Read Online Rise of the Order by Trevor Scott - Free Book Online

Albrecht had given him and jingled them in front of the cop.
    â€œGustav Albrecht gave you his keys? Why?”
    Crap. How much should he tell this guy? Jake shifted his eyes toward the main entrance. “And the security code. I notice you and your men bypassed both. I hope you have an order to do so. As I’m sure you know, The Teutonic Order has many ties in this country. It wouldn’t look too great if the press found out you had bashed in the door. . . .”
    â€œMy orders are none of your concern, Jake,” Franz said, his voice raised and then lowering with his name. The Vienna cop turned to his men and waved his arm for them to depart, which they did in a hurry. Once the men were gone, all but Franz and his assistant Jack Donicht, Franz stepped closer to Jake and said, “You’re working for Albrecht, the Grand Master, whose men we found murdered last night at the Donau Bar, along with the bartender. You were there, I’m sure. We have your nine millimeter casings and now the gun to compare them to. Plus slugs taken from the wall. Must I put my people through all of that testing?”
    Kurt’s eyes strained toward Jake as if he wasn’t sure what this was all about. Nice acting, Jake thought.
    All right. “Yeah, I was there,” Jake finally said. “Almost got my fucking head blown off. I had just agreed to work for Albrecht. He was concerned someone was trying to attack the Order. Seconds later I believed him. The bartender came out of the back room with a shotgun and took out the two men at the bar. I got a few rounds off, but I’m sure I didn’t hit the bartender.”
    Martini shook his head. “We know that. The bartender’s throat was slit from ear to ear.” That got Martini thinking, his eyes narrowing. “What did the bartender look like?”
    â€œSix feet tall. Two hundred pounds or ninety kilos. Short hair, dyed platinum blond. High brow ridges. Bulging eyes. I’d guess about forty. Pock-marked face. Strong jaw.”
    Martini let out a breath, shaking his head. “The bartender was no more than five-six and a hundred kilos. Fifty-two. Black hair. Pendulous face. So the bartender was killed first. Someone must have found out about the meeting in advance. Who knew about the meeting? I’ll need to talk with Herr Albrecht.”
    â€œThat’s probably a good idea,” Jake said. “I don’t know who he told. He called me and asked me to meet him there.”
    â€œThat didn’t sound strange to you?”
    â€œIn my business nothing sounds strange.” Jake sure as hell didn’t want to mention the call he had gotten from the Austrian federal president just after he had said no the first time to Albrecht. After all, Jake worked in Austria at the pleasure of the government. He knew his work visa could fade away in a heart-beat if he pissed off the president.
    â€œWe’ll need to talk with Herr Albrecht,” Martini repeated.
    â€œI would,” Jake said.
    The Vienna cop glanced at his assistant and then back to Jake. “We can’t seem to find him.”
    â€œYeah, that’s right. After he gave me the keys he mentioned something about going to a place his family owns in Kitzbuhel. Wanted to do some skiing.”
    â€œThat must be it,” Martini said.
    There was silence for a moment and Jake was hoping like hell Martini would not ask again why they were there. Truthfully, though, it was none of Martini’s business, and they all knew it.
    â€œAre we through here?” Jake asked.
    â€œI think so.”
    â€œBut sir,” Donicht said.
    Martini cast a brutal eye at his assistant, shutting him up. “Go ahead,” Franz said, his head shifting toward the door.
    â€œMy weapons,” Jake said. “I do have a permit for them, as I’m sure you know.”
    It looked like Martini’s head was about to explode, and Donicht’s face was as red as those dots