The Einstein Pursuit

56

Masseri grinned at Payne and slid a folder across the table. ‘Thirty miles to the east, you will find a facility — a laboratory — in the woodlands near Rakovnik. It was once a military stronghold, a structure that passed through the hands of the various occupiers of what was then Czechoslovakia. The Nazis. The Soviets. And so on. Trust me when I tell you that it has seen its fair share of atrocities. It has been retrofitted to meet the needs of today’s modern science.’

Payne ignored the folder. ‘What are they studying there?’

‘The experiments are not important,’ Masseri countered. ‘At least not to me. What is important are the men supervising the facility.’

‘You owe them?’

‘Quite the contrary: they are the ones who owe me. In exchange for the delivery of your Dr Sahlberg, they have agreed to pay me a rather exorbitant sum.’

‘You have Mattias. Why not collect your money?’

‘I received a better offer — one that pays more and allows your friend to keep his life. I believe that is what you Americans refer to as a “win-win”.’

‘They’re planning to kill him?’

Masseri smiled. ‘I see no other alternative. Once they’ve obtained the information they seek, there’s no need to keep him around. The risk is too great. And the death of an elderly man can be easily explained — not that they’re worried about that sort of thing.’

‘What is it that Mattias knows?’

‘That doesn’t concern me. All that matters is that someone is willing to pay more to keep him alive.’

‘Who?’

Masseri smiled. ‘In due time, Jonathon, in due time. Tell me, what of the facility?’

‘What do you mean?’

He pointed at the unopened folder. ‘I want to know the likelihood that you can raid the compound and kill those in control of it, of course.’

‘You want them dead?’

‘It seems like the cleanest way to accomplish the goal.’

‘Just like Stockholm,’ Payne stated.

Masseri scoffed at the notion. ‘I assure you I had nothing to do with Stockholm. In fact, by eliminating this facility, you will have your retribution against those responsible for the destruction of the Stockholm laboratory.’

‘You mean, the men supervising this lab—’

‘Yes! They are the same men that deemed the Stockholm facility a liability.’ Masseri paused, letting the information sink in. ‘Don’t worry: you’re not being sent to kill everyone, only the men with their fingers on the trigger. Their deaths will restore the balance. An eye for an eye, as they say.’

‘I don’t kill for revenge,’ Payne said.

Masseri laughed. ‘Your past actions would prove otherwise. Or can you justify every special forces killing as a necessary pre-emptive strike?’

Payne kept his cool and refused to take the bait. He would have liked nothing more than to explain the difference between revenge and justice in painful, bone-cracking detail, but it would have to wait. Right now, as much as he hated to admit it, this man was the best lead he had.

He opened the folder and glanced at the photos inside. ‘Why kill them? Why not blow the whistle and let the local police handle the dirty work?’

Masseri shook his head. ‘You must understand, the first rule of a double-cross is to ensure that those you are about to betray are not left standing. Contrary to your righteous claim, revenge is a powerful motivator for most. If I don’t eliminate these men, then I am forced to live in fear of their reprisal. And I have neither the time nor the desire to do that. Once this act is completed, I can walk away for good. Free and clear to spend the rest of my days as I see fit. I’ve done terrible things, but that time has passed. You can facilitate my retirement, Jonathon.’

Payne smirked. ‘I can do that right now … with a bullet.’

‘But you won’t. And do you know why you won’t? Because my death means Sahlberg’s death too. It’s as simple as that.’

‘Why use me? Why not do this yourself?’

Masseri leaned back in his chair. ‘The second rule of a double-cross is to make sure you’re as insulated from the front line as possible. Normally, this rule would be superseded by my need to make sure that the job was done effectively, but in this instance I’ve been granted a reprieve. I have you.’

‘In other words, you’re a pussy.’

‘No,’ Masseri said, ‘my particular talent involves the apprehension or termination of a single objective. I creep into their lives and pounce when they least expect it. Your skill set, on the other hand, is eliminating multiple targets in a hostile environment. Overwhelm the opponent with brute force. I have every confidence that your abilities will serve you well in this situation.’

‘Lucky me.’

‘No, lucky me,’ Masseri stressed.

He couldn’t have hoped for a better scenario. If Cole managed to kill Payne and Jones during the assault, Masseri would simply turn Sahlberg over to the South African as planned. He would be rewarded with his original fee, and the status quo would be maintained. However, if Payne successfully wiped out Cole and his men, Masseri was free to collect a larger fee from the other party seeking Sahlberg’s safe delivery. After that, he could give up this life and disappear for ever.

As long as he controlled Sahlberg, he controlled his own destiny.

The situation was already a win-win, so what harm could it do to push for a little extra? With Cole dead, there would be no more looking over his shoulder.

Payne studied the contents of the folder. They included little more than a map of the compound and pictures of the men he was to kill. ‘Which one is Hendrik Cole?’

Masseri twitched at the mention of Cole’s name. ‘You know he’s involved?’

Payne stared across the table. ‘I do now.’

‘Very nicely played. But no matter, his identity was to be revealed during this conversation. The first picture is of Hendrik. He is at the top of the list. The others all take their orders from him. They are no less dangerous, just considerably less wicked.’

‘I’m familiar with his reputation.’

‘You have no idea,’ Masseri countered. ‘The Butcher of Benin doesn’t do it justice. The man is vile through and through.’

‘Given the source, is that supposed to scare me?’

‘It is not my intention to scare you. Rather, I want to be clear what you’re up against.’

‘If I do what you ask, if I kill these men, what assurances do I have that Mattias will be set free?’

‘You have my word.’

‘Not good enough,’ Payne insisted.

‘Then perhaps this will suffice.’ Masseri opened his briefcase and withdrew a small electronic tablet. He handed the device to Payne. ‘Press play.’

Payne tapped the arrow on the screen and a preloaded video began to roll. It was of a middle-aged man seated at a desk. In his hand he held the previous day’s edition of Czechia Today, one of the country’s newspapers. In the military, this was known as proof-of-life documentation.

As the camera focused on the man’s face, Payne began to recognize him. He had seen his image in the file that Dial had forwarded to him, although the man on the screen looked like he had aged ten years in the last two months. When he spoke, he confirmed Payne’s suspicion.

‘I am Tomas Berglund, and I need your help.’

Payne paused the recording. ‘You’ve had him the whole time?’

‘Keep watching,’ Masseri replied.

Payne restarted the video and listened as Berglund explained the situation.

‘When they destroyed my laboratory in Stockholm, I knew they would eventually go after Mattias. They were smart enough to find our communications and were untrusting of my pleas that he knows nothing of my research. To protect his life, I have made an arrangement with the very man they sent to locate him. Now that Mattias is safe, there is only one more thing that must be done. The men who destroyed my lab must be dealt with. It is the only way to end this madness. It is the only chance we have to walk away.’

Berglund leaned in to the camera. ‘Please, you must trust me. I beg of you, help me. Help Mattias. Help us all.’