasn’t enough line for her to exit the vehicle. Then he gave her a pillow so she could rest her head against the door and put the blanket over her. Evangeline pulled the cover tightly around her and tried to curl up on the seat. She was shivering strongly now. Dan needed to get her to the chalet so he could help her through withdrawal. He didn’t know what drugs she was on but guessed her addiction involved cocaine and possibly heroin. She had no needle marks on her arms, so she probably was snorting the drugs. That was a slim positive in an otherwise depressing picture of this pretty girl, pasty skinned with a poor complexion, dark circles around her eyes, looking ten years older than she was, and now getting sick.
Evangeline stayed curled up in the passenger seat. “I’m sick,” she said. Her voice barely audible. “This is all your fault. You’ve ruined my life.”
“I can’t help you right now…when we get to the chalet it will be better.”
She didn’t answer. There was just an occasional whimper and cough from her. The girl seemed to have slipped into her own world of misery. Dan asked her if she wanted water now and then. She just shook her head. He didn’t press the issue. Stopping to force her to drink didn’t seem to be a way to help the situation.
He drove to Zagreb before heading north into Slovenia. It was past midnight when he turned off the main road, E59, just outside of Graz, Austria to head northwest on more local roads. Before his turnoff point, traffic was slowed by a lane closure. Evangeline was now asleep, thankfully. They crept along in the backup and passed the flashing lights of the polizei. Dan was unaware that one of the officers noted the Land Rover and wrote down the license number.
Dan followed winding secondary roads to a small town named Baierdorf. From there he turned onto an even smaller, but well paved road, Erzherzog Johann Strasse, on the way to Sankt Nikolai. The road climbed into the mountains following the gorges that snaked through the peaks.
The houses and yards in Sankt Nikolai were all neatly trimmed. The steeply pitched roofs with their large overhangs were covered in wood shakes, all to deal with abundant snow falls. There were flower boxes under most of the windows. It was a tidy, quaint town. The village was nestled in the Carinthian-Styrian Alps and looked like it should be featured on a picture postcard.
Dan saw little of this as he drove through the village an hour before dawn. Just outside of the village, he found the unpaved road heading up from the valley floor and followed it. There were two chalets at lower levels and nothing beyond except the one he had rented. It was another three miles of slow travel along the serpentine route needed for the road to scale the increasingly steep slope. Five hundred feet below the summit of the hill the chalet came into view. It was placed on a small, flat area that had been graded out from the slope. The mountain, covered in conifers, rose steeply behind the house. There was a gravel clearing at the side where Dan could park.
The chalet could not be seen from below; a large shoulder of the mountain blocked direct views to the village. There was a magnificent view eastward along the valley which promised bright morning sunshine. The road seemed to give up when it reached the chalet. There was no barrier, but the two-track beyond was definitely four-wheel drive terrain.
Dan pulled into the drive and parked the Land Rover. He unlocked the door which led into a mud room. Beyond it was a game room with table tennis and various bar games in it. A set of stairs took one up a flight to the main floor. There was a mezzanine above that served as a sleeping loft with three separate rooms. They looked out over the open-plan main floor with kitchen, eating and living space. At one end was a generous, open fireplace. A large deck faced eastward to take advantage of the views. At the rear, the windows looked out at the hillside almost within touching distance as it rose up from behind the house. Underneath the deck was a concrete pad where the firewood was stacked to keep it dry. You could get to it from the mud room without going out from under the cover of the deck and eaves.
Dan gently lifted Evangeline and carried her into the chalet and up to one of the sleep rooms. He locked the bedroom door behind him and proceeded to unload the SUV. Then he sat down in the kitchen and poured himself a whiskey from the liquor cabinet. He had done it. What had seemed almost impossible a day ago was finished. His body ached from all the stress and exertion. He sipped the whiskey and slowly let his body relax from the tension of the day and the long drive.
The only off note to his achievement, was Evangeline’s intimations that her father was a monster. The level of her fear and anxiety at returning made it hard for him to dismiss the situation as teenage rebellion. Still he had gotten over the main hurdle, by getting her away from Feriz. Or so he hoped.
Chapter 18
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D an grabbed his secure phone from his pack and stretched his legs out as he sat back on the couch. He punched in Jane’s number. The sun was just breaking over the mountains to the east.
“Do you know what time it is here?” Jane asked when she picked up the phone.
“Early, the sun is just coming up where I am.”
“And where is that?”
“Later. First tell me, did you send anyone to shadow me when I went to rescue the girl?”
“No, I didn’t send anyone. I told you I wouldn’t do that.”
“But you told Henry? Was he okay with the operation?”
“Not fully, that’s something we need to talk about.”
“Did he know where I was going? Gračac?”
“No. I just told him you were headed to Croatia. He didn’t care about the specifics. He’s more concerned about whether you’re going rogue on him.”
