"You should have alerted us sooner!" Chaumérey said. He slammed his
pistol on the table, making Christophe jump. "What were you /doing/ out
there?"
Patron-Minette had gathered in the basement of Louis' apartment. Chaumérey was hovering over the seated Christophe, looking rather like an inquisitor. Guichard was sitting half-concealed in shadow under the curtained window. Mathieu was looking resolved and thoughtful, standing by the door with his arms crossed. Louis was sitting on the edge of the bed in the corner, his head in his hands.
"I was watching!" Christophe yelled back at Chaumérey.
"The wrong side of the street!" Chaumérey snarled. "And because of you, the old man is dead!"
"Don't yell at me!" Christophe said shrilly. "I didn't shoot him."
"Stop it!" Mathieu said. "No body is to blame."
Chaumérey rounded on him. "Not a word out of you, Claquesous."
Mathieu stared at him for a moment. Guichard and Louis looked up. They could feel the tense silence. It was a feud that had lasted years; their fathers had not liked each other, either-Claquesous and Brujon were seemingly always at each other's throats as well.
"As soon as the police find that body, they'll be after us. They've been after Patron-Minette since that Inspector Javert fellow. We can't stay here, unless you've a fancy for a jail cell." Chaumérey said, finally taking his gaze from Mathieu.
"Where'll we go then?" came Louis' quiet murmur.
"As far as the first mail car will take us." Chaumérey replied. "Go down to the postal office and ask around. We need to get moving as soon as we can."
Louis rose and started up the stairs.
Mathieu moved to the window. He looked out at the street, moving the curtain. "We need to bring the girl." He murmured.
Guichard looked up at him. "What girl?"
"Ariadne."
"No hard feelings, Claquesous, but we don't need to be bringing a girl with us." Chaumérey said.
"No," Mathieu said with a snort. "If we get caught, we might have a chance to get away if we've got a hostage."
Guichard and Chaumérey looked at each other and grinned.
"Good thinking, Claquesous." Guichard muttered. "Well then, go get her. The sun's just now coming up. We haven't much time."
~*~
Ariadne awoke to the sound of something hitting her window. She lay there for a minute, waiting to see if it would come again. There was a sharp tap against the window.
She sat up and then went to the window and pushed it open.
"Mathieu?"
He looked up and moved a finger to his lips. Then he gestured for her to come down.
"It's hardly dawn!" she whispered incredulously.
"Come down here." Mathieu said.
Ariadne licked her lips and then disappeared from the window.
Mathieu crossed his arms and waited, looking around tensely as though expecting the gendarmes to come swarming out from the street corners at any moment. The street was perfectly silent. Behind him, the mail car waited patiently, the driver slumped wearily in his seat.
The door of the house opened and Ariadne slipped out. She had thrown a long cloak over her shoulders. She ran to Mathieu.
"What is it, Mathieu? It's so early. You look pale!" she put a hand to his face. "What's wrong?"
Mathieu pulled her hand away. "Listen. I've gotten in a tiny spot of trouble. I need to go away, and I want you to come with me." He said.
Ariadne stared for a moment. "What-now?" she asked. "I couldn't possibly, my parents wouldn't let me."
"Forget your parents." Mathieu said, taking her wrists. The action in itself sent of a kind of warning signal in Ariadne's head-something was amiss. "This is important to me, Aria. That cart there is going to take us. But it's going to leave soon."
Ariadne blinked. "Wait, Mathieu.I'd have to ask first, they wouldn't let me-what sort of trouble have you gotten into?" she whispered harshly, as if suddenly realizing what he had told her.
"Shut up." Mathieu snarled suddenly. Ariadne fell silent and tried to pull away. He held her tightly. "I have to leave the city and you're coming with me. Do you love me or not?"
Ariadne gaped for a moment, unable to say anything. Her wrists started to ache under Mathieu's vice-like grip.
Christope poked his head out from the mail car suddenly. "Hurry up, Claquesous!" he whispered.
Ariadne heard the name and started to panic. Her father had told her about someone named Claquesous once. "Part of a gang, a regular crook!" he had said.
Mathieu, too, had heard the name and scowled. He started pulling Ariadne with him toward the car. She struggled, but couldn't find the nerve to scream for help. Christophe pushed open the door and Mathieu hauled her in, then looked around once more and stepped in himself, muttering to the driver to get going.
Once inside, Ariadne lost the ability to speak. She pressed herself into the back of the seat. Mathieu slid in next to her. "You see? It would have been much easier if you had just done as I'd asked." He said, and kissed her forehead. She couldn't help but cringe. Sitting across from her were Christope, Chaumérey and Guichard.
"Where is Louis?" Mathieu asked, leaning forward. He had a good grip on Ariadne's wrist, but she didn't dare complain.
"I told him to stay." Chaumérey replied. "He has an alibi, leastways. He wasn't even near the building during the time of the murder."
Ariadne felt her blood run cold. These men, and probably Mathieu as well, had just committed murder.they had killed someone! She clenched her hands together to keep them from shaking, and decided to stay as silent as possible.
