Nemesis: Innocence Sold

by Ross, Stefanie

  “I didn’t even know we had plans.”

  Daniel bent his head forward and kissed her. Before she could nestle against him, he drew back. “That would have been my first choice, but to make it happen I’d have had to shoot Tom and your brother first. So we’ll go to plan B. It’d be best if you hurried. There’s coffee in the kitchen. The sooner we get going, the better.”

  Plan A would have appealed to Sandra, but she put her faith in plan B being equally seductive. Unfortunately, she knew Daniel’s grin too well already. He enjoyed keeping her in suspense, but she could live with that.

  Forty-five minutes later, Sandra looked with disbelief at the speedboat rocking in the gentle waves of the Travemünde harbor. “Don’t tell me that’s yours.”

  “It is. I admit it. Do you want to keep staring at it, or are you going to get on board?”

  Daniel sprang lightly onto the bow and held out a hand to her. Sandra landed much less elegantly beside him and gratefully reached for his hand. He pointed to something that looked like a round pane of milky glass in the floor. “Down there’s the cabin, which sleeps four, and washing and cooking facilities. How about a little joyride?”

  Sandra cautiously climbed from the bow to the helmstand. With growing excitement, she surveyed the cockpit, which reminded her of an airplane. “Are you sure this thing floats? It looks like it could fly across the water.”

  “You’re pretty much right about that. This is a 315 CCR Crownline speedboat.”

  Men! Sandra rolled her eyes. “Great, then I know everything I need to know. Why’s everything open—aren’t you afraid someone will steal it?”

  “I’m paying more than enough for the berth; the least they can do is get the lady ready to take out for me once in a while.”

  Curious, Sandra opened the hatch that led to the interior and whistled enthusiastically. “A microwave, a refrigerator, and a TV? Fantastic. But what are you waiting for? Tell me what to do, and we’ll cast off.”

  Daniel followed her and put an arm around her shoulder with surprising seriousness. “That’s what I love so much about you. That enthusiasm and always being eager to help.”

  She nestled close to him and grinned. “You mean I should lie down in the front there like a decoration and let you do everything? Or there?” She indicated the padded bench in the stern, which seemed as comfortable as the armchairs in the cockpit.

  “If so, then only with me,” he said, winking. “If you’re cold, you can find a sweater that fits you below.” He immediately interpreted her furrowed brow correctly. “You’re the first woman I’ve brought on board. I mean, for my own sake.”

  “Does this boat belong to the team?”

  “No, but I don’t mind letting friends use it when I don’t have time. Can you cast off without falling in the water?”

  “Sure.” Without difficulty, she stepped ashore again and carried out the task. “And now?”

  “Come back over here; I’ll take care of reversing out. Do you think I’d leave that to a woman? My little lady’s sensitive.”

  He laughed and avoided her jab and started the engine. The motor awoke with a gentle purr. Daniel steered them into the harbor without incident and laughed when Sandra distrustfully kept an eye on a large Scandinavian ferry. “Don’t be afraid. We’re not going to harm them, and they’re not going to harm us. After all, we’re off work now, and we’re going to enjoy every minute. Agreed? Forget Paulsen and his dirty deals for a little while. Tonight Tom and I are going to pay a visit to his property, and then we’ll see.”

  Sandra nodded. But it wasn’t until they had left the harbor behind and Daniel accelerated with obvious pleasure that all thoughts of her job disappeared. She enjoyed the warm sunshine and fast ride across the waves. The cockpit windshield protected them from the cool wind created by their passage, and everything was perfect. Like Daniel, she spurned the armchairs, standing wide legged, and enjoyed the speed and the struggle to stay balanced. It wasn’t long before Daniel’s arm was around her waist, and she let herself be drawn closer to him. “This is great,” she said.

  “That’s what I think, too. Look over there. I’ll take us closer.”

