2
November 16, 2023 at 9:37 AM
Ackerman blinked, returning from those thoughts to reality, exhaled, and tucked the pack of cigarettes into his pants pocket. He will do without the puff. He smoothed his long dark-blond hair, which he usually combed back. He ran his hand over his shaved, smooth face. Two meetings, the rest of the staff would take care of without him. Was he selecting the best for nothing? But he’d still have to find a good photographer in a few hours, and choose a present for the little one too. As if looking for ready solutions, the man looked around the richly furnished office. Good furniture made of solid wood, two large windows of thick special glass overlooking the city. A beautiful view, bringing thoughts of a wonderful future. Except now the high-rise buildings visible in the dancing snowflakes awoke unkind thoughts that he’d forgotten about the big day after all.
Something had to be done about it, and nodding to himself, Kenny walked around the massive desk, littered with papers sent by his assistants for review, and left the office. The corridors were empty, everyone was busy with their work: you bet, if Ackerman found out that someone didn’t do the job in due time and didn’t give his best — the unhappy person could only sympathize silently. The owner was not a reserved man. Neither in word nor in deed. Now he was interested in the surveillance department, which had gotten the least amount of work today, so there were more people free. When the tall man, dressed in a white shirt and black pants, entered the room, no one looked up.
There was only the clicking of keyboards and the humming of air conditioners, which had been installed more for technology than for the comfort of the twenty employees, who were busy hacking into databases and everything else, that could help in extracting information. The easiest way is to steal the information. Kenny went to the head of the department, the young woman who had developed the security for their own database. He’ll tense her up, and she’ll tense up her subordinates. The chain to correct his oversight will be set in motion. All he has to do is wait for the results.
“Well, how are we doing here?” he asked, leaning over to the monitor, where the numbers were bouncing around.
“Rives is trying to keep us from getting to his archive and overheads, but he’ll break down in another hour, — the girl said, not taking her eyes off the screen”, and Magath’s guys are actively preventing us from reconnecting with the satellite.
“Bastards”, Ackerman snorted."How long will it take to shake them off?”
“We’re already doing everything we can”, the employee gave him a quick glance. “Do you want to give us another task?”
“Approximately, Kay”, he said quietly, pulling back from contemplating the codes he understood only superficially. “I need a photographer by six p.m., a good and proven guy. Find me one.”
The girl’s eyebrows arched slightly, and she pulled back in her creaking chair from the desk to turn entirely toward her boss.
“I can do that, if you want. I used to be into photography, I’ve got all the equipment at home. All I have to do is drive over.”
Kenny pondered the proposition: a proven, safe person, more or less able to take pictures? Wasn’t that luck? He looked at the girl for a few minutes.
A calm, quite nice face, which seemed to say with all its appearance: I know my job and duties and will not do anything beyond them. The girl herself never lost her temper in front of him, steadfastly withstanding all the claims of intemperate superiors. Well, one could not expect surprises from such people. The inner voice was silent, so everything is normal.
“All right, remember the address and don’t be late.”
“As you say, Mr. Ackerman.”
Just as he was deciding this question, a secretary burst into the hall, lit by cold lamps, frantically looking around. The representative from Shaddis was already in the building, which meant that the negotiations were about to begin.
In three hours the work, at least the work that could not be done without a superior, was over. Kenny was satisfied with all the preliminary contracts. But the signatures were still a couple weeks away, considering the holidays. As the man hurriedly put on the jacket he had left in his office, he made a note to himself, that he should be careful with Zacklay. This person has a mind of his own and will not miss the benefits, which often went against the interests of Ackerman himself. It wasn’t the first time he’d encountered something like this, though. Now Levi’s birthday came to the forefront, and he had to choose a present and be on time to visit his sister. He checked his wristwatch: a little over a hundred and twenty minutes to go. More than enough time to take over the city in half that amount of time.
With these thoughts Kenny put on his long tweed coat, his favorite hamburger hat, and hurried out. Outside, the snow was already falling, threatening to cover the whole town with deep drifts by evening. The frost was beginning to bite the skin of his face, and the wind sometimes threw snow straight toward him like confetti. Ackerman, realizing that the weather would or had already wreaked havoc on the road, walked to his car. In a couple of minutes he was heading towards the nearest large toy store, obligingly indicated by the navigator on the map. Where else would one look for a present for a child? The man frowned at the white wall of houses, the colorful, neon signs, the windows decorated with festive garlands. He didn’t like all those holidays.
Added to all this were the endless streams of people on pedestrians, which slowed down the traffic flow. Kenny, however, had only to curse them and wait for a gap in the crowd. It took him half an hour to get to the store he wanted, and he struggled to find a parking space and rushed inside, holding his hat to keep it from being blown away by the increasing wind. Winter had never been mild here, and he could only hope that the forces of nature would relent and decide not to bring a real blizzard until six o’clock at night. In the store, decorated inside like some silly fairy tale house, Ackerman, feeling like an outsider, used the age signs for his search. Apparently, they were generously placed just for such adults, who did not participate too often in the life of their children.
