The Dolomite Solution

by Trevor Scott

  Toni and Bergen got up, her keeping an eye on the Italian near the door. She whispered, “I didn’t want to mention this, but the man at the door was one of the men who tried to kidnap Scala the other day.”

  Hahn caught the man in the corner of his eye. “Is there a back exit?”

  Bergen nodded. “Back through the kitchen.”

  The five of them walked off through swinging doors and into the kitchen area.

  40

  Jake and Quinn were still at a standoff. Quinn refused to drop his gun, as if daring Jake to shoot him. When Jake saw the door open and the dark-haired woman coming through it, he froze, unable to think. But in a split second he yelled, “No!”

  The explosion was not great, but the flash from the fuel mixture was tremendous, and the percussion sent Jake flying to the cold cobblestone.

  The fuel was set to shoot outward toward the door and instantaneously ignite. The woman was immediately a ball of fire and screaming and flailing her arms.

  By the time Jake recovered, she was on the ground trying desperately to put out the flames.

  Jake pulled off his jacket, threw it on the woman, and then patted her down. Seconds later the flames on the woman were out, but she was barely breathing. Jake rolled her over and almost lost it. Her face was bubbled black. “Toni?” Jake said softly.

  There was movement in the kitchen. Toni was the first to emerge, her gun drawn and leading the way. “Are you all right, Jake?” she asked.

  When Jake saw her, his heart rose up with him. He quickly embraced her.

  Ulrica, the burned woman, gasped for a last breath and then died.

  Toni scanned the scene, focusing for a moment on the two men from Boston. “You sure know how to make a mess, Jake.”

  “I didn’t even fire my gun,” Jake pleaded.

  Bergen and Hahn came out from the safety of the kitchen reluctantly. Wolfgang saw his partner burned beyond recognition and went to his knees, crying, his hands sunk into Jake’s scorched jacket on her body.

  Then the area exploded with activity. The same men who had stormed the ice rink only hours ago, appeared from every direction. They were all in black, with Styer automatics and their faces painted.

  From inside the restaurant came the Italian who had been watching the front door, followed closely by Franz Martini.

  Toni turned her gun on the man, who laughed and shook his head.

  Martini pushed her gun to the side. “He’s with Interpol. He was working under cover with the Mafia in northern Italy.”

  “But he killed Leonhard Aldo,” she said. “I saw him.”

  Sappiamo shook his head. “It was an accident. We were following him and he panicked.”

  “You were shooting at him.”

  “You’re mistaken. We were trying to make sure he made it to Innsbruck unharmed. Herr Aldo was a little paranoid I guess.”

  She wasn’t buying it, but what could she do? She looked at Jake for help.

  “I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding,” Jake assured her, letting her know he believed her with his expression.

  Through all the activity Jake had forgotten about Marcus Quinn. He scanned the entire area, but he wasn’t there. He turned to the Austrian polizei captain and said, “What happened to Marcus Quinn?”

  Martini turned to his assistant, Jack Donicht, who was on a radio with one of his men. “Did our men stop him?”

  Donicht listened for a moment and then shook his head. “A couple of our men spotted him running down one of the back alleys. They followed him into the Hofgarten. One of our men was shot in the leg.” He thought for a moment. “I’m afraid he got away.”

  “Damn it. I want the road and airports sealed,” Martini demanded. “Do it!”

  Donicht gathered some of his men and hurried off.

  “You won’t catch him,” Jake said to Martini.

  “Maybe not. But we have to try.”

  ●

  When the alley had been cleared out, Jake and Toni stood against a railing in the parking lot overlooking the river. Martini had said he wanted to talk with both of them in the morning. They agreed to meet him in his office at nine.

  Otto Bergen walked up to them slowly and said, “What about Scala? Is he safe?”

  Jake nodded. “We’ll bring him by at eight tomorrow morning.”

  Bergen thanked them and shuffled off to a waiting polizei car.