“And no one but you knew.”
“Right. What’s this all about?”
“Some people were there, at Feriz’s compound. They followed me, pretty aggressively.”
“You know who they are?”
“No. But if you didn’t send them, I have a good idea who did…but I don’t know why and that bothers me.”
“But you’re safe now?”
“Yeah. I lost them and no one knows where we are.”
“Can you tell me?”
“I’m in Austria.”
“Why there? What’s that got to do with the mission?”
“The girl is in bad shape. She’s an addict and I need a place for her to detox.”
“Then you’re going to return her to her father?”
Dan hesitated. That was the plan but the girl’s reactions gave him some concern. “I think so. She’s terrified about it. Says her father is a monster. She won’t tell me why, but I told her I would listen if she can explain herself.”
“That’s why she ran away.”
“What do you mean?”
“If a daughter has that extreme of a reaction to her father, there’s probably some reason for it. Something beyond teenage anger over too many restrictions.”
“
Aren’t you the psychologist.”
“I’m a female. What you’re describing sounds like there may be something serious behind it. Do you know anything about the father?”
“No. My only contact is some underling. I’ll have to rely on the girl. You probably should be talking to her, but we don’t have time for you to come over.”
“I couldn’t anyway. You can do this, but don’t be forceful. Be sensitive and listen, listen intently, like the way you shoot, with full concentration.”
Dan sighed and stretched again. The fatigue of driving all night was catching up with him now that they were safe in the chalet. He wished this time was going to be a peaceful interlude, but there was a teenager going through withdrawal upstairs and she had issues with her father. It was going to be a turbulent week.
“You tired?” Jane asked.
“Drove all night.”
“Well so am I, so let’s both go back to sleep. But first tell me what happens next.”
“Looks like I play counselor and nurse while Evangeline, that’s her name, works the drugs out of her system and then we talk about her father. If I return her, I’ll be heading back to Italy. Otherwise I don’t know what I’ll be doing.”
“Improvising. It’s what you do well. Are you seriously thinking about not returning her?”
“Jane, I don’t know. The woman in St. Marks Plaza said the girl was the key but she would not be truthful. I had to use my gift, the one Tlayolotl gave me. Only problem is I don’t know what that is. It’s something I have to discover.”
“Jesus, Dan. These mystics have got your head turned around. You don’t sound like you’re thinking straight.”
“If Evangeline was a guy, I’d get the truth out of him…her. But she’s not. And you said to be gentle, so I’m floundering a bit here.”
“You’ll need some way to sort the truth from the lies.”
“That’s all there is to it. Thanks for that insight.”
“I’m sorry. I wish I could help, but I can’t. I understand you are way out of your comfort zone. But when you were in Mexico you held on to your sanity and figured out what to do. In the end some good came out of it. The drug lord’s wife is making a life for herself. I checked up on her.”
“Yeah, I know.” Dan sighed again. “I’m going to try to get a couple of hours of sleep before I have to start playing nurse. Thanks for your advice.”
He ended the call and swung his legs up on the couch. After pulling a throw cover over him, he lay back and fell asleep.
Pietro Conti received a call from Zürich. An Austrian federal policeman had made a call to his local station. The station commander relayed the message to the state command headquarters, to a Chefinspektor. The Chefinspektor then made a call to a number in Switzerland and passed on the information.
Pietro sat back. The assassin was in Austria. It was a neat, tidy country, very orderly. The assassin would stand out, especially with what was probably a traumatized teenage girl. He could assume an arc of one hundred miles swinging to the east, north and west from the sighting. That would be a large enough area to check. The assassin probably wouldn’t go much farther. The man certainly wasn’t headed south from where he was spotted. It could be done. He might not risk taking the girl into a larger city but strangers stood out, especially in small towns. He sent some emails to the staff in Zürich. Next he made a call to the two men in the BMW and told them to drive to Graz and wait for further instructions.
Two hours later Dan was awakened by the sound of retching coming from the mezzanine. He jumped up and ran up the stairs. Unlocking the bedroom door, he found Evangeline leaning over the edge of the bed convulsed in dry heaves. There was some bile on the floor, but nothing was coming up. Dan went over to her and held her head with one hand while he gently rubbed her back with his right hand. She leaned against him for support. The heaving gradually subsided.
“I’ll get you some water,” he said.
She shook her head. “No, I’ll just throw it up.”
“Just rinse out your mouth.” Dan left her and went to the bathroom at the end of the loft. He returned with a hand towel and a small glass of water. “Rinse. You can spit it in the trash can.” He brought over the can and placed it under her. She rinsed a couple of times and lay back shivering.
“I’m cold,” she said.
Dan pulled the covers over her. I’ll get you a sweater. I noticed one in the closet. Put it on and get back under the covers. It’s not that cold, but you’re going through withdrawal.”