The man passed the row with the sign that read: from three to five, curling his lips in disdain. The contents seemed idiotic to him. But the shelves for children over five had to be looked at more carefully. He could have grabbed the nearest toy, he didn’t know how to pick them out anyway, but damn it, he’d promised he’d be more responsible this year than last. You see, Levi, according to Kuchel, was still too young for the model cars he’d picked up just because those were close to the real thing. After ten minutes of wandering around, Kenny settled on a kid’s version of the gun. The safety, trigger, more or less realistic sight, and ammo supply satisfied the mercenary’s inner parameters. Let the kid play real games, shooting down targets he’d choose.
After waiting in line at the checkout, which consisted of hapless parents, like him, who procrastinated on shopping until the last minute, Ackerman walked to the car, thinking that it would be a good idea to stop by and pick up some flowers for his sister. And his grandfather would probably be there, which would very likely push his patience to a dangerous edge. The eldest could have a bottle of good cognac or vermouth, just because it didn’t seem right to come without a present. Still, that rare day, when they had to tolerate each other for at least more than two hours straight. For Kuchel’s sake.
Kenny was almost late; he rang the doorbell at three minutes to six. As they opened it, he scrutinized the gift bag he held in his left hand, along with a bouquet of roses. He had chosen the red ones in the belief that they were classics. And classics are always in fashion. Finally, the lock clicked and the door swung open, revealing his smiling sister.
“I didn’t think you’d make it”, she admitted as she let him inside, fixing her loose dark hair.
She was wearing a straight, sleeveless dress made of some kind of flowing fabric, pink in color but pleasing to the eye. Moreover, the color was combined with black lace inserts and black, probably satin, choker on a thin neck. The sister looked aristocratic, beautiful and noble.
“You look beautiful”, Ackerman said carelessly, taking off his shoes and putting them on a special shelf. “Put the flowers in water.”
Kuchel held back the sly smile that threatened to embarrass her brother and took the bouquet from his hand. After admiring the blooming buds, she hurried into the kitchen.
As the man continued to remove his outer clothing, the birthday boy himself ran out of the room. And then the first alarm bells went off on the edge of consciousness. The kid was dressed in a suit that suspiciously echoed the color of his mother’s outfit. When he saw his uncle coming, he rushed toward him as if he wanted to blow him out of his way and run out the door. Kenny swept him up in his arms and sat him on the bend of his elbow, somehow sharing his nephew’s incomprehensible anxiety. A black shirt, a pink vest that looked funny on a four-year-old, and pants of the same color. On his feet were black, classic shoes, as if the child was playing the smallest adult. Levi’s face, however, reflected some degree of despair and discontent. A laughing Ackerman Eldest appeared in the passageway leading to the living room, and a terrible realization set everything in its proper place. The request to find a photographer, the identically styled clothes that Kuchel must have sewn herself. He should run before it was too late. Grandfather wore a pink jacket with black buttons that fit his figure perfectly, which despite his age retained a certain athleticism, the same color pants and tie, a shirt of smooth black silk. His long gray hair was tied back with a pink ribbon. Family photo shoot, he’s in trouble.
The grandfather froze, his smile fading when he saw his grandson, whose work he didn’t like at all. The adults glared at each other for a few agonizing seconds, then the old man exhaled and stepped forward.
“Good evening, Kenneth”, he held a pink, small satin butterfly-tie, apparently intended for his great-grandson.
“Same to you”, the man shifted his gaze from him to Levi. " If you want to put it on him, don’t count on my help.”
The boy, sensing support, clutched his uncle’s business jacket with one hand and said firmly.
“I don’t want a bow tie.”
“Levi”, the old man smiled again, looking lovingly at the child: “we’ve already discussed this.” You can take it off after we finish taking the picture. But you have to wear it for the photo.
“If he doesn’t want to wear it, he doesn’t have to. It’s bullshit”, said Kenny, protecting not only his nephew’s interests, but his own as well, for they were on the same side. “Why are you all dressed up like that, anyway? We could just sit and celebrate.”
" We can”, Kuchel’s happy and cheerful voice sounded, “and we can make this birthday memorable and unusual. Kenny, the photographer will be here soon, won’t he? You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
When she appeared, Ackerman muttered a semblance of a “uh-huh.” The young woman was holding a set of clothes, obviously for him.
Never before had the owner of a military company wished that his subordinate, who faithfully carried out every order, had failed today’s assignment. Forgetting, being late, not showing up at all. Whatever. The thought of quietly texting her not to show up came to mind. But then the doorbell rang.
