Bad Luck in Berlin: An Exclusive Short Story

CHAPTER 3

Victor spent the day following Deák around Berlin, mostly on foot and sometimes on the subway, but only for notable distances. The Hungarian liked to walk, and knew his way around the city, no doubt having scouted for Farkas before, and only occasionally had to consult his phone for directions. Deák met up with several realtors outside townhouses or apartment buildings in wealthy neighbourhoods and Victor waited nearby while he was shown around inside. Victor timed the duration of each visit and watched Deák’s reaction when he reappeared. After leaving a realtor he would immediately make a call on his cell to report to Farkas how the location met with his criteria. Victor didn’t speak Hungarian well enough to effectively read Deák’s lips, but he could decipher some of what was said, and body language was universal in portraying positive and negative.

By the time he returned to his hotel, Deák’s movements were sluggish and he yawned every few minutes. He had met five different realtors outside three townhouses and two apartment buildings, with the latter apartment building resulting in a viewing lasting over twice the mean duration. That made six locations scouted, and from Deák’s calls to Farkas, two had been greeted with a stronger reaction than the others: a townhouse in the financial district and a grand building in Prenzlauer Berg where Deák had viewed a single apartment.

It was nearing seven p.m. when Deák set out once again, too late to be conventionally viewing any potential accommodation, and the relaxed body and arrogant strut confirmed to Victor that Deák didn’t plan on spending the evening working. He was out to enjoy himself. Shadowing him therefore wasn’t imperative to learning where Farkas might be staying in a little over a week, but Victor had learned a long time ago that seemingly unessential forays could provide the most useful intelligence.

From the background information on Deák and the route he was walking, Victor wasn’t surprised to find him heading for a casino. The Golden Talisman was one of Berlin’s premier gaming establishments and attracted a high-rolling clientele. Exactly the kind of place where someone with a love of gambling would want to spend an evening.

It was located less than half a mile from Deák’s hotel, and Deák’s lack of caution while walking was even more obvious at night than it had been during the daylight. He took short cuts through dark alleyways and unused side streets, even circumventing a block by cutting across the ground level of a multi-storey parking garage that would have provided an assailant with the perfect spot for an ambush. Victoria would have envied such blissful ignorance to danger.

Outside, the Golden Talisman had an unassuming façade that didn’t advertise its services beyond simple signage. Inside, the lobby had a luxuriant, opulent décor. Mahogany panelling ran along the walls. Crystal chandeliers glinted overhead and illuminated the intricate frescoes depicting mythological beasts and fabulous riches that decorated the ceiling. The carpet was thick enough to mask the sound of marching boots.

Berlin had several much larger and more well known casinos, but the Golden Talisman catered purely for wealthy patrons and serious gamblers. The minimum stakes were large enough to discourage first-timers and casual players that found themselves inside.

Two huge guys in dinner jackets were stationed at the far end of the lobby, before the corridor that led to the cashier counters and the casino proper. One used a metal-detecting wand to scan Deák while another checked the contents of his pockets. Victor had expected such a level of security and had left his weapon — an FN Five-seveN handgun — in a bin on the opposite side of the street. With less in his pockets and not draped in jewellery, Victor was past the gorillas in a fraction of the time it took Deák.

The Hungarian exchanged cash for what looked like about a thousand euros in chips of various denominations and headed straight for the American roulette wheels.

It took Victor less than a minute to spot the three watchers.