Chapter 30
July
3rd,
2012
Zurich
“You can't stay in this house
the rest of your life, Guntram.” Konrad used one of his sternest
voices during breakfast. “The doctor clearly told you to go out. We
have spoken long about this and we agreed that you should go out.
Well, today is the day, Kitten.”
“What if he sees me?” he
asked with real panic.
“Wherever
Repin is, he can't touch you or the boys. Summer School will soon be
over. Enjoy your last week of guaranteed peace till mid-August. May I
remind you that Sylt is an island and your cousin decided to take
holidays? We are supposed
to face alone three full of energy little monsters.”
“Eberhard has not taken
holidays since 2009,” Guntram defended his relative with little
conviction.
“His life is a permanent
holiday,” Konrad mumbled. “All teachers live in permanent
holidays,” he added evilly.
“I don't think this is a good
idea.”
“Guntram, Repin has no power
left if the best he can do is send us a box through Fedex. We went
through this once and it only killed you while for him, your
suffering was very funny. He's just taunting you and you shouldn't
let him have so much power over you. Just go back to your flat and
check if you still have your materials. It's not that hard. You can't
hide behind my back forever and you know it. You didn't leave the
house for a month, not even for picking the boys up at school. Take
Kurt with you and show the flat to him. You should start to think
about how you're going to rearrange the boys' rooms.”
“What if...” Guntram started
to protest.
“Goran took holidays today. Go
and make me feel that I can still make his life miserable,” Konrad
continued, not listening at Guntram at all.
“How?”
“I'm
sure he plans to loaf all day. It's the same every time Merenghetti
has to speak with the Italian Komturen
about their contribution and taxes. Goran hates to go and he would
disappear without a second thought, but he's afraid Merenghetti ruins
something. Sometimes I believe he used your cousin to get that
Argentinean lawyer to work for us, so he could escape from the
meetings.”
“How would I make his life
miserable?” Guntram repeated as his original question had not been
understood.
“He should change Kurt's
diapers,” Konrad suggested with real satisfaction pouring from his
voice. He rose from the breakfast table and announced. “Hurry up
and you may still get a ride in my car.”
“I don't know where are my
keys,” Guntram said, glad to have a perfectly valid excuse to
escape from Konrad's determination.
“Third drawer on the right,
dear. Goran's maid has also a set,” Konrad answered sweetly and
ignored Guntram's pleading looks. “Hurry up, now.”
*
* *
Konrad left Guntram in front of
Goran's building entrance. Clutching his son very strongly, he
crossed the door the doorman dashed to open for him.
“I'm
very glad to see you, Vicomte,”
he respectfully said as he peered at the baby smiling at him,
obviously in love with his shiny golden uniform buttons.
“I'm glad to be back, Rupert,”
Guntram answered, unable to believe that he still remembered his
name. “Is Mr. Pavicevic still here?”
“He didn't go to work today.
Nicoletta went out for shopping,” Rupert informed him and pushed
the elevator's button
“Thank you.” Guntram took a
deep breath and entered in the lift doubting if he should press his
flat or Goran's floor button.
He punched Goran's floor button.
* * *
The
sound of the bell was one of the most hatred noises for Goran,
especially when he was in the middle of a negotiation with one of the
most twisted adversaries he had ever met. The man simply couldn't
refrain himself from making things hard. Something so simply as
squeezing a few cents more out of the Komturen
in exchange for new fiscal prerogatives was turning into a nightmare.
'I should have endured Merenghetti's idiocy and leave this to
Ferdinand. Why is so hard to create a few ghost companies to relocate
funds of the new Lintorff Foundation?'
'Guntram's mother created him
with the milkman. There is no other logical explanation for the
characters difference.'
“Excuse me, Mr. Lacroix. My
maid must have forgotten her keys,” Goran said, still very
irritated at avalanche of legal terms and technicalities the lawyer
poured over his ears just to justify his rants and accusations.
“Very
well, but as I was saying, my appointment as new Legal Affairs
Director at the Lintorff Foundation doesn't give you the right to
order me to use my former
law
firm's know how to transfer resources from the Foundation to another.
