Into the Lion's Den (91 page)

Ferdinand von Kleist lifted his gaze from the papers he was reading to yell with the impudent who had dared to address him in such impertinent way and his heart froze the second he saw that man. The snake's brother: Jerôme. He could only gape at him, without believing that he was standing there. 'He's dead! Guntram was convinced of that! I saw the police reports and the grave was occupied!'

“I see you recognise me. It's good to know I haven't changed so much. Now, move. My patience has a limit.”

“Should I call security?” the secretary asked in a hopeful voice.

“No! We go to the meeting room.” Ferdinand recovered his poise. “Tell Monika to call the Duke.”

Ferdinand made a gesture to Lacroix to follow him to the meeting room, ignoring the protests of a secretary that there was a meeting scheduled in twenty minutes with a “go to the bar!” and shutting the door closed.

“Sit down!” Ferdinand barked as Lacroix removed his coat. 'The rebel looks now exactly as the old Vicomte. Shit!'

“Coffee would be nice, Ferdinand.”

“Annette! Coffee!” he barked to the poor secretary, still standing at the door frame, before he closed the door once more on her face. “Jerôme, from whatever grave you come from, I swear to return you there.”

“My name is Michel Lacroix now. For over fifteen years, Ferdinand.”

“Of all the snakes you were the worst!”

“If you stand where you are now, it's because I told you what to do, boy. So be nice to your benefactor,”

Michel fulminated the man with his green eyes. 'Lap dogs have no teeth, so keep them to yourself.'

Ferdinand snorted “You're dead. All what you had was in Geneva.”

“Do you mean those fake documents you found in that safe box? Don't worry, the original and the newest are somewhere else. But I'm not here to discuss such things with you. It's all in the past. I'm here about my child.”

“I should have known you were in tandem with that slime! If you gave him to Repin, I'll kill you myself!” Ferdinand howled, increasing Michel's disgust at the German.

The lawyer cast a look around, focusing on a painting hanging from the wooden panelled walls, and noticed that the receptionist's dress matched the strong colours of the semi abstract paint, 'a Franz Marc without a doubt. This is the most modern style that Lintorff can stand. Does he think every morning: 'let's visit the XXI century now'?'

“Please, Ferdinand, let's do not be melodramatic. It's so vulgar. Guntram is fine with me,” Lacroix finally sighed tiredly, finding once more his calm demeanour, and Ferdinand couldn't help to exhale slowly his own tension.

“I would have never given my boy to a vicious mobster like Repin. I admit I played him a little to recover him from your people, but for some unexplainable reason, Guntram misses your master.”

“We have been looking for him all over Europe! Where's he?”

“In Europe, of course. Nothing like hiding something in plain sight. Now, go and get Konrad if he wants his Consort back.”

The door burst open and a very pale Konrad von Lintorff entered the room, taking a good look at the man sitting there. He was twenty years older, his hair grey and his face more wrinkled, but he still kept those intelligent eyes, the air of someone who knew himself superior, and a dark aura of seriousness and deep sorrow around him. Nevertheless there was something different in him; he looked deeply satisfied about something.

“De Lisle, I see you're well recovered.” His voice was very stern.

“Indeed Lintorff, but the name is Michel Lacroix.”

“I admit that you have more courage than any other man I've known,” Konrad said, taking the head of the table, his back well straight, without touching the back of the chair. “Leave us please, Ferdinand. I don't want interruptions.”

Furious with his friend for sending him away, the man left the room, back to Goran's office.

“So, what do you want this time?” Konrad spoke very seriously.

“I have something you're looking in the wrong places.”

“Don't you get tired of prostituting your own son?” The voice was soft but full of contempt and scorn.

Lacroix chuckled softly not offended at all. “You still have the same Manichean outlook on things. I'm not whoring my son; in fact, I would have never come to you if I had a choice, alas, I don't.”

“Where's Guntram? Did you sell him to Repin like you sold him to me?”

