PARADOX - Chapter 7

April 25, 2012 – Berchtesgaden - Treff Alpenhotel Kronprinz







Monday looked up from his second cup of coffee as Daria strolled up and surprised him. “I thought we were going to meet at the Markplatz.” He stood up and pulled a chair out for her to sit. He glanced at his watch as he sat back down. “Actually, half an hour from now.”

“I was up early and had little to do,” she replied in fractured English. “From here I live not far and figured the early morning walk would do me good.”

“Have you had breakfast?”

“Like you Americans we are not.” Daria smiled, then reverted back to German. “We do not consume a dozen eggs, half a pig and mountains of pancakes for breakfast. I had a Brötchen and some jam.”

Monday glanced down at his overflowing plate and grinned back at her. Years of military service had honed him to the point that a hefty breakfast was as normal as could be. You never knew when your next meal was coming while on a mission, so the Boy Scout motto was strongly adhered to.

“Good news.” He looked directly into her beautiful blue eyes. They were the kind of dreamy eyes he could get lost in forever. “Chester called. He managed to get four other Team members to join him and they will be landing at the Munich Airport around five this afternoon. Another team member, Alex Taco Bender Colon, is standing by in Panama. Three will join us here in Berchtesgaden while Chester and Weps visit some old Special Forces friends to obtain some items they couldn’t possibly carry on a commercial flight.”

Daria cocked an eyebrow at the mention of the words special items. Monday nodded a yes and glanced again at his watch. “We have to be at the Hotel Zum Turken by 9 am. I have another friend who also agreed to meet us there.”

“Another American Special Services man?” Daria chuckled.

Monday smiled back. “It’s Special Forces and no, he’s not American. He’s a German citizen now but at one time he was a member of the Soviet Spetsnaz. He was an East German serving in the Russian Special Forces before the end of the Cold War. He’s now a full colonel in the German Bundeswehr.”

“You have a soft touch for rough characters, for a mild mannered Professor of Archeology. What’s next, a general from the Légion étrangère?”

“Maybe not a general,” Monday smiled. “But I do have lots of nasty French Legionnaire friends. Heinreich wants to help us in the hunt for the gold. He has connections in the German Army and German Government who will look the other way if need be, especially if gifts are large and plentiful. His full name and title is, Oberst Heinreich von Schwerin.”

“Are you implying that once we find the gold we keep it for ourselves.” Daria appeared disappointed in his intentions.

“Not at all,” Monday quickly replied. “I’m just saying that if we can improve the government’s percentage on the finders fee it would be very beneficial. Henri is in a position to dicker with them. If there’s twenty tons of pure gold then there’s more than enough to reward those who help us.”

“By skumming off the top as you American’s put it?”

“Not skumming, skimming. Just a little skim that will not even be missed. For those who risk a lot to help us. Do you have the copies that the Antiquities Minister gave you?

“Yes.” Daria dug deep into her purse. She pulled the copies out and showed them to Monday. “We have about half an hour to make it to the Hotel Zum Turken,” he said. “I’ll ask the desk to call us a taxi then run up to my room to brush my teeth.”

“I’ll join you,” Daria said, with a mischievous smile. “Only because I need to scan all the documents into my laptop.”