A judge having a bad day could view this move as a simple concealment
of assets, especially if the Lintorff Foundation shows such
staggering bad figures.”
“As I told you, sir, I had no
idea the Foundation finances were in such a bad shape,” Goran said
innocently. 'Why did I ever doubted the Duke? What he gives with one
hand, he takes away with the other, just as Milan says.'
“Bad shape? You have a very
optimistic view on the situation. It's a walking financial ruin. A
zombie and your Duke expects me to revive it again. It's a miracle
what he demands from me! Most of the money is gone into strange loans
to Order members at zero interest rate. The president and the board
should be charged with fraud.”
“I have no doubts that we need
your legal expertise to fix all these minor occurrences, Mr. Lacroix.
Think on all those poor orphans who have much less now.”
“I gave more money to Caritas
last year than your whole Order! It's a scandal; only seventeen
million dollars!” Michel finally exploded. “Several charity
projects were terminated because of lack of funds!”
For once the door bell was a
welcomed sound. “The door, I'm afraid,” Goran interrupted him
again, biting his lips to prevent chuckling at the man's furiously
getting more and more papers and folders out from his briefcase.
'You'll get an ulcer bigger than
Ratko's when you try to fix all the rubbish Georg and Gertrud have
created in the past years. He's too proud to give up, make a new
foundation and start anew like anyone with some common sense would
do,' Goran thought as he walked away to open the door.
“Hi, we thought about dropping
for a short visit,” Guntram said with a luminous and false smile.
'I can't say I was kicked out of the house and called a chicken.'
“Hi,” Goran whispered
feeling his soul leave his body at the sight.
“Konrad told me you were not
working today, but if you're busy I can come back any other day.”
“No, it's fine,” Goran said,
dreading the possible encounter and confrontation that may ensue once
the son would see his father. “I'll show you to your flat and maybe
we can have lunch later.”
The baby wriggled in Guntram's
arms to be set free and he had no choice but to put him down and
before Goran could block his path, he crawled between his legs at
full speed in the living room's direction entering in the familiar
room as he enthusiastically babbled.
“I'll get your baby,” Goran
said in a hurry, slightly pushing Guntram out of his flat, and turned
to recover his godson but he froze on his spot when he saw Lacroix
coming out of the living room with the baby in his arms.
“Guntram?”
he said softly, looking at his petrified son, standing at the door.
“C'est
moi, papa,”
he added nervously.
“Tu
n'as pas changé,”
Guntram muttered, looking at his father's elegant features. “Rien
de tout.”
The images of the man who had loved him as child assaulted his brain
without order or logics behind.
“You have every reason to hate
me, my son. I made too many mistakes thinking I was doing the best
for you.”
“I used to hate you, but not
any more.” Guntram said coldly. “It doesn't make sense, you
know?”
Goran walked toward Michel and
took the baby from his arms. “I'll go to the park with Kurt,” he
whispered and escaped from his own flat, jerking the baby's bag from
Guntram's shoulder.
After a long silence where
father and son looked at each other in the eyes, Michel cast his gaze
down. “I'll get my papers and go,” he said with a trembling
voice.
“Why did you do it?” Guntram
whispered. “Was I a bad son?”
“No! You were the best son a
man could desire! I never wanted to leave you behind and I almost
didn't do it but I let myself to be convinced by Nicholas. I didn't
want to ruin your life as Roger ruined her daughter's.”
“I wouldn't have minded being
poor or being on the runway. I only wanted to be with my papa,”
Guntram reproached him, his voice laced with pulsating pain.
“Try to be one day without
your son and you will understand the hell I went through. Nicholas
and Luciano assured me you were happy and I believed them.”
“I was without my children for
three years, father,” Guntram said sharply. “This is something I
can't forgive you.”
“I understand.”
“No, you don't. I could buy
that you wanted to save your life; that you missed me all these
years; that your friends tricked me into being a Mata Hari with
trousers like that journalist called me once; that you are now
repentant of your actions and work for our Griffin, but don't you
dare to compare you with me.”
“Guntram...”
