Chapter 14

Reinhart, Dieter and Erica were now bonded at the hip, so to speak. They shared a secret that no other living soul knew.

When Diane called, what once would have been just another rant from another rich girl, became a wake-up call. He finally realized that he had been treating his daughter like some mindless slave. Now he had just expected her, and Paul too, to respond the way he wanted them to.

It was not happening.

When she cried out “Daddy!” on the phone that was all it took.

“Sleep, rest child. It will be ok now. Erica will go back to you again; after she, Dieter and I have discussed some other things. I’ll get Paul back if I have to drag him here. You, too, if you don’t stop acting like Christine did.”

That, in itself, would have woken her up to the fact she had been stretched to the point of breaking and break she almost did.

One of the lessons to be learned from dealing with Reinhart, was that he was a ruthless old man when he had to be. Some had found that out the hard way. Both Diane and Paul would have the opportunity to experience a side of him neither had ever seen, nor would ever want to see again.

Remember when I said it was going to be interesting?

He made another call. One did not get a favour from Reinhart without owing one in return. Rumor was he rarely called such markers in, rather keeping those chits in his favour.

He would use one concerning Paul. Diane was a different story. She was now to suffer knowing the true results of what she had caused. That Erica had stood by Dieter at a time she might have refused, spoke a lot for her. If she were just a few months older he would have made her occupy those positions rather than be acting in them. It was semantics, nonetheless she would soon be a Daimler anyway. Diane was told to, ‘get her ass back here!’ He would see what could be done about Paul. When Erica landed this time, there had better not be any delay or comments about his future daughter (Erica), from the Countess.

Kristi and Dieter were sent back to get the rest of the tribe assembled. When Erica and Diane got back, he would give them all their assignments. Operation ‘Paul and Diane’ was to become underway.

Reinhart, like I said, was a man not used to losing. Paul never stood a chance with him when he decide something. He also knew, just knew, that Paul did not want to win this fight, nor did Diane. Both Paul or Diane would never stand a chance against Reinhart.

Paul’s flight from Dallas to Miami was not scheduled for any stops, certainly not a few minutes into the flight or in Wichita. He knew something was wrong. The big plane landed and began to taxi to a part of the airport where no other commercial flights were at. They were being diverted, the most likely reason was drugs or terrorists were suspected to be on board. A stairway was rolled up when the plane’s door was opened. Paul, being on the left, in seat 2-D (as you walk into the plane, right going out) and near the window, saw the two men in dark suits walk up. and two more with sunglasses and obviously bulging suits stood at the bottom. Two black Suburban SUVs idled near them. No doubt something was going on.

One of the men who boarded was talking to a FA. She was visibly shaken, and was frantically searching through a clipboard. Both men walk forward towards Paul.

“Mr. Jacobs?”

Paul was stunned, he was about to say he was Paul, Mr. Jacobs was his Father, but thought better of that. Neither man looked in a joking mood.

“Yes,” he meekly said.

“You will need to come with us, Sir” as he flashed an ID and badge. CIA and this was in the USA.

Well this was interesting, he thought.

The big plane was now headed to the terminal for refueling maybe. Paul was going to say something about his bag, but one look as they headed out, made him doubt these guys would care much about that.