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Автор: Anastasia

My first idea was talking to Anton. I always considered him my older friend, who could give advice and besides he was occupying the post of Elsinger. Already for over eight years but I was quite sure he still remembered how Elsinger got out of O.S.I.R. Connor and Sunray were back from Russia shortly after he disappeared but they somehow found him and made sure he’d head a tribunal. But I was sure that by now he was lurking somewhere, unpunished, ruining other person’s lives the way he ruined the lives of Connor and Lindsay. And AJ’s. And partly mine. All this had to find the way out of me, but talking to Anton I found myself unable to tell him what I was thinking.

"Something’s nagging you, isn’t it?" Hendrix finally asked.

"Yes," I nodded, "I’m just thinking how different our lives would be if I’d known from the beginning that Elsinger was behind the show." "That’s what everyone keeps thinking but it’s not "ifs" that determine our lives," Anton said.

"Right again, but that doesn’t make it easier for me. Or for AJ."

"It doesn’t," Anton agreed, "but wouldn’t it be easier to stop going on a wild goose chase? Perhaps it would be better if you stopped mourning Connor and Lindsay, it would help AJ a lot."

I wanted to retort but Anton already spoke on: "Peter, I’m talking as a psychologist, not only as a friend. She needs some peace."

"Right, Anton, if you wish, but nevertheless do tell me everything you know about Elsinger, ok?" I asked.

Hendrix nodded.

However, I didn’t have to look for Elsinger, he found me instead. I was still at the O.S.I.R. when my cell phone ran and I heard hysterical Rachel on the other side of the wire: "Pete, there’s a man in our house, he’s got a gun. And he wants to shoot down the girls."

"Elsinger," I said, guessing who was the visitor.

"That’s what he’s calling himself," replied Rachel, "look, Pete, he’s nuts, he’s quite capable of shooting. And Peter,"

I, already ready to put down the receiver, prickled my ears: "Yes, Rachel."

"He particularly dislikes AJ."

I often heard the expression "blood froze in his veins" but I never really understood it. Now I did. This damned fool was going to shoot my AJ! I couldn’t let it happen. And then I felt guilty: I should have thought about my wife and my daughter first. But AJ was just like her mother: no one, who knew her, was capable of thinking about someone else first, only about her. This thought brought a faint smile on my lips. Nevertheless, there was no time to sit and ponder, I had to save my family. And finally to show Elsinger, that two could also play his game. And this wasn’t just revenge, there was much more.

The door was opened and closed silently, I entered our hall. Then I heard the voices.

"You don’t mean it, do you?" that was Rachel talking.

"I mean it, lady, she’s just like her parents, looking for troubles." Elsinger.

"You should better say "just like me", mister," AJ was sitting with her back to me, frightened Linnet holding her hand. "And I insist you let Rachel and Linnet go, it has nothing to do with them, only two of us, right?"

An eight – year – old speaking!

"Ok, if that’s what you want," Elsinger said lazily, then pointed at my wife and our daughter: "you can go wherever you want. But please don’t call the police, otherwise," he threw a look at the gun in his hand, "your dear AJ will end up exactly like her parents."

Rachel stood up: "I won’t go, I can leave the child alone."

"Come along, darling," I entered the room, "I’ll look after AJ."

Rachel threw me a relieved look, then took Linnet by the hand: "It’s going to be all right, isn’t it, Pete?"

I nodded: "Now go before Frankie changed his mind."

Elsinger looked up: "For a person who’s about to die you’re bold."

"For a person who’s going to end up in an asylum you’re brave as well," retorted AJ before I could open my mouth.

I thought that if glances could kill, Anne Julia would be dead at once.

"Hon, you don’t have to get on his nerves, it could end bad," I warned.

"I don’t care," was the answer," but, Pete, let him pay for what he did."

Elsinger threw her a sidelong glance: "How happens that you’re so much like Lindsay?"

"Perhaps because I’m her daughter?" proposed AJ. "Oh, sorry, was her daughter, she’s dead for four years."

"Get out of here," Elsinger cried out, "why don’t you go?"

"I thought you were about to kill me?" she said.

"Shut up! And get out of here!"

AJ stood up: "Pete, are you sure you can handle this monster?"

"Yes," I replied," I can do it. Thanks for asking, hon."

"You’re welcome," she smiled warmly, "good bye, Mr. Elsinger, I’m sorry our meeting was so short."

The answer was a kind of growl.

"You’d better visit a speech therapist," AJ disappeared in the door with a wicked grin.

I couldn’t help smiling. It was so typical AJ!

Now there were only two of us.

"And now?" I broke the silence. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk," Elsinger replied.

"Scaring the hell out of my wife and my kids?"

"If you mean AJ, she isn’t scared that easily."

"No, I mean Linnet. How dare you just drop in like this?"

"Dear Axon, we had such nice talks as you were about to become Case Manager. I thought you were at least a bit like I am!"

"You must be kidding," I said calmly.

"But you denied this job, cause that meant "betraying" your friends, you weren’t as clever as I am," Elsinger stared thoughtfully ahead of him.

"Surely I am not, I couldn’t watch so many crimes happen," I answered, "why did you let them die?"

"You mean that professor doctor Doyle and his cute wife?"

"Exactly."

"They were too dangerous. Did they really think they could get away with throwing me out of O.S.I.R? But Doyle never seemed to think about it, he saw it as a challenge," he smiled, "now he can challenge fish. Or perhaps flies?"

"Frank, do you think that you can get away with what you did? you’ll end up in a jail as soon as I go to the police."

His eyes narrowed dangerously: "You’ve got the papers, haven’t you?"

I nodded: "Sure as hell."

"And you won’t stop?"

"No, not after you killed them and destroyed the lives of my family."

Elsinger got up: "I guess I’ll achieve nothing, telling I’ll shoot you."

I shook my head.

"I’ll find a way," Frank promised, standing in the doorway, "don’t think I won’t find a weapon."

I stared after him, not knowing what to say.

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