Lazarus Protocol

Chapter 16: Gathering Allies

The soft hum of the private jet's engines filled the cabin as Alexander Kincaid gazed out the window at the patchwork of fields and cities far below. The sun was just beginning to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. It was a view that should have been breathtaking, but Alexander's mind was too preoccupied with the daunting task ahead to appreciate it.

Beside him, Sarah Reeves pored over a dossier, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Our contact in Geneva is an old friend of yours," she said, breaking the silence. "Joseph Hoffmann, former Swiss intelligence. Ring any bells?"

Alexander closed his eyes, searching the fractured landscape of his memory. A fleeting image surfaced - a jovial man with a bushy mustache, laughing over schnapps in a dimly lit bar. "Maybe," he murmured. "I see... a friendly face. But the details are hazy."

Sarah reached out, squeezing his hand gently. "It'll come back to you. And if it doesn't, we'll make new memories."

He turned to her, a ghost of a smile playing at his lips. "You sound awfully confident for someone about to walk into a den of international conspirators."

"What can I say?" Sarah smirked. "I've got a thing for impossible odds."

Their banter was interrupted by the crackle of the intercom. "We're beginning our descent into Geneva," the pilot announced. "Please prepare for landing."

As they buckled in, Alexander felt the familiar tension coiling in his gut. Every instinct told him they were flying into a trap, but they had no choice. Ed - the Chimera operative he had fought at the BBC - was their best lead on Project Echo and the true nature of Alexander's role in Chimera's grand design.

The plane touched down with a gentle bump, taxiing to a private hangar on the outskirts of Geneva International Airport. As they disembarked, Alexander's eyes scanned the tarmac, looking for any sign of a threat. Everything seemed quiet - too quiet.

A sleek black Mercedes idled nearby, a tall man in an impeccable suit leaning against it. As they approached, the man straightened, a wide grin splitting his face.

"Mein Gott, it really is you," he boomed in heavily accented English. "Alexander, my old friend! When I got the call, I could scarcely believe it."

Alexander tensed, his hand instinctively moving towards his concealed weapon. But before he could react, the man engulfed him in a bear hug, nearly lifting him off his feet.

"Joseph Hoffmann, I presume?" Sarah said, amusement evident in her voice.

The big Swiss released Alexander, turning his megawatt smile on Sarah. "Ah, and you must be the lovely Sarah. Alexander, you dog, you didn't tell me your partner was so beautiful!"

As Joseph ushered them into the car, chattering away about old times Alexander couldn't remember, a sense of unease settled over him. This jovial giant seemed genuine enough, but in their line of work, appearances were often deceiving.

They sped through the streets of Geneva, the pristine buildings and well-manicured parks a stark contrast to the chaos they'd left behind in London. Joseph filled the silence with a steady stream of local gossip and half-remembered anecdotes, but Alexander could sense an undercurrent of tension beneath the man's affable exterior.

Finally, they pulled up to a nondescript office building in the heart of the banking district. Joseph led them inside, past layers of security that spoke of serious money and even more serious secrets.

"Welcome to the vault," Joseph said as they entered a state-of-the-art command center. Screens lined the walls, displaying news feeds and financial data from around the globe. "This is where we track every dirty franc that passes through Swiss banks. If your Chimera friends are moving money, we'll find it."