Part VI Chapter 26

Chapter 26

May 24^th, 2012

Zurich

The large, sleek black Maybach parked in front of the Lintorff Privatbank and the bodyguard dashed to open the door for the sixty-four old man. Michel Lacroix descended from the car and walked in a beeline to the bank entrance but the two men standing guard there cut his path.

“Only the Griffin Consort's father,” Mirko growled looking at him menacingly. “Masons are not welcome here.”

Michel only glanced at his bodyguards and the men took two steps backward but didn't go away as their superior entered in the bank, with Mirko walking next to him, looking deeply disgusted that he had to walk next to the man and share the private elevator with him.

They passed the large corridor and Michel noticed the lack of secretaries in the area although it was five o'clock. 'Lintorff wouldn't be so crazy as to mess his own hideout,' Lacroix tried to reassure himself but he found no comfort in the thought, still unease he had been summoned to Zurich without any kind of explanations.

Mirko opened the large wooden door and the man entered in the large room, seeing that Konrad, Ferdinand and Goran were sitting on the couches next to the windows. He stood proudly in the middle of the room and waited for the others to make the first move and Ferdinand rose from is seat and walked toward him.

“Mr. Lacroix, please join us. The Griffin has much to discuss with you.”

“Thank you, Ferdinand,” Michel answered and sat where Konrad indicated him, facing him while Goran and Ferdinand sat at his left and right. The Frenchman smirked at the other men arrangements and said “one could believe that I am in front of the Council.”

“In a way you are, Lacroix,” Konrad said

“I see no Hochmeister before me, but that's immaterial as I was expelled from your decrepit party years ago.”

“I will resume my duties in December or even earlier, sir. Therefore you should mind your words.”

“I listen to you, Duke. Any news about my son?”

“Some but we need to speak before.”

“I imagine you want something from me.”

“You will be admitted into our ranks once more, Lacroix in exchange for all the information you have on the different lodges you have been helping over the years,” Konrad's voice intoned with satisfaction.

“I have no interest in partaking with you. The minute we find Guntram our paths split.”

“That might pose a problem, Mr. Lacroix. I assume you want to take him away and I want to keep him with me. The difference is that I have more chances to achieve my goals than you.”

“That will be Guntram's decision.”

“Yes, I imagine so. Stay with me or go with the man who sold him to a mobster and faked his own death to keep his millions. He was seven years old when it happened and now he's almost thirty, that would make about twenty-three years of missing explanations to him, wouldn't they?”

“I will not betray my clients, Lintorff. These people are my friends and allies.”

“We change so many times our dresses in this life that one more wouldn't mind, right Michel?” Ferdinand sneered. “All for your boy. He deserves it, don't you think, Goran?”

“Certainly.” Goran continued with his silent examination of Lacroix.

“No,” Michel decided.

“It's a pity then. Guntram would have liked to see his father once more,” Konrad shrugged. “I will give him your regards.”

Lacroix felt his soul abandon his body at the words. “Do you know where is he?”

“At his own flat with his child,” Goran informed him. “Guntram arrived from Russia some days ago with little Konrad. He was repeatedly abused and his son's life threatened all the time. He risked his life for him and looks more like a corpse than a person.”

“Is he here?” Michel asked still unable to believe the news.

“My people looks after him. He needs time to recover and at the moment he's staying with me,” Goran answered very softly, carefully checking the man reactions were true. 'His eyes clouded themselves for a second. Maybe he's sincere.'

“I want to see him.”

“No,” Konrad refused. “He is in his present state because of you.”

“He is my son!”

“He was your son but you gave him to me in 1989. Guntram came to me, walking half Europe on his own. Not to you, so I would suggest you reconsider your attitude toward me. Your actions could be labelled as accessory to kidnapping, murder, rape and who knows what else. You are the lawyer here and I will be delighted to see you serving time.”

“It is conspiracy to commit such crimes, sir,” Goran corrected him mildly. “Only in Argentina we have eight bodies waiting for justice.”

“You have not a single piece of evidence against me.”

