Seriously, do you know how many holiday meals were ruined by stories about the past?’
Jones smiled. ‘You’re Jewish, I’m black, let’s move on.’
‘Anyway, it didn’t take long for Munich to start thriving again. In 1955 Hauser and Sons opened a new store at a new location, which is still open today.’
‘Please tell me you’re serious.’
‘Of course I’m serious. I just sent the address to your phone.’
‘That’s awesome! I can’t wait to rub this in Jon’s face.’
‘Wait. So you two really are fighting?’
‘Not fighting. Just competing, like we always do.’
Raskin smiled. ‘In that case, I gotta ask: is he pissed at me?’
‘At you? Why would he be pissed at you?’
‘Because of his ringtone.’
Jones burst out laughing. ‘You changed his ringtone?’
‘Of course I changed his ringtone. Twelve times on three different phones. You’re telling me he still hasn’t figured it out?’
‘Nope. He’s clueless.’
Raskin grunted in frustration. ‘I have to admit, I’m kind of insulted by his confusion. Who else does he know who could pull a hack like that?’
‘Actually, he thinks it was me. Well, at least he did until yesterday.’
‘What happened yesterday?’
‘I was flying a chopper when you switched his ringtone to “Little Bunny Foo Foo”, so he knows I couldn’t have done it. Great song, by the way. It totally pissed him off.’
Raskin grinned in triumph. ‘Speaking of which, the next time you take Petr Ulster’s chopper, you really should get permission.’
‘Permission? What are you talking about?’
Raskin groaned at his mistake. He didn’t want Jones to know too much about his cyber-stalking, for fear it would upset him. ‘To change Jon’s ringtone, I’ve been forced to track his phone. Because of that, I know you guys spent the night at the Ulster Archives.’
‘And?’
‘I was bored, so I ran a search on Petr’s latest projects. You know, just to see if he was working on anything exciting.’
‘And?’
‘And I noticed his personal chopper had been reported stolen.’
‘When?’ Jones demanded.
‘About an hour ago.’
‘By whom?’
Raskin quickly pulled up the information. ‘No name on the report, but it was filed by the Bavarian State Police in Munich. They’re tracking the beacon as we speak.’
‘Son of a bitch! Can you stop it?’
‘Of course I can stop it.’
‘Then stop it! Immediately!‘
Raskin typed furiously for the next several seconds. This time, there was very little cursing. ‘Okay … done! The beacon is toast.’
‘Thanks, man, I appreciate it. I really do. But I gotta go.’
‘Why? I told you, I stopped the beacon.’
Jones opened the secret hatch. ‘I know you did, but we’ve been sitting still for the last hour. Whoever was tracking us knows where we are.’
67
Using the camera feature on his phone, Payne started taking pictures of the artwork and blueprints that hung from the walls. He knew from experience that missions, particularly those in uncharted territories, were prone to interruptions, so he compiled as much documentation as he could while he still had the chance.
His foresight proved invaluable when he heard the sound of footsteps in the tunnel. Worried, he pulled his weapon and headed for the door. ‘Be quiet. Someone’s coming.’
Ulster dismissed the warning. ‘It’s probably David.’
Payne listened closer. ‘Then why is he running?’
Heidi and Ulster immediately tensed and looked to Payne for further instructions. Unfortunately, he didn’t have many options. They were in a windowless room with only one exit, which led to a concrete tunnel with no protection. The best they could do was stay put and hope for the best. With that in mind, Payne swung the door until it was nearly closed. The gap was just wide enough to keep an eye on the hallway.
Then he pointed at the desk. ‘Turn off your lights and stay low.’
They quickly followed his orders.
As the footsteps got louder and louder, Payne calmly aimed his Sig Sauer into the hallway. For the next few seconds, shot discipline would be essential. The only way he would fire was if he saw men with automatic weapons or explosives. Otherwise, violence wasn’t warranted. Still, it was wise to take the necessary precautions. In the darkness behind him, Heidi and Ulster crouched near the floor, the two of them huddling together for support. Hearts pounding, palms sweating, they prayed the noise in the hallway was Jones and there wasn’t an actual threat.
Only half of their prayers were answered.
‘Jon!’ Jones called as he ran towards the room.
Payne recognized his voice. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Someone tracked Petr’s chopper. We gotta go!’
If anyone else had sounded the warning, Payne would have asked for additional information before he gave the order to abandon the site. But