17-02-2020, 02:22 AM
Generalissimo Hernando Ramirez and Detective Inspector Luc Tomas Allaine stood on the bridge of the cruiser LCS Avanti. Ammiraglio Antonio Bagglia, Admiral of San Finzione's Naval Forces, stood with them and the captain as they patrolled the harbor. Ramirez ended a call with La Contessa.
"She's figured out why Dietz is doing all of this." He told Luc, stepping away from Bagglia and the bridge crew. "The actor playing the villain in the film is an unknowing descendant of the real man; a Nazi who's not supposed to have lived to see the end of The War."
Luc thought on the new information. La Contessa had promised to be better about keeping them updated on her activities since the cave-in. He thought she handled the State Department well.
"You're certain he had no relatives who might carry a family resemblance." Luc observed.
"This is a man we study in our history classes. He had no family. Then again, he is also supposed to be dead."
"I see. Even if the actor doesn't know him, Schell's probably followed his career from afar. Dietz started setting things in motion with Scott two weeks prior to the murder. Without looking it up, I'm guessing that the casting announcements were made around that time."
"You'd have to ask the movie people about that." Ramirez answered. "But it seems right. All of this, then, has been to protect a Nazi fugitive. It explains why Dietz stuck around after the initial murder. He's taking orders from someone. ODESSA, maybe?"
"Simon Wiesenthal said that ODESSA was a theory. He never proved their existence. If they were real and any of them were left, they'd be a cabal of withered old men connected to machines. And they'd have no issue with simply killing the actor to keep their secrets safe. No, only family goes to these lengths to simultaneously protect and undermine you."
Ramirez was forced to agree with Luc's assessment.
"The actor's father is still alive in America. La Contessa will be able to get more from him."
"Mmm." Luc Mmmed. "He has to be hiding something and she'll have an easier time getting to it than others." He picked up a pair of binoculars and scanned the shoreline with the last rays of sunset. "Let's find Dietz and see what more he can tell us."
* * *
Heinrich Dietz sat on the floor in the back of the van, slumped down so that he couldn't be seen from the outside. The rear windows were tinted, but he was afraid of taking the chance. Every once in a while, he got the nerve to peek out the back. What he saw behind them on the streets would then make him duck back down.
The white panel vans were chosen for their inconspicuousness, and since updates to the earlier broadcast informed The People that they were traveling in one, it felt anything but. When he saw people in the streetlights, all eyes seemed to be on the vehicle; questioning looks on the faces that went with them. Those with phones out all seemed to have them pointed at the van or weren't taking their eyes off the vehicle as they dialed someone.
He fought the urge, again, to tell In Charge to drive faster. They'd been listening to the radio and heard the update to be on the lookout for a van like the one they were in. Enough attention was being drawn. Surely every van like this must be getting the same scrutiny. They couldn't possibly KNOW this was the right one, could they?
Still, he imagined those other vans were being pulled over and checked. He patted the Sturmgewehr. If they encountered security officer and Heinrich Dietz had to go down shooting this day, he would be firing a masterpiece. Assuming he made it out of this country alive, he had two souvenirs: the gun and the extra SS uniform. Another man down in the caverns may have helped, but he preferred to have three bodies left standing between him and any bullets than two. He thought of putting on the uniform to be dressed for the occasion in case this was the end.
It was too soon for that kind of pessimism. He could still make it to the ship and escape. He'd seen on the news before that Luc Allaine from Interpol had come out of his office for this, but he evaded security officermen all the time. He'd been a wanted man for years. He'd escaped manhunts larger than this one; in countries with many more forces to bring down upon him.
But none of them had HER on their side! The fucking Thief who sat on the throne of this tourist trap and had outmaneuvered him at every turn. And when he found out she'd escaped from the cave-in? She wasn't just a smart thief, she was a fucking lucky one, too! Having taken the time to read up on her online, rumors of some kind of supernatural power were scattered throughout. He'd thought they were hyperbole, but his time in San Finzione was convincing him that there might be something to it. He'd focused on more practical information relating to the mission and was now wishing he'd strayed on one or two of those links. Perhaps the woman DID possess some kind of magic!
The van slowed to a stop. He sat up, flattening against the interior, gun at the ready. In Charge saw him in the mirror and motioned to stay down.
"Gate guard." He told Dietz. "I know what to do."
His annoyance at now being completely dependent on the man he once called Dummkopf to survive made him consider bothering to learn some names on the next job; assuming there was one. It was too late for this one.