  “Are you planning on telling Martini about Bergen’s part in this thing?” Toni asked, nuzzling closer to him.

  “I have a feeling Martini already knows.” He kissed her on the lips, and she pulled him even closer.

  She was giving him a knowing smirk when she said, “You know something again that you don’t want to tell me. And I’m guessing it has to do with Marcus Quinn. Am I right?”

  “Knock that shit off. I’m supposed to be able to bullshit with the best of them.”

  “You can still do that with other people, but not me.” She looked right through him. “Well?”

  “Let’s just say I know where he’s heading.”

  “And you plan on going after him.”

  “You’d expect less?”

  They walked off to Jake’s car and drove to his room in Hungerburg.

  41

  Jake and Toni got up early, walked down to a bakery for coffee and rolls, and then brought some extras back for Jordan and Scala at their gasthof in Hungerburg. The four of them had stayed up rather late, with Jake and Toni explaining what had happened. Not everything had gone as planned, but then things rarely do, Jake knew. He couldn’t help wondering how the events of the past few days might have been different if Marcus Quinn had not started screwing with him. He guessed, though, that Toni would have probably dragged him into the case anyway. He was a great believer in fate.

  The four of them drove down the mountain to Tirol Genetics, Scala and Jordan in the OSI agents Ford, and Jake and Toni in her Alfa Romeo.

  Otto Bergen ushered them into a conference room adjacent to his office. He looked more relieved than Jake had ever seen him. He must have been under an extreme amount of pressure from Quinn. They took seats around the long wooden table, all but Professor Scala, who was determined to give the presentation he and Leonhard Aldo had planned.

  Scala opened his metal briefcase on the end of the table, withdrew a stack of papers, and began.

  Fifteen minutes later, Bergen sat in astonished wonder. He had known the discovery of the Dolomite Solution would revolutionize the world in which they lived, but the scope of its importance had somehow escaped even his own expectations.

  Jake and Jordan were equally stunned. Toni had this knowing smile on her face, for she had already heard the presentation the afternoon she and Scala had spent at the gasthof in Tulfes.

  When they were done, Bergen told Scala he could stay in his guest house while they worked out the final deal with the Germans. Bergen had called Andreas Kraft the night before to say he would only deal with him personally. Kraft, after hearing what had happened the night before and sounding totally surprised at the actions of his people, agreed to fly down from Frankfurt later that afternoon.

  Bergen had an envelope for Jake, which he handed him prior to his leaving. “I don’t know how to thank you, Jake. I feel somewhat strange. I had initially hired you because Quinn told me to. He wanted you closer. I guess he underestimated you a little bit.”

  Jake felt the thick envelope, peeked inside to see that it was in fact money, and then shook hands with Bergen. “I don’t hold you responsible for all that happened to me. I know that Quinn could be a persuasive guy. While he was in the Air Force, he had blackmailed and manipulated so many people he had it down to a science.”

  “I’m glad that you’ll be staying in Innsbruck,” Bergen said. “I hope you’ll stay in touch. And if you need a reference for your work, please give my name.”

  “Thanks.”

  Toni and Professor Scala hugged and kissed on each cheek and said their goodbyes. Jordan shook
hands with the professor as well.

  “Let’s get together soon for a glass of wine or a beer,” Jake said.

  “I’d like that,” Scala said.

  Jordan, Toni and Jake went out to the parking lot. Jordan had said the night before that he’d leave for Germany as soon as Scala was safely at Tirol Genetics.

  Jake shook the OSI agent’s hand. “Have a good drive.”

  “I will,” Jordan said. “Make sure you look me up when you come to Germany.”

  “I’ll do that. And say hello to Deshia for me. She’s a good person, so treat her right.”

  The major nodded, got into the Ford, and drove off.

  Jake and Toni got into her Alfa Romeo and sat for a moment. He pulled out the money and immediately saw that something wasn’t right. It was Austrian Shillings, but instead of a hundred and forty thousand there was two hundred thousand. Then he found the note which read, “A little extra for the extra effort.”

