21

"Dariusz, code red! Return to the base point!"—I texted quickly.

How much I hoped that now the phone would ring outside the door!

But it didn't happen...

I opened the door.

— Come in, Darek. Where have you been? And where's your red jacket?— I deliberately mistakenly called Dariusz's brown jacket red...

— I lost it...—non-Darek sighed, sitting down on the shoe rack.— I'm so tired! What are you doing now?—

— We watch cartoons and comedies. Well, you don't like watching TV...—I said.— Do you want to eat?—

— Yes, I'm a little hungry... Is Cornelius at home?— the fake Darek went to the kitchen with me.

— You left together, didn't he tell you?—I ask.— Well, it's okay... Go wash up, you're obviously chilled out in this cold. You could use a hot shower...—

When the non-real Dariusz left, I saw the real Dariusz outside the window.

— Bathroom.—I mouthed it.

— Make sure no one sees it.—He answered me with gestures.

I went back to the living room.

— Has someone come there?—Kirby asked.

— Just like that, an acquaintance, an acquaintance, I was looking for Darek...— I heard the sound of falling in the bathroom, but no one but me can hear the whole house from a distance.

I followed the sound of a scuffle, which grew louder with each step.

Dariusz was banging on the toilet door of his double. When the resistance from the second disappeared, Darek cut his double's throat with a knife similar to a sickle.

— Oh, my God...—I jumped back so that the salad—colored spray wouldn't hit me.

— Let me introduce you to the replicant!—Darek said.— Help me now, I need to go to the toilet to flush this stuff. But before that, I'll teach you how to kill these bastards...—

Dariusz parted the edges of the incision in his doppelganger's throat.

— Do you see the wire? It was in order to effectively get rid of replicants that I forged such a sickle. It gets just to the electrode that each replicant has somewhere... Well, several where the hearts are. The electrode contains a DNA particle of the one whose appearance the replicant must assume.—Darek chuckled.— And my DNA, namely blood, is from Mariusz more than enough. So, the transparent wire... Did you remember? —

— Darek, of course, I will easily remember this...—I said.—Will you make a sickle for me later?—

— Maybe.—Darek smiled.— Anything is possible...—

He tore the edges of the incision and a viscous liquid, somewhat resembling a slimer, poured out.

— Ugh!—I grimaced, and Darek waved his hands:

— Don't grimace-help!—

We poured all the contents into the toilet. I thought that this would clog the toilet...

however, I'm glad that he bravely withstood it!

— Adrianna! Hey, Eddie, where are you?— I heard Ryan calling me.

— Damn it! Take away the remains, and I'll see what Ryan needs.—I said.

— Eddie, I lost you in such a huge house!—Ryan said when he found me in the hallway.

We were scared of each other in the semi-darkness.

— I often get lost here too.—I smiled.—So what did you want, Ryan?—

— Do you know if Cornelius has popcorn? If anything, I'll buy a few packs later, it's just impossible to watch TV without popcorn.—Ryan told me.

— Cornelius does not eat popcorn and therefore does not buy, but he has many different types of chips and several dozen types of soda. I remember he used to glue the translation sheets on the shelves of the refrigerator...—I said.

— And how many languages does Cornelius know?—Ryan asked.

I opened the cupboard where Cornelius keeps chips.

—Not much, just nine or ten.—I said.— And maybe more. I've heard ten languages. Oh! Garlic chips, pepper chips, very spicy, and now... Now we need to find something for Kirby, he doesn't eat spicy food...—

— And these ones?—Ryan pointed to a large pack.

— No, it's mozzarella and tomatoes, Darek always eats these chips. Oh! I found a good option! Cream cheese...—I turned around.— Dariusz, have you finished with the blockage in the toilet yet? Are you coming to watch a movie with us?—

— Yes, I don't mind, —Darek took a bucket of ice cream, his favorite chips and a bag of marshmallows.— Only it sounds like cartoons...—

— Yes, but Ryan has so many comedies that our eyes will pop out...—I said.

— Great! I hope you'll bring me a soda. My hands are already full.— Darek went into the living room with his burden.

I can hear him talking to Kirby about something there.

— Come on.—I took Ryan's hand.— Will you put your hand on my shoulder so that it won't be so hard to walk?—

— Or should I help?—I heard a voice behind me.

— Cornelius!—I turned around, smiling.

***

When we went to our rooms, Cornelius called Darek to our room and we locked ourselves in there.

— Lukasz found information for me about Mariusz's best friend, although my friend almost ran away from fear himself, but we will go here tomorrow. If we kill Mariusz's friend, he's going to attack! I'm already tired of waiting it out...— said Cornelius

— To attack our father's brother like that? Are you sure we have enough strength for him, and most importantly, bullets?—Dariusz asked.

— Everything is always enough if you attack correctly at the right moment, in the right place!—Cornelius's eyes flashed.—How many weapons do you have left, my love?—

***

His delusional ideas inspire me to even more delirium.

The demons of our minds are always dancing joyful dances.

— Cornelius, now you're just going to be shocked! I synthesized the poison that covers the needles of our badges and some other small weapons. We can cover a napkin with it in a cafe or a glass... The idea has been started, now you need to think about it... Maybe a newspaper?—I was talking animatedly.

— Maybe you'd better eat and we'll go to work?—Cornelius said.— You've already spilled all the sauce, let's quickly eat the cooled spaghetti and let's go!—

Dariusz was pacing back and forth in the hallway, Kirby was finishing his fifth yogurt (as always for dinner).

— That's it, now let's go!— I overcame a plate of spaghetti in two minutes.

Cornelius bulged.

— Ohhh!—He whistled.— So let's go!—

We got into the car.

— I went through your stuff. I hope you won't mind...—Cornelius said.

— You know I can't get mad at you, my love...—I said.— Well, what did you take away?—

— Glasses. I took all the glasses with pendants that you had. Of course, I checked them and now we will give them to our waiters, explain the situation, but... Of course, we will not tell them what is really happening, we will feed them a story about terrorists, we will try to come up with it on the way.—Cornelius turned into a doorway.— Darek, are there any options?—

— Corey, why do you think I'm the smartest person here? Well... Okay. I'll think about what to say, and I'll also talk to the team myself...—Dariusz patted his pockets.— Stop! I forgot my phone. —

— Then what is it?—Without looking, Cornelius reached under the seat.— You'll need to sew up your pocket.—

Darek smiled.

I would like to note that he and Cornelius have very similar smiles, but Cornelius... The fact that I put him first in everything is clearly due to my love for him.

Now it's light twilight and the lighting in the car puts on display these incredibly beautiful wrinkles around the eyes.

In the reflection, I noticed that Darek was wearing a leather jacket today, a T-shirt with burning skulls, a combination of black, burgundy and red.

Frequent for him.