by Paul Blake
‘Why don’t you get your head down for a while, I’ll keep watch. It’ll be alright, I’ll wake you if Arthur calls.’
‘Thanks, I’ll be ok though. Not long to go now.’ Damn.
They sat in silence as Alec woke up fully. He peeked through the hole in the awning and could see people milling around on the Lustgarten grass, taking photos of the cathedral and Altes Museum beside it. On the roof of the museum, he could see security services setting up for the visit. He remembered from the briefing that they would be doing the same on the roof of the palace. Hopefully, Arthur hasn’t organised security patrols of the lower floors. That’s one advantage of having him in charge of both events – The PMs and the shooting – there should be gaps for exploiting.
With an hour to go, Newbury called, and Alec asked if he could speak to his old friend. Mihael passed him the phone.
‘Arthur, before I do this I need to know Sara is still alive. I need proof of life.’ he said.
’I’m in the middle of things here. I can’t just drop everything and head over there.’
‘Arthur, I’m not asking, if you want me to do this, I need to speak to her.’
‘For god’s sake Alec,’ He cursed. ‘Okay, I’ll head over there now and call you back.’
Newbury hung up, and Alec passed the phone back to Mihael.
‘I need to speak to her one last time.’ He explained.
‘I understand,’ Mihael said. Alec thought he spotted some sympathy coming from his companion.
‘Thanks, Mihael.’
While Alec waited for Newbury’s call, to keep himself occupied he packed away the camping equipment into his backpack. He removed the layers of clothing he had added.
‘This will give me more movement when it comes to shoot,’ he exclaimed to Mihael. And it gives me more movement if I need to get away.
With a half-hour until the Prime Minister arrived Newbury called. Mihael answered the phone and passed it to Alec.
‘Uncle Alec?’ Sara’s voice was timid and scared.
‘Yep, I’m here, how are you doing? Have you been hurt?’
‘No, I’m okay. They tied me to a chair and left me here in the dark, but I’m not hurt. What’s going on? They wouldn’t tell me, and then Uncle Arthur came. He wouldn’t release me.’
‘Arthur has decided to kill the Prime Minister, and he wants me to do it. The only way he could make me would be to threaten to hurt you. So, I’ve told him I’ll do it, and he said he’d let you go. I’m sorry, Sara, I really am. It’ll be over soon.’
‘You should choose your friends with more care, Uncle Alec.’
‘I know that now. I love you, Sara. I’ll see you soon.’ Tears came to his eyes and his voice caught in his throat.
‘I love you too.’ And she was gone.
‘There, you happy now?’ Newbury said. ‘Make sure you don’t miss.’
He hung up the phone. Alec passed it back to Mihael as he wiped his eyes on his sleeve. ‘I need to be alone for a while. Get my head together. I can’t shoot in this state.’
Michal nodded and motioned for Alec to go on. Alec entered the building and headed for a far corner and sat behind a pillar. He checked to see if Mihael had followed. Nothing. Yes! He finally trusts me. He quickly pulled the phone out of his jacket pocket and saw numerous missed calls from Claudia. He had known she had tried to call him as his pocket gently vibrated each time. This was why he didn’t give up the jacket for a warmer one from the store. Fortunately, in Newbury’s office, he had muted the phone’s speaker to stop the annoying fanfare when the phone was switched on. He dialled Claudia’s number.
‘Alec, where the hell have you been?’ She said.
‘Claudia, there’s no time. Arthur is behind this all. He has Sara; they are at the safe house on Thrasoltstraße. Get there as fast as you can. I have to kill the Prime Minister if you don’t get there in time or he’ll kill her.’
‘Alec—’
He cut her off, ‘There’s no time I have to get back. I won’t be able to answer the phone so text me when you have her. I love you.’
He hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket. He heard footsteps and then Mihael’s voice.
‘Alec? Where are you?’
Alec stood up and came out from behind the pillar. He wiped his eyes. He tried hard to keep the hope from his voice. ‘I’m here. I’m okay now. Let’s get things set up.’