“I whored myself for my three
children, killed two men, lied to a good and decent man to return to
them and to save the other. I used every resource I had to come back
to them. What did you do? You left me behind and since that day you
plot how to ruin the only person who was kind to me. I didn't believe
that people could love someone till I met Konrad. I was a walking
dead till I met him. I was not part of your war yet you dragged me
into it.”
“Asking for your forgiveness
will never be enough to atone for all the pain I caused you. I did my
best to get you back, but everything we tried was useless. Good bye,
my son. I'll go now.”
Guntram looked at his father's
face, but he couldn't find the rage he should have felt; the rage and
hatred accumulated during his captivity, but none of it came to the
surface. Only sadness and longing for all the things he had missed as
child. His father turned his back to return to the living room and
Guntram closed his eyes, unable to endure his departure once more.
“No, stay if you want,”
Guntram said with an even and emotionless voice. “My opinion of you
should not hurt my child.”
Michel looked at Guntram as he
couldn't understand the meaning of his words.
“Stay,” he repeated. “I
have no right to deprive Kurt from his own blood. I only swear that
if you hurt him in any way, I will put a bullet in your head. Is that
clear?”
“Guntram, you don't have to do
this. Your anger toward me is perfectly justifiable. I have no
excuses for my deeds nor deserve your forgiveness.”
“I was furious with you when
Constantin told me who you were but now I ask myself if it is really
worth my health and my sanity. The answer is no. Jerôme de Lisle
lies next to my mother.” Guntram articulated the words
painstakingly. “This is a game, isn't it? We all are players in one
or another way. We can't deny our natures.”
“You have a beautiful child,
son,” Michel whispered, feeling sick at the realisation that what
the fate he had always wanted to spare for his son, was now a part of
his life, mostly due to his own cowardice. 'He sounds exactly like my
father. Cold and always calculating the best for our family.'
“It's the only good thing you
have done for my life. Ironic, isn't it? You sold me to Repin for the
chance to create him. I could forgive all the damage you inflicted
upon me just because of that.”
“Not even God himself could
make me forgive myself for all the sorrows I caused you, Guntram. I
let you and your mother down. Could you really forgive me?”
“I could forgive you, but
trusting in you again is a different matter. You ruined my life with
your lies and you still side with our enemies. I'm not any longer the
stupid Guntram who believed in people's inner goodness.”
“Guntram I...”
“Please, don't insult my
intelligence with more lies. To believe in you, I need facts.”
“What do you want?”
“All what you have on our
enemies. You worked for them for twenty years and I don't believe for
a single minute that what you gave Goran is all what you have.”
“You know perfectly well that
If I were to do that, many people's lives would be endangered.”
“So
you still protect Masons?” Guntram asked with an edge to his
voice. “The same who betrayed your trust by offering my
head in a silver plate to Konrad? If I am to believe your story that
what happened was never your intention.”
“Guntram, it's not so easy. I
did my best to get you out!”
“How can you think, even for a
minute that I will trust you if you still protect our enemies? Yes,
our enemies because they tried to kill Konrad, kept me for three
years away from my children and helped the worst piece of shit that
ever walked this earth to roam free. I want all what you have on them
and this time without any more games, father. You played the rebel
long enough. It's time you grow up and take your place in society. We
are where we are because our Lord wants it.”
“You have no right to speak to
me in such tone!”
“As I told you, Jerôme de
Lisle is buried next to my mother. I could give a second chance to
Michel Lacroix, but it will not be for free. It's your choice.”
“You sound exactly as your
grandfather,” Michel huffed.
“Perhaps. I don't know. I hope
it's without the treachery part. I belong to the Order and Masons are
my and my sons' enemies. I will do anything in my hand to protect my
children and my consort. I want everything you have tomorrow on top
of Konrad's desk. Your full cooperation would be a plus as I
understand Konrad's legal team could benefit from your expertise. You
should ask him. These are my terms, Michel.” The voice employed by
his son made Michel shudder unwillingly, and his cold blue eyes
reminded him of his own father icy stare.
“You inherited less from your
mother than I thought,” the lawyer said and nodded his acceptance
at the same time.
