She nodded again. “Security has already informed me. The doctor is a busy man, but he has agreed to make time for law enforcement. We know about the tragic death of your countryman, and you have our sympathies.” She gestured for them to follow her. “Please.”
The three of them exchanged glances, as if to say, “Well, that was easy.” They followed Frau Zimmermann toward the security turnstiles. She stopped before reaching them and handed each of them a gray wristband that appeared to be made of rubber or silicone. “Please put these on. They are your security passes.”
Brodie looked at it. It was featureless except for an embossed Titan Genetics logo. “I had one of these at Disney World.”
Frau Zimmermann said, “This is our mandatory security protocol within the building. Please make sure you wear it with the logo on the top of your wrist. The radio frequency chips can be temperamental.” She held up her right wrist to show that she was also wearing a band, though hers was orange. “Your band has been temporarily coded with your ID. Every area of the building is equipped with sensors that allow for employees and visitors to access authorized areas.”
Kim said, “And also track everyone’s location at every moment.”
Zimmermann gave a tight smile. “This campus contains valuable information and products that represent billions of euros in investment and decades of research and development. We would be remiss not to employ the best security system that technology offers.”
Brodie was sure the Stasi would have issued one of these things to every citizen of East Germany. He slipped the band on, and Kim and Taylor did the same.
They followed Zimmermann through the security turnstiles, which opened automatically when they were a few feet away, then walked to a bank of elevators. They entered an elevator and Zimmermann pressed thetop button. She checked her watch. “The doctor has a meeting in twenty minutes, I trust that will be enough time?”
Brodie said, “We have only a few questions for him.” Such as: Did you develop weaponized plague for East Germany? And is an American double agent for the Stasi on your board of directors?
The elevator stopped at the top floor, the executive suites, and opened into a wide, brightly lit hallway. Zimmermann led them to the left and they turned into another hallway. Brodie noticed name placards next to the doors, though none that said Charles Granger.
They came to a set of double doors at the end of the hall, with no name placard. Zimmermann cracked a door and stuck her head in, said something in German, then swung both doors open for them and gestured them in.
They entered a large office that was sparsely appointed with modern furniture and artwork. The far wall featured floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of Berlin, and in front of the windows was a wide glass desk covered with papers. Behind the desk stood a tall man wearing a dark suit. He said in a thick, harsh accent, “Thank you, Ida. You may go.”
Zimmermann left and closed the doors behind her.
Dr. Reinhard Dorn looked at the three Americans. He appeared to be in his early seventies, with thinning gray hair, shiny skin, and a nose too small for his face. Maybe a genetic engineering experiment gone wrong. He also wore heavy black-framed glasses with thick lenses that magnified his gray eyes.
Brodie thought of Anna’s description of the old Stasi men she would encounter in the bars.They had a bad, retro look about them.
Brodie said, “Dr. Dorn, my name is Scott Brodie, United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, and these are my colleagues, CID Special Agent Maggie Taylor and FBI Special Agent David Kim. We are in the process of concluding our homicide investigation into the murder of American CID Agent Harry Vance.”
Dorn nodded, then gestured to three leather chairs across from his desk. “Sit. Please.”
They all sat, and Dorn took a seat behind his desk. He moved aside some papers in front of him. “I heard on the news that you have identified the perpetrators. Congratulations.”
Brodie said, “There are still a few loose ends.”
Dorn did not respond.
“We see that Colonel Charles Granger is a member of your board of directors.”
Dorn said, “Yes. He was a founding member.”
Taylor asked, “Did you have a relationship with him before you founded this company?”
Dorn nodded. “Our relationship goes back many years.” He added, “I was told you asked to speak with him first, before asking for me. What interest do you have in the colonel?”
Brodie looked him in the eyes. “In the months preceding his murder, Harry Vance was seeking the identity of an American traitor, a U.S. military officer who worked as an intelligence asset for the Stasi in the eighties. We have reason to believe that Colonel Granger might have information pertinent to the identity of this double agent.”
Dorn’s gray eyes blinked behind his oversize lenses. Then he said, “As I’m sure you know, the colonel himself was an intelligence officer, and served in Berlin at that time.”
Kim asked, “Where is Colonel Granger now?”
“I really can’t say.”
“Meaning you don’t know?”
Dorn did not respond.