“I need something. My stomach is in knots and my head is splitting. I ache all over.”
“Those symptoms will pass.”
“Can you get me a drink at least?” Mucous ran down from her nose onto her lips. She swiped the sheet across her face.
“No. That will only make things worse, lengthen your misery. Let me get you the sweater and then just lie back.”
“I can’t sleep. Shit, I can’t do a thing. I’m dying.” She lay back and turned on her side, moaning.
Dan got up and retrieved the sweater. He helped her sit up and put it around her, then laid her back and pulled the covers over her.
“You’re killing me,” she said in between moans. “You’re a pig. I hate you.”
Dan didn’t answer. He grabbed a chair and sat in the corner, watching. Evangeline turned away and buried herself under the covers. Dan could see the shivering decrease. She didn’t seem to be asleep but was uncommunicative.
During his vigil, she began to shove the covers off of her.
“I’m boiling,” she mumbled half asleep.
Dan helped pull the covers away. She struggled out of the sweater. He brought a wash cloth over and wiped her arms to help cool her. Fifteen minutes later the shivering started again.
She groaned. “Please get me something. I’m freezing and hurt all over.”
Dan didn’t answer. It would only trigger an outburst. He placed the sweater over her and pulled the covers back up as she curled up into a tight ball and then retreated to his chair in the corner.
Chapter 19
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I t went like that for the whole day; going from chills to sweats and back to chills. She really didn’t sleep but lay in bed not able to get up and walk around. Dan insisted strongly enough to get her to drink some water. She kept some of it down. Food would have to come later.
By evening, Dan was exhausted. He’d had only three hours of sleep. He needed to get some food in the chalet. The kitchen came equipped with utensils for cooking, along with a stocked liquor cabinet, but there was no food in the house except for coffee and tea and cooking staples. He made up a list and, after checking on Evangeline, he locked her bedroom door and left the house. He told her he was getting some supplies and would be back quickly. He hoped she was too sick to try to escape.
Down in the village of Sankt Nikolai, Dan found a butcher. He purchased various cuts of beef and then went to the vegetable grocer where he got a collection of carrots, potatoes, beets, onions, along with celery and two types of lettuce. The dry grocer had pasta, Muesli, bread and other cereals. He also was able to purchase milk, cream, eggs, cheese, and juice.
“You are stocking up. Staying long?” a lady at the counter asked him. The stores were cramped and the customers all seemed to know one another. It was a small village. Dan knew he stood out.
“For the week. Going to do some hiking and relaxing,” he replied in his High German.
“You speak German well, but you’re not a native. Where are you from?”
“I work all over the continent,” Dan replied ignoring the ‘where from’ part of her question. He figured he’d give her a little info to pass on to everyone she talked to for the next few days. “I work for a company that sells corporate security systems. They keep me busy and moving all around the continent. It’s a treat to come to such a beautiful place and relax.”
The woman smiled at Dan’s acknowledgement of how love
ly her home town was. “We get to live here all year around, but you only get a week. It’s a pity.”
“I’ll be back whenever I can,” Dan said as he left the shop. He stopped to fill the Land Rover’s tank before heading back up to the chalet.
There was no helping the fact that his stay in Sankt Nikolai was not going to be stealthy. A stranger, a foreigner, in a small town; the word would get around. He only hoped it stayed in the village and he would be just a local point of interest.
Dan slept little that night. He stayed in the chair and was there to help cool Evangeline when she overheated and bundle her up when she began shivering. The second day brought more of the same.
By the end of the third day, they were both exhausted but Evangeline was starting to feel better. She had some tea and toast. Then came a soft-boiled egg with some juice. After eating she was able to shower; later Dan brushed her hair. It was short but tangled. He gently worked at it.
“Don’t pull so hard,” she complained. “It feels like you’re tearing my hair out.”
“I’m trying to get these knots out. Your hair is pretty short, how the hell did it get so knotted?”
“It’s your fault. You abused me and kept me tied up. Here let me do it.” She reached for the brush.
“Just relax. I’m trying to be nice to you.”
“Well you aren’t helping.” She grabbed at the brush again. “Just leave me alone and let me brush my own hair.”
Dan relinquished the brush and stood up. “Okay you do it. If you don’t want my help, that’s fine. I’ll just feed you and nursemaid you back to health…oh, but you said you didn’t want my help. Shall I stop helping altogether?”
“Just let me brush my hair. I can do some of this on my own.”
Dan headed for the bedroom door.
“And this wouldn’t be happening if you hadn’t kidnapped me. Remember that.” She shouted after him as he closed the door.
Dan felt his anger ebb. He realized he shouldn’t have lost his cool. This was a traumatized young girl who was also recovering from withdrawal symptoms. He needed to not respond when she lashed out at him.