Facing him, Mayer said: “I’m serious. If you value your marriage, don’t let it wither away.”
The word itself sounded both funny and sad. Technically, until the divorce papers were finalized, they were still married. “You can’t kill something that’s already dead. Plus, I seem to have missed the part of you being a marriage counselor. Weren’t you preaching about a hundred and one reasons not to get married a moment ago?”
“You’re a funny guy, Bauer. I’ll lay it all out for you over a beer or two, okay? Maybe after you’ve left your wife—or she’s left you first—we’ll get us into a cozy pub booth, get wasted, and share our inner worlds. How does this sound?”
“It sounds like a plan, but this time, I get to pick up the spot.”
Mayer chuckled. “So, you didn’t enjoy being the only man at the bar last time? I always thought that was the ultimate male fantasy.”
“I’m okay being your wingman, but a heads up won’t hurt next time.”
The police radio kicked in. “PD 5-11, do you copy?”
Pressing the button, Mayer spoke into the radio. “Control, this is PD 5-11. What’s the status?”
“PD 5-86 just reported movement at the southeast side of the building. An individual arrived by bike, hiding it in the bushes behind the Alte Nationalgalerie. Suspect is likely male, tall, slender, dressed in black, and carries a rucksack. Potentially armed, approach with caution.”
“Copy that, Control. We’re on our way.”
She cracked a smile. “You owe me twenty.”
“Next rounds are on me, then. Now let’s go get the son of a bitch.”
Chapter 2
EXITING THE CAR AS SOON AS their target entered the museum, they headed for the entrance.
The plan was simple: first, set up the fake art exhibition as a bait and trap operation. Rather than trying to capture him at the entrance, risking a chase in an open space with civilians around, they had opted for a secure setup inside the museum.
Holding the door open, the guard at the entrance let them inside.
They walked along the newly constructed corridor, flanked by plaster building boards on both sides. Upon reaching the end of the corridor, which led into the secure area, they came to a halt.
Mayer signaled him to unholster his gun. Peeking around the corner, she motioned him to cover her. With a raised fist in the air, she began to count to five, raising a finger with each passing second.
On her mark, Olaf left his position, his gun trained on the open space ahead.
Ducking, Mayer stepped into the room. “Polizei!” she shouted, her gun sweeping in every direction around her.
“Fuck!” she said.
Olaf followed her into the secure area, adrenaline coursing through his body. To the right, the two uniforms who were meant to apprehend the suspect lay on the ground. Their lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling, blood flowing from multiple chest wounds.
In a vast, echoing space like this, they should have heard the gunshots from a distance. The suspect had brought a silencer. Smart move. Shooting someone in a public place with a silencer made for a quick escape in the middle of the pandemonium.
Mayer knelt beside the dead men, her fingers searching for a pulse. “We have two officers down,” she said into the radio. “I repeat: two officers down, send medics. The target is armed and still at large.”
“Copy that. Detective Mayer, you’re ordered to wait for—”
Mayer shut down the radio as she stood up. “That piece of shit is going to pay.”
“Better wait for the tactical,” Olaf said. “If the guy has a silencer, who knows what he’s capable of?”
Mayer approached him, looked him straight in the eye. “Detective Bauer, I’m going after this bastard right now and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. The only question is whether you’re tagging along.”
At that very moment, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He didn’t need to check the screen to know it was Tina. She was poised to call him until he went there or until the phone’s battery died. Leaving the operation prematurely had never been an option, and leaving Mayer to chase the target alone was neither.
“Take the lead,” he said.
They made for the opposite side of the area, where a door lay half open, the guard’s keys still dangling from the lock. Peeking around it with caution, they swung it open and advanced to the next section.
The Pergamon Altar materialized before them, an impressive construction with a history spanning over two millennia. It was a massive structure made of marble, featuring a majestic stairway that led to the temple area. Beneath the dimmed lighting, the array of columns on the upper part was an ideal point for a gunman.
Olaf extended his arm, preventing her from moving further. “We can’t go out there; we’ll be sitting ducks.”
“Have a better plan?”
The museum building was designed in the shape of the Greek letter pi, featuring two parallel rectangular wings and a third connecting them at the top. Positioned at the midpoint of the upper wing, they had to choose between clearing the left or the right wing first. That way they could ascend to the first floor, landing straight at the Altar temple. Even that, was ugly and risky.
“Honestly? We step outside and wait for the tactical team.”
“That’s not gonna cut it for me,” Mayer said. “I’m heading left, aiming to catch our target by surprise. If you clear the right branch, we’ll sandwich him.”
“It’s damn stupid to split up right now.”
“Then stay here and wait for the tactical to arrive.”
Without waiting for his response, she opened the door on the left wall and vanished behind it.