“And here she is, I guess”, Kenny grinned grimly and strode into the living room, holding Levi and the gift bag. “I’m keeping my promises, after all.”
He heard Kuchel and his grandfather say hello to the newcomer and took a seat on the carved-back couch with dark upholstery, setting the boy down beside him.
“Uncle Kenny, I don’t want to wear this”, the child jabbed a finger at his vest, “but they won’t listen to me.”
“And you think they’ll listen to me?”, The man chuckled, watching the doorway out of the corner of his eye.
“Mom’s stubborn, and Grandpa’s only agreeing with her”, Levi said, stomping his foot. “Though I can see he doesn’t like it either. Maybe if I hide somewhere, they’ll leave me alone.”
Ackerman only smiled at such conclusions. Mom is stubborn, and the son is no better. But hiding was useless, and so was running away. The only thing left to do was to endure the coming torture.
“Men don’t run away from danger”, Kenny said, wondering if he could change Kuchel’s mind. “By the way, there’s a present for you, you’re turning five. You’re all grown up now, huh?”
“Right”, the boy nodded and reached into the bag, which rustled.
Uncle slanted his eyes, carefully watching the birthday boy’s reaction. When he pulled out the toy weapon, the man grinned. Levi was excited.
He stared at the gun fascinated, then immediately began opening the package and fiddling with the toy, pulling the trigger, clicking the bolt randomly. It didn’t escape Kenny’s notice how skillfully his nephew grasped the plastic grip, how properly he aimed. It was in their blood, no matter what anyone said, no matter how much they denied it. In those seconds, he was proud of little Ackerman.
“Show you how to shoot?”, the man asked, softly and quietly.
“I think…”, Levi was already loading a replacement magazine, “that…somehow…like this. Will you hold the wrapper?”
The uncle nodded and took the torn plastic, holding the improvised target between his index and middle fingers. He caught himself thinking that he wasn’t at all worried that the kid would miss. He knew he wouldn’t miss. The birthday boy stepped back five steps, raised the gun, holding it from below with his other hand, took aim, held his breath, and pulled the trigger. There was a muffled pop and the plastic squeaked pitifully.
At the noise, the worried grandfather immediately came into the room, looking incredulously at his grandson, who was sprawled on the sofa. Only a little while later did he notice what Levi was holding in his hands, and experienced an unpleasant sucking, bad feeling.
“Good job, almost center”, Kenny said, as if nothing had happened.
“It’s a little different from the toys given to children his age”, the old man announced sternly and coldly.
This tone caught the attention of his great-grandson. He was now watching the adults carefully, trying to understand and understand everything.
“Come on”, the man said, raising his voice a little, feeling the irritation growing deep inside, “he’s a kid, and all kids like to shoot and fight. Remember yourself, best hunter in the county. Didn’t you take me to the corral at the same age, hmm? Besides, he’s an Ackerman, get over it.”
“I did, and this is what came of it”, the old man hissed. “Who have you grown into?”
At that moment Kuchel walked over to them, slightly concerned at the growing intonation. They didn’t need to get into a fight at the start of the evening.
When she saw the cause of the emerging conflict, she furrowed her thin eyebrows, a wrinkle appearing between them, but her face quickly smoothed when she saw the delight with which her son held the gift. He’s just a kid, and none of this means that when he grows up he’s going to be something dangerous or not quite normal. Kay came in after her, carrying the light equipment, the camera hanging around her neck. Kenny stared sullenly at it all. His phantom luck had turned against him. He’d better forget about the photographer
“I want you to take a couple of pictures, no need for a long session. My men can’t take it”, the sister said, explaining what she wanted out of all this.
“Great, have you chosen a location, angle, poses yet? Any special requests?”, Kay asked, adjusting her camera strap.
“Nothing too tricky, I think”, Kuchel looked around the room and looked at the couch, “I think we can sit on it. You know, like old family photos.”
“Okay”, she nodded, shrugging her shoulders”, give me about fifteen minutes while I set up the lights and take a couple of test shots.”
Well, Kenny heard every word very clearly. If he wanted to avoid an unpleasant procedure, he had only a quarter of an hour to escape somehow.
Wasn’t he the one who said that men don’t run from danger? But this was not a threat, it was a ridiculous, humiliating process. He didn’t feel appropriate for such things. Sis, meanwhile, was heading straight toward him with a satisfied look. Had he been wearing a hat, he would surely have pulled it over his steel-gray eyes, just to avoid seeing what she still held in her arms.
“Come on, let’s go change”, she said, rubbing her brother’s knee, still clad in business pants, then she turned to Grandpa: “Will you take care of the tomboy?”
“I think”, Ackerman Sr. said, looking down at the kid, “we can come to an agreement.”
Levi shook his head incredulously and retreated a step, ready to flee again.
