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

thought about his conversation that morning with Dr. Wilhelm Altenstein at Magdeburg University. The good professor was much farther along than he had reported at their last meeting a few weeks ago. Now Hermann would have to push his agenda much more quickly. People to see; people to kill. Not on his own, of course. He had people now for that. No need to dirty his own hands with such trivial matters. If only Altenstein knew what his Marienburg Biotechnik had done with the good professor’s initial discoveries. Would he continue if he knew? Conrad didn’t give a damn one way or the other. If the good professor gave him any crap, he’d shove a gun barrel up his ass and give him a lead colonoscopy.
    The phone on his desk rang, shaking him from his thoughts. He considered letting his service pick up, but he was expecting a few calls from his Brothers in Eastern Europe.
    He grasped the phone and said, “Ja.” He could hear noise in the background. Cars?
    â€œHerr Conrad?”
    â€œMiko? Where are you? Your voice sounds faint.” It was more than that. He was chewing on his damn radishes again as he spoke.
    â€œThis cell phone,” Miko said. “I need to charge it. I’m driving to Prague to meet Grago.”
    â€œIs Sikora with you?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œWhat do you have planned?” Conrad asked. “Never mind. I don’t need to know.” He didn’t want to know. Nor did he care to know what they had done recently. He could deny any knowledge that way without lying. They had their orders. That should have been enough. He had heard about a few deaths in Vienna and Bratislava that did not quite fit the plan, but he guessed they must have had a reason for their actions.
    â€œGood idea, Hochmeister,” Miko said. “I just wanted to explain why we have not completed our task in Vienna.”
    Now the excuses, Conrad thought. “Go ahead.”
    â€œSir, there was a man at the bar. Grago was able to take out two of the old grand master’s men. But there was another man there. Someone with skills, sir.”
    â€œPolizei?”
    â€œNo, sir. Private security, I think. Maybe former military or former agent of some sort.”
    This was disturbing news. They had been able to stay under the radar for the past year by taking out certain enemies of theirs and masking the deaths as random street crimes. Miko and Grago were two of his best at that. “What else.”
    â€œSir?”
    â€œYou sound like there’s more bad news for me.”
    The sound of the road droned on the other end. Finally, Miko said, “Two things. First, early this morning the same man from the bar was in Bratislava with Albrecht. The polizei there moved in to the cathedral, caught the two of them coming out a back door.” He hesitated, obviously wondering how much his Hochmeister needed to know.
    â€œAnd?” Conrad said, becoming impatient.
    â€œThe man took out both of the polizei,” Miko said. “I have never seen a man move like that. They had their guns drawn on him and he was still able to take their guns and knock them both out. Then he stole their damn car.”
    Conrad laughed. “This is great news, Miko. Now the polizei have a description of the man and must assume he killed the parish priest there.”
    â€œThat’s what I was thinking. I sent the Bratislava polizei a digital video of the man stealing their car.”
    â€œThat’s beautiful. You said two things. What else?”
    Miko breathed in and let out a deep sigh into the phone. “Someone stopped by the apartment in Bratislava and questioned Jiri.”
    â€œWho? What did he ask?”
    â€œHer. Says it was a beautiful woman. Either Italian or Rumanian, but spoke German and English. She was asking about the two priests. Quite brutal, though. A super model with attitude, is what Jiri calls her. Also with skills.”
    This was more disturbing. “Working