Alec was laid on top of Mihael’s sleeping bag, to protect him from the cold, wooden scaffolding boards. He looked through the scope of the rifle and tracked various people as they moved around the entrance of the cathedral. He recognised a few from the office. There’s Harper speaking to marksmen on the roof of the Altes Museum. Old Museum. It houses the Antikensammlung. Collection of Classical Antiquities. Which are stone sculptures, vases, craft objects and jewellery from the 10th Century to the 1st Century BCE, or as Alec knew it BC.
‘Not long now,’ Mihael said.
‘Nope.’
Mihael was looking through his own peephole in the awning, to Alec's right.Beside him on the floor of the scaffold was his pistol with silencer. Alec was satisfied to see this. His hard work gaining Mihael's trust had paid off. If he was a professional that gun would have been aimed at my head.
Because of how close they were Alec needed Mihael to spot for him. Alec’s view through the scope was narrow and focused; Mihael had a view of the Lustgarten, the entrance and the roads leading to the cathedral. Alec wasn’t sure if the Prime Minister would be coming along the Karl-Liebknecht Strauss B2 or through the side street Bodestraße. The B2 was the direct route, and he knew from the meetings was the planned route. However, a last-minute change or traffic could have altered that.
Mihael’s phone rang, he went to answer it, but stopped and said, ‘I see their car, it’s coming along the main road West to East.’ He ignored the phone.
Alec adjusted the aim and tracked the vehicle. It came to a stop outside of the cathedral. The passenger door opened, and a bodyguard got out. Alec could see the beige earpiece and the wire hanging down his neck into the receiver probably attached to his belt. He went around the back of the vehicle and opened the rear door. Alec’s finger moved from the trigger guard to the trigger. He took a deep breath and stilled his body. The Prime Minister stepped out of the car. Alec could see them clearly through the scope, a wide smile on their face. For Sara. His finger tightened on the trigger, and then he felt his pocket vibrate.
26
‘Why haven’t you shot yet?’ Mihael asked. ‘They’re in the open.’
‘The bodyguard is in the way,’ Alec lied. He reached down into his jacket pocket with his left hand. Slowly. His fingers grasped the barrel of his gun. ‘I’m still tracking. I’ll get them don’t worry. It won’t be long now.’
He gently pulled the gun out by his fingertips. As he turned it around, he prayed Mihael wouldn't notice. When he had the stock firmly in his hand, his right hand dropped off the rifle and Alec lifted his body to bring his left hand around so he could shoot. Mihael turned his head towards Alec and his eyes widened when he saw the gun. He reached down for his own gun but decided he didn't have enough time. He jumped onto Alec, his knees landing on the back of Alec’s thighs, his hands groping for the gun. Alec tried to shake him off, but he couldn’t get any momentum lying on his stomach. The gun fell out of Alec’s hands and slid off the scaffolding, clattering against the metal poles as it fell. Alec managed to draw his knees up under him and started bucking like a rodeo horse. He heard a clang as Mihael’s head struck a steel scaffolding pole. Alec pushed harder, and suddenly Mihael’s weight was off his back. He heard a cry and lifted his head. Mihael was hanging by one hand to the scaffolding rail, the other to the board, his legs and body dangling.
‘Help me, Alec,’ Mihael begged. ‘Please.’
Alec stood and looked at him. There were tears streaming down Mihael’s face. His eyes were wide. Alec shook his head.
‘I hope Jaromir kicks the shit out of
you in the afterlife.’ Alec stamped on the hand holding the board and prised Mihael’s fingers from the rail. He fell to the ground, screaming all the way.
Alec pulled out his phone and called Claudia. ‘Have you got her?’ He asked.
‘Yes, she’s safe. We missed Arthur though, I saw him running, but he’d gone before I could get him. Are you ok?’
‘Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks to you. The waiter is dead though. I’ll get Arthur, you keep Sara safe for me.’
‘I will. Alec?’
‘Yes?’
‘I love you too.’ She hung up.
Alec saw Mihael’s phone on the scaffolding board. He picked it up and pocketed it. . I’ll leave the rifle, it’s not needed anymore. He looked for Mihael's gun but couldn't see it.