  When Daniel had brought the boat around in a wide curve, a bluff lay directly in front of them. The sun conjured up different colors, from brown to red, on the face of the bluff, and the cliff above the beach and the fallen trees created an idyllic but strangely raw, almost dangerous, picture. Daniel stopped the boat and grinned with satisfaction. “I thought you’d like this. When it’s warmer, you can drop anchor near the beach and grill.”

  The thought appealed to Sandra. She almost nodded, but then it was as if she had awakened from a dream. A few days ago no one had taken her suspicions seriously, and now she was working with absolute pros, and instead of lonely nights in front of the television, she suddenly had a boyfriend with a fascinating but also extremely dangerous job. On top of that, he appeared to have more money than she would ever be able to earn. “If I’ve understood it correctly, the duplex belongs to you? And then this. A Navy officer doesn’t make quite that much money, does he? Why are you doing all this? And why with me?” When she noticed how aggressive she sounded, she spread her hands helplessly and retreated.

  He looked at her with an impenetrable expression; then he backed up the boat slowly. “That’s two points at once. Let’s start with the last one. Why not with you? Haven’t you come to understand how much you mean to me in the last few days? If you want a scientific explanation for that, I have to pass. It’s really time you buried your self-doubt. How do you think you got the job working for Stephan? Why do you think Dirk and Sven immediately took your theory seriously? Is it the fault of your asshole of an ex-boss that you don’t have any self-confidence? Or what? Wake up, Sandy. And now hold on, because I’m damned angry, and I’m not going to continue this conversation before I’ve calmed down.”

  As the boat accelerated and the bow rose out of the water, Sandra held on to the cockpit windshield. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Daniel’s unapproachable expression, and although she should have been thinking about how she would react to his criticism, she enjoyed the view instead. His blond hair was blown back by the wind. The blue eyes in his tanned face blazed with anger, yet he was casual and in complete control as he navigated the boat across the Baltic Sea. She must be insane not to enjoy every minute with him. She understood the meaning of his words and laughed. That had been damned close to a declaration of love. What more did she want? Not ten minutes later, Daniel ended his high-speed run and steered slowly toward a harbor.

  “Niendorf. I’m hungry,” he said without looking at her.

  Without her help, he moored the boat at a jetty and looked at her with his head tilted. “Have you thought about what I said?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Do you trust me enough to let me decide our brunch plans?”

  After she had nodded, he effortlessly sprang ashore and hurried to a building at the end of the mole. It wasn’t until he was out of sight that she let herself sink into one of the comfortable armchairs with a sigh. She didn’t have the slightest clue as to what was awaiting her, and her experience in dealing with offended men was limited to her brother, with whom she often made up easily. “Damn!” She struck the armrest with the flat of her hand. Other than a burning sensation, she got nothing out of this.

  Daniel returned, threw a paper bag on the bench in the back, and cast off. It wasn’t until the coast was only a distant line on the horizon that he cut the engine and let the boat rock on the gentle waves.

  “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean it the way it sounded, and I didn’t want to interrogate you. I don’t care whether you have money or not,” Sandra said.

  “That’s not the point. Of course you have the right to ask me anything you want. Well, not about our missions and that stuff, but otherwise I have no secrets. I don’t understand why you constantly cast doubt on your abilities. And as if that weren’t enough you also cast doubt on wha
t there is between us. Damn it, Sandra, even Stephan and Mark immediately realized what you mean to me. Why do you think I wanted to spend my vacation working for the LKA? Because of you and only you. I could have helped Dirk unofficially.” He leaned forward and kissed her until she forgot what she had wanted to say. “Convinced?” he finally asked.

  “Are you going to continue if I say no?”

  His deep laugh made her beam. “Try it. What would you think about a picnic on the high seas?”

  “Good idea. The Baltic makes me hungry somehow, and if I can’t have you I’ll take whatever you’ve bought.”

  “Wait till it gets warmer; then we’ll go up to Denmark and sleep on board. And now”—he reached over her shoulder and grabbed the white bag—“you’re going to get to know the best fish balls on the Baltic Sea. There’s beer, too. For you, with, for me, unfortunately, without alcohol.”

