royal treatment.’
‘Nothing but the best for you two.’
Jones gave Kaiser a friendly hug. ‘Not to be rude, but are you sure you can afford it?’
Kaiser looked at him, confused. ‘Why would you ask that?’
‘Because you’ve been wearing the same clothes for the past ten years. Don’t they have malls over here?’ Jones glanced at Payne. ‘We need to take him shopping.’
Kaiser laughed, enjoying the good-natured teasing. ‘I’ll have you know I bought a new T-shirt just last year. I’m good to go for the rest of the decade.’
Jones argued. ‘Come on, man. A guy in your business should have some style. We need to get you a shiny suit and some fancy jewellery, like a gangster. Maybe even a fedora.’
Payne shook his head, embarrassed. ‘Please ignore him. It was a long flight, and he’s over caffeinated. Just let him run round the airfield for twenty minutes, and he’ll be fine.’
Kaiser smiled. ‘I wish we had the time, but we’re on a tight schedule. If we don’t leave now, we won’t get to the site before dark.’
‘The site? What site?’ Payne asked, still unsure what Kaiser had found and what was expected of them. ‘Now that we’re here, I was hoping you’d fill in some blanks.’
‘I’d be happy to,’ Kaiser said as he picked up Payne’s bag, ‘once we’re airborne.’
‘Airborne?’
Kaiser started to walk across the hangar. ‘Didn’t I mention that on the phone?’
Payne hustled after him. ‘You didn’t mention anything on the phone.’
‘Really? I could’ve sworn I did.’
Payne caught up to him and grabbed his arm. ‘Hold up, Kaiser. We need to talk.’
Kaiser turned, smiling. ‘About what?’
‘Listen, I appreciate your enthusiasm and understand the time constraints, but we’re not getting on another plane until you tell us where we’re going.’
‘Not a plane,’ he countered, ‘a helicopter.’
‘Cool,’ Jones blurted as he caught up to them. ‘I love choppers. Can I drive?’
Kaiser shook his head. ‘Sorry, we have a pilot.’
‘Then I call shotgun. You can’t see shit from the back seat.’
Payne gave him a dirty look. ‘Hold up. You’re not bothered by this?’
‘Actually, now that you mention it, I am bothered by this.’ Jones handed his bag to Kaiser, who gladly accepted it. ‘I figure if he’s carrying your bag, he should carry mine, too.’
Payne growled. ‘That’s not what I was talking about.’
‘Really? Then what’s bugging you?’
‘We don’t know where we’re going or what we’re involved in.’
Jones sighed, trying to get under Payne’s skin. ‘Fine! Be that way! Kaiser’s trying to surprise us, and you’re determined to ruin everything.’
Jones spun towards Kaiser, who was trying not to laugh. ‘Is the site in Germany?’
‘Yes,’ he answered.
‘Is the site secure?’
‘Yes.’
‘Can we bring weapons?’
‘If you like.’
‘Will we need them?’
‘Probably not.’
‘Are we dressed appropriately?’
Kaiser inspected their clothes. Both men were wearing cargo pants, long-sleeved shirts, and comfortable shoes. Perfect for where they were going. ‘Yes.’
‘What about snacks?’
‘Yes, there’s food at the site.’
Jones threw his arm around Payne’s shoulder and squeezed. ‘Come on, Jon. The man has snacks. How bad can it be?’
6
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
(59 miles south-west of Munich)
Garmisch and Partenkirchen were separate towns for over a thousand years, until Adolf Hitler forced them to combine prior to hosting the 1936 Winter Olympics. Located near the Austrian border, the picturesque town of nearly 30,000 people sits near two of the largest mountains in Germany: the Zugspitze and the Leutasch Dreitorspitze.
The helicopter circled above the valley for a few minutes, giving Payne and Jones an aerial view of the landscape before it touched down in a green pasture south-west of the town. A lush forest, filled with tall pines and rugged trails, started at the edge of the meadow, as if God had run out of grass and been forced to change the terrain at that very spot. In a span of less than ten feet, the topography went from flat and grassy to steep and rocky.
Although the sun was shining and the weather was pleasant, Payne and Jones had spent enough time in the mountains of Afghanistan to understand how drastically altitude could affect the weather. It was sixty-eight degrees where the chopper had landed, yet the peak above them was covered in snow. Depending on the length of their hike, they knew the temperature could drop significantly - especially after dark.
Jones swore under his breath, not thrilled with the possibilities. Despite years of training and hundreds of missions, there were few things he hated more than cold. And Payne knew it.
‘Looks frigid up there. I hope you packed your mittens,’ Payne taunted him.
Jones swore again, this time a