Chapter V

"I’ve always wanted to play a spy, because it is the ultimate acting exercise.  

You are what you never seem.”

-- Benedict Cumberbatch, actor

Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico

The restaurant at the Hotel Colonial in no way meets the definition of a small café but, then, a small café was not where Matias and the Baroness had lunch several years ago.  They had wanted a bit more privacy which the Colonial could afford them.  The Colonial, built in 1944, had a certain tarnished charm that comes with age.  The Colonial’s four floors were accessed via tiled stairs as no elevator was ever installed.  The tiled floors and stairs blended well with the years of varnished, age darkened, woodwork and an indoor central courtyard which sported a small, colorfully tiled fountain.  The courtyard also served as the indoor access to one of the better restaurants in central Manzanillo. 

Several restaurant guests, mostly tourists, looked out from between the turned, wooden balusters which stretched floor to ceiling at the main windows offering an open air view of passersby, cars, and colorful street vendors on the main avenue.  Several of the guests commented to each other while pointing at the pristine Karmann Ghia that moved with the slow traffic.  It didn’t matter that it was lunchtime, the traffic was slow from early morning until nine at night, later during festivals.  Traffic for a couple of hours either side of noon, however, is particularly plodding in el centro and Matias always opted to avoid it whenever possible, especially if he was driving his convertible. 

Today, he was forced to circle the block twice and finally caught the eye of Maxamillian, his favorite car wash man, plying his trade on the street in front of the bar just around the corner from the hotel.  Max was just finishing his latest client and looking for another.  He smiled when he saw Matias and stepped into the street to stop him while the car he had finished backed into the street allowing Matias a parking spot.  Max threw the last of a half bucket of soapy water onto the next car as Matias shut down the engine and got out.  Max wiped his right hand on his jeans before giving Matias a hearty handshake.  “Buenos dias, Capitan!  Como esta, how is it going, senor?”

“Bein, bein, gracias Max.  Y tu?”

“I am fine, senor.  As you can see business is brisk.  Your car looks as if it is not in need of my services however, yes?”

“I was wondering if you could just keep an eye on the old mujer for me, Max.”

“Ah, always a pleasure to watch your lady, senor.”  Max offered his toothy grin in expectation of the captain’s usual show of appreciation and Matias did not disappoint as he peeled off two hundred pesos amounting to four car washes.  Max would eat a hearty lunch today.  “You will be back soon?”

“About one hour, Max.”

Max nodded.  “No problem, senor.  She is safe with me.”

He patted Max on the shoulder as he was stuffing the two bills into a front pocket.  “Of that I have no doubt, my friend.”

Matias rounded the corner and made for the entrance of the hotel restaurant, half way up the block.  He mounted the steps, checking his watch as he entered, and was greeted with the rich smells of classic Mexican cuisine coming from the kitchen pass-through.  Just in front of this were the hostess station and a plump woman in a summer dress who looked up as he entered.  Her eyes sparkled when she saw him and she checked her top button to make sure she looked appropriate.

“Buenos dias, Capitan!  Como esta?  Bien?”

“Dias, Consuela!”  The captain had known Consuela for as long as she had been the hostess – for years.

“Bien, bien.  Gracias.  Y tu?”

“I also am fine senor.”

He glanced around the nearly empty room.  “I suppose I should have a table, and I am possibly meeting someone.”

Consuela nodded her head as she winked and looked around to ensure no one was watching.  “This is true, senor.  Your appointment is here and waiting for you in room 408.”

Matias actually felt his look of surprise.  “Room 408?”

Consuela continued nodding and removed a key from her apron pocket while lowering her voice to a whisper, “This is my key to the roof.  The stairs are next to the room.  In the event of an “emergency” you may return the key to me later.”  She gave a knowing wink then looked around again, very cloak and daggerish, which forced Matias to bite his lower lip fighting back the smile while trying to maintain a respectful composure.  Consuela thought he was meeting a married woman?

With some drama he whispered back, “Gracias, my sweet.”  He grasped both of her hands and kissed the back of both.  “Remember darling, we’ll always have Paris.”

Consuela blushed and smiled at the kisses but her eyes betrayed her confusion at the statement concerning Paris, which told Matias he had wasted a great line for an anti-climactic outcome.  He still smiled at her naiveté while he turned toward the adjoining indoor courtyard which was well lit from the very old and large, multi-paned skylight on the roof above.  The stairs were just to the right against the wall.  He stopped at the bottom and looked up to the fourth floor railing, suddenly realizing he had to piss.  He began the long climb to the fourth floor.

All of the rooms on each floor lined the outside wall, one unit deep, and were accessed from the hallway on each floor which overlooked the indoor central courtyard and fountain below.  He stopped when he reached the fourth floor and looked over the well varnished railing while he caught a quick breath.  He immediately backed away a step with momentary vertigo.  Matias had never been one for heights and being on the fourth floor was about the limit of his comfort level.  He proceeded around the hall to room 408 and knocked.  A familiar female voice from within butchered the Spanish with a heavier German accent while trying to ask who was there.

