Chapter 37
“I’ll get to the point,” the voice said. It was not the bomber. The German accent was unmistakable. “Henrik Strauss has something I want. I have something he wants. I see no reason why we can’t make a simple exchange.”
“Should I call you Klaus Brenner, or Klaus von Markov?”
“It does not matter what you call me. What matters is that I have Giselle. If Henrik wants to see her alive again, he will deliver the Vrilkristall and share his knowledge.”
“I need proof of life,” I said.
“You will get it.” Then he added, “She is unharmed for now. Involve anyone else or play any games with me, and I will not be able to guarantee her safety.”
“You won’t get what you want if she’s harmed.”
“Then you should play by the rules.”
“What are the rules?”
“You will deliver the Vrilkristall to me tomorrow night. I will give you a time and a location.”
“It’s going to take longer than that to get to the crystal.”
“That’s not my problem.”
“I can’t change the laws of physics. I need more time.”
“You’ll have to figure something out.”
“How am I supposed to do that when Henrik can’t remember where it is?”
“If that’s the case, you better find a way to spark his memory.”
“Sounds like you’re in a hurry. What does time matter if you can manipulate it?”
“Find the crystal. I will be in touch.”
He ended the call, and I dialed Isabella. I knew she probably wouldn’t be able to track the call over the encrypted app, but it was worth a shot. I sent her a copy of the proof of life video after it came through.
Giselle was bound at the wrists and ankles, with duct tape over her mouth.
Tears had streaked her mascara. It looked like she was on a bunk in a boat.
The LED light from a cell phone lit her face, blowing it out.
The picture wobbled with the swells. Klaus kept the framing tight.
He stuck today’s paper in front of the lens and focused on the date.
My jaw tightened as I watched.
Giselle looked terrified.
I left my stateroom and found Jack. He and Henrik were still watching TV in the salon. He’d taken a liking to the old guy. It was hard not to.
“We’ve got a situation,” I said after I pulled JD aside.
I gave him the scoop in a whisper.
His face tightened. “You got any idea where Klaus called you from?”
“He’s on a boat somewhere.” I showed him the clip.
Jack winced at the sight.
“I don’t want to upset Henrik,” I said. “But we’ve got to tell him.”
“How do you think he’ll take it?”
“I don’t want to give him a heart attack.”
“I’ll tell him,” Jack said.
We walked back into the salon.
“Hey, buddy. We’ve got a little problem.”
“The problem is I need another beer. And we should call some honeys. There’s no action around here tonight.”
“I’m afraid it’s a little more complicated than that.” Jack cringed. “Do you remember where you hid the crystal?”
Henrik’s face wrinkled. “Why?”
“Well, there’s no easy way to put this.” He told him the bad news.
Henrik’s face went long. Then he clenched his jaw. “That vile son-of-a-bitch!”
“We’ll sort this out, but we need something to bargain with. We’ve got roughly 24 hours.”
“Or what?”
“You know what.”
A grim frown tugged his face. “Klaus must not be allowed to get that crystal. It is imperative. Do you know what he will do!?”
“It’s all theoretical at this point,” I said. “No one has really traveled through time. Klaus Brenner is von Markov’s grandson. There is a logical explanation for all this.”
Henrik glared at me. “I know what I experienced all those years ago. I know how powerful the Vrilkristall is. This technology must not fall into enemy hands. My family has made great sacrifices to ensure this technology would never be misused. I’m not compromising our future or our past now.”
I still didn’t buy into the whole thing, but Henrik sure did.
“He’s going to kill Giselle if he doesn’t get what he wants,” I said.
“If he gets what he wants, do you know how many other people will die? He will change the course of history. This…” he said, motioning around. “All of this could vanish.”
He snapped his fingers.
“What if he’s right?” Jack muttered.
I shared a look of doubt with JD, then said to Henrik, “Are you really going to let your granddaughter die?”
Sadness filled the old man’s eyes.