Black Rose

CHAPTER 16

Ronnie sat next to Nick in the front seat of their rented Range Rover, parked down the street from Schmidt's apartment building. Selena and Lamont were in a second car on the other side of the city, staked out where they could watch the entrance to Krivi's sprawling home. It was still early and very cold. Nick kept the heater and defroster on. He wasn't worried about being spotted. A car idling in the frosty Swiss morning wouldn't attract attention. Schmidt had no reason to suspect anyone was watching him.

A red BMW emerged from the underground garage of the building and turned into traffic. Ronnie eyed the plate through binoculars.

"That's him," Ronnie said.

Nick put the Range Rover in gear and pulled in behind Schmidt, half a block behind. Traffic signs were everywhere, large blue signs with white letters and arrows and unpronounceable names. Nick didn't try to memorize the route. For one thing, he didn't know where Schmidt was going. For another, the GPS unit on the Range Rover's dash would record everything. If they needed to retrace it later, it wouldn't be a problem.

After twenty minutes, the traffic began to thin. They were heading west, out of the city. Nick dropped back but kept Schmidt in sight.

He touched the transceiver in his ear. "Selena, you copy?"

"Copy, Nick."

"We're on Schmidt. It looks like he's headed for the lab outside the city. What's happening on your end?"

"Krivi came out about five minutes ago and got into a chauffeured Mercedes. We're four cars behind him. He's going west, but we don't know where, yet. Could be his corporate building or maybe the lab."

"Stay on him and let me know if he's coming this way. Krivi is AEON and it's possible he might recognize one of us. Be careful he doesn't spot you."

"Copy that."

"Out."

"Krivi?" Ronnie said.

"On the road to somewhere. They're behind him."

Ahead, the red BMW slowed and turned into a sloping drive leading to a low, sand-colored building. It was three stories high, landscaped with low shrubs and flowerbeds buried under snow. The building had black tinted windows. A separate wing at the end had no windows at all. A tall chimney rose above it. Nick slowed as they drove past the entrance.

Gold letters inset into stone on either side of the drive announced Dass Pharmaceuticals. The drive was barred by an iron gate set into a low wall along the front of the property. A guardhouse stood to the side. Schmidt's car stopped and a guard emerged into the cold, his breath making small clouds as he bent over and looked into the car. He was dressed in a dark blue paramilitary uniform with a military style cap. He had an MP-5 slung over his shoulder and a pistol on his hip. A second man watched from within the guardhouse.

The guard stepped back and saluted. The gate opened and Schmidt drove through.

"Pretty serious firepower for a security guard," Ronnie said. "Backup, too. I wonder what they've got in there."

"Plague samples, maybe," Nick said. "Krivi must have serious clout to get permission for weapons like that."

"Hey, it's Switzerland, the land of happy cows, Swiss cheese and banks," Ronnie said. "Money always talks."

"That wall doesn't put up much of a barrier. I'll bet he's got a hell of an alarm system. Motion sensors, laser beams, the works."

"I can get past those. I brought along a few gadgets Harker got from Langley's dirty tricks shop."

"Now we know where Schmidt works," Nick said. "Ten to one those samples are stashed somewhere inside."

"Yeah. Could be anywhere inside, though," Ronnie said. "That's a lot of floor space."

"We'll find it."

Nick drove on until he came to a place where he could turn around and park on the side of the road. His earpiece sounded.

"Nick, you copy?"

"Copy."

"Krivi is headed your way," Selena said. "He should get there in about five minutes."

"We're about a mile on the other side of the lab. Meet us there. Eyeball the layout as you go by."

"Got it. Out."

Twelve minutes later, Lamont and Selena pulled up behind them. Selena got out and came over. Nick rolled down his window.

"Krivi went into the building," Selena said. ""What now?"

"Now we go back to the safe house and make a plan. Did you get a good look as you went by?"

"Yes. It looks too easy. There must be hidden alarms."

"I had the same thought. You saw the weapons?"

"I did. I wonder if those guards are here around the clock?"

"We'll find out tonight," Nick said.