He tried to keep his voice low. “Matias.”  The doorknob locked clicked. 

The lock on the knob was false security that kept honest people honest more than keeping thieves away.  A credit card in the proper hands would gain access to the room in seconds.  The door opened a few inches, enough for him to see a very pretty blonde of about twenty-five looking out at him.  She closed the door to remove the secondary level of non-security, the obligatory chain.  With the door fully opened he noted she was wearing a proper business suit, sans jacket, with a white cotton blouse and flats.  He continued in English which he hoped most German business people would know, “I believe we have an appointment?”

The young woman smiled, happy for the language change, and closed the door.  “Kapitan, please come in.  I am Hilda, the personnel assistant to…”

“The Baroness.”  Matias finished for her.  “Yes, we have spoken before.  I am very pleased to meet you in person, albeit a bit surprised.”

A mischievous, mature voice from the outside hall behind him stated, “Then let me surprise you again, my love.”  He turned to find the most beautiful sixty year old woman he has ever laid eyes on; short blonde hair, cream complexion, and a twinkle in sky blue eyes with enough laugh lines to confirm a life of love and good humor, striking a seductive pose against the door jam.  His own eyes went wide with happy surprise.

“Dios Mio!  Elke!  What…”  She placed a finger on his lips and uttered a short “shush.”

Elke pointed inside the room.  “Let’s go inside and I’ll explain.”  He turned toward a chair and felt a gentle pat and squeeze to his butt cheek while Hilda secured the door.

He smiled.  “I see you haven’t changed.”

Elke threw him a pouty lower lip.  “Nor have you, you old prude.  Hilda, would you be a dear and make us a drink?”  She handed Hilda the brown bag containing a bottle of Johnny Walker Scotch which she just purchased from the downstairs bar. “I cannot believe you didn’t hear me on the stairs behind you.”

“You always were quiet as a cat.”

Hilda interrupted, “Would you like the envelope, Baronin?”

“Yes, thank you dear.”  She leaned forward and gave Matias a hug and whispered in his ear, “We must be careful. The German’s are listening.”  She winked at Hilda and his eyebrow arched at the old warning held over from World War II when Nazi intelligence operatives blanketed almost every major port in the world.  Mexican’s still used the phrase as a warning to be prudent about what you say in public.  In this case Matias wondered if it didn’t have more of the historical significance, considering his earlier visit from the young agent.

Hilda returned with a manila envelope and two tumblers of Scotch rocks.  She handed the envelope to the Baroness.

“Danke, Hilda.  Now, be a darling and keep watch while I talk to this handsome gentleman, ja?”

“As you wish, Baronin.”  Hilda took a small purse from the table by the entry door, closing the door behind her as she left.

Elke placed the envelope on the table in front of them and said, “Please, let’s sit.”  She rested a hand on the envelope as she talked.  “We had to leave Germany for a short ‘vacation’ as it seems we opened a bit of a hornets nest during our research.”  Matias leaned forward with interest.

“Would this have anything to do with government intelligence assets?”  It was now Elke’s turn to show surprise.

Ja! Ja, and other, more dangerous ones I fear.  She looked into his eyes.  “Matias, do you have any idea what you have stirred up?

Matias spread his hands.  “Not really, the letter doesn’t begin to touch on what we found, so, no.  Do you?”

She let out a sigh.  “Perhaps.” 

Removed several sheets of paper from the envelope and spreading them out, she moved up against him on the small couch and his mind began to wander to carnal thoughts.  She caught him looking at the cleavage of her small breasts and snapped her fingers in his face, saying firmly, “Pay attention, stud.”  Matias smiled and she continued,  “I will keep this short and to the point, so please hold any questions until I get through it.”

He nodded.  “Claro, I understand.”

She tapped the papers with a narrow finger.  “Computers are not always our friends and, thus, I may be the cause of whatever danger we find ourselves in.  As you know, I have many close friends and colleagues at the Archives.  When you are one of the largest contributors of money and technology, as well as a sitting board member, you make many friends you wish you didn’t.”  She took a sip of her drink.  “I took the liberty of digitizing the information you sent me so we could send it into the digital ‘cloud’ and see what else was out there.”

“Elke, please, keep it simple?”

“Sorry, love.  We queried the internet.  When the Archives query the internet, we query virtually the entire net.  I dare say we even sample some areas where we may not be welcomed.  Well, something we sent, perhaps a combination of key words, seemed to have set off bells and whistles which caused someone from the outside to try and hack into the secure areas of our computerized archives.  More to the point, they tried to hack my personal computer, as well.  As luck would have it, my money also helped pay for a state of the art, tenacious little computer science bulldog, cum programmer, cum hacker, cum make-my-teenage-day IT specialist.  Our hacker was able to block the hack and backtrack it close enough to cause the perpetrator to get cold feet and shut the system down before he was discovered.”

