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“I would never.” I smirked and raised a brow but laughed when he added, “Any longer.”
Givenneither of us was hungry after our late lunch and we were anxious to speak with Macht and Reaper about Godwin’s abrupt departure from the restaurant, we asked our waiter to package our meal to take with us.
“Macht is waiting out front,” Zeppelin leaned in and whispered just as the waiter returned with our packaged food.
“Reaper and I were able to plant listening devices inside Godwin’s room. He’s monitoring the former ambassador now,” he reported once we were some distance from the lodge.
“Copy that,” said Zeppelin.
The three of us remained quiet until we could see the chalet in the distance. My mobile buzzed with an alert, as did Zeppelin’s.
“Go that way,” he said, pointing to an offshoot that went in a different direction after checking his phone. “Stop here,” he added when we reached a densely forested area. “Someone is casing the chalet.”
I pulled out my own phone, swiped the screen, and handed it to Macht.
From what I could see on Zep’s mobile, it would be impossible to identify the person, given they were covered almost entirely in black, including a full ski mask and gloves.
“It’s Hans,” said Macht almost immediately.
I took a closer look. “The valet? How can you tell?”
He zoomed in on the video and pointed to the man’s boots. “Those are Dolomites,” he explained. “They’re very expensive and typically sold with white laces. Those are red.”
“Surely, that isn’t unusual enough to say with certainty it’s Hans.”
He zoomed in further. “Look at the way the left one is frayed on the end. It’s Hans.”
My eyes met Zeppelin’s. “What do you want to do?”
“You wait here. Macht and I will go through the woods and see what he’s up to.”
I was about to lose my temper when I heard Zep add, “Hang on. Different plan. Macht, can you secure the horses?”
“Of course,” he said, getting out of the sleigh and tying them off.
“What made you change your mind about me joining you?” I asked, climbing out of the sleigh on my own rather than take the hand he offered.
He leaned in and whispered, “Something in your eyes told me I might end up as your first assassination victim if I didn’t.”
“You were very close,Zeppelin.”
He pointed to a trail that weaved through the trees but put his hand on my arm when I took a step in that direction.
“Can I tell you how much the tone of your voice just now turned me on?”
I kept walking but glanced over my shoulder. “You can tell me later.”
Once we arrived at the chalet, we saw Hans attempting to gain access through a window near the trees where Zep hadpointed out the two black foxes. He and I went around one side while Macht went in the opposite direction.
We stood a few feet away, firearms at the ready, watching as Macht approached Hans and asked what he was doing. The two men argued in Swiss German, Hans telling Macht to mind his own business.
Once he gave us a head nod, indicating it was safe for us to approach, Zeppelin called out to both men. “Is there something amiss with the chalet?” he asked in a loud voice.
Macht stared Hans down.
“The housekeeping staff said there was a leak,” he responded. Even in the low amount of light, I could see his eyes darting back and forth.
“You might have more luck checking inside,” Zep suggested.