Chapter 4
The Savoy Grill
Metropolis, DE
"Tess, I would like to introduce you to Felix Vastag. He and his family own and have been running the restaurant and the Ace of Clubs for the last three years," Clark told her when they had walked into the Savoy Grill after getting her car parked in the building's underground garage and her luggage moved into Clark's portion of the penthouse.
As Clark was beginning his introduction, Tess found herself looking at a short, rotund man with snow-white hair that was thinning on top. He wore a pair of wire-rimmed glasses and had a kindly expression on his face. To Tess he looked like what everyone might hope their grandfather would look like. She also recognized the man's last name as being Hungarian in origin.
"Uncle Felix, this Tess Mercier," Clark continued the introductions. "She is my newest client, and she also Lex's cousin."
"It is a pleasure to meet Miss Mercier," Felix said in slightly accented English. "I am also sorry about Alexi. He was a good boy."
"Thank you, Mr. Vastag..."
"Please, call me Uncle Felix. Everyone does."
"Of course, Uncle Felix. And, thank you for your thoughts about Lex," Tess replied unable to keep the smile from her face.
"Uncle Felix, we need to use the private dining room," Clark told Felix. "We're expecting five others to be joining us in a few minutes."
"No problem, a megmentö," Felix said with a smile.
"Also, Alicia's boyfriend is going to be coming too. So, can you hold a table for them?"
"Again, no problem."
"Thank you, Uncle Felix."
"By the way, a megmentö, a moment ago there was a man who said he needed to see you. He said he would wait for you in the bar," Felix told Clark.
"In that case, Uncle Felix, would you please show Tess to the dining room while I see what this guy wants," Clark asked. When he saw Felix's nod of acknowledgment, he continued, "Thank you, Uncle Felix. Tess I shouldn't be a moment. By the way, is there is anything I can you get from the bar?"
"Can they do a Mojito Royalé," Tess asked. When Clark nodded, she continued, "Then that is what I'll have, but can you ask them to use a double shot of Bacardi?"
"Don't worry Tess, I'll be sure they 'splice the mainbrace' and use a good brand of champagne instead of the usual club soda," Clark said as he turned and headed towards the entrance of the Ace of Clubs.
Tess couldn't help the small chuckle she had at Clark's using the British nautical term for the issuing a double daily ration of the rum given to their seamen as she followed Felix towards the private dining room. As Felix opened the door to the dining room and ushered her in, Tess asked, "Uncle Felix, you called Clark 'a megmentö'. Isn't that Hungarian for 'my savior'?"
For a moment, Felix had a look of surprise on his face as Tess revealed the fact that she knew at least something about the Hungarian language before replying, "You are correct."
"Why do you call him that," Tess inquired as she switched over to Felix's native language.
"It is very simple. He is our savior, me and my family," Felix responded in the same language as he led the way to the private dining room. "Me and my family are Jewish and were being forced to work for a Luftwaffe general in France as his personal staff in 1943. It was either that or be deported to the east. When Clark's OSS team raided the general's villa in the south of France to kidnap him he found us there and he brought all of us back with him when he flew the general back to Gibraltar."
Tess quickly understood what Felix was not saying. Clark brought Felix and his family back with him because he knew that if they had been left behind they would have been sent to a concentration camp since the general would no longer be there to keep them from such a fate.
"So how did you end up here in Metropolis?" Tess asked.
"Again, I have a megmentö thank for that," Felix told her. "He got his father to arrange visas for my whole family to come directly to the United States. He also arranged with Lex to get me the money to help me buy the restaurant and club."
"How did Clark's father help get your visas," a now curious Tess asked.
"His father is a U.S. Senator from the state of Kansas," Felix replied with a smile.
Tess was pleased with what she had just heard. A man she barely knew and already had strong feelings for obviously had a very caring and compassionate side to him. That fact only helped to endear him to her even more.
Tess then thought about the young woman in the lobby who had directed her to Clark's office and recalled her name. "Uncle Felix, would Bianka, the receptionist in the lobby, happen to be one of your daughters?" Tess said as she gave voice to the question that suddenly popped into her head.
"Actually she is my niece," Felix stated with a warm smile. "Lex arranged with the building's management to give her job which helped her to be able to get an immigration visa to come here. Now if you will excuse me I need to get back to the kitchen."
