Night Kill (Private Investigator Andrew Knight Mystery Series)

by RL Edinger

  “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 entrée arrived at the table just as they all finished their first course. The tender milk-fed Veal Cutlet, floured and sautéed 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.”

  “What about Kara?” Nick grabbed his second glass.

  “Kara?” Andrew paused. He thought back to time he spent with her. She was amazing, powerful and very beautiful. He was drawn to her, and had almost given into her intoxicating charms. Andrew finally replied, “She’s amazing. I hope things work out for the both of you. I think you both need each other.”

  “She is amazing,” Nick had a wide grin on his face. “I’ve never met any like her before.” He turned towards the dance floor and watched her dancing with Talia. Kara moved with such seductiveness, free-spiritedness, it made him want her even more. Nick turned back to Andrew. He raised his glass, “Thanks man, for bringing us together.”

  “Your welcome,” Andrew raised his own glass.

  Talia left Kara on the dance floor and walked back to the table. She sat down next to Andrew. Kara was now dancing with a tall, blonde stranger, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers. Everyone just stared at the provocative way they were dancing. Nick slammed down his glass and tore off for the dance floor. The two men started screaming at each other. Andrew bolted from the booth and stepped in between. Very shortly, he had defused the situation. Nick grabbed Kara by the hand and led her out of the room.

  Andrew rejoined Talia back at the booth.

  “I think we should go back to the hotel,” Andrew announced.

  “Could we go for a walk?” Talia suggested.

  “Okay,” Andrew replied.

  He stood up. Talia rose up and walked over to him. She stopped for a minute. Her eyes met Andrew’s. Talia reached out with her hand. Would Andrew take it? It seemed like an eternity, but then it happened; Andrew took her hand. They walked out of the bar.

  Kara and Nick walked closely arm in arm. Kara had apologized to Nick for the way she acted earlier in the Vox bar. He forgave her and they decided to make it up with a romantic walk.

  The night air was crisp; the moon bright and full lay still in the velvet sky. Kara and Nick had discovered a small, wooded park not far from the Grand Hyatt. They decided to take a stroll and soon found a secluded bench to sit on. When they sat down, Kara pressed up against Nick and leaned in, waiting for him to kiss her. Nick did not disappoint her and filled Kara’s desire. As their lips drew apart, Kara looked intently at Nick and him at her.

  “We should go back…” Kara started to say, but froze.

  “What is it?” Nick asked seeing the horrified expression on her face.

  “Nick!” Kara screamed.

  From the dense bushes, three Knights of VanHelsing attacked. One of them took off after Kara. She tried to run but they quickly grabbed hold and restrained Kara. They covered her mouth so no one could hear her scream.

  Nick tried to fight the other two off, but was no match for the deadly pair. With only a few moves, Nick was out cold on the ground. The last thing Kara saw was one had drawn a sword; then all went black.

  “Nein, nein! Tötet ihn nicht,” the other warned not to kill him. They pushed the blade away from Nick’s body.

  “Sie werden uns verfolgen,” the second one cursed back. “Sie werden zu Gothica kommen.” They asked if they will come to Gothica. They put away their blade and asked about Andrew and that he must be stopped. “Was machen wir mit Andrew Knight? Er muss angehalten werden!”

  “Wir werden uns mit Andrew Knight befassen, sorgen Sie sich darüber nicht,” the first one replied not to worry about Andrew and they would deal with him.

  They joined the third one and then two of them carried Kara off. The third watched to make sure no one followed.

  Andrew and Talia strolled along hand in hand. It was a perfect evening with the stars twinkling in the ebony sky above. The sights and sounds of Berlin were something Talia would not soon forget.

  Talia wondered as they walked along, why she had hated Andrew so much in the beginning. She was glad they were closer, and that they now were actually friends. But Talia also found herself feeling more than that sometimes, especially recently. Andrew was very handsome, intelligent, and he had a certain air of assuredness about him. Was she falling for him? That was not possible; Andrew was married and his wife was going to have a baby. Yet she was falling for him; right or wrong. Did he feel the same?

  “Look, there’s a park over there,” Talia said. “Let’s check it out.”

  “Alright,” Andrew answered. Talia squeezed his hand tighter. He wondered why.

  They quickly crossed the street and entered the park
. Talia and Andrew took one of the paths and had just come around the corner when they saw a dark heap on the ground.

  “Stay here,” Andrew let go of Talia’s hand. “I’ll check it out.”