“No, just your declaration that you sold your son to Repin,” Ferdinand said impassively. “Könighshalle?”

“It's your word against mine.”

“No, your voice is very clearly heard in the recordings. Amazing how small these things are nowadays,” Ferdinand sneered. “No one ever checks on the stupid and reliable von Kleist.”

“That's an illegal recording, it will not hold in court.”

“Tell it to Guntram when he finds out that his own father sold him this time to a mobster. You certainly love to prostitute your own child,” said Konrad with deep disgust. “I am convinced that your wife sired him with the milkman because he's nothing like you. He risked his life before leaving his own flesh behind. He slept on the streets to protect him.”

“His child?” Michel asked dumbfounded.

“Konrad Goran de Lisle Guttenberg Sachsen,” Ferdinand announced proudly. “Charming baby, by the way.”

“I am the godfather,” Goran added proudly.

“Please, notice that the baby was named Konrad, not Jerôme,” Konrad said sarcastically. “Guntram told Repin he wanted to call him Conor and the idiot bought it.”

“Guntram has a child?” Michel asked, feeling very dizzy and unable to process the news. “A baby?”

“Yes, he looks exactly as his father and I will be very happy to receive him in my house. He is a great gift to my family. Now, let's speak again about our business before you see them.”

“What do you want?” Michel spoke with a raspy voice.

“Everything you have on the Masons. Fee access to your files.”

“I cannot grant you this. I would be killed in less than a day for this.”

“Why? Your contact, Michel Lefebvre is well dead. The lodges use your services as a normal lawyer. They know nothing about you. Even we were fooled by your façade of being a good Catholic.”

“The minute you attack my clients I'm as good as dead.”

“Killing you is a bad idea. Guntram might feel your death and I don't want to cause any more pain in his life. As I see this problem, you have two ways out. One: you save your clients and position and risk to lose your son and grandchild and probably stay in jail for a long list of things, starting by buying another man's life. The other solution is that you cooperate with us, return to the Order as our Church always forgives a repentant sinner, and we will forget your entanglement with Repin, Lefebvre and arrange a visitation schedule.”

Michel eyes bore holes into Konrad's but he didn't react. “I will not cooperate with you. We will go down together, Lintorff.”

“I was expecting this. How about a nice job with us? You sell your law firm and start to work for us. You are old enough as to think in retirement.”

“I am listening to you.”

“The Head of Legal Affairs of the Lintorff Foundation resigned some time ago after my cousin Gertrud was named president again. I trust you to take this position and be a good stone in her shoe. I have enough power in the board as to force the naming of his successor.”

“Me against your cousin? She will not last two months,” Lacroix sneered. “I want the presidency and full control of its resources.”

“No, the presidency returns to my aunt Elisabetta. You can decide how to spend 15% of the available resources after we make our donation to the Church.”

“If I have to clean your backyard, I want a good retribution.”

“Your son is more than you deserve.”

“Your consort is more than you deserve. I can still produce a few more things against you. How about my brother's death report? What about your dear wife, Lintorff? Twenty eight percent of the resources.”

“Twenty and that is final, Lacroix. I will monitor that not a single cent is lost or misused.”

“I will chose the projects.”

“My aunt will approve them.”

“Very well, twenty percent of the 3,7 billion euros you always leave for pocket money,” Lacroix said. “I have many ideas for women development in Africa.”

“Through missionaries. Is that clear? If Muslins don't take care of their own, I will not start to supply for their inefficiency.”

“With Christian organizations,” Lacroix grudgingly accepted. “Regarding my services...”

“You are retired, remember?” Konrad interrupted him sarcastically. “I'm willing to provide security for the Legal Head of my foundation and the appropriate means for his keeping. After all you are my Consort's father.”

“Very well, but the information you request comes with a price; 400 million euros for my grandchild. He's the last of de Lisles and deserves to recover all what you took from us.”

“No.”

“Let's go to courts them. I'm old and already with one foot in the grave. If I loose my son once more, I have nothing to live for. You have two children and a third now, if I see correctly.”