“Never! I only bought time for him in 1989! Before you would have killed him!”

“I gave you my word to treat him well!”

“Are we going to waste our time with lamentations and reproaches?

“How is he?”

“He's in relatively good health,” Lacroix answered and noticed the tension running through the Duke's back. “He's happy living with me and the best son a man could desire.”

“Why are you here?”

“You tell me.”

“I refuse to make any more deals with you. Your word means nothing! Leave my office and start to run because I'll unleash a hell over your head.”

“Guntram will not survive it. His heart is not strong enough as to run all over the world. If I leave him behind, Repin will get him in less than two days and his affections will kill him in a month.”

“I could reach him first.”

“You? You have been trying to get my brother for sixteen years and he had no money at all! In the unlikely case you would find Guntram, he would hate you for taking his father away once more. Not a very good idea, if you still want your Consort back.”

“I don't want him back,” Konrad said flippantly.

“All right, good day, sir,” Lacroix rose from his chair, but Konrad grabbed him from the wrist with a vicious grip. The older man only sneered. “By the force you're applying over my wrist, I understand that you're willing to negotiate.”

“I want Guntram back. He's my Consort. He's mine, not yours. You relinquished him years ago. To me.”

“He's my son and at the moment, Guntram prefers my company over yours, Lintorff,” Michel huffed to show his scorn for Konrad. “To be honest, I would have preferred a hundred times a Russian mobster over you. Alas this man was detrimental for my son's life and career. For some unexplainable reason, he fell in love with you and still loves you even if he wants to skin you alive for lying about Roger.”

“I never lied to him! I told him he reminded me of my greatest love! I said he looked exactly like his uncle!”

“Half truths are full lies, Lintorff. My son never lied to you and believed each one of your words. You're not better than Repin, trying to destroy his soul, his health and career just to bend him to his will. You're more subtle than him and more generous, but you also want to control him.”

“No, I don't want to control him; I only fear he's hurt. He's very frail and not because of his heart condition. You used to call him your “
petit prince
” and it's more true than anything. He's completely innocent to the world and wants to believe in it. I want to protect him from harm. I don't care if he hates me now, I want him back with me to keep him safe from danger.”

“Perhaps you do love him.”

“He's my life and my soul. Without him, there's nothing left,” Konrad confessed and looked at his enemy in the eyes, but Michel didn't look away.

“I loved my wife like that. She was the only reason I didn't become what you are now.”

“What do you want this time to return him?”

“I will not return him like a package! He's a person and deserves some respect from all of you!”

“I'll give you…”

“Money? I don't want money. I want some guarantees for my son.”

“He's the Griffin's consort! He carries our seal! What more do you want from me? I was honourable to him since I saw him. I never pressed him to do a single thing! He was very happy with me till you burst into our lives!”

“I was protecting my child from a deranged man and a murderer!”

“You gave him to me!”

“How could I believe that you would fall in love of him just because he looked like my brother? I only sold you a dream and you believed in it!”

“I was attracted to him since I saw him in St. Petersburg. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him after a week of knowing him. I did my best to help him to overcome the ordeal he suffered under Repin and I will do anything for him. I beg you Jerôme, give him back to me. You can't take care of him as he deserves.”

“I could if you would let me.”

“How?”

“A full pardon for me and my brother's family. Cease all hostilities and let us live. We will not interfere with your activities or disclose any information about the Order.”

“Never!”

“Then I'll take Guntram with me. I will not let him behind once more.”

“I can't go against the whole Order. It would be a very bad example.”

“Call off your hounds. I will continue to live as Michel Lacroix, but I demand to continue in contact with my son.”

“Do I have to ask you twice per month over dinner? Should I let you play with my children too?”

Konrad smirked, the blood in his veins starting to boil while his brain supplied a variety of punishments for the man blackmailing him as if it were the simplest thing to do.