  Astonished, Sandra noticed it was already after twelve. The time had flown by. Grinning, she took the beer. “Tough luck you can’t drink alcohol at the helm, huh, Captain?”

  “Wait until you’ve gotten your boat license; then we’ll take turns.”

  “How did you know I was thinking about that?”

  “It was written on your face. Anyway, it’s no problem. You’ll learn the practical side with me, and the theory won’t take long. I’ll watch DVDs while you deal with knots and right-of-way rules. I like that.”

  Sandra crumpled the paper that came with her roll and threw it in his direction, hitting his shoulder. “Damn. It’d be better if you said nothing and drank your brew.”

  “Ungrateful beast. Anyway, German alcohol-free beer is still a lot better than what passes for beer in the States. How do you like your roll?”

  “It’s great. How many did you buy?”

  “Enough. And? Have you put away your self-doubt for the time being?”

  Sandra nodded with her mouth full, still feeling silly.

  “Good. Until we’d completed school, my sister and I had to work for everything we wanted to have beyond the basics. Other than a normal allowance, we received no financial support. You can’t imagine all the side jobs I had or how often I fiddled with the motor in my old Ford so it’d run the next day. After we finished school, our inheritance from our grandmother was paid out to us. Enough that we no longer had to work, but not working didn’t occur to us. But it was possible for us to make our lives somewhat more comfortable. For example, by buying something like this boat. And the duplex in Ahrensburg belonged to a construction company that went bankrupt. Dirk came up with a nice idea that pays off. The neighboring house is rented out to a family, with three children, who pays considerably less rent than the average in Ahrensburg. But before you consider me just a benefactor, I save taxes, and the bottom line is I get reasonable interest on the capital I’ve invested instead of paying rent myself. Do you want to know anything else? Because I have a question of my own: Can’t you move into my place? There’d be enough room, and I’d like coming home to you.”

  She liked the idea and was aware of the insecurity with which he waited for her answer. She still remembered how he had mentioned how difficult it was for the SEALs to develop lasting friendships outside the team, and she realized that despite his friends and his ability to enjoy every minute, he was sometimes just as lonely as she was. “You mean when I’m not out myself . . . ,” Sandra said before she nodded and became serious. “Sounds good, but we still need to work some things out. I cannot live on your dime.”

  His grin, which she loved so much, flashed. “I thought that was coming, but we’ll come up with something. Do you want the last roll?”

  “You better believe it; that’d be your fourth, but only my second. You can turn around and buy yourself another one.”

  On the way back to the Travemünde harbor, Sandra told Daniel about the moment when she had admired his laugh in Stephan’s photo. “Perhaps I fell in love with you then.”

  “Doubtful; in that case you wouldn’t have forced that spinach pizza on me.”

  “I guess you’ll never forgive me for that, will you?”

  “Ask me in fifty years. Would you jump over and secure her?”

  Sandra was already about to climb onto the bow again when Daniel whistled quietly. Alarmed, she turned around. “There comes help. Just throw him the line.”

  Him? Puzzled, Sandra looked along the wooden walkway until she noticed a brown-haired man coming toward her with a smile. “Where did he come from all of a sudden?”

  “Ask him. I’d be interested in the answer, too,” Daniel said, nodding to their unexpected helper.

  The man was already close enough to the boat that he had caught the exchange of words. Although he continued to smile, his eyes remained serious. “I was standing back there by the truck with the fish rolls, waiting for Anna and Lena, when I saw you. But if you want to know why I’m here, I have to pass,” he said while he tied the line to the bollard. He held out a hand to Sandra, which she gratefully took; swaying, she fought to keep her balance on the wooden walkway.

  “You mean it’s not a coincidence we met here?” Daniel asked.

  “We’ll know that soon enough. But I fear Anna’s behind it. I don’t believe she just suddenly felt like an excursion to the Baltic. Excuse my manners—you must be Sandra. Andreas Pohl, but Andi’s fine,” he said.

  “And where’s your family?” asked Daniel.

  “My daughter couldn’t go a second longer without ice cream. She should be back soon.”

