Exit Staged Right
by Thomas Mc


Part 4-B

Ron looked around at the group he had assembled. Each of them was waiting on him for leadership, for direction. What was he doing here? He was no hero; he was an actor, a puppet who pretended to be a hero for a television show. It had always been someone else calling the shots; the director; the writers; the producer. Now suddenly he was the one calling the shots and there was no script or director to tell him what to do next. This situation was so absurd that he could barely accept that it was happening. He looked around at the faces of these people, so like his friends yet so strangely subtly different at the same time. Well the situation was what it was and he had taken the initiative. Now, for good or ill, it was up to him to carry it through. He said a quick silent prayer that he wouldn't screw up.

Ron had convinced Jacob that if they were to be able to rescue Catherine, and hopefully get Vincent back, Joe, Diana and Elliot would have to be let in on the secret of the tunnels. He had figured that their best chance to get in undetected was from underground. They had moved their meeting down to Vincent's chamber where the Kristopher Gentian painting caused quite a stir. Nearly a whole day was spent getting Joe, Elliot and Diana acquainted with the tunnel community and convincing them that the Vincent in the painting was real and that Ron had enough pieces to the puzzle that they might be able to put it together. Diana had noticed some similarity between Ron and the painting of Vincent. She concluded that Ron was Vincent's brother and Ron did nothing to change her opinion.

They were now back in Vincent's chamber, sitting around a beat-up old table that Mouse and Kanin had fetched from Jacob's library. Once they got down to the actual planning, Ron told them all he could remember from the scripts.

"So what can you tell me about the building?" Elliot asked.

"First I know that Gabriel owns the building. It is at least twenty stories tall maybe more and there is a helipad on the top. Catherine is in a room with an outside window. There are several tall buildings on the side that Catherine's room faces." Ron searched his memory. "There is an alarmed door labeled sub-basement 2, 6, D. It has a south stairwell." He continued to go over what he could remember of the last pages of the script in his mind, searching for clues. "The building is shorter than the First Interstate building because you can see the sign from the helipad." He remembered that detail from the rushes he had seen of the location shoot the day before all this insanity began. He went on to describe details he could remember from the sets used in the episode.

After Ron finished, Elliot thought for a while. "I can think of a few possibilities that might fit what you've described. I'll check into it but, if there are more than one, we will have to watch the suspected buildings constantly, day and night, and hope for a break. I can trust my lead investigator but if we use his men it is probable that Gabriel will find out."

Ron thought a minute. "We can use the tunnel community and helpers to watch the buildings. Gabriel would know nothing about them. Maybe your people can keep Gabriel's attention elsewhere while we search for her." He looked at Diane. "You can get us blueprints of those buildings Elliot identifies. We'll need those when we go after her." He looked over at Jacob. "Father, we need maps of the known tunnels in that area. See if we can find an access from below into those buildings." Next he turned to Joe. "Joe, you need to convince Moreno that you have given up. Anything Moreno knows, Gabriel knows."

The meeting was adjourned and everyone went about their tasks. Pascal put out the word on the pipes that traffic was to be kept to a minimum so that messages about Catherine could get through easily.

It was nearly a week later when Elliot came back with two possibilities. "Originally I had three possible locations but one of the investigative teams my security chief sent out actually penetrated Gabriel's net and we were able to eliminate one of them from the list."

"Are you sure about that information?" Ron asked.

"Yes. That was one of the two teams that we were sure that Gabriel did not have access to."

"Thanks, Elliot. I really appreciate your help. Tomorrow we start concentrated surveillance of those two buildings." Ron pulled over a map of that part of the city to check the location of the two buildings.

Elliot hesitated at the doorway and stared at the painting of Vincent and Catherine for a few seconds then spoke. "As far as watching those buildings goes, I may be able to help you with that. I'll see what I can arrange by tomorrow morning." Then with a sigh he left the chamber.

Watching him leave, Ron also sighed as he felt the weight of the responsibility he had taken on settle about him. He leaned back and stared down at the beat-up table top. For the hundredth time he wondered how he had gotten himself into this. He was just winging it and several lives were on the line based on his decisions. He felt totally in over his head.

"Don't worry, I know we are all in good hands." Ron jerked his head up to see Jamie standing there holding a mismatched tea service set. "We all believe in you. I know you won't let us down."

It had been two weeks since the two likely possibilities had been identified. The buildings in question had been watched constantly night and day by members of the tunnel community and their helpers since then. Observation posts had been set up all around both buildings. Elliot had managed to get them a couple of offices in the First Interstate building facing their targets. They were occupied twenty-four hours a day by people with high power binoculars, constantly scanning the windows of the two subject buildings, looking for any sign of their target. At night when they might be able to see into the lighted offices all of the various observation posts were crowded with anxious observers. Everyone who knew Catherine by sight was involved in this effort.

Father had produced a map of the known tunnels of the area. Mouse and Jamie led a concentrated effort to explore all the tunnels in the area around the two buildings. Every new tunnels they found was duly noted on the maps. Pascal kept everyone below in touch. Eliot had supplied a dozen two way radios for topside communications. Cullin had located in an old building near an old steam pipe with a radio. He relayed messages between the pipes and the other radios. One of the helpers noted some baby supplies being delivered to one of the buildings so surveillance on that building was doubled.

Elliot and his people were out distracting and annoying Gabriel. It had not been easy. Gabriel had struck back and Elliot's empire was suffering. Diana had managed to acquire the blueprints of both buildings without anyone noticing. She never did say how.

Ron spent most of his time in one of the two offices that Elliot had acquired for them, usually in the one facing the building that had become the prime suspect. When He wasn't watching one of the two buildings in question, he was fretting over what to do next or agonizing over his own feeling of self-doubt over trying to lead an enterprise of this magnitude. People's lives, including Catherine's and her child, were in his hands and the thought made him uneasy.

It was just after dark and Ron, as usual, was in one of the two offices.

"I see her!" Ron looked over to see Rebecca waving. "I see her!"

"Where?" he called as he moved over to her side.

"There! Ah ... one ... two ... three ... Fourth floor down from the top." She paused, slightly flustered. "Ah ... Ah ... about a … ah … quarter of the way over from the right corner."

Ron grabbed up his binoculars. Though not as powerful as what Rebecca was using, he could make out the window in question and saw the figure standing at it but she had turned away from the window. Then the light went out.

Ron turned to Rebecca. "You're positive it was Catherine?"

"Yes, I saw her as clear as I see you." She replied.

The rest of the room had become dead quiet by now. Ron looked at all the expectant faces that were waiting for him to tell them what to do. They knew where their target was, now it was time to plan the assault. He thought for a moment then took a deep breath. "OK, folks, as of right now we are concentrating on the fourth floor down and the two floors immediately above and below it. We're looking for two things; confirmation of Catharine's presence; and counts and movements of anybody else on those five floors." He looked around at the expectant faces looking back at him. "In order to plan a successful raid, we have to know what we're up against. Those not watching will be needed below to help find a point of entrance into that building."

Continued


'Beauty and the Beast' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.