~*~
Cosette and Marius sat at breakfast. Ariadne had not yet joined them, something that Cosette found odd. She hadn't eaten with them the day prior, either.
"Virginie," she remarked to the housemaid, "Have you seen Ariadne this morning?"
"I haven't, Madame. Her door is closed." Virginie replied.
"She's probably still asleep, Cosette." Marius said. "Let her rest."
Cosette leaned back in her chair and gazed up at the staircase in the hallway. "Something doesn't seem right, Marius. I'm going to have a look."
She got up and went to the stairs. Marius leaned forward in his chair to see the hallway better. From what he could see, his daughter's door was closed.
Cosette went to Ariadne's door and knocked with the knuckle of her finger. "Aria?" she called through the door. "Are you all right?" When there came no reply, she opened the door herself. The bedcovers were wrinkled and tossed onto the floor, as if Ariadne had gotten up in a hurry. The window was wide open.
Cosette screamed.
Marius was on his feet in an instant, running for the stairs. Cosette ran to the balustrade. "She's gone, Marius! Ariadne's gone!"
~*~
Madeleine paced her room. She couldn't decide what she was going to do. She had to warn Ariadne about Mathieu. He was trouble, that was for sure. But what if it wasn't really him she had seen running through the street? It was dark, after all. It could have been any random gang. And the gunshot, well, it could have been only a dream.
But there was that /feeling/. She knew it was him!
Madeleine went downstairs to join her parents at breakfast. She sat down and said nothing, but started her meal.
"Did you see the police outside, Madeleine?" her father asked.
Madeleine looked up. "What police?" she asked. Her heart began to pound.
"At old Monsieur Gautreau's house. They found him dead this morning, shot at the base of his stairs." Her mother explained. Her tone was almost uncaring. "A gang, they say, but they haven't found them yet."
"Dieu." Madeleine muttered. She jumped up and ran from the room. Her father rose to his feet, calling after her, but she gave no reply.
Madeleine slipped outside and ran flat out to Ariadne's house. Once there, she knocked urgently.
~*~
"Get the door, Marius! It could be the police." Cosette called from the top of the stairs. Marius hurried to the door and opened it to see Madeleine.
"Oh, Madeleine!" said Cosette as she ran down the staircase. "Do you know where Ariadne is?"
Madeleine's face went pale. *She's already gone.* she thought. "I know who might have taken her."
=========== A/N: Yay! I have 3 reviews!
Sweet775: Thanks! Here's your update! :-)
La Pamplemousse: Yes! 'Toile is coming! Well, the /thought/ of 'Toile is coming.well.yeah. Yeah, you'll know. Hehe!
Patron-Minette had gathered in the basement of Louis' apartment. Chaumérey was hovering over the seated Christophe, looking rather like an inquisitor. Guichard was sitting half-concealed in shadow under the curtained window. Mathieu was looking resolved and thoughtful, standing by the door with his arms crossed. Louis was sitting on the edge of the bed in the corner, his head in his hands.
"I was watching!" Christophe yelled back at Chaumérey.
"The wrong side of the street!" Chaumérey snarled. "And because of you, the old man is dead!"
"Don't yell at me!" Christophe said shrilly. "I didn't shoot him."
"Stop it!" Mathieu said. "No body is to blame."
Chaumérey rounded on him. "Not a word out of you, Claquesous."
Mathieu stared at him for a moment. Guichard and Louis looked up. They could feel the tense silence. It was a feud that had lasted years; their fathers had not liked each other, either-Claquesous and Brujon were seemingly always at each other's throats as well.
"As soon as the police find that body, they'll be after us. They've been after Patron-Minette since that Inspector Javert fellow. We can't stay here, unless you've a fancy for a jail cell." Chaumérey said, finally taking his gaze from Mathieu.
"Where'll we go then?" came Louis' quiet murmur.
"As far as the first mail car will take us." Chaumérey replied. "Go down to the postal office and ask around. We need to get moving as soon as we can."
Louis rose and started up the stairs.
Mathieu moved to the window. He looked out at the street, moving the curtain. "We need to bring the girl." He murmured.
Guichard looked up at him. "What girl?"
"Ariadne."
"No hard feelings, Claquesous, but we don't need to be bringing a girl with us." Chaumérey said.
"No," Mathieu said with a snort. "If we get caught, we might have a chance to get away if we've got a hostage."
Guichard and Chaumérey looked at each other and grinned.
"Good thinking, Claquesous." Guichard muttered. "Well then, go get her. The sun's just now coming up. We haven't much time."
~*~
Ariadne awoke to the sound of something hitting her window. She lay there for a minute, waiting to see if it would come again. There was a sharp tap against the window.
She sat up and then went to the window and pushed it open.
"Mathieu?"
He looked up and moved a finger to his lips. Then he gestured for her to come down.
"It's hardly dawn!" she whispered incredulously.
"Come down here." Mathieu said.
Ariadne licked her lips and then disappeared from the window.
Mathieu crossed his arms and waited, looking around tensely as though expecting the gendarmes to come swarming out from the street corners at any moment. The street was perfectly silent. Behind him, the mail car waited patiently, the driver slumped wearily in his seat.
