be today. Oktoberfest is far too important to the local economy. If he struck here, the German government would destroy him. No way he would risk his entire organization for two Americans he’s never met. Even assholes like you.’
Jones poured another beer. ‘Good to know.’
‘So,’ Dial said as he noticed two empty chairs at their table, ‘where’s Petr? And didn’t you say something about an attractive blonde who might like handcuffs?’
‘They’ll be here soon. They’re flying in from Switzerland.’
Dial lowered his voice. ‘And what about Kaiser? How’s he doing?’
Payne answered. ‘He’ll live, but he’s pretty pissed off. During the assault, he caught some shrapnel in one of his eyes. The doctors tried to save it, but they weren’t successful.’
Dial winced. ‘I’d be pissed, too, if I lost an eye.’
Payne shook his head. ‘Actually, he can handle losing an eye. It’s the joking that’s got him pissed. We stopped by the hospital to see how he was doing, and DJ playfully called him “Long John Kaiser”. He even brought him a pirate eye patch as a gag.’
Jones grimaced. ‘In retrospect, it was a little too soon.’
Dial laughed at his friend’s antics. ‘If I were you, I’d buy him a gift. A really nice gift. This is someone you don’t want pissed at you.’
‘Trust me,’ Jones said, as he thought about the crate of gold that was waiting in Ulster’s vault, ‘we have just the thing to cheer him up.’
Over the next twenty minutes, the trio caught up on old times. They had known each other for years but rarely had a chance to get together because of the distance between Pittsburgh and France. Halfway through his story about the salami, Jones stopped and rubbed his eyes. Even though he’d had very little to drink, he was pretty sure his mind was playing tricks on him.
Jones asked, ‘What’s the alcohol content of this beer?’
Payne shrugged as he ate some roast pork. ‘I don’t know, why?’
‘I think Petr just arrived.’
‘And?’
‘Unless I’m imagining things, he’s wearing lederhosen.’
A few seconds later, Payne was laughing so hard he started coughing up food. The sight of Ulster, one of the most respected historians in the world, squeezed into the traditional knee-length leather shorts - his outfit completed with matching braces and a pointed hat with a red feather - was too much for him to handle. Not wanting to embarrass his portly friend, Payne quickly excused himself before Ulster reached their table.
Thanks to the massive crowd, Payne slipped away unseen. At least he thought he had until he felt a faint tap on his shoulder a minute later. He turned round, fully expecting to see a drunken tourist with a handful of beer. Instead, he saw Heidi. She was standing there in a gathered skirt with a low-cut bodice, a white apron and thigh-high white stockings. Her blonde hair, which was normally in a ponytail, had been separated into two braids, each tied with white ribbons that dangled in front of her cleavage.
‘Hey, stranger,’ she said before she kissed him on his cheek.
Payne struggled to catch his breath. ‘Wow.’
She smiled and curtsied. As she did, she swooshed her blue skirt back and forth with her hands. ‘Do you like it? It’s called a dirndl. It’s very popular in Bavaria.’
‘I can see why. You look incredible.’
She blushed slightly. ‘If that’s the case, why did you run away from me?’
‘When was that?’
‘Just now. I showed up with Petr, and you ran away.’
He apologized. ‘Sorry, I didn’t even see you. I started choking on my food and needed to clear my throat.’
She patted him on the back. ‘Are you okay?’
He nodded. ‘I am now.’
She linked her arm in his and pulled him off to the side of the tent. ‘Before we go back to the table, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you.’
‘For what?’
‘For letting me tag along on your adventure.’
He laughed at her description. ‘Yeah, like I had a choice.’
She gave him a playful shove. ‘Come on! I wasn’t that bad, was I?’
‘You mean, before you blackmailed your way onto the chopper or after?’
Heidi laughed at the memory. ‘After.’
‘In that case, you were great. We couldn’t have done it without you.’
‘Well, I don’t know about that, but I appreciate the sentiment.’
He turned and faced her. ‘Maybe you’re right. Maybe we could have done it eventually, but the truth is your presence really speeded up the process. I hope you know that.’
She smiled at the compliment. ‘I do now.’
‘So,’ he said, ‘how are things going with Petr?’
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