Matias’ brow was furrowed with questions.  Elke saw this and continued, “You might be asking what made him get cold feet?”

Matias exhaled from the effort of trying not to interupt, “Yes.”

She pulled one sheet, which looked like a page of computer language, closer.  It was all Greek to his non-tech mind.  She placed a finger below three highlighted letters, about mid-page - NPD.  “This is what my girl assumes brought the hacker up short and made him shut down the attempt.”

She pulled over another sheet with four photos filling the page.  The photos were of four men, ages mid-twenties to mid-forties, all blonde.  One looked like a student, one a businessman and two who could have been posing for mug shots at the local police station. 

“I managed to get these photos from another close friend of the archives that works with the BKA,” She caught herself using another acronym and corrected it, “the Bundeskriminalamt, Germany’s version of your national security folks, or America’s FBI.  This might also be where we went askew in our research attempts.’

“How so?”

After WWII, Nazi police officers and agents were recruited into police services as they had all the relevant experience to immediately take control.  As you can imagine it was difficult to find any non-Nazis with this requisite experience.  Unfortunately, many were high ranking officers that also had intimate knowledge and involvement in the mass murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews.  It is also a known fact that Gestapo and SS officers were among this group of recruits.  This bodes the concern of whether a clandestine group is working inside the BKA, and if they are, have they been since its creation in 1951?”

She paused for a breath and pointed at the photos again.

If this is the case, it would explain why, in asking for information on these individuals, someone in the BKA might have become alerted to our activities.  As it turns out, these four individuals are rumored to be the enforcement arm of the Nationaldemokratische Partie Deauschlands, or the NPD.”

“Elke?”  She looked again into pleading eyes.  “Spanish if you please, my German was never so good.”

“Pardon, of course.  I get carried away.  The NPD is the National Democratic Party of Germany.”

Matias sat back.  “Nazis?  We keep coming back to the Nazis.”

“Yes, dear, neo-Nazis.  The NDP is considered by some to be the most significant neo-Nazi party to emerge after the fall of the Reich in 1945.  Although they do not bring unwanted attention to themselves through anything more than political issues, we must remember that politics was all Hitler needed to get a foothold in Europe prior to 1940.  What is of even more concern is their rumored association with Werwolf.”

“Werwolf.  That sounds familiar.  I seem to remember something of them from last year, or perhaps the year before, in Europe; a neo-Nazi terrorist group?”

“There have been several.  The one you refer to was associated with the WWT, the White Wolves Terror Crew.  Werwolf is much more insidious.  In the waning years of World War II, Heinrich Himmler created a clandestine terrorist group comprised of several small guerilla units that could operate independently from each other and, if need be, the Reich.  Their sole mission was to create havoc through sabotage of the allied forces.  It has been quietly suspected for the past sixty-five years or so that Werwolf continued their clandestine mission through business ventures that amassed quite a war chest enabling them to fund other groups to do their dirty work against the enemies of the new Reich.  They supposedly have advanced technology and technicians, and well-placed followers that have been slowly secreted into law enforcement and government from the lowest custodial services to the highest levels.”

She let all that was said sink in for a moment.  Matias leaned back into the couch and let out a long breath.  “Mother of God, they sound like our drug cartels.”

“They probably own your drug cartels.  The possible involvement of Werwolf is why we thought it prudent to come pay you a short visit.”

“What makes you think Werwolf is involved at all?”

Elke leaned forward again and pointed to the figure in the upper right photo.  “This one was discovered dead, just outside the gates of my estate as we were leaving for the airport.”

Matias sat back up looking stunned and concerned.  “Who killed him, or dare I ask?”

Elke put her right hand gently over her heart.  “A subject best left for others with more clout to determine.”

“More clout?”

She let out a small chuckle.  “Do not concern yourself, Matias.  It will all work out on my end, as soon as I return.”

The unlocked door to the room almost burst opened.  Hilda entered the room rapidly, purse swinging on a spaghetti strap from her shoulder, pointing at the papers on the table with the finger of one hand while the finger of the other was inserted in the trigger guard of a gun commonly referred to as a Beagle; a 9mm, Baby Desert Eagle II with a ten round magazine and one in the chamber.  “Visitors, downstairs.  The Kapitan must have been followed.”  Her voice became firm with no room for argument.  “Schnell! We must go NOW!  Leave everything except the envelope contents.  Lass uns bewegen! Let’s move!”   

Matias was already on his feet in near shock of seeing this proper young woman brandishing a pistol.  Elke smiled when she saw his confusion, patted his cheek and calmly said, “Time to go, my love!  Shall we?”

As she grabbed up the papers up and took his hand, he reached for his own briefcase.  Hilda scolded, “I said leave everything!” 

Matias pulled his hand from Elke and opened the case to remove his own 1911 and the extra ammo.  “If you don’t mind, I’m not leaving this.”  He then pulled Consuela’s key from his pocket and stepped passed the women.  “Follow me.”

