“For communication?”
“Yes. For research as well. Though we’re not allowed to participate in your investigation.”
With a nod, Teren leaned back on the couch.
Alex put her feet up on the coffee table. “So, Gerd, how do you know Teren?”
“We worked together on several cases. Teren and her partner Perry were two of the best.”
“Really. The best at what?”
Teren stood up quickly. “Umm, Alex, would you like some dinner? Those sandwiches really weren’t that filling.”
“Sure, Teren. The best at what, Gerd?”
“At everything they did. Whatever the assignment, they never failed in their objective. I remember this one case—”
“Gerd, don’t you have somewhere else you have to be?”
“No, I don’t.” He grinned at her. “Are you trying to get rid of me, Teren?”
“Yes.”
Alex chuckled. “Teren, leave the man alone. You said he’s a friend, right?”
Teren hesitated, then nodded. “Doesn’t mean I want him talking about me.” She sat back down.
Gerd reached over and touched her knee. He spoke quietly in German, and Teren answered him in a low voice. The blonde man laughed, and looked back at Alex.
“I think she is being modest, Alex. She and Perry were very good agents.” He looked back at the tall woman. “Which is why, without even knowing what the assignment is, I know that this is a very important job.” He grinned. “If you are on it, it must be very important indeed.”
“This isn’t an assignment, Gerd. And it isn’t for the Agency.” Her eyes grew very dark. “This is personal.”
Gerd frowned. “Personal? What do you mean?” Then he nodded suddenly. “It is for Perry. You are looking for the man who set you up?”
“You know about that?”
“Teren, you know as well as I do that there are really very few secrets in the intelligence world. Of course I know that Perry was killed, and that the two of you were betrayed.” He leaned towards her. “It is revenge, isn’t it?”
Teren heard Alex take a breath and hold it. She glanced at her, and then looked back at Gerd. “Only partly.”
“There is something else?”
She nodded.
Alex hadn’t realized she was holding her breath, but she felt it drain out of her with Teren’s words. She hadn’t admitted, even to herself, that she was afraid revenge really was the only reason for Teren being there. Hearing her deny it, even partly, allowed some of her doubts to finally disappear.
Not that it matters. I’d want her with me anyway.
She caught Teren looking at her, and quickly refocused on the conversation.
“It’s hard to explain, Gerd,” Teren was saying. “You know that George Mather killed Perry?”
“Yes.” Gerd’s face twisted in a snarl. “I should have shot that bastard two years ago.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry Perry stopped you.”
The two agents grinned at each other.
“Well, at least he’s dead now. Somebody blew him up with a car bomb.”
Gerd’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me you’re hunting for his killer?”
“In a way, I guess. We think that he screwed up, and was eliminated by whoever he was working for.”
“And you think, what, that the employer is the same?”
“Yes, we think he was still working for whoever told him to kill me and Perry.”
The blonde man nodded. “So. You think he was working for a German?”
“No. We know he was working for an American. We just can’t prove it.”
Gerd snorted. “Who needs proof? If you know who it is, Teren, why don’t you go kill him?” he asked.
“It’s not that simple. It’s not just one man, and I don’t think all the players are in the states.”
“But you do think there is a German involved. Right?”
“Right. But it’s more than that. We think there may be neo-Nazi involvement,” Teren said.
Gerd raised a hand and rubbed his chin. His eyebrows rose as he did. “There has been activitiy, but in the last few months it has been much quieter. Are you sure about this?”
Teren sighed. “I can’t tell you the whole story, Gerd. It’d take the rest of the night.”
“Then make it the very short version.”
Teren looked at Alex for help.
Alex had been content to lean back and let the two of them talk. She got the feeling Teren trusted Gerd, but at the same time was unwilling to tell him everything. She thought carefully before she answered.
“Gerd, the neo-Nazis in the US are involved, and we know that they’re getting financial assistance through a Swiss bank account. We think that account may be a part of the lost Nazi loot.”
Gerd stared at her for several minutes, then turned to Teren. “She’s insane, isn’t she?”
Teren shook her head, no.
“Can you prove what you are saying?”
Another shake. “We can’t prove much of anything, yet. That’s one of the reasons we’re traveling under aliases.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Like I said, it’s complicated.”
“But you believe in this lost treasure? Teren, please. All the money was recovered years ago.”
“I can’t give you details, Gerd.”
Gerd’s frown deepened. “You’ve always trusted me before, Teren.”
“I’ve always been on assignment, Gerd. Like I said, this is personal.”
“Ah.” He leaned back. “Well, it doesn’t really matter, I suppose. We were given explicit instructions. We are not to be involved in your investigation. You may use our facilities if you need them, but we will not give you any other assistance. Also, we are not to intervene, in any way.” He grinned at her. “Don’t take that as a free hand, my friend. If you shoot up the city you will have to deal with the police by yourself.”
Teren raised an eyebrow. “And when did you last know me to draw that much attention to myself, Gerd?”
He thought for a moment. “Four years ago, the party at Viktor’s house.”
Teren frowned, then let her face shift into an embarassed grin. “Doesn’t count. It was New Year’s and I was drunk. Besides, Viktor dared me.”
“I remember.”
The easy banter between the two friends reminded Alex of David and herself. Which brought up the image of her partner lying on the ground with blood on his chest.
She cleared her thoat, interrupting their conversation. “Teren, don’t you think we need to talk about our plans?”
Teren raised an eyebrow at Alex, detecting an angry note in her tone. She didn’t know what had suddenly upset her partner, but she took the hint.
“Right. Gerd, thanks for giving us the heads up. I’ll come by tomorrow to call the office.” She stood up and Gerd followed her.
“You are quite welcome. I hope that we can talk then about anything else you might need?”
“Of course. I’ll see you just before lunch, all right?”
“Very good.” He turned to Alex, and held out a hand. “It has been nice to meet you Alex. I hope we’ll have a chance to talk again sometime.”
“Nice to meet you to, Gerd.” She remained seated, watching as her dark haired friend ushered Gerd out of the suite.
When the door was closed, Teren turned to Alex with a puzzled look on her face. “Are you okay?”
“Fine. Why?”
She moved away from the door, back towards the sofa. “Well, one minute you seemed fine, and the next, you looked like you wanted to chop off both our heads. What happened?”
Alex sighed, and closed her eyes. She let her head drop to her chest, and shook it slightly. “I’m fine. Just had a flashback of David and I and the way we used to talk.”
Teren moved over and sat on the edge of Alex’s chair. She let her hand brush through the younger woman’s hair, gently pushing it away from her face. “I’m sorry, Alex. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
Her friend laughed and leaned her head back against the back of the chair. “Too late. I’ve been uncomfortable since the shooting.”
Smiling at that, Teren leaned over and kissed Alex’s forehead.