Chapter 7 "Showdown"
=== Weinheim / Police Station ===
Polizeirat Henning had just returned with the wanted permission to take over the operation. Discovering that Kommissar Reiber and his men already were on the site, she took a short briefing about the recent discoveries while she had been away, and then she headed outside again to her car. One of the BKA-officers ran after her.
"Wait! I got a call from our Interpol liaison from London! They've unveiled something interesting!"
"What could that possibly be?! Don't hold me back, time is of an essence!" she answered sharply and was about to enter her car.
"Polizeirat Henning! There are new orders! Priority orders!" The BKA-man placed himself in between of the car and the woman and handed over a printout. "The debris of the anti-aircraft-weaponry found in the train had the production number of a series stolen two years ago in Uzbekistan! SAM-7 from the same series were used by the recent Al-Quaida attacks and supposedly some raids of the Hamas against Israel. This is something big!"
"We know that already, don't we? I'm on my way to capture this terrorist!"
"That's exactly the point, Polizeirat! The Secretary just called and issued the order to get this man alive, with top priority! He might have valuable insight which helps to strike a lethal blow against international terrorism!"
And they do really think he will talk? Henning thought with an angry amusement. They have scums like this one in Guantanamo for years now, including the responsibles for 9/11, and they got nothing of value from them! No, she had no reason to want this particular subject alive! She wanted him dead! Her personal little blow against international terrorism! "I'll inform Kommissar Reiber", she promised.
=== Adenauer Street 3 ===
Lennart peered out of the window again. Some minutes ago this police Kommissar had announced him that the money had arrived. Now it was his turn. He caught a view of tiny figures on the roof of the next house. Shit. Snipers! There were approximately 40 to 50 meters to cross to his car. The odds stood astronomical high against him. Do not think about it! You have made it out of worst places in your fucking god-damned career! He fumbled after the glass with water standing on the board and touched Christina's hand. …but not with a woman and a child! He turned towards her without knowing what to say. They all had been tense and silent for the last hour, even Claude. What an asshole I am to allow them into this? Lennart wondered again, he had forgotten how often already. He saw that Christina still was full of trust – and other dangerous emotions she should not have for him – despite his harsh words from an hour ago. These feelings obviously had taken root deeply in her. She could see behind his best and pompous display of 'dangerous guy'.
"It is time. We should go outside", he said, went to the door and unlocked it. It was silent in the floor. No sign of enemy intruders. They had not heard anything suspicious; he wanted to be cautious, though. Christina took Claude's hand. Now they stood directly behind the front door. She had walked through it so many times… in this instant she was afraid to even touch the old wood. She rested there like frozen. Lennart stepped at her side – and then, he followed the awkward impulse flaring up in him and kissed her.
…
Two emergency ambulances had arrived and Kommissar Reiber had sent a message to the headquarters for further reinforcements, just in case. He was still convinced he could negotiate with the kidnapper, the more, because Henning had thought not. He had filed again through the available personal data of this man. This was not one of the political inspired fanatics; this was a mercenary. A mercenary was not out to kill himself, but to survive! Moreover, a mercenary could be bought. It was only the question of the price…
Reiber sighed and looked around, a little nervous. The detachment of the special police forces had spread out on the roofs of the nearby buildings and behind other covers, and waited. He sincerely hoped they would not come into operation! This was a matter of pride for him now; to show 'bloodhound' Henning how good he and his local police could work in such cases!
This was, when Polizeirat Henning's car came into viewing range. Shortly after, the woman stood in front of Reiber. "I will take over from this point on", she declared and held a signed paper under his nose. "Retrieve your men!"
"Excuse me? We are right in the middle of the operation, if you have not noticed it, Frau Polizeirat."
"I have, but this is no longer part of your jurisdiction."
"Maybe not. But unless you are willing to risk every chance of success right now, I suggest we work with combined forces at least, and you let me continue with my plan."