He led the two women to a narrow set of stairs, mere feet from the door to the room, and started up single file.  He could see a door in the semi-darkness at the top of the stairs.  They heard a stifled squeal come up from the courtyard four floors below.  It sounded as if someone was being threatened or beaten, and probably at gunpoint.  Consuela would die first, but it wouldn’t be long before the woman at check-in was coerced to give up the room.  Matias urged speed from the women and they made the door in seconds.  There was no landing so they all crowded at the top step while he fished the key into the doors lock in the semi-darkness.  This deadbolt was more substantial than the room locks.  Why not, he thought, nothing to steal on the roof.

The door swung opened to a humid furnace of blinding afternoon sun and sweltering heat reflecting off the black tarred roof.  Matias closed the door and was gratified to find the deadbolt was capable of being locked from either side.  He secured it and turned around to review their options only to find the women were already heading for the fire escape at the back side of the hotel.  Elke’s girl, Hilda, was now in the lead with her small pistol still at the ready and being held like she knew how to.  He took a step to follow and found his casual loafers were beginning to weld into the hot tar of the roof.  He hurried after them.   

The sun heated mopped tar gave with every step.  The only reason his shoes didn’t adhere to it before was the thin coating of soot the old electric company pumped all over town prior to changing over to natural gas when the gasification plant went online.  The air was much cleaner and healthier now but, like a volcano, the soot will remain for a while longer.

The ladies were looking down the ladder as he caught up and looked over their shoulders at the narrow, metal escape.  He stated, more than asked, “Allow me to go first,” and quickly added, “and don’t stop moving your feet.”

Elke was already marching in place as she looked back at him.  “Chivalry, Matias?  Do we have the time for such niceties?”

He gently nudged between them and started down.  “Make some time, for my sake, Elke.  Please.”  He continued down to the metal landing on the fourth floor level.  Typical metal fire escape steps led down from there and, once the ladies were safely down the ladder, he led them down to the second floor landing and then to the drop ladder which would reach to the sidewalk below.  He unlatched the ladder and it noisily dropped down its track to just feet from the concrete.  

He’d just grabbed the ladder when hand reached out from behind him to grab a handful of his trousers.  Startled, he quickly turned his head to find an arm extended from the window of the room at the landing.  Attached to the arm was a concerned face belonging to Consuela.  She shook her head at the idea of using the ladder and silently beckoned them inside.  Matias didn’t argue as Consuela had instincts honed on the backs of four boys.  He helped the ladies through the window, then followed.

Consuela smiled as they entered and put a finger to her lips to caution for silence.  Once they were all in, she closed and latched the window then drew the curtains closed.  Her initial concern was replaced with a giddy excitement. 

She patted her hands lightly together and whispered, “Oh, que excitacion!”  Her face became serious, “But, very dangerous, si?  There was a man, one of the group of thugs downstairs, sent outside to keep watch should you try to leave.  I saw them come in and knew they were trouble by the way they kept looking around.  I was on my way to warn you but they were on the stairs first.

I thought you might find the key of use and thought it might be safer for all to grab you as you came passed my room.  I think they will not check every room, and I have called the police.  We should be safe here until they arrive or the thugs leave.”

Matias put a hand on her cheek.  “You have come through for us, my dear friend.  I owe you.”

She balked at the notion of debt.  “You owe me nothing, senor.  It is I and my family who will forever be in your debt.”  She smiled and held his hand to her cheek for a moment longer.

Elke and Hilda took a moment to put the loose papers Elke was still carrying back in the envelope while Matias questioned Consuela further.  “Cuantos?”

“Que?”

“How many came in?  Did you see?”

Consuela’s head was moving back and forth as she both answered and watched the papers being put in the envelope.  “Three or four, senor.”  Her eyes suddenly got very big and she gasped while pointing a finger toward the page with the four photos of blond men.  “Senor!  He is one of them!”

Matias followed her finger and snatched the paper from Elke.  “Which one?”

She pointed to the photo of the lanky blonde with glasses, then to one of the two older gentlemen.  “And, I think this one as well.”

Elke asked, “Are you certain?”

She nodded her head.  “Si, yes!  This young one, on my mother I swear, senora.  This other, not so much, but I am pretty sure.”

Matais turned from Consuela and addressd the other two.  “Good enough for me.  Who are these men, and what do they want?”

Hilda looked at the three of them as they discussed the photos, finally adding, “If one is here, and maybe two, we have a serious problem.”

Elke looked from her to Matias.  “I have to agree.  I can account for one, two are downstairs, that leaves a third we don’t have eyes on.”

“Enough of this.”  Matias pulled out his cell phone and hit a speed dial number.  The line rang only twice before Juan answered, “Si, Capitan.”

Matias kept his voice low but urgent.  “I have some trouble at the Colonial, my friend.”

There was a short pause and he could tell Juan was already on the move. “How bad, senor?”  Before he could answer there was the muffled sound of Juan issuing orders while he listened to Matias.