“I am willing to establish a fund for a hundred million for little Konrad, exactly as my children received when they were born. These funds increase by twenty-five million each year.”

“So that would make a 150 million Swiss Francs now?”

“I said euros and it's 125 million; your maths are wrong.”

“I am just a humble lawyer. We live in Switzerland and, by the way, euros are not accepted here.”

“I will not make any difference between my children: 125 million dollars.”

“Dollars now? Your sons should consider the services of a good lawyer.”

“All right! Swiss Francs for all of them from now on.”

“Excellent choice and 125 million Swiss Francs would be fine.”

“Regarding Guntram's welfare...” Konrad started to say but he was abruptly cut.

“He is my son. I will look after him and his child.”

“Your paternal devotion comes a bit late, Lacroix. He will live with me and our sons.”

“No.”

“I am willing to let you visit once per month and speak with him.”

“I am not interested in a visitation schedule, sir. Free access to my son and grandchild.”

“I will not receive you in my house, de Lisle!”

“Was I not the future CEO of your Foundation? If you want me to do your dirty laundry, you should better start to be amiable to you “father in law”,”Michel sneered recovered from the initial shock and ready for the counter-attack.

“You will not interfere with the Order's businesses nor my sons' education.”

“I will see Guntram and my grandchild as much as I want. I will move to Zurich to be near them.”

“No.”

“There are nice villas in Zollikon and it's located on the opposite side of your property. A nice garden for the baby.”

“I will not let Guntram be on your grounds, who knows what you could do to him.”

“I will let you choose whose villa you want to arrange for him. I will send you my pre-selection in one week, sir.”

“I am not paying you a house for you!”

“Very well, let me remind you that my profits last year were 18 million euros after taxes. Can your Foundation meet those terms?”

“Not even I have such a salary in this institution!” Konrad protested loudly.

“Then a house -let's say 15 million Swiss francs- is not much to pay for your Consort's lodging. I'm a poor employee thanks to you now.”

“Fine, I will pay for the house but taxes and maintenance are on you.”

“As well as my own security people. Keep your spies to yourself.”

“I...”

“As for the part where my law firm gives you clear access to our clients files, I will have to say that I only own 64% of it and since Nicholas died, many of our clients preferred to leave us. My partners don't deserve that I ruin their work and livelihoods. However, I can suggest something else, much more profitable for you.”

“What?”

“Nothing like a clear start, my Griffin. You want to recover your position in the Order and I believe that is a good idea, but will your “brothers” think as you do? Since your cousin Georg is in charge, our company received, how would I call this? many consultations for evading the contribution to the cause. Considering the amounts involved, you might have lost about 5.6 billion euros in donations so far. I can help you to get the little lambs back to the fold, sir.” Michel placed all the irony he could in the last word.

Konrad was aghast: 'Loses for over 5.6 billion, right under his nose?' “Impossible! The Komturen know better.”

“The Komturen are clever people, my Griffin, but your associates are a different matter. Businessmen are brats by definition and there is no social conscience any longer. Your last increase of the contribution fees up to 20% of profits after taxes was a very unpopular policy. We are tired of faking loses in so many companies. As I said, nothing like a clean start.”

“The cipher is too high to be true,” a dumbstruck Ferdinand uttered.

“That's only through me. If you hire our services, we could look very discreetly if there are more leaks through other law firms. Our fares are very competitive,” Michel said with irony, enjoying how Konrad seemed to be at the edge of a stroke. “Imagine what you could do with ten years of information on your little lambs murky dealings against the Order. A lot of people don't like you at all, Konrad. Leave the lodges alone and focus on your own kingdom. They have enough with your attacks on the euro.”

“You are protecting Masons!” Goran exclaimed shocked. “This is against all you were taught as a child!”

“I'm saving my life, sir. Warring against Masons is your problem, not mine.”

“Agreed,” Konrad grunted before Ferdinand and Goran would start to quarrel with Michel. “We keep to ourselves your participation in Guntram's kidnapping and in exchange you give me all what you have on my own people. For your own sake, I hope it is as good as you say.”

“It's better and I don't bluff.”

“I also not.”

