Berlin, Next Day (Two Days Until the Wedding)

John nodded Barrow on his way before turning to Talbot. "If I ever see that man again, I'll kill him myself."

"Not sure you'll have time for that when we've got three other people to track down."

"I could make time for him." John closed one eyed and aimed with the other. "It'd be easy. Just come up behind him and fire twice into the kidneys."

"That's a painful way to die."

"He deserves worse."

"I'm sure he does." Talbot patted John's shoulder, "But needs must and our needs are that we must be on our way. We've got three assassins to track down before we collect our hard won but ill-gotten gains and make our way to Hawaii where we wait out the end of this interminable strife."

John shook his head, "You're in the wrong business to be the philosopher you are."

"Nothing gets you all contemplative like death."

They walked out of the station, returning appropriate salutes until John nodded toward a taxi. "Does it help you contemplate the reality that you and I need to locate three assassins in a city of four million people."

"We know who they're trying to locate."

"I don't want to be chasing after Nazi sympathizers trying to create problems. I want to catch them before they're a problem." John tapped the window of the taxi, "Did you work yesterday?"

"I work every day. Someone's got to pay for the children to eat and that's me."

John pulled the photographs from his pocket and stuck them on the windshield. "Tell me if you took these anywhere and you'll make enough to get yourself something nice."

The man leaned forward over his wheel, squinting at the photographs before taping the glass near the one of the balding man. "Recognize him. Poor idiot was struggling to get this container in the back of a truck."

"What kind of truck?"

"One I've seen here before." The man held out a hand and John dug out some bills, holding them just out of reach. "It delivers to a restaurant in Templehof. Not bad food but a little on the expensive end."

John handed over the bills and walked to the back of the taxi, pulling open the door and waving Talbot inside. "What are your odds that they serve to the Nazis?"

"Good." Talbot situated himself in the back, "Though I wish we had our own taxi."

"We will." John shut the door after climbing in after Talbot. "Take us to the restaurant."

"It won't be open yet."

"Not the problem you need to worry yourself about." John tapped the seat, "Just drive."

They wove through other cars on the road, making their way to the building and pulling to a stop outside the front entrance. John shook his head, "Take us around the back."

"Sir?"

"Actually," John got out and opened the driver's door, "Take the day."

"I've got to work."

"Then take this," John handed over a folded stack of bills, "And enjoy yourself. We'll bring this back when we're done with it."

"Sir I-" The man silenced when John glared at him. "Enjoy."

"Thank you." John took the driver's seat and steered around to the back of the building and parked within sight of the restaurant's back entrance.

"John," Talbot leaned over the seat, "Let me take the wheel."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a lower rank than you and I'm a better driver than you." John shrugged and moved over a seat as Talbot took his place behind the wheel. "So, do we wait forever or-"

The door opened and John whistled as Anna and the two photographed men exited the building. Another woman and man followed them. The man gestured to the photographed men, loading into a truck and driving away as the woman gave Anna some instructions before entering the restaurant again. John tapped his tongue to his teeth before pointing after the three men.

"Follow them first."

"Trying to delay the inevitable about your paramour?"

"I'm taking out the most in one go first." John risked a look back at Anna, walking along the street oblivious to their taxi. "We'll get her once we finish with them."

"If you say so boss." Talbot turned the ignition and followed the truck back onto the main road.

It was a testament to Talbot's driving that they followed the truck without giving away their intention. The truck made a stop at a factory and John frowned when one of the men, the larger of the two from the photograph, got out and walked inside. A few minutes later he emerged with two bicycles. One he loaded into the back of the truck and the other he mounted once the man driving the truck attached a sizable cart to the back.

"Interesting purchase for an assassin." Talbot mused but John waved him on.

"Keep following them."

They weaved back into traffic and soon found themselves drawing next to a government building. Talbot whistled but John shook his head. "Don't make any sudden moves and it'll be fine."

"We're in a borrowed taxi dressed as Nazi officers. I'd say it's not fine."

"It will be." John urged, "Just watch them."

Watching the truck and the cart-laden bike had them following a government car for a stretch until it parked outside the offices of an industrial building. Talbot shook his head, running a hand through his hair.

"They're making some odd choices."

"So are we, if we're really thinking about it." John tapped the windshield, "There, watch."

Sure enough, as a thin man with large eyes and a general stepped out of the building together the bike cart moved. It took space in front of the government car while the truck tailed behind. And at the first opportunity the bike cart swerved. The government car slammed on its brakes and the truck hit the fender.

John and Talbot pulled to the side, watching as angry shouts and yells permeated the air until the procession picked back up. This time the truck followed the government car at a more reasonable pace and the bike cart perched in the truck bed. With the taxi keeping its close tail they created an odd caravan.

A short stretch outside the city Talbot peeled off from the tail, following the truck from the other side of a canal, and eventually parked when the car stopped outside a house. John leaned on his window, pulling out a pair of field glasses to watch as the three men from the truck made a show of repairing the fender on the government car while the occupants looked on. Eventually he handed the glasses over to Talbot and tapped the window.

"What is the big one doing?"

Talbot snorted, the field glasses up to his eyes. "He's siphoning petrol."

"Why?"

"Since he's not taking it for the truck I've got a hunch he's doing it to put the car in a spot later."

John scratched his head, "Does it seem odd to you that Nazi sympathizers are draining the petrol from a government car? Or following government types at all?"

"Not really when you know that house isn't government owned." Talbot handed back the field glasses. "That's Simon Bricker's house."

"Who?"

"German industrialist. Big name in the camp of Nazi friendlies."