“Possibly four complications to my being home for dinner with two lovely guests, and one delightfully creative senora that makes the best chilaquiles, next to yours and my mother’s.”

He heard the ATV engine start up in the background as Juan answered, “Ah, si!  I know of whom you speak.  I am already there for you.”  The line went dead.

Matias closed the cell and put it back in his pocket.  “Juan will be here shortly.” 

Consuela’s eyes lit up at the mention of Juan.  “Oh, I like senor Juanito!”  She quickly put a hand over her mouth and quietly followed the statement with, “But, do not tell him this, si?”

Matias patted her shoulder.  “Si, si, Consuela.  Your ‘not so secret’ is safe with us.”  She smiled again, looking as if she totally missed the captain’s jibe.  He continued, “Consuela, baño por favor?”  The morning’s coffee had finally caught up with his aging bladder in all the excitement.  She pointed at a closed door.  “Ah!  Gracias.”

Elke reminded him as the door closed, “Make it fast, senor.  I wouldn’t want you to get caught with your fly opened and have to zip up in haste.”

Matias cringed at the thought, while Hilda smirked and whispered, “Ouch!”

When finished, Matias opened the door to see Elke nearby with a finger to her lips and a thumb toward the window.  More than one person could be heard talking and descending the metal steps of the fire escape.  A shadow filled the curtained window and there was a creak as the lock was tested.  The shadow moved back and there was muffled discussion in German before they went back up the step toward the roof. 

Hilda was closest to the window and she leaned toward it, trying to hear if anyone remained behind before she dared peek out to check visually.  She gingerly pulled the curtain back an inch and confirmed no one remained on the landing. 

She whispered to Elke, “Alles klar.  They saw the ladder to the street was already down and assumed we had made good our escape.  They’re leaving to check the street.”

Elke placed her face in her hands and lowered her chin, slowly shook her head in disappointment.  “It is an embarrassment that, as Germans, we have allowed these vermin to rise back to a point where they have this much money, power, and influence.  It is like fearing the Gestapo all over again, and again, we condone it.  History repeats.”

Matias reached out to touch her hand.  “No one learns from history any more, my dear.”

“As if we ever did.” With a forced smile she looked into his eyes while taking his hand in hers.  He saw the deep sadness within.  Although Elke was born after Hitler’s failed reign, her family had suffered greatly by opposing the insanity. 

The next ten minutes went by rapidly.  Matias stole a glance at his watch and jumped with the ladies as they were all startled by a resounding thump against the wall just outside the hotel room door.  Slow footsteps struggled up to the door, and through the space at the bottom they could see a shadow moving.  Another solid thump threatened to force the door from its hinges and into the room.  Then there came a soft knock.  Matias signaled Consuela and put fingers and thumb together in a ‘speaking’ sign.  Consuela nodded and moved to the door.  Another, firmer knock and she looked at Matias with worry.  Her eyes pleaded as she shook her, too frightened to address the person on the other side.  Another knock and Matias pointed a stern finger at the door.  She finally let out a timid response in a shaky voice.

“Si?”  He voice was on the verge of breaking. “Qué deseas?  What do you want?”

A familiar voice to Matias answered her with, “I am but a poor laborer bearing a very large, and heavy, gift for several lovely ladies.”

Matias moved Consuela aside and turned the door handle.  The door sprang open startling all within, and Matias almost missed catching the unconscious body which Juan had been holding up against the outside of it.  Juan immediately grabbed the feet and they finished bringing the man further into the room so they could close the door.

Juan let the feet drop and looked up into the big smile which covered Consuela’s full face.  His own smile sobered a bit.  “Buenos tardes, Consuela.”

“Buenos tardes, senor Juan.”  She was beaming. 

Elke held out the sheet with the photos and pointed to one that looked very much like Juan’s new friend.  “I think we can assume those remaining are all part of the same team, as well?”

Matias nodded.  “I concur.”

Juan looked at the photo, looked at his unconscious contribution, then looked at all of them confused, “What team?”  His eyes lit up when he recognized Elke.  “Ola Baroness!  I had no idea.”  He gave her a polite bow and noted the younger woman and Matias were both holding weapons.  “What is going on, mi Capitan?”

Matias quickly explained the ‘German connection’ and, when finished, Juan pointed at the unconscious muscle and asked, “What do we do with this one?  We cannot leave him here for Consuela to explain, not to mention the danger she would be in if he were to wake up or they were to return looking for him.”  Consuela smiled at the note of concern for her safety.

Elke spoke up first.  “You boys carry him with us and we’ll deposit him elsewhere in the hall for others to find and report.  If he wakes up, he will be none the wiser.”  Matias nodded agreement and motioned for Juan to grab an arm.  They muscled the dead weight out the door to the railing overlooking the courtyard, one floor below, and leaned him over it on his chest.  Juan put a firm hand on his back to hold him in place while Matias fished some pesos out of his wallet and handed them toward Consuela. 