He heard a shout from above and looked up. He saw a security guard pointing at him. He ran into the main building and through the empty shell to the stairwell. He could hear heavy boots descending. He raced down the stairs, slamming into the walls to change direction. How many floors are there? A shot rang out and then another. Cement dust and chips were flying everywhere. Alec reached the ground level and headed for the entrance to the building site. I won’t be able to climb the fence myself; I’ll have to take my chances at the gate.
He got to the gate and saw a crowd of tourists waiting to enter. He remembered reading about tours of the palace, which took place each day from ten o’clock. He had thought of taking Sara but decided it would be too boring. He heard shouts behind him and felt his left arm go numb and then burn. He then heard the crack of a rifle echo around. The marksmen on the roof.
He pulled open the gate and the tourists started shuffling in. He pushed through the crowd, ignoring their cries of protest. He broke through the mass of people and sprinted in a zig-zag fashion to prevent another shot. Schloßplatz or Karl-Liebknecht Strauss? Head towards the cathedral and all the security there or away from it? Easy decision. He reached Schloßplatz, lungs burning and legs like jelly. He stopped for a moment against a building out of sight of the palace and the building site. His breathing was heavy, and the thumping of his heart worried him. Can’t have a heart attack now. He thought about where the nearest U-bahn station was. Hausvogteiplatz is the closest. Can I reach there before I’m caught? I’m going to have to. He ran along Schloßplatz as it merged onto Werderscher Markt. He glanced behind him and could see pursuers chasing him; he turned left at the next turning and then right onto Jägerstraße. He ran past the open ground and saw a man sitting on a bench, Die Spiegel newspaper in hand, watching Alec as he ran. Alec resisted the urge to give him a wave and continued past the Chipps vegetarian restaurant on the corner. He could feel blood dripping down his arm. Keep going, old man.
He turned left onto Oberwallstraße, he heard sirens in the distance, getting closer. Not far now. A shot from behind struck the car windscreen in front of him, the glass shattered. Alec put all his might into one final push, knowing the station was just around the corner. Another shot, this one hit the wall next to him. He turned right onto Hausvogteiplatz and saw the entrance in front of him. I hope a train is coming. He bounded down the steps to the platform level and saw a train pull in and stop. The doors opened, and he jumped into the nearest carriage. The doors took what felt like a lifetime to close, and the train pulled away. Alec was breathing rapidly, and his heart pounded in his chest. He collapsed onto a seat in exhaustion. He wanted to curl up into a ball. The train’s tannoy system announced the next stop: Spittelmarkt. Alec realised he was on the U2 line and heading East. I need time to think about where Arthur will be. He won’t be east, he hates that side of the city, always has done. He said it depresses him. I need to stop and have a think.
The train pulled in to Spittelmarkt station, and Alec got off. His legs were still shaky. He walked up the steps to the street level, pulling himself along using the handrail. He came out on Wallstraße, and could hear sirens faintly in the distance. He walked into the Schäfer's Brot café just down from the station entrance. He ordered a cup of tea and a pastry and sat at one of the tables with a view out of the window. Spending five minutes now thinking is worth an hour or more chasing around. Alec sipped his tea and then added four sachets of sugar. I better sort out my arm first though.
He left the table and went to the café’s bathroom. There he removed his jacket and hung it on the peg on the back of the door. His suit jacket arm had a great tear in it. He removed it and hung it with the jacket. The shirt sleeve was sodden with blood. He took off the shirt and looked at the wound. Not as bad as I thought, they only winged me. He smiled at the thought. With toilet roll and water from the sink he cleaned his arm as best as he could, he winced each time he went near the inch-long gouge the bullet had made in his upper arm. When done he wadded some tissue into a ball and stuck it in his mouth, he chewed it around until it was malleable and then packed the wound with it. I’ll probably get infected, the mouth is full of bacteria, but it’ll be better than losing more blood and passing out. He wrapped the arm with more toilet paper to hold the wadding in place. He then dried the shirt sleeve with the electric hand dryer. It stiffened in the heat, turned into cardboard. Once it was dry Alec bent it this way and that to bring some flexibility back to the fabric. He got dressed and cleaned up the toilet area of blood. I don’t want anyone to contact the Police. He left the bathroom and returned to the table.