“How was she?” Guntram
asked, determined to kill a conversation that would tell him nothing
new or lead him nowhere. 'Fighting with my father is a zero sum game
for me.' He carefully watched how Michel's face transformed from one
of total defeat into one of sadness. 'I also need him to recover my
anchor to reality. Konrad is right. I can't live surrounded by
ghosts.'
“She was the most beautiful
person I've ever seen. I didn't care to fight with my whole family
just to marry her. You were a blessing in our lives and we were so
happy to have you,” the lawyer spoke in a whisper.
“Thank you,” Guntram replied
quietly. 'Yes, I also need him back in my life.'
“It's the truth. Nothing else.
I loved you since the moment I saw your wrinkled face in the
nursery's incubator. The doctors' didn't give me much hope but you
were a fighter since the beginning. You clung to life when I had
given it up.”
Guntram
looked at his father and his remaining anger broke into pieces now
that he was sure his father had given completely up. “I missed you,
papa.”
“There was not a single day I
was not thinking of you. I hate myself for failing you as a father. I
hope you can forgive me one day. I will do anything in my hand to be
a part of your life again, so help me God.”
Guntram
took a few faltering steps toward his father and simply hugged him as
he buried his head in his shoulder. Michel automatically clutched his
son against his chest mumbling “mon
petit”.
* * *
Goran checked his watch once
more and looked down at the sandbox and smiled at the sight of a
covered with sand boy. 'Two hours already. Either they fixed their
problems or Guntram is burying the pieces all by himself.'
“It's almost lunchtime, little
one,” he said jovially. “How about going back to the kitchen?
There must be something for you. No, I have something better for you;
let's get Nicoletta to change your nappies and I'll buy you lunch at
the Königshalle. Some people still don't know you.”
Carrying the baby in his arms,
Goran walked back to the service entrance to his building and opened
in the kitchen's door to give the baby to his cleaning lady.
“Mr., de Lisle is still with
your visitor,” she said as she cleaned her hands in her apron
before she took Kurt in her arms. “Do they stay for lunch too,
sir?”
“I don't know. I'm having
lunch at the Köninghsalle. Offer them something later.”
“Very well, sir,” she
answered and took the child away.
Very intrigued Goran decided to
check in the living room if everything was still in order. He walked
with decided footsteps but his resolution faltered when he reached
his living room closed door, hearing the soft hushed conversation in
French. 'Who am I to intrude or spy on them?' He turned around to
leave the place but Guntram's voice passed through the door. “Come
in, Goran.”
Feeling embarrassed like a child
caught with the hand in the cookies jar, Goran entered the room and
watched how Guntram was sitting very close to his father as if his
head would have been leaning over Lacroix's shoulder.
“I just wanted to ask you if I
may take your son out for lunch,” he said sheepishly but closely
examining if there was any source of discomfort in Guntram's eyes.
“Yes, of course,” Guntram
said with a smile. “You are his godfather. You don't need to ask me
such things.”
“Thank you.”
“I have spoken with my
father,” Guntram added and Michel looked at him surprised. “We
have reached some sort of truce,” he said with a shaken smile. “I
really missed him, Goran.”
“Little brother, do you
remember what I told you years ago? You were not born to live your
life in hatred. If you are fine with him, then I am also fine with
him. You have nothing to tell me. Blood is thicker than water. Just
take a look at you in the mirror and you will see the old Guntram
coming back again.”
“I...”
“Ask Nicoletta to give you
lunch. She must have something ready,” Goran shrugged and turned
around not giving more importance to the matter.
“We will stay at my old flat,
Goran,” Guntram quickly said before Goran could have escaped from
his own living room. “I want to show my father my old works and see
what I need to replace in paintings.”
“Good idea. I'll return little
Kurt at four. Do you know if he likes cherry cake?” Goran asked
lightly.
“He adores it, but don't let
him eat too much,” Guntram answered with a smile as he remembered
Goran couldn't resist it.
“That sounds like the
beginning of a sound relationship with his godfather,” Goran
chuckled and went away as fast as he could.
Michel looked at the retreating
man and to his son. “Is he gone?” he asked surprised still unable
to understand the obviously silent conversation between the two
friends. 'I missed so much of his life that I don't understand him
any longer.'