"With your… negotiations", she defined sarcastically. "Be assured, I have already briefed my GSG 9-men to rescue the situation!"
Reiber wanted to reply something, however at this moment, one of his officers gave the signal that the entrance door of the house had been opened. First, a boy appeared, then a young woman in the grip of the kidnapper. The Kommissar discerned that the man had a bandaged left arm – an option more in favor of the hostages. They might even be able to break free…
…
Martin Delaruelle had already several drinks – to celebrate his new-won money and his freedom – as he was underway to Adenauer-street 3 to watch this son of a bitch die, who had messed around with his girl. Of course, there were many spectators, as always and of course there was a tight police blockade. He pushed some of the people aside, until he could see something. Yes, there he was; this piece of shit, with Christina and Claude! This was more than Martins woozy mind could handle. "Leave your fingers from MY SON!" he yelled, storming ahead against the blocking police guards. Totally surprised by the assault from behind, one of the officers, a young woman, lost ground. Martin grabbed her weapon without another thought and jumped through the gap in the blockade, before the officers could get a hold on him.
"Leave my son alone, do you hear me?" Martin raised his gun, pointed at Lennart, Christina and Claude.
Kommissar Reiber shoved his assistant and another officer aside, stepped forward. "Stop!" He cried, spreading his arms in the direction of his men as well as Martin. "Step back! Do you hear me? You are endangering the life of the hostages! Let the police handle the situation!"
"Fuck the police! I don't care about this whore, I want my son!" Martin turned again to Lennart. "NOW! Or I blow your head off!"
"Step back!" Reiber shouted again. "We have you on target!" Holy crap! What has this idiot in mind, after all?
Lennart stood motionless, Christina clasped against his chest and his own weapon on her temple. Her cold hands clutched around the shoulders of the boy.
"Ma? Ma, this is Dad!" Claude whispered now and added a huge amount of panic to the thoughts of his mother.
"Keep still, please", she answered, sensing her teeth chatter together. "Please, Claude, do not move, please…"
"Claude, come over to me!" Martin demanded, his gun still roughly targeting Lennart and Christina.
Seeing the threatening barrel and knowing all too well the boiling emotions behind it, Christina felt suddenly that weak she thought she would faint. Everything began to fade… to spin around her. She was afraid, so afraid! Pressed against Lennart, she sensed his heart racing. This was a nightmare… the worst nightmare ever…heavens, if she could only wake up and…
"Step forward, slowly!" Lennart's voice was barely audible in her ear.
While she was still trying to compell her body to move, everything happened all at once. With a roar, Martin shot. "Dad! NO!" Claude broke away from his mothers grip. A second shot. The boy twitched sidewards with a painful cry, in which mingled Christina's own horrified scream. Then another shot, this time from Lennart, and yet another, piercing Martin's chest. Groaning, he fell to the ground.
Lennart could see that Claude wasn't seriously injured, but the boy was in shock, as was his mother. She trembled and tears ran over her face. Lennart lowered her down, the weapon now pointing at the police officers in front of them.
The police had watched helplessly. Kommissar Reiber stared at the scene, and a fact slowly sunk into his mind. "Have you seen that, Johansen!" he whispered in the direction of his assistant. The face of the other officer clearly stated his ignorance and Reiber formulated more specific what had crossed his mind: "He has protected his hostages! Don't you get it?! Look!" The Kommissar stretched his hand towards the middle of the road.
"Step over to the left", Lennart ordered Christina with low voice. "Take Claude and get away from me!" He did not even know if she had understood him at all. Anyway, she was not moving. Slowly, he retreated from her and the boy, not leaving Kommissar Reiber out of his weapon's focus.
Still amazed about the change of this hostage situation, the Kommissar regarded the man approaching with cautious but steady paces. "Mister Marens, hear me out", he began. "You have no chance to succeed. All the streets are blocked; the airports are flooded with police. If you get into this car, you are as good as dead. Why throwing your life away? You are not the kind of person to sacrifice himself for other's ambitions. You are no suicide killer…"
"Open the car door!" Lennart simply demanded, further closing in. "Or I shoot!"