  “That’s a nice piece of change,” Toni said. “I might have to take you up on that partnership like we discussed.”

  “I wish you would.”

  ●

  Toni drove directly to polizei headquarters. The criminal commissioner’s office was open, and Herr Martini met them both in the center of the room to shake their hands. They all took seats. Martini offered coffee, which they declined.

  “I’ve been trying all night to figure out all that went down last night,” Martini said. “But I still have a few questions.”

  “Shoot,” Jake said.

  “First of all, those two men from Boston. What was their stake in this thing?”

  “I wasn’t sure until I got back to my room last night and we made a few calls. It turns out Gabbiano and Brachi worked for Dominic Varducci, a mob boss from Boston. Varducci had apparently sent them to steal the Dolomite Solution and kill anyone else with firsthand knowledge of the research. They were working with Sappiamo and his partner, who had been working undercover for Interpol in northern Italy. The two of them had been planted with mafia backgrounds that had led to a number of great arrests. But it turns out, after talking with Interpol, that the head office knew nothing about the solution. Sappiamo has been working both sides.”

  “That bastard,” Martini said. “And I let him go.”

  “You had to,” Jake explained. “He is an agent with Interpol. But after what I told one of the assistant directors, I don’t think Sappiamo will last long.”

  Martini turned to Toni. “And how did you get involved with this thing?”

  She shrugged. “The Agency wanted to know more about the solution. So I was sent to check into it. I had been watching Aldo and Scala for weeks.”

  “What about the Germans?” Martini asked.

  “That’s where it gets tricky,” Jake said. “Hahn was working for Kraft, but I’m not sure how much he knew about Hahn’s actions. Hahn hired Wolfgang and Ulrica as muscle, but he also hired Marcus Quinn. Quinn and Allen Murdock had been partners. Murdock was taking money from anyone he could get it from, and Quinn was used as an enforcer and additional manipulator. Which is exactly what Otto Bergen had told you after some time, I understand.”

  “That’s right,” Martini said. “Bergen and I have been friends for years. We do a lot of skiing together. I could tell when he contacted me that something wasn’t right. My hunch was correct.”

  Jake checked his watch. It was nine thirty. “We better get going.” The two of them took turns shaking the criminal commissioner’s hand and then started for the door.

  “I hope things calm down to normal in Innsbruck,” Martini said, hopefully.

  Jake turned. “I told you before that bad shit seems to follow me around.” Now Jake had his hand out. “It would be nice to get my passport back,” Jake said.

  Martini smiled and opened his top desk drawer, where he rummaged through the mess. “It’s here somewhere.”

  Jake pulled his passport from inside his jacket. “You mean this?”

  Martini clenched his jaw. “I see this is going to be an interesting relationship, Jake.”

  “Isn’t that the best kind?” Jake asked as he left the office.

  The two of them went downstairs and sat in Toni’s car for a moment. “What time is your flight?” Toni asked.

  “Who said I was going anywhere?”

  “I heard you on the phone this morning when you thought I was sleeping.”

  “I leave in an hour.”

  She looked away. “Figures. We finally get together and you leave again.”

  “I’ll be back in a few days. Besides, that’s not what’s bothering you.”

  She ran her fingers through her hair. “I haven’t told you everything.” She hesitated for a few seconds, looking at him. “I made copies of everything in Scala’s briefcase. The computer discs, the research papers, the notes. Everything.”

  “That sounds like it was a good idea,” he said.

  “You don’t understand. I was supposed to send all the copies back to the Vienna office.”

  “They wanted to look everything over, I guess.”

  “I meant everything,” she explained. “They wanted everything. Not just a copy. All copies.”

  “What?” Jake yelled.

  She looked away. “I was sent to steal everything. The U.S. government wanted the information.”

  Jake thought about that. “Of course. They didn’t want to use the Dolomite Solution, they wanted it killed. They couldn’t have all those people living that long. Hell the social security system is already taxed to the limit now and nearly bankrupt. Could you imagine all those baby boomers living to ninety?”