“Nothing so dramatic, Lintorff. I want to see Guntram twice per month, as you say. Here in Zurich or in Brussels; let me write with him or phone him.”

Long silence. “I could live with this, but all your letters and conversations would be monitored. You're a dangerous snake and I don't want that Guntram falls into one of your schemes.”

“You can do it as a proof of my good will. My child has nothing to do with your world. Swear that he will never be part of the council!”

“Yes, of course.” It couldn't be so easy, could it? “Do you swear that Guntram will return to me?”

“Return to you? That might take some effort from me. Fixing your lies and deceptions will not be easy.

He's convinced you used him and committed incest with him. If he comes back, how could he be sure that you will not attack me? No, he's not stupid.”

“What else?”

“A seat in the council for me. The one you took from us. I understand there was a sudden resignation of one of your councillors last March because of some troubles with his tax declarations.”

“Never! You? No.”

“You have to prove your good will.”

“I? Who played dead for sixteen years?” Lacroix didn't go along with the taunt and kept silent. Konrad knew that there should be some way of convincing the man to give his son back and keep him away from the most sensitive areas of his power. “If you swear that Guntram will return to me on his own volition and resume his duties as Consort, I could give you something similar in exchange.”

“Define the part of resume his duties as Consort.”

“To look after my children once they're born; to live under the same roof as I; to respect me and obey me as he used to do; to grant me his company and support as in the past; to be my companion.”

“You can't demand such things from Guntram. He's free to choose if he loves you again or not.”

“I only want the opportunity to prove him that my love for him was always true and pure.”

“If you touch one single hair of him without his consent, what you found in that safe box in Geneva will be nothing compared to what you'll face,” Lacroix said very seriously. “If he wants to leave you, you will step aside.”

“You have my word. Do I have yours?”

“What could be so important as a council seat?”

“The Lintorff Foundation's presidency. Of course, you will give a minimum of eighty percent of its resources every year to our mother, the Church, but you can do what you want with the rest, within reason of course.

Last year its budget was near twelve billion dollars. It receives eighteen percent of the hedge funds and our members profits.”

“Very little if we consider your real profits.” Michael complained, but Konrad said nothing bearing a blank expression in his face. “You will return to Guntram what he lost because of your attack on our family. At today's prices, his share would be around three hundred millions euros.”

“No.”

“The amount should be deposited in numbered account in Switzerland within the next sixty days. I will provide you with the details. I want that my son has something to back him up if the Russian or your associates put a bullet in your head. It's not much to ask from you.”

“I want then something from you. All the material you have over us and your oath of loyalty. No more games like the hacker's party you organized last March. It's the least I demand from the President of my charity foundation. I'll give Guntram one hundred fifty million euros. If you want more resources for the Foundation, convince the other members to be more generous. Do your own work!”

“All right. The Presidency, the full pardon for my brother's family and two hundred twenty-five million euros for Guntram in exchange for convincing my son to return to you and giving you all the information I have.

You'd be surprised to know how many don't love you at home. The hornets' nest is quite stirred at the moment.”

“I refuse to have you hovering around me in Zurich, driving Guntram mad and undermining my relationship with him. You take the Foundation along with you to Brussels. You can visit him only for a day, twice per month and you will not take him out of the castle or from the meeting point we will choose.”

“It seems we are divorcing each other, my Duke.” Lacroix sneered and Konrad looked at him venomously. “For Guntram's sake we will have to find a way to cooperate with each other. A cold war among us is also detrimental for his health.”

“I will never accept you into my family, not even for Guntram. It was a great day when I heard about your death.”

“It was a pity that bullet didn't reach your head.”

“If you move one inch from your duties at the Foundation or if one single cent is missing or misused, I will go against you with everything I have.”

“I swear you will come to hell with me,” Lacroix growled.

“I'll make Guntram pay for you.”

“You couldn't do it.”

“I'm a father now, exactly as you are. I'll do whatever it takes to secure my position to defend my children.”