VINCENT
Vincent opened his eyes to a white sterile looking room. He found himself caged like an animal. His thoughts immediately went to Catherine. He would never forget the look in her eyes. He wondered if she was okay. It was because of him she was caught up in this mess. He had been set up and Catherine was used as bait. He hated himself and he hated the army for making him a beast. He had to get out of there. He had to know if she was okay. This couldn't be the end.
"Well, hello Mr. Keller, I'm Dr. Braunstein and we are going to get to know each other very well."
Vincent hated to kill people, but he knew he was going to have to kill to get out of here. He realized one thing earlier that was very puzzling to him. Normally his beast side was vicious, but his beast liked Catherine. That made Vincent happy. He wondered if there was a world where Catherine could love both of them. He knew it was wishful thinking, but he was sitting there looking at bars and white walls, he needed some inspiration. He wondered if he would ever see Catherine again.
"Vincent, did you hear me? If you're worried about Ms. Chandler, she's safely back at home, without a scratch," Dr. Braunstein said, with a smirk on his face.
Vincent was happy Catherine was safe and it made it easier to focus on his escape.
Finally the man Vincent knew as Agent Simpson walked in.
"I thought we had a deal," Vincent yelled.
"We did, but we need you now. We have a little situation in Iraq and you are the best man or should I say beast for the job," Agent Simpson stated, in an official tone.
"I'm not going to Iraq. You used Catherine as bait to catch me. You knew I would come," Vincent yelled, angrily.
"We didn't have a choice. You would have never come, had we not given you a little incentive."
"Look, just let me go and I will let you live," Vincent said.
"I see you need a little motivation. Ms. Chandler is safe for now and if you want to keep it that way, you will go. I will leave you to think about it. I'm sure you won't need that much time," Agent Simpson stated, as he walked away.
Vincent knew they had injected him with a serum, so he couldn't transform. He sat on the floor of the cage with a defeated look. He knew he was cornered.
CATHERINE
"Nice seeing you again, Ms. Chandler, have a safe flight back," the lawyer said, as Catherine exited the office. Her meeting with the estate attorney was over. She debated if she should fly back to New Orleans or wait until tomorrow. This visit hadn't been too pleasant and she still had a lot of unanswered questions. She decided to stay and just play it by ear. She was tired and she felt confused by the events of yesterday. She thought of Vincent and wondered how he was doing. Distance was definitely making her miss him even more. She just wanted to be in his embrace right now. Those strong arms that made her feel so safe and secure.
Catherine hailed a cab and headed back to her parent's house. The drive was a short one and she was glad. She paid the driver and exited the vehicle. She looked over at the apple orchard and decided she would pick some apples and make an apple pie. She could hear her mom saying, "apple pie makes everything better." Catherine smiled at the happy memory. It made her feel better already.
"Hi Cat, I thought that was you."
She felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. She knew the voice, and it was one she wished she could forget. Reluctantly, she turned around, "Hello, Peyton," she said. Peyton Stephens, the boy from next door. Time had been good to him. He was still tall, dark, and ruggedly handsome. They were high school sweethearts, until he graduated and left her and New York behind. His parents still lived across the street, but she never thought she would see him again. She thought of yesterday and wondered if the neighbors had seen anything. The last thing she needed was the neighbors to start asking questions she couldn't answer.
"How long will you be here, Cat?" he asked.
"I'm here on business, so when that's concluded, I'll fly home," she said.
"Maybe we can get together later and catch up, it will be like old times."
Yeah right, like old times when you left me heartbroken and alone, she thought. "Sounds great, well I have to go, but it was nice seeing you again, Peyton," she said, as she walked away.
VINCENT
Dr. Braunstein entered the room and started to unlock the cage. Two armed men stood by as he escorted Vincent across the room. Vincent knew the serum had worn off, so this was his opportunity. He transformed into beast mode and grabbed and clawed one of the guys.
Dr. Braunstein crawled under a table to hide. The Beast snapped the guys neck and dropped him like a rag doll and headed for the other guy. A loud noise rang out in the room. The beast stopped and turned around.
Dr. Braunstein stood trembling with a gun. "Don't make me shoot you Vincent," he pleaded.
The words didn't faze the beast, he started walking towards the doctor with glowing yellow eyes. Another shot rang out and this time it pierced the stomach of the beast. The creature let out a loud growl that echoed across the room. He zoomed out of the room and down the hallway. Blood was dripping everywhere and the beast was getting weak. He spotted a window and jumped through it and ran into some woods behind the building.
Leaves fell lightly to the ground. The wind blew through the trees. Catherine's hair blew in her eyes as she walked through the orchard. Apples lay on the ground everywhere and Catherine's basket was filled to capacity. She turned to head towards the house, when she heard a rustling noise in the bushes. She looked around, but she didn't see anyone. Just as she turned again, she saw some red spots on the ground. It resembled blood, but why would blood be out here? Perplexed and intrigued, she looked around again, but still nothing. She looked at the spots and figured it was probably nothing. As she looked up, a figure appeared out of nowhere. Startled by what she saw, the basket of apples went tumbling to the ground. In front of her stood the beastly creature from the warehouse.