Reiber started sweating. However, he continued speaking. "You let your hostages go. Other men would not have cared so much about their hostage's life."
"Open the door!"
"Life is a precious thing. Don't you think that too, Mister Marens?"
"My life is of absolutely no importance!"
The Kommissar was about to feel a small relief, that his opponent seemed to start a conversation at least. Nonetheless, before he could mouth any other word, Polizeirat Henning had chimed in: "Your life has no importance, Mister Marens?" her crispy voice sounded over the place. "Which life, then? Your daughter's? She is dead! Do you hear me?!"
Reiber could not believe what he just witnessed! What Henning was doing, was the easiest way to maneuver the whole situation out of control, to let it escalate in bloodshed! "What are you up to, dammit?!" he spat in her direction.
Of course, she did not react in the slightest way. Her gaze was fixed on Marens, whose features were of a painstakingly gathered control, cut in stone and yet only a thin crust over a volcano before the eruption.
"Your daughter is dead", Henning repeated. "She died two days ago."
Now the volcano erupted. "You're a BLOODY LIAR!" Lennart shouted. His gun moved away, now in Henning's direction.
Reiber wiped his face. Was it that, what you want, he mused, feeling suddenly very cold inside. Provoke him, so your guys can shoot him in self defense?! I will be damned, if I tolerate this! "Mister Marens!" he cried and wished he could do something to let Polizeirat Henning vanish from the scene. "It is true, you daughter is dead." Hands raised, he stepped forward, in between of Henning's sharpshooters – he hoped at least – and Lennart, ignoring the demands to get out of the way. "However, this is no motive to follow her!"
"Go back to the car! Open the door!!!"
Kommissar Reiber halted. "Surrender! It is your only option!"
"OPEN THE DOOR!" Lennart fired one shot at Reiber's feet. "MOVE!"
From the corner of his eye, the Kommissar could see Mrs. Hofer and her son. Medics attended to him. Nevertheless, the woman's glare was on Lennart, full of fear, pain and desperation. Heavens, she fears FOR him! Whatever had happened between the two of them, it was obviously more than a simple hostage situation… Reiber decided to take the risk. He took a deep breath and turned his head towards Christina. "Surrender! Do it for her!"
The words hovered in the air. Lennart stared at Christina, then at the Kommissar. Yes, he thought, I'll do it for her…With it he aimed again, smiled and pulled the trigger back.
The same moment, he was hit himself. The weapon slipped out of his hand. Everything seemed suspended, trapped in slow motion, as the pain exploded in his body. Then the world faded into blackness. He could not even scream anymore.
…
Contrary to Christina, whose cries pierced the air. She tried to struggle free from the police officer, who held her back. "Let me go! Let me go to him!!! Let me go, damned bastards! Let me go!!!"
Kommissar Reiber lifted his eyes from the body and the blood on the ground and turned to Polizeirat Henning. "There you have it, your revenge! Be proud of that! Good job!" He felt sick, the first time in his long service in the police. She answered nothing.
With a plastic sheet, one of Reiber's colleagues had carefully picked up Lennarts weapon and now was about to secure it. "It was… empty, Sir", he realized surprised.
The Kommissar nodded silently. "He knew it. He perfectly knew it, I'm sure about it."
"So… this maniac just wanted us to kill him?!"
Reiber's gaze rested on the crying, weeping woman in the arms of the police officer. No, he answered in his mind, he just tried to protect these two people from prosecution via the only possibility he still had… Facing his colleague again, he said openly: "Criminal or not – this was one of the bravest men I ever got to know."
....
(NOTE OF THE AUTHOR: this was the original end. But, because some people were really sad I decided to make a "director's cut" and write two more chapters)