“Oh, no senor, no!” she protested.

Matias pushed the money into her hand.  Take it Consuela, with our sincere appreciation for all you have done at great risk to yourself.  It is truly not enough to repay you for friendship and loyalty which go above and beyond.”

He put a gentle hand on her cheek and she drew the money into a clenched fist which she held against her chest as she looked at the tiled floor, holding back tears.  “Gracias, senor.  Muchas gracias.” 

Her words of thanks were punctuated by a splintering crack from the railing behind him.  Matias turned to see Juan looking over a space, where railing used to exist, and down to the courtyard on the floor below.  He was still holding what was left of the unconscious man’s shirt.  He looked at Matias with wide eyes and muttered a simple, “Oops.”

Hilda looked at the, now dead, body on the tiles below.  A pool of blood was starting to spread from a cracked skull.  The neck was obviously broken as well.  “Huh, well, I suppose that thins the Fourth Reich out a bit more, eh?”  She smiled.

Consuela crossed herself and kissed the small gold crucifix on a chain around her neck as she looked about with frightened eyes, as if she were looking for a ghost.  “Don Nicholas has taken another evil soul.”

Her reference was to an incident at the hotel in 1944, ultimately resulting in a shootout between the aforementioned Don Nicholas Rivera, guilty of multiple murders, and two municipal police officers as well as a platoon each of army and marines.  After a lengthy battle that lasted the night he was finally shot by a sniper on another building.  It is said his ghost wanders the halls collecting evil souls as penance for his sins.

Matias rolled his eyes.  “We don’t have time for this.” 

Elke agreed, “Yes, we must go!”

“But, what of Consuela?  Surely they will…”  Juan was interrupted by another loud splintering of wood. 

They all turned to see the room door swinging back from hitting the stop on inner baseboard.  A ragged foot sized hole was in the thin veneered panel near the knob.  The jam was ripped away and the cheap lock was now worthless.  After kicking her own door in all Consuela could offer them was a shrug and, “He kicked the door in and I threw him out.  I seemed to have forgotten about the rail.”  She bit her lower lip so as not to smile as Elke and Hilda covered their own mouths to stifle small laughs.

They all bid her a hasty farewell and Juan gave her a small kiss on a fleshy cheek.  Juan winked, which made her giggle.  He caught up with the others at the top of the stairs.

Matias couldn’t stop thinking about Hilda’s cold nonchalance, and the smile, at the gruesome death of the unconscious man.  Having known her for years, she brings yet more to the table which is unexpected.

Juan took lead down the steps, and Hilda took flank with her small pistol, which left Matias assisting the Baroness with his own 1911. All of them were moving on high alert, checking all directions for the next threat.  Elke gave him a smile.  He canted his head back toward Hilda.

“So, I don’t think you ever told me where you found the ‘capable’ personal assistant.”

She gave a momentary side glance back to Hilda.  “On loan from the Archives research department.”

“Hmmm… Librarians have developed new skill sets since I was a child.” 

Everyone was too focused on the dead body to notice them as they descended to the courtyard.  Matias, Juan, and Hilda, covered their weapons with pockets, envelopes and hands, as they made for the front door.  The crowd around the body continued to pay little attention to them or their poorly secreted weapons. 

Once on the sidewalk, Elke continued, “Hilda Stein hails from a prominent Israeli Jewish family.  She and her younger brother were assigned to the Archives to do classified research.”

They stepped into the opened store front of a small lingerie shop and took a breather after all of the excitement.  They all kept their eyes opened for treats. Matias asked Hilda, “Your brother wouldn’t be a computer genius which one might refer to as a ‘hacker’ by any chance?”

Hilda gave a slight shrug, “As a matter of fact…”  He drew up short at the sidewalk and looked at both Hilda and Elke.

“You said ‘classified’ research.  She isn’t…”  Elke put a hand gently to his cheek and gave it a solid pat.

“Mosad?   More to the point, my dear, she is a katsa; a field intelligence officer assigned to Germany to investigate Werwolf and a possible resurgence of the Reich.”

“And her bother?  A bit young for this work, it sounds like.”

“We needed IT support at the Archives and she sang his glowing praises.  I brought him on board to give him some worldly experience.”

“And you really think these… people, are working on a Fourth Reich?”

“Mosad has been chasing Werwolf for years and have been unable to stop it from becoming a full-fledged criminal enterprise which makes the Russian mafia look like rank amateurs.”

They stepped back out onto the sidewalk and started moving toward the car wash area around the end of the block.  Matias asked Hilda, “It has been, what, over sixty-five, seventy years?  If any of the original members are still alive, would they even be worth prosecuting?”

Hilda’s look became serious and her eyes enflamed with hatred as she reached forward and grabbed Matias by the shoulder, bring him up short.  “The Jews recognize no statute of limitations for mass murderers of hundreds of thousands of our own people, Kapitan.  And, there is the matter of billions of Deutsche marks they have accumulated from their investment of Jewish blood, and stolen Jewish wealth.” 