The door of the house opened and Ariadne slipped out. She had thrown a long cloak over her shoulders. She ran to Mathieu.
"What is it, Mathieu? It's so early. You look pale!" she put a hand to his face. "What's wrong?"
Mathieu pulled her hand away. "Listen. I've gotten in a tiny spot of trouble. I need to go away, and I want you to come with me." He said.
Ariadne stared for a moment. "What-now?" she asked. "I couldn't possibly, my parents wouldn't let me."
"Forget your parents." Mathieu said, taking her wrists. The action in itself sent of a kind of warning signal in Ariadne's head-something was amiss. "This is important to me, Aria. That cart there is going to take us. But it's going to leave soon."
Ariadne blinked. "Wait, Mathieu.I'd have to ask first, they wouldn't let me-what sort of trouble have you gotten into?" she whispered harshly, as if suddenly realizing what he had told her.
"Shut up." Mathieu snarled suddenly. Ariadne fell silent and tried to pull away. He held her tightly. "I have to leave the city and you're coming with me. Do you love me or not?"
Ariadne gaped for a moment, unable to say anything. Her wrists started to ache under Mathieu's vice-like grip.
Christope poked his head out from the mail car suddenly. "Hurry up, Claquesous!" he whispered.
Ariadne heard the name and started to panic. Her father had told her about someone named Claquesous once. "Part of a gang, a regular crook!" he had said.
Mathieu, too, had heard the name and scowled. He started pulling Ariadne with him toward the car. She struggled, but couldn't find the nerve to scream for help. Christophe pushed open the door and Mathieu hauled her in, then looked around once more and stepped in himself, muttering to the driver to get going.
Once inside, Ariadne lost the ability to speak. She pressed herself into the back of the seat. Mathieu slid in next to her. "You see? It would have been much easier if you had just done as I'd asked." He said, and kissed her forehead. She couldn't help but cringe. Sitting across from her were Christope, Chaumérey and Guichard.
"Where is Louis?" Mathieu asked, leaning forward. He had a good grip on Ariadne's wrist, but she didn't dare complain.
"I told him to stay." Chaumérey replied. "He has an alibi, leastways. He wasn't even near the building during the time of the murder."
Ariadne felt her blood run cold. These men, and probably Mathieu as well, had just committed murder.they had killed someone! She clenched her hands together to keep them from shaking, and decided to stay as silent as possible.
~*~
Cosette and Marius sat at breakfast. Ariadne had not yet joined them, something that Cosette found odd. She hadn't eaten with them the day prior, either.
"Virginie," she remarked to the housemaid, "Have you seen Ariadne this morning?"
"I haven't, Madame. Her door is closed." Virginie replied.
"She's probably still asleep, Cosette." Marius said. "Let her rest."
Cosette leaned back in her chair and gazed up at the staircase in the hallway. "Something doesn't seem right, Marius. I'm going to have a look."
She got up and went to the stairs. Marius leaned forward in his chair to see the hallway better. From what he could see, his daughter's door was closed.
Cosette went to Ariadne's door and knocked with the knuckle of her finger. "Aria?" she called through the door. "Are you all right?" When there came no reply, she opened the door herself. The bedcovers were wrinkled and tossed onto the floor, as if Ariadne had gotten up in a hurry. The window was wide open.
Cosette screamed.
Marius was on his feet in an instant, running for the stairs. Cosette ran to the balustrade. "She's gone, Marius! Ariadne's gone!"
~*~
Madeleine paced her room. She couldn't decide what she was going to do. She had to warn Ariadne about Mathieu. He was trouble, that was for sure. But what if it wasn't really him she had seen running through the street? It was dark, after all. It could have been any random gang. And the gunshot, well, it could have been only a dream.
But there was that /feeling/. She knew it was him!
Madeleine went downstairs to join her parents at breakfast. She sat down and said nothing, but started her meal.
"Did you see the police outside, Madeleine?" her father asked.
Madeleine looked up. "What police?" she asked. Her heart began to pound.
"At old Monsieur Gautreau's house. They found him dead this morning, shot at the base of his stairs." Her mother explained. Her tone was almost uncaring. "A gang, they say, but they haven't found them yet."
"Dieu." Madeleine muttered. She jumped up and ran from the room. Her father rose to his feet, calling after her, but she gave no reply.
Madeleine slipped outside and ran flat out to Ariadne's house. Once there, she knocked urgently.
~*~
"Get the door, Marius! It could be the police." Cosette called from the top of the stairs. Marius hurried to the door and opened it to see Madeleine.
"Oh, Madeleine!" said Cosette as she ran down the staircase. "Do you know where Ariadne is?"
Madeleine's face went pale. *She's already gone.* she thought. "I know who might have taken her."
=========== A/N: Yay! I have 3 reviews!
Sweet775: Thanks! Here's your update! :-)
La Pamplemousse: Yes! 'Toile is coming! Well, the /thought/ of 'Toile is coming.well.yeah. Yeah, you'll know. Hehe!