Catherine stood frozen in place. She didn't know what to think or do. She could see blood seeping from his torn shirt. He had dirt and leaves all over him. He looked as if he had stepped right out of a horror movie. He growled softly and looked at her. She could sense him appealing to her for help. He needed medical attention, but she couldn't take him to a hospital. She grabbed his arm and he shifted his weight, so she could help him into the house.
Catherine guided him towards the back of the house, so no one would see them. She didn't know what he was and she definitely couldn't explain him to the neighbors. She opened the back door and helped him inside. It was a den right off the kitchen, so she lead him in there and he collapsed on the couch.
Her emotions were all over the place, but she couldn't focus on thoughts and feelings right now. He had been shot and the bullet needed to be removed. She had seen it done on TV, but this was reality. Her hands were already trembling and she didn't know if she could steady them enough to retrieve the bullet.
Catherine didn't drink liquor, but she thanked her sister, Heather, silently, for leaving some brandy there. It was going to take that and then some to calm her nerves. Even a cigarette would help right about now.
She found some tweezers, thread and gauze bandages in the medicine cabinet. She boiled some water and grabbed some towels. She thought to herself, you can do it. Just then she heard a knock at the front door. She looked over at the beast and he was barely conscious. Who could be knocking at her door? Her nerves were on edge as she walked to the door. She looked through the peephole, it was Peyton!
What did he want? She didn't want or have time for a trip down heartbreak lane. She had to get rid of him and fast. She didn't know how long the beast could hold on.
Catherine was trembling and nervous. She knew she had to get control of her emotions, before opening the door. She slowly opened the door.
"Hi Cat, did I catch you at a bad time?" he asked.
She nervously replied, "Yes, I actually have a conference call scheduled in ten minutes. How about we try to catch up tomorrow?" she asked.
"Ok, sounds good," he said.
Catherine closed the door and let out a sigh of relief. She rushed back to the beast. She knew time was of the essence. The water was ready, so she prepared to remove the bullet. The beast was now totally unconscious and she was glad. She feared he may claw her, if the pain became too intense.
The bullet hadn't traveled far, so she was able to grab it, but it kept slipping. She held the flashlight steady in one hand, as she used the tweezers to remove the bullet with her other hand.
After five minutes, she pulled the bullet out and then cleaned the wound. She stitched the wound up the best she could and hoped he would be okay.
Something seemed vaguely familiar about him, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
Catherine cleaned the mess up and went upstairs to take a shower. She was exhausted and dirty. She didn't know what to do with the beast, but she didn't have the energy to worry about that right now.
An hour later she headed downstairs to check on her mysterious houseguest. She entered the room and looked over at the couch. Her heart skipped a beat, her mouth went dry. Her knees buckled and she could feel herself fading as she fell to the floor.
"Catherine, Catherine, can you hear me?" Vincent's face came into focus. "You've been drifting in and out of consciousness for an hour."
Catherine jumped at the sight of Vincent. Everything came flooding back to her.
"You're him, you're the beast," she screamed.
"Catherine, I'm sorry you had to find out this way," Vincent said, in a sincere voice.
Catherine looked at him in disbelief. She didn't say a word. It was too much for her believe and comprehend.
Vincent looked beaten and tired. The last couple of days had taken a toll on him and it showed. He was dirty, bruised and had on torn clothes. He was a far cry from the man Catherine first met in New Orleans.
He looked at Catherine and he knew she could only picture him as a beast. His greatest fear was now reality. The last person he wanted to know his secret was Catherine. He moved closer to her and extended his hand to touch her. She jumped back with fear and disgust in her eyes. Vincent felt as if he had been shot again. He understood her reaction, but it cut him deep within. She was the one person he couldn't handle being rejected by.
In the distance the sun was setting on the horizon. It was a beautiful view as Vincent stood in the back door taking it in. On a normal day he would have been fascinated by the spectacular sight, but today wasn't normal and neither was his life.
He felt as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest. He wanted to disappear and let Catherine have her life back, but he knew it was too late for that. Government agents would be surrounding the house soon and he had to get Catherine to safety.
Vincent tried to work up the nerve to face Catherine. He had to convince her to leave with him and he knew it wouldn't be easy. He walked into the den, slowly, not knowing what to expect. He could tell by the redness in her eyes that she had been crying. She turned away from him when he looked at her. He wanted to hold her so badly and tell her everything would be okay, but he knew she would never let him touch her again. He wished he had just stayed in the woods and died a slow agonizing death among nature. It couldn't be as painful as having his heart broken into a million pieces.