Kuchel tugged her brother’s arm, and he reluctantly stood up, following her to her bedroom to dress in ridiculous rags.
“Will you come in with me, or what?”, he arched an eyebrow questioningly, humming a little.
“I won’t see, what I didn’t see”, she snorted, holding the suit out to him. “I’ll make sure you actually put it on.”
“You saw the whole thing”, Kenny returned without rancor, accepting his fate for the next half hour. “Can I change back later?”
The girl only laughed and went to the dressing table, started to brush and roll her thin hair into some kind of hairstyle. Of course, where could she go without it.
Taking off his office suit made the man feel extremely vulnerable. Akin to taking off a bulletproof vest in the middle of a gunfight. And when he finished dressing and looked in the mirror at his sister’s smug face, he felt stupid, too. He only liked the black shirt. No, he couldn’t go out in that.
“No, I’m not going out in this”, Kenny cut him off, taking off his pink jacket.
“Please, it won’t last long, but the memory will last for years”, Kuchel stood up and walked over to him, trying to change his mind.
“The memory that I dressed like a clown?”, Ackerman clarified. “No.”
“I sewed everything myself, this year such colors are very fashionable, I know how you follow your style”, the girl tried to persuade her older brother to this idea by all means.
“It fits great. Classic is style, and this is something ridiculous”, he threw the jacket on the bed.
“And it looks as good as it fits”, the girl stepped away from the tall figure of the man.
Kenny indifferently watched her opening the closet, and when she turned to him, he couldn’t help the surprised expression on his face.
“What if it’s like this?” Kuchel asked with hope in her eyes, holding out a hat.
It was a fedora, made of pink felt, with a concave tulle and a band of black satin ribbon, the brim slightly bent.
He loved hats, and this one reminded him of the fifties fashions favored by gangsters. The sister knew just what to use. Realizing that he was falling for a cheap, but beautiful trick, Ackerman stepped toward her and took the hat. He tried it on, looking at himself meticulously in the mirror, undid a couple of top buttons of his shirt. He looked both handsome and dashing. The result pleased him.
“If only so, but I won’t wear the jacket, I’ve been wearing it half a day already”, he announced, taking it and throwing it on his shoulder, hoping that such a compromise would satisfy everyone.
“That’ll do”, the sister said, her smile flashing happily. “Let’s go, then.”
They left the room. The grandfather, like his granddaughter, had succeeded. The birthday boy with the butterfly-tie around his neck was already sitting in the center of the couch with an extremely disgruntled look. Ackerman Sr. sat to his right and interjected something, leaning slightly and crossing his arms over his chest. Levi listened, keeping his gaze fixed on the special umbrellas, the reflectors.
Kay finished preparing the equipment and gestured for the returning brother and sister to take their seats. Kuchel sat down in a vacant seat to the left of her son, who now resembled a cowering sparrow. But she had to be patient, it was their first family portrait in years. Let everything be perfect.
“Well, how are you?”, she asked, examining her precious child.
“Grandpa’s persuasive”, he muttered, chattering his feet in his shoes, then announced firmly. “But I’ll take it down right after the picture. This tie is choking me.”
“As you wish, darling”, she said, restraining herself from ruffling his stiff, dark hair.
Otherwise she’d have to do it all over again, because his hair was too “naughty”. Kenny stood for a while, watching his family, then walked over to them, going around the couch and standing behind it. There wasn’t room for him anyway, but he was standing next to them.
The sister put her hand on her son’s shoulder. A gesture full of care. Obeying a deep impulse, the Kenny rested his hands on the carved backrest, next to Kuchel’s shoulder and grandfather’s shoulder, and leaned forward a little, thus slightly overhanging his relatives.
“I hope you don’t do that on my birthday”, Ackerman Sr. finally said his true opinion. “It’s less than a month away, and I want to celebrate it alone.”
“Come on, man, we’ll be free sooner we start”, Kenny put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it a little, urging him to pull himself together and bear this “ordeal” with dignity. “Big day, after all.”
He expected the man to shake off his strong hand or say something unpleasant. But the grandfather didn’t react in any way, only tensed. The granddaughter, sister and mother, who had been watching anxiously, exhaled in relief. At least for a while they could behave normally, stepping on their pride, closing their eyes to their principles.
Her family was all together, close by. She was truly happy.
“We’re ready”, Kuchel announced a little excitedly, taking a straight pose and looking directly into the lens.
“Smile”, seriously commanded the photographer, drawing their collective attention.
“She’ll think of something else”, Levi suddenly shared his bad suspicions at the same time, clenching his hands into fists. “You bet, she will.”
At that very moment, his grandfather and mother looked at the birthday boy in astonishment. He, unlike them, and his uncle, who smiled even wider at these words, had not broken the composition they had all been working toward for so long. A bright flash illuminated the room, and the first picture captured that moment.