He pulled his eyes away from hers and placed his hand atop the one on his shoulder.  “There is always that.  My apologies, Senora Stein.”  He patted the hand, trying to calm the moment.

Hilda removed her hand and looked toward the corner up ahead.  “No offense taken, Kapitan.  Please, call me Hilda.  I think danger dictates a loosening of protocol, ja?”

“Matias, then.  Si, danger makes close allies of new friends.”

As they reached the corner, Matias looked to Juan for direction.  “Max has us both, senor.  I recommend you leave your car with him.  I have brought the jeep which will fit all of us, and the suspension is better for losing anyunwanted ‘wolves’ following us.”

Matias agreed.  “Yes, this is true.  You excel in the ‘tope destruction derby’ of Manzanillo, my friend.”

A tope (toe-pay) is a Mexican speed bump that is three times the size of their American counterpart.  Failure to traverse a tope at a snail’s pace can send your vehicle airborne or destroy a cars suspension, or both, not to mention the physical damage to the driver and passengers.  Topes are never clearly marked and a driver rarely sees one before it is too late, especially if the view ahead is blocked by another vehicle in which case your only warning usually comes when you see the vehicle ahead of you go airborne.  Your amazement at the other driver’s feat of levitation will be immediately replaced by your own spine crushing launch.

Juan gave a toothy grin.

They rounded the corner to parking stalls and Max’s car wash area.  Max was in conversation with a bald gentleman a foot taller than he was.  Max looked intimidated.  He had an unobstructed line of sight to Matias and was trying to inconspicuously waggle a finger to Matias in a ‘no-no’ fashion as a warning.  Matias put out an arm to stop the group. 

The tall man caught the finger movement, looked down then quickly to the side and down the street toward Matias’ group.  Matias got a good profile of the man’s face as he searched the street.  The man reached out and tried to grab Max without looking, just as he saw Matias, Juan, and the women.  Instead of grabbing Max he reached behind him under his light jacket, and spun toward them, pulling a pistol from a belt holster at the small of his back.  He had made the big mistake of disregarding Max as any threat. 

Max threw a shoulder into him while yelling, “PISTOLA!” just before diving between two cars and out of danger

No one saw the personnel truck full of Marinas, Mexican Marines, as it rounded the same corner Matias was on and the driver saw the altercation and the armed man.  The big diesel motor revved as the passenger beat the outside of his door with the flat of his hand, a signal to the marines in back that there was a commotion.

The large personnel truck came even with Max and the other man just as Max hit him with his shoulder.  The man spun back toward the street as he fired, and the bullet hit one of the Marines as he rose up with his fellows to see what the commotion was about.  The big diesel truck rattled to an abrupt stop as the gun went off..  The big man saw the truck full of Mexican marines too late to do anything but keep firing, which was, of course, the wrong move.

   

Ten Marines in full body armor and carrying automatic weapons fully loaded for port patrol were already lined up against the metal side fence of the truck bed as the tall man made the bad decision to continue shooting.  Like the closing scene of Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, it was like putting a human meat sack into a tenderizer.  The sound of automatic gunfire was deafening as the man’s body, dead with the first volley, continued to dance as the multitude of rounds slammed into his soft flesh.  What was left of him finally collapsed as the shattered legs bones could no longer support the bloody sack meat and gave way to gravity.

Matias saw there was also very little face remaining for anyone to use for recognition purposes.  He caught the movement of a hand on the hood of the Karmann Ghia, where Max had dived for cover.  Max slowly lifted himself out from between the two vehicles and ran a shaking hand through his oiled, black hair.  He looked down to see that one of the cars was the Ghia and his fear turned to concern.  He looked the car over from one end to the other then went around to the other side and repeated the review.  He got a big smile and threw Matias a ‘thumbs up’ without looking in their direction.  He yelled out, to the crowd watching, and so Matias could here, “No damage!”  

A cheer went up around Max, and Matias let out the breath he’d been holding.  Matias didn’t know if the breath he let out was relief over there being no damage, or if he’d been holding it in since the shooting started.      

Max put on a serious face and waved Matias away as the Naval Infantry Force of the Armada de Mexico jumped from the truck to quickly surround the scene and take control.  Max began loudly lying through his teeth, and with great animation, before the Marine in charge even got to him.  The marine surveyed the growing crowd not even registering the backs of several pedestrians trying to swim against the tide of onlookers converging on the scene from down the street, to make his job all the more difficult.  He barked orders to hold the crowd back and then got on his cell phone to call in support.  There were always a couple of trucks full of soldiers patrolling the downtown area to ensure the security of the largest port city on the Pacific coast of Mexico.

Matias finally broke his group free of the surging mass of onlookers.  It was easy going now that the sidewalks were free of the people that had converged on the poor Marines.  The vacant sidewalk also allowed them to make it up the main street in less than ten minutes.  At the other end would be a plaza where they could catch the small rattletrap bus back to Compos and the hacienda.  Just two blocks from the plaza, he stopped them again.  They could see another personnel truck and at least twelve more marines pull up at the end of the street to begin setting up a checkpoint.