  “Good, then—” Daniel broke off and took his cell phone from his jacket. After looking at the display, he scowled. “Great. Our plans have just changed, Sandy. We have to return to Ahrensburg sooner than planned. Mark’s moved the mission up two hours. Instead of leaving the matter to Tom and me, he’s probably going to have us stepping on each other’s toes. Dirk, Sven, and Stephan are also in.”

  Surprised that he was speaking so openly about their plans and his team, Sandra looked more closely at Andi. She could exclude the possibility that he was a policeman; if he were, she would probably have heard his name. There was, then, only one possible conclusion. “You’re apparently somehow part of this, too, right? MCB? I mean, the Military Commando Branch?”

  Andi struggled. “Thank you, Sandra, but I know what the abbreviation stands for.”

  “Well, I could have meant the Münster Community Bank,” Sandra said.

  “Good comeback,” said Daniel. “We’ve often considered whether Andi wouldn’t fit in better there.”

  “And I know a SEAL who’s going to end up in the water soon if he doesn’t watch out,” Andi joked.

  Daniel again became serious. “Anna’s over there, on her way. I’m looking forward to the answer, although at this point I have an idea of what it means.”

  “Alex?” Andi asked without taking his eyes off a woman and a girl who were hurrying toward them.

  “Guaranteed,” Daniel said.

  “What do you mean?” Sandra asked, but she got no answer because the woman and the girl had reached them. To her surprise, the girl launched herself at Daniel with enthusiasm, while the woman examined Sandra with great curiosity before she extended her hand.

  “That was lucky; I was already thinking either we’d missed each other or we’d have to wait forever for you. Anna Pohl. I know most of what there is to know about Paulsen already, and after having done some research I think you’re correct in your suspicion. He has unending influence, but oddly enough no real friends. That’s what I hear, anyway. I bet his entire network is based on blackmail. That doesn’t matter now, anyway, but I definitely need a few more details in order to make the story airtight. Would it be convenient for you if I visited you at police headquarters tomorrow morning around eleven? If you haven’t made progress by midday on Wednesday, I’ll prepare a story on Thursday that will explode on the weekend. The guy’s finished, I promise you that.”

  “Nice to see you, too, Anna,” Daniel joked. “May I ask how you’re so well i
nformed? Alex?”

  “You don’t seriously think I’m going to reveal my sources, do you?”

  The two stared at each other until Andi shook his head. “I don’t think we need to discuss this here and now. It’s fine with me if you meet tomorrow, but nothing’s going to get printed without Daniel or Sven’s approval. Is that clear?”

  Sandra and Anna moved closer together and exchanged looks that contained not only anger at the tone of voice but also an unspoken agreement. But Andi wasn’t finished. “And next time please refrain from setting up silly coincidental meetings like this. Wouldn’t it have been enough to have called Sandra? And anyway, do you women think this is some kind of game? You don’t seem to have the slightest idea who you’re taking on here.”

  With a jerking motion, Anna threw back her shoulder-length curls. “Great suggestion: I introduce myself as a journalist on the phone and am sure to get all my questions answered. I should have thought of that myself. I was curious and wanted to get to know Sandra personally. Furthermore, I know exactly with whom I’m dealing; however, I’m surprised you’re so well informed.”

  “So am I,” Daniel said, but his expression contained only mild curiosity; then he answered the question for himself. “I assume my partner’s kept you up to date.”

  “Yes. We went jogging this morning. If you need help, call me. Mike will be there tonight, too.”

  “Mike? Probably another guy from the community bank, right?” Sandra said with an innocent smile.

  Although Daniel spoke openly with Sandra about the friendship between Tom and the German officer—not keeping it a secret that they were neighbors, as it were—at the Rostock base, Sandra seemed oddly absent. Shortly before they reached his house, he gave up. “What is it?” he asked.

  “Andi was all right, really, but in the beginning I thought we’d landed in the Middle Ages. He can’t seriously dictate to Anna who she’s going to talk with or what she’s going to write.”