The entrance to the Spa on the outskirts of Bad Honnef was covered with wilted ivy and vines that stretched all the way across the brown brick front of the castle-like building. Even in the darkness, with only a dim lantern flickering shadows across the wall, Jake could imagine how beautiful it would look once the plush green leaves adorned it. He entered through the three inch thick carved wood door and walked through a medieval foyer with suits of armor and weaponry authentically placed. Inside was a natural atrium that at one time must have been open to the elements, but was now covered with a glass dome. Live trees and water fountains made the large area seem like full summer. Tables were spaced at great distances to allow discreet conversations. Herb had told Jake that couples who were having affairs often came here.
Jake took a table near a fountain and ordered a beer. It had been a long day, and the most productive since Jake and Herb had become partners. He hoped that things were finally coming together.
Herb showed up just as Jake's second beer arrived. He sat down and took a long drink on the mug of beer. "Thanks Jake, you timed that just right," Herb said.
"You know Herb, in the old West I could have shot you for taking my beer?"
"I know. I've seen all the Clint Eastwood movies," Herb said, and then took another gulp.
"I have something interesting that happened today." Jake paused for a moment somewhat reluctant to tell everything. It wasn't that he didn't trust Herb, it's just that he hadn't told his client everything either. In fact, he hadn't even spoken to Milt Swenson for days.
"Well?" Herb asked. "Will you tell me before I die of old age?"
"Just drink my beer," Jake said smiling. "Okay…while I was following Gunter and his buddies around today, I recognized some people from my not so distant past. Gunter stopped for lunch at his normal Gasthaus at the normal time…he seems impervious. Anyway, I just sunk my teeth into a bratwurst and I noticed a brown Mercedes pull up across the street. Inside were two guys who looked Russian and could have been twins. I know those guys."
Jake motioned for the Fraulein to get him and Herb another beer. She nodded her head.
"Anyone I know?" Herb asked.
"I'm not sure if you've run across these guys. They're not Russians; they're Hungarians."
Herb emptied the last sip of beer from his mug. "No! How'd you run across them before?"
"Oh, they set up a minor spy ring a few years back," Jake said. "They coerced an Army and Air Force linguist to turn over some classified documents. It all started out innocently. The Americans were at a Frankfurt club and were asked to a German party. There were a few gorgeous blonde Frauleins that decided they wanted to be with them that night. Well, one thing led to another and it turned into an orgy with all four of them in one huge bed. The girls, or course, were very persuasive. After a number of nights of crazy sex, the girls convinced the guys to do certain things to each other. And, as you might have already guessed, all of the sessions were taped."
"I didn't hear about that case," Herb said.
"The Americans minimized the impact and shipped the two guys back to the States for prosecution. I'm sure their talents are not being wasted in Leavenworth."
"So, how were the Hungarians involved?"
"They set up the whole scam. The girls were actually Swedish, so you can understand the temptation. Really they didn't get much from our guys. Just a little operational knowledge that we quickly changed."
"So why are they checking into Gunter Schecht?" Herb asked.
"That's the puzzling thing. I just sat there eating my brat trying to figure that out. It could be a number of reasons. They could be trying to get a hold of some of Bundenbach technology. But they should know Gunter from his days with German Intelligence. And of course that could be a link. Maybe the Hungarian twins think that Gunter is still with German Intelligence and feel that anything that he's interested in must be important. I'm just not sure, though."
The Fraulein set down the two frothy mugs of beer and left quickly without the normal pause that American waitresses make in anticipation of a tip.
"Do you think that maybe the Hungarians are looking for work?" Herb asked.
"No! They were checking out Gunter from a distance just like I was. One of them got out of the car and went into the bakery for a few Brotchen and coffee, but he never ventured far and always kept an eye on his partner in case he needed to move out quickly. I've had some time to think about those guys, though, and something is different about them. I can't think of what. I thought it might be the car. But the Hungarians have used Mercedes in the past, so it can't be that. I don't know what it is, but it's bugging me."
"Maybe their clothes. What were they wearing?" Herb asked.
"Pretty standard off the rack German clothes. Last year's contemporary. Green plaid pleated pants. One wore a mustard colored shirt with a thin black tie, and the other wore a magenta shirt with what looked like a thin green tie. Nothing really out of the ordinary."
Jake sat back in his chair and looked at his mug of beer in front of him. What in the Hell was different about those guys? Their brow ridges still made them look like Neanderthal Man. Their shoes? No! Jackets? They weren't wearing jackets.
"That's it!" Jake said. "They weren't wearing jackets."
"So? How is that important?" Herb asked.
"It was only about thirty-two degrees, that's zero celsius. Even that isn't overly strange for those guys. But what might be strange, is that these guys have never gone anywhere without their Glock 19s. Their 9mm's are like a baby's pacifier. If they don't have them, they cry all the way to the Frankfurt Consulate. I don't know how they could have hidden those guns without their standard issue brown leather jackets."
Herb took another sip of beer, and then glanced at Jake. "I still don't understand how that's important."
"Okay…you said that Charlie Johnson was doubling back on Gunter and Bundenbach Electronics. Well, just maybe Johnson was selling out to the Hungarian twins. Gunter finds out that Johnson is working both sides of the track, and cracks open Johnson's retirement nest egg."
"But why not kill off the Hungarians instead?" Herb asked. "I mean, then he could still have Johnson supplying him with Teredata's computer technology."
"That's true. But maybe Bundenbach had all they needed from Teredata and just wanted to cut off the supply to a competitor and cover up all the loose ends at the same time."
Jake could see on Herb's face that this was beginning to make sense, but surmised that there were also loose ends in Jake's reasoning.
"But why is not having their guns significant?" Herb asked.
"I don't know for sure. But I'm guessing that the Hungarian twins are no longer sanctioned by the Hungarian government. Therefore, they'd have a tough time bringing guns into Germany. As you know, the airlines have really tightened security since the bombings, and they probably didn't drive. Their car was a rental. The borders are also tightening up with the swarm of immigrants into Germany. The border guards must be going nuts, but I'm sure they are more thorough now than they have been in years. So I think that the Hungarian twins are either freelancing or working for some other government or company."
"They might have wanted someone to think they weren't armed," Herb said.
Jake sipped his beer. "True! But habits are hard to break. It's sort of like buckling your seat belt. You don't realize you're doing it."
Johnson's death was finally starting to make more sense. But what goals were Gunter and Bundenbach trying to accomplish? Why did they want the Teredata technology? Jake knew he'd find out with time.