Page 98 of Denied Access
After confirming he was alone, Zeke left the trail and clambered beneath the bridge. Withdrawing the Ziploc bag containing the document from his jacket pocket, he checked his surroundings for watching eyes a final time and then deposited the bag under the bridge.
Fifteen minutes later, he was back in his BMW driving east.
He’d done his part.
Now it was up to his countrymen to do theirs.
CHAPTER 54
RHEINFALL, SWITZERLAND
FOURhours later, Rapp pulled to a stop on Zentralstrasse.
All in all, he hadn’t made bad time. There were several flights between Vienna and Zurich each day and the transit took only a little over ninety minutes. After arriving in Zurich, Rapp had secured a rental car and hit the road. He would have made it to Rheinfall sooner but for the need to visit one of his safe-deposit boxes. In addition to the cash, passport, and documents that Ohlmeyer had provided when the banker had originally set up the box, Rapp had added something more germane to his line of work.
A loaded Glock and two spare magazines.
The comforting feel of a pistol in his waistband and magazines in his pockets did much to improve his state of mind. As did the town of Rheinfall. The charming Swiss city looked as if it had been lifted from the pages of a travel guide. The town was full of quiet parks, cafés, and shops. The streets were clean and multiple scenic overlooks provided opportunities for hikers to catch their breath while watching the Rhine River flow lazily by. It was the sort of place that attracted bohemian backpackers and sophisticated holiday-seekers in equal number.
Rapp was neither.
He was debating whether to try his luck with the Autobahnpolizei by parking illegally or circle the block in search of aParkplatzwhen the decision was made for him. No sooner had he pulled even with the row of chairs marking the hostel’s café than the front door opened and Greta bounded out. Rapp shifted the transmission into park and exited the vehicle.
The Swiss beauty jumped into his arms.
“I missed you,” Greta said.
“Me too,” Rapp said, pulling her tight.
She felt… wonderful.
The press of her tight body against his chest was certainly pleasant enough, but his sense of satisfaction was more than just sexual. Her hair smelled of lavender and her skin like vanilla. The warmth of her breath tickled his skin and the touch of her nose against his neck sent a jolt of electricity arcing through his nervous system, but the whole of her was greater than the sum of her parts. The weight of her presence filled the void left by her absence.
He felt… complete.
A two-note wolf whistle split the air, suggesting that their hug had not gone unnoticed. Looking over Greta’s shoulder, Rapp spotted a group of men gathered around one of the café’s outdoor tables with backpacks resting by their feet. Seeing that he had Rapp’s attention, a backpacker lifted a stein in salute.
Rapp smiled.
Even dressed in an oversize sweatshirt and jeans, sans makeup, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, Greta attracted the male eye.
“Made some friends I see?” Rapp said.
Greta snorted as she released her hug. “Boys will be boys.”
Before he could reply, she threaded her fingers through his hair and then stood on her toes to kiss him full on the lips. If the touch of her nose against his throat had sent a shock through his nervous system, the feel of her mouth on his almost short-circuited it. He slid his handsdown to her hips and was in the process of pulling her closer when she pressed her palm flat against his chest.
“Enough,” Greta said with a chuckle from deep in her throat. “Get me out of here.”
“Of course,” Rapp said, the words coming out a bit more breathless than he’d have liked. “Where are we headed?”
“Home.”
Thirty minutes later, Rapp was driving south on the Autobahn and was almost to Zurich.
Zurich and Greta’s waiting grandfather.
After climbing into the car beside him, Greta had fastened her seat belt and promptly fallen asleep. He hadn’t blamed her. Between the lack of sleep the previous night and the anxiousness and stress of today, she must have been exhausted.
