The Lucy Ghosts

Their suite, on the fourth floor, overlooked the Elbe, a similar view to that enjoyed by Grob Mitzer when he had last met Frick on New Year's Day.

'Welcome to civilisation,' Adam said as Billie unpacked. 'They've actually got room service here. Want something?'

'Anything. I'm starved.'

He ordered eggs Benedict and a steak sandwich for both of them, then went to the mini bar and poured an Evian water for himself and a diet Coke for Billie.

The room service waiter appeared with their order twenty minutes later and prepared the table in the sitting room.

'You speak English?' asked Adam from the settee as he watched the waiter. He decided to continue the charade of not speaking German.

'Little,' replied the waiter, laying the table out.

'You live in Dresden?'

'Ja. Here. Me, in Dresden.'

'Is nice,' said Adam, lapsing into broken English like foreigners tend to do in a strange land. He found himself talking in the same broken English as the man he was trying to communicate with. 'You know the Heidi?'

'Vas is?'

'Heidi. Place. Dresden.'

'Ja. Zis Dresden.'

'The Heidi. You know… the Heidi'

The waiter shrugged and concentrated on his task.

'Dresden,' continued Adam.

'Ja. Zis Dresden. You…' the German pointed at Adam. '…Dresden. Here.'

'I know where I am.'

'Pliz.'

'I know…Where is the Heidi?' He accentuated the last word heavily.

The waiter shrugged, smiled. 'Food. Is goot.' He finished his task, then held out his hand. Adam slipped him a five mark coin and he left, full of smiles and goodwill.

'Impressed,' said Billie. 'You're very good.'

'Shut up and eat,' he replied, a big grin spreading on his face.

Meanwhile, the waiter went straight to the staff rest area and, using a coin phone, dialed his contact. He was meant to pass on any unusual information. By the time Adam and Billie were drinking their coffees, the contact had interrupted Kragan at a training meeting and told him of the two foreigners in the Belleview hotel who were inquiring about the Dresden Heidi.

'I'm tired.' Billie yawned and stretched. 'We've had no sleep, you know?'

'I know.'

'You're eyes are red.'

'I've been driving a lot.'

'No way you're going to be fresh…unless you get some rest.'

'Billie. Will you stop it?'

'No.' She came over and put her arms round him, knelt in front of him and buried her head in his shoulder. He returned the embrace and they relaxed for a while in the comfort and safety of each other.

'This is why I didn't want to bring you,' he said finally.

She leant back and looked up at him. 'You don't mean that.'

'I do. I need to…to be myself. Out of touch with people. No emotions. Can't afford them.'

'Too late now, tough guy.'

'I know.' He knew she didn't understand his dilemma. She made him vulnerable. Danger, and the possibility of death, had never worried him before. That's why he had always won. Because he went further than most into that unimaginable world of extreme pain and violence. But now she made him like others. Now he could be hurt, because he didn't want to lose her. He suddenly thought of Marcus. Would he be there when he needed him, out there in the unknown? Then he pushed everything from his mind as she touched him between his legs.

'Can't help myself,' she whispered. 'Never felt like this before. Never this alive.'

He knew what she meant.

They hung the 'Do not disturb' sign on the door.

* * *

Billie went into the small shop next to reception while Adam, the brown holdall over his shoulder, asked the concierge for a map of the city and surrounding areas.

'Ah so! A Falkplan you need,' said the concierge, reaching behind and taking a map out of the rack behind him with a 5 DM price tag pin on it. 'Bill it to your room, sir?'

'Please,' answered Adam, taking the map with one hand and showing his room number on the key tag with the other. As the concierge filled the bill out on the computer, Adam opened the brightly coloured map and spread it on the counter,

'You are looking for something?' asked the concierge.

'We wanted to visit some sights while we're here.'

'The main tourist visiting is over the river. The Zwinger and the Cathedral.'

'I saw them from my window. We'll go across there later.'

'Is very good.'

'A friend of mine was here last year. He said something about the Heidi. You know that?'

'Dresdener Heidi. Yes, of course.'

'Where is it?'

'To the north. But it's no good.'

'Show me,' said Adam, pushing the Falkplan forward. 'I would like to see it.'

The concierge shrugged, opened the map and pointed at a large open space to the north of the city. 'This is the Heidi.'

'A park?' queried a bewildered Adam.

'Ja. Also where the Russian camp was.'

'Russian…Their military base?'

'Ja. For the soldiers.'

'All of it?'

'Much. Ja.'

'Thank you.'

'Is not good. Just buildings. For soldiers.'

'Are the Russians still there?'

'No. Gone back to Russia. Now it is empty. To knock down and build something new.'

Adam joined Billie in the small shop in the lobby where she was browsing through some silk scarves.

'Like this?' she asked, holding up a bright yellow and black creation.

'Nice. I've found the Heidi.'

'Good. Where?' She walked towards the counter to purchase the scarf. Adam followed her.

'North part of the city. It's a park. It was a Russian military camp when they were here.'

'Russians?' she stopped as she spoke.

'That's right,' said Adam, taking the scarf from her and handing it to the girl behind the counter. 'On my room, please. Four two six.' He showed the girl his registration card. 'Do you want it wrapped?' he asked Billie.

Behind them a bellboy walked in, a pile of newspapers under his arm. The girl tapped Adam's room number into the computer and waited for it to print out the bill.

Billie shook her head and he took the scarf and handed it to her. 'It's empty now; the Russians aren't there any more.'

'Are we going…?'

'How did you guess?'

The bellboy dumped the papers on the counter, gave the counter girl a big flirtatious smile, winked and left the shop. The computer started to print out the bill as Adam looked at the picture on the front page of the newspaper. It was a three column shot of Albert Goodenache.

He picked up the folded over paper, flicked it so he could scan the lower half of the broadsheet. His own face and Billie's stared back at him. He turned the paper over and put it back on the top of the pile.

The girl held out the bill for him. Billie had started to look through the English speaking magazines on the rack.

'Time to go,' he said as she pulled out Newsweek from the others.

'I want this.'

'Now.' She sensed his urgency and looked towards him. He nodded. She put the magazine back and followed him out of the shop. He didn't wait for her. The Audi Quattro was parked at the far end of the small, packed car park.

'What's happened?' she asked as she caught him up.

'Our pictures are in the papers.'

'Oh no!'

'Our people will have released them. It's the only way the press could've got them.'

'So everybody's after us.'

'Looks like it.' He unlocked the car and they climbed in, Adam throwing his bag into the back.

'Why not contact them? Tell them what we know.'