With that Felix turned and left, closing the door to the dining room behind him leaving Tess to look about the room. In the center of the room was a sizable circular table that could easily have seated a dozen people and was covered in a quality linen table cloth. The room itself was paneled in a light oak and a several tables and lined the walls. The thing that caught Tess' attention was the fact that there were no windows and the walls themselves seemed to have been very well insulated since she could hear absolutely no sound through them from either the restaurant itself or from the street outside of the building.
Meanwhile, In the Ace of Clubs...
After leaving Tess with Uncle Felix, Clark had stepped over to the restaurant's entrance into bar area of the Ace of Clubs. A quick sweep of the current patrons revealed to him that the man who was looking for him was standing at the bar nursing a drink. It had been awhile since he had seen his friend use this particular persona. In fact, it had been more than a year since his friend had done something like this. The HRA had given him the excuse he had been looking for to retire from the hero business and settle down. But, now it looked like things were starting to occur that might change all of that.
Clark walked up to the man and announced his presence by saying to the bartender, "Gregory, put that drink on my tab. Also, I need a Mojito Royalé with a double shot of Bacardi along with your best champagne and give me my usual."
"Sure thing Clark," Gregory said from behind the bar as he started to take care of Clark's order.
The man straightened up on hearing Clark's voice and turned around to reveal a man nearly as tall as Clark with dark brown hair and a pair of penetrating aqua blue eyes. Some superb make-up, which included a false mustache, obscured his regularly handsome features that were very well known to the world. The man's now slightly menacing features took on a slight smirk as he stayed in role and simply said, "Kent."
"Malone," Clark returned the greeting. "It has been awhile since I've seen you around here."
"Yeah, it has been," 'Malone' replied.
"Well, it must have been something important for you to go to all this trouble," Clark stated as he lowered his voice slightly so no one could over here them as they talked.
"That is something of an understatement," the man supplied. "Intergang is beginning to flex its muscles again and they need to be stopped."
"For some reason that doesn't surprise me too much," Clark said. "I think Lana is manipulating Edge which would explain Intergang's sudden surge in activity."
"It would also explain the reason that a $250,000 contract has been put out on your newest client," 'Malone' told Clark.
"Whoa... Lana really must want all of the Luthors, of any variety, out of the way," exclaimed a rather surprised Clark.
"So it would seem," 'Malone' agreed. "The strange part of it was the stipulation that it had to be low profile and made to look like an accident."
"That seems to be Lana's usual M.O. They want to keep any possible suspicion from leading back to her or them," Clark suggested as he quickly thought about the matter. "The problem is with a quarter of a million dollars up for grabs there is going to be a lot of punks out there who will do it for less just to get the money without any regards to any conditions put on the contract."
"True enough," 'Malone' had to agree. "We both know that Edge is very picky and meticulous about how his contracts are carried out. He would more than likely kill anyone who didn't carry out the contract to the letter. But you never know. That large amount for a single hit shows that they are desperate to make sure that your client ends up dead, so Edge might not really care. And your point of some punk on the street getting lucky would not necessarily lead back to Intergang. So, I think you had better keep your client close to keep her safe."
"That was my plan to start with," Clark said with a smile. "Thanks for the warning, Malone."
"Not a problem, Kent," he replied. "I still owe you a few."
"You don't owe me anything, but thanks all the same," Clark told him. "By the way, how are the wife and kids?"
"They're doing just fine. In fact, we are going to be having a party at the house on New Year's Eve. If you and your lady friend are free, you might stop by," 'Malone' responded.
"If this thing with Lex is cleared up by then, we just might," Clark said. "I'll be seeing you around, Malone."
"You take care, Kent," the man said before turning and walking out of the club.
As Clark waited for Gregory to finish his drink order he mulled over what 'Malone' had told him. This latest act of Lana's just made it more imperative that something is done to neutralize her ability to make trouble, and that was what this upcoming meeting was supposed to be all about. It also meant that steps beyond the ordinary were probably going to be required. That was one reason he was glad that Chloe was going to be at the meeting, he also got a little bit smile on his face knowing that she was going to enjoy seeing Lana get her just desserts.
A few moments later, Clark was making his way back to the dining room with the drinks Gregory had made for him when he spotted the first two people to arrive walk into the restaurant and were making their way towards the same destination as Clark. The first of the two was a blonde woman of medium height and had a smile that for most of his life had never failed to light-up whatever room she was in. The other was a younger man in his mid-twenties with a camera case slung over one shoulder who had short brown hair and smiling blue eyes that made his face look younger than it really was.
"Chloe, Jimmy," Clark greeted them. "I'm glad you could make it. You're the first to arrive."
"It's great to see again, C.K.," Jimmy said, "but what is all the mystery about? My brother's call didn't really provide us with a lot of details."