In Charge handed an envelope out the window of the vehicle. The waiting went on long enough for Dietz to start counting the seconds in his head, knowing many had already passed and he was behind. Around the time he got to a minute plus whatever it had been at the start was when the sound of a gate being lifted could be heard and they proceeded past. He peeked out the back window at the dock gate closing behind them.
"She's figured out why Dietz is doing all of this." He told Luc, stepping away from Bagglia and the bridge crew. "The actor playing the villain in the film is an unknowing descendant of the real man; a Nazi who's not supposed to have lived to see the end of The War."
Luc thought on the new information. La Contessa had promised to be better about keeping them updated on her activities since the cave-in. He thought she handled the State Department well.
"You're certain he had no relatives who might carry a family resemblance." Luc observed.
"This is a man we study in our history classes. He had no family. Then again, he is also supposed to be dead."
"I see. Even if the actor doesn't know him, Schell's probably followed his career from afar. Dietz started setting things in motion with Scott two weeks prior to the murder. Without looking it up, I'm guessing that the casting announcements were made around that time."
"You'd have to ask the movie people about that." Ramirez answered. "But it seems right. All of this, then, has been to protect a Nazi fugitive. It explains why Dietz stuck around after the initial murder. He's taking orders from someone. ODESSA, maybe?"
"Simon Wiesenthal said that ODESSA was a theory. He never proved their existence. If they were real and any of them were left, they'd be a cabal of withered old men connected to machines. And they'd have no issue with simply killing the actor to keep their secrets safe. No, only family goes to these lengths to simultaneously protect and undermine you."
Ramirez was forced to agree with Luc's assessment.
"The actor's father is still alive in America. La Contessa will be able to get more from him."
"Mmm." Luc Mmmed. "He has to be hiding something and she'll have an easier time getting to it than others." He picked up a pair of binoculars and scanned the shoreline with the last rays of sunset. "Let's find Dietz and see what more he can tell us."
* * *
Heinrich Dietz sat on the floor in the back of the van, slumped down so that he couldn't be seen from the outside. The rear windows were tinted, but he was afraid of taking the chance. Every once in a while, he got the nerve to peek out the back. What he saw behind them on the streets would then make him duck back down.
The white panel vans were chosen for their inconspicuousness, and since updates to the earlier broadcast informed The People that they were traveling in one, it felt anything but. When he saw people in the streetlights, all eyes seemed to be on the vehicle; questioning looks on the faces that went with them. Those with phones out all seemed to have them pointed at the van or weren't taking their eyes off the vehicle as they dialed someone.
He fought the urge, again, to tell In Charge to drive faster. They'd been listening to the radio and heard the update to be on the lookout for a van like the one they were in. Enough attention was being drawn. Surely every van like this must be getting the same scrutiny. They couldn't possibly KNOW this was the right one, could they?
Still, he imagined those other vans were being pulled over and checked. He patted the Sturmgewehr. If they encountered security officer and Heinrich Dietz had to go down shooting this day, he would be firing a masterpiece. Assuming he made it out of this country alive, he had two souvenirs: the gun and the extra SS uniform. Another man down in the caverns may have helped, but he preferred to have three bodies left standing between him and any bullets than two. He thought of putting on the uniform to be dressed for the occasion in case this was the end.
It was too soon for that kind of pessimism. He could still make it to the ship and escape. He'd seen on the news before that Luc Allaine from Interpol had come out of his office for this, but he evaded security officermen all the time. He'd been a wanted man for years. He'd escaped manhunts larger than this one; in countries with many more forces to bring down upon him.
But none of them had HER on their side! The fucking Thief who sat on the throne of this tourist trap and had outmaneuvered him at every turn. And when he found out she'd escaped from the cave-in? She wasn't just a smart thief, she was a fucking lucky one, too! Having taken the time to read up on her online, rumors of some kind of supernatural power were scattered throughout. He'd thought they were hyperbole, but his time in San Finzione was convincing him that there might be something to it. He'd focused on more practical information relating to the mission and was now wishing he'd strayed on one or two of those links. Perhaps the woman DID possess some kind of magic!
The van slowed to a stop. He sat up, flattening against the interior, gun at the ready. In Charge saw him in the mirror and motioned to stay down.
"Gate guard." He told Dietz. "I know what to do."
His annoyance at now being completely dependent on the man he once called Dummkopf to survive made him consider bothering to learn some names on the next job; assuming there was one. It was too late for this one.
In Charge handed an envelope out the window of the vehicle. The waiting went on long enough for Dietz to start counting the seconds in his head, knowing many had already passed and he was behind. Around the time he got to a minute plus whatever it had been at the start was when the sound of a gate being lifted could be heard and they proceeded past. He peeked out the back window at the dock gate closing behind them.
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