“Yes, to have lunch somewhere
with Kurt. We don't call him Konrad because it's very confusing. You
heard him. We can have lunch here or survive my cooking skills.”
Guntram said evenly.
“We stay here. You'd probably
have inherited my cooking skills,” Michel answered with a nervous
smile. “I can't boil an egg, this is why I have a housekeeper,
Fairuza. You should meet her one day. Horrible temper but cooks
fantastically.”
“Then we stay here.”
“Did he just leave?” Michel
asked when he heard the front door being slammed. “He had not heard
half of what I have to tell about the foundation!”
“Goran
hates lawyers and papers, papa.
Don't take more than ten minutes to tell him anything regarding Law.
He has taken due note of your concerns and will pass them onto Konrad
if he thinks it's necessary.” Guntram said partly seriously and
partly jokingly. “He and Konrad have a very close friendship. Don't
fight with him ever. He tends to take my side and sometimes he does
it rather strongly.”
Michel watched at his son trying
to understand the meaning of his words. “I will remember your
advise,” he said and Guntram smiled at him genuinely as his father
had finally understood his place in the scheme of power.
“Now, tell me again, how did
you meet my mother?” Guntram readjusted his position in the sofa
and rested his head over his father's shoulder, more than ready to
hear the story he had heard so many times as a child.
* * *
Konrad quietly swore when his
mobile phone rang as he hated interruptions while he was reading some
reports for preparing his afternoon meetings. He took quick look at
the screen and was surprised that there was no number written on it.
“Lintorff,” he barked
impatiently.
“Hello, Konrad. It's been
quite a while since we spoke,” the clear voice of Constantin froze
Konrad's blood.
“It's you,” he answered
coldly. “How should I call you this time?”
“Constantin is fine. Did Conor
receive my present? He forgot his original ball at home.”
“I'm going to kill you and his
name is Kurt!” Konrad shouted furiously.
“Yes, you always had a
penchant for stealing other people's toys,” Constantin sighed with
a mocked sadness. “Did you have any friends at all in school,
Konrad?” he taunted him.
“What is that you want?”
Konrad cursed he couldn't track the call.
“Oh, don't worry. You can keep
Guntram, if that's your main concern. He's useless to me now and I a
way, I pity you. He won't last long and he's very difficult to deal
with when he has one of his schizophrenic episodes. Paintings are to
be admired, but fresh oils have a horrible stench.”
“That's thanks to you,”
Konrad slurred feeling his blood boil in his veins. Although he
wanted to shout in ecstasy that his bluff had finally paid off, he
couldn't suffocate the desire of gutting Repin alive. “He was
perfectly fine till you kidnapped him.”
“My mother used to tell me
“never buy second hand” and how right she was,” Constantin
taunted Konrad once more. “In your case, this would be third hand
now.”
“A second hand diamond will
always be a diamond,” Konrad retorted biting his lips to quench his
fury. “I'm busy in the moment, what do you want now?”
“Yes, I can see you have been
busy in the past years. This debt crisis is also your
responsibility?” Constantin sneered and Konrad didn't answer him.
“As I was telling, you can keep Guntram and buy a nice coffin for
him. I had enough of him. Really. Conor is another matter.”
“He
is
Guntram's biological child. I will never let you have him.”
“I will not let you have him
either. He belongs to me and Guntram.”
“You're almost dead. I swear I
will hunt you down and kill you like the rat you are.”
“That's a very vulgar thing to
say, Konrad. Have you been watching many cowboys films lately?”
Constantin chuckled. “Sit one afternoon with your Head of Security
and take a look how many times I beat you... in your own house even.
By the way, how are your little ones faring? Are they better from the
food-poisoning?”
“Start to run, Repin.”
“Yes, I can imagine. You
sentenced Roger de Lisle in 1989... and only in 2005 you carried the
sentence out? It's a pity Slobodan Majardze is no longer in
business.”
“I'm going to...”
“Enough, Lintorff,”
Constantin interrupted him. “You're also wasting my precious time.
I have a proposition; I will leave Guntram alone and allow him to
enjoy the little time he has left in this earth and you will call
your hounds off. This agreement ends the minute he dies. I will
recover my son and this time, there will be no prisoners.”