Arthur wouldn’t have planned for failure. It’s not something he’s ever been good at. He’ll have to regroup, think about a plan of action. He’s probably sitting in a café just like this thinking of his next move. Alec took a bite of the pastry. His stomach growled at him in anger. He called over the waitress and asked for a ham roll. Arthur will need to go back to his place in Neustaaken which is west of the city. He’ll need his passport and some cash. He wouldn’t have a stash in the city. He’s been out of the field far longer than I have. Once he has been home he’ll want to get away, Tegel is the nearest airport to him, but he’ll have to show his passport and will assume that I would have told about him. He wouldn’t risk being caught at airport security. So, he’ll get a train. Where to?
Alec’s sandwich came, and he started eating it. The closest train station to him is the Berlin-Staaken station, but that would only take him to Rathenow or Wustermark, he’ll want to get out of Germany. Amsterdam, Prague, or Basel? They are the Intercity destinations. That leaves Berlin-Spandau station or Hauptbahnhof stations. Intercity services travel from both. Berlin-Spandau is the closest to him, Hauptbahnhof is the largest one. Will he look for speed of exit or anonymity? Alec mulled over the problem. He finished his sandwich and his cup of tea.
He should expect us to assume he’d head straight to a different country, using the border like a teenager in a horror film uses a bathroom door to block themselves from the killer. The subtle method would be to head towards Cologne, from there he can go to Brussels, Paris and Luxemburg and then onwards. That’s how I would do it. It still leaves the question of which station he’d depart from. It’ll take me about forty-five minutes to get to Berlin-Spandau, using the U-bahn and twenty minutes or so to Hauptbahnhof. Maybe I can push him one way or the other.
He took out Mihael’s phone and dialled Newbury’s number.
‘Mihael, what happened? Did you kill Foster?’ Newbury asked as soon as the call connected. Alec remained silent.
‘Mihael answer me! The Prime Minister is still alive, so you aren’t getting your money.’
‘Mihael’s a little busy right now,’ Alec said. ‘I thought we should have a chat.’
‘Alec?’ Arthur’s voice sounded uncharacteristically unsure. Alec liked the sound of it.
‘Not who you were expecting old friend?’
‘What happened to Mihael?’ Alec ignored the question.
‘The Police and the company are heading to your apartment and to the nearest stations to you as we speak. I wanted you to hear from me that your plan failed. Claudia has told them everything. They know it wasn’t the Russians, j
ust the actions of a bitter old man who will never see another sunrise.’ That should stop him running to Berlin-Spandau.
‘We can come to a deal, can’t we? We have a lot of history together. I’ve always been there for you. For Stephanie, Mark, and Sophie. I was there for you. I kept you in your job as you lost the plot and tried to drink yourself into oblivion. I have money. You can have it. Please, Alec, let me go.’
‘You tried to start a war. You kidnapped and threatened Sara. You threatened Claudia. You wanted me to die,’ Alec’s voice was ice cold. ‘Your little friend was no match for me; he took a header off the palace, they’re probably still trying to scoop up his brains. I’m coming for you now. You better run and run fast.’
Alec hung up the phone; he put it in his pocket and took out his wallet. He placed thirty euros on the table, tucked under his plate, more than enough to cover the bill and service. He went down the steps of the U-bahn station and waited for the next train, he was in no hurry. He knew Arthur would drive to Hauptbahnhof, the trains were out of bounds and Arthur would never even consider the bus. A taxi would take forty minutes or more even if Arthur could get one immediately. Arthur would get in his beloved imported Jaguar XF and drive. A train arrived, and Alec took the U2 line heading towards Pankow. He stayed on the train three stops until Alexanderplatz, where he alighted and took the S7 S-Bahn train to Hauptbahnhof, or Berlin Central Station.
Alec had a brainwave, he took out his phone and called Claudia. She answered on the first ring.
‘Alec, are you ok?’ Her voice was breathless.
‘A little nick to the arm, but I’m fine. I’m heading to Hauptbahnhof, I think Arthur’s coming here to get a train to Cologne. I was calling to see if you can get the boffins to track Arthur’s phone to confirm it. See if he learnt anything from my mistakes the past few days.’
‘I’m already ahead of you. They are tracking him as we speak. He is currently on the B2 and should get in at the same time as you.’ Shit, he must have driven faster than I thought he would.