“I won’t have long to wait.”
Taylor had no response.
Brodie spotted a tall man in a blue Army service uniform entering the lobby from the front entrance. The man saw them and headed in their direction. As he got closer Brodie saw he was in his early fifties with short military-cut gray hair, a ruddy face, and angular features. He wore the silver star of a brigadier general on his shoulders and had a chest full of ribbons.
Brodie and Taylor stood, ready to salute as the man approached, but he extended his hand.
“Ms. Taylor, Mr. Brodie. I’m General Frank Kiernan, defense attaché.”
They all shook hands.
Brodie said, “Pleasure to meet you, sir. Colonel Dombroski speaks highly of you.”
Kiernan smiled. “Haven’t seen Stan in eight years. He has no idea what this place has done to me.” He gestured to the club chairs. “Let’s sit.”
They all sat. Kiernan looked between the two of them and said, “Hell of a thing.”
Brodie nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“I’ve got my theories. I’m sure you have yours. You ought to know I’ve spoken with Mark Jenkins, Harry Vance’s former partner. He’s out for blood. Everyone in the Fifth MP is. Understandable. But General Hackett made the right decision in not letting them handle it and sending you two.”
Taylor said, “Thank you, sir. Is there anything you can share with us about your conversation with Mark Jenkins?”
“Plenty. But you might be better off speaking to him directly.” He took a business card from his pocket and handed it to Taylor. “My card. His cell is written on the back. He’s staying at the Radisson, not too far from here. He’s already spoken to the FBI and the BKA, but he sounded eager to confer with his own people.”
“We’ll get in touch ASAP,” said Taylor.
“Good. So where did they put you up?”
Brodie said, “Ms. Taylor has put us in the Art Hotel.”
“Where is that?”
“It’s in Neukölln,” said Taylor. “We wanted to get a sense of the area.”
“Okay… Well, I guess that makes sense. But if it’s a dump I’m sure the embassy can help relocate you.”
Brodie asked, “How long have you been in-country, General?”
“Six years,” said Kiernan. “It’s an interesting posting. Modern Germany is a nation somewhat unique in world history—a rich, successful country that is in many ways afraid of its own power.”
Taylor said, “They seem to be exerting a lot of power over the rest of Europe.”
“Economicpower,” said Kiernan. “And maybe that’s part of the key to their success, fully committing to that tool because the rest of their toolbox has been shut. But their military has gradually been spreading its wings, so to speak, in the last twenty years. It’s been an interesting process to see from the inside.”
Brodie nodded. German resentment over their forced disarmament after the First World War was one of the contributing factors to Hitler’s rise to power, and during the Cold War, West Germany’s military had a purelydefensive posture and never saw combat. After reunification, the unified German military—the Bundeswehr—slowly stepped onto the world stage, first in Kosovo and then Afghanistan. It was now deployed all over the world, which made some people nervous.
Kiernan continued, “It’s the ongoing guns and butter debate with the Germans,” referring to the competing priorities of military and social welfare spending. “And it’s easy enough for the pacifist politicians here and the rest of Europe to scare the crap out of the public and the world about the bogeyman of a large and powerful German military. But it’s happening.”
“You believe that’s a good thing?” asked Brodie.
“Sure,” said Kiernan. “So long as you stay on their good side.” He chuckled and said, “A German tourist drives to the French border and hands his passport to the guard. Border guard asks, ‘Occupation?’ and the German says, ‘No no no, just visiting.’?”
Kiernan laughed at his own bad joke. Brodie and Taylor smiled. This guy had definitely been here too long.
Kiernan’s smile faded and he appeared lost in thought. After a moment he said, “You two did a hell of a job on the Mercer case.”
Officially, there was no such case, and if there was, Brodie and Taylor had nothing to do with it. So neither of them responded.