"Catherine, I know you don't want to have anything to do with me, but I beg you to hear me out."
Catherine didn't move or look his way. He sensed her anger, so he knew he needed to talk fast, before she threw him out. "After you were taken from the warehouse, I was taken to a building and locked in a cage. I won't go into details now, but I promise I will tell you the whole story later. I managed to escape, but I was shot in the process. That's why I came here, because I needed help and you were the only person who I could reveal my other side to. I heal really fast, but I couldn't heal, until the bullet was removed. I know I've hurt you and I understand your anger, but I need you to trust me one last time. Government agents will be here soon and I have to get you out of here. They will wait until it's really dark to conceal their invasion, so we have about an hour before they get here. Is there somewhere we can go, until tomorrow, then I can get us to a safer location? If you will give me a couple of days, I can get you back to New Orleans, safely?"
Catherine felt so hurt and confused, but deep down she knew Vincent would never do anything to intentionally cause her harm.
She remembered the underground bunker behind the orchard. Her sister was the only other person who knew about it and she was out of the country.
"We can hide in the underground bunker behind the orchard. No one knows about it and I have it stocked with supplies and food already," Catherine said, as she stared at the wall.
"Ok, grab your luggage so it will appear as if you've left town already," Vincent said.
Catherine found some of her father's old clothes, so he could freshen up. They shut everything down and locked the doors, before heading to the bunker.
Vincent followed Catherine as she went through the orchard and behind some more trees. She moved some branches from a space on the ground to reveal a door and used a key to gain access. A ladder was attached to the wall, so they climbed down the ladder to the enclosed space below.
Vincent looked around at his surroundings. Two beds lined the walls and food was stacked on shelves hanging from a concrete wall. It was a basic shelter, but it was only temporary, so he didn't care.
Catherine was already laying on one bed so he sat on the other bed. She had her back to him, so he knew she was still mad at him.
Catherine stared at the concrete wall. She knew sleep wouldn't come easy. She hated that Vincent was so close to her. She hated her body for betraying her. She was mad at him, but her body begged for his touch, his embrace. She couldn't wrap her head around the whole beast thing, and she couldn't turn her feelings off either.
Vincent and Catherine emerged from the bunker just as the sun was coming up. Vincent knew they needed to leave early to get to their next destination. They checked the house and it had been ransacked. Catherine didn't react, because at that point she didn't care. She called a cab and then set her luggage by the front door.
Thirty minutes later a yellow cab pulled up and they both hopped in. Vincent gave the driver an address as he backed out of the driveway.
Twenty minutes later they pulled up to a white house with yellow shutters. It was located in one of the older neighborhoods in New York. Catherine paid the driver and they got out.
Vincent retrieved a key from a secret space under the steps and they entered the home.
Catherine felt as if she was at her grandmother's house. Cherrywood furniture, a china cabinet, linoleum floor coverings, couches with flower patterns on them, and brass picture frames. She gave Vincent a puzzled look. He smiled, because he knew what she was thinking.
"This was my best friend's grandparent's home. When they passed away, I paid him for the house and to keep it in their name. I used it in case I need somewhere to hide, like today," Vincent said.
Vincent directed her to follow him. He opened a door that revealed some stairs. At the bottom of the stairs was a state of the art, basement apartment. Flat screen TVs, a bar area, kitchen, laundry room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Now the upstairs scene made sense to Catherine, no one would ever believe the basement looked like this.
Vincent escorted Catherine to the room she would be sleeping in and then he walked across the hall to his bedroom. He needed to shower and change clothes after what he had been through the last couple of days.
It hurt him to know Catherine was so close and he couldn't talk to her or touch her. He didn't look forward to returning to New Orleans, because he knew he would never see her again.
He turned on the radio and "How do I live" by LeAnn Rimes was playing. He changed it quickly. All the words described him and Catherine and he couldn't take the torture. He put on John Coltrane and prepared to get in the shower.
Catherine sat on the bed thinking about her and Vincent. She had a decision to make and she needed to make it soon. Even after seeing Vincent as a beast, she couldn't walk away. Images of his sexy chiseled body filled her head. She thought about how he made her feel when they were together. He always opened every door for her and treated her like a queen. Even in beast mode, he looked out for her. She still didn't know if she could accept the beast side though.
Catherine ran some water in the bathtub and took a hot bath. Afterwards she put on some Japanese cherry blossom lotion from bath & body works. She put a t-shirt on and some panties, so she could relax in bed and watch TV.
She cracked her door open and she saw that Vincent's door was closed. Without thinking about it, she walked across the hall and knocked on Vincent's door.
"Come in," Vincent said.
She nervously entered the room. Vincent lay in bed, shirtless, listening to John Coltrane. She walked over to the bed and got in. She slid over, closer to Vincent, until she was in his arms. She looked up into his eyes and then she whispered softly in his ear, "I love you."