Elke moved close to Matias and whispered in his ear as they feigned looking through a stack of women’s panties on a table outside a shop, “What now?”

“Let me think a moment.”

The shop’s clerk noticed them from the back of the store and smiled a welcome.

“Take your moment, but the clerk will be here shortly to ask why you keep fondling her wares.”  He stole a glance to see the young girl heading their way.  He smiled to her and held his hands up to indicate he was done.

Matias tried to adopt the character of a man on holiday with friends.  He smiled at the clerk while he put his arm around Elke’s shoulder and gave her a hug, whispering in her ear, “You all have your passports and papers, right?  So, everything should be fine.”

Hilda smiled, leaned in and added her holiday character to the tragedy by reminding, “And, the weapons?”

His smile wavered.  “Mierda!  Does this test never end?”  He looked around at the shop fronts, not at all sure what he was looking for, an idea or a miracle solution.  The solution found him first in the form of a shouted recognition.

“Senor Matias!  Capitan!” 

The yell was coming from the new checkpoint, up the street, and Matias thought to himself, “Oh joy.”  He scanned the personnel and finally saw the one marine waving an arm and smiling.  He motioned them to come forward.  Matias shot the Marine a large smile of recognition and waved back as he told his group, “I guess we’re in it now.”

Elke hooked his arm answering, “Up to our necks.”  They all moved toward the checkpoint like friends out shopping and she noted, “Well, he’s smiling so that’s a good thing, right?”

She saw Matias cock an eyebrow.  “It would be if I could remember who, in God’s good name, he is.”

Juan moved in front of them and blocked their way with his arm.  He motioned to the vendor of a dry goods cart, said something to him in a low voice and passed the vendor several pesos for which he got two sturdy paper grocery bags in return.  The group made as if they were looking over the carts offerings, while Juan doubled one bag inside the other.  He squeezed between Matias and Hilda, holding the bag opened so they could drop their weapons in while blocking prying eyes.  Juan folded the top twice and they continued on toward the checkpoint. 

Hilda put her hand in Juan’s and began to swing it as though they were a couple on a date.  Juan looked at her and grinned.  She smiled back, “Do not get carried away with your part, senor.”  Juan’s grin got wider at her comment.

Luckily, the closer they got to the checkpoint the better Matias’ memory became. Matias finally remembered Ignacio as they walked up to the checkpoint and offered his hand with a big smile.

“Ola, Ignacio!  Cómo está tu familia?”

Ignacio energetically pumped the offered hand.  “The family is fine Capitan.  Thank you for asking.”

  Prior to be accepted to the Marinas, Ignacio worked with his father and brother as tile masons.  They were responsible for installing every piece of indoor and outdoor tile at the hacienda.  The project was no small feat and the price was beyond fair to the point he gave them a bonus for finishing ahead of both schedule and budget.

After introductions around and a copious amount of handshaking, an explanation was given of the cars being stranded at the center of whatever disturbance had occurred down by the waterfront and how they were all here to catch the bus back to the hacienda.  Ignacio would not hear of it.  He made a phone call and, in short order, a pickup truck with an extended cab arrived complete with a chain fed, .50 caliber machinegun mounted in the bed and a young, battle-dressed gunner hanging onto both handles.  Ignacio rubbed his hands together, grinned again and motioned to the door being held open by another troop, “Your taxi senor y senoras!”

Matias helped ensure the paper bag of weapons made it safely back into Juan’s waiting arms after he climbed in the back seat with the women, then he turned to Ignacio.  “Thank you my friend, for your assistance.  This…” he made an encompassing wave at the truck, “is truly a rescue we will all remember.” 

He gave Ignacio’s hand a firm shake, and was pulled in close.  Ignacio put a finger to his lips.  “Let us keep the taxi service our little secret, eh Capitan?”  He let out a low chuckle which Matias echoed.  The two shook hands and Matias got in front with their driver.  They all waved as the ‘taxi’ pulled away.  The group rode the rest of the way back to the hacienda in silence.

When the truck had made the delivery of its passengers and sped off back down the road, Elke took a deep breath and leaned against a palm tree near the whitewashed concrete arch that gated the drive at the base of the hill.  “Would someone mind telling me how we have all become involved in this, and what this is?”

Matias held his hand out to her and said, “Let us get up the hill to the hacienda and some cool drinks, and I will try to add what we have to what you have brought us.”

Hilda gave Matias a questioning look.  “What else do you have?”

Juan started up the hill stating over his shoulder, “If someone will get the cold drinks from the kitchen, I will fetch the hard drive and line up some photos.”

Elke and Hilda both looked at Matias who was smiling. “You brought us some Nazis, Juan and I think it only fair to respond in kind.” With that, he started up the steep drive behind Juan, leaving the two women to look at each other.