John made a face, adjusting the focus on the glasses to watch the men pack up their things and drive away. "What are they doing at the house of a sympathizer?"

"What are we doing not shooting them?"

John shook his head, "Something about this doesn't smell right."

"I don't how it smells to you since all I can smell is money." Talbot started the car, "We'll follow the truck."

"No," John urged Talbot out of the driver's seat. "You watch the house. I'll follow the truck."

"What are you doing John?" Talbot leaned in the window, "If this is your nobility shining through I'll remind you this is a piss poor time to be a good man."

"Then it's a good thing we're not good people, isn't it?"

Anna checked the address again before walking into the shop. A man with a pair of peculiar spectacles perched on a stool, carefully grinding a lens. She hit the top of the bell on the counter and he turned to her, eyes warped in the glass, and blinked before removing them.

"Can I help you?"

"I need new spectacles." Anna placed her cracked ones on the counter and he held them up to the light.

"Come this way." She followed him to a seat and took her place in it as he pulled an apparatus close to her eyes. "Please tell me which is better. One or two?"

"One." The lenses flipped and adjusted. "Still one."

"And now?"

"Two."

"Alright." The man swung the apparatus back, "They'll be ready in an hour. If you'd like to wait here you can but I think you'd like the shops better."

"Why?"

The man stopped, "Because this is the Ku'damm, madam. There's no end of things to do here."

"I'll keep that in mind." Anna left the shop and blinked at the shops before wandering down the avenue. For all the trees and the chatter, it felt more foreign to Anna than the dark of the little room in the restaurant. Here she felt too exposed and it taxed her nerves just to walk the street. But it took time, that was what mattered, and as Anna continually consulted her watch she sighed with relief when she could eventually make her way back up the avenue to collect her spectacles.

As she passed a dress shop she paused, squinting through the glass to see a woman trying on hats while a Nazi officer sat nearby. Her fists clenched as she recognized the perfectly coifed hair and attitude of the man in the chair. Anna went for the door but it chimed when someone else entered and the woman turned.

Both blinked at one another before Anna hurried back to the shop with the spectacles.

The woman inside tapped the man's leg. "Thomas, did you see that woman outside?"

"What?" He looked up from his book and shifted to see out the window. "There's no one there Jane. And if there were women stroll this avenue every day. What would one woman be to me?"

"She looked exactly like me."

"So a short, blonde woman with blue eyes walked by?" He shrugged, "We're the master race and that's normal. Consider yourself lucky you're seeing the future play out before you when the whole world looks like you do."

"I just-" Jane shook her head, "Give me a moment and I'll be right back."

"Jane, we've got the wedding in two days and you're not done picking out clothes." Thomas groaned, "Focus, please, on the task at hand."

Jane turned to the selected items and snatched a few before pushing them toward Thomas. "There, now pay for them and I'll meet you outside."

As Thomas tried to extricate himself from the clothes Jane hurried to the street. She searched for the blonde woman and noticed the closing down on a shop a few paces away. Weaving between those in her way she entered the shop and tried to catch her breath as the man blinked at her.

"But you just-"

"What address did you give that woman?" He only gaped at her and Jane snapped her fingers to get his attention. "If you know who my father or my fiancé are then you'll give me the address she wrote down for her bill."

His shaking fingers handed over the address and Jane snatched it from him to study it. "Thank you."

She hurried out of the shop, tucking the slip of paper away and smiled at a scowling Thomas, left holding her bags. "Sorry."

"What was that?"

"I thought I saw an old friend I wanted to invite to the wedding."

"Aren't there enough people at the wedding already?"

"It's a big event." Jane took the bags from Thomas. "And I thought you were looking forward to it."

"I'm looking forward to it being over."

Berlin, That Night

John kept his distance but since there were few people walking the edge of the river eventually the man ahead of him turned. "Looking for something mate?"

"Just a good pub." John hurried to walk in step with him. "You wouldn't happen to know any around here, would you?"

"First time in Berlin… Officially."

"I see." John extended a hand, "Then welcome to Berlin Mr.?"

"Branson."

"Welcome to Berlin Mr. Branson."

"And you?"

"Oh," John shrugged, noting how Branson still held tight to the handshake, "I've been here a few times."

"No, you're name."

"Bernhard." John released his grip and they stepped a pace apart. "Your German's good for an Englishman."

"I'm not English." Branson held up a finger, "I'm Irish."

"Ah, explains why you haven't found a good pub yet."

"How's that?"

"Higher standards."

It took a beat but Branson laughed, "Mind showing someone new in town a place to have a good time?"

"Don't mind if I do." John led them along the canal and then down an alley.

As the way got darker he heard Branson stop. "I think you've missed the part about 'good time' mate."

"Did I?" John swung around with his gun, "Because I think you missed the part where you're supposed to be loyal to your country."

"Excuse me?"

"Captain Green sends his regards."

Before John could shoot Branson kicked up, knocking the gun from John's grip. It clattered to the ground and when John reached for it Branson's fist impacted his face. A swift haymaker left John wheezing but he landed a solid punch to Branson's throat.

Branson stumbled back, choking, as John found his gun in the dark. With only a gagging sound Branson ran for the street, John on his heels. When he was almost on top of Branson, cutting close enough to get his gun to the man's coat, John fired.

They stumbled, John barely catching himself before he tumbled into the canal, but Branson fell over the edge. John took a few deep breaths to steady himself and waited for Branson to surface. When he did not, John tucked his gun into his holster and hurried up the street.

He entered the car and Talbot drove them away from the scene. "Get him boss?"

"He's no one's worry anymore." John brushed his hair back, "Now for the other two."