  Andrew walked over but suddenly froze. He realized that the heap in fact was Nick, all bloody and bruised and lying on his side. Andrew rushed over to him and knelt down. Talia had joined him now. She looked worried upon seeing the way Nick looked.

  “What happened?” Talia worriedly asked.

  “He’s coming around,” Andrew answered as he cradled Nick in his arms.

  Nick opened his eyes, trying to gain his bearings. Things were still a bit hazy, but he could make out the shapes of two; one cradling him and the other towering over him. Nick closed his eyes to refocus. Now he saw Andrew and Talia.

  “What happened here Nick?” Andrew demanded. He stopped as a horrible chill filled his very being. Andrew urgently scanned the area. Kara was missing!

  “Kara’s gone!” Andrew shouted. “Call for help.”

  Talia took out her cell phone from her purse and called the police.

  Andrew turned his attention back to Nick. “What happened?” he asked again.

  “There were three of them,” was all Nick had to say. Andrew knew who it was. His whole body sunk at the realization that the Knight’s of VanHelsing knew they were in Berlin. Andrew couldn’t worry about that. Right now he had to find Kara. Andrew ordered Talia to wait here until the authorities arrived. He knelt down and surveyed the area. Suddenly Andrew bolted off deeper into the park.

  “Andrew, don’t!” Talia screeched after him. She saw him fade into the darkness. Talia was trembling so badly, Nick had to soothe her.

  Andrew had tracked Kara and her kidnappers through the wooded park and to the river. He watched from cover as the three Knights of VanHelsing stopped beside a black van. They laid her down on the grass and proceeded to unlock the van. Andrew tossed aside his overcoat and made his move.

  Silver Blade was unlocking the driver’s side door when he felt a tap on the shoulder. Thinking it was either Bronze Blade or Gold Blade, he turned around. Instead, it was Andrew who simply said good night. ‘Gute Nacht.’ He grabbed Silver Blade by the neck and delivered a knockout blow to his head. Silver Blade slipped to the ground, unconscious. Andrew moved to the side of the van and inched his way along. Fortunately for him, the open back doors of the van provided him cover.

  Andrew heard the two of them talking. They were saying that they still needed to capture Talia. But they weren’t sure how to get to her since she was already at the hotel. One of them stopped suddenly. Perhaps they realized that Silver Blade hadn’t joined them yet. Andrew pressed up against the side of the van as Bronze Blade came around the side of the door. Andrew hit him quickly with a snap kick to the head and Bronze Blade was out cold on the ground. Andrew bolted around the door and came face to face with Gold Blade.

  “Wie fanden Sie uns hier?” Gold Blade surprised, asked how Andrew found them.

  “Ich folgte jemanden durch den park,” Andrew replied, he tracked them through the park.

  Golden blade said nothing further but instead reached for his swords. Andrew had anticipated the move and with a front snap kick hit Gold Blade in the chest which sent him skidding backwards and to the ground. Andrew didn’t give Gold Blade a chance to react and rushed him and grabbed the two swords. He flung them some distance away. Gold Blade stood and was about to grab the crossbow from his belt. But again, Andrew anticipated the move and with a devastating double spin kick, hit Gold Blade first in the chest and then the head. Gold Blade crumbled to the ground.

  Chapter 13

  Nick checked the door locks for the third time now. In all his life he was never more terrified then right now at this very moment. Even all the dangers he faced as a detective in Chicago, didn’t compare with the Knights of VanHelsing. They frightened him and he didn’t like it at all.

  Nick rechecked the door locks and went to sit down on the sofa in the sitting area. Talia was asleep in one of the beds. After they had squared things away with the authorities, he and Talia returned to the hotel. The hotel doctor gave Talia a sedative so that she could get some rest. Nick grabbed a bottle of whiskey and glass from the table. His hands were shaking as he poured himself a drink. He drank it quickly and poured another. Andrew was still missing and that really concerned him. Where the hell was Andrew? Why did he go after those who kidnapped Kara, especially since he was unarmed? Nick drank another glass full of whiskey. Suddenly he felt very sleepy. The glass slipped from Nick’s hand, onto the floor and he passed out.

  Talia wasn’t asleep at all. With Nick was distracted while talking to the doctor, she had slipped the sedative in the bottle of whiskey. Talia wasn’t going to let Andrew face those whom kidnapped Kara, alone. She had to help. Talia pretended to fall asleep and had waited for Nick to pass out. And now he was out cold. She bounded out of bed and quickly over to the closet. Talia flung open the door and reached inside for a large leather case that was on the floor. Talia brought the case over by the bed and opened it. She put on her Knight’s of VanHelsing outfit, except for the hood. Talia strapped on the belt with the crossbow and scabbard full of arrows. She closed the case and put in back in the closet. Talia left the room and closed the door behind her. She briskly walked to the elevators. As soon as the door opened, Talia stepped inside. The only thing Talia worried about was that it might be too late.

