Teren joined her after a moment, and grinned. “Did you buy enough souvenirs?”
“I think so. I got one for you.”
A dark eyebrow rose. “Really? What?”
Alex shook her head. “Not telling. You’ll just have to wait.”
“Aww, Alex, come on.”
“Nope. Uh-uh.”
Teren grumbled a moment longer, then glanced through the packages. “Where’s the last one you got?”
“Here. I put it inside the bag with the books. It’s safe.”
“Good.” Teren stopped to look at all the bags. “You know, if you’re really bringing that stuff with us, you’ll need another suitcase.”
Alex grinned. “Funny you should mention that.” She opened one large paper bag to show a folded up duffle. “I was just thinking the same thing earlier.”
Teren rolled her eyes. “Great. You get packed up, and I’ll go check in our keys. Did you leave anything in the suite?”
“Umm, I don’t think so.” She thought for a moment. “But, knowing me, you might want to check anyway, just in case.”
“Fine. I’ll go get them. Just make sure you’re ready to go, alright?”
“Yep. I’ll be waiting.”
Alex carefully packed her new duffle bag, making sure the papers from Meinhard were somewhere near the top. Along with the books, and a couple of tshirts, she’d gotten small things, like a tiny stone sculpture, and a stone mug. They were little gifts, things she’d thought her friends back home would like.
If she ever got back home to give these things to them.
The thought hit her suddenly, and brought tears to her eyes. Frustrated, she wiped them away angrily, then zipped the bag closed.
“Alex.”
Teren’s voice sounded strange.
“Hi. Are we checked out?”
“Yeah. Let’s get out of here.”
“Okay.” Alex frowned as Teren grabbed her arm and pulled. “Take it easy. You payed the bill, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then what’s the hurry? Our flight doesn’t leave for a couple of hours.”
“I’ll explain when we get to the car,” Teren replied through tightly clenched teeth. Alex took one final look at Teren, and stayed quiet.
When they reached the car, Alex was surprised to see Teren open the trunk and begin pulling out their bags.
“What are you doing?”
“We’re leaving the car here. I’ve already called the rental company and told them where it is.”
“Why aren’t we taking it to the airport with us?” Alex was beginning to get very nervous, and she grabbed Teren’s arm. With a yank she turned the agent around to face her. “Teren, what the hell is going on?”
“When I went upstairs to get your stuff, there were two guys in the room. I guess I surprised them.”
Alex turned white. “Are you okay? What did you do?”
“I ducked, and you don’t wanna know what happened after that.”
For a moment Alex couldn’t speak. Then she swallowed, and rubbed a gloved hand across her forehead. “Shit. We’re in trouble, aren’t we?”
“Yes. Now, come on, help me with these bags. There’ll be a taxi picking us up any second.”
“And we’re going straight to the airport? Any chance of getting an earlier flight?”
“Nope. We’re not flying. They’ll be expecting that.”
“So, what are we doing?”
Teren closed the trunk, and picked up her bags. Alex did the same, her newest duffle slung over her shoulder.
“Have you ever ridden on a train, Alex?”
“No.”
“Well, you’re about to.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
For once, Alex was grateful that she had a cab driver that didn’t speak English.
After a short, but tense, conversation with Teren, it was agreed that the taxi would drop Teren off two blocks away from the station. Alex would continue on to the front of the Hauptbahnhof.
The CIA operative didn’t like the idea of leaving her partner alone, but recognized that not only was Alex a capable agent in her own right, she was also correct in her assessment of the situation. Making sure that the driver knew exactly where to go, Teren climbed out of the taxi, pulling her own duffel bags, along with one of Alex’s, with her. She leaned back in and gave Alex a glare.
“Be careful.”
“You too.”
The taxi dropped Alex in front of the brick building which housed the Zurich Hauptbahnhof, or Main Station. From this place, a person could catch three different kinds of trains: the Swiss Regional, that serviced all of Switzerland; the EuroCity, which connected many of the largest cities in Europe; and the InterCity Express. The ICE was the fastest way, on the ground, to get from Zurich to Munich, Germany. Only flying was faster.
Alex tightened her grip on her briefcase and slipped the strap of her remaining suitcase over her shoulder. She made her way to the ticket counter, and stood for a moment, referring to her English-German dictionary.
“Miss? May I help you?”
She looked up at a young man with a smile on his face. He beckoned her forward.
“I take it you speak English.”
“Yes. I take it you do not speak German.”
“I know Danke and Bitte. That’s it.”
He laughed. “So, where are you going?”
“Well, I need two tickets to Geneva.”
After taking a few moments to conduct the transaction, he handed her a folded envelope. “Your tickets are here. Go down this hall, and past the restaurant. Then go the left, and you can take the stairs to the platform where you can wait for your train. Be careful to note which side of the platform you need to be on; there are two trains that pull up on each platform. They are well marked, but you should check carefully, just the same.”
“Okay.”
“Your ticket will be punched after you have boarded, so be sure to keep it with you.”
Alex nodded. “Thanks very much. I appreciate your help.”
“You are welcome. What is the English phrase? Have a nice day.”
She smiled at him. “You, too.” Then she hoisted her bags again, and followed his directions.
Teren made her way to the platform, keeping an eye out for her partner. She spotted Alex leaning against a post, next to a bulletin board. The train they needed to be on was already in the station. With a final glance at Alex, Teren boarded.
Alex watched her from the corner of her eye. She kept track of the darker woman’s progress, waiting until her partner actually climbed the stairs onto the train. Then, she ran a hand through her hair, and walked toward the opposite platform, toward where the train to Geneva would soon be pulling in.
She stopped a man in a porter’s uniform.
“Excuse me, do you speak English?”
He smiled, and nodded. “My pronunsation izt very bad, but I vill try to help?”
“Great. I just wanted to make sure, this is the side of the platform for the train to Geneva?”
“Ja —I mean yes. Zis next train vill go to Geneva.”
Alex smiled at him. “Thank you. Oh, by the way, is there anywhere here where I can get a newspaper or magazine?”
He looked confused for a moment, and Alex pointed to a woman who was reading the Swiss edition of TIME.
“Magazine?”
“Ah, yes, magazine. Izt shop. Come, I show you, yes?”
Alex followed the eager porter to a newstand at one end of the waiting area.She thanked him.
“Do not forget vizt train is yours,” he said. He motioned to the train next to where they were standing. “Zis vun iz going to Munchen.”
She nodded and smiled at him. “I won’t forget, thanks.”
The blonde agent wandered along the side of the stand, perusing the titles. With a glance around her, she saw that the conductor for the boarding train was indeed near the car closest to the newstand, just as Teren had said he would be.
Doors up and down the train began to close. Alex waited until only the conductor’s door was still open, then she stepped towards it, offering a sheepish grin and an apology to the man who stood in front of her. The conductor, who had been reaching for his flashlight, smiled at her, and waved her onto the train, just before he blew his whistle.Then the train began to move, and the conductor stepped onboard, closing the door behind him.