“So where are we going?” Talia asked.
“The Vox,” Andrew answered.
The four of them got on the elevator and took it to the lobby. Andrew had arranged a limo for the evening. He thought they all needed a night to just have some fun and enjoy each other’s company before things turned serious. They thanked Andrew and got inside. Andrew instinctively looked around first. He didn’t know why he had done it. He thought it was probably from all those years of being an investigator, either way, nothing looked suspicious, so he climbed inside. The limo took off and easily glided into traffic. They were on their way to the Vox.
The Vox, located inside the exquisitely detailed Hyatt hotel, was the height of German fine dining. The tables were dressed in their finest whites and complimented with black lacquered chairs and soft table candle lighting. Patrons gathered to enjoy a grand meal and visit with each other. They were treated to the superior service by the wait staff. Each one of them was attired in crisp-looking white shirts adorned with black bow ties, along with neatly pressed black trousers and shiny flat black shoes. The waiters and waitress glided effortlessly through the room like swans on a smooth lake, all the time smiling and making sure everyone was taken care of.
Andrew and the others approached the hostess podium. She smiled and asked for the name of the registration.
“Name bitte,” Name please, she asked.
“Knight,” Andrew replied.
“Der Tisch ist fertig.” She told him the table he had reserved was ready for them. She motioned for their waitress, who walked up, ready to escort them.
“Kommen sie bitte, mit mir.” She told them to come with her.
They followed her to a table by the window, which gave them a grand view of the city of Berlin. Andrew and Nick seated Kara and Talia first and then took their own.
“Ich mochte die Weinkarte sehnen?” Andrew asked if he could see the wine list. She handed it to him. Andrew looked it over and soon selected his choice.
“Zwei Flaschen Hausweins bitte, abgekuhlt.” He ordered two bottles of the house wine chilled. “Danke,” he said. She smiled and left to fill the order.
“Where did you learn to speak German?” Talia asked amazed at how fluent he was.
“I studied with a friend of mine,” Andrew answered.
“So what are we going to eat?” Kara glanced over the menu. Luckily the lists were in both English and German.
“They serve French and German food,” Andrew answered. “What would you like?”
“I’ve never tried authentic German food,” Kara spoke up.
“Me too,” Nick agreed.
“How about we all try it,” Andrew suggested.
“Okay,” they all agreed.
The waitress returned with their wine and glasses. She opened the first bottle and poured a small amount in a glass and handed it to Andrew. He took the glass and sipped from the contents of the glass. Andrew held the wine in his mouth. It was a Bloom Riesling with aromas of peach and honeysuckle giving way to a pleasing palate full of sweetness and acidity.
“Sehr gut.” Andrew said it was good.
“English please.” Talia pleaded with a pouty look.
“Alright,” Andrew smirked. He looked up at the waitress, “Englisch bitte.”
“What would you like to start with?” she asked.
“May I order for us?” Andrew offered.
“Sure,” the others answered looking a bit overwhelmed with all the choices.
“One minute please,” Andrew said. He studied the menu and ordered an appetizer of Koeniginpastetchen (flaky pastry shell filled with veal ragout in Riesling sauce with mushrooms). As well, he ordered a Gurken Salat (cold cumber salad). And for the main course it was Jagerschnitzel (tender milk-fed Veal Cutlet, floured and sauteed in butter, topped with a Mushroom-Creme Sauce, served with Potato Pancakes and Red Cabbage).
“Very good,” their waitress smiled. She took their menus and went to fill their order.
Andrew poured the wine and passed a glass to each of them. He raised his glass and proposed a toast, “To friendship.” Each repeated his toast and drank from their glass.
“So will everything be ready when we get to Zwickau?” Nick asked.
“Everything we need will be there,” Andrew replied.
“Let’s change the subject,” Talia suggested. She just wanted to concentrate on the evening and not what they were going to face in the not too distant future.
The waitress returned with their salads and appetizers. Everyone was famished and quickly dug in when she left.
“This is delicious,” Talia said, taking a bite of her Koeniginpastetchen.
“Mmmm,” Kara murmured while sampling the Gurken Salat.
“So what are plans after dinner?” Nick inquired.
“Back to the hotel,” Andrew replied.
“Can’t we go dancing?” Kara and Talia flashed seductively looking eyes. Andrew moaned. He gave in, “Fine, we’ll go dancing, but after that it’s off to bed.”
“Yeah,” Talia and Kara happily clapped their hands.
The main entree arrived at the table just as they all finished their first course. The tender milk-fed Veal Cutlet, floured and sauteed in butter, topped with a Mushroom-Creme Sauce, served with Potato Pancakes and Red Cabbage, looked absolutely mouth-watering.
With more than 240 different sorts of whisky, the Vox Bar had one of the largest selections of whisky in Germany. The dark parquet flooring and the elegant lounge seating of Vox Bar created a warm atmosphere and one in which Andrew and the others were sure to enjoy. As they sat at the booth, Kara and Talia couldn’t help but notice the collage of oversize black-and-white photos of famous Jazz legends which provided an atmospheric background. When they first entered the Vox Bar, a floor sign noted that the top international jazz and blues performers, played live in the bar Monday to Saturday, from 10 p.m. onwards.
Andrew noticed the newly added smoker’s lounge. A glass wall with an intricately etched glass door and windows allows guests to not only see the bar at all times but also to enter it directly. Another entrance led into the lobby.
Kara grabbed Talia by the hand and practically dragged her to the dance floor. The band, Maxxl2, had just started playing.
Andrew undid the buttons for his tux coat and sat down. A waiter stopped at their booth. Andrew placed the first round order for drinks. A short time later he returned and delivered a tray full of drinks. Andrew tipped him before grabbing his own glass of scotch. Nick grabbed his whiskey and coke.
“Do you ever get nervous?” Nick asked.
“Sometimes,” Andrew answered. “Why?”
“It just hit me that we’re taking on some serious s- with these Knights,” Nick slammed down the rest of his drink. “And well it scares the s- out of me.”
“We have a plan and everything is in place,” Andrew tried to reassure Nick. “They have no clue that we are coming. So we have the advantage here Nick.”
“So you’re that sure?” Nick asked again. “I wish I had your confidence.”
“Talia has the tough part” Andrew answered, as he finished off his first drink. “She has to convince them she is still a member of the order. That, is the scary part, because I think Talia isn’t sure who she is sometimes. Her psychological condition is very delicate and she could snap at any time. There is even a distinct possibility that Talia may betray us all.”