  Andrew turned around to see Silver Blade take aim with a crossbow. He had no where to go. It was over.

  Talia had just cleared the park when she saw Andrew knockout one of the Knights of VanHelsing. She started towards him when she saw one of them rise up from the driver’s side. Talia froze when she saw them load up their crossbow.

  Silver Blade let out an unexpected yelp and fell face down. An arrow was protruding from the back of his neck. Andrew first looked at Silver Blade in disbelief and then looked up to see Talia. She saved his life.

  “Andrew!” Talia called out. She tossed aside the crossbow and ran towards him.

  Andrew swept Talia up in his arm and twirled her around for a few seconds and put her back down. The overpowering stress of that moment finally hit them and for one brief moment they forgot themselves. Talia and Andrew’s lips locked together in a long, hot blooded kiss. And as suddenly as it happened, they parted. Talia touched her lips. She had never been kissed like that in her entire lifetime. Andrew walked away. He was embarrassed at what just happened between them. Talia stretched out her hand towards him and was about to say something, but never had the chance. She felt a blow to the head and everything instantly went black.

  Andrew awoke. Every bone and muscle in his body hurt. The last thing he remembered was that kiss between he and Talia and how he had walked away. That was it; no memory of what happened after that.

  Andrew, more focused now, looked beside him. His blood ran cold and a sickening feeling came over him. Next to Andrew was the body of Sergeant Fredrick Schindler. The realization of the circumstances finally hit him; Sergeant Schindler was a Knight of VanHelsing! Andrew saw that Fredrick was in street clothes and not his Knight’s outfit. Andrew took a quick look down at his own clothing and froze. He was dressed in Fredrick’s outfit! Andrew rose unsteadily to his feet. He surveyed the area. The van was gone, but more importantly, Talia was also gone. He had failed to protect both her and Kara. The plans he had made were now compromised. The Knights of VanHelsing had found they were in Berlin through Fredrick’s deception. Andrew recalled that Talia had told him that the Knights would assume a secret identity and blend in during the day. Fredrick had them all fooled. The Knights of VanHelsing were setting him up for the death of Fredrick; the death of a police officer. Andrew started to leave, when he heard the sirens of the approaching authorities. If he were caught, it wouldn’t be good. Andrew tore off back towards the hotel. He hadn’t gotten very far, when three officers appeared. They drew their weapons.

  “Die hände halten, wo w
ir sie sehen können.” They ordered him to put up his hands.

  Andrew did as requested and put up his hands. Two of the officers put their weapons away as they approached Andrew. The third kept his gun pointed at Andrew. There wasn’t time for this and he couldn’t afford to be arrested. So Andrew did what he had to do. Andrew grabbed the two officers and slammed them into each other and while they were disoriented, he jumped in the air and with a double spin kick, removed the gun out of the officer’s hand and delivered a knock out blow to the head. Andrew landed and turned around to face the first two officers. They rushed him, but Andrew had them on the ground and out cold in seconds. Andrew took off when he heard more sirens approaching his way.

  Lieutenant Gunderson got out of his car just in time to see Andrew, wearing strange garb and leaving the park. Just as Andrew crossed the street, one of the officers that he had assaulted, came rushing up to Lieutenant Gunderson. He explained through gasping breaths what had happened. Lieutenant Gunderson’s face turned white and he immediately got on his radio. He issued an arrest order for Andrew.

  “We need to get to the Hotel Augusta immediately!” he shouted.

  Andrew thought about it as he walked along back to the hotel. He could not believe that the mission had been comprimised. Andrew knew he had to finish no matter what though, and quickened his pace with a great deal of urgency.

  Nick woke up with a throbbing headache. That wasn’t the worst part though. Talia was gone! Nick rose to his feet and immediately felt nauseas. He ran to the bathroom and made it just in time to the toilet. Nick hung onto the bowl for dear life. It felt like his insides were trying to come out. Soon the nausea passed and Nick walked unsteadily to the bed. He finally noticed the pile of black clothing on the bed along with an open suitcase and its contents strewn about. It looked like someone had been in a great hurry.

  Nick looked around the room for other signs. He had a hunch it was Andrew, but wondered several things; why Andrew was in such a hurry; why he didn’t wake Nick, and where did Andrew go?