  “That’s what I thought,” she said. “I started thinking about all of us. Our entire generation, and those to follow. It was too much for me to take on by myself. Who was I to decide? I think we should take technology as far as we can.”

  Jake gave her a knowing glare. “You didn’t do it, did you?”

  “I couldn’t hand it over,” she said. “I’ve got it saved away in a safe place, just in case someone decides to bomb Tirol Genetics.”

  He smiled at her. “Your station chief is going to chew your ass. Maybe even reprimand you. Hell, I’d fire you.”

  She laughed. “I saved them the pleasure. I quit.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life. I only hope you weren’t kidding about taking me on as your partner. I think I could like living in the Alps.”

  “You wouldn’t miss Rome?”

  “We could always visit.” She stretched over and kissed him. “I think we make a good team.”

  “I agree.” He clasped his hand behind her head and kissed her.

  She smiled at him. “Maybe we could go back and share a shower before your flight.”

  She started the car and drove off toward the gasthof in Hungerburg.

  42

  Surprisingly Jake had managed to sleep for much of the flight from Europe to Boston. Waiting for him at Logan International, was Dominic Varducci, looking like he himself had not slept in days. Varducci was escorted by a humungous guy in a dark suit introduced as his driver, but obviously more than that. After the normal pleasantries, the three of them climbed into a large Cadillac and sped off.

  It was seven in the evening and starting to get dark. Light rain danced across the windshield. The driver headed across town, entering the southbound freeway.

  “How’s my nephew?” Varducci asked Jake.

  “When I visited him prior to leaving he was a few hours out of surgery,” Jake said. “Very talkative. In fact the nurses couldn’t keep his mouth shut.”

  Varducci shook his head. “Stupid bastard. This Marcus Quinn you told me about on the phone...maybe he should have finished the job.” Varducci was in the front passenger seat watching Boston’s downtown pass by to his right. “I didn’t mean that. It’s just that the boy is a few rounds short of a full clip. If you know what I mean.”

 
; “Yeah, he sure didn’t take much time to piss off Quinn,” Jake said.

  “What do you suppose the Austrians will do to him and Brachi?” Varducci asked, turning to see Jake directly.

  Jake shrugged. “A polizei friend told me they’d both be charged with murdering that German woman with the fire bomb. On a positive note, Austria doesn’t have the death penalty. And their jails are much nicer than anything in America. They’ll probably learn a few languages while there.”

  “Hell of a consolation,” Varducci said with a laugh. “This Quinn fucker. You say you want to deal with him. I understand when things get personal. But he did shoot my flesh and blood, so I guess that makes it personal for me also. What do you have in mind?”

  That’s what Jake had been thinking about since he left Austria. Problem was, he still wasn’t sure. He only knew that he had to deal with him. He could have simply called ahead and had the Agency waiting for him when his plane landed a few hours ago, but that wasn’t how Jake operated. “If we had let the U.S. government pick him up, we’d never learn for sure what Quinn’s involvement had been with Providence Industries. Since you have a stake in that company now, I think you must want to know that as well.”

  “Damn right,” Varducci said. “Otherwise I would have picked the bastard up myself and rung his fuckin’ neck with my bare hands.”

  “Did your men follow him without a problem?”

  “Yeah, and as you thought he’d do, he went directly to Andrew Talbot’s place on Narragansett Bay. I have two men standing by right now out on the road. Quinn has been there for about an hour now. It looks like you were right about him working for Talbot. Give it a little more gas there, Poco.”

  The car lurched forward with the sound of the engine powering up.

  An hour later they were winding along the narrow road leading to Talbot’s estate. It was completely dark now, and the rain that had been light in Boston was coming down hard now. They pulled up behind a Ford Taurus and shut down the engine and lights. A man in his mid twenties got out of the driver’s side of the Ford and walked up to Varducci’s open window.