They sat for several moments, not speaking. Teren sipped her coffee, her gaze steady on Meinhard. He looked only at his plate.
Alex glanced at her friend, trying to get Teren to look at her, but the dark agent just continued to glare at the man between them.
Finally, Meinhard sighed and nodded. “Na gut. Ich werde sehen, was sich machen la?t.”
Teren reached into her side pocket and pulled out a billfold. Speaking in English she said, “Thank you for joining us, Herr Meinhard. Would you care to have lunch tomorrow?”
Meinhard appeared taken aback for a moment, but recovered. “I’m not sure —”
Teren raised an eyebrow, menacingly. Alex decided to step in. “Please, Mr. Meinhard. We’re not going to be in Zurich for that long, and I would really like to sample more of the local cuisine.”
The man glanced at the fair haired woman, and then back at her darker companion. He nodded.
“Oh, great. Is there a special place you could recommend?”
After a moment, Meinhard turned to Alex. “There is a small lunch cafe called Cafe Strieker. They have a wonderful Rueblikuchen.”
“That sounds great.” She looked up at Teren, careful not to say her name. “Is this alright with you?”
“Fine. Herr Meinhard, I insist on paying for dinner.” She slid a bunch of folded bills into the man’s hand.
“It is not necess —” Meinhard broke off as he felt the folded piece of paper hidden within the stack. “It is not necessary, but if you insist.”
“Will you take care of things for us, Herr Meinhard? I would like to finish my coffee.” Teren lifted her cup.
Meinhard nodded. “Of course.” He slipped the note into his vest pocket. “Will you have any problem finding the cafe tomorrow?”
“No, I don’t believe so. Shall we say one o’clock?”
Another nod. “That would be fine.” He stood, then bowed to Alex. “Ms. Reed, a good night to you. I hope you enjoy your stay in Zurich.”
Alex smiled, offering her hand. “Thank you, Mr. Meinhard. I’m already enjoying your fine city.”
Meinhard gently shook her hand, then turned to Teren. “Ms. Olind. I will see you tomorrow.”
She nodded. “You will indeed.” She watched Meinhard leave the restaurant.
Chapter Twenty-five
There was little conversation in the car on the way back to the hotel. Teren seemed very tense, and Alex debated with herself whether or not to confront the older agent.
She had known that Teren could be intimidating. David had been downright scared of the assassin at first. But after spending such a large amount of time with the woman over the last few days, Alex had forgotten just how dark and deadly her friend could be.
The darkness, however, had reared its head in the restaurant. Alex wasn’t sure what had been said after Meinhard and Teren slipped into German, but from the looks Teren had given the man, she had a feeling Herr Meinhard hadn’t enjoyed the talk at all.
Finally, she cleared her throat and jumped in.
“So. What did you and Mr. Meinhard talk about?”
Teren continued to stare through the windshield. “Nothing. I simply convinced him to help us.”
“That’s what I gathered. He didn’t look happy about it.”
There was silence from her companion.
“Do you think this account is part of the Odessa network?”
“Yes.” It was a one word answer.
“And I take it Meinhard was a little unwilling to help?”
Teren nodded. She still hadn’t looked at Alex.
“You convinced him?”
Another nod. Teren didn’t want Alex to ask the question, but had a bad feeling. Alex always asked the question.
“How’d you talk him into it?”
“I told him I’d tell his boss that he was involved in undercover activities for the CIA.”
Alex frowned. “Wouldn’t that be dangerous for him?”
“Yes.”
“He could get fired if you blew his cover.”
He could get killed if I blew his cover. “Yes.”
Teren counted. She got to seven before Alex spoke again.
“If the wrong people got wind of his help to the CIA he could be killed, couldn’t he.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes, he would be killed.”
Alex watched the dark woman from across the car, noting the tight features. Teren’s brows were low over her eyes, separated only by a few worry lines. There was a hollowness to her cheeks, and Alex could see, for the first time, the circles under her eyes.
“It’s difficult, isn’t it?”
Teren gave her a quick glance. “What is?”
“Being so very cold.”
Teren didn’t reply.
*******************************************************
When they got to their hotel room, Alex sat down to check their email. There was none. Frustrated, she shut the computer down, and moved over to the couch to relax.
“Nothing from Ken?” Teren’s voice came from behind her.
“No. I sent him a message letting him know we’re still okay.”
Alex turned her head, trying to find her friend in her peripheral vision. “We are still okay, aren’t we?”
“Well, we’re not dead yet. This is a good thing.”
“You’re not being very optimistic, Teren,” Alex sighed.
Teren, with a robe wrapped around her, dropped into the easy chair next to the couch.
“Sorry. I’ll try to be a little more upbeat.”
Alex let her eyes drift down the length of the body in the terrycloth robe. For a moment she indulged in a fantasy about what lay hidden underneath.
Teren shattered it by pulling out her weapon and beginning to clean it.
Groaning, Alex put a hand over her eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Don’t you ever rest for even twenty minutes?”
Teren shrugged. “No.”
Alex just stared at her. After a moment she got up and pulled out her own firearm. “Can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” she muttered.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
They worked quietly for a several minutes. The only noise came from the click of metallic pieces as they were taken apart and put back together. Alex finished cleaning her sidearm, and carefully reloaded it. She checked the extra clips to make sure they were full. Then the weapon was replaced in her holster.
Teren wasn’t quite finished.
“So, why did you find it necessary to threaten Mr. Meinhard with exposure?” Alex asked.
Teren’s fingers stumbled for a second. She recovered quickly.
“We need the information. He can get it for us. It’s as simple as that.”
“He seemed scared, Teren.”
“He was.”
Alex leaned back to watch Teren’s hands as they moved. “Does he have a reason to be afraid?”
Shrugging, Teren reloaded the clip for her .45. “I suppose. If he’s caught with the file, he could be in trouble.”
“Like, fired trouble, or dead trouble.”
“Like, tortured and killed trouble.” Teren slid the clip into the weapon with a snap. “Why?”
“If he could be in so much danger, why did you insist that he had to do it? Couldn’t we have just found it another way?”
Teren shrugged again. “Maybe. But this way is quicker.”
Alex watched quietly as her friend polished the handgun she held. “And what if he gets caught?” She lowered her voice to ask the question. “What then?”
“Then we find another way.”
The smaller agent sat up. “And if he’s killed?”
Teren paused in her work. Alex could see a haunted look in her eyes. “Then we find another way.”
“Just like that?”
The dark head nodded. “Yes. Just like that.”
For a moment, Alex couldn’t speak. She couldn’t believe that Teren could play with someone’s life so callously. This was the woman who had held her so gently just two nights before?
Alex stood, frustrated. She picked up her weapon and supplies, and headed for her room. At the door, she turned back.