“You forgot the part where you deposit 125 million Swiss Francs in an account under my grandchild's name.”

“You will have no access to this money. Only Guntram.”

“Of course.”

“I would appreciate if you transfer your money to our institutions as we are going to work so close from now onward,” Konrad added. “A proof of your loyalty to us.”

“Depends on your conditions. Euroibor plus 1%?

“Libor one year.”

“I get more in a commercial bank!”

“Two percent the first year, two and a half percent the second and three percent on the third. On the fourth, we renegotiate.”

“Very well. I will transfer my cash to you.”

“All of it. Bonds and stocks too. We will manage them and of course you will pay your fee to the Order. You have to set the example.”

“Yes, I see but I will be forced to work on the side,” Michel trailed.

“Don't you have enough with the house?”

“I will not deplete Guntram's inheritance on a whim of yours. Zero point five percent of your final profits, sir.”

“But that would be more than...” Ferdinand started to protest.

“Agreed,” Konrad grunted. “You can buy your own army with that.”

“Nothing so extreme. I take over the Foundation as CEO, clean it for you and leave the presidency to your aunt. Should we not consider someone younger, like Cecilia von Kleist or Carolina von Lintorff?”

“No, my aunt is perfect for the position.” 'Elisabetta will eat your guts alive if you move an inch. There is no way you can fool her.'

“Very well, I'll move to Zurich to a house you pay for.”

“Fine.”

“Excellent, we have agreed on our terms. I want to see my son now.”

“Not yet, Mr. Lacroix,” Goran stopped him. “Guntram is very tired from his ordeal and needs some rest. You can speak with him on the phone in two days.”

“I want to see him now.”

“Guntram suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and to give you an idea of his current status, I will tell you that he offered to perform oral sex to me for an apple for his son. He eats nothing and hides food for the child. I believe he has lost about twenty kilos and he was not fat to begin with. He is afraid all the time that we are going to remove the baby's custody from him and suffers horrible nightmares. He tried to kill himself and his left hand is ruined. I want his doctor to thoroughly evaluate his condition before he faces more stress. He came to me and I will not betray his trust for you or the Duke. Is that clear, gentlemen?” Goran said with a clear voice.

Michel looked at Goran in horror and bent his head down, dejected and defeated. “Repin told me he loved him and Guntram said many times he was his friend. He only fulfilled his promise of letting him have a child.”

“This man used the child against him. If the baby wanted to eat, Guntram had to play nice in the bedroom,” Konrad said darkly. “Once, he forced the baby to starve for a day just to make Guntram docile. Needless to say, your son dropped all rebellious thoughts or actions.”

“Let's don't forget the part where your own allies sold him to us, but first make his childhood a living hell,” Ferdinand added. “I hope they burn in hell.”

“Leave Nicholas and Luciano out of this!” Michel shouted for his pride's sake.

“Yes, we already did,” Goran snarled in a chilly tone. “You, Mr. Lacroix, are detrimental for Guntram's well being. If you had an ounce of honesty and self respect, you would leave the boy alone. He has enough of your fatherly love. If I let you come closer to him, it's because I think that lying to him furthermore, will be detrimental for him. If he refuses to see you, you will go away, sir or I will personally take care of you.”

“As you say, Mr. Pavicevic,” Michel accepted quietly.

“If you would see how much damage you and your people caused him, you would change your attitude toward your former allies. You left your defenceless child in their hands and they used him to get to us. Did any of them think what could have happened to Guntram if we would have discovered it before? Did any of you consider for a single minute his welfare? Because of your son, I'm willing to give you a second chance to redeem yourself and be part of the Order.” Konrad and Ferdinand looked at Goran in shock but the determined expression dangling from his black eyes convinced them of the benefits of being silent.

“I have no interest to be part of your decadent organization.”

“We are not decadent as you can see. We have only changed names, but we stay the same. Think about it. You have until tomorrow to give me all the information you have on the Masons. I'm not as merciful as the Duke and I had enough of your tricks.”

“What if I refuse?”

“It's your life; protect it as you see fit.”