“You're begging for my
clemency, therefore I'm much closer than I think.”
“No, this for him; for old
times sake. You should ask him about them once he's out of his “drama
queen phase”; the many happy moments we shared over these three
years, especially after our Conor was born. Or when we were in
Austin. I'm not such a heartless man. Over the years, Guntram gave me
many satisfactions and asked nothing in return. I can only remember
my angel with a smile. It's a real shame he was so sick since the
beginning. I did my best to make him healthier again, but the damage
was irreversible. His doctor was not giving me much hope after his
intervention, and let's do not dwell on his mental state.”
“I will never stop hunting
you.”
“You? From Aliosha I can
believe it, but from you? Please, don't make me laugh,” Constantin
chortled visibly amused. “Very well, let's assume for a moment that
you are going to leave your desk behind and hunt me down. What would
happen to Guntram when his father ends up in an Argentinean prison
for organizing all the things we both know about?”
“Guntram couldn't care less
about his father,” Konrad said with a determined tone.
“Maybe, but what happened last
time he read some examples of your epistolary skills? Dear Uncle
Roger never sent him a postcard for Christmas and Guntram didn't
speak with you for quite a while. Do you think he will believe you
had nothing to do with his father's arrest? What if he finds out the
photos of his uncle's “car accident”. He was very upset when he
found out that poor Stefania was your girlfriend since 1994.”
“Your word has no value at
all.”
“Yours is also worthless. Call
off your hounds and I will do the same with mine. Accidents can
happen faster than you think.”
“This threat is eliminated.”
“Yes, that one,” Constantin
said with a casual voice and Konrad felt a cold shiver run through
his spine.
“I can also target your
children.”
“This is why we are
negotiating now. I will return for Conor once Guntram lays in his
grave. He will never heard of me again and you will leave me alone.”
“No.”
“Your
stubbornness is childish and absurd. I can make Guntram's life harder
than you think,” Constantin threatened. “I have all the time in
the world to think how to make his last years very miserable. Did he
like the ball? He forgot it in Russia and it was my
Conor's favourite toy,” he said casually. “It's your choice,
Lintorff.”
“How can I trust you will keep
your promise?”
“We worked together in the
past and we had not a single problem till you decided to hunt in my
playground,” Constantin reminded him acidly. “A truce for a few
years.”
'So you can rebuild your power?
Never! But my Guntram deserves to live in peace. The doctor says his
condition is better than before and in the unlikely case that worst
happens, we can get a donor and I don't care where. My Kitten can't
have another fright like that one. He spent a whole month locked up
in the house and today I had to kick him out so he would run to
Goran's. This is no life for him. We never had the chance to be happy
since 2005.'
“Very well, I accept your
terms but if anything happens to my children or if Guntram is
disturbed in any way, I swear that your four children will pay for
you.”
“Excellent.
Send my regards to Guntram and tell him to look well after our
son,” Constantin said and hung the phone up.
Konrad threw his mobile over his
desk and it slipped to the floor producing a clattering sound. He
sunk his head in his hands, messing his hair and feeling dirty like
never before. 'You have traded with the devil himself,' he thought.
'I betrayed my Guntram's trust once more, but this has to stop before
it kills him. Goran and Ferdinand are right. I need this truce to
rebuild my defences and help him to get better.'
'It's so unfair.'
'When was life fair to you,
Konrad? Keep and defend what you have because heroics will only kill
what you hold dear.'
He stood from his chair and
watched the busy street, trying to find his inner balance once more.
With automatic moves he readjusted his tie and checked the time,
noticing that he only had now twenty-seven minutes before his next
meeting. He walked toward the bar in his bedroom and took a mineral
water bottle and served it in a glass. He drank it hoping to remove
the metallic, bitter pang he felt in his mouth, but it gave him no
comfort.
'I hate this but I have no other
options. I'm as trapped in this game as Repin is.'
He looked once more at his
watch. 'Twenty-three minutes and I still haven't checked those
figures.'
'I have so much and I'm as
powerless as those poor devils shouting in the streets. This whole
system has to collapse so men will hear once more our Lord's word.'
