“Isabella confirmed that an American calling himself Agent Nelson rescued her after the thugs left her for dead. I think we should meet him — somewhere public that he can’t grab you and stuff you in the back of an unmarked van. I know a good place; it’s called the Hotel Sacher. It’s a popular tourist attraction, well lit, and crowded. Most importantly, the hotel has security.”
“How far away is it?”
“Walking distance. It’s near the Vienna State Opera House.”
“Julie, I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to meet him together.”
“Why not?”
“If it’s a trap, they can grab both of us. We need to split up. If something happens to me, you can call the Austrian police. I need you as my backup.”
“All right. I’ll watch you from across the street at the State Opera. It sits on the corner of Kärntner Strasse and Philharmoniker Strasse.”
“Where should we meet if I’m forced to ditch?”
“Stephansdom Cathedral. It’s the most famous and crowded church in Vienna; we’ll be safe there.” She powered on her computer and using Google Maps, showed him a bird’s eye view of the streets around Hotel Sacher and Stephansdom.
“Okay. Sounds like a reasonable plan,” Will said, feigning confidence. His mind drifted back to the taser match in the middle of Wenceslas Square in Prague. Nobody in the crowd had intervened to help him there. Why would this be any different if things went south?
Although he acquiesced, she could see he was riddled with doubt. “I have an idea. Why don’t I meet Agent Nelson instead of you?” she suggested. “It keeps you safe and your location secret. I’ll go to the meeting alone, ask questions, and report back to you here.”
“Absolutely not. No way.”
“Why not? Give me one good reason?”
“First, it puts you in danger. And second, this is my fight, not yours,” Will barked.
Julie’s faced turned red. “Oh really! So all this time, everything that’s happened since I picked you up in Prague hasn’t put me in danger? Really. Interesting, because I seem to recall you telling me repeatedly that I’m in danger as long as I’m with you. And since when did this become your fight? I thought we were in this together?”
“You’re twisting things. That’s not what I meant.”
“Oh? That’s what it sounded like to me. Why don’t you tell me, Will. What did you mean?” She crossed her arms and stared at him.
He gently set his hands on her shoulders.
“Julie, listen to me. I’m sorry. That came out completely wrong. What I meant to say was that I appreciate your offer. It is very brave of you to want to protect me and to risk yourself for me, but this is something that I need to do.”
She glared at him. He pulled her to his chest until he felt her relax in his arms. “Okay. What time do you want me to tell him?” she mumbled, her face buried in his shirt.
Café Sacher.
7:30 pm
VanCleave’s phone buzzed. “He agreed to meet,” he announced. “1930 at the Café Sacher.”
“Game on,” Kalen said and started moving toward the door. “I need to scout the location. C’mon VanCleave, I need your help, and we don’t have much time.”
“Give me ten seconds; I’m just sending him an acknowledgement,” VanCleave replied. Then, chasing after Kalen, he added, “I’m taking the BMW, Immel. You’re insane if you think I’m riding bitch on the back of your damn motorcycle.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
“I still don’t see why I have to play Agent Nelson,” AJ protested. “Because VanCleave will be providing tactical direction from the bird’s eye position, I’ll be providing emergency egress, and Foster knows Agent Nelson is a dude because I was the one who rescued the roommate at Ponte’s apartment,” Kalen said.
“I’m not trained for this shit like you guys are. I’m a lab geek. Not a field operative. You’re crazy if you think I’ll be able to pull this off.”
“That didn’t seem to stop you at Chiarek Norse. You were a pro.”
“Beginner’s luck,” AJ whined.
“Enough. You can and you will do this. End of discussion,” Kalen said, sternly.
AJ looked at Albane, protesting, but she shook her head. The decision was final.
Kalen made a “gather round” gesture to the group with his hands and outlined the plan. “In all likelihood, Foster won’t approach until he sees our agent first. AJ, you should be seated with your back to the exterior hotel wall so you have good visibility and Foster can see you. We’ll text Foster that you’ll be wearing a black sport jacket with a blue pocket square. Make sure, AJ, that you maintain a clear line of sight with me at all times. I’ll be idling with the Ducati a half block away, ready to jump in, if the situation warrants.”
“What do I do if Ponte is with him?”
“Unless she crashes the party with a police escort, I don’t see her being a factor.”
“What if the goons from Ponte’s apartment show up?”
“If anything goes awry, anything at all, I can extract you within seconds. I’ll be on the Ducati, twenty-five yards away from your position with a clear line of sight. My visor will be up, and I’ll be pretending to flirt with Albane and showing off my bike like the testosterone-charged egomaniac that I am. You can signal me covertly by standing and saying ‘This meeting is over’ emphatically, or by saying the code words ‘Echo November.’
C. Remy will be the Coordinator for the op. We’ll be on open mikes. If we split up, rendezvous back here. The most important thing to remember is that if you can’t convince Foster to come with you willingly, then it is imperative that you mark him so we can track him. I will consider this meeting is a success even if the only thing you accomplish is tagging Foster,” Kalen said.
“The primary method for tagging Foster is to get him to accept this bug that looks like a USB memory stick. The bug is equipped with a thirty-day battery, microphone, and GPS transponder. I’ve loaded it with a subset of Foster’s medical files from Chiarek Norse. If he checks them, he’ll know we’re telling him the truth,” VanCleave explained. “As long as Foster has the USB key in his possession, we can track his movements.”
“What if he plugs it into a computer, but ditches it after he downloads the files?”
“The USB key is also equipped with a virus. If Foster plugs it into any computer with Internet access, I will be notified instantly, and bingo, we have his location.”
“What’s the backup tagging method?” AJ asked.
“The back up tagging method is for you to touch Foster’s shoe or pant leg with the tip of your shoe. I’ve applied a radioisotope marker to the toe of your right shoe. If you graze him, it will rub off and I can track him,” VanCleave said.
“What if I actually convince Foster to come with me? What then?” asked AJ.
“That’s the goal, AJ. The driver will pick you up in the Seven series and bring you both back to the nest.”
“Okay, so what do we do once we get this guy?”
“Silly boy… we interrogate him,” Kalen laughed.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
K. Immel—RS: Physicaclass="underline" “They’re here. Standing behind the corner arch support of the State Opera. Technical, can you see them from your position in the hotel room?”