"I have to agree with Jimmy; Hank's phone call wasn't exactly what I would call illuminating," Chloe added.
"Everything will be explained it a little bit," Clark replied. "But first, Jimmy you have your choice of sitting in on this meeting, or having lunch with your girlfriend, who just happens to know that you are coming. So, what will it be?"
"Like I really have to think long and hard on that one; I'll take my girlfriend every time," Jimmy replied.
"I thought as much," Clark told him. "That is why I had Felix hold a table for the two you."
"Thanks, C.K."
"No problem, Jimmy. Why don't you go let Alicia know that you are here, and would you ask her to bring me those files in my desk?"
"You got it," the younger man enthusiastically replied.
"Thanks Jimmy, and I promise that you won't miss out on any of the upcoming fun. So it is a good thing that you brought your cameras with you."
"You know I never go anywhere without them," Jimmy said as he began to turn to make his way to Clark's office. "Besides, Perry would have my head if I didn't and missed out something that someone else got instead of the Planet. I'll see you guys later."
As Jimmy left, Chloe fell in beside Clark as they continued towards the dining room, and asked him in her mind, "I don't suppose you might want to give me some kind of hint as to just what is going on?"
Clark had his usual tone of voice in his mind that went along with his trademark goofy, lopsided grin as he thought back at her, "You mean Fate hasn't clued you into any of this before now?"
"Clark, you know that like you I only let that part of me out when it is necessary, and so far there has been nothing to really indicate that there is anything out of the ordinary to justify doing that," Chloe retorted.
"Okay, I'll grant you that," Clark said as they reached the door of the dining room and he began to turn the door knob. "Let's just say that it involves an old acquaintance of ours."
As Clark pushed open the door he announced to its only occupant, "Tess, here is your drink, and though it has been nearly twenty years, I believe you two already know each other. However, just to be on the safe side, Tess this is Chloe Sullivan, now Olsen, who is my dearest and oldest friend. Chloe this is Tess Mercier, my newest client and Lex's cousin."
As Tess stood to greet Chloe, she quickly looked her over sizing her up. Chloe was a few inches shorter and a few years older than Tess, but there was no denying she had a presence about her that commanded attention. For her part, Chloe was doing the same thing using her own unique set of enhanced senses, courtesy of the Amulet of Anubis, as she read Tess in her own distinctive way. It only took her a moment and what she saw intrigued her. She wondered if Clark already knew the truth about Tess being his destiny among other interesting things she now knew about her.
"Tess, it is a pleasure to meet you again," Chloe said as she took Tess' offered hand. "At least this time there is no life threatening events going on."
"I wouldn't start making assumptions on that just yet," Tess replied. "But it is nice to meet you again. It gives me the opportunity to congratulate you on your writing, which I have enjoyed; especially your interview with Marshall Kendric," Tess finished as she gave a knowing, teasing look at Clark.
"Well, thank you," Chloe responded as she thought to herself, 'Obviously she already knows that little secret about Clark.'
"But what do you mean by saying I shouldn't start making assumptions about life threatening situations," Chloe asked, and was intrigued by the fact that Tess immediately looked at Clark to give her an explanation.
"Lana is starting to make trouble," Clark provided.
"Lana?!" a surprised Chloe asked.
"Yeah, Lana," Clark confirmed.
"Interesting that you used nearly the same tone of voice as Clark did when he heard the same bit of news," Tess observed with a slight smile on her lips.
One of Chloe's eyebrows rose in interest at Tess statement before she said, "When are we going to finally do something to put that little strumpet in her place."
"Today," Clark replied, and then added, up on seeing the expression of surprise on his friend's face, "In fact it will be right after lunch that she will get the chance to unburden her soul."
Clark's use of those words surprised Chloe a bit since it meant that he was finally going to allow her to do what she had been wanting to do for the last six months. It had only been out of respect for him as her friend and leader of their group, as well as Lex's wishes keep everything low-key, that had kept her from hexing Lana the way she had wanted to.
"You're serious about this?" Chloe quickly thought between the two of them.
"Deadly serious; just like Lana. 'Malone' just let me know that Intergang has put out a quarter of a million dollars contract on Tess. So you need to be ready," Clark replied in as serious a tone as Chloe had ever heard from her best friend.
"'Malone'?!" a surprised Chloe said. "If 'he' came out of retirement for this, it is serious."
"Yeah, it is!"
"Now, if everyone would just get here, we could this show on the road," Clark mumbled a bit impatiently.